ITV

Tag: entertainment

  • Worldspace unveils new satellite radio receiver Diva II

    Worldspace unveils new satellite radio receiver Diva II

    BANGALORE: Worldspace Satellite Radio has launched a new satellite radio receiver – the Diva II. The company promises enhanced sound quality and features to ensure a truly enriched satellite radio experience to the listeners with the launch.

    The Diva II is available in Elegant Black or Chic Silver and has a suggested retail price at Rs. 4,790 with a special introductory offer price of Rs. 2,499 only. Subscription packages are available in three options – Rs. 1000 for six months, Rs. 1800 for 12 months, and Rs. 3250 for 24 months, said an official release.

    The new satellite radio receiver is a stand-alone system that is also compatible with most music systems, presenting listeners an opportunity to tune in to over 40 radio channels playing the widest range of music, entertainment and news in uncluttered and distinctive programming formats, the release adds.

  • Panasonic & IBM to showcase GenNext digital entertainment models at National Association of Broadcasters Conference 2006

    Panasonic & IBM to showcase GenNext digital entertainment models at National Association of Broadcasters Conference 2006

    MUMBAI: Panasonic, the brand by which Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd. is best known, and IBM Corporation has demonstrated for the first time a collaborative environment which enables next generation digital entertainment models at the National Association of Broadcasters (NAB) Conference 2006 in Las Vegas, Nevada.

    The companies have been working together to develop a standards-based ecosystem that will facilitate the implementation of “download and burn” entertainment models to consumer electronics devices that are SD Memory Card-enabled.

    This technology demonstration combined leading-edge Panasonic digital entertainment devices and world-class IBM technology to showcase Content Protection for Recordable Media (CPRM) opportunities throughout the world.

    In an official statememt, Panasonic is considered by many to be the leader in CPRM consumer devices throughout Japan, and is collaborating with IBM to build worldwide support for CPRM adoption.

    The showcase includes new models that enable consumers to burn digital entertainment content obtained via the internet on physical media like SD Memory Cards; the ability to download and play content on SD Memory Card-enabled devices like mobile phones, TV’s with SD Memory Card capability, and other SD Memory Card-enabled devices; and IBM’s Media Hub framework that establishes a rich Service-Oriented Architecture (SOA) ecosystem that helps clients take smart, evolutionary steps toward implementation of their SOA strategy in order to meet their business needs.

    “Through this demonstration, Panasonic wants to focus on showing a total approach toward achieving an excellent mobile entertainment solution for the customer, and CPRM is an essential part of that,” said Tetsuro Homma, general manager, SD Solution Group, Panasonic AVC Networks Company, the Matsushita Electric divisional company that is responsible for plasma TV, digital cameras, personal computers and other digital products.

    “IBM has the combination of technology, service experience, research and consulting know-how to help build worldwide support for CPRM adoption, ” said Homma.

    “This joint initiative is consistent with Panasonic’s worldwide insistence on the highest quality in the customer’s entertainment experience, whether in HD Plasma TVs, where we are the US market and technology leader, or in the mobile entertainment experience that will be demonstrated by Panasonic and IBM at the NAB Show,” added Panasonic Corporation of North America VP and chief technology officer Dr. Paul Liao.

    For the demonstrations at NAB 2006, Panasonic has been given access to IBM DMTS (Digital Media Transaction Services), a web service plug-in that enables the flow of entertainment content protected by CPRM technologies. In addition, IBM was given access to Panasonic’s broad line of SD Memory Card-enabled devices, some of which use SD-Audio and SD-Video specifications, in addition to new SD Memory Card-enabled devices, currently being evaluated for the use of CPRM functionality.

    “IBM is building on our commitment to an open digital media framework. By working together with Panasonic on this type of advanced enterprise CPRM technology, we will enable people to leverage content in new and exciting ways,” said IBM Media & Entertainment, Digital Media general manager Dick Anderson.

  • ABC to roll out ‘Lost Experience’ game in UK, U.S. & Australia

    ABC to roll out ‘Lost Experience’ game in UK, U.S. & Australia

    MUMBAI: ABC is teaming with many networks around the world to launch a global interactive web-based game inspired by the hit TV series Lost. ABC announced the creation of an interactive multiplatform treasure hunt game called Lost Experience that will introduce a new story line but stay true to Lost’s signature mix of supernatural and psychological mystery.

    The Lost Experience will feature a parallel story line to the show. Clues will be provided either during the broadcast of the episode itself, or during a commercial break. Not all clues will be given in the U.S, according to media reports.

    ABC is teaming up with 19 other media outlets to bring the The Lost Experience to continents the world over. Each part of the world will be receiving different clues.The network also hopes that the game will appeal to both fans and non-fans of the TV show.

    Rollout is expected to begin 2 May in the U.K., 3 May in the U.S. and 6 May in Australia. There is no winning prize to the game, but it is expected to provide some extra information to fans of the series. The Lost Experience will require players to trade e-mail messages and phone calls and check out billboards, TV commercials and websites to gather all the necessary clues.

    “It’s like a giant, worldwide mysterious jigsaw puzzle that will come to life for all the world to solve,” ABC Entertainment senior VP of marketing Mike Benson is quoted as saying. “The game reaches back into Lost history and looks forward to future episodes. We wanted to make it so that if you watched Lost from the beginning or if you’ve never watched the show before you can get into this.”

    The storyline of the game will be different from the one seen in the show but users will have to watch the show to collect clues and other information for the game. The game will also feature new characters and background on the Hanso Foundation, the mysterious group behind the Dharma Initiative.

    ABC also announced earlier this month that it is making new episodes of Lost, Desperate Housewives, Alias and Commander in Chief, available in May for free online viewing, although fans will have to sit through ads that they can avoid if they download commercial-free shows for $1.99 per episode from Apple’s iTunes Music Store.

    Lost, which has averaged 15.4 million viewers this season and is one of iTune’s most popular TV downloads to date, will leave viewers staring into the dark hatch of summer hiatus with a two-hour season finale on 24 May.

  • BBC World Service’s English teaching initiative completes 10 years

    BBC World Service’s English teaching initiative completes 10 years

    MUMBAI: BBC World Service has announced that its English language teaching service celebrates 10 years online this month. The site receives 10 million page impressions a month – 19 million if one counts English Language Teaching material on partner websites.

    Special features on www.bbclearningenglish.com to mark the anniversary include:

    A mini retro site displaying classic pages from the archives
    A specially commissioned piece by linguist David Graddol discusses who will be learning English in the future and how and what they will be learning
    A blogging facility providing daily language support to individual bloggers via a teacher’s weblog

    The website also features Flatmates – BBC World Service’s first interactive soap; Ask About English, where experts answer users’ questions; and Keep Your English Up To Date, in which Professor David Crystal discusses new words.

    And there are interactive teaching games Back of the Net and Commentary Box and a range of short audio programmes with quizzes, glossaries and downloadable scripts on lifestyle and entertainment.

    For teachers of English, weekly lesson plans based on topical news stories are available.

  • Buena Vista Intl TV EMEA appoints Taylor as VP legal & business affairs

    Buena Vista Intl TV EMEA appoints Taylor as VP legal & business affairs

    MUMBAI: Buena Vista International Television (BVITV) EMEA has appointed Simon Taylor as vice president legal and business affairs. This was announced by BVITV EMEA executive vice president and managing director Tom Toumazis and Disney senior vice president and European general counsel Peter Wiley.

    In this London-based role, Taylor will be responsible for managing all legal and business affairs for BVITV’s television and new media distribution business. Within this, he will work closely with both Toumazis and Wiley, and will manage a BVITV legal and business affairs team of 11 based in London and Paris. He will also become a member of BVITV’s executive team.

    Taylor will join BVITV next month from his role as business consultant to a range of clients in the entertainment broadcasting, production and distribution sectors. Prior to this, he was HIT Entertainment’s legal and business affairs director from 2000 to 2002. Before that he was at BBC TV Programme Acquisition as head of business and legal affairs from 1994 to 2000.

    Toumazis said, “I’m delighted that someone with Simon’s experience and knowledge of the industry will help us manage the number of business opportunities and legal issues we face in the industry, including emerging new technology platforms and assisting with our continued efforts against piracy.”

    Wiley added, “Simon’s extensive track record of in-house legal experience in the international media industry will prove invaluable for our whole company.”

    “I’m excited to be joining such a dynamic business and looking forward to working with the team to further success, working with the great content BVITV has, and helping take advantage of the opportunities that the market has to offer,” said Taylor.

  • Endemol UK & Cirque du Soleil Images sign 3 year collaboration deal

    Endemol UK & Cirque du Soleil Images sign 3 year collaboration deal

    CANNES: Producer of entertainment formats for the worldwide market Endemol via its U.K. arm Initial has signed a three-year deal with Cirque du Soleil Images to collaborate on the development and production of yearly Cirque du Soleil television specials.

    Specifically created for television, the one-hour specials will feature the best performances from Cirque du Soleil, as well as musicians and artists from around the world.

    Initial’s director of special projects Andy Ward said, “Cirque du Soleil are the most exciting, visual and popular artists in the world and we’re thrilled to have the opportunity to work with them to translate their spirit to television. Broadcasters are already very excited.”

    In addition to creating shows, Cirque du Soleil has for many years created original and innovative content for television, video and DVD and film through its multimedia division Cirque du Soleil Images. In every project, Cirque du Soleil Images aims to capture all the spirit of Cirque du Soleil shows.

    Cirque du Soleil will handle all creative content aspects of the stage show and Initial will be responsible for all aspects of the television production.

  • Cricket: BCCI debunks bidders’ objections

    Cricket: BCCI debunks bidders’ objections

    NEW DELHI/MUMBAI: Cricket and controversy in India are synonymous now.

    The latest round of allegation and counter-elucidations relates to overseas cricket telecast rights for Indo-Pakistan cricket matches to be played in neutral venues with one set of bidders alleging “irregularities” in the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI).
    The charge that the Indian cricket board is allegedly biased towards Sahara One Media & Entertainment, which is presently telecasting the ongoing India-England home cricket series on Sahara One channel, however, has been dismissed by the BCCI as “making a mountain of a molehill.”

    If that’s not enough, media reports from Pakistan hint that while the BCCI is going ahead full steam with the proposed cricket matches — 25 in number over a period of few years — actually no formal agreement exist between it and the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB), which is as much owners of the cricket matches as the Indian cricket board.

    On the last day of submission of financial bids for Indo-Pak cricket on neutral venues, some companies like Zee Telefilms, ESPN Star Sports and Nimbus today have alleged that tender documents criteria “seem to have been totally ignored by Sahara in the bid submission process.”

    Not only one of the bidders has written a letter to the BCCI president and agriculture minister Sharad Pawar, after marking it to other officials like the marketing head chief Lalit Modi, but a sequence of happenings as it happened have been detailed.

    BCCI has fixed a reserve price of $ 5 million dollars a match and the total revenue generated could be in excess of $120 million.

    The basic thrust of the allegations listed in the letter, a copy of which is available with Indiantelevision.com, is not only the Sahara group submitted its bids after the deadline of 11 a.m. today, but also flouted a condition of bringing the bids in open envelopes.

    “…the Sahara financial bid was in unsealed condition and was actually taken out of the envelope for approximately 10 to 15 seconds,” the letter states, adding that all the other bidders present objected to it and lodged their formal protest on Sahara’s late arrival too.

    While Sahara One Media and Entertainment refused to make any comments when contacted by Indiantelevision.com, BCCI vice-president Modi dismissed the allegations by saying the other bidders were simply splitting hairs over a small issue.

    “There has been no irregularity,” Modi insisted, “If people feel that on a small technical issue, we would disqualify a newcomer (Sahara has never bagged telecast rights till the recent India-England series), then they have to think again.”

    According to Modi, the other companies were attempting to form a “cartel” in an effort to hammer down the prices.

    “It almost seems that some companies are ganging up against a newcomer’s entry. It also seems a cartel is being attempted so that the price (of the telecast rights) could be lowered,” Modi told Indiantelevision.com.

    Asked whether the BCCI has a formal deal with the PCB before going ahead with sale of telecast rights of Indo-Pak cricket, Modi criticized the Pakistani media for raising unimportant issues, which are of “no consequence.”

    “The very fact that we are going ahead with the bidding process shows that PCB and the BCCI have an understanding. Has the PCB said anything formally?” the businessman-turned-sports administrator countered

    Meanwhile, the protest letter concludes by stating, “We believe that the new BCCI administration has conducted the earlier tender processes with complete transparency and fairness. There have been instances in the past, where companies have been disqualified on technical grounds.

    “Keeping these facts in mind, we trust that in all fairness, the Sahara financial bid should not be considered. We are hopeful that the BCCI will take a fair decision on this occasion as well.”

    Whether the BCCI takes note of the protests lodged by the likes of Zee, ESS and Nimbus can only be gauged when the financial bids are opened on Thursday (6 April) and the successful candidate announced

  • Discovery Travel & Living redefines primetime with new Theme Weeks series

    Discovery Travel & Living redefines primetime with new Theme Weeks series

    MUMBAI: Entertainment via television is competitive and viewer-driven. Last season’s strategy of Theme Week series on weekdays prime time has worked for the lifestyle channel Discovery Travel & Living. The channel’s current quarterly plan for April to June will continue to focus on promoting appointment viewing in the Monday to Friday 9 pm time slot.

    Accepting the truism that weekday viewing differs from weekend viewing, the channel first introduced the concept of Theme Weeks in January this year. During the week, people have more consistent and routine living patterns: They get up, go to work, come home, eat and watch TV. And, tapping these viewers by appointment with its Q1 Theme-Week strategy, Discovery Travel & Living will present thirteen new captivating themes in the next three months.
    Starting today (3 April), the channel will present the best and latest of lifestyle programming, offering viewers a better understanding and control over their television viewing. London Week is the first to be aired as part of the Theme Week series from 3 to 7 April.

    Here, viewers follow the hidden trails into London’s most renowned historic and cultural destinations. Starting with a journey deep inside the world’s most luxurious department store, Harrods, to the never before tour into Madame Tussad’s Wax Museum. Get a glimpse of London as a secret destination for high rollers and big spenders, where millions are won and lost in minutes. It’s London like you’ve never known before.

    Discovery Networks India vice president – Lifestyle Aditya Tripathi said, “Discovery Travel & Living has witnessed a considerable surge in viewership in the first three months of 2006 reflecting viewers’ endorsement of the concept of theme weeks. The strategy has also allowed us to successfully communicate the channel’s diverse programming.”
    Apart from London Week being aired this week, the Theme Weeks line-up from 10 April to 23 June includes the following:

    Miami Ink Week from 10 to 14 April: Miami Ink is a specialised tattoo shop on South Beach, Miami. This reality series showcases the ordeals of four friends and their apprentice as they try to build a thriving business based on their extraordinary art.

    American Casino Week from 17 to 21 April: This series chronicles the high pressure, high stakes world of brothers Lorenzo and Frank Fertitta and their crack management staff tasked with running the day-to-day operations of their ultra-exclusive Green Valley Ranch Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas, Nevada.

    Fashion Week from 24 to 28 April: The week is all about high-end designers and models. Filled with attitude and visual treat, this series will have viewers hooked to their television sets.

    Jeremy Clarkson Meets The Neighbour Week from 1 to 5 May: Armed with little more than his prejudices, Jeremy heads off to continental Europe to discover some surprising insights about fellow nationals – as well as his own neighbouring Brits. His liking for some and strong dislike for others is worth watching as he indulges in friendly banters. The series is at its cynical and sarcastic best.

    King of The Road Week from 8 to 12 May: This series is all about the mean beasts on the road. From Harley Davidson to Mustang, the week will uncover some of over-the-top muscle machine.

    15 to 19 May will feature the Gordon Ramsay’s Hell’s Kitchen Week: The mother of all reality shows, Gordon Ramsay’s Hell’s Kitchen is about famous chef Gordon Ramsay and his no-nonsensical and at times brutal training of contesting trainees in inculcating culinary perfection.

    France Week from 22 to 26 May will take viewers from Eiffel Tower to Notre Dame, from Moulin Rouge to Bordeaux and all through France and the historic landmarks of the country.

    Viva Las Vegas Week from 29 May to 2 June: The series encapsulates the lifestyle of the rich and famous and where they go to party.

    5 to 9 June features the Faking It Week: It tells the stories of real people who take on the challenge of transforming themselves into someone entirely different. Our “Faker” is plucked from their natural habitat and given three to four weeks to master an alien skill well enough to fool a group of industry judges. It is a nail-biting journey as our hero tries to survive and compete in a foreign world.

    Anthony Bourdain Week from 12 to 16 June: The Indiana Jones of the culinary world is at your doorstep. Travel with Anthony Bourdain as he visits countries, meets people, learns new recipes while mastering the art of cooking them.

    And, from 19 to 23 June the channel will air the Celebrity Week: Be it Madonna’s Hollywood hideaway or Paula Abdul’s private retreat or joining Jennifer Lopez for a Cuban cuisine meal, Celebrity Week will provide viewers with the passport to the life of these icons.

    With these series, Discovery Travel & Living will offer an eclectic mix of lifestyle programming to help viewers filter the clutter of prime time television to make the best use of their leisure time.

  • Rainbow Media inks multiple licensing agreements at MipTV

    Rainbow Media inks multiple licensing agreements at MipTV

    CANNES: Rainbow Media Holdings and its London-based distributor iD Distribution have announced an explosion of international licensing agreements for Rainbow’s WE: Women’s Entertainment at MipTV.

    Spanning countries in four continents, these deals – which involve the signature series Daddy’s Spoiled Little Girl, Secret Lives of Women and Style Me – mark significant progress for Rainbow in its global market debut of WE.

    The news also affirms Rainbow’s success in its broader strategy to expand its brands internationally, having kicked off the effort at MipCom 2005.
    “We are obviously gratified by the terrific response we have received for our programming around the world. This is an incredible way to start what promises to be a rich pattern of global growth for the WE brand,” said Rainbow senior vice president business development Glenn Oakley.

    “WE’s high quality programming is a solid offering to broadcasters for its smart and edgy subject matter. These series have a proven entertainment value, and we are delighted at the opportunity to provide them to international audiences,” added iD Distribution managing director Sally Miles.

    The deals are as follows:

    Daddy’s Spoiled Little Girl (12 x 30’) – Sold to TV400 (Sweden), TV2 (Denmark), SBS (Belgium), Digiturk (Turkey), Sub TV (Finland), Orion Media (Korea), MBC (Middle East) and Sky Network Television (New Zealand). In this original series, WE looks at father/daughter duos who take “daddy’s little girl” to new heights. Rich or poor, these dads indulge even the most outrageous requests, including ‘faux mitzvah’ parties, $200,000 Bentley’s, private jets to Rome and shopping sprees in Paris.

    Style Me (2 x 60’ and 6 x 30’) – Sold to Kanal 5 (Sweden) and Sky Network Television (New Zealand). This reality-based show seeks to create the next top celebrity stylist for series host Rachel Hunter. Twelve contestants vie for the top spot and the chance to win $10,000 in cash plus a one-year contract with a talent agency and the opportunity to style Hunter for an A-list, red carpet event.

    Secret Lives of Women (9 x 60’) – Completed program rights only sold to TV400 (Sweden) and MBC (Middle East). This series explores the double-lives that some women lead, from plastic surgery addicts and anorexics to forensic sex investigators and shopaholics.
    Currently seen in over 58 million US homes, WE: Women’s Entertainment is the only cable network dedicated to helping women connect to one another and the world around them.