ITV

Tag: Fox

  • Toby Jones joins Fox’s ‘Wayward Pines’

    Toby Jones joins Fox’s ‘Wayward Pines’

    MUMBAI: The announcer from the Hunger Games films has joined the event series from M Night Shyamalan.

    In Fox‘s thriller Wayward Pines, Toby Jones will play Dr. Jenkins, a charismatic and mysterious psychiatrist who treats a secret service agent (Matt Dillon) who arrives in a small Idaho town looking for two missing agents.

    Jenkins believes brain damage suffered in a car wreck is the source of the visiting agent‘s paranoia. Then again, very little in the town of Wayward Pines is as it seems. Based on Blake Crouch‘s novelPines, the series also stars Carla Gugino and Melissa Leo and is set to debut next year.

    Along with The Hunger Games and its upcoming sequel, Jones‘ credits includeTinker Tailor Soldier Spy, Frost/Nixon,My Week With Marilyn, the first Harry Potter film, and next year‘s Captain America: The Winter Soldier.

  • 21st Century Fox demerges, stocks on a high

    21st Century Fox demerges, stocks on a high

     MUMBAI: Last December, the 21st Century Fox had announced the separation of its business into two independent publicly-traded companies. And starting 1 July, the Rupert Murdoch owned News Corporation completed its separation process.

     

    The news of the split affected the trading as the News Corp shares saw a downward slide while the stocks of 21st Century Fox closed with a little high on NASDAQ. The first day saw a two per cent increase in the 21st Century Fox shares. On the other day News Corp plunged five per cent.

     

    The publishing firms like The Wall Street Journal and Harper Collins as well as the other news and information services will be under News Corp’s banner, while 21st Century Fox will have Star, Twentieth Century Fox, Fox, Sky, National Geographic, Fox News, Fox Sports and FX.

     

    The Company’s assets will also include pay-tv businesses Sky Deutschland, Sky Italia and its equity interests in BSkyB and Tata Sky.

     

    “21st Century Fox launches as a unique force bringing news and entertainment to more than a billion customers every day in over 100 languages,” said 21st Century Fox chairman and CEO Rupert Murdoch. “Our success will continue to be rooted in a deep belief in originality and a commitment to empowering creative minds and entrepreneurs around the world. Our management teams are the best in the business and we will drive growth and shareholder value by expanding our existing assets and brands, while embracing new opportunities and technology.”

     

    As previously announced, Rupert Murdoch will serve as chairman of the new News Corporation and chairman and CEO of Fox Group. Chase Carey will serve as president and COO of Fox Group, with James Murdoch continuing in his capacity as Deputy Chief Operating Officer.

  • A R Murugadoss to direct Fox Star Studios next Hindi film

    A R Murugadoss to direct Fox Star Studios next Hindi film

    MUMBAI: After storming the Tamil film industry in 2011, with their three film deal,celebrated film maker AR Murugadoss and production and distribution giant, Fox Star Studios are all set to take their partnership to the next level.

    A R Murugadoss has been signed by Fox Star Studios to direct a Hindi film in 2014. And this, even as the third film of their three film deal in Tamil, Atlee Kumar‘s Raja Rani is ready for a release in September 2013.

    The partnership between Fox Star Studios and A R Murugadoss kick started with breakaway hit,Engaeyum Eppothum in 2011 and was followed by power packed action entertainer Vathikuchi in March 2013.

    Talking about his association with the studio, A R Murugadoss says,‘‘ Working with a studio like Fox Star Studios, has been a good experience for me. We are moving our partnership to the next stage now. I am happy to confirm that l will be directing a Hindi film with Fox next year. Besides Tamil, we are also looking forward to moving our production partnership in Hindi market to give a chance to young directors with strong scripts.”

    Fox Star Studio chief executive officer Vijay Singh adds, “We are delighted to have AR Murugadoss helm a Hindi film for us as a director. We have had a fantastic partnership with him since 2011. Murugadoss is one of the finest storytellers, a gifted film maker and a professional producer and our association with his banner has ensured a great innings for us in Tamil cinema. We are looking forward to working with Murugadoss in Hindi cinema as well and promise a film to watch out for!”

  • Fox Acquires Spec ‘Tranquility Base;’ Scott Free Producing

    Fox Acquires Spec ‘Tranquility Base;’ Scott Free Producing

    MUMBAI: In a mid-six figure deal, 20th Century Fox has pre-emptively bought Tranquility Base, a speculative screenplay by first-time scribe Daniel Turkewitz. Scott Free‘s Ridley Scott, Michael Schaefer, Brooklyn Weaver and Jonathan Krauss will produce the big-scale science fiction film that supposedly has elements of Lord Of The Flies in outerspace.

    Key to the deal coming together were former Indian Paintbrush guys Mark Roybal and Michael Pruss. Roybal, who ran Indian Paintbrush for Steve Rales, became a Fox exec and Pruss moved over to Scott Free as an exec. Pruss will be exec producer and Rock Shaink will serve in a co-producing capacity on Tranquility Base.

  • New Adventure travel series ‘Freedom Riders Asia’, Celebrating man and motorcycle on the move, debuts on ESPN India on 19 may

    New Adventure travel series ‘Freedom Riders Asia’, Celebrating man and motorcycle on the move, debuts on ESPN India on 19 may

    MUMBAI: Well-known motorcycle adventurer Charley Boorman rides onto screens in Asia with the debut of Freedom Riders Asia, a six-part adventure travel series celebrating man and motorcycle on the move across six Asian countries. A premiere screening held today in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, showcased the first episode of the series that was shot in Malaysia, which will be aired on Sunday 19 May 2013 on ESPN India at 2100 HKT.

    Conceptualised and developed by FOX One Stop Media, the integrated sales arm of FOX International Channels (FIC), News Corporation’s international multi-media business, in close collaboration with global lubricants brand Shell Advance Motorcycle Oil, Freedom Riders Asia sees Charley Boorman, one of the world’s most renowned and recognised bikers, embark on a journey to explore the colourful biking landscapes of Malaysia, Indonesia, India, Vietnam, Thailand and the Philippines.

    From picking tea leaves on the hillside plantations of India, to surfing the legendary waves of Bali’s black sand beaches, Charley meets local biking communities and incredible personalities along the way who show him the delights of each city and the way of life from the back of a motorcycle. In each episode, Charley immerses himself in each country’s unique biking culture, quite often with surprising results.

    In the debut Malaysia episode, viewers will get to see Charley learn the important role the motorcycle plays for many individuals in their daily lives along with taking on a challenge with a well-known local biking personality that will see him fighting for his very reputation!

    Kar-Tai Koh, Shell Advance Global Brand Manager, said: “After six months of hard work and a truly collaborative effort, I am extremely proud of the outcome of Freedom Riders Asia. We really wanted the series to be about celebrating and connecting bikers around Asia; and who better to help us achieve this than Charley Boorman? This is part of Shell Advance’s efforts to empower bikers to experience more freedom on the road in their day-to-day lives and enjoy every ride. I would like to thank FOX for this great working opportunity, our featured local guests as well as all relevant parties involved in making this show possible.”

    Simeon Dawes, Senior Vice President, Advertising Sales and Partnerships, Asia Pacific & The Middle East, FOX One Stop Media said, “One of the objectives of this unique programme is to showcase the diversity of Asia through its different motorcycling cultures, and I believe Freedom Riders Asia has done exactly that, while shedding light on how integral the motorcycle is to the daily lives of so many. This truly has been an exciting collaboration with Shell Advance, and I hope that audiences across Asia will enjoy watching this series as much as we had in making it!”

    He continued, “FOX SPORTS is committed to bringing motor sports fans across Asia the most comprehensive line-up of premier action from around the globe and the region with the live coverage of events such as MotoGP and Superbike World Championships. Freedom Riders Asia is another such initiative that provides fans a unique dimension about motor sports from beyond the motorcycle racing scene.”

    Charley Boorman said: “What I loved most about the Freedom Riders Asia experience was the opportunity to meet locals with larger-than-life characters and ride with passionate bikers in a completely different part of the world. This is indeed a bike trip of a lifetime that I will always remember. The first episode is as exciting as the next, and I hope that the audience in Asia will stay close and enjoy the series as they experience Asia with me!”

    The airing schedule* is as follows:

    Episodes
    Date
    ESPN India
    Ep 1    Malaysia    19 May    16:00
    Ep 2    Philippines    25 May    16:00
    Ep 3    Indonesia    2 June    16:00
    Ep 4    India    9 June    16:00
    Ep 5    Vietnam    16 June    16:00
    Ep 6    Thailand    23 June    16:00
    *Note that there will be three repeats for each episode. Refer to http://tv.foxsportsasia.com/ for repeat schedule.

    Keeping in mind fans desire to deep dive into their favorite sports, a special digital initiative in form of the Shell Advance YouTube page (http://www.youtube.com/user/shelladvance) has been set up where fans can catch exclusive content such as very interesting behind the scenes clips as well as catch up on any missed episodes.

    To reach out to a larger audience base across different demographics and genres, Freedom Riders Asia is being promoted extensively across Fox International Channels Asia’s family of channels such as FOX, National Geographic and FX

  • Aereo to launch in Atlanta next month

    Aereo to launch in Atlanta next month

    MUMBAI: Aereo which has caused heartburn among US broadcasters has announced that Atlanta will be the next market to receive its streaming TV service. Aereo converts television signals into computer data and sends them to new media devices like the PC.

    It will launch there next month. It is already present in Boston and New York. Aereo founder and CEO Chet Kanojia said, “We‘re grateful and humbled by the continued support we‘ve received from consumers for our technology. The response and enthusiasm from consumers across all of our expansion cities has been phenomenal. It‘s clear that consumers want more choice and flexibility in how they watch television and they don‘t want to be fenced into expensive, outdated technology.”

    “Aereo‘s antenna/DVR technology brings the old-fashioned antenna into the 21st Century, providing consumers access to the over-the-air broadcast signals that belong to them. We‘re thrilled to be coming to Atlanta and look forward to our launch in June,” he added.

    Aereo will offer 27 Atlanta-area broadcast channels and the Bloomberg TV cable channel. The service will be limited to residents of 55 counties in Georgia, Alabama and North Carolina.

    There have been lawsuits over Aereo which it so far has won. Channels like Fox have threatened to go to cable over the issue. Aereo adds that its remote (cloud-based) antenna/DVR technology makes watching television simple and user-friendly. Using Aereo‘s technology, consumers can pause, rewind and fast-forward any program that they are watching live, or save a programme for future viewing.

  • CBS, News Corp risk disenfranchising viewers by going pay: Aereo CEO

    CBS, News Corp risk disenfranchising viewers by going pay: Aereo CEO

    MUMBAI: During Ad Age‘s Digital Conference Aereo CEO Chet Kanojia addressed the threat by CBS and News Corp to stop their channels from being free to air.

    “The real question is a consumer question: Can you rightfully disenfranchise 50 million consumers? Is that what the preferred policy is?” he asked.

    “They‘re independent businesses. They can choose to do what they wish to. I‘m just sort of the engineer at the bottom of the food chain. I have no idea what these guys do or not” he added.

    Aereo pulls down over-the-air content by using an antenna. It then streams this content over the Internet to various devices. It plans to expand across the US.

    It recently won victories in court.

    He doesn‘t believe that Fox or any other broadcaster will follow on their threat to go to cable as their reach is great. “It‘s such a large audience, I don‘t see how those customers aren‘t going to get served”.

    But if the networks follow through Kanojia feels that other content service providers will replace them as public broadcasters. “That spectrum is incredibly valuable. Somebody‘s going to take advantage of that”.

  • US broadcasters could go to Congress in Aereo dispute

    US broadcasters could go to Congress in Aereo dispute

    MUMBAI: The fight between the US broadcasters like Fox and Barry Diller-backed Aereo is likely to get hotter. There is possibility of the broadcasters could appeal to the US Congress.

    Aereo CEO Chet Kanojia has been quoted in reports saying that in the past broadcasters have gone to Congress. Earlier a US court of appeals had dismissed a plea by broadcasters against Aereo.

    Aereo uses tiny antennas to pick up free over-the-air broadcast television signals and then transmits the video to its customers over the Internet. News Corp COO Chase Carey has threatened to make Fox pay on cable.

    Right now Aereo is only in New York but the plan is to expand to several more cities. Aereo‘s premium subscription plan costs $12 a month.

    The broadcasters want Aereo to pay to rebroadcast their signals, just like cable and satellite providers already do. Broadcast transmission fees are now a multi-billion dollar business. If Aereo can access content for free then cable companies that also retransmit signals might ask for the fee to be removed or reduced.

    Of course Aereo is another case of the disruptive influence of the Internet and the impact it is having on business models and revenue streams.

  • Fox chooses Dalet Sports Factory MAM system provider for new channel

    Fox chooses Dalet Sports Factory MAM system provider for new channel

    MUMBAI: Dalet Digital Media Systems, a leading developer of Media Asset Management (MAM) solutions, software and services for content producers, has said that Fox has selected Dalet Sports Factory as the end-to-end production and Media Asset Management system for the company’s brand new, national, multisport cable network -Fox Sports 1 (FS1).

    The new channel will launch in mid-August with an impressive roster of live sports including college basketball and football, NASCAR, soccer and UFC. Dalet Sports Factory will provide the essential MAM underlayer that will manage the channel’s workflows and content-from ingest through production to on-air broadcast and archiving. Dalet Brio servers will be used for nearly a hundred channels of video ingest.

    “Weneed the kind of robust and flexible MAM that Dalet Sports Factory provides to handle the scale and complexity of FS1,” says Fox Sports Senior Vice President, Media Services Andrea Berry. “We’ll be producing huge volumes of content for this new channel and Dalet’s metadata management capability will be very important.”

    Dalet Sports Factory is an open system and provides seamless integrations with broadcast and IT systems, including industry-standard NLEs with exchanges of both media and metadata (including parent/child relationships of assets).

  • Aereo wins court fight against US channels

    Aereo wins court fight against US channels

    MUMBAI: In a setback to US television broadcasters, a Federal Appeals court has ruled that Aereo can continue to stream live TV through its site and app.

    The digital TV startup which is backed by Barry Diller will be able to continue operating and the dispute is expected to get a proper court hearing.

    Aereo streams TV channels without compensating them, but the broadcasters feel they will win eventually. But Aereo, which is only available in New York City, plans to offer its service in nearly 24 more cities this year.

    Channels like CBS, Disney and Fox complain that none of Aereo‘s $8 a month fee goes to the local TV stations. This is not the case when programming is carried over cable and satellite services, which have to pay the stations rebroadcast fees – fees the TV stations are increasingly depending on in a time when ad revenue is on the decline because of competition from Internet ad services.

    The broadcasters said in a statement: “This was a loss for the entire creative community. The court has ruled that it is okay to steal copyrighted material and re-transmit it without compensation. While we are disappointed with this decision, we have and are considering our options to protect our programming.”

    Aereo CEO Chet Kanojia said, “We may be a small start-up, but we have always believed in standing up and fighting for our consumers. We are grateful for the court’s thoughtful analysis and decision and we look forward to continuing to build a successful business that puts consumers first.”