ITV

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  • Channel NewsAsia relaunches; adds Mumbai bureau

    Channel NewsAsia relaunches; adds Mumbai bureau

    MUMBAI: Asian news broadcaster Channel NewsAsia is ramping up investments and has set up new bureaus in Mumbai and across Asia as it expands its programming lineup.

     

    Channel NewsAsia has relaunched and moved from a live broadcast of 20 hours a day to a 24-hour cycle. The channel also has a new look and new programmes to help viewers better “Understand Asia”.

     

    The free-to-air channel already has a bureau in New Delhi. Going forward, it will add more bureaus. This will enable the channel to produce more original content and news stories for the additional hours of “live” broadcasting

     

    The channel is banking on digitisation that it hopes will reduce carriage fees paid to cable networks.

    The broadcaster has an on-going deal with news agency ANI in India. From India one will see more news on different topics like finance, business and entertainment.

     

    Channel NewsAsia MD Debra Soon said, “As the locus f the world economy shifts towards Asia, we believe we are well-positioned to deliver what we’ve been doing daily since 1999, and help audiences around the world better understand Asia. We have made substantial investments to provide more business content about Asia, from Asia. We intend to increase our lead in covering South East Asia better than other broadcasters operating here, and we will cover South Asia better. This is all part of the drive to deliver insightful documentaries and programmes for viewers, 24 hours a day, 365 days a year.”

     

    Channel NewsAsia’s re-launch was celebrated today with a Champagne Lunch with the channel’s partners and friends at its new Marina Bay Studio. Simultaneous parties were also held in Mumbai and Hong Kong to mark this milestone occasion.

     

    Increased news and business content and documentaries

     

    Business news at prime time is more than doubled. A new one-hour financial programme, ‘Business Central’, airs at 8 pm featuring key stories from the region’s financial hubs – Singapore, Mumbai, Hong Kong and Shanghai. The show will give viewers insights into daily developments in other key world financial centres from the bureaus in London and New York.

     

    Day-time market reports and key interviews will be conducted out of Channel NewsAsia’s latest facility in the Marina Bay Financial Centre, at the heart of Singapore’s new financial district.

     

    The Marina Bay Studio will be featured during a new one-hour lunchtime show, ‘Asia Connect’, which will bring together the market action from every trading day in Mumbai, Shanghai, Hong Kong and Singapore and keep viewers on the pulse of Asia. This studio is a result of the collaboration with DBS Bank.

     

    News content is increased by more than one-third. A daily additional newsbelt called ‘News Pulse’ from midnight to 6 am, tracks world developments overnight for Asia, with breaking news from the US and Europe. This will be followed by a new start to Asia’s day, with ‘First Look Asia’ from 6 am.
        

              
          

    With a line-up of new programmes interspersed throughout the channel, viewers are given an uninterrupted flow of news through the day:

     

    (1) First Look Asia

    (2) News Now
    (3) Asia Connect
    (4) Singapore Connect (Only on Channel NewsAsia, Singapore)
    (5) Business Central
    (6) Business Singapore
    (7) News Pulse

     

    Beyond the news, Channel NewsAsia is raising the depth of content about Asia with nearly 30 per cent more hours of current affairs programmes focused on the dynamism and progress of Asia. An example is ‘Power List Asia’, which looks at the core of Asian success stories through interviews with top CEOs and tycoons.

     

    ‘Extraordinary Asians’, meanwhile, profiles the exceptional Asians who inspire the community by contributing in extraordinary ways. ‘Boomtown Asia’ offers a preview of what Asian cities of the future might look like and what is being done now to help make existing cities sustainable, liveable and future-proof.

     

    New branding and on-air look: The launch is marked by the channel’s new branding and on-air look. “To be the Voice of Asian Progress” describes Channel NewsAsia’s unique positioning of capturing the exclusive stories unfolding in the region in all its diversity. The fresh graphics and colours reflect the channel’s celebration of the dynamism and energy in Asia, while the channel will stay true to its mission of helping viewers “Understand Asia”.

     

    All platforms: In such a dynamic environment, consumers would expect to have information whenever and wherever they are. Channel NewsAsia is already available via the iPhone, iPad and Android Apps. Its Android App will have enhanced features when relaunched later this year.

     

    The channel is also streamed “live” on both Channel NewsAsia (url: channelnewsasia.com ) and Livestation (url: livestation.com/en/cna_en) websites. It has entered into a strategic partnership with YouTube to provide even better quality services for viewers.

     

    Marketing initiatives: On the marketing front, Channel NewsAsia has launched a series of initiatives in the region, such as the partnership for the CEO World Forum held in Ho Chi Minh City on 11 January 2013.

     

    In March 2013, the channel is taking its discussion programme, ‘Perspectives’, on the road in Jakarta. To be recorded on location live, a panel has been invited to discuss the topic of Indonesia Rising. Speakers include Indonesia’s Investment Coordinating Board chairman Dr. M. Chatib Basri; Garuda Indonesia president, CEO Emirsyah Satar, the World Bank’s Country Director for Indonesia Stefan Koeberle and Indonesia’s Pertamina president, director and CEO Karen Agustiawan. The channel will launch more of such initiatives, like the Luminary Awards Forum in Singapore at the end of March.

  • Govt may mandate local sourcing of a percentage of STBs: I&B secretary

    Govt may mandate local sourcing of a percentage of STBs: I&B secretary

    NEW DELHI: The government could consider making it mandatory for procurement of certain percentage of locally-made set-top boxes (STBs) if domestic manufacturers priced them competitively.

    Information and Broadcasting (I&B) secretary Uday Kumar Varma said most of the STBs at present are being imported and the share of the domestic manufacturers is negligible, mainly on account of cost disadvantage.

    He said with the government embarking upon a massive drive to switch over to digital delivery of television channels to households, there is a huge demand for STBs.

    If domestic manufacturers are able to price their products competitively, I&B Ministry may even mandate a certain percentage of STBs to be procured domestically, he added.

    Varma also said the I&B Ministry has written to the finance ministry over the issue of locally manufactured STBs attracting higher rate of value-added tax (VAT), while imported STBs are subjected to a lower rate of service tax as it is considered a service offered by cable operators.

    The I&B Ministry has asked the finance ministry to remove the tax anomaly and create a level playing field for domestic STB manufacturers.

    He said the government is confident of meeting the 31 March deadline for digitisation in 38 cities (with one million plus population) across the country in the second phase of digitisation.

    Varma said, �It is estimated that 16 million STBs would be required to digitise the 38 cities, excluding the four metros. But a study conducted by the ministry has revealed that already six million TV sets in these cities are already digitised."

    Cities like Ludhiana and Amritsar are already 90 per cent digital, according to Varma. The level of digitisation is high even in Bangalore and Hyderabad.

    The four metros – Mumbai, Delhi, Kolkata and Chennai — were part of the first phase of digitisation effective 1 November.

    Varma expressed satisfaction over the implementation of the first phase of digitisation. He said the exercise was "more or less completely successful" in Mumbai and Delhi. He added that even Kolkata, which initially had reservations about digital conversion, has come on board with a conversion rate nearing 90 per cent.

    It is held up in Chennai because of a petition by cable operators in the Madras High Court challenging the digitisation notification itself.

    Varma said the I&B Ministry has been reviewing the progress on a continuous basis and nodal officers have been appointed in every state to oversee the conversion process.

    He said the first phase of digitisation was a learning and the government was working to refine the process in the second phase. The feedback from the newly-converted digital homes has been mostly favourable and added that the move is bringing in a more transparent cable TV regime in the country.

  • Riteish Deshmukh’s Balak Palak mesmerises audiences

    Riteish Deshmukh’s Balak Palak mesmerises audiences

    MUMBAI: India‘s first ever virtual premiere show of Riteish Deshmukh‘s Marathi film Balak Palak on 3 January seems to have mesmerised audiences in five UFO theatres across Mumbai, Pune, Latur, Thane and Nallasopara, thanks to the unique satellite technology.

     

    Observed Riteish, “I am very proud that my first production venture Marathi film ‘Balak Palak‘ has become the first in the world to create a world record in the 101st year of Indian cinema, I am also happy that UFO‘s unique satellite technology has helped me to connect with my fans, friends, relatives and well wishers in remote locations such as Latur and Pune along with Mumbai, Thane and Nallasopara. I‘m overwhelmed by the audiences‘ enthusiastic reactions and response and it was an emotional moment on the eve of my film release.”

     

    For the first time parents and children sitting in the UFO digital theatres were thrilled to ask questions to the cast and crew before the screening of the film. Ritesh‘s friends applauded his unique initiative and considered themselves lucky that they were actually present during this unique spectacles.

     

    In fact there was overwhelming demand for asking questions in spite of the jam packed schedule. In fact, Ritesh himself was thrilled by way the moviegoers were asking questions appreciating the gesture of live interactive talk.

     

    UFO and Valuable Edutainment‘s unique technology, successfully enabled audiences watching the preview show of the film at Sona Gold (Borivali East), Fun Fiesta (Nalasopara), Gold Digital (Thane West), Prabhat (Pune) and Big Rama Theatre (Latur), to get to interact with Ritesh on the big screen in front of them at the same time.

  • Dabangg 2 is opening attraction of Mukta Arts’ multiplex in Gulbarga

    Dabangg 2 is opening attraction of Mukta Arts’ multiplex in Gulbarga

    MUMBAI: After four screens in Vadodara and an equal number of screens in Ahmedabad, the third multiplex of Mukta Arts Limited successfully began its operations at Gulbarga under brand name Mukta A2 Cinemas with Dabangg-2, Sarocharu (Telugu) and Yaare Kugadali (Kannada) as its opening attractions.

    Located at the heart of the city, the three screens multiplex has 1252 seats and has a 2K Digital with 3D projection system which is first of its kind in Gulbarga. It also boasts of hi-tech Dolby Digital surround sound.

    Subhash Ghai said, "I am happy the way our company Mukta Arts is heading faster in exhibition Division too along with our production house this year and was more happy when my friend‘s Salman khan biggest blockbuster ‘DABBANGG 2‘ opened its release with our new multiplex at beautiful city like Gulbarga."

    After Gulbarga, Mukta Arts Limited is all set to launch multiplexes at Vishakhapatnam, Sangli, Raipur, Aurangabad and Bhopal shortly. Negotiations are also going on for locations such as Mumbai, Thane, Panvel, Gurgaon among others. This will add around 30 screens to the existing 15 screens.

    The above multiplexes are in addition to around 170 theatres (approx. 425 screens) across the country.

  • No relaxation on digitisation in Delhi, Mumbai & Kolkata

    No relaxation on digitisation in Delhi, Mumbai & Kolkata

    NEW DELHI: The Government has ruled out any possibility of allowing multi-system operators (MSOs) and local cable operators (LCOs) in Delhi, Mumbai and Kolkata more time to completely switch over to digital delivery of television channels, as has been offered in Chennai.

    During the hearing of a case in the Madras High Court, the ministry had said it was willing to extend the digitisation deadline to 31 December for Chennai if all the MSOs or LCOs signed affidavits assuring that they would go digital within the extended deadline.
    Information and Broadcasting (I&B) Ministry sources said the extension in deadline offered for Chennai was not applicable to Mumbai, Delhi or Kolkata since the situation in the southern metro was very different.

    The sources said while the ministry had signed agreements for digital addressable system with 11 MSOs in Chennai, the largest MSO – the state government-owned Arasu –had only analogue delivery system and needed more time to convert to DAS.

    The sources also said I&B Minister Manish Tewari had categorically ruled out any extension of the date in any of the phases, of which the first phase covering the four metros became effective on 1 November. The second phase of digitisation covering 38 cities takes effect on 31 March and all the cable TV delivery systems across the rest of the country are scheduled to go digital by December 2014.

    The ministry sources admitted that there would be some differences in the figures given by it on implementation of digitisation or installation of digital set top boxes (STBs) with the actual figures on the ground, but it does not pose any problem as the consumers of these four cities were keen to go digital.

  • Manoj Kumar inaugurates exhibition on Indian film centenary in Mumbai

    Manoj Kumar inaugurates exhibition on Indian film centenary in Mumbai

    MUMBAI: Veteran Bollywood star Manoj Kumar today inaugurated Cinema 100, an exhibition that has recreated a flashback of Indian cinema‘s journey from 1913.

    The exhibition has been organised in Juhu, Mumbai by the Institute of Film and Video Technology founded by veteran short filmmaker Kuldeep Sinha, former chief producer of the Films Division.

    The exhibition has been organised in collaboration with the Juhu Scheme Sarbojonin Durgotsab headed by former Hindi and Bengali actor Biswajeet, the National film Archive and DAVP .

    Sinha said the IFVT was dedicated to the task of spreading cinema education.

    The exhibition is slated to continue till 24 October.

  • TAM to release data after 9 weeks

    TAM to release data after 9 weeks

    MUMBAI: India will have no television ratings for nine weeks till 8 December as it moves towards digitisation in the four metros of Delhi, Mumbai, Kolkata and Chennai.

    TAM, the sole ratings measurement agency in India, will stop releasing the TV viewership data for the week ended October 7, which was to be released today. The reporting will be from 9 December. This decision follows the pressure from broadcasters and advertising agencies.

    “TAM will suspend data for all India. The release of data will be nine weeks later,” a source said.

    The Indian Broadcasting Federation (IBF), Advertising Agencies Association of India and the Indian Society of Advertisers (ISA) have reached a consensus on the issue of suspension of TAM data.

    The representatives of three industry bodies have reached an agreement but have decided to first circulate among their members before making it public.

    The representatives of the three bodies met on Monday but a consensus eluded them. They did not meet on Tuesday but held discussions through different means and have more or less reached an agreement. They have decided to take one more day to iron out the creases on the matter.

    A TAM Media Research representative had attended the meeting on Monday but was not part of the discussion on Tuesday. The decision of the three industry bodies would be communicated to TAM and the television viewership rating agency would accordingly act on the decision.

    The industry bodies needed to agree on the period of suspension of reporting of TAM ratings in Mumbai, Delhi, Chennai and Kolkata after the government-mandated complete switchover to digital delivery of cable television from 1 November. The suspension has been felt necessary as there would be disruption of television services for some period after analogue signals are switched off in the four metros.

    An industry source informed indiantelevision.com, “The bodies were hoping to issue a statement today (Tuesday), but it just required a bit more alignment from all sides. Whatever be the decision, it should be communicated to the members first before making it public through the media.”

    IBF president Man Jit Singh also said, “An official statement bearing the decision taken by the industry bodies will be released to the press tomorrow (Wednesday).”

    Details of the agreement, however, could not be obtained.

    Also read:

    Digitisation: Consensus eludes broadcasters and advertisers on suspension of ratings

  • PVR launches nine-screen multiplex in Pune

    PVR launches nine-screen multiplex in Pune

    MUMBAI: PVR Ltd has launched a nine screen multiplex at Viman Nagar, near Baker Company, Pune.

    The multiplex, spread across an area of 79,345 sq. ft. has a capacity of 2081 seats, promises to provide an exceptional digital movie experience to cinegoers of the city at a pricing ranging from Rs 70 to Rs 300.

    With the launch of the multiplex in Pune, PVR today stands at 197 screens in 44 cinemas in 13 states and 27 cities across India.

    The multiplex chain now has 48 screens and nine multiplexes in six key cities of Maharashtra including four in Mumbai, one in Latur, one in Aurangabad, one in Nagpur and Nanded respectively.

  • PVR launches 5-screen multiplex in Nagpur

    PVR launches 5-screen multiplex in Nagpur

    MUMBAI: PVR has launched its five-screen multiplex at the Empress Mall, near Gandhi Lake, Nagpur.

    With this launch in Nagpur, PVR now has 39 screens and eight multiplexes in five key cities of Maharashtra including four in Mumbai, one in Latur, one in Aurangabad and one in Nanded.

    The multiplex is spread across an area of 50,000 sq. ft. with a capacity of 1234 seats and will provide a digital movie experience to the cinegoers of the city at a pricing ranging from Rs 70–Rs 180.

    With the launch in Nagpur, PVR today stands at 184 screens in 42 cinemas in 13 states & 25 cities across India.

    PVR Ltd. Group President Pramod Arora said, “Over the years, we have understood the demand in smaller towns and hence we have grown steadily by expanding our presence in tier II and III cities across India. Building on the success of our properties launched across Maharashtra in cities like Mumbai, Latur, Nanded and Aurangabad, we are confident that the multiplex in Nagpur will be well received by the patrons.”
     

  • Two foreign outfits to share production costs of Sunrise

    Two foreign outfits to share production costs of Sunrise

    MUMBAI: Augustus Film of Netherlands and Endorphine Productions, Germany will come together to share the production costs of Partho Sen-Gupta’s Sunrise (Arunoday) with Independent Movies, Mumbai and NFDC.

    The film tells the story of Joshi, an embittered Mumbai cop who has been searching for his missing daughter for ten years since she disappeared one day after school.

    Joshi’s quest is used to reveal the horror of child trafficking and exploitation in India, a taboo subject which nonetheless affects a huge number of the children in the world’s most populous democracy, a country where lives are often cheap.

    “It’s good for me now as a large burden has been removed from my shoulders and I have to only stick to the creative process of filmmaking. NFDC’s backing the film also gave the impetus that we were waiting for. But I think that the 156 crowd-funders are the real heroes of the film project,”said Sengupta.

    Sengupta had, in the recent past, collected $21, 000 by crowd funding from the website indiegogo.com for Sunrise.

    The film, featuring Adil Hussain (of Life of Pi fame) and Tannishtha Chatterjee (of Brick Lane fame), is expected to go on the floors early next year.

    The co-production deals were finalised at Marche du Films at the ongoing Cannes Film Festival. The film will now be an Indo-German-Dutch co-production with a mixed international crew.

    Earlier, Sengupta had written and directed films like Shakti Timeless, Sound Check, Hava Aney Dey and Saturday Night in Bombay.