ITV

Tag: BBC Worldwide

  • BBC Worldwide signs IP VOD deal in Korea

    BBC Worldwide signs IP VOD deal in Korea

    MUMBAI: BBC Worldwide, which is UK pubcaster the BBC’s commercial consumer arm, has signed an agreement with South Korea’s largest telephone landline and broadband service providers, Hanarotelecom to supply Internet Protocol Video on Demand (IP Vod) content for its new TV portal platform, Hanaromedia.

    Launching next month, the new service will allow Hanarotelecom’s pre-existing 3.6 million broadband subscribers to purchase over 120 hours of BBC children’s, drama, natural history and lifestyle programming, including titles such as Fimbles, Pride and Prejudice and Tom Jones.

    For between $1-2 per month, subscribers can view their chosen BBC programme as often as they like within a 72-hour rental period. In order for video on demand and Internet traffic to be carried to a living room TV, all that’s needed is a DSL modem, a Hanarotelecom tariff and an Internet Protocol Set Top Box.

    BBC Worldwide senior TV sales manager, Asia, Linfield Ng said, “New media technology is one of our most exciting and important business areas right now. The strength of the BBC’s brand and the depth of its programme portfolio put BBC Worldwide in a really strong position when it comes to leveraging this new technology and sharing our catalogue innovatively with global audiences. I’m delighted that our agreement with Hanarotelecom serves to underline that further.”

    Hanarotelecom chief strategy officer Chonghoon Park says, “I am very pleased that Hanarotelecom is bringing BBC programmes to Korean audiences, allowing them to view these popular and high-quality titles at a time and in a fashion most convenient for them. We look forward to continuing to work with BBC Worldwide to deliver the best service and the best programming for our customers.”

    The announcement with Hanarotelecom follows a number of other agreements which BBC Worldwide has secured to provide content for video on demand services to such international VoD providers as T-Online in Germany, Versatel in Holland, Hot Vision in Israel, Ebismedia in Italy and Telefonica in Spain.

  • BBC Worldwide global channels appoints Anne Howarth as SVP

    BBC Worldwide global channels appoints Anne Howarth as SVP

    MUMBAI: Anne Howarth is BBC Worldwide global channels senior vice president. She is the first senior management appointment for this division.

    Anne joins Worldwide from the BBC and will be responsible for the strategic direction of BBC Worldwide’s international television channels business, as well as the development and growth of its portfolio of channels, currently 18 wholly owned and joint venture television channels, available in 324 million homes around the world.

    She has already begun working with BBC Worldwide global channels MD Darren Childs, on a new strategy for BBC Worldwide’s TV channels business. The strategy will roll out in 2006 and will gradually develop BBC Worldwide’s portfolio of TV channels in both existing and new markets.

    Childs said, “Anne brings to this role a wealth of expertise. She has played key roles in transforming business into focused, robust operations as well as successfully closing major deals. We are embarking on an unprecedented period of growth around the world and Anne will be instrumental in delivering this growth.”

    Howarth said, “The BBC brand is one of the most respected around the world, and in the UK, its name is synonymous with high-quality, engaging programming. Our new strategy will engender the same feeling with our international audiences, building a strong portfolio of channels that engage and entertain audiences worldwide and it is tremendously exciting to be joining BBC Worldwide TV channels at this time.”

    Prior to this, Howarth had been with the BBC where she most recently played a leading role in the sale of BBC Broadcast now known as Red Bee Ltd, to Macquarie Bank. The sale won Acquisition Monthly’s award for the best mid-market corporate deal of 2005.

  • BBC Worldwide announces new management team in Hong Kong

    BBC Worldwide announces new management team in Hong Kong

    MUMBAI: UK pubcaster The BBC’s commercial arm BBC Worldwide has announced that following a review of its organisational structure in Hong Kong, it has appointed a new management team, reporting to managing director Asia Pacific David Vine.

    Pierre Cheung has been appointed to the new role of senior business development manager. He will be responsible for new business development initiatives across the Asian region working with the television, content and production and new media divisions and the sales teams in Hong Kong. Pierre and his team will also be responsible for the TV business in China , Hong Kong and Taiwan.

    Linfield Ng is the senior television sales manager and will manage the television sales team responsible for sales across Asia, excluding China, Hong Kong and Taiwan. Freda Chan will continue to manage the publishing and licensing businesses.

    Helen Wong is the senior finance and administration manager. She will provide business and financial support and guidance to the sales teams and operational support staff in Hong Kong and is responsible for the overall administration of the office.

    Zwanenberg will return to his role in BBC World as regional director, Distribution and Business Development, responsible for the channel’s development across Asia and will continue to work from the Hong Kong office.

    BBC Worldwide MD, Asia Pacific, David Vine said, “I would like to congratulate the team on their new appointments and look forward to growing our business further in this important region for BBC Worldwide. In addition, I would like to offer special thanks to acting GM Nic van Zwanenberg for his invaluable support over the past 4 months and his contribution to BBC Worldwide’s business in Asia during this period of transition.”

  • Mike Phillips returns to BBC Worldwide

    Mike Phillips returns to BBC Worldwide

    MUMBAI: Mike Phillips will to return to UK pubcaster BBC’s commercial arm BBC Worldwide in a consultative capacity.

    He will work as an executive producer, theatrical films, on projects such as Earth, the feature film produced in parallel with the series Planet Earth and other factually based theatrical titles that BBC Worldwide plans to develop in the future. Before relinquishing corporate duties, Mike was deputy CEO at BBC Worldwide, responsible for managing the relationships with BBC production departments and with independent producers; for rights acquisition and investment in programmes; for marketing and communications and for exploiting programme formats through the international production business.

    BBC Worldwide director of content and production Wayne Garvie said, “Mike has an incredible passion for films and is also very well connected in the industry. There’s no-one better to work with producer, Alastair Fothergill and our partners in Greenlight Media to ensure that Earth is an outstanding production and to develop other ideas for the international market.”

    Phillips said, “The success of our oceans movie, Deep Blue, alongside other factually based films like Fahrenheit 9/11, Touching The Void and March Of The Penguins has created tremendous international interest in the genre. With Earth we have a uniquely ambitious project, already pre-sold in key territories. In addition, we are developing a number of other strong stories both with BBC producers and with UK independent firms.”

  • BBC Worldwide in content deal with European ISP T-Online

    BBC Worldwide in content deal with European ISP T-Online

    MUMBAI: BBC Worldwide, the BBC’s commercial consumer arm, has concluded an agreement with European ISP T-Online to provide content for its Video on Demand service.

    The agreement will see science, factual and arts programming from BBC Worldwide available to subscribers via T-Online’s Video on Demand portal. Additionally, a selection of the programming will soon be accessible in High Definition (HD) format.

    For the introductory price of €1.95, subscribers can view their chosen programme as often as they like within the 24-hour rental period. All that’s needed is a DSL connection, a T-Online tariff and a PC or, for use on a living room TV, a Media Receiver certified ‘Ready for T-Online Vision’.

    BBC Worldwide head of German Speaking Territories IIsabelle Helle said, “Video on demand is revolutionising the way the world watches television. Today’s agreement will allow Germany’s T-Online customers to view BBC programmes in an exciting and innovative way. It also further emphasises BBC Worldwide’s commitment to this new and important method of content provision.”

    T-Online International’s Burkhard Graßmann, said, “This agreement strengthens T-Online’s place at the forefront of next generation home entertainment, providing our customers with the opportunity to enjoy a range of films and communication services direct to their living rooms. Furthermore, this partnership gives users the possibility to see a number of documentaries in trend-setting high definition quality.”

    The announcement with T-Online follows a number of other agreements which BBC Worldwide has secured to provide content for video on demand services to such international VoD providers as Versatel in Holland, Hot Vision in Israel, Ebismedia in Italy and Telefonica in Spain.

  • BBC Worldwide plans to launch bbc.com for users outside UK

    BBC Worldwide plans to launch bbc.com for users outside UK

    MUMBAI: Online medium is growing to be a powerful mode of communication, providing unlimited opportunities to extend interactions. BBC Worldwide is proposing to launch bbc.com to capitalise on the popularity of BBC content abroad.

    The BBC website for users outside the UK is likely to have advertisements, according to the corporation’s commercial arm BBC Worldwide. The corporation is looking at launching bbc.com in spring 2007.

    According to information posted on the bbc.co.uk, a spokesperson said a ‘limited level’ of ads would be ‘a very viable option’. TV shows could be sold to international users on the new site.

    It must first be approved by the BBC Trust, which will replace the corporation’s governors. Before that, proposals will go through the BBC’s internal journalism board and executive direction group. But it will not be subject to the public value test, which will ensure the BBC’s non-commercial ventures do not adversely affect commercial markets in the UK.

    “Our hope would be to have the site fully up and running in a year’s time,” the spokesperson continued. The site is also proposing to offer ‘video on demand’. According to BBC Worldwide, the bbc.com site will not feature pop-up promos, animated commercials or the sort of ads that “give the web a bad name”.

    The television news channel BBC World, which is broadcast outside the UK, carries advertisement and could be used as a model.

    The corportion is also hoping that in due course, the site will offer direct consumer downloads via the proposed Integrated Media Player, or iMP. “At a later date it might become a portal for video on demand for international users,” the BBC Worldwide spokesperson said.

    iMP is an application in development offering UK viewers the chance to download TV and radio programmes they may have missed for up to seven days after they have been broadcast.

  • BBC Japan to go off air from 30 April

    BBC Japan to go off air from 30 April

    MUMBAI: BBC Japan will cease transmission from 30 April. The reason for the channel’s shutdown, barely two years after launch is because local distribution partner Japan MediArk Co (JMC), has declared its inability to financially support the channel any longer.

    Launched in 2004, BBC Japan was the second channel designed exclusively for one country. Prior to this, BCC Worldwide had launched BBC America in 1997.

    According to information posted on www.bbcjapan.tv, BBC Worldwide has received a notification from JMC that it no longer has the financial means to honour its contractual commitments to distribute BBC Japan.

    The JMC’s shareholders will not be providing any further financial support. This decision results in JMC no longer being able to continue distribution of the channel after 30 April.

    The statement posted on the website also stated that this decision has been taken without any consultation with BBC Worldwide and is beyond the corporation’s control. The corporation is actively seeking alternative ways to continue to provide the service in Japan.

    BBC Worldwide managing director Darren Childs said, “We are extremely disappointed to announce that, due to the apparent decision of the JMC shareholders to no longer support JMC, BBC Japan may have to end transmission.”

    “We are looking to replace the channel in the market as soon as possible, and hope to announce shortly how BBC Japan’s loyal customers will be able to receive the channel in the future. In the meantime, we extend our sincere apologies to subscribers of the channel who have been inconvenienced by the decision of JMC,” he adds.

  • Discovery Networks acquires India rights to BBC Worldwide’s soccer show ‘More Than a Game’

    Discovery Networks acquires India rights to BBC Worldwide’s soccer show ‘More Than a Game’

    MUMBAI: BBC Worldwide has signed a number of deals with Asian networks to screen More Than a Game, the story of the emergence of each of the superpowers of world football.

    In India, the property has been snapped up by Discovery Networks.

    The program, already pre-sold to over 30 territories internationally, has also been licensed to Hong Kong Cable TV, MediaCorp in Singapore, SBS in South Korea and Channel 9 in Thailand. The deal was developed in association with FIFA.

    More Than a Game explores the 76 years of World Cup football and includes exclusive access to FIFA’s film archive and interviews with famous players.

    “More Than a Game showcases the greatest moments of the World Cup. We have found that it appeals to both football aficionados and the uninitiated,” says BBC Worldwide sport sales manager Richard Hornsby-Smith.