ITV

Tag: presence

  • Citizen launches Kareena Kapoor inspired collection; to expand retail presence

    MUMBAI: Citizen has roped in Bollywood actress Kareena Kapoor for the launch of Kareena Diamond Collection and Kareena Fashion Collection of watches.

    Citizen also plans to expand its retail presence in India, increasing the number of retail outlets to 100 from 37 and have a presence in more than 500 MBO’s by end of this year.

    Speaking on the company’s plans Citizen Watches (I) Pvt. Ltd managing director Hideaki Nakazaki said, “We currently have 37 First Citizens (Citizen’s Exclusive Showrooms) and more than 300 Citizen Corners (Multi-Brand outlets) across the country. As a part of our retail expansion, we plan to extend the number of First Citizen’s to 100 by end of 2008 and to have presence in more than 500 MBO’s by end of this year. Our next immediate First Citizen launches will in cities like Varanasi, Hyderabad, Agra and Lucknow amongst many others.”

    Forever Diamonds is an exclusive diamond collection with a stylish and ethnic look and priced in the range of Rs. 7290 – Rs. 24,680. While The Kareena Fashion Collection is a range of chic and futuristic watches for the teenage girl moving into womanhood and will be available in various designs and styles with gold finish, bracelet styles, metallic, solid coloured and lush leather straps. This collection will be priced between Rs. 4,690 to Rs, 13,500.

    Citizen entered India in 1998 with the Eco – Drive light powered watches and since then, it has grown from unit sales of 100,000 and sales value of Rs. 220 million in 2003-2004, to an estimated 240,000 and Rs. 600 million in 2006-2007, a 172 per cent value growth in the last three years. They plan to invest heavily to ensure an annual growth rate of 30 – 40 per cent, in the forthcoming years.

  • Satellite, networks and cable presence to be felt at IFA 2005

    MUMBAI: The world consumer electronics fair IFA 2005 takes place from 2-7 September 2005 in Berlin, Germany.

    Apart from television and entertainment, personal communication, personal computing and games and digital imaging and digital music, the exhibitions taking place will also include a sixth section, devoted to ‘Satellite, Networks & Cable’ (SNC).

    IFA 2005 is expecting 110,000 visitors. There will be 1032 exhibitors. The event takes place twice a year.
     

    Messe Berlin is organising the event. The company’s director information & communication Jens Heithecker said, “Even now, just over four months before the start of the IFA, all available space has been booked in Hall 2.1, which houses SNC.”

    “This new concept, which we introduced two years ago, has already proved its effectiveness. We have made further refinements and are delighted with the increases in display area, in the numbers of exhibitors and in the international make-up of this section,” states Heithecker.

    According to an official communiqué, digital television will be at the heart of the SNC display, offering the latest equipment for receiving cable, satellite and terrestrial television signals.

    The main focus will be on set-top boxes, satellite technology, multimedia cable systems and accessories. Another important area covered by the SNC presentation is that of home networking, and in particular the links between consumer electronics, telecommunications, domestic appliances and the Internet.

    60 international exhibitors from countries such as China, France, Poland and Taiwan, and leading exhibitors including Kathrein, KWS Electronic, TechniSat Digital, Homecast, Humax Digital, Pace Micro Technology, Radix, Strong Deutschland, Transmedia and Triax will make theirm presence felt.
     
     

    The space available for SNC includes display by groups representing specialist dealers, and by Infotip.

    Heithecker explains that, although the SNC section of the exhibition is intended primarily for trade visitors, and for specialist dealers in particular, the general public will also be able to learn about the products and services on show because, with the exception of the reception for international trade visitors, access to this hall is open to all visitors to the fair.

    There are also plans to present papers each day at the Trade Visitors’ Reception, which is part of the exhibition in Hall 2.1,

    Some topics such as digital receiving systems and high definition television (HDTV) would be presented. “We are also providing tours, tailored to the requirements of trade visitors, of the various thematic modules”, Heithecker adds.

    Another feature to which he draws attention is the daily Navigation Breakfast, which will be taking place right from the start of the fair, providing trade visitors with a concentrated overview of each day’s main events and themes during the IFA, informs the media release.
     

  • IBC to have strong presence at Miptv

    MUMBAI: International Broadcast Communications (IBC) has announced that it will have a strong presence at the television market Miptv. The event takes place from 11-15 April 2005 in Cannes, France.
     

    IBC president Jon Helmrich says that regardless of local taste and social conditions, movies, celebrities and sports consistently draw huge audiences for broadcasters the world over. Focussing on those three categories, IBC will be offering international buyers proven entertainment packages during Miptv.

    Helmrich will tempt buyers with 88 one-hour episodes of Midnight Movies. This documentary series examines cult films as well as their impact on pop culture and modern society. The show premieres on Starz Encore in the US this summer.

    The series delves into such films as Pink Flamingos, El Topo, Rocky Horror Picture Show and Eraserhead. The series brings audiences behind the screen to speak with the actors, directors and producers who were intimately involved in the 70s cult film scene. Among the featured interviews are David Lynch and John Waters.
     
     

    Another special that IBC is bringing to Cannes is Cinenews. This delivers 52 half-hour Hollywood reports direct to international outlets. The weekly reports include the latest box office reports, interviews with today’s hottest stars, red-carpet openings and all the latest happenings from the world’s movie capital.

    A popular companion for these weekly reports is Famous. The top star biography series now entering its third season on A&E’s Biography channel in the US. Each episode focuses on a specific ‘mega star’, following their career path and interviewing the celebrities themselves for insight as to how they became and stay Famous. New episodes will include Oscar-nominee Leonardo DiCaprio and Oscar winners Cate Blanchett and Clint Eastwood.

    IBC was founded in October 2001 by international television veteran and former HBO and E! executive Jon Helmrich. IBC clients include Chum/City TV from Toronto, Popular Arts Entertainment and The Tennis Channel in Los Angeles. These clients represent over 1000 hours of TV programming covering the world of entertainment, fashion, sports, and lifestyle.

    IBC-represented programmes are seen on channels like HBO, Discovery, A&E, AXN, Foxtel, The History Channel.

  • MTV strengthens presence in S China with 24-hour channel

    NEW YORK: Media conglomerate Viacom has announced that MTV Networks has achieved breakthrough distribution agreements for MTV and kids’ channel Nickelodeon in the tightly controlled Chinese television market. MTV will broadcast its 24-hour service in the Guangdong province of southern China.
    With approval by China’s State Administration of Radio, Film and Television (SARFT), MTV is the first global brand to be granted the rights to telecast a music channel 24 hours a day in the economically booming Pearl River Delta in Guangdong, Southern China. One of 10 dedicated MTV channels in the Asia Pacific region, MTV China will begin its 24-hour broadcast next month, and will be distributed by Guangdong Cable.
    Viacom is the latest international media conglomerate to start distributing a channel directly to Chinese households in Guangdong. AOL Time Warner and Rupert Murdoch’s News Corporation got permission a couple of years ago. Apart from Guangdong, foreign channels are not allowed to broadcast direct into Chinese homes.
    An official release informs that in a separate agreement, Nickelodeon will co-produce and distribute Chinese language Nickelodeon television series on DVD/VCD with Shanghai Audio & Video Press (SAVP).
    MTV China has been available as a 24-hour channel in hotels and foreign compounds since 1995, while MTV branded programming airs on terrestrial and cable channels across China, reaching 70 million TV households. Nickelodeon branded programming is currently seen via terrestrial and cable channels reaching 50 million TV households in China.
    Speaking on the latest development, Viacom’s Chairman and CEO Sumner Redstone said, “MTV’s launch in Guangdong is a new milestone in the long-term relationship between Viacom and China that extends our local production partnerships and opens up a vast potential audience for MTV Networks branded programming.”
    The release informs that MTV Networks’ agreement with SAVP for the production and distribution of Nickelodeon’s popular TV series on DVD/VCD in China will bring customised programming to Chinese audiences, featuring locally produced, Chinese language content. This will mark the first time that children’s content from Viacom will be distributed via DVD/VCD in China. Under the terms of the deal, SAVP will sell and distribute up to 26 episodes per series of many of Nickelodeon’s award-winning live action and animated TV programmes, such as Rugrats, Clarissa Explains it All, Cousin Skeeter and Invader Zim.
    Currently, MTV Networks distributes China’s English language channel CCTV9 in hotels across the US. Other examples of Viacom’s support for Chinese culture include sponsorship of the China Broadcasting Cultural Orchestra’s US Tour in February 2003; organising the Development of Media Industry in 21st Century Conference in Beijing in July 2002; establishing a scholarship program for the Beijing Central Music Academy; and, promoting the Cheers to China Music Gala (an annual Chinese pop music show that travels to Johannesburg, London, Los Angeles, Athens, and Moscow).
    In 1999, CCTV and MTV co-produced the inaugural CCTV-MTV Music Honors, which has since become a major annual music event in China. The show has aired on various CCTV channels in China reaching over 300 million households, and is broadcast annually to all of MTV’s 150 million TV households across Asia. The event is also made available to all MTV channels worldwide, which reach more than 379 million households across 164 countries.

  • Asia to strengthen presence at MIPTV

    PARIS: The Asian tigers are expected to put up a strong showing at this month’s MIPTV.
    MIPTV, which claims to be the largest and longest running trade fair dedicated to the television industry, takes place from 24 – 28 March at the Palais des Festivals in Cannes. 131 companies from Asia will use the 40th anniversary of the trade fair to to launch and promote their products.
    The Asian television markets have been improving over the past couple of years judging by the steady increase in participation from the region at the Cannes television markets. Reed MIDEM which organises MIPTV claims to have already attracted key buyers, distributors and producers from Korea, China, Japan, Thailand, Hong Kong, Singapore and Taiwan.
    Asian companies expected to put up a strong show include SBS, EBS, MBC, Arirang TV, Eight Peaks, A9 Media, and KIPA (Korean Independent Productions Association).
    On 24 March at 1 pm, Arirang TV (The Korea International Broadcasting Foundation) will host a special lunch at the Carlton Hotel, to present Korea’s broadcasting and content initiatives. An official release informs that after commercial satellite broadcasting was introduced in South Korea, the territory became a key player in the global television industry. This year the umbrella organisation KOCCA (Korean Culture & Contents Agency) has increased the size of its stand in order to cater for approximately 40 animation companies and seven digital broadcast services.
    There will be at least 43 buyers from China. In the new Marina Hall, CCTV’s China International TV Corporation is mounting its biggest MIPTV stand ever. Content on display will include new drama, animation and factual programming. The broadcaster will also be looking to acquire US/ European movies and documentaries. Shanghai Media & Entertainment Group will hold its global launch at a large beachside stand, with a press conference and reception on 24 March. Beijing Radio, Film and TV Group is sending a senior delegation with buying and selling powers for the capital’s nine channels. In light of the extensive international interest in Kung Fu, Guangzhou Beauty & Culture has doubled its exhibition space, and is considering bringing some famous masters of the martial art to Cannes in a bid to promote the brand further.
    Ranked fourth in the list of top 10 exhibiting countries during the event, Japan will be represented by 37 companies. As NHK commemorates its 50th anniversary this year, the broadcaster will display a selection of special anniversary programmes. The line-up will feature the project Project Antarctic 2003, which marks the first ever live HDTV transmission from the Syowa Station in the Antarctic. This programme captures images of auroras from the Arctic and Antarctic circles for the first time ever, contrasted with shots taken of the landscape and effects of global warming.
    NHK has also teamed up with broadcasters from India, China, South Korea, Malaysia, Singapore, Thailand, and Vietnam to co-produce Voyage to the Future. This broadcasting event which invites children from the countries to board a marine research vessel and carry out various oceanographic scientific experiments in order to broaden their understanding of the environment.