ITV

Tag: BBC Entertainment

  • Keshet UK appoints David Williams as creative director non scripted

    Keshet UK appoints David Williams as creative director non scripted

    MUMBAI: Keshet UK has appointed David Williams in the newly created role of non-scripted Creative Director. Williams joins the company in July 2016 from BBC Entertainment North where he also held the role of Creative Director for four years.

    Leading the existing team, Williams will build on Keshet’s presence in the non-scripted genre. In his former role Williams lead the development of a range of new Entertainment and Factual Entertainment programmes across all BBC channels such as Call the Council and Junior Paramedics, as well as overseeing a number of returning series including the long-running Dragons’ Den. Before joining BBC Production, Williams was a Commissioning Editor in Entertainment at Channel 4 where he commissioned Made In Chelsea among other successful series. A founding member of the team on Big Brother and Celebrity Big Brother, he was later responsible for the entire franchise on behalf of Channel 4.

    Keshet UK managing director Sammy Nourmand said, “I have followed David’s career for a long time and am delighted to have prized him away from the BBC. His arrival further demonstrates Keshet’s ongoing willingness to invest in the UK and work with the best British talent.”

    Williams said, “It’s been a privilege to get my BBC badge of honour with the brilliant people of Entertainment North but the opportunity to return to my commercial roots with Keshet was too tempting to turn down. With big plans and creativity at their heart they feel like a fantastic fit and I can’t wait to get cracking.”

    The non scripted team at Keshet UK developed and produced the workplace dating show When Do You Get Off? for ITVBe in 2015. Other recent Keshet UK commissions include the co-productions, The A Word season two with Fifty Fathoms for BBC One and the Keshet International comedy drama Loaded (8 x 45’) for Channel 4 with Hillbilly Television.

  • Keshet UK appoints David Williams as creative director non scripted

    Keshet UK appoints David Williams as creative director non scripted

    MUMBAI: Keshet UK has appointed David Williams in the newly created role of non-scripted Creative Director. Williams joins the company in July 2016 from BBC Entertainment North where he also held the role of Creative Director for four years.

    Leading the existing team, Williams will build on Keshet’s presence in the non-scripted genre. In his former role Williams lead the development of a range of new Entertainment and Factual Entertainment programmes across all BBC channels such as Call the Council and Junior Paramedics, as well as overseeing a number of returning series including the long-running Dragons’ Den. Before joining BBC Production, Williams was a Commissioning Editor in Entertainment at Channel 4 where he commissioned Made In Chelsea among other successful series. A founding member of the team on Big Brother and Celebrity Big Brother, he was later responsible for the entire franchise on behalf of Channel 4.

    Keshet UK managing director Sammy Nourmand said, “I have followed David’s career for a long time and am delighted to have prized him away from the BBC. His arrival further demonstrates Keshet’s ongoing willingness to invest in the UK and work with the best British talent.”

    Williams said, “It’s been a privilege to get my BBC badge of honour with the brilliant people of Entertainment North but the opportunity to return to my commercial roots with Keshet was too tempting to turn down. With big plans and creativity at their heart they feel like a fantastic fit and I can’t wait to get cracking.”

    The non scripted team at Keshet UK developed and produced the workplace dating show When Do You Get Off? for ITVBe in 2015. Other recent Keshet UK commissions include the co-productions, The A Word season two with Fifty Fathoms for BBC One and the Keshet International comedy drama Loaded (8 x 45’) for Channel 4 with Hillbilly Television.

  • BBC Knowledge launches in Cyprus on Cablenet

    BBC Knowledge launches in Cyprus on Cablenet

    MUMBAI: BBC Worldwide Channels has signed a brand new distribution deal with Cablenet that will see the launch of BBC
    Knowledge in Cyprus for the first time from today.

    This deal follows in the footsteps of BBC Knowledge launching for the first time in Romania and Hungary in January and is the third milestone in an ambitious roll-out plan for the channel across the CEE region in 2013.

    The deal with Cablenet arrives shortly after BBC Knowledge launched for the very first time on RCS & RDS in Romania, DIGI in Hungary on 1 January and Romania’s Romtelecom on 3 January.

    BBC Knowledge will be available in the Basic package on Digital cable, reaching over 6,500 subscribers in Cyprus. BBC Entertainment and BBC World News continue to be available in the Basic package on analogue and digital cable reaching over 35,000 subscribers.

    BBC Entertainment is already shown on Cablenet in English, and BBC Knowledge will follow its lead.

    BBC Worldwide Channels SVP and GM EMEA Ian McDonough commented, “We are delighted to announce that BBC Knowledge will air in Cyprus from 1st February 2013. As we’ve already seen with recent deals in Romania and Hungary, there’s a huge appetite in the Central and Eastern European market for the kind of quality content the BBC has to offer. We are looking forward to bringing our award-winning, factual programming to viewers in Cyprus, and to this latest exciting chapter in the story of BBC channels in the CEE region.”

    Cablenet MD Nicolas Shiacolas commented, “It is our constant goal to enrich our TV bouquets with quality channels, ensuring we continually offer our customers better value. The BBC has always stood for and offered the very best in TV entertainment, so we are truly pleased that BBC Knowledge has become available for Cyprus and we can add it to our digital service.”

    BBC Knowledge showcases British factual and natural history programming. Programmes include the epic series Wonders of the Universe in which Professor Brian Cox explores the link between humanity and the origins of the universe, Richard Hammond’s Crash Course which follows the Top Gear presenter take on America’s biggest working vehicles and the major global viewing astronomical event Stargazing, an original co-commission exclusive to BBC Knowledge.

  • ‘India is the only market where we pay carriage fees for our channels’ : BBC Worldwide Channels, Asia senior VP, GM, Mark Whitehead

    ‘India is the only market where we pay carriage fees for our channels’ : BBC Worldwide Channels, Asia senior VP, GM, Mark Whitehead

    BBC Worldwide, the commercial arm of BBC, has decided to shut its two channels in India. This will mark the closure of BBC Entertainment and CBeebies from 1 December and reflects the difficulties that niche channels have in growing their business in an analogue cable TV driven market.

     

    In an interview with Indiantelevision.com‘s Ashwin Pinto, BBC Worldwide Channels, Asia senior VP, GM, Mark Whitehead explains why.

     

    Excerpts:

     

    BBC Entertainment was refreshed last year. What went wrong?
    The nature of the Indian market for pay-TV channels make the economics of running channels very challenging at this time. We have reluctantly concluded that we need to close our channels.

     

    Could you talk about the carriage costs that had to be incurred versus revenues that were earned?
    India is the only market where we pay carriage fees for our channels. We can’t go into commercially sensitive detail on our revenues.

     

    BBC Worldwide was talking to platforms like the One Alliance. Why did talks fall through?
    We did not choose to comment on speculation at the time and I’m sure you will understand that we won’t be doing that now.

     

    Was the decision to exit part of the overall cost re-structuring exercise that is going on?
    This decision has nothing to do with the overall restructuring of BBC Worldwide. We took the difficult decision to close the channels for commercial reasons.

     

    Some of the reasons included the uniquely challenging pay TV market in India and the delays to digitisation.

     

    ‘India is a uniquely challenging market and decision to withdraw CBeebies and Entertainment is not part of an Asia-wide view‘

    Didn‘t BBC Entertainment have an edge over competition as it covered three genres – entertainment, factual and lifestyle?
    Both channels – BBC Entertainment and CBeebies – have been exceptionally well received by the Indian audience. However the uniquely challenging pay TV market in India made the economics of running them very difficult at this time.

     

    CBeebies was ad free. Is running an ad free channel in India unviable at the moment?
    Advertising is currently a major source of revenue for pay TV channels in India. Without that revenue we found it unviable to run CBeebies in India at this time.

     

    Having said that isn‘t this the wrong time to exit given that the digitisation process has just started with Mumbai, Delhi already switching off analogue signals?
    Digitisation has been slow and the long term impact on the economics of running a channel is unclear at this stage. If those economics improve with digitisation, we will reconsider launching the channels.

     

    Is BBC Worldwide Channels looking more carefully at the cost structure across Asia and are you exiting other markets to an extent?
    India is a uniquely challenging market and our commercial decision to withdraw the CBeebies and Entertainment was not part of an Asia-wide review. We have no plans to close channels in any other markets at this time.

     

    There have been a lot of changes in the BBC such as a new DG and COO. How will this affect the functioning of the channels business?
    The international Channels business is part of BBC Worldwide, the commercial arm of the BBC.

     

    BBC Worldwide has a strong focus on international markets, and our channels business remains an important part of that strategy for growth. We have a clear leadership structure running the channels business with David Weiland as acting Managing Director of Channels and I (Whitehead) running the Asia business.

     

    Is there the chance that BBC might re-enter India in 2015 when digitisation is complete?
    We believe India is an exciting market and in the event of changes in the options available to us, we would certainly consider re-launching our non-News channels in the market.

     

    BBC Worldwide remains committed to India, where BBC World News – the BBC’s international news and current affairs television channel – continues to be available across the market, along with the bbc.com and bbchindi.com websites, BBC Hindi radio and Global India, a new primetime programme produced by BBC Hindi TV which launched on five ETV channels this month.

     

    In addition, BBC Worldwide operates a TV production business, a content syndication business and Lonely Planet in India. BBC Worldwide is also evaluating the potential for a number of digital initiatives which have been successfully developed in other markets. BBC Entertainment programmes will also continue to be available on other channels in India – both terrestrial and cable, as well as digitally on our YouTube channel.

  • BBC Worldwide, Babelgum sign global content deal

    BBC Worldwide, Babelgum sign global content deal

    MUMBAI: BBC Worldwide, the commercial arm of UK pubcaster BBC, has signed a global deal with Internet TV platform Babelgum to provide clip content ranging from natural history, travel to other factual shows in the BBC Worldwide portfolio.

    Under this deal, BBC Worldwide will provide short-form content from a range of programmes including that of David Attenborough documentaries, the Tribe series and Top Gear series, for viewing on the Babelgum platform.

    Clips shown on the service will be supported by advertising and made available through three new branded channels: BBC LoveEarth, BBC Knowledge and BBC Entertainment, which will be launched within the next two weeks.

    Through this deal, BBC Worldwide aims to broaden the reach of its content to new channels and outlets apart from engaging with audiences worldwide.

    Babelgum CEO Valerio Zingarelli said, “We are glad to be able to offer a wide variety of programmes as short-form content tailored for the Internet. These include shows with a massive international following such as Top Gear, Tribe and Galapagos. The BBC brand is known around the world and by bringing these brands to the Babelgum platform we aim to emphasise our position as a point of reference for Nature and Science’s audiences.”

    “Babelgum’s focus on natural history and the environment is a great fit for us. We’ve got a wealth of content in this genre and we’re excited about making it available to Babelgum’s users around the globe. Babelgum is an innovative player in the market and a great way of reaching out to an audience that perhaps doesn’t see our content on more traditional channels,” BBC Worldwide digital media content and development head Jemma Adkins added.

  • BBC Entertainment to make documentary on Spice Girls

    MUMBAI: BBC Entertainment and Simon Fuller’s 19 have confirmed plans for a brand new Spice Girls documentary.

    Spice Girls: Giving You Everything, to be screened in the UK on BBC One, tells the story of the band from the very beginning to the present day.

    Despite the huge amount that has been spoken and written about them over the years, this will be the first time that the Spice Girls themselves would be telling the story of what it has been like inside the eye of the Girl Power storm.

    Fuller said, “This is the story of the greatest pop phenomenon since The Beatles, told in their own words. It will cover the highs and the lows, the laughter and the tears, from their pre-Spice Girls days and the forming of the group to the first taste of success, world domination and ultimately the break-up and the aftermath.”

    BBC Entertainment Commissioning controller Elaine Bedell said, “I am really pleased that the Spice Girls have chosen to celebrate their reunion on BBC One. This unique documentary will provide exclusive access – and we’re also delighted that they’re showing such great support for BBC Children in Need.”

    Girl Power will hit UK screens as early as 2 November when BBC One has the world exclusive screening of the Headlines (Friendship Never Ends) video. This single is one of two new songs that the Spice Girls have recorded for their Greatest Hits album and the five-piece will perform the official song for this year’s BBC Children in Need Appeal during the BBC One telethon on 16 November.

    Spice Girls: Giving You Everything is directed by Emmy award-winning Bob Smeaton, whose previous work includes The Beatles Anthology. It is produced by Martin Smith and was commissioned by Elaine Bedell, Controller of BBC Entertainment Commissioning. Bob Massie is the Executive Producer for 19 Television.

  • BBC Entertainment enters Malaysia on Astro

    BBC Entertainment enters Malaysia on Astro

    MUMBAI: India may still remain a significant absentee but Malaysia has just been added to the list of countries beaming BBC Entertainment.

    An official communique announced the launch of BBC Entertainment on Malaysia’s dominant Astro direct-to-home (DTH) platform. The BBC-branded general entertainment channel reportedly started beaming on Astro (Channel 26) as of 28 December, 2006.

    BBC Entertainment’s line up of British shows include Doctor Who, Footballers’ Wives, Waking the Dead and comedies like Extras, Suburban Shootout and My Family.

    BBC Global Channels Asia, the part of BBC Worldwide that handles the roll-out of the Corporation’s recently relaunched package of international channels, first launched BBC Entertainment in Asia, replacing BBC Prime on StarHub in Singapore, UBC in Thailand, Skylife in South Korea and Now TV in Hong Kong on 8 October, 2006.

    “We are delighted to be part of the Astro platform and to be reaching new viewers in Malaysia,” Christine Leo-McKerrow, BBC’s SVP of global channels for Asia has been quoted as saying. “BBC Entertainment has had a great reception from both critics and viewers around the region, and we are sure viewers in Malaysia will respond in the same way.”

    The launches are part of a global rollout of four new TV channels that will include preschoolers’ channel CBeebies and BBC Knowledge and BBC Lifestyle. The plan is that all four channels will be broadcast across all media: linear TV, VoD, mobile and online.

    NO WORD STILL OF INDIA LAUNCH TIMELINES
    In India meanwhile, there is no official word yet on the launch status of BBC Entertainment, as too CBeebies, which according to the announcement made in early September, are the two channels that will be making their entry in the country in the first phase.

    Present indications though are that the BBC is looking at an April-May launch window. The man in charge of operations here is creative head content and production India Saul Nasse.

    The BBC is looking at further rollouts in Europe, Africa and the Middle East in the course of the year, replacing BBC Prime in these markets.

  • BBC Entertainment enters Malaysia on DTH platform Astro

    BBC Entertainment enters Malaysia on DTH platform Astro

    MUMBAI: BBC Global Channels Asia has announced that Astro, Malaysia’s direct-to-home (DTH) satellite TV platform will add BBC Entertainment to its pay-TV line-up.

    Astro will now be home to BBC Entertainment’s line up of drama, comedy and entertainment programming from the UK. These will include Doctor Who, Footballers’ Wives, Waking the Dead and comedies including Extras, Suburban Shootout and My Family.

    The channel will replace BBC Prime that was aired on several Asian platforms, BBC Entertainment was launched last October in Hong Kong (via NOW), Thailand (UBC), Korea (Skylife) and Singapore (StarHub).