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Tag: Sanjiv Ahuja

  • CNN to cover Davos World Economic Forum

    MUMBAI: CNN’s anchors Richard Quest, Becky Anderson and Charles Hodson will report live on location from Davos all week. The extended coverage will continue on the CNN European shows, ‘CNN Today’, ‘Business International” and ‘World Business Today.

    The WEF coverage includes ‘CNN Connects: Our Networked World’, a global forum before a live audience. This special programme looks at the social revolution that is transforming the way we get and use information.

    CNN will analyse the digital ecosystem that is Web 2.0; the explosion of social networking sites as a lifestyle and business phenomenon, the vast potential of virtual communities and the growth of blogging and user generated content are all examined. ‘CNN Connects’ also explores the technological advances that help change the user experience in the home and office. The programme will explore the promises and pitfalls of the information revolution.

    Panelists on CNN Connects: Our Networked World include Orange Ltd CEO Sanjiv Ahuja, Flickr co founder Caterina Fake, Reuters CEO Tom Glocer Linden Research chairman Mitch Kapor, Facebook Founder Mark Zuckerberg.

    The programme will include reports from Kristie Lu Stout with an overview of Web 2.0; Becky Anderson looks at the ‘silver surfers’ discovering that social networking knows no age limits. Femi Oke in rural Africa looks at the mission of a cyber priest as his uses the digital world to grow his congregation and John Vause in China on self-censorship versus government censorship.

    CNN International senior vice president Rena Golden said, “As some of the most powerful political and business leaders in the world gather for the World Economic Forum’s annual meeting, CNN will again provide full and comprehensive coverage from Davos. We will debate today’s important issues and report what the leaders intend to do about them. Their agenda intersects with the issues that CNN examines daily.”

    CNN.com will be providing extensive coverage of the World Economic Forum’s annualmeeting while broadband video news service, CNN Pipeline, will allow subscribers access to additional news feeds from Davos.

    ‘CNN Connects: Our Networked World’ will be broadcast on Friday 26th January at 0330 IST, repeated Friday 26th January at 2330 IST, Sunday 28th January at 0030 IST and Sunday 28th January at 2330 IST.

  • Mipcom announces nominations for annual Mobile TV Screenings and Awards

    Mipcom announces nominations for annual Mobile TV Screenings and Awards

    MUMBAI: The global television trade event Mipcom has announced the nominations for the second annual Mobile TV Screenings & Awards. 23 nominations and 10 special mentions will be presented during MIPCOM and the winners will be announced in a special screenings and awards Ceremony to be held in the Palais des Festivals, Cannes on 11 October, 2006.

    Sponsored by Orange, Ericsson and the Korean Broadcasting Commission, the Mobile Screenings & Awards 2006 brought in a record number of 290 entries from 34 countries. This marks a 30 per cent increase in submissions from 2005.

    For the second year running the competition recognises innovation and creativity in new mobile entertainment concepts and formats especially related to audiovisual TV and Film content.

    Reed Midem’s Television Division director Paul Johnson says, “Mobile TV represents a growing opportunity for the audiovisual content industry. Mipcom is proud to take an active role in promoting the development of made-for-mobile content and facilitating commercial transactions on a global level for both TV and film.”

    The Pre-selection Jury head and president of London based Any Screen Productions Ferhan Cook says, “The competition has attracted an even wider variety of genres, and new approaches from both existing well known entertainment companies as well as new ones.

    “It is clear that the world’s creative community is hard at work, innovating new formats for the mobile medium.”

    The 23 nominated entries are to be screened and judged by the Mobile TV Awards Jury at Mipcom from each of the following five categories: Best Original Made-for-Mobile Film or Video Content; Best Repurposed Content from Existing Film or TV Property; Best Made-for-Mobile TV Channel; Best Format for Interactive Mobile TV and Best Mobile format for User-Generated Content.

    In addition to these five categories, there will also be The Orange Grand Prize for Innovation and a special recognition mention for the Best Digital Multimedia Broadcasting (DMB) projects.

    The Mobile TV Screenings & Awards are a part of the Mobile TV focus on 11 October 2006. Included in the programme are a number of conferences focusing on the distribution, marketing and creation of audiovisual mobile content; including keynote addresses by Orange CEO Sanjiv Ahuja and ESPN president, and ABC Sports co-Chairman George Bodenheimer.

    The nominees in various categories are:

  • 2929 Entertainment CEO Wagner in Mipcom’s keynote lineup

    2929 Entertainment CEO Wagner in Mipcom’s keynote lineup

    MUMBAI: The television event Mipcom, which takes place in Cannes, France in October has added 2929 Entertainment founder and CEO Todd Wagner to its roster of speakers.

    He will present the digital media distribution keynote Rethinking Hollywood on 10 October. 30 sessions presenting 100 speakers over four days will cover the key issues for TV and content industry professionals, from the Future of TV Commissioning to the Impact of User-Generated Content on the TV business.

    Wagner will share his vision of the future of the Hollywood film industry and discuss how his companies – which include 2929 Productions, Magnolia Pictures/Home Entertainment, Landmark Theatres, HDNet, HDNet Films and HDNet Movies – operate within and outside of the Hollywood system. Wagner’s work includes the collapsing of release windows, a leadership role in the development and roll-out of digital cinema, as well as a slate of critically lauded films such as Good Night and Good Luck and Akeelah and the Bee.

    The companies pioneering ‘day-and-date’ release strategy was successfully launched with the release of the Oscar nominated documentary Enron: The Smartest Guys in the Room in theatres and on TV on the same day last year and then again with the acclaimed Steven Soderbergh film Bubble earlier this year.

    Mipcom’s digital media distribution day will explore these new developments through a series of conferences that will kick off with Todd Wagner’s keynote and will be followed by a Superpanel exploring emerging opportunities for digital distribution business for film and television.

    Afternoon sessions will highlight the intricacies of internet movie distribution including business models and presentations from internet TV delivery market leaders.

    Mipcom’s Reshaping Media conferences will focus on four key areas of changing TV landscapes, namely Advertising and Programming, Digital Media Distribution, Mobile TV and User-Generated Content and the Impact of Social Networks.

    The week will feature 6 top keynotes, including Disney’s Anne Sweeney, MGM’s Harry Sloan, Orange’s Sanjiv Ahuja, NBC Universal’s Beth Comstock, and ESPN’s George Bodenheimer in addition to Todd Wagner.

  • Orange CEO Sanjiv Ahuja to deliver keynote address as Mobile TV takes centre stage at Mipcom 2006

    Orange CEO Sanjiv Ahuja to deliver keynote address as Mobile TV takes centre stage at Mipcom 2006

    MUMBAI: Mobile TV is being touted as one of the biggest trends in the world of technology and as the future service to subscribers by telecom operators. Kicking off on 11 October, the Mipcom’s Mobile TV will see an exclusive keynote address given by Europe’s integrated operator Orange CEO Sanjiv Ahuja, and will conclude with Mipcom’s second annual Mobile TV screenings and awards.

    Ahuja will discuss the content initiatives at Orange, a division of France Telecom. and will share his vision of the tremendous potential for mobile entertainment and explore the opportunities offered by mobile broadband in the always-on, anytime, any-place era. He will also outline the most recent initiatives taken by Orange through service and network convergence to provide a pocket-sized entertainment centre, informs an official release. 

    “Orange is evolving into a one-stop-shop for our customers’ communication and entertainment needs. Television and TV content is central to our strategy,” says Ahuja. “I am delighted to have the opportunity of discussing the possibilities of converging technologies with Mipcom delegates. Everything we thought we knew about this industry is changing. With new ways to create, consume and pay for content, only players with open eyes and open minds can win.” 

    Ahuja joined Orange in April 2003 as COO, and was appointed CEO in March 2004. Prior to Orange, he was CEO of California-based technology company, Comstellar Technologies and was president of Telcordia Technologies (formerly Bellcore). Previously, he spent fifteen years at IBM in various executive roles. 

    In addition to Ahuja’s keynote and the Mobile Awards programme, this year’s conference programme entitled Reshaping Media, will feature 30 sessions with over 100 speakers in addition to four other prestigious keynotes, from Disney Media Networks co-chair and president Disney-ABC Television Group Anne Sweeney, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Inc. chairman and CEO Harry Sloan, NBC Universal president digital media and market development Beth Comstock and ESPN Inc. president and ABC Sports co-chairman George Bodenheimer.

    An integral part of Mipcom 2006’s mobile focus are the Mobile TV screenings and awards. Cutting-edge made-for-mobile content from around the globe will be showcased during the screenings and the prizes will be awarded in the evening of the same day.

    Last year’s programme attracted 220 entries, from 110 companies and 28 countries. For the second consecutive year, the contest will recognise and reward innovation and creativity in made-for-mobile formats.

    Reed Midem director of television Paul Johnson comments, “Our markets continue to attract the best players in the mobile entertainment industry from all over the world. Our commitment is to help the creative industry move forward on this new medium for entertainment content. Last year’s awards already generated great business opportunities for the companies who entered the competition. We expect a growing and thriving mobile content market, and therefore even more entries this year. And naturally, the Ahuja keynote reflects the importance the mobile industry places on content within their future strategy.”

    The award categories continue to emphasize made for mobile film, TV and animation content and also recognize the growing importance of user generated content. The award categories are: Best original made-for-mobile film or video content; Best repurposed content from existing Film or TV property; Best made-for-mobile TV channel; Best format for interactive mobile TV and best mobile format for user-generated content. In addition to these five categories,there will also be The Jury’s Grand Prize for Innovation, given to the most innovative company. 

    The deadline for entries for the Mobile Awards is 4 September. A pre-screening jury will nominate a selection of projects to be invited to Cannes for the Grand Jury judging on 9 October.