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Tag: BBC

  • Mudra West wins BBC Top Gear account

    Mudra West wins BBC Top Gear account

    MUMBAI:Mudra West has won the creative duties of Worldwide Media‘s (WWM) BBC Top Gear magazine.

    This will be Mudra‘s fourth win of a brand from the stable Worldwide Media (WWM), a joint venture between The Times of India Group and BBC Magazines UK. In 2009, Mudra West had bagged the accounts of Lonely Planet, Filmfare and Femina.

    For the motoring media brand‘s account, there was no incumbent agency and neither any pitch involved. 
     
    Lonely Planet magazine and BBC Top Gear publisher Debolin Sen says, “We are pleased to have Mudra West on board as our very able creative partners. They are a young, bright, dynamic and a committed team. I look forward to their continuous contribution to the brand in 2011, in what will be the year of BBC Top Gear in India.”
     
    Mudra West president Arijit Ray adds, “We work very closely with the worldwide media team on Lonely Planet, Filmfare and Femina. It is our pleasure to have got the opportunity to contribute towards charting the journey of an iconic motoring media brand like BBC Top Gear in India. We look forward to working closely with the brand team to create a distinctive imagery for the magazine, amongst car lovers and auto enthusiasts.”
     
    Owned by BBC Worldwide, Top Gear started as a television show in the UK in 1977. In 1993, the brand was extended to the new BBC Top Gear Magazine launched in the UK and currently is published in various international markets.
     

  • Interest in royal wedding stays high

    Interest in royal wedding stays high

    MUMBAI: The royal wedding of Prince William and Kate Middleton, now Catherine the Duchess of Cambridge, may be one of the most awaited events of the year, but couldn‘t quite beat the charm of Diana getting married to Prince Charles in 1981. 
     
    The event was watched by nearly 27 million viewers in Britain, which is way short of 28 million viewers that tuned in to see the Prince Williams‘ parents getting married.

    In the UK, BBC was the overall winner with 20 million viewers, followed by ITV with 6 million, and Sky News at 661,000. 
     
    The numbers are substantial, and just marginally ahead of Only Fools Christmas special from 1996, which raked up 24.4 million.

    Meanwhile, an average of 22.8 million total viewers in the US tuned in to the nuptials from Westminster Abbey in London, according to Nielsen. The event was carried by eleven stateside networks: ABC, CBS, NBC, Telemundo, Univision, BBC America, CNN, E!, Fox News Channel, MSNBC and TLC.
     
    This number is way behind the viewership of February‘s Super Bowl, a record total of 111 million.

    The tame numbers were a surprise given the predictions from some newspapers in the UK of a rating blowout. Some reports had even claimed a worldwide viewing of 3 billion — a target that would now appear outlandish.
     

  • BBC reveals audience increases with new Live +7 figures

    BBC reveals audience increases with new Live +7 figures

    MUMBAI: BBC has published the first two months‘ figures for its new Live +7 data and has confirmed plans to publish audience appreciation information later this year.

    These new measures will combine to provide the BBC with its most accurate assessment of programme value to date.

    As revealed by former Director, BBC Vision Jana Bennett last November, Live +7 measures the total audience consuming content across all platforms, including live, recordings, narrative repeats, BBC iPlayer and HD for seven days after transmission.

    The system makes use of Barb data and collates these ratings relating to a particular programme or episode alongside BBC iPlayer stats.

    The results, to be published monthly, show that some of the BBC‘s most watched shows experience an increase of over four million viewers when measured over seven days. Crucially however, in the case of smaller shows, particularly on digital channels, the total audience for a show can increase by several hundred percent. These figures demonstrate that whilst overnight viewing figures are still extremely important, they increasingly tell only a part of the story.

    Highlights from the first set of Live +7 figures published show the following programmes increased their audience as follows:

    • Come Fly With Me (BBC One 01.01.11) up 40 per cent to 10.1 million
    • Question Of Sport (BBC One 10.01.11) up 210 per cent to 6.6 million
    • Top Gear (BBC Two 30.01.11) up 97 per cent to 10.6 million
    • Madagascar (BBC Two 16.02.11) up 79 per cent to 6.0 million
    • junior Doctors (BBC Three 22.02.11) up 190 per cent to 3.5 million
    • How To Live With Women (BBC Three 28.02.11) up 387 per cent to 1.35 million
    • The Brain – A Secret History (BBC Four 06.01.11) up 127 per cent to 983,000
    • Romancing The Stone: The Golden Ages Of British Sculpture (BBC Four 09.02.11) up 198 per cent to 502,000

    BBC Vision head of audience research David Bunker said, “The new Live +7 measure is very important to us as it helps us to see the total audience watching a show. Whilst these figures do not represent a replacement for the overnight information, it will be a very useful additional piece of data.”

    The BBC has also confirmed that it will publish quality data from later this year though the start date and for this has yet to be confirmed.
     
     

  • BBC finalises creative services roster

    BBC finalises creative services roster

    MUMBAI: Following a competitive tender, five agencies have been appointed to the BBC‘s restructured creative services roster.  

    “WInterbrand has been appointed for brand strategy work, while the brand identity roster has gone to Interbrand and Devilfish. Karmarama has been hired and RKCR/Y&R reappointed for creative services.

    Thirteen companies participated in the tender process, which began with a pre-qualification exercise in July 2010 and shortlisting in November 2010.

    The roster will be in place for two years, with the option to extend for a further two. It will start in March 2011. Suppliers will work across the BBC‘s public service portfolio including the full range of TV channels, local and national radio networks, and new media services.

  • BBC condemns deliberate assault on journalists in Yemen

    BBC condemns deliberate assault on journalists in Yemen

     MUMBAI: BBC is protesting against the deliberate assault of a journalist and cameraman near the University of Sanaa in Yemen.

    BBC Arabic‘s correspondent in Yemen Abdullah Gorab and cameraman Mohammed Omran were beaten and injured by supporters of a government official while reporting on protests calling for the departure of President Ali Abdullah Salih in which protesters clashed with government supporters.

    Ghorab explained that he was a BBC reporter and was then attacked and abused by a group of people. He was cut between the eyes, suffered a bleeding nose and has bruises on his back and other parts of his body.  
         
      Omran had his mobile and watch taken. Ghorab was pulled by the attackers towards the car of Hafez Meiyad, a Yemeni government official, who is known to be close to the Yemeni President.

    Meiyad blamed Ghorab for giving Yemen a bad reputation. Two police officers then intervened and asked the attackers to let him go. They did so and left in Meiyad‘s car.

    Abdullah received medical attention from a doctor and was told that he will need a further check up to see if his swollen nose is broken.

    BBC director of global news Peter Horrocks said, “The BBC condemns this assault on our journalists who are trying their best in very difficult circumstances to report on the situation in Yemen. We call on the Yemeni government to ensure the safety of all journalists in the area and we will be taking up our concerns directly with the Yemeni authorities.”

  • BBC launches ‘Hard Times’ to question austerity measures

    BBC launches ‘Hard Times’ to question austerity measures

    MUMBAI: The BBC’s international news services – BBC World Service, BBC World News and BBC.com/news – have launched Hard Times, a special multimedia content scrutinising the changes being made to the leading economies.

    Running across the BBC on television, online, radio and mobile, Hard Times asks whether austerity is good for people and how societies with established economic and social structures are tackling mounting public debt. It also explores the impact of the current economic climate on pension provisions across Europe, state aid to emerging nations, and the effect on economies outside the Eurozone.

    BBC Global News executive editor Steve Titherington said, “Economists from across the world are now examining, with keen interest, the Europe books, and we see Hard Times as an ongoing editorial initiative ‘auditing the auditors’ and seeing just what the impact is of the decisions world leaders are now making. Our journalists are exploring ‘life swaps’ between Germany and Greece, looking at the impact of the current economic climate on state aid to emerging nations and developing world. We are also keen to explore subjects such as the economic situation in Hungary, and to hear from countries in Europe – e.g. Kosovo and Montenegro – which use the euro ‘unofficially’. And we hope to examine how economic change is affecting migration patterns within Europe.”

    BBC Global News controller of English Craig Oliver will be offering blogs and twitter feeds as this theme develops over the coming months. “This is a story where noone knows what the outcome will be. We want to be sure we understand what it is our audience want us to ask the economists and the politicians as we enter uncertain times.”

    The BBC’s language services focus on issues of special relevance to their audiences. BBC Chinese is looking at how China and Chinese firms see the European crisis, asking whether they worry about the impact of the European economic situation on China’s export or trade, or whether they see this is a golden opportunity to buy prime assets in Europe at a cheaper price. BBC Chinese is interviewing executives of leading Chinese banks and business firms in London to get their views, and see whether Greece will be the next country to experience China’s new buying power.

    With strikes and demonstrations planned across much of Europe, the BBC website, BBC.com/news has brought together all the issues facing the Eurozone countries. Comparing and contrasting the different austerity measures being taken, the BBC asks just how successful they might be and brings together stories of people behind the statistics. BBC.com/news also offers the audiences the opportunity to engage with leading academics who discuss whether austerity is good for communities as well as the economy.

  • BBC plans special programming around Fifa World Cup

    BBC plans special programming around Fifa World Cup

    MUMBAI: As Africa plays host to the Fifa World Cup for the first time this June, the BBC’s international news services will offer a global perspective on events in the build-up to, and during, the tournament.

    From within this continent and beyond, special interactive programming will connect fans around the world, while the BBC’s multi-lingual services will offer comprehensive sporting analysis, a mix of news and current affairs and local, regional and international insights.

    Pre-tournament programming highlights include Africa Kicks, a journey through the region of West Africa that has produced a wealth of international football talent. The Power and the Passion is a new four part series on BBC World Service English in which writer and broadcaster David Goldblatt examines the relationship between football and fans, as he travels to four fiercely contested local derby games in Ghana, Italy, Egypt and the UK.

    George Weah and Didier Drogba’s exploits off the pitch are the focus of Life on the Edge on BBC World News. BBC Swahili will be producing a special series on the ‘health’ of football in East Africa, while BBC Hausa will examine the significance of the World Cup for Africa.

    Over the course of the tournament, BBC World Service will have a special daily multimedia show, World Cup Have Your Say, which moves the football pundits aside to let fans air their views. The World Today, presented by Komla Dumor and Ros Atkins, will be live from Soweto, and special editions of Sportsworld with Russell Fuller will feature interviews, analysis and insight covering the full spectrum of international teams. World Football will have a special focus on football in South Africa and the impact of apartheid on the game.

    On BBC World News, Football Focus will bring audiences contributions and analysis from four times Champions League winner Clarence Seedorf, World Cup winner Juergen Klinsmann, England legend Alan Shearer and Togolese international and Manchester City star Emmanuel Adebayor. Sport Today with Sean Fletcher will provide daily news and updates on all the stories from the tournament.

    Fast Track, the flagship sports show presented by Farayi Mungazi on BBC World Service, will feature news, interviews and special reports around the tournament.

    A range of the BBC’s international non English-language services will be bringing the atmosphere, stories and news to audiences around the world. For BBC Arabic, Sherif El-Sherif is hosting a multimedia show, while BBC Persian will be examining the cultural, social and economic impact of the tournament on South Africa. BBC Brasil will be following the fortunes of the Brazilian team and finding out what the Brazilian organisation for the 2014 tournament can learn from South Africa. Other services offering daily news, stories and updates include BBC Hausa, BBC Swahili, BBC Hindi, BBC Para Africa and BBC Mundo.

    BBC.com/worldcup is offering an extensive range of video and interactive content to ensure football fans are kept fully up to date with the competition online. Video collections will include Road to South Africa, featuring the qualifying goals that won teams their place in the tournament, as well as 32 team profile vignettes of the teams themselves.

    BBC.com/worldcup will include blogs and insight, as well as live text commentary of all the games from morning to midnight. It will also include interviews, a World Cup daily gossip column and interactive areas where fans can contribute their voice to events through mobile, SMS and social media.

    In addition, a search for international football memorabilia will be the focus of Fans’ Football Favourites, while My First World Cup will bring together a unique international squad – players all taking part in their first World Cup.

  • BBC to air The Oxford and Cambridge Boat Race 2010

    BBC to air The Oxford and Cambridge Boat Race 2010

    MUMBAI: The Oxford and Cambridge 2010 Boat Race, on London’s River Thames, will broadcast for the first time on BBC World News. The one-hour special will air at 8.35 pm on 3 April.

    BBC World News director of news content Richard Porter says, “The live race is always filled with tension and excitement and this year it will be especially interesting to see if Cambridge can topple Oxford’s success in the last two years.”

    This year’s crew line-ups include rowers from Canada, America, Britain, Ireland, The Netherlands and Germany. In addition to the live event being available on BBC World News, international audiences can also view the Xchanging Boat Race on bbc.com/sport and via BBC World News iphone application.

    The BBC TV team is led by Clare Balding who will be presenting from out and about on the towpath, amongst the crowds and around the boathouses to really reflect the feel of the occasion. Clare will also be announcing the crews in a new style this year, with a dramatic unveiling of each rower, presented in the order they sit in the boats, so audiences can get a comparative view of how the rivals match up.

    One of BBC Sport’s voices from golf and rugby union, Andrew Cotter, will lead the commentary team alongside former Oxford rower and coach Dan Topolski and former Cambridge President Wayne Pommen. Wayne will be based out on the water in a launch travelling alongside the crews to offer a unique perspective on the race.

    Four-time Olympic gold medallist and ten-time World Rowing Champion, Sir Matthew Pinsent, will be reporting on race conditions, tides and technical elements of how the race will be won or lost. Expert analysis comes from Olympic silver medallist and double Boat Race winning Cox, Acer Nethercott. BBC London news presenter Riz Lateef will be at Mortlake with the crowds around the finishing area, getting all the atmosphere and stories from the riverside. The race will also be broadcast in the UK on BBC One and on BBC America, with a total distribution to over 200 countries and territories worldwide.

  • NewsX ropes in Vishnu Shankar as news director

    NewsX ropes in Vishnu Shankar as news director

    MUMBAI: NewsX, the Indi Media-owned English news channel, has announced the appointment of Vishnu Shankar as news director for heading the channel’s news output.

    Prior to this, Shankar was with Zee News where he held a range of responsibilities including leading output, online news, sports and special projects. He comes with over 17 years of experience in electronic news media.

    NewsX co-promoter Jehangir S Pocha said, “Vishnu is a stellar professional who has worked across all news mediums – print, TV, radio and online. His diverse experience in both international and domestic news organisations will greatly help us create more of the quality news content viewers have come to expect from us.”

    Shankar started his career with The Times of India and moved on to the BBC in London in editorial positions doing TV, radio and online news targeted at South Asian audiences. In his 12-year career with the BBC, he participated in the coverage of 9/11, major elections in India and international sporting events in cricket and football.

    Shankar said, “I am looking forward to working with our young and enthusiastic team to create really special on-air experiences for our viewers.”

    NewsX is busy in building its editorial and management team gradually. Last month, the company had announced various appointments in its ad sales, technical operations and editorial and strategy and planning.

  • BBC sees audience boost for its news

    BBC sees audience boost for its news

    MUMBAI: The British Broadcasting Corporation has announced that its Global News division attracts a record weekly global audience of 238 million people to its international news services including BBC World Service and the BBC World News television channel.

    Last year BBC’s audience totalled 233 million. BBC World Service attracted a record weekly audience of 188 million. This figure was boosted by its new BBC Arabic television channel but masked an overall decline in radio listening which was down five million to 177 million in 2008/9. However, despite this loss, BBC World Service remains the world’s most popular international radio broadcaster.

    The largest overseas audiences for BBC news across all platforms come from Nigeria (26 million), the USA (24.1 million) and India (22.2 million). The biggest increases in the BBC’s global audience estimate came from Arab-speaking countries like Saudi Arabia (+1.9 million), Egypt (+1.3 million), and Syria (+1 million), and newly-surveyed markets like Niger (+2.4 million), Liberia (+1.1 million) and Guinea (+1.4 million). However, radio audiences in Iran dropped by 1.6 million due to a decline in shortwave listening there and the cutting of medium wave transmissions.

    Major development and enhancement of the BBC’s international facing news sites and mobile phone offer was rewarded with a record 16 million unique online users, a 27 per cent increase on last year.

    BBC Global News director Richard Sambrook said, “In a year when international radio listening to the BBC actually went down marginally, record overall global audiences demonstrate the success of our multimedia strategy and investments.

    “People come to the BBC’s international news services for journalism and ask difficult questions, yet they respect different points of view and actively encourages debate. Increasingly, audiences want access at a time and place that suits them.”