ITV

Tag: CNN

  • CNN sees integration of services as way to maintain position as global news leader

    CNN sees integration of services as way to maintain position as global news leader

    Three weeks into his new role at the helm of CNN’s operations in the south Asian region, Ian Macintosh, senior vice-president, CNN International, was at pains to point out how far down the road the organisation had come in its attempts to become a television news service with truly global perspective.

     

    To maintain its position as the world’s preeminent news breaking channel, CNN is integrating its traditional news gathering activities with cutting edge interactive technologies on all platforms in the Asia Pacific, Macintosh said.

     

    The regional newsgathering and production centre in Hong Kong provides network programming and on-line production for CNN’s 34 television, radio and new media services worldwide, Macintosh said.

     

    Macintosh stressed that being multi-skilled is central to the digital age. And CNN is using that strategy to position itself strongly in the market.

     

    Macintosh is in India to get an overview of the channel from various quarters. He dwelt at length with media persons at an informal interaction in Mumbai today on the effort at CNN to become truly global in its perspective.

     

    He admitted that his organisation still had a way to go to get rid of the perception that it saw the world through American eyes. “It’s not just a quantitative shift in that CNN International has 50 non-Americans in key positions, but a qualitative one which is reflected in how we cover events,” Macintosh said.

     

    As a case in point, he mentioned some of the reports on Afghanistan that the CNN team had carried out which went much beyond the coverage of the Taliban and its excesses.

     

    Talking specifically on the South Asia channel which was launched last year, Macintosh said the aim was to develop it into one sensitive to the needs of the subcontinent. To achieve that goal, one must understand the market in the region, and his visit was an effort in that direction, he added.

     

    On the question of penetration of the channel in India, Anshuman Misra, who oversees the distribution and marketing of CNN International, said after the channel was encrypted it reached five and a half million homes, mainly in urban centres. Mumbai was where CNN has its highest viewership, Mishra said.

  • Turner Broadcasting system and Trans Media to launch CNN Indonesia

    Turner Broadcasting system and Trans Media to launch CNN Indonesia

    MUMBAI: Turner Broadcasting System Asia Pacific, Inc. and PT Trans Media Corpora have today announced a strategic partnership to launch CNN Indonesia, a 24-hour news channel and accompanying website in Bahasa Indonesia. This ground-breaking channel will be the first of its kind for CNN in Southeast Asia, delivering a localized version of CNN’s unique brand of high-quality news to the region’s most populous nation.

     

    Jeff Zucker, CNN Worldwide President, said: “This agreement with one of the country’s largest media corporations puts  CNN  in  a  unique position to  reach millions  of  Indonesians in  a  way that  we  have  not  been able  to previously. The  combination  of  the  strength  of  the  worldwide  newsgathering  power  of  CNN  with  the  local perspective and sensibility that Trans Media will bring to the partnership enables us to provide important news and information to this enormous, non-English speaking audience.”

     

    Chairul Tanjung, Founder and Chairman of Trans Media’s parent company, CT Corp, added: “I believe this partnership will help Indonesians to better understand the world and even more importantly, also help the world to better understand Indonesia. This is a partnership of two like-minded organisations who share common values of quality, integrity and transparency. CNN Indonesia will be the new destination for trustworthy and engaging content.”

     

    The TV channel will be accompanied by a strong digital presence, including CNNIndonesia.com. With more than 100 million Indonesians expected to be online by 2016, a multi-platform brand will be a vital and complementary component to the on-air offering.

     

    In addition to engaging leading local journalists to generate compelling coverage, the channel will also tap into CNN International’s vast pool of journalistic talent and share content from global affiliate partnerships. Trans Media will operate CNN Indonesia from its facilities in Jakarta. A launch date will be announced in due course.

  • FremantleMedia International swings acquisition of The Sixties

    FremantleMedia International swings acquisition of The Sixties

    MUMBAI: FremantleMedia International further expands its factual portfolio with the acquisition of global distribution rights (excluding the U.S.) to The Sixties, a 10 x 1 hour documentary series from CNN Originals. The series is executive produced for CNN/U.S. by the multiple EMMY® Award-winning producers Tom Hanks and Gary Goetzman (HBO’s John Adams, The Pacific, and Game Change) of Playtone; and the EMMY® Award-winning producer Mark Herzog (History’s Gettysburg) of Herzog & Company (HCO).  FremantleMedia International will launch The Sixties at this year’s MIPTV market in April, 2014.

     

    The provocative and sweeping The Sixties explores the most transformative years of the modern era in America and beyond, examining how and why this decade became a period of such consequence and fascination.  From the assassination of JFK, the Cold War and civil rights, to social change and the British invasion with Beatlemania. The Sixties presents a unique view of this decade as it retraces the familiar and unearths the unknown.

     

    Through rarely seen archival footage, personal movies, interviews with eyewitnesses and expert commentary from a range of leading historians including David McCullough, Robert Dallek, and Robert Caro and prominent participants including Smokey Robinson, Carol Burnett, The Smothers Brothers, journalist Morley Safer, and political activist Tom Hayden; the series will reveal all of the key moments that helped to shape this pivotal decade.

     

    Hayley Dickson, Vice President, Television Acquisitions and Development, Global Content, FremantleMedia International, who collaborated with Stacey Wolf, Vice President for Business Affairs at CNN and HLN for the deal, said, “The Sixties is a truly paramount docu-series that is unlike anything that I have seen before. Featuring fascinating topics, beautifully remastered rarely seen archive footage, and award-winning producers Tom Hanks, Gary Goetzman, and Mark Herzog at the helm, this special series is already generating a lot of excitement throughout the US and we’re confident that it will be equally as popular around the world.”

     

    The Sixties is co-produced by CNN, Playtone, and Herzog & Company for CNN/US. The series launched on CNN in the US, in November 2013 with a 90-minute special episode, The Assassination of JFK (1963), timed with the observance of the 50th anniversary of the assassination of President John F. Kennedy and seen by 21.0 million total viewers and 8.2 million viewers in the coveted 25 to 54 age demo during 19 broadcasts.   

     

    The Assassination of JFK (1963) and The British Invasion will encore on CNN/U.S. with the full The Sixties series which is due to launch in May 2014.

     

    Visit FremantleMedia at MIPTV 2014 at Stand No. C11.A1 (Croisette 11, Aisle 1), Palais du Festival, 7 – 10 April

  • Cold War returns to CNN

    Cold War returns to CNN

    MUMBAI: CNN has announced the return of acclaimed series COLD WAR, the critical exploration of the nearly half-century long military and ideological conflict between the United States and the Soviet Union. In a year which marks the 25th anniversary of a landmark event in history – the fall of the Berlin Wall – airing from January on CNN International, COLD WAR takes viewers on a journey through the most dramatic moments in modern history, revealing how these events changed the face of Europe and continue to define our world today. The series of 24 episodes will airs every other Saturday at 1630 & Sunday at 730, January 4 through October 26, then each subsequent Saturday, November 1 and 8 at 1630 & Sunday, November 2 and 9 at 730 IST

    “COLD WAR is an epic series that captures the dynamics of one of the most important eras of recent times,” said Mike McCarthy, senior vice president of programming for CNN International. “We are thrilled to offer viewers one of CNN’s most comprehensive and informative productions, in the year that marks the 25th anniversary of the fall of the Berlin Wall.”

    Spanning 24 one-hour episodes, COLD WAR begins with the rise of the Iron Curtain and follows the flash points and global confrontations leading up to the fall of the Berlin Wall and the eventual collapse of the Soviet Union. More than 500 eyewitnesses and participants contributed to this historical narrative including a number of world leaders and notable figures like Mikhail Gorbachev, George H.W. Bush, Fidel Castro, Henry Kissinger, Robert McNamara, Sergei Khrushchev, Pierre Salinger, Eugene McCarthy and Jimmy Carter.

    Online at www.cnn.com/coldwar users will be able to watch videos from the series as well as view iconic Cold War speeches. The page will also include articles about how the world has changed following the turbulent times in the second half of the twentieth century, and what issues still resonate in the present day.

    COLD WAR is narrated by Kenneth Branagh and executive produced by award-winning filmmaker Jeremy Isaacs and former CNN executive Pat Mitchell.

     

  • Fareed Zakaria Takes Viewers to India for a Look at a Nation at a Crossroads

    Fareed Zakaria Takes Viewers to India for a Look at a Nation at a Crossroads

    MUMBAI: CNN’s and TIME’s Fareed Zakaria travels to and across India for an extraordinarily insightful look at the world’s largest democracy from the inside – its complexities, challenges, and achievements. The one-hour in-depth special report, India at a Crossroads – A Fareed Zakaria GPS Special will debut Sunday, Dec. 29 on CNN International at 5.30pm IST.

    While much of the world has experienced sluggish economic times in recent years, Zakaria reports India’s average economic growth (GDP) over the last decade has been robust – around seven percent. And, Zakaria points out, in 2014, India will exercise the “largest democratic process in human history” as hundreds of millions of Indians, using 800,000 voting booths and 1.3 million voting machines, will engage in the world’s largest democratic action by voting in the national elections.

    Watch the video: Our new positioning: Burson-Marsteller, Being More
    Yet, in addition to having democracy in common with America, India’s governance is also experiencing a crisis of political dysfunction – and on a grand scale. Widespread corruption threatens some of its economic opportunity, and India’s social caste system and endemic disparities faced by women threaten to incite a home-grown Indian version of an ‘Arab Spring’.

    To give global viewers greater perspective into the opportunities and obstacles faced by the one-sixth of humanity that is India, Zakaria spoke with leaders in business, politics, Bollywood, and more. For insights on India’s multicultural, multi-class, multilingual, multi-religious society, Zakaria spoke with: the Deputy Chairman of India’s Planning Commission Montek Singh Ahluwalia; chairman and managing director of Reliance Industries Limited Mukesh Ambani, the wealthiest man in India; actress and human rights activist Shabana Azmi; former CEO for Procter & Gamble in India Gurcharan Das; politician and anti-corruption activist, Arvind Kerjriwal; actor and talk show host Aamir Khan; tech entrepreneur Nandan Nilekani; Member of Parliament from the Indian state of Odisha, Jay Panda; and chairman emeritus of India’s largest conglomerate, the Tata Group, Ratan Tata.

    More information about why India – and the success of India – is essential for the world may be found at www.cnn.com/gps. During the special broadcast, producers of the special will engage with viewers using the hashtag “#CrossroadsIndia” via Twitter.

  • CNN named cable & satellite channel of the year

    CNN named cable & satellite channel of the year

    MUMBAI: CNN International has once again been recognized for its outstanding global journalism winning the coveted ‘Cable & Satellite Channel of the Year’, ‘Best News Story’ and ‘Best Social Awareness Program’ categories at the 2013 Asian Television Awards held last night in Singapore.

    CNN’s Hong Kong-based international correspondent Anna Coren won the prestigious ‘Best News Story 10 minutes or less’ for her powerful exclusive report ‘Afghanistan Taliban Firefight’ where she came under enemy fire for more than 90 minutes in Nejrab alongside U.S. Special forces. This is the third Asian Television Award for Coren – she won ‘Best News Presenter or Anchor’ in both 2011 and 2012. You can see her ‘Afghanistan Taliban Firefight’ report here: http://cnn.it/188w7iI

    CNN’s senior international correspondent Sara Sidner collected her second Asian Television Award, this time for the remarkable CNN Freedom Project documentary ‘Operation Hope’ in the ‘Best Social Awareness Program’ category. The award follows Sidner’s original recognition in 2011 as she chronicled the extraordinary against-the-odds journey of a seven-year-old Bangladeshi boy who was viciously attacked, castrated and left for dead because he refused to be forced into begging. In ‘Operation Hope’ she followed up his story to relate how people around the world had seen her report and subsequently helped fly the boy to the US for life-changing surgery, meaning that ultimately his terrifying ordeal ended happily: http://cnn.it/Usz8lK
    The award for ‘Operation Hope’ represents the latest recognition for the CNN Freedom Project, an initiative that has been honored extensively for its tireless efforts to shine a light on the horrors of modern-day slavery.

    Executive Vice President and Managing Director for CNN International Tony Maddox commented: “I am thrilled that CNN ends 2013 as it started it, namely with recognition and awards from prestigious peers for the outstanding quality of our journalism. These awards stand as a testament to the excellence and dedication of our people in Asia and around the world, with both Anna and Sara’s remarkable reports demonstrating their tenacity and fearlessness in bringing vital stories to our global audience. It is also especially pleasing to see the CNN Freedom Project once again honored as the initiative has repeatedly delivered crucial, hard-hitting but compassionate reporting to increase awareness of this appalling trade.”

    The Asian Television Awards took place in Singapore on Thursday December 5, 2013. Senior International Correspondent Sara Sidner attended the gala ceremony and c

  • CNN examines the legacy of indias brave heart in worlds untold stories: the fearless one

    CNN examines the legacy of indias brave heart in worlds untold stories: the fearless one

    MUMBAI: It was a phone call that no parent wants to receive. But on the fateful night of December 16, 2012, the parents of a 23-year-old Indian medical student had the police on the line saying their child has been taken to the hospital. Little did they know that what lay ahead would not only change their life forever, but shake the conscience of an entire nation and effect a concrete change in its judicial system.

    What started as an ordinary evening at the movies for this young girl, turned out to be an unimaginable night of horror as she was raped, brutally beaten and violated by a group of men in a bus and then left to die on the roadside. This month, CNN’s World’s Untold Stories: The Fearless One recounts this young student’s courageous struggle for life before succumbing to injuries that her attendant doctor described as the most “atrocious, unbelievable” he had seen in his career spanning four decades. The documentary examines how her suffering brought together a nation’s public to demand justice for a girl that they had never seen, whose very name was unknown to them*, and how her enduring legacy has left a lasting impact on India’s social fabric.

    The depravity and inhumanity of the crime meant that the men gang raped and violated a girl with an iron rod while out for a “joyride” and showed no signs of remorse, being “very casual” and “cracking jokes” throughout their trial. CNN recounts the horrible chain of events of that night through extensive interviews with the girl’s parents, the police investigators and doctors. Viewers hear from the parents about the brave young girl who was the family’s “pillar of strength” and their hope for a better life and also from the investigating police officers about the arrogance of the rapists who “didn’t think they would get caught”. They will hear from the doctors about her incredible fighting spirit which prevailed despite her grievous internal injuries “unparalleled, unheard neither before nor after.”

    The documentary also chronicles the nationwide protests which erupted to say that ‘enough was enough’ and that more needed to be done to protect women in India. The protestors braved tear gas and water cannons in Delhi’s bitter winter chill to demand justice. Their support provided the victim’s parents the courage to “put up a tough fight” and made them feel that “humanity still prevails on this earth.”

    Finally, The Fearless One highlights the legacy that this brave girl created. This included a change in India’s law against sexual offences, as well as smaller but equally-significant change visible on-ground with the police officers reporting that people “have got emboldened” to report sexual crimes of all hues. It sheds light on the bereaved parents’ hope that their daughter’s fight will lead to more “positive changes in the future” keeping her “alive in one form or the other”.

    *Indian law prohibits revealing the identity of a rape victim

  • Al Jazeera begins its inroad into India

    Al Jazeera begins its inroad into India

    MUMBAI: Lately if you’ve come across one too many hoardings saying: “We put human beings at the centre of our stories”, it’s only because Al Jazeera, the Doha-based English news channel, has kicked-off its first campaign to make its presence felt across the country.

     

    Al Jazeera forayed into the Indian market way back in 2006, but had to wait four long years before being granted a downlink license for airing. Thereafter, the channel slowly went about expanding its reach into more and more Indian households to get a toehold alongside existing competitors i.e. BBC and CNN. Three years down the line however, the channel felt the time was ripe, especially with the festive season already here, to announce its presence nation-wide, especially in major metros like Delhi, Mumbai, Kolkata, Chennai and Bangalore as well other towns.

     

    Kick-started beginning October, Al Jazeera’s first campaign is here to stay till end November, after which an assessment will be done to evaluate viewership changes that may have taken place since the onset of the campaign. Approximately Rs 2- 2.5 crores have been spent on the nationwide campaign. Three creative ideas are trying to spread Al Jazeera’s message by displaying three issues- profits, earthquakes and global warming.

     

    The focus of the campaign, whose creative has been designed by Ogilvy & Mather, is OOH (hoardings and buses), print and radio, with the talking point being how the channel always gives a human picture to issues. “People are the centre of the story is what Al Jazeera stands for and what we are trying to highlight through the campaign,” says Al Jazeera India bureau chief Anmol Saxena.

     

    “The first phase was to let the people sample the channel and now, it is time to create awareness regarding Al Jazeera through this campaign,” says Saxena.
    Anmol Saxena says that Al Jazeera puts people at the front of issues

     

    Meanwhile, the second phase of the awareness campaign will begin in January 2014. Recently, the channel also launched a dedicated page for India, which according to Saxena will stay for a while. “There are always spotlight countries and currently the spotlight is on India,” he says.

     

    “The campaign will definitely help lift the profile of Al-Jazeera and result in generating pull amongst Indian TV viewers,” says a media observer. “It’s a high decible one definitely and good money is being spent on it. But the Al-Jazeera team will have to simultaneously ramp up local coverage as well as distribution for the full benefits to accrue. Distribution in India is not that easy.”

     

    Another media expert states that there is a perception failure about the channel amongst Indians. “They think it is an Arabic perspective on world developments and that it is not as democratic as CNN or BBC. It is a long and winding road to correct this perception.”

     

    Currently, the Delhi bureau is the only office which covers the whole of India, with seven employees that would increase to about 10 in the next few months. The channel has had Sohail Rehman and Divya Gopalan as dedicated India correspondents since a few years and many freelancers who contribute to the channel and the website.

     

    As of now, Al Jazeera is an FTA channel available on both DTH and cable TV (digital plus analog) while plans are afoot to acquire on the digital and DTH fronts. Presently, the channel is available on Tata Sky, Dish TV, InCable, Hathway and DEN.

  • Mazagan Beach & Golf Resort wins two prestigious awards as unrivalled golf destination

    Mazagan Beach & Golf Resort wins two prestigious awards as unrivalled golf destination

    Mazagan Beach & Golf Resort, a leading tourism destination in the Arab world, has been named by The Global Golf Tourism Organisation (IAGTO) as the ‘Golf Resort of the Year – Rest of the World’, based on the responses of some 480 specialist golf tour operators in 59 countries globally.

     

    This accolade was followed by CNN listing Mazagan Beach & Golf Resort among 10 Best Golf Courses in Africa. The report said that the continent hosts more than 800 golf courses, making Africa one of the best choices for golf lovers.

     

    Terrance Mohamed, Director of Golf at Mazagan Beach & Golf Resort said: “To be honoured with such prestigious awards is a true testament to the quality and service which is synonymous with 5-star standards. These standards have helped raise the profile of both Kerzner International and Troon Golf within the Golf tourism industry. Competing in today’s golfing climate with some of the great resorts and courses worldwide, we’re excited to have made such a significant impact.”

     

    Mazagan has emerged as prestigious choice of VIPs and celebrities, located just an hour’s drive from Casablanca, making it an ideal destination especially for GCC families looking for cooler weather throughout the year.

     

    Mazagan was developed by Kerzner International. El Jadida was selected as the location as it is one Moroccan ‘City That Never Sleeps’ in summer. The resort boasts a distinguished Portuguese architecture, blended with Moroccan and European touches.

     

    Located 90 km south of Casablanca in El Jadida, Mazagan Beach & Golf Resort is a coastal destination resort overlooking the Atlantic Ocean. Set around a magnificent internal courtyard, the resort’s 500 rooms boast unspoilt views of the ocean, lagoons, golf course, landscaped gardens and a stunning swimming pool in the center.

     

    Mazagan encompasses a 250-hectare site including an 18-hole golf course designed by Gary Player, a 7km stretch of beach, a variety of restaurants and bars, a nightclub designed by Jeffrey Beers, an award-winning spa, a wide range of sport and leisure activities and one of the largest conference centers in the region. 67 luxurious villas are situated alongside the golf course with fantastic views of the Atlantic coastline.

     

    For reservations, please contact reservations@mazaganbeachresort.com or call +212 523 388 000 or visit http://www.mazaganbeachresort.com

  • BBC world news continues to lead as Indias top international news channel

    BBC world news continues to lead as Indias top international news channel

    MUMBAI : BBC World News has maintained its status as the leading international English news channel in India among the country’s affluent, influential opinion leaders, business decision makers (BDMs) and frequent international travellers, according to the latest Ipsos PAX survey.

    BBC World News also beats India’s domestic news channels to take the number one spot for all news channels amongst influential opinion leaders, BDMs, and frequent international travellers.
    The channel reached these positions by beating competitors including CNN, CNBC TV18, NDTV 24×7, Times Now, CNN-IBN and Bloomberg TV India.

    The BBC – including BBC World News and BBC.com – is the only news brand across TV, online and mobile to show quarter on quarter growth. 

    Other findings show:

     

    •    The BBC is the #1 news brand in India among household car owners, luxury goods owners, BDMs and frequent international travellers.

    •    BBC World News is the fastest growing international news channel among India’s affluent, quarter on quarter. 

    •    BBC World News saw growth across key demographics including luxury goods owners, personal investors, first or business class international leisure travellers, influential opinion leaders and BDMs.

    Jim Egan, CEO of BBC Global News Ltd, said: “We are delighted that BBC World News and BBC.com continue to lead the competition in a crucial market. Once again our ability to reach this highly-desirable, upscale target audience is unmatched.”