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  • BBC, British Council launch 10th annual international radio playwriting competition

    BBC, British Council launch 10th annual international radio playwriting competition

    MUMBAI: BBC World Service and the British Council have launched their tenth annual International Radio Playwriting Competition.

    Writers who are new to radio globally are invited to submit an original 60-minute radio play on a subject of their choice. The competition, which has no age limit, is open to anyone living outside the UK and closes on Monday 30 April 2007.

    This year author and novelist Doris Lessing is among the judges. BBC World Service Drama executive producer Marion Nancarrow said, “Last year nearly 1,000 budding writers from 80 countries entered the competition and we’re hoping that even more writers from even more countries will enter this year.

    “This competition is one of the most exciting events at World Service Drama, as it provides us with an opportunity to connect with our audience and draws on a vast, untapped resource of writing talent from around the world.

    “The best thing is that it’s open to everyone. We receive entries from experienced novelists and writers from theatre, film and television as well as plays from writers with no experience at all who are submitting their first script. Previous winners have gone on to gain further commissions for World Service Drama, so this could be the next step to a very successful career.”

    The International Radio Playwriting Competition has two first prizes. One awards the best play by a writer with English as their first language, and the second for the best play by a writer with English as their second language.

    They each receive £2,500 and a trip to London to see their play being recorded for broadcast on World Service in the World Drama slot. An additional six prizes of a digital or shortwave radio will be awarded to the best plays submitted from South Asia, Asia, Africa, Middle East; America, Europe, Russia and the Caucasus.

    Further information on the International Radio Playwriting Competition and essential tips from established radio dramatists Mike Walker and Marcy Kahan can be found online at bbcworldservice.com/competitions, where writers can also download an entry form.

    An entry form can also be obtained by sending a request by email to intradioplaycomp@bbc.co.uk or one can be collected from their local British Council office.

  • Fifa World Cup to kick in €1.1 billion in profits

    Fifa World Cup to kick in €1.1 billion in profits

    MUMBAI: The Fifa World Cup, which kicks off in Germany next week, is on course for profits of €1.1 billion. The estimated €1billion cost of staging the event is far outweighed by revenues from the sale of media rights, sponsorship, merchandise and tickets.

    This information is contained in Sportcal.com’s newly-published World Cup 2006: The Commercial Report. Fifa, soccer’s world governing body, told the authors of the report that the World Cup would generate €1.9 billion in marketing revenue, with the sale of television and new media rights raising €1.2 billion and the remaining €700 million deriving from other sources such as sponsorship and hospitality.

    The sponsorship figure includes €60 million raised by the local organising committee. The ticketing operation, which is also being handled by the organising committee, should bring in a further €200 million.

    The figures are a feather in the cap of Fifa Marketing, the governing body’s commercial arm responsible for marketing sponsorship of Fifa and the World Cup, and of Infront Sports and Media, the Switzerland-based sports agency that marketed the media rights for the competition. Infront stands to benefit directly from its success, with profits over and above a guaranteed figure to be shared equally with Fifa. The report estimates that the guarantee was exceeded by between €200 million and €300 million for the 2002 and 2006 competitions combined.

    Fifa’s anticipated media rights revenues of €1.2 billion for the 2006 World Cup represent a 34-per-cent increase on the media rights revenues it realised at the 2002 World Cup, held in Japan and South Korea, a less favourable time zone than Germany’s for most of soccer’s top television markets.

    The UK’s BBC and ITV are among the largest contributors to overall 2006 World Cup revenues, jointly paying £105 million for the rights for the event. The largest single contribution to 2006 World Cup revenues is coming from ARD and ZDF, the German public-service broadcasters, which jointly agreed to pay €170 million for the television rights to screen the event.

    This figure Sportcal.com states was formerly eclipsed by a fee estimated at €360 million that TV Globo, the Brazilian broadcaster, undertook to pay for the rights for both the 2002 and 2006 tournaments. However, the deal was renegotiated in 2004, after a heavy recession in Latin America, with the result that TV Globo is estimated to be paying just €65 million for the rights for this year’s tournament. Fifa expects that television sales from the European market alone for the 2010 tournament would be worth €1 billion, more than double the fees paid by European broadcasters for this year’s World Cup.

    For the first time, sales of new media rights this year are set to make a significant contribution to overall revenues for this year’s World Cup. Fifa estimates, new media to bring in revenues of €120 million for the 2006 World Cup.

    Meanwhile, sponsorship revenues for this year’s competition include payments of between €25 million and €40 million each from 15 ‘official partners,’ 11 of which had also sponsored the 2002 tournament.

    From the next World Cup onwards, Fifa is restructuring its sponsorship programme, reducing the number of official partners to just six (which will, however, each pay a considerably higher fee) in response to concerns over sponsorship ‘clutter.’

    In Sportcal.com’s report Phillips, the Dutch electronics giant, cites sponsorship ‘clutter’ as one of its reasons for ending its sponsorship after this summer’s competition after a 20-year relationship with the World Cup.

    In a conference address last month, Philips’ head of sponsorship Andy Knee had issued a warning to Fifa and soccer generally not to take sponsors for granted. He said, “Partnership is a word used regularly but we are looking for a two-way partnership and there remains a mentality in football just to take the money. I expect someone to understand my business and my products, and that would make me spend more money.”

    Six local ‘suppliers,’ signed up by the organising committee, which are paying an average of €10 million each to be associated with the event.

    Fifa points out that its profits from the World Cup go towards funding its many other activities over the four-year cycle between World Cups, including less lucrative competitions such as junior and women’s World Cups and the quadrennial Confederations Cup between continental national teams champions. Between 2007 and 2010, Fifa will stage 22 such competitions, including the 2010 World Cup in South Africa.

  • BBC seeks suppliers for priority marketing campaigns

    MUMBAI: UK pubcaster The BBC plans to acquire the services of a small roster of suppliers to provide strategic and creative content for its priority marketing campaigns commencing on 1 January 2007.

    This will be the result of a formal review of the BBC’s current Advertising Roster which is required to satisfy the BBC’s fair trading responsibilities.

    Suppliers will be required to work across the BBC’s public service portfolio including BBC One, BBC Two, its digital channels, radio networks and other New Media Services.

    Successful suppliers will work with the BBC’s marketing department to deliver communications plans and creative content for specific marketing campaigns. Campaigns will predominantly utilise the BBC’s own media – including TV, radio and online – with occasional use of external media such as posters and press advertising.

    The suppliers will have overall responsibility for successful delivery of the campaigns. Production of TV and radio executions, however, will be exclusively produced by the BBC’s preferred supplier in this area, Red Bee Media.

    Interested agencies need to apply via bbc.co.uk/supplying – see the link on the right-hand side of this page.

    The selection process will be completed by the end of the year.

  • Arqiva to supply BBC with digital transmission services

    Arqiva to supply BBC with digital transmission services

    MUMBAI: UK pubcaster The BBC has selected Arqiva as its preferred supplier for a range of new digital transmission services.

    Subject to agreement of final terms and other matters, the BBC hopes that it will soon be able to sign a contract with Arqiva for the design, deployment, and operation of a new high-powered digital terrestrial television (DTT) network for the BBC which will come into service as part of the UK’s digital switchover programme.

    This will replace both the BBC’s analogue television network and the current low-powered DTT network.

    In so doing, the BBC will be able to increase the coverage of its DTT services so that they substantially replicate the coverage of analogue television.

    These transmission services will become operational during 2008 and will continue until 2031. Arqiva will also be responsible for building and operating additional transmitters to expand the coverage of the BBC’s DAB digital radio network. At least 10 and potentially a further 160 new transmitters will come into service starting in 2007.

    This expansion in DAB transmission will make BBC DAB services available to listeners in a number of parts of the UK. The exact locations of the transmitters are still to be agreed and the BBC hopes to confirm the precise details in due course.

    The selection of Arqiva follows a rigorous procurement process conducted throughout 2005 and early 2006. The selection of Arqiva as the BBC’s preferred supplier has been approved by the BBC Governors.

    BBC controller of distribution Richard Waghorn said, “This represents one of the major steps in our preparations for digital switchover. It will mean that everybody who currently receives a good analogue service will receive the BBC’s digital services through their aerial after switchover.

    “Subject to finalising our discussions with Arqiva, we hope soon to be able to sign a contract with Arqiva which will also secure true value for money for the future provision of these transmission services.”

  • BBC’s online, radio stations go interactive with Fifa Cup

    BBC’s online, radio stations go interactive with Fifa Cup

    MUMBAI: The referee has booked your favourite player, your team has lost a crucial match and a star player has shaved off his famous locks.

    UK pubcaster The BBC has announced an interactive initiative across online and radio. World Cup Have Your Say will give football fans across the world an opportunity to have a global rant on the Fifa World Cup everyday from 9 June 2006 to 9 July 2006.

    World Cup Have Your Say will give supporters across the globe opportunities to share their opinions on everything ranging from offside decisions and goal celebrations, team selections and refereeing to the best players and bad haircuts.

    The occasional big name will pop up to give their personal view on the tournament and listeners itching to speak to them can do so. Ay bbcnews.com/worldhaveyoursay visitors can listen live.

    The BBC will also provide daily, international coverage of the World Cup in 33 languages including Hindi. BBC Hindi reporter Manak Gupta is travelling to Germany to bring special reports on all 32 teams and their fans. BBC Hindi World Cup reports will be heard for six weeks on India’s main national broadcaster All India Radio’s Gold 106.4 FM and Rajdhani 666 MW.

    These reports will also be relayed by All India Radio’s 65 other major stations at 0705 local time starting 31 May until 10 July.

    Mumbai based partner station Go 92.5 FM will also carry BBC Hindi’s coverage of the tournament. Manak’s reports will be available in text and audio online at bbchindi.com and bbcnews.com

    BBC Vietnamese reporter Hong Thanh will be in Germany for a week bringing the excitement of the games for reports on air and online. Listeners can also expect daily bulletins rounding up each match as well as stories from around the tournament.

    bbcvietnamese.com is hosting an online special where football fans can talk about anything to do with the World Cup or football in general such as match fixing and bribery which is said to be affecting the Vietnamese’s national team, and why are millions of young Vietnamese, including women, appearing to love European and Brazilian teams more than their own?

    Visitors can also find out about the teams taking part in the tournament, read features on young football talents and enter competitions.

  • BBC newsreaders overpaid; Jack Straw

    BBC newsreaders overpaid; Jack Straw

    MUMBAI: House of Commons leader Jack Straw said that the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) newsreaders are paid too much. He mocked those journalists who ‘prance’ around TV studios. At the same time, Labour MP Chris Mullin alleged that the tabloid virus is beginning to infect BBC television news.

    Straw became the leader of the House of Commons earlier in May. During a debate at the House of Commons, he preferred presenters to actually sit at a desk and read the news.

    As reported by BBC News, BBC newsreaders are overpaid and should not ‘prance around studios’, Commons leader Jack Straw has said.

    The former foreign secretary said he thought that was what newsreaders were paid for – “and too much”.

    A spokesman for BBC News said: “We welcome feedback from all quarters of our audience.”

    Straw was responding to Labour MP Chris Mullin, who complained that BBC newscasters “walk around the studio like a couple of ham actors emoting”.

    Mullin said: “Can we find time to debate the extent to which the tabloid virus is beginning to infect BBC television news? “Have you noticed that newscasters increasingly no longer read news to camera, but they walk around the studio like a couple of ham actors emoting?

    “I think it is called news with attitude.”

    Mullin also said the Six O’Clock News was “cynically edited” to delete the fact that the prime minister had quoted former Conservative leader Michael Howard during prime minister’s question time.

    “Do you agree with me that if the BBC can’t do better than this it is going to have difficulty justifying its licence fee?” he asked. Straw said he would pass his remarks on but editorial decisions were a matter for the BBC, not for MPs.

    “On the issue of accuracy, all journalists, including the BBC, have a responsibility to ensure that quotations are attributed accurately,” he said.

  • BBC re-launches online search engine

    BBC re-launches online search engine

    MUMBAI: UK pubcaster The BBC has re-launched its search engine with a new audio-visual search capability, a new user interface and enhanced usability and quality.

    For the first time, users will be able to search for selected television and radio programmes in addition to audio and video content from the BBC’s News, Radio and Sports archives.

    Users will be able to quickly and easily locate EastEnders highlights, the latest edition of The Archers and The Chris Moyles Show.

    A limited amount of the BBC’s audio and video content will be initially available; the full range of BBC content is likely to be made available later this year.

    BBC director new media and technology Ashley Highfield said, “This re-launch marks the first stage in our aim of creating services that enable our audiences to find BBC content – whether text, audio or video – through ever easier navigation.

    “It’s also a first step towards a radical overhaul of our website. It will open up an initial index of around 300,000 clips and a selection of BBC programmes for the first time.”

    The re-launched BBC web site search engine is to be powered by enterprise software company Autonomy, while Microsoft’s Windows Live Search will power the BBC internet search.

    The BBC is required to re-tender its search provision every three years, and the reprocurement has been done through the European OJEC process.

  • Michelle Dewberry triumphs on BBC’s version of ‘the Apprentice’

    Michelle Dewberry triumphs on BBC’s version of ‘the Apprentice’

    MUMBAI: After 12 gruelling weeks battling it out against Britain’s brightest business hopefuls, Michelle Dewberry, a 26-year-old telecoms consultant from Hull, has been named as Sir Alan Sugar’s Apprentice and walks away with the prize of a six-figure salaried job with the self-made multi-millionaire. In the UK, the show airs on BBC Two.

    In the final episode, Michelle beat off stiff competition from 28-year-old sales manager Ruth Badger by project managing a team of fired apprentices and staging a lavish party on London’s Tower Bridge. The series finale is the first all-female final in the show’s history, which had more than 10,000 applicants this year.

    These applications were whittled down to the final 14 who all bravely quit their jobs to face the biggest challenge of their lives, a 12-week job interview with the self-confessed “most belligerent person you’ll ever come across” – Amstrad boss Sir Alan Sugar.

    Each week ambition, business flair and wit were tested to the full as the wannabe tycoons competed in tasks set by Sir Alan. These weekly challenges included working on the sales floor at Top Shop, selling new innovations to the trade, letting flats and designing a charity calendar for Great Ormond Street Hospital.

    This series saw some of the most explosive boardroom scenes, when each week an apprentice was singled out for the sack with Sir Alan’s terminal catchphrase – “You’re Fired”.

    Michelle’s cool, calm and collected approach to each task earned her the nickname ‘The Silent Assassin’. She proved to be one of the best project managers and found herself on the winning team seven times during the series. She narrowly escaped getting the chop in week seven after making a critical mistake during the selling task in Top Shop.

    “For someone like Sir Alan to recognise my ability is unbelievable. It wasn’t until right at the very end when he said I’d won that I believed it. It shows you don’t need to be cocky and bolshie, just work as hard as you can and hopefully you will get on in life.”

    Michelle will head up Sir Alan’s Xenon Green company – a new business that will environmentally dispose of companies’ unwanted computer equipment. Michelle will mastermind the whole business from launch through to its marketing.

    Sir Alan said, “All she has done in her life is work hard and she has become a great achiever. I found her very focussed, very determined, very organised, and this particular job I have in mind requires all of those skills. She’s young and willing to learn. I think I’ve got the right girl.”

  • BBC launches free HD broadcasts

    BBC launches free HD broadcasts

    MUMBAI: UK pubcaster The BBC will give the UK’s first high definition viewers a curtain-raising treat of the whole of Planet Earth part one, followed by classic Dickens drama Bleak House over Whitsun Bank Holiday from 27 to 29 May 2006.

    The BBC starts the UK’s first free-to-air high definition (HD) consumer broadcasts this week, at the start of a 12 month trial of this new sharper, clearer TV format. Meanwhile research disclosed by the BBC suggests that the majority of people who know about HD expect the BBC to broadcast in HD, and to do so free to air, funded by the licence fee. They also expect high definition broadcasting to be available on all platforms including Freeview.

    The BBC’s HD stream starts broadcasting tomorrow 11 May with a promotional preview. The broadcasts will initially be available to viewers on satellite who have the right HD equipment. Sky has announced it will start installing HD set top boxes from 22 May. The BBC’s HD stream will also be carried in some cable areas in time for the World Cup, following a successful carriage agreement with NTL Telewest.

    From 9 June, the BBC’s World Cup coverage will be simulcast in HD, as will major Wimbledon matches. From July the stream will show BBC highlights in drama, documentaries, events and music for a few hours each day.

    BBC director of television Jana Bennett said, “These are small but exciting first steps in the BBC’s ambition to offer the option of high definition to all in the future. It’s clear that licence fee payers expect high definition broadcasts from the BBC, the same way they have moved to colour television, widescreen, digital radio and online services with us in the past.”

    The BBC says that HD provides sharper, clearer pictures and the potential for surround sound. It needs different technology from ‘standard definition television’ at every link in the chain, from the way programmes are shot and broadcast to the equipment in viewers’ homes.

    The BBC is conducting an end-to-end trial of HD broadcasting over the next 12 months as a test of the technology and trial of the audience appetite for the format. The findings will inform any ongoing offer. BBC HD broadcasting will start officially at noon on 11 May 2006 when the offer appears for the first time to viewers on the Sky electronic programme guide.

    GfK NOP conducted an online survey for the BBC of a representative sample of about 1,500 respondents. They were asked what they knew and thought about high definition television. Seventy three per cent of the sample had heard about high definition television. The figure was much higher for men (83 per cent) than women (62 per cent) and digital homes (77 per cent) rather than analogue homes (62 per cent).

    Of those that were aware of high definition:

    87 per cent said that they expected the BBC to broadcast in high definition in future;
    93 per cent expected those broadcasts to be free to air;
    95 per cent expected HD broadcasts to be available on all platforms – satellite, cable and Freeview;
    88 per cent disagreed that HD viewers should pay a higher Licence Fee.

  • BBC reveals interactive TV plans for Soccer World Cup ’06

    BBC reveals interactive TV plans for Soccer World Cup ’06

    MUMBAI: In conjunction with BBC Sport, BBCi announces its plans to offer interactive services for the Soccer World Cup 2006. These services will be available on all three major digital TV platforms (satellite, cable, terrestrial) both during and between game broadcasts.

    In an attempt to enhance the football fever during live games, digital cable and satellite viewers can enter an interactive application by simply pressing a red button, whenever a “BBCi” icon appears on-screen.

    This application will feature a menu bar along the top of the screen, with various options linked to the colour fasttext keys of their remote controls. According to the BBC, this service has been designed with step-by-step on-screen instructions.

    The red menu key will provide alternative audio streams:which allows viewers to choose between listening to commentators from BBC Radio Five Live or selecting a “No Commentary” option which allows them to listen to the sounds of the crowd.

    The green menu key will provide viewers with rolling highlights-enhanced with graphics-from the current game. In addition to this, the blue menu key will allow them to access a statistics menu with a review of updated facts and figures from the current game, such as possession, corners won, fouls conceded and results and tables.

    Finally, the yellow button will take viewers to an area, dubbed “Your Shout,” devoted to user-generated content, including text messages, emails and player ratings (viewers will be able to rate players via interactive TV, the Web and mobiles). The simultaneous group matches in the final group phase will also be accessible here.

    Viewers on UK’s free-to-air digital terrestrial platform, Freeview, will also have access to the above facilities.

    Between live broadcasts, the BBC will offer a service called “BBCi World Cup Zone.” Digital cable and satellite viewers will be able to access the service by first pressing the text button on their remote to reach the BBCi-bar (appears on the bottom of the screen); then press “Select” to enter the service.

    The service’s “homepage” will consist of a display with three mini-screens, providing a quick guide to what’s on currently and a schedule of upcoming games. Viewers will be able to scroll down to their preferred screen using the arrow keys on their remote and press “select” to watch it in full-screen mode.

    Viewers will also be able to access an interactive service devoted primarily to the England team. It will provide interviews with team manager Sven-Goran Eriksson, coverage of press conferences, video profiles of players, news and opinions on the World Cup and repeats of England games.

    In addition, viewers will be able to access 15-minute highlight reels of every game, and a reel dedicated to notable goals from the tournament. Also, Freeview viewers will be able to access the 15-minute game highlights, the goals round-up and a less comprehensive selection of content devoted to the England team.

    The BBC will also offer a show, called BBC World Cup Extra, on its interactive TV platform. The show will provide analysis and commentary, after every England game and other significant games.