ITV

Tag: FilmFare

  • Worldwide Media’s marquee digital property filmfare short film awards announces the 3rd edition

    Worldwide Media’s marquee digital property filmfare short film awards announces the 3rd edition

    MUMBAI: Filmfare, the most credible name in the Indian entertainment industry is back with the 3rd edition of the prestigious Filmfare Short Film Awards 2019. The platform is inviting entries till 31st January. It is providing an opportunity to independent short-film makers and students from the short-film domain to showcase their body of work and, stand a chance to take home the coveted Black Lady. Following the resounding success of its previous editions and an increase in the number of entries with each passing year, the awards like its predecessors, will honour the creative excellence in the short-film category. The winner will be felicitated at the iconic Filmfare Awards 2019.

    Speaking about the digital property, Mr. Deepak Lamba, CEO, Worldwide Media said, “Worldwide Media’s digital-first strategy has been driven at the back of digital IPs that are reaching out to millions and providing effective brand visibility in a cluttered digital media landscape. The short film award is an extension of Filmfare’s coveted awards property in the digital realm with an aim to encourage the aspiring short-film makers and reach out to an extended TG. The property has been growing in stature since its inception with the previous edition generating 121Mn impressions, a reach of 82Mn and, 28Mn video views. It has now become an effective and meaningful platform, one that adds value to its consumers as well as the brand image.”

    Speaking about the 3rd edition, Mr. Jitesh Pillaai, Editor, Filmfare said, “Filmfare’s legacy and the iconic Black Lady has been a clear distinction for the credible work showcased by the artists in the Indian film industry. Having launched the Filmfare short film awards three years ago, and extending the coveted tile to talented short-film makers have been a journey in itself. The huge number of entries and millions of views pouring in each year on the films posted on Filmfare’s digital assets for voting lends the property its desired objective of being the foremost consumer led digital awards.”

    Text Box: Entries to the 3rd Filmfare Short Film Awards 2019 are accepted online on https://www.filmfare.com/awards/short-films-2019/entry for films that are not more than 12 months old and 20 mins long. Participants thereafter are required to submit a signed entry form with the DVD or pen drive containing the short film along with the cheque amounting to the entry fee until 31st January. The short films of all Indian languages with English subtitles are accepted.Since its inception, the Filmfare Short Film Awards has served as a platform for aspiring film-makers of Indian origin to showcase their prowess by submitting entries under five categories namely, Best Film – fiction, Best Film – non- fiction or documentary, Best Actor – Male, Best Actor – Female and People’s Choice Award. The entries will be adjudged by an esteemed panel of jury comprising Karan Johar, Kabir Khan, and Vidya Balan who will be joined by renowned film director Ravi Udayawar, actress Urmila Matondkar, producer Nikhil Advani and screenwriter Niranjan Iyengar this year. The short-films genre over the years, has gained prominence amongst the digital audience due to the massive boom in the amount of content that is consumed on various digital mediums. The idea of narrating a story effectively in a span of 20 minutes has resonated well with the movie enthusiasts. It is this calibre among the film-makers that will be accounted for, recognised and rewarded, by the esteemed panel of jury.

    From the entries received, five winners will be shortlisted based on user voting starting February 2019 among which the jury will select one short film as the ‘People’s Choice Award Winner 2019’. The winner across each category will be felicitated at the Filmfare Awards 2019.

  • mCube: Star, Zee, Filmfare, NDTV, WATConsult, AdLift & Patanjali win awards

    MUMBAI: AdLift, a global digital marketing agency with offices in the US and India, has won two gold awards at Master of Modern Marketing Awards and Conference at New Delhi. YouTube sensation Pammi Aunty entertained and educated the audience when he joined the session on influencer marketing with AdLift CEO Prashant Puri.

    Inkspell had announced the mCube Awards – Masters of Modern Marketing 2017 in a much awaited programme. Other speakers included IIFL Wealth Management CMO Deepali Naair, Angel Broking CMO Gagan Singla, DoubleClick by Google programmatic evangelist Rahul Ramchandani, Unlimit by Reliance VP marketing & business development Matthias Wurster, Max Life Insurance SVP Amit Sharma, Sociomantic VP – sales Avinash Tharani, Gameloft Head-Marketing Ridhima Kapoor, Kenscio Digital VP Avinash Pant, Reebok director – brand marketing and communications Kanika Mittal, Reliance Mutual Funds CMO Sandeep Walunj, Portea VP Kavita Chowkimane, Aviva India VP Ambrash Kapoor, Philips Home Care country sales manager Sandeep Oberoi, and Dabur India Head – Digital Marketing Archan Banerjee.

    AdLift won the awards in two categories i.e. Content Marketing and Digital Marketing Awards. For Aakash Institute, AdLift was awarded for the “Best Engagement in a Social Media Campaign” and the “Most Engaging Content in an Integrated Campaign” for Kent RO.

    Kent RO chief information officer Saurabh Gupta said, “At Kent RO, our mission is to educate people about healthy living and the benefits of a disease-free life. AdLift helped bring this idea to life via targeted content marketing campaigns that worked well!”

    Individuals, agencies, corporates, and/or communities which were awarded at the ceremony are enlisted below:

    Media Specific Awards:
    1. Best Marketing Campaign in Print-Mission 1000 Tonnes by Jagran
    2. Best Marketing Campaign in Radio-Sapnon Ki Tasveerein by Canara HSBC OBC Life Insurance
    3. Best OOH Marketing Campaign-Freshsales’ Frustimonials Campaign by Freshdesk
    4. Best Direct Marketing Campaign-Dell EMC CIO Club by CIO Association of India
    5. Best Marketing Campaign through Events/BTL Channels-UTI Mastershare by UTI Mutual Fund
    6. Best B-2-B Marketing Campaign-Gamification of Advertising Sales by Jagran
    7. Best Low-Budget Marketing Campaign-The Sunday Brunch Campaign by Marriott
    8. Best PR Campaign-Lung Cancer Awareness Campaign by Boehringer Ingelheim
    9. Best Innovation in a Tech-enabled Marketing Campaign -HP Pavilion X360 – Head Over Heels by SapientRazorfish

    Content Marketing Awards:
    1. Best Content in a Direct Marketing Campaign-CFO Insights Magazine Campaign by Yes Bank
    2. Best Content in a Digital Marketing Campaign-Sabse Tez Nateeje for Aajtak.in by India Today
    3. Best Content in a Digital Marketing Campaign-More to Give Campaign by NDTV
    4. Best Content in an ATL Marketing Campaign-Zidd karo Duniya Badlo by D.B. Corp. Ltd.
    5. Best Content in a BTL Marketing Campaign-Let’s Hunt for Our Lost Lakes by Jagran
    6. Most Engaging Content in an Integrated Campaign-Kent RO by AdLift

    Sector Specific Awards:
    1. Best Multi Channel Campaign by/for an Automobile Company-Tata Zest Record Run Campaign by Inextis
    2. Best Multi Channel Campaign by/for an FMCG/CPG Company-Patanjali Kesh Kanti Jug Jug Jiyo Campaign by Vermillion
    3. Best Multi Channel Campaign by/for a Real Estate Company-Kanakia Paris at BKC by NetBiz Systems. Pvt Ltd.
    4. Best Multi Channel Campaign by/for a Healthcare Company-Portea Heal at Home Campaign by Portea Medical
    5. Best Multi Channel Campaign by/for a Financial Services/Banking Company-ARQ Launch Campaign by Angel Broking
    6. Best Multi Channel Campaign by/for a Media/Entertainment Company-62nd Filmfare Awards 2017 Campaign by Worldwide Media
    7. Best Multi Channel Campaign for a Cause/NPO/NGO-Muskaan Initiative for Himalaya by Motivator World
    8. Best Experiential Marketing Campaign in BFSI-Mutual Fund Day – by Reliance Mutual Funds

    Digital Marketing Awards:
    1. Best Digital Integrated Marketing-Digital Innovation – Croma by Infiniti Retail
    2. Best Display Marketing in Digital-Crompton Greaves’s Avancer E-Sense Campaign by Logicserve
    3. Best Engagement through Digital Marketing-P.O.W. – Bandi Yuddh Ke by Star TV
    4. Best Engagement through Mobile Marketing-Nissan’s GT-R Car Campaign by mCanvas
    5. Best Gamification Marketing-Nexa Baleno Buddy Pack by Gameloft
    6. Best Innovation/Creativity in a Digital Campaign-HDFC Bank’s 360 Video Campaign by WATConsult
    7. Best Email Marketing Campaign-Fullerton India’s Instant e-Approval Campaign by Logicserve
    8. Best Innovation/Creativity in a Mobile Campaign-Zee Cine Awards Scratch Mobile Innovation by Zee
    9. Best Marketing through a Website/Blog -Merck’s Parents of Fertility Campaign by WATConsult
    10. Best Marketing through an App-Mitra Campaign by KSRTC
    11. Best Mobile Marketing – Overall -Godrej’s Flaunt to Feed Campaign by WATConsult
    12. Best performance-driven Digital Campaign-Recruiting CIOs through the Social Network by HCL
    13. Best performance-driven Digital Campaign-Myntra Sneaker Club
    14. Best performance-driven Mobile Campaign-UTI MF Mobile App Campaign by UTI Mutual Fund
    15. Best Search Marketing Campaign-Only’s Deminise the World Campaign by WAT Consult
    16. Best Social Media Marketing Campaign-Dance+2 by Star TV
    17. Best Video Marketing Campaign-The Watchable Ads for DBS by WAT Consult
    18. Best Viral Marketing Campaign-Nayi Soch by Star TV
    19. Best Engagement in Social Media Campaign-Aakash Institute by AdLift

    Special Awards:
    1. Digital Marketer of the Year-Nikhil Rastogi (Citi Bank)
    2. Digital Marketer of the Year-Archan Banerjee (Dabur India)
    3. Marketing Influencer of the Year-Deepali Nair (IIFL Wealth Management)
    4. Best Digital Entertainer-Ssumier Pasricha
    5. Best Marketing Startup-Inextis Events
    6. Marketing Agency of the Year-WATConsult

  • Times’ WWM steps into TV prod with Jio as Filmfare wows Punjab & Femina digitises

    MUMBAI: WorldWide Media (WWM) CEO Deepak Lamba had last year announced his company’s intentions to foray into TV production with a slew of productions. His wish has become a reality with the launch of the company’s first-ever chat show Famously Filmfare premiering on Jio TV today (12 May) followed by telecasts on Colors Infinity from 14 May. 

    Jio has created a seamless digital life experience for the Indian audience and we believe this premiere will present an exciting on-the-go experience for the movie fans. This innovation will also allow film enthusiasts to engage with their favourite stars on a variety of digital platforms, a Jio spokesperson said.

    Also, with Lonely Planet and TopGear, WWM is launching its first one-of-a-kind travel and adventure series ‘Nexa Journeys on Asian Highway 1’ in association with Nexa which will be telecast on the Discovery network come 21 May 2017.

    Says Lamba:  “At WorldWide Media, our strategy is to be the leader in lifestyle and entertainment content. As a result, our focus is on increasing our presence in the video content and intellectual property (IP) space through long-format content, and with, Famously Filmfare, we are bringing our first such show on digital and television platforms. Soon after this, we will also be launching other versions in Tamil, Malayalam, Bengali, Marathi and Punjabi.”

    Filmfare.com generates around 25 million page views a month, and Lamba has opted to partner Jio TV for all language versions of its chat shows. He reveals that preference is being given to the media firms’  previous partners such as Star network for all its southern India chat shows.  

    To a question, Lamba said that through digital business they aim at trebling its profits (from 5% at present) in the next financial year. “Sixty to 70 per cent of our reach takes place through mobile devices as observed by comScore and Similarweb,” Lamba added.

    The Bengali and Marathi Filmfare awards found a home on Colors Bangla and Colors Marathi while the Punjabi version was telecast on Mh1 on 28 April. He is hoping to spike Filmfare’s page impressions to 50 million impressions by the end of next year.

    Amongst the other WWM properties he is also looking at extending the iconic brand Femina into video content space, which generates close to 37 million page views a month. Under this umbrella, around 60 events are held — annually. And, Lamba is hoping to add to that number in the coming year.

    Says he: “We are seeking alternative revenue streams and looking for new media platforms to exploit the IPs that we have in a different way. There are different revenue streams which are traditional ad sales, event business, digital media, content syndication, TV and web shows and circulation revenue.”

    Also Read:

    Digital ad investment will surpass TV in five more countries: GroupM’s Interaction 2017

    Top M&E industry honchos see no major benefit from Budget ’17

  • WorldWide Media pushes into TV content creation

    WorldWide Media pushes into TV content creation

    MUMBAI: In August 2011, Bennett, Coleman & Co Ltd (BCCL) aka The Times of India group bought out the remaining 50 per cent of World Wide Media (WWM) from BBC Worldwide, making it a wholly owned subsidiary of arguably India’s largest media company.

    WWM had started off as a joint venture between the two firms to publish speciality niche magazines. Titles such such as Femina and Filmfare and licensed titles like Lonely Planet, Top Gear, Grazia, Hello! and Good Homes came under its umbrella. Most of them these have grown courtesy a loyal reader base and are adding substantial revenues to WWM’s topline.

    Deepak Lamba – who was earlier the president of Bennett Coleman – was roped in to spearhead it in January 2015 and fine tune its strategy. The idea: take it beyond traditional print publishing. And Lamba’s focus has been to transform it into a complete lifestyle and entertainment outfit. A special internal projects team has been created, which works on providing holistic branding and marketing solutions to clients, including content for the TV and digital space. Amongst the brands it is looking to extend onto digital and TV include: Top Gear, Good Homes, Lonely Planet, Hello, and Femina.

    “Digital is seen as the medium of the future but television is already here. Therefore, we are looking at that how our brands can be put across television platforms,” says WWM CEO Deepak Lamba. “We have signed a deal with Maruti Suzuki for the travel show where five celebrities from different walks of life and their biggest fan will take a fanatistic journey in the auto maker’s vehicles from India to Bangkok on the Asian expressway. The seven part series is slated to launch in November. Hello has an upcoming luxury show on ET Now and Romedy Now which is slated to go live two months from now. Good Homes will talk about how you can beautify your home on a finite budget. We also want to do the GEC version of our Filmfare talk show which is in the pipeline.”

    It is also expanding the Filmfare Awards franchise in August 2016 to cover north Indian cinema with the Britannia Filmfare Awards Punjab.

    “It’s been 63 years now for the Filmfare Awards. The Hindi cinema awards are telecast on Sony Entertainment Television,” explains Lamba. “The South India awards are in their sixtieth year and are telecast on Star channels; the East Indian awards on Star Jalsa, even as the Marathi awards are on Colors Marathi. We are also launching three music awards with regional GECs in the South and with local partners in Punjab.”

    Short filmmakers will also be eligible to take a stab at winning the lovely black Filmfare statuette with the launch of an award for digital movies, discloses Lamba. “The short films have to be of 15 minutes and we will have a prominent jury just like we have for our main awards and the main gratification is that winners will receive the award on the same stage.”

    WWM is likely to reach out to other production houses to partner it on some of its brand extensions into video, especially those targeting broadcasters. For its digital initiatives, it has put together a full-fledged in-house team which is working closely with its editorial team to roll out its properties. On the anvil is a fun-filled 15 minute celebrity chat show with Filmfare editor in chief Jitesh Pillai as its host. The pilot is being shot with the official launch expected to happen in the next two to three months. Lamba says the move into digital has come because advertisers have been asking for it. “There was also an internal need as being a part of BCCL, scale does matter a lot. In the magazine space we are already the number one. Also if you listen to your consumers and advertisers you will not go wrong.”

    OTT and VOD players have come knocking on WWM’s doors and conversations are on with them too.

    A foray into fiction is planned under the Femina brand. “The show is about a fantastic girl who is a little plump. A Gujju girl whose boyfriend dumps her for a skinny girl,” points out Lamba. “The show will track what she decides to do with her life and how she comes out on top of the world. ”

    Will the strategy of stretching existing print titles to video work? Media observers believe it will.

    “Titles such as Top Gear, Filmfare, Good Homes have a pretty loyal following both from advertisers and consumers,” says a media expert. “The WWM team will have to do something really wrong or screw up to fail at this extension strategy. I am betting that they will do well.”

    And that is something Lamba is banking on too.

  • WorldWide Media pushes into TV content creation

    WorldWide Media pushes into TV content creation

    MUMBAI: In August 2011, Bennett, Coleman & Co Ltd (BCCL) aka The Times of India group bought out the remaining 50 per cent of World Wide Media (WWM) from BBC Worldwide, making it a wholly owned subsidiary of arguably India’s largest media company.

    WWM had started off as a joint venture between the two firms to publish speciality niche magazines. Titles such such as Femina and Filmfare and licensed titles like Lonely Planet, Top Gear, Grazia, Hello! and Good Homes came under its umbrella. Most of them these have grown courtesy a loyal reader base and are adding substantial revenues to WWM’s topline.

    Deepak Lamba – who was earlier the president of Bennett Coleman – was roped in to spearhead it in January 2015 and fine tune its strategy. The idea: take it beyond traditional print publishing. And Lamba’s focus has been to transform it into a complete lifestyle and entertainment outfit. A special internal projects team has been created, which works on providing holistic branding and marketing solutions to clients, including content for the TV and digital space. Amongst the brands it is looking to extend onto digital and TV include: Top Gear, Good Homes, Lonely Planet, Hello, and Femina.

    “Digital is seen as the medium of the future but television is already here. Therefore, we are looking at that how our brands can be put across television platforms,” says WWM CEO Deepak Lamba. “We have signed a deal with Maruti Suzuki for the travel show where five celebrities from different walks of life and their biggest fan will take a fanatistic journey in the auto maker’s vehicles from India to Bangkok on the Asian expressway. The seven part series is slated to launch in November. Hello has an upcoming luxury show on ET Now and Romedy Now which is slated to go live two months from now. Good Homes will talk about how you can beautify your home on a finite budget. We also want to do the GEC version of our Filmfare talk show which is in the pipeline.”

    It is also expanding the Filmfare Awards franchise in August 2016 to cover north Indian cinema with the Britannia Filmfare Awards Punjab.

    “It’s been 63 years now for the Filmfare Awards. The Hindi cinema awards are telecast on Sony Entertainment Television,” explains Lamba. “The South India awards are in their sixtieth year and are telecast on Star channels; the East Indian awards on Star Jalsa, even as the Marathi awards are on Colors Marathi. We are also launching three music awards with regional GECs in the South and with local partners in Punjab.”

    Short filmmakers will also be eligible to take a stab at winning the lovely black Filmfare statuette with the launch of an award for digital movies, discloses Lamba. “The short films have to be of 15 minutes and we will have a prominent jury just like we have for our main awards and the main gratification is that winners will receive the award on the same stage.”

    WWM is likely to reach out to other production houses to partner it on some of its brand extensions into video, especially those targeting broadcasters. For its digital initiatives, it has put together a full-fledged in-house team which is working closely with its editorial team to roll out its properties. On the anvil is a fun-filled 15 minute celebrity chat show with Filmfare editor in chief Jitesh Pillai as its host. The pilot is being shot with the official launch expected to happen in the next two to three months. Lamba says the move into digital has come because advertisers have been asking for it. “There was also an internal need as being a part of BCCL, scale does matter a lot. In the magazine space we are already the number one. Also if you listen to your consumers and advertisers you will not go wrong.”

    OTT and VOD players have come knocking on WWM’s doors and conversations are on with them too.

    A foray into fiction is planned under the Femina brand. “The show is about a fantastic girl who is a little plump. A Gujju girl whose boyfriend dumps her for a skinny girl,” points out Lamba. “The show will track what she decides to do with her life and how she comes out on top of the world. ”

    Will the strategy of stretching existing print titles to video work? Media observers believe it will.

    “Titles such as Top Gear, Filmfare, Good Homes have a pretty loyal following both from advertisers and consumers,” says a media expert. “The WWM team will have to do something really wrong or screw up to fail at this extension strategy. I am betting that they will do well.”

    And that is something Lamba is banking on too.

  • I still have a long way to go: SRK

    I still have a long way to go: SRK

    MUMBAI:  You can love him or hate him, but you definitely can’t ignore him. The man with a midas touch, Shah Rukh Khan needs no introduction. Just one year short of 50, the King of Bollywood celebrated his special day with his fans, charming everyone with his persona.

     

    Humility personified, SRK was dressed in a black T-shirt and jeans addressing the media and the sea of people gathered outside his residence to wish him on his birthday.

     

    “There is nothing else I can feel on my birthday except humility. I feel I do not deserve the love I get. I am just an actor and a small person and the kind of love I get, I feel blessed. What more can I ask for myself,” said the Baadshah of Bollywood.

     

    “I wish everyone gets a life like Shah Rukh Khan,” added the superstar.

     

    The actor also apologised for all the trouble to Mumbai police as well as his neighbours during days like these.

     

    Reminiscing about earlier days, when he began his career, he reckoned, “Initially I used to celebrate my birthday with not more than eight or nine people, things have changed, my fans have increased, so has the media but I still feel, I have received more than I could ever ask for.”

     

    About hitting half century next year, the actor said, “I don’t count age and I feel good and energised. I will be shooting for Fan from tomorrow (Monday). Next year it’s going to be more special as I will be turning 50.”

     

    He also disclosed that more than losing his name or fame, he is scared to not live up to his fans’ expectations. “The audiences have a lot of expectations from me and I don’t want to disappoint them and that’s my biggest fear. I hope I work hard and live up to everyone’s expectations.”

     

    Coming from the capital city, SRK is one of the very few actors who, despite of not having a godfather in the industry, made it big on his own. “I am proud of fact that I am outsider. This industry is harsh at times. It loves you at one time and also can show you the door at times. There are lots of people in the industry who are responsible for who I am today.”

     

    He also added that he doesn’t consider his personal life worthy enough to make a biopic and if it is ever made he will not be the one to act in it. “There are a number of great personalities in the industry with better stories than mine. I don’t think I have reached the level yet where a movie should be made on my life. I still have a long way to go.”

     

    The actor also revealed that he wants to start doing two films per year now; “I need to work with directors who want to push boundaries with me,” he added.

     

    Also finally, wishing the new Maharashtra government success, he said that “instead of jumping the gun, we should give them time to achieve the target set by them; it is not about the opening weekend in this case, they should be given a chance and time to perform.”

     

    Born on 2 November 1965, Shah Rukh Khan has acted in over 75 films ranging from romantic dramas to action thrillers. The actor has won the maximum number of Filmfare awards. He was also awarded the Padma Shri in 2005 and the prestigious Ordre des Arts et des Lettres by the Government of France in 2007 for his contribution to the film industry. The actor is currently working on Fan and Raees

  • Vivel Filmfare Awards 2013 comes to the East

    Vivel Filmfare Awards 2013 comes to the East

    KOLKATA: The Black Lady is the dream of many in the Indian film industry. For years, she has been the epitome of good talent in cinema. Now, the people belonging to the Eastern region will have an opportunity to own the Black Lady – the Filmfare Award. The first Vivel Filmfare Awards 2013 for the eastern region was announced in Kolkata with an aim to recognise the cinematic excellence in the Bengali, Oriya and Assamese films.

     

    Renowned Bengali actor Prosenjit Chatterjee along with ITC Limited chief executive, personal care products business Sandeep Kaul and Worldwide Media, the publishers of Filmfare Magazine in Kolkata, chief executive officer Tarun Rai unveiled the iconic Black Lady on Saturday.

     

    “The Black Lady took 60 years to come to eastern region. We are working hard to finalise the list. Starting from the announcement with a press conference, we shall undertake 360 degree media campaigns including Times of India brand to promote the event,” said Rai.

     

    “This is the first year of Vivel Filmfare Awards in the east. We feel that we should have been here sooner. For long, we have wanted to come here since Bengali cinema has contributed immensely to Indian and world cinema,” said Rai.

     

    The emphasis during the announcement was on the importance of stalwarts that the eastern region has produced. It has been the cradle of Indian cinema with stalwarts like Bimal Roy, Satyajit Ray, Kishore Kumar, RD Burman among others who have created celluloid history with national and international acclaim. Last year itself Bengal made more than 100 movies. The awards are a way to recognise the growing talent of the region. There would be around 21 categories in Bengali awards category. While for Oriya and Assamese, there would be four categories each.

     

    “The 29 awards that will be handed over in various categories include 21 trophies for Bengali movies and four each for Oriya and Assamese films respectively,” said Rai.

     

    In the Assamese and Oriya segments, the four awards including Popular, Technical, Debut and Critics will be given to the four popular categories only.

     

    Prosenjit Chatterjee said though eastern region produced greatest of the talents in the film industry “we were away and not looked upon.”

     

    “Bengali cinema has crossed the golden era,” added Chatterjee.

     

    Filmfare Awards, established in the year 1953, may look at awarding the Bhojpuri and Bangladeshi films too in the time to come.

     

    However, for the time being the Black Lady is set to enter the eastern region film industry on 29 March.

  • BBC scouting for partners in India for Hindi and Urdu news channel services

    BBC scouting for partners in India for Hindi and Urdu news channel services

    MUMBAI: The British Broadcasting Corporation is scouting for joint venture partners for launching television news channel services in Hindi and Urdu languages in India.

    “We are launching a 24-hour news channel in Arabic next year and we are looking at television services in Hindi and Urdu. They will be joint ventures,” BBC World Service business development manager Michel Lobelle told reporters in Colombo, according to news agency PTI report.

    The expansion of television saw a slight dip in radio listenership in India but, it is on the rise again with more people tuning into radios, he said.

    In India, the Corporation has already entered into partnership on various fronts such as magazine and radio. The BBC Worldwide owns 50 per cent of the Times of India’s magazines subsidiary including its selling titles, FilmFare and Femina. In August 2005, Top Gear magazine launched in India making it the first BBC magazine from the joint venture.

    On the radio front, the BBC Worldwide has partnered with Radio Mid-Day West (India) Private Ltd. The company has won bids for six cities including Delhi, Chennai, Kolkata, Bangalore, Ahmedabad and Pune.

    The Corporation also announced its rebroadcasting deal with Sri Lanka’s state-run Sri Lanka Broadcasting Corporation (SLBC) radio.

    The SLBC radio will rebroadcast nine hours of BBC programmes under the new deal, Lobelle said, adding that the deal provides an opportunity for Lankans to easily access BBC programmes through a network of FM channels.