Tag: GMTV

CBS News reporter sexually assaulted in Egypt

MUMBAI: CBS News correspondent Lara Logan was sexually assaulted and beaten by a mob in Egypt‘s Tahrir Square late on Friday.

Logan was flown back to the United States next morning. She is now recuperating in a hospital.

The assault took place whilst she was surveying the anti-Mubarak mood amidst a celebrating crowd after the president had stepped down for a “60 Minutes” story.

CBS said, “In the crush of the mob, she was separated from her crew. She was surrounded and suffered a brutal and sustained sexual assault and beating before being saved by a group of women and an estimated 20 Egyptian soldiers.”

Logan had been outspoken about the Mubarak regime‘s efforts to intimidate foreign journalists. She was sent back after she was accused of being an Israeli spy, but came back to Cairo not long before Mubarak fled his office.

She has a long history of working in disturbed areas.

Logan made her name as a war correspondent for Britain‘s GMTV at the beginning of the Afghanistan war in 2001 and later reported on the war in Iraq. She joined CBS News in 2002.

According to the Committee to Protect Foreign Journalists, a watchdog group in which Logan serves as a board member, nearly 140 reporters have been wounded or killed while covering the revolution of Egypt since 30 January.


February 16, 2011
BKN inks 2 broadcast deals & toy deal for TV series ‘Dork Hunters from Outer Space’

MUMBAI: BKN International AG, has announced that it’s wholly owned UK subsidiary BKN New Media Ltd, has sealed two new major TV broadcast deals with GMTV in the United Kingdom and RTL II in Germany as well as a pan-European master toy deal with Character Group for its animated action comedy series Dork Hunters from Outer Space.

GMTV has acquired two seasons, totaling 36 all-new episodes of Dork Hunters from Outer Space and is set to premiere the animated action comedy series on free -TV GMTV1 from 2008. While RTL II has confirmed that the series will be set to launch on free-TV RTL II in late 2007, informs an official release. In conjunction with the TV broadcast deals, a pan-European master toy contract was signed with children’s toys and games company Character Group plc, the licensing company behind Doctor Who and Scooby-Doo among others in the UK and Europe.

Character Group plc will launch in late summer 2008. At this stage they will license all standard “master toy” products, such as basic plush; feature plush; action figures; toy vehicles and accessories; playsets; activity, arts and crafts; interactive toys; boardgames; toy writing and school instruments; toy accessories including lipstick and make-up.

BKN are handling all TV and DVD distribution as well as merchandising and licensing rights worldwide. BKN is planning a strong marketing and advertising campaign for the brand targeting the trade and consumers for this major launch supported in part by toys, videogames and on-line activities.

February 13, 2007
UK regulator institutes total ban on junk food ads around kids shows

MUMBAI : Indian broadcasters riled that India is moving too fast from “unregulated to over-regulated”, might consider trying to digest this piece of news. UK’s broadcast regulator Ofcom has announced a total ban on junk food and drink advertisements in and around all programmes of particular appeal to children under 16, broadcast at any time of day or night on any channel.

The “significant restrictions” Ofcom is planning to introduce in Britain is intended to limit children’s exposure to television advertising of food and drink products high in fat, salt and sugar.

The new rules would come into effect from the end of March 2007. Restrictions would be phased in over 24 months to the end of 2008. Ofcom will review the effectiveness and scope of new restrictions in autumn 2008.

In addition to general content rules requiring responsible advertising to all children at all times, Ofcom has also put forward new rules on the content of advertisements targeted at primary school children. These rules would ban the use of celebrities and characters licensed from third-parties (such as cartoons), promotional claims (such as free gifts) and health or nutrition claims.

All restrictions on product advertising will apply equally to product sponsorship.

The restrictions would apply to all broadcasters licensed by Ofcom and based in the UK, including international broadcasters transmitting from the UK to audiences overseas.

Ofcom has estimated that the impact on total broadcast revenues would be up to £39m per year, falling to around £23m as broadcasters mitigate revenue loss over time. The commercial public service broadcasters (ITV plc, GMTV, Channel 4, and five) could lose up to 0.7% of their total revenues. Children’s and youth-oriented cable and satellite channels could lose up to 8.8% of their total revenues; up to 15% of total revenues in the case of dedicated children’s channels.

While TV and advertising industries have called the new rules draconian, consumer groups have slammed Ofcom as having “caved in to the powerful food and advertising lobby” and not going far enough on the matter.

Sustain, an alliance of over 300 organizations in the UK that campaign for better food, have said a 9 pm watershed for junk food advertising was the “only way” to tackle childhood obesity.

November 21, 2006