ITV

Tag: HBO

  • Peter Jackson of AsiaSat wins Casbaa chairman’s award

    Peter Jackson of AsiaSat wins Casbaa chairman’s award

    MUMBAI: AsiaSat satellite system operator CEO Peter Jackson has been awarded with the Casbaa chairman’s award 2006 for outstanding contribution to the Asia Pacific multi-channel cable, satellite and broadband pay-TV industries in the previous 12 months.

    Jackson has been a member of Casbaa for almost all of the association’s 15 year history and a member of the board of directors for seven years.

    The Casbaa chairman’s award 2006 was presented at the conclusion of the Casbaa TV advertising awards held on the final day of the Casbaa Convention 2006 in Hong Kong.

    Casbaa chairman Marcel Fenez said, “With his pan-regional responsibilities and a background in telecommunications, Peter has developed an almost unique understanding of media and telecoms issues which has hugely benefited our industry and the association.”

    The formal citation for Jackson’s award reads, “In recognition of Peter Jackson’s unparalleled professionalism and integrity in one of the most competitive sectors within our industry and his ongoing commitment to the association.”

    “Beyond that, Peter’s contribution’s to the association as a board member and the leading representative of the satellite sector has helped enormously to create the credible industry voice that we are today,” added Fenez.

    Jackson said, “I am honoured to receive this award. But the honour is as much for the team at AsiaSat as it is for me. I also think the award is an endorsement of the general achievements of Casbaa itself in the years that I have been involved. “

    Prior to joining the listed AsiaSat as CEO in 1993, Jackson was the regional director, Asia Pacific of cable & wireless, which he joined in 1970 with responsibilities for several satellite telecom ventures around the region. He has also worked in the Caribbean, the United Arab Emirates and China.

    The other nominees for the 2006 Casbaa chairman’s award were:

    HBO
    For the launch (and marketing) of the new HBO multiplexes which maintain programming quality whilst adding to customer choice and ease of proposition understanding.

    Nokia
    For the promotion of the DVB-supported DVB-H standard and its efforts to generate a greater understating of the mobile TV opportunity to both mobile platform operators and content providers.

    PCCW – NOW TV
    For the continued expansion of its subscriber base and the proactive marketing of a secure and advanced pay-TV platform with a growing interactive capability.

    Star TV
    For establishing a broad range of tailored channels, to cater to specific needs (such as South India programming). The network has also demonstrated a deep understanding of the industry’s future, both on-air and into platforms such as mobile. And STAR TV has been a leader in branded content.

    Starhub
    For aggressively expanded its channel line-up and invested in enhancing and marketing its services. The total number of channels has increased to 94. Starhub recently introduced a digital video recorder set-top box; launched pay per view service, FlexiWatch – engaged in an HD trial; and, launched a new brand campaign ‘For the life that I love, I am a hub’ to drive subscription.

    Marketing Magazine (Singapore)
    In recognition of its excellent work in promoting the delivery of key demographics by cable and satellite channels to advertisers.

  • Classic TV show ‘Fraggle Rock’ to make the transition to the big screen

    Classic TV show ‘Fraggle Rock’ to make the transition to the big screen

    MUMBAI: The Jim Henson Company now confirms what millions of internet fans have speculated.

    The company is developing a film about the Fraggles, stars of the 1980’s television show Fraggle Rock. In India the show used to air on Doordarshan.

    The untitled film will for the first time take Gobo, Wembley, Mokey, Boober and Red on an adventure outside of Fraggle Rock where they will interact with the strange beings in “outer space” (also known as humans). The treatment is being written by author Ahmet Zappa who will also executive produce the project with Brian Henson and Jason Lust. Jim Henson Company co-CEO Lisa Henson will produce.

    Henson said, “Fraggle Rock has remained a favorite project at our Company and has certainly continued to be loved by its many devoted fans. So we are thrilled to begin work on this project. With its message of celebrating diversity and its ambitious goal of promoting world peace, now is the perfect time to embark on a new Fraggle adventure.”

    Zappa says, “I’m very excited to be working with The Jim Henson Company on this project. So much of my childhood was spent watching Fraggle Rock. I never missed an episode. I am also really looking forward to using music to tell the story; it played such a central role in the original series and truly helped create the Fraggle Rock that we know and love today.”

    Fraggle Rock premiered on HBO in 1983 and over five seasons garnered multiple awards and a global fan following. The show was created by Jim Henson as an international co-production and was adapted for each territory to meet the needs of its audience. By showing cooperation and conflict resolution among the different inhabitants of the Rock (the Fraggles, the Doozers and the Gorgs), the show taught the concepts of mutual respect and peace.

    Recently, devoted fans petitioned online for a DVD release of the series. The season one box set exceeded expectations and its incredibly strong consumer response led to the successful season two release.

  • Sopranos star Gandolfini inks production deal with HBO

    Sopranos star Gandolfini inks production deal with HBO

    MUMBAI: Extending his alliance with HBO beyond next year’s final episodes of The Sopranos, the three-time Emmy winner James Gandolfini has signed a three-year production deal with HBO.

    As per the deal, Gandolfini will develop projects exclusively for HBO and its specialty movie division, Picturehouse.

    The actor has also announced his plans to launch a production company called Attaboy Films with partner Alex Ryanhas.

    The biopic Hemingway will be Gandolfini’s first projects as a producer. Reportedly, Gandolfini and Ryan are also working on a documentary for HBO about US soldiers in Iraq.

    Gandolfini has won three Emmys for playing Tony Soprano. His noted works also include Get Shorty and The Last Castle.

  • Zee Turner channels switched off in Jaipur city

    Zee Turner channels switched off in Jaipur city

    NEW DELHI: Zee Turner Limited has switched off 19 bouquet channels on a leading multi system operator in Jaipur due to non-signing of agreement with correct numbers of cable homes and non payment of outstanding cable subscription charges.

    Interestingly, a day prior to deactivation the MSO had moved broadcast disputes tribunal TDSAT requesting a stay on deactivation of channels. The request was rejected.

    Industry sources said that the Jaipur MSO switched off is Bhaskar TV, the television wing of regional media powerhouse Bhaskar Group, which has a joint venture with Zee promoter Subhash Chandra for DNA newspaper.

    Zee Turner is a distribution joint venture between the Subhash Chandra-promoted Zee Telefilms Limited and Time Warner company Turner International India.

    Latest NRS data confirms that Jaipur city has more than 2,25,000 C&S homes and the MSO controls almost 90 per cent households (2,02,500) in the city.

    The households declared by the operator to Zee Turner were 38,782, which has been interpreted by the latter as under declaration.

    The operator’s subscription agreement with Zee Turner expired in December
    2005 and a fresh agreement had not been signed, Zee Turner said.

    On expiry of a 21-day notice period on 11 October, the MSO moved TDSAT seeking a stay on deactivation of channels.

    According to Zee Turner Ltd CEO Arun Poddar, “The (Jaipur) operator, taking advantage of its monopoly situation, has been avoiding signing subscription agreement and has also been under declaring subscriber households by 81 per cent. This is not acceptable to us by any means.”

    Poddar added his company had been trying to resolve the issue in a “cordial manner” but “non cooperation on part of the operator” has forced them to take a harsh step and resort to deactivation.

    “We are really concerned about our viewers and regret the inconvenience caused to them. We are in the process of making alternative arrangements and assure our viewers that Zee Turner channels will reach each and every household in Jaipur city very soon,” he said.

    The 19 channels switched off include Zee TV, Zee Cinema, Zee Sports, Zee News, Zee Studio, HBO, Pogo, Awaaz, VH1, Zee Business Zee Bengali, Zee Gujarati, Zee Marathi, Zee Punjabi, Cartoon Network, Reality TV, CNBC, CNN, Zee Trendz and Zee Café

  • Movie channel ban: Govt. plans interim measure

    Movie channel ban: Govt. plans interim measure

    NEW DELHI: The Indian government is likely to come up with an interim plan to put some cooling balm on movie channels, which have been up against a wall in Mumbai due to a court ban on airing of `A’ certified movies.

    According to an official of the information and broadcasting ministry, in about a fortnight’s time “some interim measure” relating to movie channels would be put in place to ease the problem.

    “We are aware of the difficulties being faced (by movie channels). Some sort of an interim measure should be announced in the next 10-12 days,” the official said.

    However, the official admitted that the censor board is hamstrung by inadequate manpower to quickly re-certify all movies lined up by movie channels over the next two to three months.
    In the third week of August, the Bombay High Court ruled that broadcasters, including direct-to-home (DTH) service providers, could not air movies with ‘A’ certificates.

    The High Court bench, headed by Justice Lodha, had also pulled up the cable operators for their action of discontinuing transmission of all channels in Mumbai after the court ban.

    The court also specified that broadcasters, including foreign channels uplinking from outside India, have to obtain certificate from the Indian censor board before they air any movies.

    The affected channels belatedly petitioned the government to find some solution ahead of the festive season, which got flagged off with Dasher on 2 October, when corporate houses splurge advertising money on television.

    One of the options being toyed is to give channels some migration time to re-certify movies, especially in the light of slow working of the censor board.

    The nine channels affected by the court ban include Zee Cinema, Star Movies, HBO, Filmy, Star Gold, AXN and SET Max. The channels, however, can technically function normally in other parts of the country.

  • HBO announces Diwali special programmes

    HBO announces Diwali special programmes

    MUMBAI: Come October and HBO promises a treat for its viewers with non-stop Blockbusters, dazzling stars, exciting action, fun romantic comedies all through the month.

    Every Saturday night at 9 pm, viewers can tune in to watch films like Without a Paddle, Stealth, The Interpreter and Cellular. Two friends try to fulfill their dead friend’s dream in Without a Paddle on 7 October. Humanity must save itself from a computer in Stealth premiering on 14 October. The Interpreter starring Academy Award winners Nicole Kidman and Sean Penn will be shown on 21 October0. And Cellular on October 28.

    Every Saturday night after the 9 pm movie and every Sunday night after the 8 pm movie, HBO will show hits like- Hitch, Lord of the Rings: The Return of The King, Spiderman 2, Troy, Miss Congeniality 2: Armed and Fabulous,The Last Samurai, Collateral, Hellboya and Resident Evil.

    And every weekday from Monday to Friday, Diwali Fun Fare at 11:30 am will treat its viewers to Julia Roberts film Mona Lisa Smile. The ultimate bachelor will face the ultimate challenge in 50 First Dates. And a 13 year old girl who plays a game on her birthday and wakes up the next day as a 30 year old woman in 13 going on 30. Besides Mean Girls, A Cinderella Story, Peter Pan, and many more films will be shown as part of Diwali Fun Fare.

    Every Thursday, ‘Diwali Laughs night’ after the 9 pm movie will make the viewers laugh, with comedies like Connie and Carla, The Guru, The Nutty Professor and Almost Heroes.

    Drawing inspiration from the spirit of Diwali, HBO presents Diwali Treat: The Good Always Wins every Monday night at 9 pm. Catch the battle upfront in Boa Vs Python, Dinocroc, Gargoyles’s Revenge, Pterodactyl and Anaconda. The heroes, the heroines, the legends, the art- its Kung Fu invasion in Diwali Kung Fu every Tuesday night right after your 9 pm movie with adrenaline pumping movies like The New Legend of Shaolin, The Bride with White Hair, Wonder Course, American Shaolin and The King of Kingboxers.

    HBO’s multi-award winning Original series Deadwood returns with a brand new addictive second season premiering 18 October after the 9 pm movie and thereafter every Wednesday night after the 9 pm movie. Set in an ungoverned stretch of South Dakota soon after the 1876 Custer massacre, Deadwood concerns a lawless, evolving town attracting fortune-seekers, drifters, tyrants, and burned-out adventurers searching for a card game and a place to die.

    Gus Van Sant’s gripping drama Elephant in the HBO Original Movie of the Month on October 3 at 9 pm.

    The movie explores the contemporary reality of high schools in America, a reality that has been transformed in recent years by school shootings like the 1999 Columbine High School massacre.

    Prime time viewing on HBO includes HBO Blockbuster Of The Month, a special television event that premieres a mega blockbuster movie every month, HBO Saturday Nights, which premieres a new box office hit each week throughout the year; HBO Sunday Super Hits, which showcases the blockbuster hits, star-studded hits, favourite genre hits, Asian hits, highly acclaimed hits and so much more. In addition, HBO features at least 3 – 4 new movie showcases every month to offer viewers an interesting mix of Hollywood movies based on exciting themes.

  • HBO, Star Movies start to feel blackout pinch

    HBO, Star Movies start to feel blackout pinch

    MUMBAI: It has been two weeks since English film channels HBO and Star Movies have been off air in Mumbai. While the Hindi film channels have returned with the undertaking not to air ‘A’ rated films, the problem with the above mentioned two channels is that they do not have enough films rated U and U/A to put on air for 24 hours.

    In Mumbai, Hathway and InCable, which control 55 per cent of the cable homes in Mumbai, have not resumed telecast of these two channels. Even some other areas of Mumbai that have other service providers are not getting them. The first problem is that a significant percentage of the viewership for English movie channels (around 15 per cent) each week, comes from Mumbai.

    The second difficulty is that the channels have to get their films cleared by the Censor Board. A Star official says that the channel is in the process of submitting the films. He was non committal when asked as to when the channel was expected to be back on air.

    HBO too, has a significant backlog to be cleared. While attempts to contact HBO proved unsuccessful, a Zee Turner official says that it is looking to help HBO in the process. The repercussions of the blackout are already starting to show however.

    On the ad revenue front, information available with Indiantelevision.com indicates that agencies will ask for some kind of compensation if the problem is not resolved soon. The amount of course will depend on the delay in getting the channels back on the air.

    On the distribution front though, the Zee Turner official says that the cable fraternity has been cooperative and understanding of the situation. Of course subscribers in Mumbai will continue to pay for HBO. So there is no loss there in the absence of addressability.

    The longer this drags on the better it is for the likes of Zee Studio and Pix. While the ratings are not yet out they would have benefitted to some extent as some viewers who would normally watch HBO and Star Movies tune in to them.

    What is interesting though is that Zee spokesperson Ashish Kaul says that the blackout is too restrictive to be a reason for the channel to do anything drastic like push forward its planned marketing campaign. “Had it been a nationwide blackout, the situation would have been different. While more people in Mumbai will tune in to us we need to push ourselves more for them to stay with the channel once HBO and Star Movies come back on. We will be launching new properties and a campaign in around three weeks time. If the blackout is still on (which looks likely) then we will certainly see more visibility.

    “However we recognise that the blackout is temporary and to get viewership in the long term we need to create better visibility for ourselves. It is important that our brand position of being a channel for the movie connoisseur be clear.”

    Another beneficiary from the blackout would be DVD libraries. A spokesperson from a library says that more English movie DVDs are being rented on the weekends. The blackout does not affect rentals the weekdays as people in any case do not have the time, he says. On weekends though the number of English film DVDs being rented is up by around 15 per cent over the past couple of weeks.

  • HC seeks undertaking that only U, U/A movies will be aired

    HC seeks undertaking that only U, U/A movies will be aired

    MUMBAI: The Bombay High Court has asked for an undertaking from broadcasters and cable service providers declaring that they will only be transmitting U and U/A films.

    The High Court bench, headed by Justice Lodha, also clarified that its 23 August order against the broadcast of adult movies did not restrain channels and cable service providers from airing movies with U and U/A certificates.

    The bench gave the clarification in response to an application made by a cable subscriber, the Press Trust of India news service reported.

    The court also directed cable service providers to remove the scrolls many of them were carrying which said movie channels were off the air because of the High Court order. The court termed such scrolls as a misinterpretation of its original ruling.

    The High Court said it had not stopped the channels which were currently off air in Mumbai from operating but had only restrained them from showing adult content.

    The nine channels — Hindi and English movie channels (Zee Cinema, Star Movies, HBO, Filmy, Star Gold, AXN and Max), and Hindi entertainment channels Star One and Sahara One — had originally been blacked out after the Mumbai police confiscated the decoders of major cable networks and beaming equipment of channels on the charge that they had violated the law by telecasting uncertified movies. This followed orders from the Bombay High Court that channels showing adult movie content should be taken off air.

    When the matter of the seized decoders was brought up, the bench told the broadcasters to arrange for replacements. Multi-system operators (MSOs) like Hathway and In Cable (who hold sizeable chunk of connections in Mumbai) as well as Zee Group controlled Siticable were among those that had their equipment confiscated in the police raids.

    The court’s ban order on adult movies had come on a PIL filed by a Mumbai college professor.

  • HBO, NBC lead winners circle at Emmy Awards

    HBO, NBC lead winners circle at Emmy Awards

    MUMBAI: US TV industry’s biggest award show, the 58th Primetime annual sEmmy Awards, saw HBO sweeping aways with nine awards followed by NBC, which managed to bag six.

    The crime drama “24” won the Emmy for best television drama. This is the first time that 24 has won an Emmy for the best drama show.Kiefer Sutherland won the best actor award for his portrayal of counter terrorist agent Jack bauer for the same show. Whereas, The Office took the trophy for best comedy show.

    The best actress award was taken by Julia Louis-Dreyfus for her role as Christine Campbell in The New Adventures of Old Christine. Dreyfus was earlier working in the television drama Seinfeld. Tony Shalhoub won for his role in Monk.

    The Sopranos,” heading in its final episodes, won an Emmy for outstanding drama writing.

    Elizabeth I” won nine awards, including best miniseries. Fox’s “24” was second with five awards.

    Ironically, three of the four best supporting actor and actress awards went to performances from shows that have gone off the air. Alan Alda won the best supporting actor award for his role as Arnold Vinick on NBC’s “The West Wing.” The political drama ended its seven-year run on NBC in May winning 26 Primetime Emmys over the years.

    And Blythe Danner was adjudged the best supporting actress for the show Huff. Megan Mullally won the trophy for the supporting actress in the sitcom Will & Grace which came to a close on NBC in May after an eight year run.

    Jeremy Piven was named best supporting actor for his role as a Hollywood agent on HBO’s show Entourage. The award for the best film went to HBO’s The Girl In The Cafe.

    Mariska Hargitay won the Emmy for outstanding actress in a drama series for her role in NBC’s “Law & Order: Special Victims Unit.”

    The award ceremony was aired on NBC and hosted by Conan O’Brien. The show has received cricitism though from some quarters for the fact that the same old shows are nominated. New shows that keep viewers hooked like Lost sometimes get ignored. The Academy had changed the rules for voting and that critics say that it may have led to nonsensical omissions like Lost and also Hugh Laurie failing to get nominated for House.

    The criticism is that even with the change in the voting rules shows from cable channels like TNT, FX, Sci-Fi and USA that are seen by critics as pushing the boundaries are ignored. Shows such as Rescue Me and The Closer might get a token nomination or two, but the bulk of what the cable networks have to offer is not present.

    Of course American cable television is not as heavily reliant on advertsing as the broadcast networks. That allows for more flexibility in the shows that the likes of HBO do though the budgets might be less. The other challenge for the Emmys and other shows that honour the best in American television is that the line between what constitutes a lead actor and a supporting one is getting blurred.

    Under the new Emmy rules holders of various television jobs can vote in on all categories, instead of actors only voting for actors. Ironically Dick Askin who heads the Academy has pointed out that the aim of the change was get away from the valid criticism that the Emmys have a sameness. The criticism is that when the same shows and same actors keep getting nominated it leaves no room for newer shows to be recognised.

    It is worth pointing out that this problem is also glaring at both the Golden Globes and Screen Actors Guild Awards. Those awards recognise both television and film. With film the nominee roster keeps changing and fans can look forward to what is nominated as it might reflect trends like earlier this year when independent films outshone their studio counterparts. With television though there is a sense of deja vu as the same faces and shows keep cropping up.

    Coming back to the Emmy’s the opening kit that featured O’Brien has received criticism for being insensitive. Basically he travelled on an airplane which crahes on an islland like the show Lost. After being greeted by Lost star Jorge Garcia, O’Brien fled through a mysterious hatch and ended up crashing through other series including The Office, 24 and House. Yesterday 49 people perished in the US’ deadliest air crash in five years.

  • Will Smith is the date doctor in HBO- Blockbuster of the month ‘Hitch’

    Will Smith is the date doctor in HBO- Blockbuster of the month ‘Hitch’

    AIRDATE: FRIDAY 25th AUGUST AT 9:00 PM

    STARRING: Will Smith, Eva Mendes

    Meet Alex Hitchens (Will Smith), New York City’s greatest matchmaker. Love is his job and he’ll get you the girl of your dreams in three easy dates, guaranteed! And that’s exactly what happens when Albert Brennaman wins the heart of gorgeous society heiress Allegra Cole. So when tabloid columnist Sara Melas (Eva Mendes, Once Upon A Time In Mexico) decides to uncover the secret behind the tubby schlub’s success, she’s shocked to discover that Hitch, the charming young man she’s seeing, is the legendary date doctor himself. Exposed in a front-page scoop, it’s now up to Alex to save Albert and Allegra’s relationship as well as his own

    For further information, please contact:

    Manisha Manchanda, HBO Asia
    Tel: 0124 – 4028888
    E-mail: manchanda_manisha@hboasia.com.sg

    Vivian Castelino, CMCG India
    Tel-: 022 24450991-6
    Email: vivian.castelino@cmcgindia.com