ITV

Tag: Pakistan

  • AsiaSat, Rohde & Schwarz develop FTA UHD TV service for Asia

    AsiaSat, Rohde & Schwarz develop FTA UHD TV service for Asia

    MUMBAI: Asia Satellite Telecommunications Co. Ltd. (AsiaSat) and Rohde & Schwarz have partnered to advance next-generation Ultra-HD (UHD) TV technologies by implementing the first free to air (FTA) UHD channel on AsiaSat 4.

     

    AsiaSat plans for an UHD TV broadcasting service over satellite have taken a major step forward with the imminent launch of its first channel following an extensive technical evaluation carried out at the AsiaSat UHD laboratory. Through AsiaSat 4’s high-power coverage, broadcasters and pay-TV platforms with an AsiaSat 4 C-band antenna in the Asia-Pacific region will be able to receive the UHD channel directly.

     

    Operating at 122°E, AsiaSat 4 provides leading edge satellite solutions to clients for TV distribution, direct to home (DTH) as well as broadband services across the Asia-Pacific region. Its high power C-band footprint spans from New Zealand to Pakistan and part of the Middle East.

     

    Rohde & Schwarz is providing a comprehensive broadcast solution that includes the R&S CLIPSTER mastering station for editing, handling and playing out UHD data in real time. In addition, the R&S AVHE100 headend will be used for live encoding using an HEVC encoder with 10 bit color depth. Rohde & Schwarz technology not only gives AsiaSat the best UHD TV picture quality, it also provides a future-proof solution.

     

    “We are very excited to work with Rohde & Schwarz in this new and evolving technology that will drive future consumer viewing experience of video content. Rohde & Schwarz has shown exemplary commitment to quality and support in helping us through the evaluation phase. We look forward to launching our first UHD channel and promoting this new technology together,” said AsiaSat VP marketing and global accounts Sabrina Cubbon.

     

    “Rohde & Schwarz is the leading supplier for Digital TV transmission networks in Asia and the world. We are happy to support AsiaSat in establishing their first UHD channel and look forward to a very successful implementation,” added Rohde & Schwarz VP for sales and marketing, Asia Middle Heino Gregorek.

  • Sony Kix acquires LaLiga rights; strengthens position in football broadcasting

    Sony Kix acquires LaLiga rights; strengthens position in football broadcasting

    MUMBAI: Scoring a hat-trick in the sports broadcasting industry, Sony Kix has acquired the telecast rights to LaLiga, the premier division of the Spanish football league system, for a period of three years.

     

    It may be recalled that the channel recently acquired and added the telecast rights of the FA Cup and the Serie A to its line-up of prime football properties.

     

    The broadcaster will exclusively telecast the league across India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Nepal and Maldives through the three-year deal.

     

    With this addition to its line-up of flagship sports properties, Sony Kix will look at consolidating its position as the home of international and club football across the Indian sub-continent. The league hosts some of the biggest names international and club level football like Cristiano Ronaldo, Lionel Messi, Andrés Iniesta, Antoine Griezmann, Neymar, Gareth Bale and Luis Suárez amongst many more.

     

     Speaking on the development Sony Six and Sony Kix business head Prasana Krishnan said, “We are extremely thrilled to be associated with this pre-eminent league and this move opens up a bold new chapter in our operations as we go on to spearhead the football-led genre in our industry. The extended offering of matches coupled with holistic recaps of the league, will position our network as the premier destination for unparalleled football viewing experience.”

     

     LaLiga president Javier Tebas added, “We are extremely happy to start this association with MSM and proud to announce the Sony sports channels as our new home for the upcoming seasons in this region. MSM has been known for its aggressive and innovative marketing and the differentiated treatment of sports coverage on its network and we are looking forward to joining hands with them to bring the LaLiga matches to fans in the region.”

     

     LaLiga, the elite division in professional Spanish league football, kicks-off the 2015 season on the weekend of 23 August, 2015. This will be the 85th season of the top-tier Spanish football league, featuring some of the best teams and players in international football.

  • Ten Sports upbeat about India tour of Zimbabwe

    Ten Sports upbeat about India tour of Zimbabwe

    MUMBAI: After all the hue and cry, the Board for Control of Cricket in India (BCCI) has finally decided to go ahead with the Zimbabwe tour, a week after reportedly calling it off.

     

    As per earlier reports, BCCI citing Team India’s fatigue and conflict with broadcaster Ten Sports had decided to cancel the Zimbabwe tour. But after rounds of negotiations between the representatives of the two boards in Barbados, the decision of going ahead with the tour was taken.

     

    Subhash Chandra owned Essel group, the parent company of Ten Sports, which is reportedly investing heavily to form an alternative cricket regulatory board and organise lucrative cricket leagues is what had irked BCCI and thus the decision to call off the series which is to be aired on Ten Sports.

     

    Speaking to Indiantelevision.com, Rajesh Sethi says, “The tour was never called off officially and we were always prepared for it. Ten Sports shares a very cordial relationship with all the five boards and pleased to have their broadcasting rights (Zimbabwe, South Africa, West Indies, Pakistan and Sri Lanka). We are upbeat about the series.”

     

    Adding some relief to the cricket fans of Zimbabwe board chairman Wilson Manase had earlier said, “While negotiations are still on with respect to Team India tour to Zimbabwe, but it seems confirmed that the tour will go ahead. Consequently Team India is expected in Zimbabwe on the 7th of next month. Team Zimbabwe must get ready and be prepared to give Team India a rousing welcome.”

     

    The tour will help Zimbabwe cricket raise some money which they are in real need of, says a cricket expert and historian on condition of anonymity. “In the battle of ego between BCCI and the broadcaster, we should not forget the third stake holder Zimbabwe cricket, which desperately needs to generate revenue. So I am thankful to BCCI that they have decided to go ahead with the tour. From cricket perspective it’s never over till the last ball is bowled and the Bangladesh tour is the proof of that. Zimbabwe cricketers will come hard to the Indians. Having said that the senior bras desperately needed a break and team sent will try their level best to leave a mark. Overall, I expect it to be a good series,” he adds.

     

    Media planning fraternity feels that the ad rate for the series will go down as big names are missing from the team. “MS Dhoni featured in the Forbes list of top 100 richest athletes and he also has a huge fan following and so does Virat Kohli. Hence their absence will make life difficult for the sales team of Ten Sports,” feels a senior media planner who closely deals with sports planning and buying.

     

    Normally for a bilateral series, a 10 second ad slot is sold at Rs 3.5 to Rs 4 lakh. But, with big guns missing from the playing 11, media buyers feel that Ten Sports will be able to fetch around Rs 2 lakh for every 10 second slot.

     

     “Ad rates are directly proportional to the viewership. Dhoni, Kohli are big names and they generate huge word of mouth which results in higher ad rates. So the fact that they are missing will certainly impact the ad rates. But, if the tour was cancelled it would have yielded nothing. Hence it’s good for all three parties involved that the tour is happening,” says a media planner.

     

    Ajinkya Rahane who was dropped after the first ODI in Bangladesh will be leading the team in Zimbabwe. The selection committee has given a career reviving opportunity to veteran wrist spinner Harbajjan Singh by selecting him in place of Ravichandran Ashwin. Singh’s performance in IPL 2015 was key to Mumbai Indian’s success and was acknowledged by numerous pundits. Now it remains to be seen if Rahane can pull off a successful tour in the land of Lions.

     

    The ODI squad for Zimbabwe tour:  Ajinkya Rahane (capt), M Vijay, Ambati Rayudu, Manoj Tiwary, Kedar Jadhav, Robin Uthappa, Manish Pandey, Harbhajan Singh, Axar Patel, Karn Sharma, Dhawal Kulkarni, Stuart Binny, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Mohit Sharma, Sandeep Sharma.

  • Pak offended by negative portrayal in ‘Homeland’

    Pak offended by negative portrayal in ‘Homeland’

    NEW DELHI: Pakistani officials are offended by the country’s depiction in the latest season of the American television series Homeland insisting the drama series shows it as a “grimy hellhole” where diplomats aide terrorists.

     

    The fourth season of the Emmy-winning show featured Claire Danes’ CIA agent character Carrie Mathison on assignment in Islamabad attempting to capture a terrorist leader who was being helped by Pakistani intelligence operatives.

     

    “Maligning a country that has been a close partner and ally of the United States…. is a disservice not only to the security interests of the US but also to the people of the US,” Pak Embassy Press Attacje Nadeem Hotiana told the New York Post in Washington.

     

    The series, which was mainly filmed in Cape Town for the fourth season, has also upset leaders in Israel, after a character compared former Israeli Prime Minister Menachem Begin to the show’s fictional terrorist villain.

     

    Herzl Makov, the director of Israel’s Menachem Begin Center, told an Israeli news service he was unhappy with the reference.

     

    “It is surprising specifically because Homeland is based on the Israeli (television series) format Prisoners of War.

     

    The show was adapted from the Israeli series Hatufim, Prisoners of War, which debuted in 2010.

  • Priyanka Chopra is the new face of Pakistani mobile

    Priyanka Chopra is the new face of Pakistani mobile

    New Delhi: Even though there are tensions on other fronts, cultural and commercial links continue to thrive between India and Pakistan.

     

    Pakistan’s QMobile has now selected Priyanka Chopra who will be marketing a newer brand for LINQ Smartphones.

     

    QMobile already has a 50% market share in the local market that makes it the number one mobile phone seller in Pakistan. Out of this entire share, a big chunk belongs to lower end mobile phones. With growing competition in the smartphone domain, QMobile is continuing its journey by influencing the minds of its fans through top notch celebrities.

     

    With Priyanka Chopra on board, QMobile is confident about generating a positive impact in the market.

     

    Before this, the company has brought three top notch Bollywood Kapoors – Kareena Kapoor, Arjun Kapoor, Sonam Kapoor – and Pakistani singing and acting fascinations Atif Aslam, Ali Zafar and Shan in their television commercials. They have also presented Shahid Khan Afridi in their ads.

     

    An official statement from the company says, “The genius behind QMobile, CEO Zeeshan Akhtar, is venturing out to embark upon new journey with premier Bollywood actress Priyanka Chopra on board”.

     

    The mastermind’s keen marketing sense has allowed him to sign a beauty truly representative of this new range.

  • Burka Avenger bags Best TV Show at the Asian Media Awards

    Burka Avenger bags Best TV Show at the Asian Media Awards

    MUMBAI: Burka Avenger, Pakistan’s pioneer 3D Animated TV Series won Best TV Show at the Second Asian Media Awards Tuesday October 28, 2014. The winners were announced at the Award Ceremony in Manchester, UK, attended by journalists, actors, presenters and marketing professionals from across the world.

     

    Established in 2013, the Asian Media Awards showcases the very best talent working in the Asian media and those working in the mainstream media. As well as rewarding new and emerging talent, the awards recognised the achievements of the pioneers within the media industry.

     

    The Burka Avenger series is the brainchild of Pakistani rock star and social activist Haroon who conceived of it as a way to emphasize women empowerment, the importance of girls’ education and teach children other lessons such as equality and non-discrimination. He said that the success of the entirely produced in Pakistan series is a testament to the level of Pakistani talent.

     

    The Burka Avenger is an amazing action-comedy animated TV show that follows the adventures of Burka Avenger and three young kids in the imaginary city of Halwapur as they fight the evil Baba Bandook and his henchmen. The multi-award winning animated series features Jiya as the inspirational school teacher and her alter ego, the super-heroine Burka Avenger. Her use of books and pens as projectile weapons is symbolic on many levels. The Burka Avenger fights for Justice, Peace and Education for all.

     

    A brand new episode of the series focusing on polio was recently released by the company specially for World Polio Day on October 24, 2014. The episode highlights the importance of polio vaccinations to prevent the spread of polio and tackles the issues of polio in Pakistan head on in a brave and informative manner. The episode was aired on eight different mainstream TV channels in Pakistan and can be viewed online at:

     

    YouTube:

     

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tHwHayZZFiw

     

    Vimeo:

     

    https://vimeo.com/109829343

     

     

    Other Awards and Accolades received by the Show include:

     

    • International Emmy Award Nominee – Winner TBA

     

    • Winner of the Peabody Award

     

    • Winner of the Gender Equity Prize at the Prix Jeunesse International Film Festival

     

    • Named by Time Magazine as one of the most influential fictional characters of 2013

     

    • Rising Star Award (Category: Animation) at Canada International Film Festival

     

    The Unicorn Black production team is based in Islamabad, Pakistan and comprises of artists, animators, musicians, writers and producers. After the amazing success of season one the company is currently working on Burka Avenger Season 2. 

     

    Burka Avenger Website: http://BurkaAvenger.com/

     

    Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/BurkaAvenger

     

    Production Company Website: http://UnicornBlack.com/

  • Pakistan Cricket Board fails to woo channels for upcoming series

    Pakistan Cricket Board fails to woo channels for upcoming series

    MUMBAI:  Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has come in for a massive and rude shock.  According to sources, PCB has found no takers for its two upcoming series i.e the Pakistan vs Australia series and the Pakistan vs New Zealand matches to be held in the UAE this year.

     

    The Board received bids from just two sports channels i.e PTV (Pakistan) and Ten Sports. The bid from PTV was rejected instantly because the bidding amount was far too less than what the Board had expected. Ten Sports on the other hand had submitted a bid amount of $2.9 million.

     

    PCB, in lack of takers asked Ten Sports to increase its bidding amount, which the channel flatly refused. Sources say that the Board is surprised by the dwindling amount of interest shown by channels for cricket in the country. It remains to be seen what happens next.

     

    The rights for the two series included Title Sponsorship Rights, Presenting Sponsorship Rights, Co Sponsorship Rights, Instadia Advertising Rights, Global Radio Broadcasting Rights and SMS and Wireless Mobile Telephony Rights.

     

    The Pakistan vs Australia series is to be held from October to November 2014 and the Pakistan vs New Zealand series was to be held from November to December 2014.

  • Star studded week for ‘Kitni Girhain Baaki Hain!’

    Star studded week for ‘Kitni Girhain Baaki Hain!’

    MUMBAI: Zindagi made its sensational debut on Indian television with four hit shows from Pakistan recently, one of which was its marquee show Kitni Girhain Baaki Hain (KGBH). KGBHis a series of telefilms based on real life situations and addresses issues related to women. With Kitni Girhain Baaki Hai,the channel brought the trend of telefilms back on Indian Television. This week on KGBH telefilms featuring some of the established faces of Pakistani TV industry will be aired.

     

    Starting tonight, Zindagi will air ‘Dekh Kabira Roya’ featuring Ayeza Khan (KahiUnkahi fame) & Imraan Abbas (to be seen in MeraNaseeb). Dekh Kabira Roya is the story of Kabeer, a young ice cream vendor raised by his widow mother with a lot of hardships. Kabeer goes through a testing time when he has to find the courage to tell his mother that he will marry a girl of his choice and not someone chosen by his mother.

     

    Adnan Siddiqui, who has been acclaimed for his performances in Maat and Mere Qatil Mere Dildaar will be seen in telefilm titled ‘Pehli si Mohabbat’. The telefilm traces the lives of man and woman who revisit their old friendship post a chance meeting after years. Peh.li Si Mohabbat will air on Friday, August 15th.

     

    Another telefilm ‘Bissat’ featuring  Mehwish Hayat (of Mere Qatil Mere Dildaar fame)will be airing on Sunday, August 17th. This telefilm is about how a brother raises his younger sister after their parents pass away. The story meets a turning point when the brother gets married and sister does not share a very cordial relationship with the new bride.

     

    KGBH is based on the ironies and harsh realities of a woman’s life, but also gives hope to, and creates awareness among women.

     

    Tune in to ‘KitniGirhainBaakiHain’everyday, Monday to Sunday at 10:15 PM only on Zindagi!

  • Pakistan announces its Wave WKL team ‘Lahore Lions’

    Pakistan announces its Wave WKL team ‘Lahore Lions’

    MUMBAI: After cricket, it’s Kabaddi’s turn to help boost diplomatic ties between India and Pakistan. The government of Punjab (Pakistan) under the leadership of Chief Minister Mian Mohammed Shabaaz Sharif have come forward and have consented to participate in the upcoming Wave World Kabaddi League.

     

    The official team will be called Lahore Lions and will comprise national players like Babar Waseem, Lala Abaidulla, Shafiq Ahmad Chisti and Akmal Shazad Dogar. While the team will be managed and supervised by Punjab (Pakistan) directorate general of sports, the venture will be headed and monitored by Punjab (Pakistan) DG sports Usman Anwar.

     

    The league matches will start from 9 August and Lahore Lions will play its first match against Vancouver Lions on 10 August in London. Commenting on the association, Lahore Lions manager Mohd. Waqas said, “Kabaddi is a popular sport in Pakistan. We are very elated to announce our representation in Wave WKL. It will be a proud moment for us to represent our country in the league across the globe. I wish the team stupendous success in the league.”

     

    Wave WKL senior VP and Punjab Kabaddi Association president Sikander Singh Maluka said, “We welcome this initiative of Pakistan and thank them for their continued support. This move by the government of Punjab in Pakistan to participate in this mega event through their franchise Lahore Lions will make the matches more exciting and fun-filled. I am sure that it will be a great, entertaining league for everyone to watch.”

     

    The official media launch of Lahore Lions is expected to happen on 7 August 2014 at the Punjab CM’s secretariat at Lahore. Wave WKL chief advisor Puneet Singh Chandhok confirmed the same and said, “The officials of both sides are expected to be a part of this launch including Pakistan Punjab CM Shahbaaz Sharif, chairperson Public Youth affairs Authority Pakistan, Rana Masood, Sports Minister, Punjab (Pakistan) and Sikander Singh Maluka. Lahore Lions is also expected to host the sports weekend at Punjab stadium, Lahore wherein all the other Kabaddi teams will also play against each other.

  • Govt admits Pakistan TV signals available in border areas

    Govt admits Pakistan TV signals available in border areas

    NEW DELHI: Even as the government has been claiming for several years that it is giving priority to strengthen its communication towers on the borders to strengthen its signals, the Home Ministry and Prasar Bharati have admitted that the signals/coverage of Pakistan TV is available in the bordering districts of the country.

     

    However, Information and Broadcasting Minister Prakash Javadekar told Parliament that ‘no complaints have been received during the last three years regarding telecast of Pakistan TV in the bordering districts of the country.’

     

    He said strengthening of TV coverage of Doordarshan to counter the anti-India propaganda along border areas is an ongoing process. Doordarshan has been assigning priority for expansion of its coverage in the border areas of the country in various expansion plans formulated from time to time. Special packages for expansion and improvement of Doordarshan services in Jammu and Kashmir (J&K) have also been implemented in the past.

     

    At present, Prasar Bharati has informed that 112 TV transmitters of varying power are functioning in the districts near the Pakistan border.

    Javadekar said that to further strengthen TV coverage in J&K, a scheme was approved in the 11th Plan which includes projects of establishment of five high power TV transmitters in J&K (Kashmir region- 1; Jammu region-1; Ladakh region-1 besides 2 high power transmitters at Rajouri).

     

    These projects are expected to be completed in phases, in about two years, he added. 

     

    Meanwhile, DD sources told indiantelevision.com that all areas uncovered by terrestrial transmitters in border areas along with the rest of the country have been provided with multichannel television coverage through Doordarshan’s free-to-air direct-to-home platform Free Dish which can be received anywhere in the country with small sized dish receiver units.

     

    However, All India Radio and DD terrestrial coverage in the border areas in Jammu and Kashmir is being strengthened with an outlay of Rs 1 billion in the 11th Plan.

      

    A total of 273 TV transmitters of varying power are presently functioning in the border areas all over the country, DD sources told indiantelevision.com