ITV

Tag: Michael Grindon

  • Superna Kalle made SPTI international networks V-P

    Superna Kalle made SPTI international networks V-P

    MUMBAI: Martha Eberts, Sony Pictures Television International (SPTI) president Michael Grindon’s point person overseeing operations in Asia (India included), now has a senior executive working alongside her in this function.

    Providing critical leadership support to Eberts (SPTI senior V-P international networks and development) is Superna Kalle, who has just been made vice-president of international networks.

    Together with Eberts, Kalle will establish business priorities for SET and MAX in India, AXN Asia and Animax Asia, and AXN Japan and Animax Japan, and will work on developing new distribution opportunities in the United States, worldscreen.com has reported.

    Though indiantelevision.com was unable to get any official clarification from SET India in this regard, Kalle’s appointment appears to have been necessitated by the departure of Michael March, who was based out of Hong Kong.

    Both Eberts and March served as SPTI representatives in SET Discovery Pvt Ltd, the distribution joint venture SET India and Discovery Communications India (DCI) formed in mid-2000.

    Eberts, along with Grindon and senior executive V-P international networks Andy Kaplan, are the three directors from SPTI on the board of SET India.

    Kalle and Eberts will continue to be based out of the Sony Pictures headquarters in Culver City, California.

    Kalle joined Sony Pictures Entertainment as manager of corporate development in 1999 and served in different functions. Her last posting was V-P corporate development.

  • Sony forms TV production JV in China

    Sony forms TV production JV in China

    MUMBAI: Moving quickly to take advantage of a new Chinese law that allows such co-ventures, Sony Corp’s television unit announced today it has set up a joint venture with a division of China Film Group (CFG) to make Chinese language TV shows.

    Sony Pictures Television International (SPTI) and CFG’s Hua Long Film Digital Production Co, have formed the first US-Sino television and film co-production joint venture approved by the People’s Republic of China’s (PRC’s) national government, including regulatory bodies the State Administration of Radio, Film & Television (SARFT) and the Ministry of Commerce (MOFCOM), a statement issued today by SPTI says. The JV, Huaso Film/Television Digital Production Company Limited, will be known as “Huaso,” an acronym combining “Hua Long” with “Sony.” CFG holds majority stake in the JV.

    The announcement was jointly made by Michael Grindon, president, SPTI, and Yang Buting, chairman, CFG.

    Huaso has opened offices in Beijing and will be run by a board of directors, with Dandan Zhang recently appointed as general manager to oversee day-to-day operations. Huaso currently has a number of Chinese-language projects in development, including light entertainment and sitcom properties, drama series and TV movies, for distribution within and outside the PRC.

    The JV is part of SPTI’s larger commitment to increase production capabilities in Asia and adds to that already existing in India, Japan, Indonesia, Thailand and Taiwan.

  • CASBAA convention to address television industry issues

    CASBAA convention to address television industry issues

    MUMBAI: Asian pay TV growth, video piracy, opportunities from China and the roll-out of 3G services will top the agenda when the regions leading broadcasters and satellite and cable operators meet this year at the annual Cable and Satellite Broadcasting Association of Asia (CASBAA) Convention in Hong Kong from 27-29 October.
     
     
    “This is a great time for the regions cable and satellite broadcasters to come together, with massive opportunities opening up in China and from the genuine convergence of broadband and wireless technologies,” said CASBAA chairman Marcel Fenez.
     
     
    “The China wireless market alone, with more than 300 million subscribers and a fast-growing mobile data segment, is one of the worlds great media and entertainment prospects. The CASBAA event is where the industry meets to understand the market dynamics and meet the decision-makers.”

    The CASBAA Convention 2004 will hear from senior broadcast and studio executives, specialists on technology, and regulation and industry leaders from growing markets such as China, Korea and India.

    Among the keynote addresses, Sony Pictures Television International president Michael Grindon and Star Group CEO Michelle Guthrie will speak on corporate strategies in the current industry environment, GE chief marketing officer Beth Comstock will give the global view on Asian advertising, and Harmonic Convergent Systems president Yaron Simler will examine the impact of digital video.

    One panel session will reveal new estimates on the impact of pay-TV piracy in the region and the latest strategies in tackling theft of content, and another will be devoted to advertising and advertising agencies.

    On Day two, the technology spotlight will be on wireless content and MMORPGs  Massively Multi-player Online Role-Playing Games.

    The Day three fora will be devoted wholly to the China market, with sessions on wireless entertainment and business models for digital content. China International TV Corp president Li Jian will speak on the Chinese media groups global ambitions.

    CASBAA CEO Simon Twiston Davies said this years line-up of speakers and topics goes well beyond the pay TVs industry traditional boundaries.

    “With the focus on the key areas of advertising, technology and the China market, we examine some of the central issues of the day,” Twiston Davies said. “The conference is all about approaching the new convergence technologies as platforms for delivery of multi-channel content.”

    He said the event has also extended into vertical markets such as wireless and multimedia content which are becoming increasingly important to Asian pay TV operators and content owners.

    The CASBAA Convention 2004 will be held at the Hong Kong Academy for Performing Arts from 27-29 October, presented by InvestHK and with CableTV and StarTV as official partners.

  • AXN Asia chief Todd Miller promoted

    AXN Asia chief Todd Miller promoted

    MUMBAI: AXN Asia managing director Todd Miller has been promoted.Miller, whose designation within AXN parent Sony Pictures Television International (SPTI) was senior V-P, international networks, Asia, has now been promoted to SPTI senior V-P and MD, international networks, Asia.

    The announcement was made by SPTI president Michael Grindon, to whom Miller reports.

    It was as recently as August 2003 that SPTI rewarded Miller’s accomplishments since assuming the leadership role at AXN Asia and promoted him to senior V-P, international networks, Asia.

    Relocating to SPTI’s Asia headquarters in Hong Kong, Miller is now responsible for managing and coordinating licensing, network operations and local-language productions for the region.

    “Todd has done exceptional work for SPTI’s International Networks group, managing AXN Asia and successfully launching Animax Asia,” Grindon was quoted as saying in a company release.

    “Todd previously oversaw all of SPTI’s licensing operations for Asia growing our business throughout the region. Todd’s experience, proven track record of success, and solid managerial skills make him an ideal candidate for the managing director position,” Grindon said.

  • Xerox India’s Rohit Gupta appointed sales head at Sony Entertainment

    Xerox India’s Rohit Gupta appointed sales head at Sony Entertainment

    Six months after former Sony Entertainment International president Michael Grindon initiated a “rightsizing exercise” in Sony Entertainment Television that swept away a number of high profile executives, the first replacement appointment has been made.

    Coming in place of marketing and sales head Kacon Sethi (she was managing director of sister channel SET MAX as well at the time) is Rohit Gupta – previously executive director, industry solutions operations, Xerox Modicorp.

    Gupta’s brief, outside of pushing ad sales for SET, will be to get the most out of the ICC cricket rights that Sony has acquired.

     

    Gupta, who has been appointed executive vice-president – sales & revenue management, has been with Xerox for 18 years, right from its inception in India. Gupta comes into SET with no prior media exposure but that, according to SET CEO Kunal Dasgupta, can actually work as an advantage as he can provide a fresh perspective.

     

    Gupta’s marks the first appointment from outside to replace any of the high-profile departures like former COO Rajesh Pant, programming head Rekha Nigam, senior V-P corporate development Anand Desai and V-P – MAX, Prashant Sanwal.