ITV

Tag: forays

  • B.A.G Films forays into commercial and vernacular movie production

    MUMBAI: Venturing in movie production emerges to be a good proposition for television content providers. BAG Films Ltd has officially announced its entry into feature films.

    The company is eyeing the vernacular markets besides the mainstream commercial and at the same time invest in medium budget films.

    The company has lined up four commercial films by 2006. B.A.G. Films Ltd, managing director Anurradha Prasad said: “Considering the experience and expertise in television production this was a natural progression for me. As a television production house we always have to make our shows audience friendly, our shows are popular but always under constant rating system and this has given us a clear understanding of viewer interest on other words we can feel the pulse of the audience and so are in a better position to deliver the correct content.”

    The first film to hit the floor is Rockin’ with Sushmita Sen and Shiny Ahuja. The film is scripted and directed by Tanuja Chandra and the music will be rendered by Anu Malik. The second film yet to be titled Punjabi film will star Jimmy Shergil, directed by Gurbir Grewal.

    The third film yet to be titled will star Vidya Balan the Parineeta fame and will be directed by Saurav Narang. The fourth film slated to be in Bhojpuri language will be finalized shortly.

    B.A.G. Films Ltd film division head Mejoo Khan says: “Our four films have a strong storyline, supported with talented cast who believe in doing justice to the script. Also a right blend of marketing and distribution strategy for all our films will help us to achieve success in the competitive film industry.”

    Earlier this year, the company had bagged the movie rights of Taslima Nasreen’s book French Lover.

    At present, the political satire Poll Khol, the crime show Sansani and an investigative show Red Alert, all of which are produced by B.A.G air on Star News.

    Besides, news based shows; the company has also produced serials like Kumkum – Pyara Se Bandhan for Star plus, Pyar Ki Kashti Mein and Siddhant for Star One, to name a few.

  • Haier India forays into the mobile space

    MUMBAI: The home appliance major Haier, touted as the second largest home appliances brand in the world, today unveiled seven GSM state of the art mobile phones officially foraying into the mobile handset segment in India. The range of phones include entry level cost effective phones like Z 100 offering a standby time of 18 days to a handset that comes with FM radio to high end models like the P 7 which is said to be the world’s first pen phone with 300K pixel camera and a dicta phone.
     
     
    Haier mobile phones are being launched all over India in a span of 15 days. Haier arrived in India in June 2004.
    Speaking on the occasion Haier India president and CEO TK Banerjee said, “It is our pleasure to be a part of the rapidly growing Indian cellular industry. We hope to have a significant presence in the Indian mobile telephony segment by the end of year. We hope that our phones with their unique features which have made them popular worldwide will also be widely welcomed by the Indian consumers. Introduction of mobile phones also reflect Haier India’s commitment to provide best and latest technology to Indian consumers.”

     
     
    Haier India director Pranay Dhabhai added, ” Haier has a vast range of mobile phone models and these seven models are most suited for the Indian market as they cater to the requirement of all segments and user needs. Our entire range of mobile phones comprising over sixty models is designed to meet individual customer requirements.”
    The company officials also stated that the aim was to be among the top four players who constitute 90 per cent of the market today. Coming to distribution, Haier has tied up with Trust Telecom who will act as the national distributor for the company’s mobile arm. A nation wide after sales service network has already been set up, which is in the process of expansion.

     
     
    A full range of CDMA phones will be launched in three months.

    The base line for Haier mobile phones is coined as ‘Talk your talk’. The company also enjoys strategic alliances for component sourcing with Intel, Fujitsu and other world leaders.

  • India TV plans regional & entertainment forays

    MUMBAI: The next big phase of expansion in the news genre could well be the regional space. Most broadcasters, including India TV, think so.

    The Rajat Sharma – promoted India TV, which has already applied for uplink permission for a Gujarati language news channel to add to its Hindi offering, has set its sights on a Punjabi news channel as well.

    Confirming the development, India TV chairman Rajat Sharma told indiantelevision.com, “Punjabi language space look promising as there is no full-fledge news channel operating in that segment.”

    Though Sharma refused to dwell further on the company’s plans, industry sources said that the work is in full-swing on the Punjabi and the Gujarati channels, which will only be at a “little incremental cost”, but, more importantly, would add to clout with cable operators.

    The Gujarati news channel is expected to launch ahead of the festive season of Diwali or the festival of lights in November, in an attempt to capitalise on the tendency of the advertisers to increase their ad spend during that time.

    As for the Punjabi news channel, according to company sources, the target is to put it on air towards the end of 2005. At the moment, players operating in this space, including the Delhi headquartered Punjab Today (part of the group promoting Balle Balle music channel), are few.

    That is not all. Indications are that the company is looking at creating a bouquet of channels and has ambitions of entering the entertainment space as well. According to the sources, the company proposes to mark its entry into the entertainment space in 2006.

    In its entertainment ambitions, India TV seems to be on the same strategic forward path as the Prannoy Roy – promoted NDTV Ltd that is also toying with an entertainment channel and creating a bouquet of channels after crafting a mark in the news channel space.

    India TV is looking at putting its existing and proposed channels on PAS 10 satellite, which will help cable operators to tune-in to the bouquet easily.

    India TV, a free channel based in the Film City in Nodia on the outskirts of Delhi, beams via PAS 10 satellite.
    The Gujarati news channel is expected to launch ahead of the festive season of Diwali or the festival of lights in November, in an attempt to capitalise on the tendency of the advertisers to increase their ad spend during that time.

    As for the Punjabi news channel, according to company sources, the target is to put it on air towards the end of 2005. At the moment, players operating in this space, including the Delhi headquartered Punjab Today (part of the group promoting Balle Balle music channel), are few.

    That is not all. Indications are that the company is looking at creating a bouquet of channels and has ambitions of entering the entertainment space as well. According to the sources, the company proposes to mark its entry into the entertainment space in 2006.

    In its entertainment ambitions, India TV seems to be on the same strategic forward path as the Prannoy Roy – promoted NDTV Ltd that is also toying with an entertainment channel and creating a bouquet of channels after crafting a mark in the news channel space.

    India TV is looking at putting its existing and proposed channels on PAS 10 satellite, which will help cable operators to tune-in to the bouquet easily.

    India TV, a free channel based in the Film City in Nodia on the outskirts of Delhi, beams via PAS 10 satellite.

  • Yantra Media forays into event business

    MUMBAI: Chennai-headquartered production house Yantra Media is entering the event space. The inaugural offering is a beauty queen contest Ms South India 2005 covering four Southern states Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh and Kerala.
     
     

    The contest will kick off with the Tamil Nadu round on 2 October followed by similar state level events in the other states. The final event will be held in Chennai in December 2005. According to Yantra Media head Shyamsundar, the company is making investments in the region of Rs 1.8 million to Rs 2 million per event in this series. Yantra will produce and market the events.

    Yantra has also associated with television channels in the respective regions for telecast of the event. “Raj TV will telecast the Tamil Nadu round while Asianet will be our telecast partner in Kerala. For Telugu, we are in talks with Zee Telugu and ETV Telugu. If ETV is getting the deal, the channel will telecast the Karnataka round also. The final event will be simulcast in all the four languages,” Shyamsundar told indiantelevision.com.
     
     

    Yantra plans to broaden its event initiative to the Middle East market as well. The company’s next big event will be based in the Gulf. “Next, Yantra will be doing humour based shows in various cities in the Gulf. Our target group will be the vast South Indian expatriate segment the Middle East market offers,” says Shyamsundar.

    Yantra Media presently produces soaps for various South Indian channels including Asianet and Zee Telugu.

  • Munch Design forays into retail with Moh launch

    BANGALORE: Munch Design Workshop Pvt. Ltd., a new age design BPO firm providing comprehensive design solutions to the apparel and related industries, has announced it is foraying into retail by launching Moh – a label of clothing and accessories.
     

    Initially being retailed at Grasshopper, a fashion destination in Bangalore, the new label will provide a window to the innovation and design capability of Munch. The retail presence for the label would eventually expand in the domestic and international market.
     
     
    The look of all the ranges in the new label would be earthy and classy with sophisticated quirks with the emphasis on comfort clothing, claims a release. Moh is a Hindi word and it means fondness.
    Elaborating on the retail foray and the new Pr?t Label line, Karunesh Vohra, principal designer and CEO of Munch Design Workshop, said, “One of Munch’s key value propositions is trend forecasting where we identify and predict fashion and consumer trends for our clients. This places us in a unique vanguard position, from where we have the freedom to go in whichever direction we wish to and be different from the market. Compared to the existing market, Munch is unique as it is a design firm and not a studio or individual designer.”

     
     
    “Munch is first of its kind outsourcing firm that plays in the niche space called design management services. Outsourcing of the kind that Munch is pioneering would see organizations effectively working with Munch as its extended design arm. This would be revolutionary as it would provide access to world class design talent, processes, and knowledge, which Munch has due to a large segment of clients, than say the leading one or two who have it in-house” added Vohra.

    Charles Hayward II, Vice-president, Business Development of MFar Holdings who are the principal sponsors for the event where Munch will be showcased via the label said, “In recognition of our shared values and the desire to excel, we felt that Munch Design Workshop embodies the new breed of Indian entrepreneurship, that will propel India to the leading position as the service provider of the 21st Century. Our aim is to create partnerships with successful businesses that share the same vision.”

    In its brief existence Munch claims to have established business relationship with clients like Westside, Precot Mills, Bangalore Central, Taj Hotel and Resorts, Tom Tailor, Levis- Dockers & Workers, Invista and Phillip Van Heusen among others. Munch is providing uniforms for the beach resorts of the Taj Group.

    Their diverse portfolio may have different deliverables but the base is design. While Munch services Westside for most of their men’s wear brands, for Precot Mills (a leading textile manufacturer in Coimbatore) they are currently reengineering their corporate identity and packaging.

  • Sun TV plans DTH forays

    NEW DELHI/MUMBAI: Sun Group has applied for a direct-to-home (DTH) license, planning to enter an arena already occupied by Subhash Chandra’s Dish TV. Also planning to join the race is Space TV, a Tata-Star joint venture, which is awaiting clearance for launching DTH operations.

    Sun’s DTH venture will be through a separate company called Sun DirectTV. It is a 100 per cent Indian-owned company.

    Speaking to Indiantelevision.com, Sun Network CMD Kalanithi Maran says the application was made about five months back. “We are perhaps the only 100 per cent Indian-owned company to have made an application for DTH. The plan for entering the non South market is in line with this. The DTH operations will be through a separate entity within the group company,” he adds.

    Confirming the application, the government today said that apart from Space TV, another serious contender for DTH was Sun TV
     

    Speaking at the 13th Convergence India, the I&B minister Jaipal Reddy said that “There are currently 2 more applicants for a private DTH license. Their applications will be positively considered, provided terms and conditions are met with. They will not be discouraged. One of them is Space TV and the other applicant is Sun TV”
     
     

    The I&B minister also proudly drew attention of the delegates to the fact that DD’s DTH service was the only free to air platform in the world.

  • Dish TV forays into urban market

    NEW DELHI: A public interest litigation (PIL) on direct-to-home TV services that clouds the sector with uncertianities notwithstanding, Dish TV has said it would now target the urban market, while offering customised package for region-specific markets.

    This step has been taken in view of the enhanced offering on Dish TV of about 100 channels. Till now, Dish TV was concentrating on the rural markets more aggressively.

    Backing this channel offering is a range of finance options available throughout Dish TVs range of dealer outlets, the statement said.

    An introductory offer let’s a customer bring home the Dish TV excitement for as low as Rs 3,999. The monthly installment scheme works out to Rs 150 (payable quarterly) for three and a half years. Another scheme, called Dish Royale, envisages payment of subscription charges of required bouquets of channels for two years collectively at the time of purchase and the hardware comes free of cost, Dish TV has claimed in the statement.

    Dish TV, promoted by the Subhash Chandra-controlled Essel Group, has claimed that all of Indias regional languages are represented in terms of channel options and customised packages. Viewers from the Hindi heartland, Punjab, Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, Bengal, Orissa, Kerala, Karnataka, Maharashtra and Gujarat are offered distinct packages that combine the essence of local viewing with a range of pan-Indian and international entertainment.

    Commenting on the enhanced offering, Essel Group additional vice-chairman Jawahar Goel today said in a statement, “Dish TV has the power to revolutionise Indias TV experience. Our ability to offer a superior solution in rural and semi-rural markets made us stupendously successful. Now, with this bouquet of 100 channels, were looking forward to this urban foray.”

    The Dish TV bouquet encapsulates channels from 32 Indian and international broadcasters that cover genres like news, soaps, sports, music, movies, cartoons, regional-languages, plus a range of niche channels. Broadcasters
    include Turner, ESPN, Star Sports, NDTV, TV Today, India TV, ETV, and Asianet. Besides these, Dish TV also provides channels from the Doordarshan stable.

    Besides TV channels, Dish TV provides eight radio channels, teletext, dual audio for channels, parental control and electronic programme guide (EPG). Viewers will soon be able to access the Internet too through this service, apart from getting to record favourite programmes with personal video recorder and accessing certain channels for a limited period with pay-per-view.