ITV

Tag: CNN

  • CNN launches a new feature show ‘The Spirit of…’

    MUMBAI: CNN has announced that it will launch a new monthly feature The Spirit Of… The 15-minute feature programme will be presented each month by CNN anchor Becky Anderson. She embarks on an intellectual journey, exploring the diverse fields of arts, culture, science, sports, business and philosophy to understand how such matters affect our lives. Each programme will introduce viewers to a key thinker or an outstanding leader to gain an insight into their work and careers.

    The first episode airs on 5 May at 6: 45 pm, 6 May at 1:45 pm. She goes forth in The Spirit Of…Adventure. Becky braves harsh conditions near the North Pole to undergo an intensive ‘Arctic Survival Course’. She ventures to the island of Spitsbergen in Norway to learn the vital skills needed to endure the Arctic wilderness and guiding her adventure, Becky gains insight from the world’s most famous mountaineer, Reinhold Messner.

    Once referred to as the ‘Michael Jordan of Mountaineering’, Messner was the first person to climb Mount Everest without supplemental oxygen and the first to ascend all fourteen ‘eight-thousanders’ (peaks over 8,000 metres above sea level). He talks about his experiences, whether it’s climbing the world’s highest peaks, skiing across Antarctica, or traversing the Gobi Desert. Messner explains during the course of the show what it is that makes man choose to push himself to the limit.

  • CNN special to look at the mayhem in Iraq

    MUMBAI: CNN will air the special On Assignment : Month of Mayhem on 12 May at 11:30 am, 7:30 pm.

    It has been 50 months since the war in Iraq was started. The special is a personal
    account of what it’s like to report in Iraq during one of its bloodiest months since the war began. This dramatic hour-long report goes beyond what is presented in a typical newscast by letting viewers see daily life in Iraq through the eyes of a reporter.

    CNN International anchor and reporter Michael Holmes has been to Iraq seven times since 2003, but it is just as unnerving on the eighth tour to Baghdad as it was on the first. Little did he know that within 10 minutes of arriving at CNN’s bureau on January 9, he would be on the air reporting on a battle at nearby Haifa Street, thus beginning the month of mayhem.

    “The previous seven ‘tours’ had allowed me to witness a steady deterioration in the level of security and services – despite my hopes, it was always, always worse. And I knew this trip would likely be no different,” Holmes said.

    It really becomes a matter of how bad it’s going to be. Before leaving the airport – before leaving home, for that matter – I know there will be bodies, and there will be bombs – it was only a question of who and how many.”

    Throughout his assignment, Holmes films behind the scenes inside the CNN bureau where he lives and works, on embedded trips with the military to neighborhood sweeps and wherever else a story takes him. With the conditions in Iraq worsening, embedding with the military has become, in some cases, the only way for reporters to safely meet with residents to get their first-hand accounts, putting a human face on the war.

    Holmes arrives in Iraq in early January, just as President George Bush announces his new “surge” plan to send thousands of additional U.S. troops to pacify Baghdad. What follows is one of the deadliest months of the war. Hundreds of people are killed in bombings at universities, markets and other places where civilians gather. Several American servicemen die in a string of insurgent attacks on U.S. military helicopters. Sectarian fighting rages and bodies showing signs of gross torture are dumped in neighbourhoods on almost a daily basis. The CNN bureau, where the team grapples with how to tell the stories behind the death counts, even takes a stray bullet from a fight in a nearby neighbourhood. In one sequence, Holmes shows viewers the whiteboard on which they record the date, location and circumstance surrounding each violent episode.

    “This a depressing board, the daily running total of casualties…but they are people, not involved in the violence itself,” Holmes says. “Every now and then you stop and you gotta remember that these are people – they are not numbers on a board.”

    Despite the tragic stories, Holmes is also able to show the dignity of the Iraqi civilians, living and trying to work in very difficult circumstances. On one embedded sweep with the U.S. military, he shows how a family was so generous and hospitable even though 12 soldiers had just searched their house for weapons.

    But for Holmes it is the Iraqi children, who follow him around when walking the streets with the military, which bring a smile to his face. One of the few opportunities for joy during this month of mayhem in Baghdad. The children are smiling, laughing and asking for his name. For a brief moment, Holmes feels like the ‘Pied Piper’.

  • CNN hits the streets for marketing ‘Eye on India’

    NEW DELHI: In a unique marketing road show activity called ‘Express Yourself’, CNN branded vehicles are travelling around three Indian cities – Delhi, Mumbai and Bangalore – encouraging youth to express their views on issues relevant to them.

    Coinciding with CNN’s week-long Eye on India: Generation Next, the innovative travelling exhibit is also distributing flyers that soliciting opinion on topics ranging from what it is like to be young in India today, the importance of religion, caste, arranged marriages, what makes the youth proud to be Indian.

    Eye on India: Generation Next is being promoted extensively through an aggressive, 360 degree marketing campaign, a press note from the channel says.

    It explains that with the aim of generating awareness and drive appointment viewing, the campaign includes a comprehensive mix of trade and consumer advertising, both in print and online; promotional television spots on CNN’s Asia Pacific and Europe/Middle East / Africa feeds; online consumer contests, etc.

    CNN’s Eye on India focusses on India’s growing youth population. More than half a billion people under the age of 25 or one in 12 people in the world is a young Indian, and CNN’s week of special programming trains the spotlight on this demographic. This edition of Eye on India will include a series of special programmes on CNN, along with highlights of Indian youth in various segments of life, in business, sports, industry, etc.

    The programme kicked off on 18 March, and the channel hopes this will provide CNN’s global audiences a comprehensive look at the country’s youth.

  • CNN launches ‘The Screening Room’

    MUMBAI: CNN will launch a new show The Screening Room. This is a monthly half-hour film show, hosted by British television personality Myleene Klass. The first edition of the show airs on 31 March at 1 pm and at 7 pm.

    On the set, on the carpet and on location, The Screening Room takes the audience through the stages of film-making from production to premiere. A cast of the world’s best actors, directors, cinematographers, writers, composers and animators demonstrate each month what goes into making a masterpiece.

    Opening the series, Klass explores the age-old question – major movie house or independent film? On the one hand, a multi-million dollar budget with directorial handcuffs; on the other, creative freedom limited only by concerns over cash. ‘The Screening Room’ tested the water at this year’s first major film festivals, Sundance and Berlin, and found the boundaries are becoming blurred.

    Also in this opening show, CNN’s Femi Oke reports from Africa, the focus of much recent Oscar attention and glory, thanks to ‘Blood Diamond’ and ‘The Last King of Scotland’ which shone the spotlight on the continent. After the last Oscar is handed out and the Versace and Valentino returned to the closets of Hollywood’s elite, what remains for Africa beyond Forrest Whitakers’ arresting acceptance speech?

    The Screening Room concludes in March by turning the clock back by two and a half thousand years. The rich history of the ancient Greeks has provided Hollywood studios with an even richer box office bonanza through their blockbusters ‘Alexander’ and ‘Troy’. Now they’re at it again with ‘300′, a story of Spartan soldiers who battled a large Persian army, and which is already on track to being the most successful March movie release at the box office in history. Myleene meets the finest of the ‘300′ at the film’s sparkling London premiere.

  • BBC World in ‘Take Off’ mode with new show

    BBC World in ‘Take Off’ mode with new show

    MUMBAI: Close on the heels of launching an India specific campaign ‘What Affects the World, Affects You’, BBC World announced the start of its 6-part mini series Take Off, on the aviation industry in India, with a panel discussion on the booming sector.
    The mini series will be aired on BBC World every Tuesday at 9 pm, and will talk to leading industry experts, asking them about the recent developments and exploring and analysing the future of this sector. With six repeats planned across weekdays and weekends the show is a key feature of the channel’s March programming
    Region specific programming such as the sector stories on India is undertaken by the channel only in a few countries. BBC World is aggressively looking at the Indian market where it has to compete with both national news channels as well as international news channel CNN.
    Speaking about the mini series, BBC World head of MarCom Vaishali Sharma said, “The mini series to be aired on our global network takes a look at the Indian aviation sector through the years. Our correspondent Karishma Vaswani had covered the ‘Aeroshow’ at Yelahanka and the excitement that has been generated over this sector in the past few years made it ideal to showcase this sector. The aviation industry has witnessed phenomenal growth in the last few years. With Take Off, BBC World will showcase the opportunities and achievements created by the Indian boom in the aviation sector, plus the threats.”
    As part of the promotional activity, the channel also had a brief panel discussion on the budget and growth of the aviation segment with Go Air managing director Jeh Wadia and Centre for Asia Pacific Aviation (Capa) CEO Kapil Kaul, along with minister for civil aviation Praful Patel, who joined in via video conferencing.
    The mini series, which was commissioned to Miditec, starts at the cusp of the ‘Aero Show’ at Yelahanka in Bangalore and traces the journey of Indian aviation through the decades. The first episode takes an overview of the industry and the various issues that surround it. The subsequent issues will probe deeper into the problems faced by low cost airlines, government apathy, infrastructure problems, airline personnel as well as the rise of the budget airlines and privatisation.
    Speaking about the advertising for the show, BBC World ad sales head Seema Mohapatra mentions that while the aviation sector itself could not advertise on the show, there had been great response from other advertisers. “The aviation sector spins off so many other areas like tourism and domestic travel for business that we are bound to see advertisers in those areas as well.”
    The promotions for the show include a multimedia marketing campaign with BBC leveraging its radio connection. Sharma said, “We are looking at radio very actively and will use FM stations like Radio One and Radio City. The show will also be promoted through print, outdoor and online media.”

  • CNN International MD Cramer honoured by NABA

    NEW DELHI: CNN International’s managing director Chris Cramer will be honoured by the North American Broadcasters Association (NABA) in recognition of his outstanding leadership in the broadcasting industry.

    In conjunction with NABA’s Annual General Meeting and Conference, to be held on March 6 and 7, in Mexico City,. Cramer will be presented with the Association’s International Achievement Award at the Closing Dinner on March 7.

    Cramer is recognised for his commitment to the safety and welfare of journalists around the world.

    His achievements with BBC and CNN International over the past 40 years have inspired broadcasters worldwide, a CNN press note today said.

    In 2007, the United Nations’ Security Council has made a resolution demanding that world leaders recognise the importance in ensuring journalistic rights and safety are respected, a resolution that NABA and the World Broadcasting Unions strongly supported.

    “We honour the work Mr. Cramer has done and hope that the legacy he has put in place will continue to inspire greater protection for our news personnel overseas and at home,” CNN says.

    In the early 1990s, as the Persian Gulf War and conflicts in the former Yugoslavia started to exact its toll on the physical and mental welfare of journalists, Cramer became the industries’ advocate for both Post Traumatic Stress Disorder counseling and safety training for journalists working in hostile environments.

    His advocacy of these causes has seen an industry once based on macho risk-taking and skepticism take a long hard look at itself.

    Cramer was instrumental in the creation of INSI, the International News and Safety Institute, which promotes safety training, materials and assistance to journalists and media staff.

    Cramer pioneered research into Post Traumatic Stress Disorder for media workers and was honored by the Dart Foundation, which funds the Dart Center for Journalism & Trauma. He is also honorary president of INSI and co-author of Dying to Tell the Story, a tribute to journalists who died during the Iraq War of 2003.

    Cramer is retiring as the executive vice president and managing director of CNN International where he has overseen all of CNN’s international broadcasting and newsgathering.

    “He has enabled CNN to lead the television industry in the development and use of Digital Newsgathering (DNG) and championed other new technologies for newsgathering,” the statement eulogised.

    “In his quest for efficiency and flexibility of journalists in the field, Mr. Cramer pioneered the use of the revolutionary Toko box for live reports from Kandahar airport on the release of hostages on Millennium eve,” CNN further says.

    Cramer made the 7E Talking Head and Inmarsat M4 satellite phone available for live coverage. What followed was the launch of BGAN service.

    This lightweight, highly portable equipment gave CNN unparalleled coverage options during the Lebanon conflict.

    These new technologies have not just released journalists from being tethered to the satellite truck but has allowed them to take back the art of reporting by being “on the spot” and sending back stories while still on the scene. This new technology has also made it safer for journalists to travel.

    CNN Feels that Cramer’s influence has done much to change the mentality of news organizations to embrace safety and care off staff. His dedication to international journalism, his commitment to the safety of journalists and his support of the use of the latest technology has left its mark on the industry around the world.

    The NABA International Achievement Award is presented annually and recognizes individuals who have demonstrated extraordinary leadership in broadcasting and commitment to NABA’s goals and principles.

    NABA is a non-profit union of the most influential broadcasting organizations throughout North America committed to advancing the interests of broadcasters at home and internationally.

  • CNN goes live for the first time with 3G

    CNN goes live for the first time with 3G

    MUMBAI: CNN International has made its first ever global television broadcast from a mobile phone, live from the 3GSM conference in Barcelona. As part of CNN’s coverage from the conference, CNN went live to millions worldwide via the 3G network shortly after 7pm Hong Kong time, Monday February 12.

    The ‘live via phone’ ninety second piece was broadcast by CNN International correspondent Jim Boulden for the daily news show, ‘Business International’ and opened CNN’s coverage from 3GSM trade show.

    Tony Maddox senior vice president of news operations for CNN International said: “This new development underlines CNN’s clear commitment to developing 3G technology in news gathering. By adopting emerging technologies, CNN continues to lead the way in reporting from the field. 3G technology is enabling our correspondents to deliver packages and live broadcasts both quickly and easily from wherever they are in the world. This is an important demonstration of how we are evolving our newsgathering abilities using the latest technologies.”

    Working with mobile technology partner Ericsson, CNN has invested in digital newsgathering which enables its global correspondents to add 3G phones to their reporting tools. The technology has already been tested through live reports on CNN’s broadband service, CNN Pipeline, but this is the first time the news network has used mobile devices for live television.

  • CNN YJA ’07 honours 12 awardees across India and Pakistan

    CNN YJA ’07 honours 12 awardees across India and Pakistan

    NEW DELHI: The Fifth CNN Young Journalist Awards saw an amazing entry in the “Citizen Journalist” category and Kusum Devi, a poor woman from the outskirts of Delhi, walked away with the first prize while Anchal Vohra (NDTV 24 X 7) and Priyanka Pathak Narain (Mint, Mumbai) won the CNN YJA of the Year 2007 for the TV and print/online categories.

    The winner for the two new categories to mark the 60th anniversary of India and Pakistan’s Independence, Journalist Award and Photo Journalist of the Year Award, went to Rubab Karar (The Herald, Karachi, Pakistan) and Sujan Singh (Planman Media) respectively.

    While Ananya Sengupta (The Telegraph, Mumbai) was adjudged runner up in the CNN Young Journalist in the print/online category, the runner up for the CNN YJA 2007 in the TV category was Maryam Pervaiz of Dawn News from Lahore, Pakistan.

    Subuhi Khan from the Indian Institute of Mass Communication, New Delhi, won the CNN Aspiring Journalist Award in the TV category and Nina Mehta from the Asian College of Journalism won in the print/online category.

    The runners up for the for the category are Jamma Jagannath and Divya Gojer, both from the Indian Institute of New Media, Bengaluru, for the print and TV categories respectively.

    Shabaz Khan from Press Trust of India, New Delhi came runner up in the Indian Photo Journalist of 2007 category, while Dharmesh Shah from Chennai and Puneet Joshi from Bengaluru shared the runner up award in the Citizen Journalist category.

    The two outstanding reportages, by any standards, were those by Kusum Devi and Rubab Karar.

    Kusum Devi was refused admission for her two children in schools and used the Right to Information Act to get them in, but followed it up with an AV coverage of the antipathy of government school officials that led to 50 (so far) children getting admitted.

    Rubab Karar’s work was also equally gutsy, as she recorded on video the statements of women on what happened in the infamous Lal Masjid stand off between Pakistani army and Taliban fighters in July, and it was more unusual because it got women to respond to allegations that the ladies’ madrasa inside was being used for flesh trade.

    The Journalist of the Year 2007 won a laptop and citation, while the Photo Journalist of 2007 received an SLR digital camera and citation for his series of photographs titled “Police Comes to Culprits Rescue”.

    The extraordinary eight-day sting operation of an Ashram where the Baba was systematically raping mentally challenged children, an operation from NDTV 24 X 7, by Anchal Vohra bagged the CNN YJA in the TV category. The expose had shaken the establishment and forced the government to act.

    Speaking on the occasion, CNN’s India head Phil Turner said that the basics of being fair, objective and balanced must be also seen along with for whom the story is being done: for the camera, for your self aggrandisement or for the reader of viewer.

    Ananya Sengupta, who came runner up in the print category for her story “Heartbreak House” on why young women with loving partners are increasingly committing suicide, along with Maryam Parvaiz for his TV reportage “Chained People”, got Nokia N Series Phones, trophies and citations.

    And for the first prize winners in the category, Priyanka Pathan Narain (Sethsamudram Series) and Anchal Vohra of NDTV 24 X 7, it is an all expenses paid trip to the News Xchange Conference 2008, a meet of global leaders of the media professionals and broadcasters.

  • RATINGS: Narrowing divide in the English news space

    RATINGS: Narrowing divide in the English news space

    MUMBAI: If the last six months’ TAM ratings in the English news space could tell a story this is what they would reveal:

    What started as a one horse market with NDTV 24×7 garnering the lion’s share of the pie saw two new entrants with CNN IBN and Times Now. Headlines Today, the English news channel from the TV Today Network continued to be in the shadows of Aaj Tak.

    But has the market dynamics changed with Cas in place? Certainly a better picture so far as the niche channels are concerned has appeared post Cas. NDTV 24×7, CNN IBN and Headlines Today have gone pay while Times Now has chosen to stay free-to-air (FTA) at least for the time being.

    CNN IBN, which started on a high note and even managed to equal market share with NDTV 24×7 (See table 15 Nov- 15 Dec) has stabilized at the end of one year and occupies the third position with a 20 per cent relative channel share (TG:CS AB 15+ years- 1 January to 13 January/ Market :HSM ). CNN IBN director marketing Dilip Venkatraman would only say that as far as CNN IBN was concerned, despite the numbers, he was confident that the “content quotient” of their channel was bound to bring in viewership. Also the “stickiness of viewership with the channel” is higher, he asserts.

    GENRE / CHANNEL 15 JULY – 15 AUG 15 AUG – 15 SEP 15 SEP – 15 OCT 15OCT-15NOV 15NOV-15DEC 15DEC-30DEC 01JAN – 13JAN 07
    ENG NEWS – TG: CS AB 15 Years + Market: HSM  
    BBC World 0 0 0 0 0 9 5
    CNN 8 0 0 0 0 0 5
    CNN IBN 23 30 30 27 33 18 20
    Headlines Today 15 10 10 9 11 9 15
    NDTV 24×7 38 40 40 36 33 36 30
    Times Now 15 20 20 27 22 27 25

    (Courtesy: TAM Peoplemeter System)

    Mindshare managing director Gautaman Raghotama believes that the increase in news channel shares is not so much a reflection of eating into each other’s share but eating into the channel shares of GEC. Mindshare is also the media agency for CNN IBN.

    Says Raghotama, “There is a definite movement of viewership from general entertainment channels to niche channels and especially news channels. The news genre is increasingly becoming a space for ‘infotainemt’. Look at how the Shilpa Shetty controversy was played out across news channels. It was as good as watching Celebrity Big Brother on a news channel.”

    “Another problem with the English news space is that at present there are no clear differentiatiors. So while the audience is slowly building a loyalty to certain news channels, the tendency is also to watch news on one channel and then breeze through the others for a different point of view.”

    “With Times Now and Headlines Today there is a connectivity concern.”

    Despite that concern, it is these two channels that one must watch out for in 2007. Times Now weathered a stormy year, to stabilize at the number two spot with a channel share of 25 per cent (See Table 01 January-13 January 2007). The channel achieved better clarity on its personality as a general news channel by slimming down the business band segment and focusing on what it called the ‘Big Story’ in the day, mentioned Times Now CEO Sunil Lulla in an interview to Indiantelevision earlier in the week. Times Now also led the pack in the TAM Elite Panel ratings.

    It is the minnow of the pack Headlines Today, however, that has switched gears into the fast mode with some good programming. TV Today CEO G Krishnan says, “Unlike General Entertainment Channels that get viewership spikes on tent pole programming – News Channels get a spike during big stories. Headlines Today has been able to effectively look at innovative wrap around content around big stories whether it is cricket, the Shilpa Shetty controversy or Abhishek-Aishwarya wedding to engage the viewers. In addition, shows like Entertainment Quarter, Sports Quarter are doing well for us. This week the time spent and the reach of the channel has increased by 50 per cent. We are definitely on the growth path and it’s heartening to note that more viewers are consuming our content for a longer duration.”

    Assuming that there is a potential clutter in this space would it be easier for network channels to woo the advertiser? Says Krishnan, “Headlines Today as a product caters to the metro-urbanite. Thus an advertiser is able to reach out to the younger metro audiences. From a sales strategy – we are able to optimize revenues by looking at a network approach. Now with the increase in viewership – we are also working on a stand alone strategy to maximize on the revenue opportunity.”

    What is noteworthy is that the market share for these channels is now more evenly divided. But does a 4-player market spell a cannibalization of the market share?

    “I don’t think there is a clutter in the news space with four channels in the fray. But is there space for a fifth channel? I would assume not. I don’t know if they will be able to garner channel share but what is certain is that the existing players will definitely find it tough,” says Gautaman.

    Madison Media Group CEO Punita Arumugam looks at the scenario optimistically as far as the ad pie is concerned?

    “Yes, the ER and growth rate will get affected but the genre itself will grow. Take a look at what’s happened in the kid’s channels market or the Hindi movies market. The market also grew as the players increased.”

    It’s anybody’s story so far as English news goes and each one of them must be looking at increasing channel share. But isn’t the English news channel market a niche within a niche segment.

    Counters Arumugam, “As far as the viewers are concerned what would happen is that as more and more choices are available within a particular genre, fragmentation is inevitable. But personally I don’t think this will affect any of the channels adversely.”

    “If you consider the profile of new advertisers that is already happening as the market sees an explosion. The FMCG sector is looking at this genre more aggressively. Also a healthy competition between the four channels would see advertising rates become more competitive.”

    Gautaman agrees that FMCG players are moving out of the GEC bracket and looking at niche channels.”The English news channels targeted at the affluent, metro consumers will certainly benefit from this shift. Local operators and retail clients will also look at this genre closely. Besides much of this money will have to come from GEC’s and other media options. There will be a rearrangement of revenue to various genres,” he says.

    Krishnan surely speaks for all channels when he says, “The operating principle for all advertisers is – “Have viewership – Will advertise”. He further adds, “With Headlines Today being on a growth path in terms of viewership, advertisers wanting to reach out out to the younger affluent metro audiences will look at Headlines Today as an ideal platform.”

     

  • CNN launches documentary strand

    CNN launches documentary strand

    MUMBAI: CNN International has teamed up with London based documentary maker ‘Journeyman Pictures’ to launch a new weekly 30 minute documentary strand, WORLD’S UNTOLD STORIES.

    Launching on 17 February, CNN International has purchased an initial run of 25 documentaries from ‘Journeyman Pictures’ for 2007 with the first four films looking at police recruitment in Iraq, the sex trade in India, Afghanistan’s first female governor and combating terrorism in the Philippines.

    “These are remarkable documentaries and I’m proud to have secured the rights to show them”, said CNN International senior vice president Rena Golden “The films are compelling and fresh, covering controversial issues and datelines that are not currently getting a lot of media attention. The series features superbly crafted journalism in which the commitment and courage of the reporters shines through.”

    Journeyman Pictures, director Mark Stuke said “We’re delighted to have agreed with CNN International to provide programme selections from the Journeyman throughput on an ongoing basis. There can be no more qualified platform on which to see the international niche of programming we dedicate ourselves to. And I know our suppliers are going to be as pleased as us.”

    Some of the documentaries include The Very Thin Blue Line which takes the viewer inside a police training camp in Jordan where the instructors focus on one skill in particular – survival, Land of Missing Children shows reporter Sam Kiley accompanying reluctant police on a raid where girls are rescued from prostitution only to disappear again.

    A Tale of Two Women is set in Bamiyan, Afghanistan where the country’s first and only female Governor. Habiba Sarabi is trying to carve out a new Afghanistan by sending girls to school and persuading farmers to give up their opium crops and Member of Parliament Malalai Joya who lives under constant threat of assassination. Road to Terrorism provides extraordinary access to the fight against terrorism at the ground level in Phillipines.

    The documentaries will be aired weekly on Saturdays at 9:30 am and 5:30 pm and Sunday at 5:30 pm.