Tag: MediaCorp

  • World Poker Tour to introduce progressive platforms, content at Mipcom

    World Poker Tour to introduce progressive platforms, content at Mipcom

    MUMBAI: World Poker Tour Enterprises (WPTE) will attend the global television trade event Mipcom in Cannes, France, from 9 – 13 October 2006.

    The firm works in the area of poker entertainment. It also claims to be behind the worldwide poker television boom. WPTE will offer new sponsorship, licensing and programming opportunities for 2007.

    To foster increasing worldwide penetration, the WPTE aims to build its international partnerships via joint-ventures, local programming, merchandising, and other strategic alliances. WPTE will showcase the World Poker Tour Season IV, the flagship show in poker television at Mipcom.

    Executives will also present the premiere season of the Professional Poker Tour (PPT), which is currently airing on the Travel Channel in the US.

    WPTE executive director of international distribution Gary MacKinney says, “We look forward to leveraging a premiere tradeshow like Mipcom to strengthen relationships and create opportunities to further expand poker throughout the globe. The World Poker Tour will continue to add international stops while exploring locally-produced televised tournaments in key markets.”
    WPT programming currently airs in 154 countries, including Spain, Canada and Philippines. It recently inked pacts with Kanal 5 in Sweden, Macau Cable in Macau and MediaCorp in Singapore.

    WPTE executive VP Robyn Moder says, “When the WPT made its television debut five years ago, it incited a national poker phenomenon that continues to escalate.

    “As the WPTE begins to roll-out its international formats, we hope to use our excellent and well-seasoned production experience to help our international partners create for their audiences compelling poker programming of the same magnitude.”

  • Channel NewsAsia announces new weekend shows

    Channel NewsAsia announces new weekend shows

    MUMBAI: Asian news channel Channel NewsAsia has announced new shows for the weekend. A persentation was made a few days ago for advertisers and sponsors. Over 300 people from the advertising industry and business community attended the event.

    The channel says that the attendees included the network’s key customers who were treated to a grand opening performance of drums and dance featuring a combination of instruments from the East and West.

    Add to that, there were trailers of things to come at the channel in the months ahead. All these were to complement the theme of the event “Influencing the Influential”.

    MediaCorp News MD Woon Tai Ho said, “We have aggressive plans to pursue the potentially immense market in India and China. As we ride the waves, we hope you will come onboard to see how we can add value to your products with a regional reach.”

    Among the new items will be a special coverage of the IMF-World Bank Meetings in Singapore in September and a programme for Internet bloggers to air their views.

    MediaCorp News’ programming managerHaryaty Abdul Rahman said, “The weekend line-up is going to be revamped soon and what viewers will get to see is fresh lifestyle programming and specifically targeted at the PMEBs. We’ll have lots of new genres such as travel, fashion and design and even talk shows for the weekend.”

  • Channel NewsAsia goes in for new look

    Channel NewsAsia goes in for new look

    MUMBAI: News broadcaster Channel NewsAsia dons a new look from today 17 July. The channel says that the transformation is a celebration of its evolution and achievement over the past seven years.

    In undergoing the transformation, the channel aimed to give a dynamic, smart and contemporary feel. The on-air look, in-house trailers and colour scheme have been changed.

    Apart from the staple top-of-the-hour news bulletins, there are also new weekend programmes.

    MediaCorp News, MD Woon Tai Ho says, “We have come out with a concept called platinum lifestyle; it’s really high-end leisure, high-end travel, high-end dining and high-end spending, so we could have programmes from watches to cars, hunting for wine to hunting for property. But eventually, the real challenge really would be technologically-driven programmes, that’s high-definition documentaries, and how we tap into the whole cyberworld.”

    The London-based broadcast design company, English & Pockett, was hired to revamp the channel’s studio, converting it from a virtual set to a new “hard set” where the news anchors will present news right from the busy newsroom.

    The channel will also move to a new digital newsroom environment by the end of the year when all the news gathering will be done on-line. The channel’s website, channelnewsasia.com has also been given a makeover.

    It has a new layout and clearer navigation. It now offers more entertainment content like movie reviews and trailers as well as special features and product reviews. There are also added features like photo galleries for selected news stories and streaming of video clips.

  • Accenture, Avanade and Microsoft to build integrated broadcast system for MediaCorp

    Accenture, Avanade and Microsoft to build integrated broadcast system for MediaCorp

    MUMBAI: Accenture, Avanade and Microsoft Corp. have been selected to design and build an integrated broadcast system to support MediaCorp Pte Ltd., Singapore’s largest broadcaster and a leading media company in Asia.

    Accenture, which is leading the project, is teaming up with Avanade to design and deploy a scalable and open-standard-based solution featuring the Microsoft Connected Services Framework, a software solution that enables broadcast companies and film studios to create, deploy, integrate and manage services.

    The work at MediaCorp will streamline many of the company’s core business processes, including program planning, scheduling, airtime sales and finance processes, into one integrated system, which will support all of MediaCorp’s television businesses. The system will support nine channels and be used by more than 1,200 employees.

    The new system will include a unified grid for programs, ads and automated workflow. Once the system is in place, MediaCorp users within different groups and departments will be able to share information, work together more effectively and react more quickly to the changing needs of the business, giving the company a competitive advantage in how it does business.

    “As one of the region’s most established broadcasters, we need to be prepared to take advantage of new opportunities. By working with Accenture, Avanade and Microsoft and our internal IT teams, we are building a solution that will leverage our capabilities to support the current and future needs of our television businesses,” said MediaCorp deputy group CEO Group Services Henry Lim.;

    “We have been working with MediaCorp to develop a solution that effectively migrates its core business processes onto one unified platform. We evaluated multiple options to implement the system and development platforms. Based on that assessment we designed an application blueprint founded on Microsoft .NET. The platform will be highly scalable, giving MediaCorp the flexibility and control to integrate other, future processes such as digital asset management, editing services and new content delivery channels,” said Accenture partner in the media and entertainment practice Robert Chew.

    “We chose a service-oriented architecture to manage MediaCorp’s investment in technology. The media industry is transforming. Digitization is rapidly changing the business dynamics of yesterday’s television. A strong and scalable information system becomes a requirement for MediaCorp to embrace digital media and benefit from its growth in the future,” said MediaCorp chief information officer Jack Chiam.

    To deliver the integrated broadcast system, Accenture will team up with Avanade, combining its business and industry acumen with Avanade’s technical expertise in Microsoft technologies. Accenture and Avanade will build the system using Microsoft .NET and the Microsoft Connected Services Framework.

    “MediaCorp’s business lies in the successful management, distribution and consumption of content. As the world’s first terrestrial broadcaster to adopt the Connected Services Framework, MediaCorp is helping to demonstrate Microsoft’s knowledge of the key business drivers in the broadcast industry and, more important, how to translate that knowledge into solutions that enable broadcasters to work efficiently, increase revenues, and expand and retain audiences,” said Microsoft corporate vice president communications sector Maria Martinez.

  • Singapore’s MediaCorp & M1 set to launch mobile TV

    Singapore’s MediaCorp & M1 set to launch mobile TV

    MUMBAI: Singapore’s MediaCorp is working with telecommunications provider MobileOne (M1) to launch a mobile channel featuring English and Mandarin language content from MediaCorp Studios.

    The channel, available on M1’s mobile portal – MiWorld Mobile – will feature programmes that range from drama serials to infotainment shows.

    A media report quoted MediaCorp Studios senior controller Doreen Neo as saying: “This is a wonderful opportunity for us to be able to bring to our viewers an additional platform. With this 3G collaboration, viewers can get to see our artistes on a different platform other than TV. It also provides additional exposure for our artistes.”

    M1 Consumer Marketing assistant general manager Joseph Loy said: “Over the last few months, we’ve been gearing for 3G. There are more content, more 3G phones in the market and more users as well.”

    Users can access the programmes through MiWorld Mobile on their 3G handsets and choose to pay through video-streaming charges or a monthly flat fee.

  • Discovery Networks acquires India rights to BBC Worldwide’s soccer show ‘More Than a Game’

    Discovery Networks acquires India rights to BBC Worldwide’s soccer show ‘More Than a Game’

    MUMBAI: BBC Worldwide has signed a number of deals with Asian networks to screen More Than a Game, the story of the emergence of each of the superpowers of world football.

    In India, the property has been snapped up by Discovery Networks.

    The program, already pre-sold to over 30 territories internationally, has also been licensed to Hong Kong Cable TV, MediaCorp in Singapore, SBS in South Korea and Channel 9 in Thailand. The deal was developed in association with FIFA.

    More Than a Game explores the 76 years of World Cup football and includes exclusive access to FIFA’s film archive and interviews with famous players.

    “More Than a Game showcases the greatest moments of the World Cup. We have found that it appeals to both football aficionados and the uninitiated,” says BBC Worldwide sport sales manager Richard Hornsby-Smith.