ITV

Tag: Hollywood

  • Adlabs bids for 3 studios in Film City

    Adlabs bids for 3 studios in Film City

    MUMBAI: Anil Ambani-controlled Adlabs Films has submitted a bid for setting up three film studios at Film City in Mumbai’s Goregaon suburb.

    “Film City had come out with a tender. We have submitted our bid and are confident of bagging it,” says Adlbas Films chairman and managing director Manmohan Shetty.

    The plan is to make studios which would match the quality of Hollywood with shooting floors, editing and processing facilities.

    Adlabs runs a chain of multiplexes and is engaged in the business of film production, processing and editing. After Ambani took a controlling stake, the company has also ventured into film distribution to spread its presence across the entire value chain.Film City has received nine bids for the Rs 300 million project, according to a report which quoted managing director Bhushan Gagrani.

    In the 90s, Film City harboured the dream of setting up three studios but had to shelve the project due to lack of financial resources. Pressed by a fast-growing film and television industry, the decision to revive the project was taken recently under the build-operate-own-transfer model. The bidder who offers to transfer the assets in the shortest period will be awarded the contract. 

  • Fox garners billion dollars in overseas film revenues

    Fox garners billion dollars in overseas film revenues

    MUMBAI: It pays to make sequels in Hollywood. Fox has become the first studio this year to cross the billion dollar mark in film revenue earned outside the US.

    Two sequels Ice Age 2 and X Men 3 helped achieve this result.A report in Hollywood Reporter states that Ice Age 2 has made $441 million. This is more than double the $192 million made in the US.

    X Men 3 made $160.1 million, the Oscar winner Walk the Line made $64.8 million. Even the critically lambasted The Pink Panther made a decent $64.3 million. In the pipeline for the studio are potential box office hits including a Garfield sequel and a Meryl Streep film The Devil Wears Prada.

    It is the second year in a row that Fox has been the first studio to hit the billion dollar mark abroad. Last year, the Star Wars movie helped it cross the mark. Meanwhile, Sony Pictures has made over $800 million, mainly due the critically panned The Da Vinci Code.

  • NRI group to launch terrestrial movie channel in Africa

    NRI group to launch terrestrial movie channel in Africa

    MUMBAI: Channel 2 Group Corporation in a joint venture with Kenya Broadcasting Corporation (KBC) has announced its plans to launch a 24 hour movie channel Channel 2 Movies.

    With this new initiative, the Channel 2 Group Corp. attempts to expand the terrestrial broadcast operations across Africa. It will incorporate a mix of the latest entertainment from Hollywood and Bollywood.

    According to an official release, the channel finds it “imperative to address the targeted audience with customized entertainment options.”

    Soaps like Kahani Ghar Ghar Ki and Kyun Ki Saas Bhi Kabhi Bahu Thi, with English subtitles are said to be popular amongst African viewers.

    Channel 2 also claims to have a strong network with the Indian Film Industry and has signed a strategic alliance with Kenya Film Commission (KFC). With support from the government, Kenya now opens its doors to the Indian Film Industry.

    The Channel 2 Group Corporation Chairperson Ajay Sethi said, “Channel 2 will be the first terrestrial unique movie channel in Africa, and will bring to its viewers the very latest in movie and entertainment mix. Channel 2 shall be expanded to other African countries on terrestrial platforms and has already entered into telecast agreement with Uganda Broadcasting Corporation on the national channel. Our expertise in this field is well established, and with this launch will further strengthen the group’s foothold in Africa.”

    “The total population of Kenya is 40 million, of which KBC already commands an 85 per cent viewership. KBC is a national broadcaster with its strong nationwide infrastructure adding great value to the joint venture and making it a commercially viable project. We expect that the dearth of terrestrial movie channels in Africa will turn Channel 2 into a hugely popular and much desired movie channel.”

    He added, “The channel has been stylized keeping African sensitivities in mind, so the look and feel of the channel will be very African. Channel 2 Movies not only promises its viewers premium quality entertainment, but also provides multinationals and other corporations a world class media vehicle to advertise their wares on.”

    Channel 2 will be hosting the IIFA post award party on the 16 June 2006 at the Grand Hyatt, Dubai. Kenya Film Commission CEO Wachira Waruru will be present at the awards, informs the release.

    In addition, another associate company of the Channel 2 Group Corp., UAE’s Channel 729, has already signed a telecast agreement with KBC, whereby KBC has broadcasted hours of Channel 729 free to air on its terrestrial channel to its viewers, adds the release.

  • Universal Studios creates mobile division

    MUMBAI: Universal Studios has announced that its consumer products group has created a dedicated division designed to capitalise on the rapidly growing world of mobile entertainment.

     

    The new division, Universal Mobile Entertainment, will be run from a day to day perspective by Universal veteran Jeremy Laws who has been promoted to senior vice president.

    Under the newly minted division, Laws will oversee all aspects of licensing and promotions in the wireless arena as well as actively pursue and manage licenses from creation to consumption. He will lead a team of sales executives based around the world including the major media markets like
    Los Angeles, London and Tokyo.

    Laws says, “My goal, and that of my team, will be to ensure that fans of Universal‘s films and television programmes will have easy access to a broad range of compelling, high quality
    mobile content on their handsets.”

     

    Universal Studios adds that it has been aggressive in the mobile content licensing market since 2000 and currently has more than 60 deals worldwide with premiere partners such as I-play, Gameloft, Buongiorno-Vitaminic, Ojom, Indiagames, Player X, (M)Forma and Starwave Mobile.

     

    Universal expects to see continued, substantial revenue growth in this space during 2006 as it launches 30 games and a comprehensive range of graphics, video clips and voice ringers on all major carriers across the globe from Universal‘s current and library film and television assets.

     

    Laws joined Universal Studios Consumer Products Group as executive director in 1999. He has since spearheaded all aspects of licensing in the areas of wireless, broadcast film clips, stills and advertising and has overseen all aspects of Universal‘s licensed location-based entertainment attractions worldwide. Laws pioneered an end-to-end online solution for film clip licensing and tripled the revenue of that business.
  • Hollywood lost $6.1 bn to piracy in 2005: study

    Hollywood lost $6.1 bn to piracy in 2005: study

    MUMBAI: Major Hollywood studios lost a whopping $6.1 billion in global wholesale revenue to piracy last year, a study put out Wednesday by the Motion Picture Association of America (MPAA) shows.

    The haemorrage is coming not only from lost ticket sales, but from DVD sales that have been Hollywood’s money-spinner in recent years, the study reveals.

    Of the $6.1 billion in lost revenue to the studios, $1.3 billion came from piracy in the United States and $4.8 billion internationally, with nearly half of that loss occurring in Europe. About $2.4 billion was lost to bootlegging, $1.4 to illegal
    copying and $2.3 billion to Internet piracy.

    In the US, illegal copying and distribution is more of a problem while internationally, illegal downloading and bootlegging is more prevalent.
    The countries where movie piracy is occurring most prominently are China, Russia, UK, France, Spain, Brazil, Italy, Poland and Mexico.

    The average film copyright thief is male, between the ages of 16-24 and lives in an urban area. College students in the US, Korea and Hungary contribute the most to each country’s individual loss. The 16-24 age range represents a disproportionately high percentage of pirates, especially downloaders, across the 22 directly researched countries. It is even higher in the US, where the same age range represents 71 per cent of downloaders.

    “The findings in this study reinforce the need for a multi-pronged approach to fighting piracy,” said said MPAA Chairman and CEO Dan Glickman. “As an industry, we have to continue to
    educate people about copyright laws and the consequences of breaking those laws. At the same time, we have to provide legitimate, hassle-free ways for consumers to obtain movies at a reasonable cost. In the meantime we will continue to work with governments and law enforcement around the world to ensure copyright law is prevalent and enforced.”

    The MPAA recently provided international data from the study to the Office of the US Trade Representative for use in preparing its annual report on worldwide intellectual property rights.

    MPAA had commissioned LEK Consulting LLC two years ago for this study. The study was conducted over a period of 18 months across 28 countries to estimate how much piracy is costing them.

    Unlike its previous studies, this study takes in consumer research by telephone, Internet surveys, focus groups, more consistent surveying methods and even Internet downloading to obtain more accurate estimates.

    The report states that previously the MPAA used figures based on a series of random calculations that estimated how much was lost in each country. This drastic increase is more likely the result of better measuring this time, since the piracy level for some countries was often based on random calculations in previous studies. The US currently leads with about $1.311 billion lost to piracy.

    Of the $1.311 billion in US piracy, this figure breaks down to $447 million due to illegal downloading of movies, $335 million as a result of professional bootleggers and $529 million from home piracy where consumers make copies of legitimate DVD and VHS media they purchased. This survey specifically asked consumers how many of their pirated movies they would have purchased in stores or seen in theaters if they didn’t have an unauthorized copy, giving studios a different picture of their true losses.

    The new approach reduces the estimated losses in some of the world’s most notorious pirate markets, even as it adds Internet-related losses for the first time. Despite all the hype about piracy in China, Russia and several other of the world’s most notorious pirate markets, Mexico actually turns out the 2nd worst with $483 million lost to piracy; over a 3-fold increase of $140 million in its 2004 study, which used old methods of surveying.

    China’s losses slipped to an estimated $244 million in 2005, from $280 million in 2004 under the old counting technique. Russia’s estimate declined by about $10 million.

    The study also shows that home video, not theatrical distribution, is the market that piracy hits hardest, accounting for two-thirds of the studio’s lost revenue. That is a big blow to the studios, which had been counting on the lucrative DVD market to increase their bottom lines, but in recent months have found DVD sales are slowing considerably.

    Piracy is not all a kids’ activity though. In Japan, one of Hollywood’s biggest foreign markets, 50 per cent of the overall industry’s losses are the result of piracy by people ages 25 to 39. While piracy has not affected the stock prices of the big conglomerates that own studios, that could change if investors feared DVDs would no longer generate sales at the pace they expected.
    While new data are potentially helpful in negotiating with foreign governments because they also estimate losses to local film industries, the information is also bad news for the MPAA’s antipiracy efforts. Those have ranged from public-awareness campaigns to beefing up laws to raids of illegal DVD plants.

  • Spielberg, Burnett, Fox team for film themed reality show

    Spielberg, Burnett, Fox team for film themed reality show

    MUMBAI: Aspiring directors/filmmakers from across the US will get the opportunity of a lifetime.

    Reality TV guru Mark Burnett, director Steven Spielberg Munich, DreamWorks Television and Fox will join forces on a new reality show On The Lot.

    The competition will air over two nights weekly, with an hour Film Premiere episode, followed the next night by a half-hour Box Office results show. Ultimately, one filmmaker will rise above the rest and will be rewarded with a studio development deal. The show will kick off on Fox later this year.

    Burnett says, “For me, like any person who wants to be a filmmaker, the opportunity to work hand in hand with Steven Spielberg is a dream come true. With the help of our partners at Fox, Peter Liguori and reality maestro Mike Darnell, we are going to make an incredible show about looking for the next great filmmaker by mining the growing segment of the public making their own content, and giving them the chance of a lifetime.”

    Spielberg says, “All through my career I’ve done what I can to discover new talent and give them a start. This opportunity with Mark Burnett, DreamWorks and Fox allows all of us to reach out directly to open a much wider door.”
    Fox Entertainment president Peter Liguori says, “When you have the opportunity to work with people like Mark Burnett and Steven Spielberg, artists who have redefined this business, you jump at the chance. In this age of digital cameras, cell phones with cameras and the Internet – with hundreds of thousands of people creating their own movies at home every day – the concept of this series is completely relevant, tapping into a cultural phenomenon as it happens.”

    Fox executive VP alternative programming Mike Darnell says, “Movie-making is completely relatable to the American public. Everyone enjoys going to the movies, reading about the movies and learning about the movies. Most Americans consider themselves amateur film critics and this will give viewers the opportunity to create the next big filmmaker.”

    After a search, applicants will be winnowed to a group of 16 undiscovered talents. The finalists will be brought to Hollywood, where they will be divided into several teams and will begin the hopeful journey toward their ‘big break’. As the competition begins, each team will produce a short film from that week’s genre, running the gamut from comedies to thrillers, personal dramas to romance, sci-fi to horror. With one member selected as the team’s director and other members helping produce, they’ll have access to the best resources the industry has to offer.

    A pool of professional writers, cast and crew will be made available, and if the contestants are resourceful enough, they may even be able to land Hollywood celebrities to star in their films. With the clock ticking, however, and other teams working with the same genre, premise or unique challenge, they’ll all need to match their vision with decisiveness, execution and flexibility.

    Each week, after the teams have battled time frames, budgets and all the usual chaos that goes along with filmmaking, their films will be shown and critiqued in front of a live audience during the “Film Premiere” episode. Judges will include a high-ranking motion picture executive, a prominent film critic and a succession of well-respected guest judges, such as directors who are experts in the week’s featured genre. But they’ll also be subjected to perhaps the harshest judge of all … the public.

    It will be Fox viewers whose votes ultimately determine which film should be left on the cutting-room floor. But, just as in Hollywood, where the director’s work and vision have an enormous impact on the success or failure of a film, not all team members will pay the price. On the next night’s Box Office results show, only the director of the losing feature will be sent home, leaving that team with fewer contestants to help produce the next week’s film.

    As the competition continues and directors are eliminated, eventually the remaining filmmakers will have to work individually, creating a new short film every week until only the most talented individual is anointed the winner, whisked away to the DreamWorks studio, met by Steven Spielberg and shown a new office … On The Lot.

  • E-City Films to release Hollywood film ‘The New World’ in India

    E-City Films to release Hollywood film ‘The New World’ in India

    MUMBAI: E-City Films will release this year’s Oscar nominated Hollywood Blockbuster The New World in India on 7 April. Directed by Terence Malick and inspired by the legend of John Smith and Pocahontas, the movie explores the story of love, loss and discovery, both a celebration and an elegy of the America that was and the America that was yet to come.
    The film was nominated for this year’s Oscar Awards for Best Achievement in Cinematography (Emmanuel Lubezki).

    Speaking on the release of the film, E-City Films chief executive officer Atul Goel said, ” The Multiplex revolution has paved way for the English movie market in India, which can be pegged at Rs.1 billion approx. We are looking at a 30 per cent growth in this business. It is an excellent business arena to broach upon.”

    E-City Films (I) Pvt. Ltd has so far distributed Alexander (December 2004), One Dollar Curry (February 2005), Million Dollar Baby (March 2005) and Sahara (July 2005), Truth about Love, Elvis has left the Building, Five Children and It, Cellular and many such hits in the Indian sub-continent viz. Pakistan, Nepal, Bhutan and Bangladesh. It has also taken the Indian lifestyle shows to the Russian television audience, informs an official release.

  • Hollywood’s perception of Bollywood: Ashok Amritraj

    Hollywood’s perception of Bollywood: Ashok Amritraj

    MUMBAI: More than just a Q& A session, it turned out to be a live session of Koffee with Karan at the Ficci Frames. Except that, this time around there were no Bollywood stars on the show. Karan Johar, one of the most successful Bollywood Producers had his frothy Koffee with Ashok Amritraj, the most successful Indian producer to have made a mark in Hollywood.

    To begin with Johar got Amritraj talking about his initial struggle days in Hollywood. Taking the audience through his early days, this tennis star and now a Hollywood tycoon said, “In the early 1980s, I had gone to the U.S., to play tennis but I had always wanted to make movies. I soon realized that it was a very white world out there, and it wasn’t really multicultural as it is today.”

    And, with time Amritraj managed to break into the Hollywood circuit and has produced more than 80 films in the past 20 years. Currently, he is the chairman and CEO of Hyde Park entertainment and some of his best known films are Bandits, Bringing down the House and Raising Helen.

    Talking of how Hollywood perceives Bollwood, the film tycoon said, “There is a lot of hype being generated in the US about India as the country is slowly being recognized as a global economy. Also, there is a lot of curiosity about our culture and tradition, but, somehow that does not mean that Indian films are getting more eyeballs in America.”

    The discussion got more interesting as Johar queried Amritraj on how Indian film makers can penetrate the global markets and on the making of crossover films. “I think the European market is now more receptive to Indian movies, especially countries like Germany and France, but films like Parineeta , Kuch Kuch Hota could have been distributed better globally.” said Amritraj. “But, somehow for Hollywood, Bollywood films still don’t really exist. Americans are still not able to understand the ethos, emotions and drama which is the core of our movies.”

    On whether filmmakers need to make different kind of films for the international audience, Amritraj said, “”There is always a risk of losing out on the audiences back home. So, it is a clear choice which filmmakers have to make. One of solutions was maybe Indian producers need to have co-production treaties with the international studios for better distribution of Indian films globally.”

    The discussion turned to be not just informative, but, also brought home lessons for Indian filmmakers wanting to carve a niche in the international market.

  • ‘I never lose sight of topline, bottomline growth’ : Subhash Chandra – Zee Telefilms Chairman ( Gave the interview to Awaaz )

    ‘I never lose sight of topline, bottomline growth’ : Subhash Chandra – Zee Telefilms Chairman ( Gave the interview to Awaaz )

    It’s been a long haul back on the upward curve for Subhash Chandra’s Zee Telefilms but things are certainly moving north for his network (including the Zee scrip which is currently quoting at Rs 250). With flagship channel Zee TV firmly ensconced in the number two slot in the Hindi entertainment stakes, Chandra’s has a lot to say on the heightened action in the media and entertainment.

    Given below is an interview the media baron gave to Sanjay Pugalia, editor of CNBC TV 18’s Hindi news channel sibling Awaaz, which aired on 17 March. Indiantelevision.com has excerpted it with due permission:

    There is a perception about you that you start something and then forget about it. You move on and start a new project. Whatever you do is known for its novelty. There are reports that you are planning a mega entertainment city. We want to know more about that.
    Our newspaper friends broke the news before time. Still I will say that we are planning an entertainment, health and sports SEZ. Several SEZs have been planned in the country but none in the field of entertainment, health and sports. I clearly see an opportunity in these areas. As you know getting treatment is very costly abroad. Several insurance companies are thriving on this. I have heard insurance companies abroad asking its customers to go to India and get themselves treated. They are even willing pay for airline ticket. Such is the cost advantage in India.
    Similarly, so many people in Hollywood are interested in shooting their films in India. But the process is so complicated. They need 70-80 clearances to shoot their films here. With such SEZ in place, they can come and shoot their films without any hassle.

    How hopeful are you of getting clearance and tax concessions for such SEZ?
    We had applied for it when the SEZ policy was being formulated. We have been planning such a venture for almost five years now. This is not an overnight affair. I am not asking for any extra favour. We are hopeful of getting what is due.

    What is the kind of investment do you see and when do you expect to complete the project?
    What we will do is to build the infrastructure so that others can come and make use of that. We have some land and have asked for some more from the Maharashtra government.
    After such hard work, Zee Telefilms has finally become number number two. When you look back what do you think went wrong?
    Let me correct you. Zee Telefilms has always been number one. It is Zee TV that had slipped. Now Zee TV has reached number two position. However, with the kind of effort that has been put in now I am confident that it will soon regain number one position.

    Suddenly we see Zee stepping up its expenditure on marketing, new shows and new channels. What will be its impact on the revenue side of the company?
    Once you slip you need to put that extra bit to regain the top slot. We are doing exactly that. But this is an investment which will pay rich dividends. As far as new channels are concerned, I am of the opinion that entertainment space is going to expand further and you need to be present in all the segments. While existing players can afford that, it is going to be pretty tough for the new players.

    One of the criticisms against you has been that you spread yourself too thin. That you lose focus. That you are present everywhere even if that means some compromise on quality. Can you recall how many channels the group has at the moment?
    Yes I can. There are nearly 25 channels. I don’t need to personally focus on all the channels. There are good people in our group. Four of my brothers and five people from the next generation are involved with various projects. Then there are capable people who are almost like my family. They are capable enough to handle things on their own. At the level of perception, though, we are seen to be compromising with quality. But that is only at the level of perception. I am confident that this will also change soon.

    What are you focusing on currently? There’s the sports channel about which there is a view that it will take some time before making its presence felt as it didn’t get cricket telecast rights?
    Those who follow the beaten track think that sports channel cannot survive without cricket. I am not one of those. It is a different matter that we could have got a head start if we had cricket. But there are other areas to be explored. India is a cricketing nation. I want it to be a sporting nation. We have got telecast rights for football for ten years. In association with the Indian Football Federation we want to establish many football clubs across the country. I believe that in the next five years, football will be bigger than cricket in the country. As per my own focus, I look after the sports channel and with my colleagues I look after the launch of new channels in South India.

    As you said you are focusing on sports and regional channels. What are the other new initiatives?
    We are doing so many things in the existing ventures. As per new initiatives, we have just launched channels in Indonesia and Malaysia. What we are doing is dubbing Indian content in their local languages. Soon we are going to launch a similar channel in Afghanistan. Efforts are on to dub Indian content in four foreign languages. This will be over and above what we have been doing so far. Zee network is already present in 120-125 countries.

    There are reports that you are planning a channel with international content. Maybe a news channel?
    Now you are forcing me to say things. It is true that we are planning a channel for more than two years. The work on content has already begun and I can assure you that it will be quite unique. Now I will tell you why we slipped. As long as we tried out new and innovative ideas we had no competitor. We launched a show on extra-marital affair theme way back in 1994-95. The launch of Sa Ra Ga Ma was equally unique. We slipped because we started imitating others. Now this is going to change. We have started doing new things. We have realized that the spirit of entrepreneurship is quite strong among Indians. So many people want to do things on their own. To catch that spirit we have planned a new show called Business Bazigar. The contest is open to all. We invite ideas, scrutinize them and if they are worthwhile, arrange for funding.
    Maybe this programme is a reflection of your business journey. Will you please elaborate on this? How will it help people with ideas?
    We invite entries. So far we have received 1.2 lakh (120,000) entries. Our experts scrutinize those ideas. If they feel that ideas are good we invite people to explain their plan. When we realize that they have a sound plan to execute their ideas we make them go through difficult tasks like setting up office in four hours, surviving in Mumbai on a rupee and a glass of bottle for 24 hours. Once through this also, we arrange for funding those projects. It could be five lakhs or ten crore rupees (Rs 100 million). We arrange funds.
    From a shareholders’ perspective, when they see you going for so much investment they often wonder what will be the value of their investment?
    I never lose sight of topline, bottomline growth. As long as topline is growing bottomline will keep growing. So more investment means more topline growth.
    So many people would have asked you this question before. Do you think Indian television space is crowded? Will so many players survive? Is consolidation bound to happen?
    Consolidation has already begun. Your group has bought over Channel 7. Some more things are happening behind the scenes. So consolidation is bound to happen and it has already started. I believe that it will be tough for independent channels to survive.

    So you mean to say that groups with one, two or three channels will find it tough to survive?
    It will be difficult. But you never know. The country never fails to surprise us. I see so many newspapers coming out from so many towns and cities. I cannot figure out what is their source of revenue. But they are there. Maybe they have some other income.

     

    ‘I keep telling Mr Murdoch that India is not a soft state. It has certain laws which need to be followed‘

     

    Quite a strong view on other income of newspapers. What is your assessment of the journey of DNA so far?
    It started off with two lakh copies and the figure is growing everyday. The circulation has reached 2.3 lakhs. We expect that in the next 12 to 18 months it will be close to The Times of India.
    Planning new editions of DNA?
    Yes.
    I believe the next edition will be from Delhi.
    Not necessarily.
    Your group has presence in whole host of businesses.Will you please list out your businesses- from real estate to wireless radio- for people who are not so familiar with those aspects of your group?
    In real estate we are developing properties in Delhi and other cities in North India under the brand name Sun City. We have a partner in this venture. And our joint venture is doing quite well. In the business of wireless radio, we have 18 operating licenses and 80-85 per cent market share. We are thinking of expanding this business.
    In percentage terms what is the contribution of your different businesses to the entire group?
    In percentage terms, media and entertainment business contributes 20 per cent to the group’s revenue, rest 80 per cent comes from elsewhere. There is a group company called Essel Propack. It has 19 plants in 12 countries. It is truly a multinational company and number one in the world in its area of operation. It manufactures tubes for toothpaste and cosmetic items. It has 40 per cent market share in the world.

    Following the High Court order where do you see the implementation of CAS headed now and how will CAS and DTH impact each other?
    I don’t think CAS is an appropriate name. The name sounds a bit negative. CAS is bound to happen. The toss up is between analog and digital signal and I think it is in viewers’ interests to have digital signal. In this respect CAS is bound to happen. One broadcaster is opposing the implementation of CAS because it wants to roll out its DTH business. But I don’t think that is fair.
    How is your DTH business doing?
    We have got one million subscribers so far.

    DD has more?
    Yes, DD has more. It caters to a different segment. It doesn’t charge anything whereas our subscribers have to pay some amount every month.

    This has happened without Sony or Star?
    Yes. Now Sony, Discovery and some other channels are joining our platform. However, we have proved that one million customers can live without Saas Bahu.

    Now that Star too is gearing up to launch its DTH business what will be its impact on the DTH business? What about must carry clause?
    Must carry clause came into force in December 2004. However, Star group never bothered to comply with the clause. Star Group doesn’t seem to have any respect for the law of the land.

    With recent reorganization and all where do you see Star Group headed now?
    My best wishes for Mr Rupert Murdock. We do talk to each other sometimes. He was my partner earlier. I keep telling him that India is not a soft state. It has certain laws which need to be followed. You cannot keep flouting rules and regulations every now and then. Law of land will catch you in due course. But when you are successful you don’t listen to even sane voices.

    Do you think broadcasting sector should have a separate regulator?
    Definitely. Indian media houses representing print, radio and television businesses came together to form Indian Media Group. We have demanded that broadcasting sector should have an independent regulator.

    Given the favourable response of the present government towards globalisation do you see other media giants freely accessing Indian market, something you may not like?
    India already is the most open country in this respect. Each and every country worth its salt has some restriction in this sector. Almost everywhere preferential treatment is being given to local players. We don’t want preferential treatment. We want level playing field. All businesses that operate in this country have to pay taxes.

    One final question. Are you satisfied with the
    present rating system? Do you think it is authentic?
    Like all areas, competition should be there in the
    rating business also. It is not fair to judge people’s mood on the basis of 4 to 5 thousand meters. I think given India’s size, there should be at least 20,000 meters to gauge people’s perception.
  • Family movies, blockbusters rule in a slightly disappointing year for Hollywood

    Family movies, blockbusters rule in a slightly disappointing year for Hollywood

    MUMBAI: The revenues that Hollywood films made last year fell by six per cent in 2005 but remained healthy, reporting nearly $9 billion in revenue.

    Last year, 1.4 billion theater tickets were sold in the U.S. and the worldwide box office recorded intake of $23 billion, which was a 7.9 per cent decline over the previous year. At the
    same time, consumer information from the Nielsen analysis revealed that a majority of moviegoers were satisfied with their recent experiences at the movies and felt the movies were a good investment of their time and money.

    The Motion Picture Association of America (MPAA) data showed that blockbuster films had a banner year. Eight films including Harry Potter and The Goblet Of Fire made over $200 million compared to just five in 2004. The total number of films released in the US increased by 5.6 per cent from 2004. New releases by the major motion picture studios grossed an average of $37 million in 2005, an increase of seven per cent over the past five years.

    Consistent with past years, family movies dominated the box office. PG-13 films comprised the majority of top grossers for the industry, with PG and PG-13 films accounting for 85 per cent of last years top films. The average cost to make and market a film in 2005 remained under $100 million and dipped slightly to $96.2 million. Marketing costs were up by 5.2 per cent and production costs went down four per cent from the previous year. MPAA member companies spent more on network television and Internet advertising and less on newspapers and local television.

    A survey in the US which was conducted by Nielsen Entertainment/NRG in August of 2005 indicated that 81 per cent of moviegoers who saw at least one movie in 2005 believed that the experience was a good investment of their time and money, versus 15 per cent who preferred to watch the movie on DVD and four per cent who said they should have not seen the movie at all.

    When it came to technology, those moviegoers who owned or subscribed to four or more home technologies (e.g. DVR service, large television, DVD player, VOD) were actually more avid moviegoers, seeing an average of two more movies per year than the moviegoer who owned or subscribed to fewer than four.

    Four in ten of these moviegoers plan to buy the last movie they saw on DVD, with more than half of them making this decision immediately after seeing the movie in a theater. 65 per cent of people surveyed say they prefer theaters as the ultimate movie watching experience. In
    addition, movies continue to be the most common form of paid entertainment options outside the the home, such as sports and theme parks, based on available attendance data.