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Tag: discovery+

  • Discovery US is one of ‘Best Places to Work in IT’: Survey

    Discovery US is one of ‘Best Places to Work in IT’: Survey

    MUMBAI: US broadcaster Discovery has announced that publication IDG’s Computerworld, the ‘Voice of IT Management’ has selected the company as one of its ‘100 Best Places to Work in IT’.

    This honour is part of the weekly IT publication’s 13th annual Best Places to Work in IT survey, which is featured in the June 19th issue of Computerworld and online at Computerworld.com.

    Since 1994, Computerworld’s annual “Best Places to Work in IT” feature has ranked the top 100 work environments for technology professionals, based on a questionnaire regarding company offerings in categories such as benefits, diversity, career development, training and retention.

    In addition, this year Computerworld surveyed more than 27,000 IT workers for the list, and their responses factored heavily in determining the rankings. Discovery’s selection was based upon a survey administered to Technology & Media Services employees earlier this year.

    Discovery says that it focusses on creating a world class work environment that promotes productivity, enthusiasm and creativity. This enables it to deliver high quality media products and services to its global audience. The fact that Computerworld has acknowledged this long-standing commitment allows Discovery to recruit the most talented and dynamic workforce in the industry.

    Discovery adds that enhancing employees’ work/life balance is one of the six prongs of its corporate strategy along with expanding into new technologies and growing internationally.

    In 1999, Discovery launched its signature LifeWorks@Discovery Programme to address the needs of the workforce. LifeWorks@Discovery focuses on family support, health and wellness, flexibility and the community. The company also offers numerous training and career development courses designed to promote individual and team development through its Discovery University programme.

  • Discovery launches broadband channel in Germany

    Discovery launches broadband channel in Germany

    MUMBAI: US media firm Discovery has launched Discovery Broadband in Germany. It is now available at www.discoverybroadband.de.

    Discovery Broadband is a subscription service offering access to programming from Discovery via broadband. Focussed on core Discovery genres including animals, machines, engineering, science, history, real life and travel, a full range of content is available to view online.

    This includes shows such as American Chopper, Mythbusters, Deadliest Catch and Conspiracies on Trial. At launch, Discovery Broadband in Germany will offer more than 40 hours of fully languaged programming for broadband consumers to enjoy at their convenience.

    Approximately 10 hours of additional content will be added to the service each month in order to offer enhanced choice each month and build an extensive, wide-ranging library for subscribers to the service.

    Discovery Networks in Germany VP and country manager Dr. Patrick Hörl says, “The launch of Discovery Broadband in Germany underscores our commitment to extend the company’s quality content across multiple media platforms in order to provide increased flexibility, convenience and control to consumers”.

    Discovery Broadband is available to consumers on a monthly or annual subscription basis at a cost of €5 and €50 respectively. Consumers can also access individual programmes for 24 hours on a pay-per-view basis for a fee of €1 or €2 based on the duration of the content. A free one-week trial of the service will be available at launch.

    With a total of more than 12 million broadband subscribers, Germany is currently the largest broadband market in Europe and also one of the top five broadband markets in the world (Source: Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development, June 2006).

    To access the range of programming available on the Discovery Broadband site, consumers simply register their details at www.discoverybroadband.de to open an online BT click and buy account and will then receive a username and password for continued account access.

    Discovery Broadband is also available in Europe in the UK, France, Italy and the Netherlands.

  • Discovery special looks at Afghanistan

    Discovery special looks at Afghanistan

    MUMBAI: On 11 September 2001 when the Twin Towers went down in New York the world’s attention turned to Afghanistan a country that has been ravaged by war for 23 years.

    With Bin Laden in their sights the US began to bomb Afghanistan. Now five years after the events of 9/11 Discovery will air a special Afghanistan The Taliban Years and Beyond on 18 June at 8 pm.

    The Taliban ruled Afghanistan with Islamic zeal for over five years. The special reveals the stories of citizens who survived the Taliban regime and looks at the challenges ahead as the country tries to tame warlords and eliminate 10 million land mines.

    The documentary looks at what the Taliban regime did to Afghanistan and the impact of that.

  • SET-Discovery announces sign-on to Dish TV

    SET-Discovery announces sign-on to Dish TV

    MUMBAI: It’s now official. The Sony-Discovery One Alliance today announced a distribution tie-up with India’s first direct-to-home service Dish TV to carry their channels.

    The announcement confirms the exclusive report put out by Indiantelevision.com last week (7 June) that the two parties had arrived at a memorandum of understanding and the official signing would happen withinin the next few days.

    The official signing of the deal means that all the channels from ‘TheOneAlliance’ bouquet – SET, MAX, Discovery Channel, Ten Sports, SAB, Discovery Travel & Living, AXN, Animax, MTV, PIX, Animal Planet and Nick – will be available on the Dish TV DTH platform by today. Currently, Dish TV carries more than 120 channels and is available across the country.

    Commenting on the tie-up, SET India CEO SET-Discovery chairman Kunal Dasgupta said, “We expect significant growth in the subscriber base for Dish TV and for the DTH market in India due to this tie-up between SET Discovery and Dish TV.”

    “We welcome the SET Discovery channels on Dish TV. We have been growing at a healthy rate in the last year and the addition of ‘TheOneAlliance’ bouquet of channels will enable us to offer our customers a complete family package at affordable prices.” said Dish TV CEO Sunil Khanna.

    Elaborating on the SET Discovery – Dish TV tie-up, Deepak Shourie, EVP & MD, Discovery Networks India and Director, SET Discovery said, “We are extremely pleased with this arrangement as we believe that it would enhance a Dish TV consumer’s television viewing experience and take it to a new level.”

  • Sony-Discovery reach agreement with Dish TV

    Sony-Discovery reach agreement with Dish TV

    NEW DELHI / MUMBAI: It’s been a long time coming but after endless rounds of discussions, India’s first direct-to-home service Dish TV has finally reached mutually agreeable terms with the Sony-Discovery One Alliance distribution bouquet to carry their channels.

    The two parties arrived at a memorandum of understanding today and the official signing will happen anytime in the next few days, sources close to the developments tell Indiantelevision.com.

    The One Alliance channels will begin beaming off the Dish platform within the next few days and the billing cycle is effective from 1 July on. The financial terms that the two parties have agreed to were not available at the time of filing this report.

    For Dish TV, this resolves one half of the problem it has been facing ever since its launch – its inability to offer subscribers channels from the One Alliance and Star bouquets.

    With the addition of the Sony bouquet, Dish TV can look forward to a major ramp up in subscriber numbers. Two key events that are expected to drive acquisitions in the immediate term are the ongoing India-West Indies Test series and the Fifa World Cup. The Word Cup kicks off in Munich, Germany, on 9 June while the second Test in St Lucia, West Indies, will take place between 10 and 14 June. ESPN Star Sports (already on the Dish network) has exclusive rights to the World Cup while Ten Sports – part of the One Alliance bouquet – is exclusively airing the cricket in the Caribbean.

    A contentious issue that automatically gets resolved with Sony’s sign-up on Dish is the legal spat that Subhash Chandra’s DTH service has been having with Viacom channels MTV and Nick since last year. Both channels are part of the One Alliance.

    In a letter sent to the information and broadcasting ministry last month, Dish TV had petitioned that despite the sector regulator’s directive on making available content to all platforms and a favourable judgement from disputes tribunal TDSAT, the “conduct of MTV” has been “clearly in violation” of the interconnection regulation of 2004.

    Dish TV’s parent ASC Enterprises’ contention was that despite carrying on commercial negotiations with MTV Networks India for several months, the content provider and its distributors in India (One Alliance) had stalled any fruitful conclusion of such talks.

    ASC Enterprises, an Essel Group company, holds the licence for a DTH service in the country, which is marketed under the brand name Dish TV.

  • Discovery introduces viewers to a seven year old surgeon

    Discovery introduces viewers to a seven year old surgeon

    MUMBAI: Discovery will air a one hour special The Seven Year Old Surgeon on 10 June at 8 pm.In 2001 seven year old Akrit Jaswal gained celebrity status when he successfully performed an operation to separate the fused fingers of an eight year old girl in his small village in North India.

    Now the 12 year old researches cures for cancer in his laboratory which was extablished by his proud parents. Viewers will also see him going to the UK to meet British scientists who offer their verdicts on him. The show also interviews psychologists who assess the effects these achievements could be having on his childhood.

    Jaswal became obssessed with medicine at an early age. He memorised medical books and winessed surgeries. He even experimented on animals at his home in Himachal Pradesh. As the word of the young prodigy spread villagers flocked to hime home seeking advice or just a glimpse of the boy.

    Much to his discomfort he was idolised and revered as a God. However he did meet some of the hordes that gathered on his doorstep. He has prescribed medicine for over a thousand cases including a man suffering from a brain disorder.

  • BBC World debuts in the US market

    BBC World debuts in the US market

    MUMBAI: In a bid to target a wider audience, the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) has launched BBC World in the US market. Though the news channel started broadcasting at the end of April, it was officially launched on 1 June. The channel can now be seen in New York. The BBC is also looking at striking deals with cable and satellite providers elsewhere in the US soon. 

    The launch coincided with the unveiling of an outdoor advertising campaign in New York to promote the service to viewers.

    In July, BBC World will launch a new breakfast programme presented by George Alagiah. “What we’re not setting out to do is carve a niche that reflects America back to the Americans. What we’re trying to do is reflect the world back to Americans,” Alagiah was quoted as saying in BBC News.

    The show, which will be based in London, will also be carried on the cable channel BBC America.

    BBC World was launched in 1995, and is funded by advertising and subscription. Apart from news bulletins, it also broadcasts the interview programme Hardtalk, motoring show Top Gear and film guide Talking Movies, amongst others.

    Although it can be seen in more than 200 countries, the channel has found it difficult to get a foothold in the US. “The American TV market is the most crowded market in the world. For cable operators to find a space for another news network has been quite difficult,” said the station’s editor Richard Porter.

    Porter also said that the channel’s coverage of global affairs has been their key selling point.

    The launch of BBC World in New York comes just four months after the station signed a distribution deal with Discovery. The channel’s main competitor in the US will be CNN International.

  • Discovery, Nokia team for second edition of Mobile FilmMakers Awards

    Discovery, Nokia team for second edition of Mobile FilmMakers Awards

    MUMBAI: Discovery Asia has announced its second collaboration with Nokia. The two parties have launched the second edition of the Mobile Filmmakers Awards.

    With the first initiative completed in December 2005, the second contest gives consumers the opportunity to try their hand at mobile filmmaking. It will give them the chance to walk away with a $10,000 and a three-month stint with Discovery Asia based at the channel’s Asia Pacific headquarters in Singapore, during which he or she will be involved in the process of documentary filmmaking.

    The Mobile Filmmakers Awards initiative was launched last year. The aim was to empower mobile phone users with the knowledge and technology of mobile filmmaking at their fingertips and the opportunity to showcase their talent. Reflecting the widespread mobile penetration and usage in India, maximum entries of 609, were received from India last year with two Indians making it to the semi-finals.

    The second edition of the contest is open to the residents of India, Australia, Cambodia, Hong Kong, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, New Zealand, Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam. The closing date for submissions for the contest is 30 June 2006.

    In the first round of the competition, 60 semi-finalists will be selected from all the entries received. These 60 semifinalists will need to attend a workshop in July, organised by Discovery Networks Asia. Each semi-finalist will receive a Nokia N90 mobile phone. In the second round of the competition, the 60 semifinalists will be narrowed down to the best 12 contestants from the region.

    The finalists will be flown to Singapore to attend an intensive workshop in September. Here they will have the opportunity to learn more about mobile filmmaking techniques from experts in the industry and to familiarise themselves with the wide range of mobile film functions of the Nokia N93, which they will be using to shoot and submit their final entries. Each finalist will receive a Nokia N93 mobile phone.

    The initiative reinvents the way people view filmmaking and adds a new dimension to the film industry, contributing to the evolution and growth of filmmaking. Using multimedia devices such as the Nokia N93 that comes with optics from Carl Zeiss, a leading optics company, talent in the region are now able to create their own personal high-quality mobile films. The genre of mobile filmmaking also provides those who are interested in filmmaking with a new medium through which they can bring to life their unique visions and perspectives, and showcase their films on a different platform.

    The two parties state that even seasoned professional filmmakers are experimenting with this new genre. The Mobile Filmmakers 2006 Awards site – www.mobifilms.net – will showcase clips produced by celebrity filmmakers from Asia, as part of the mobile filmmakers gallery. Among the filmmakers featured are Kaizad Gustad from India who had made Hyderabad Blues, Ekachai from Thailand (Beautiful Boxer), Kelvin Tong from Singapore (The Maid) and Yasmin Ahmad from Malaysia (Sepet).

    Discovery Asia senior VP programming and creative services James Gibbons said, “The response to the First Time Mobile Filmmakers 2005 Awards and the quality of the entries received shows that anyone with basic knowledge of how a mobile phone works is able to shoot their own mobile film and capture the world around them. With Discovery’s expertise in documentary filmmaking coupled with Nokia’s technology leadership in imaging, we have launched a new genre in Asia – mobile filmmaking – which is revolutionising the way content is utilised by mobile phone users. Together with Nokia, we are committed to growing and developing the genre of mobile filmmaking. As such, we will be organizing this contest annually, to continue to uncover new talent and take mobile filmmaking to greater heights.”

    Nokia senior vice president, customer and market operations, Asia Pacific Urpo Karjalainen said, “Multimedia computers like the Nokia N93 give consumers an unparalleled experience in mobile photography and filmmaking. Regional initiatives like the Mobile Filmmakers Awards – coupled with the supporting workshops and information that participants and consumers get – prove that with the software and hardware that’s built into today’s camera phones, you can get an imaging and filmmaking experience that’s equal to, or better, than that from a dedicated digital camera or camcorder. As technology keeps developing, we will continue to push the envelope in bringing consumers the best experiences they can expect from their converged devices, whether it’s in filmmaking, email, imaging or other areas.”

  • Discovery cracks the Da Vinci Code this month

    Discovery cracks the Da Vinci Code this month

    MUMBAI: With the highly anticipated movie The Da Vinci Code starring Tom Hanks scheduled for release on 19 May across India, Discovery will air a special Da Vinci Declassified on 14 May at 8 pm.
    This special will present facts, information and a new look into the controversy that has captivated millions across the world. Dan Brown’s bestseller upon which the film is based explores the theory that Jesus had an affair with Mary Magdelene and had children by her.

    The special takes a fresh look at The Priory Of Sion. Is it real? If so, who’s behind it and what are its actual goals? Ultimately, whose destinies are they out to control? Discovery will take viewers on a journey through two thousand years of European history and art, going on location throughout Europe to unravel intricate clues about the Priory.

    Drawing on the expertise of historians, art specialists, scientists, mathematicians and actual representatives of the novel’s other famous secret society, Opus Dei, the special goes to great lengths to separate truth from fiction. From building an actual Cryptex (a device used in the book to hide and potentially destroy secret documents) to unraveling hidden messages allegedly encoded into famous works of art by Da Vinci and possibly even more controversial, Jean Cocteau.

  • Set Discovery promotes Gurjeev Singh Kapoor to SVP, sales & marketing

    Set Discovery promotes Gurjeev Singh Kapoor to SVP, sales & marketing

    MUMBAI: Set Discovery Pvt. Ltd., which distributes a bouquet channels under the brand name One Alliance, has promoted Gurjeev Singh Kapoor to the position of SVP, sales & marketing.

    In his new position, Kapoor will look after the company’s India sales and marketing operations. He will also take up the additional responsibility of international marketing.

    Based out of Mumbai, Kapoor will be reporting to Set Discovery President Anuj Gandhi.

    Set Discovery has also promoted about 17 executives in the junior and middle level management categories, across the country. “We have promoted people across the board. There are senior managers who have become AVPs and managers who have been assigned as senior managers,” informs Gandhi.

    Kapoor has earlier worked with ESPN and Zee International before joining Discovery Communications. He moved to Set Discovery in April 2002, when the joint venture between Sony Entertainment Television and Discovery Communications was formed.

    SET Discovery distributes channels including Sony Entertainment Television, Max, Discovery, Ten Sports, Discovery Travel and Living, MTV, Sab TV, AXN, NDTV India, NDTV 24×7, NDTV Profit, Nick, Animal Planet and Animax channels through the One Alliance brand.