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  • Licence fee payers to help set the BBC’s agenda

    Licence fee payers to help set the BBC’s agenda

    MUMBAI: For the first time, licence fee payers will have a say in how UK pubcaster the BBC delivers its mission to inform, educate and entertain.

    The new Charter and Agreement outline six ‘Public Purposes’ for the BBC and task the new BBC Trust with ensuring the BBC delivers the best possible programming to promote them.

    The Trust has taken its first step to fulfilling this responsibility, publishing for public consultation six draft Purpose Remits which spell out proposed priorities and how the BBCs delivery of each purpose will be judged. The consultation and the first of the Trusts major audience research surveys will seek to find out what priorities are most important to licence fee payers and how the BBC is currently performing in those areas.

    BBC Trust acting chairman Chitra Bharucha said, “The new Charter makes clear that the BBC exists only to serve the public interest and the BBC’s main object is the promotion of its six Public Purposes. For each of these Public Purposes we are today publishing draft remits and asking licence fee payers whether they agree with the priorities proposed for the BBC. We also want to know how well licence fee payers think the BBC is currently performing in these priority areas.”

    The public consultation has begun formally and any individual or organisation can respond via the BBC Trust’s website. The Audience Councils – the Trust’s advisers in the UK’s four nations will provide responses from Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland and around England; and the Trust will seek to raise awareness amongst interest groups and the public directly.

    Bharucha said however that the Trust needed to do more in order to ensure the evidence on which the Trust based its judgements was properly representative of licence fee payers:

    “The Trust hopes as many people as possible will respond to the consultation. We owe it to all licence fee payers to ensure that the evidence we collect is truly representative. We are therefore also commissioning our first major survey of 4,500 adults to help identify the publics priorities for the BBC and where they think the BBC could do better. The Trust will take account of all views expressed before finalising the Purpose Remits. We will then request BBC management to respond with their plans for delivery.”

    The consultation will close on 10 April 2007. The Trust will publish responses to the consultation and the results of the survey alongside the final Purpose Remits later this year. This follows on media reports last month which had stated that UK’s culture secretary Tessa Jowell and chancellor Gordon Brown had agreed to a below-inflation rise for the TV licence fee. The agreement has not yet been approved by British PM Tony Blair.

    Under the plan, the fee would rise by three per cent next year and the year after, and two per cent for the following three years. The Retail Price Index is currently 3.9 per cent. The decision would mean the licence fee rising to £135.45 next year from its current level of £131.50. By 2012, the cost of a TV licence is set to be between £148.05 and £151. BBC DG Mark Thompson had told staff it would be a real disappointment if this move goes ahead. The BBC wanted an annual rise of 1.8 per cent above inflation.

  • CNN rides high on appeal among Indian elite

    CNN rides high on appeal among Indian elite

    NEW DELHI: With a “healthy growth” of 22 per cent in advertising revenue over 2005 in India, Turner International’s CNN news channel is leading the way in the international news channel category in the country, argues Monica Tata, vice president, advertising sales and networks, India & South Asia, for Turner International India.

    Speaking to indiantelevision.com in an exclusive interaction, she claimed also that CNN International has a larger audience than all other international news and business channels put together, and that, in fact, “CNN leads a rival channel (BBC) by 82 per cent in terms of retaining weekly viewers” at the Pan Asia level.

    In addition to the existing categories of advertisers from India, Indian companies like those from sectors like consulting, corporate, white goods, IT, industrial goods, power and automobiles are on CNN International to reach international audiences, Tata added.

    “Some examples are, HCL, the Bihar government, Accenture, Aditya Birla Group, Daikin, Suzlon, etc. And two good examples of the 360 degree approach we take for our clients include CNN International’s “Eye On India” series, which has been held over the past two years in association with Oberoi Hotels & Resorts; and the development of six advertorials, produced by CNN, for the Ministry of Tourism to promote India across the world,” Tata held.

    Citing a report from Synovate Business Consulting, the leading market research and intelligence agency in Asia Pacific, Tata said: “Almost half (47 per cent) of weekly CNN viewers watch no other news or business channel, while the year-on-year audience growth is greater than any other news or business channel.”

    Tata, though, sought to stress that the focus of its viewership is distinct. “CNN International focuses on the International Indian, or the global citizen as we call them, encompassing frequent travellers, high level business decision makers, and not the mass news market.”

    “Online, CNN.com remains the leading regional website, visited by 69 per cent more PAX respondents across a month than the next largest broadcaster or publisher’s website, she said, adding that her channel is 219 per cent ahead of the third closest channel in the international news category in terms or retaining weekly viewers.

    Tata says that the popularity of CNN is what brings them more advertisers and added that CNN has tie-ups with 1,000 TV affiliates around the world “who are very much a part of the wider CNN family”.

    “Clients and agencies have shown an increasing interest in news channels, and for CNN, the response continues to be positive. With increase in news viewing habits in India, new product categories have started advertising on news channels, such as insurance companies, tourism boards, etc.” averred Tata, who quit the Star group to join CNN as vice president in 2004.

    According to Tata, in the recent Global Capital Markets Survey (GCMS) 2006, conducted by Objective Research, CNN International reconfirmed its position as the leading news brand for the global financial community, across all regions (Asia, Europe, Latin America and North America).

    “At the same time, the latest Pan Asia Cross Media survey (PAX research Q3, 05 – Q2, 06) underscores the findings by demonstrating that CNN continues to most successfully reach the wider business elite of financial decision makers regardless of rank/seniority across the Asia Pacific region. CNN has ranked first in the news and business genre every year since 1997, according to the latest set of PAX figures,” Tata observed.

    (PAX represents a universe of 14.2 million adults aged 25-64 within 11 Asia Pacific markets: – Australia (Sydney + Melbourne), Bangkok, Hong Kong, India (Delhi + Mumbai + Bangalore), Jakarta, Kuala Lumpur, Manila, Seoul, Singapore, Taipei, Tokyo.)

    She claimed it is proven that during events of global implications, viewers from around the world, including India, tune in to CNN International, to keep themselves abreast of the latest developments.

    The Indian affluent group continues to grow, travel regionally and globally, do more business around the region while Indian companies are increasingly expanding globally, she explained.

    “With these developments, we are seeing a growing interest in international news and business. CNN’s “Your World Today” being in a prime time slot is an indication of this growth. We are the leading news provider around the world and will continue to grow our position in India,” Tata says. Tata explained that India has always been a key market for CNN and especially more so now because of the country’s geo-political situation.

    “India cannot be ignored by anyone, and is critical from the news point of view. What India does and the developments in this region have repercussions on the international scene, and so it’s natural for us to continue with our focus on India and the region,” Tata stated “We have been covering all major Indian news with international relevance like the Indian elections, the Maharashtra rain catastrophe, the tsunami disaster, important Indian personalities, the Mumbai blasts, IT outsourcing, most recently the, Ardh Kumbh Mela, revival of the Indian railways, the surrogacy report, and many more areas. Besides, the “Eye on India” series focuses on topics like nuclear energy, Bollywood, outsourcing and many more,” she asserted.

    Asked what she thinks is CNN’s edge in India, Tata replied: “CNN International is targeted at the global citizen, who is interested in knowing what is happening around the world. Our content reflects this, and we bring viewers coverage of global events with a regional perspective.

    “On the news front, CNN’s New Delhi bureau chief, Phil Turner along with CNN’s senior International correspondent, Satinder Bindra and CNN’s New Delhi based video correspondent, Seth Doane, focus on covering domestic news and developments and have filed numerous stories from India.

    “In addition, CNN’s feature programmes such as Richard Quest’s ‘QUEST’, Art of Life, Global Office, Global Challenges and Talk Asia have done stories out of India, and we will continue to do many more,” she explained “Actually, we find that the growth of news channels tends to increase the amount of viewers who watch news and business programming, thus creating a bigger audience pool. Through CNN-IBN and CNN International we have a very firm footing in the Indian marketplace. We are constantly exploring business options here and across the region. So wait n watch and stay tuned to CNN!” she quipped.

  • Al-Jazeera English to air ‘Children of Conflict’

    Al-Jazeera English to air ‘Children of Conflict’

    MUMBAI: Al Jazeera English announced its four-part series, Children of Conflict, presented by Nadene Ghouri. The series explores the lives of children around the world shattered by growing up in conflict zones.

    Ghouri travels to Gaza, Afghanistan, the Democratic Republic of Congo and Lebanon where she meets children growing up in an environment of frequent violence and constant economic depression.
    Children of Conflict is broadcast from Doha across the Al Jazeera English channels available on more than 80 million cable and satellite households.

    The series will include stories from Gaza where the theme revolves around the women in this region – the oldest Paletinian suicide bomber and profiling the girls who aim to be journalists and the first female Palestinian president.

    The series from Lebanon goes back to the teenage survivors of Qana massacre. Afghanistan which has endured almost 30 years of conflict has one series devoted to the suffering of the children in this region. The final and most shocking series takes a look at the Congolese child soldier.

    Al Jazeera English follows the model set up by international news channels like BBC and CNN which have an adequate mix of news and documentary series.The channel is headquartered at Doha and broadcasts from studios in Doha, Kuala Lumpur, London and Washington DC, in addition to 20 other countries.

    It is currently available in 80 million homes and plans to double its target audience in Europe, Africa and South-East Asia.

  • Tourism Australia ties up with BBC for “Peschardt’s People”

    Tourism Australia ties up with BBC for “Peschardt’s People”

    NEW DELHI:Tourism Australia has signed an agreement with BBC World to sponsor the popular series Peschardt’s People, which profiles famous and infamous people in the Asia-Pacific region.

    The deal, announced by the BBC’s 24-hour news and information channel yesterday, covers the channel’s South Asia/Middle East feed and reaches nearly 25 million viewers. It is the first regional sponsorship for the series and provides Tourism Australia with a strong presence in India – considered to be one of its most important tourism markets, a press statement issue by the broadcaster said today.

    Presented by the BBC’s Michael Peschardt, the series provides viewers with a ‘behind the scenes’ look at the lives of some of the most famous and infamous people in the Asia-Pacific region.

    The series is also a perfect fit for Tourism Australia as it has a strong Australian flavour. Michael Peschardt, is a well-respected BBC journalist based in Australia and the series also features several famous Australians. The line up of guests include; former ‘Australian of the Year’ and world-leading plastic surgeon Atticus Fleming; Narayana Murthy – one of India’s most respected business leaders; New Zealand actor, Sam Neill and cricketing legend Rod March.

    Michael spends an average of three days with each of his guests, interviewing them about the people, places, and issues that really matter to them, in a relaxed and informal style, encouraging them to open up and talk sincerely and passionately about their lives.

    BBC World’s VP of sales for Asia and Australasia, Sunita Rajan, says: “We are delighted to have Tourism Australia showcase their destination message on BBC World. BBC World is the leading international news channel in India, and the country is now one of the world’s largest democracies and its influential and affluent individuals are travelling more than ever.”She said also that the fact that BBC World was voted as the leading television channel for travellers two years in a row also makes this the perfect environment for Tourism Australia to launch its campaign in.

  • CNN International head Chris Cramer announces retirement

    CNN International head Chris Cramer announces retirement

    MUMBAI: Chris Cramer, who has headed CNN International’s operations for the last 11 years, is retiring effective 31 March.

    “I shall be saying farewell over the next few months in Atlanta, London and Hong Kong and hope we can raise a glass somewhere along the way,” the CNNI managing director said Wednesday in an e-mail to staffers across the globe.

    “In April I will have been at the helm of CNN International for 11 years — and I believe it’s time to retire from the company and look for the next challenge.

    “2006 was a record year for the international services, record distribution for CNNI and CNN en Espanol, and record revenues for all of our overseas businesses, including CNNI.com. Each unit is now profitable. It was also a fabulous year for our global journalism with accolades and awards for staff and services alike. Thankfully we also managed to keep our folks safe wherever they were working and led the industry in safety and training for all those who work in the field.”

    Cramer joined CNN in 1996 from BBC, where he had worked for 25 years, five of them as head of newsgathering.

    CNN is still to name Cramer’s successor.

  • Korean Broadcasting, BBC to back Miptv’s Content 360

    Korean Broadcasting, BBC to back Miptv’s Content 360

    MUMBAI: The Korean Broadcasting Commission (KBC) and the BBC are backing Miptv’s Content 360, the international competition to commission innovative, interactive content and applications for mobile and broadband.

    The event is a part of Miptv featuring Milia, which takes place in Cannes between 16 to 20 April.

    WPP’s OgilvyOne Worldwide is partnering the competition for the first time, alongside returning partner National Film Board of Canada (NFB).

    Content 360 provides the opportunity for international multimedia and application developers to present original ideas which fully exploit the creative potential of new digital platforms and maximise the interaction between audiences and broadcast television. The call for entries is now open, with winners of the competition sharing €100,000 in development funding, asserts an official release.

    KBC director Jinny Kwak said, “DMB has created a whole new culture where people are creating new lifestyles by experiencing completely different forms of broadcasting. At Content 360, KBC hopes to serve as a fresh motivation for new media platforms, such as DMB, to create and develop their own unique content.”

    “The BBC wants to build relationships with the most creative companies out there and together deliver successful services across all new media platforms. This explains our involvement from the inception of the Content 360 competition,” says Jonathan Kingsbury, Head of External Supply, BBC New Media and Technology.

    Milia director Ted Baracos added, “Content 360 brings together the creative ideas and digital applications which are key ingredients in the new multi-platform world. As part of Miptv featuring Milia, it also provides an unparalleled networking and financing opportunity between traditional and new media.”

    Content 360 entrants have time till 9 February to respond to written briefs provided across various categories, each of which has its own specific criteria as established by the event partners.

    KBC will reward the best entry in the cross-platform formats including DMB (mobile TV-centric) category and NFB is offering co-production financing for innovative new forms of socially responsive media. The BBC categories include : localness on bbc.co.uk, children’s content, cross-platform documentary, teenage drama and entertainment, and on-demand participation. OgilvyOne Worldwide has created a cross-media brand marketing category.

    Mint Digital Ltd Tim Morgan said, “Last year’s Content 360 was truly a great opportunity for a creative and technology company like ours to engage the global TV industry. Before Content 360, Mint Digital was a web design company. After Content 360, Mint Digital became a leading provider of social and user-generated web applications with new relationships with broadcasters and producers from around the world.”

    Content 360 finalists will promote their projects during a series of pitching sessions in front of a panel of key decision-makers. The competition winners will be announced on 19 April during the Content 360 zapping show.

    In addition to the pitching competition, Content 360 will focus on creative conferences such as learning from games, impact of virtual reality, tools and platforms enabling user-generated content, video search and social communities, adds the release.

    The Content 360 initiative also includes a dedicated pavilion for networking between digital creators and the international TV industry executives attending the Miptv featuring Milia exhibition.

  • Discovery focusses on ‘Planet Earth’ with an in-depth portrait

    Discovery focusses on ‘Planet Earth’ with an in-depth portrait

    MUMBAI: One of infotainment channel Discovery’s biggest shows of the year focusses on Planet Earth. It kicks off on 1 February 2007 and airs every Thursday at 8 pm.

    The 11 part show took five years to make. It used 40 cameramen filming across 200 locations. The programmes were made over four years by producer Alastair Fothergill and his team, who were responsible for the successful Blue Planet.

    Filming involved visiting 62 countries. Each of the 11 episodes (except the first) focusses on one of the Earth’s natural habitats and examines its indigenous features, together with the breadth of fauna found there. Several animals and locations are shown that have hitherto never been filmed, using innovative camera technology.

    Previously unseen animal behaviour includes: wolves chasing caribou observed from above; snow leopard pursuing markhor in the Himalayas; grizzly bear cubs leaving their den for the first time; crab-eating macaques that swim underwater; and over a hundred sailfish hunting en masse.

    From mountains to rivers, the series will take viewers on a journey through the challenging seasons and the daily struggle for survival in Earth’s most extreme habitats. The show uses HD photography and unique filming techniques.

    Some sequences do have potentially disturbing content. Examples include a lone elephant being brought down by lions and a polar bear unsuccessfully attacking a walrus colony and subsequently being overcome by hunger and exhaustion. Fothergill was quoted in reports saying that he asked BBC in the UK for an appropriate warning before transmission in such cases.

    In describing the show Attenborough in the opening montage says, “A 100 years ago, there were one and a half billion people on Earth. Now, over six billion crowd our fragile planet. But even so, there are still places barely touched by humanity. This series will take you to the last wildernesses and show you the planet and its wildlife as you have never seen them before.”

  • Dominic Coles is BBC COO Journalism Group

    Dominic Coles is BBC COO Journalism Group

    MUMBAI: Dominic Coles has been appointed as BBC’s Journalism Group COO.

    He was previously director of sports rights and finance at the BBC. He assumes overall responsibility for the financial and business operations of BBC News, BBC Sport, BBC Global News and BBC Nations & Regions – the divisions which make up the corporation’s Journalism Group.

    He retains full responsibility for negotiating sports rights, as well as remaining Finance Director for BBC Sport. He will sit on the Journalism Board and the BBC’s Finance Board.

    BBC deputy DG Mark Byford says, “I am delighted that Dominic Coles has taken up this really important new post on the Journalism Board. He has a wealth of experience and expertise across finance, business operations rights, investment analysis and fair trading. Moreover, he is passionate about the importance of the BBC’s role in Journalism and Sport at local, UK-wide and international levels.

    “Dominic will be a key member of the Journalism team as we respond to the big challenges of changing audience need, new technologies and new competitors and driving excellence and value for money across all our activities.”

    Coles says, “I am thrilled to be taking on this new role and the exciting responsibilities which come with it. For anyone with a passion for news, current affairs and sport, this is a dream job. It’s also a responsible one given how news and sport remain fundamental to the BBC’s ability to connect with its audiences in the digital age.

    “I look forward to working with the Deputy Director General, my new colleagues on the Journalism Board, and everyone within this formidable group of divisions.”

  • BBC announces its biggest-ever search for quiz show talent

    BBC announces its biggest-ever search for quiz show talent

    MUMBAI: UK pubcaster the BBC has announced its biggest-ever search for quiz show talent in the UK to take part in a series – The National Lottery People’s Quiz.

    Throughout January 2007, Jamie Theakston, William G Stewart, Kate Garraway and Myleene Klass will be hosting open auditions across the UK to search for undiscovered quiz show talent.

    Theakston says, “It’s certainly one of the most exciting shows I’ve ever worked on. For the first time the whole nation can compete against each other to find out who is the best quizzer in the country.”

    There are 200,700 chances to take part and contestants must answer ten general knowledge questions correctly in a row to get through to the next round. Pass through the next three rounds successfully and one could be the guaranteed winner.

    In a twist, every question for the initial heats will be published in advance of the auditions, allowing everyone in the UK to test their general knowledge and polish their quiz show skills.

    Questions are available now at bbc.co.uk/peoplesquiz for potential contestants to start practicing their general knowledge.

    But with hundreds of thousands of questions on subjects ranging from Posh and Becks to party politics, only the very brightest will make it through to the final and the chance to win a cash prize.

  • BBC viewers vote ‘Casino Royale’ as top film of the year

    BBC viewers vote ‘Casino Royale’ as top film of the year

    MUMBAI: Viewers of UK pubcaster the BBC’s show Film 2006 With Jonathan Ross have votd the Bond film Casino Royale as the film of the year.

    Having visited Bond sets in the Bahamas and Buckinghamshire, the show’s host Jonathan Ross was delighted to see his own enthusiasm for Casino Royale being matched by the voters.

    He says, “Daniel Craig is a magnificent Bond and Casino Royale is a daring and spectacular success.”

    The top 10 films voted were

    1) Casino Royale
    2) The Wind that Shakes the Barley
    3) Pirates Of The Caribbean: Dead Man’s Chest
    4) Children Of Men
    5) Little Miss Sunshine
    6) Clerks II
    7) Borat: Cultural Learnings of America For Make Benefit Glorious Kazakhstan
    8) Pan’s Labyrinth
    9) Superman Returns
    10) The Prestige.