ITV

Tag: seeks

  • Nasa seeks broadcast partner for digital TV channel

    MUMBAI: America’s National Aeronautics and Space Administration (Nasa) organisation is seeking proposals from organisations interested in a collaboration to create, produce and programme shows for its public information TV channel Nasa TV. The agreement will be for two years with the option to extend five years for a total period of seven years.
     
     
     

    Programming will focus on Nasa-related topics, such as aeronautics, space, science and technology. Shows may include material previously produced by the organisation, or newly created products. Products may make use of the Nasa archives or live special events conducted by, or of special interest to, the agency.

    Nasa states that it is interested in reviewing proposals from organisations that support its mission, values, and goals, and that would strategically enhance the Agency’s ability to provide information on Nasa’s projects and missions to the public by means of these media.

    Nasa is looking for a minimum of 16 hours of new programming per month that is about Nasa or related to Nasa projects in order to enhance its ability to inform the public about its projects and their relevance to them. The partner will manage the content of the new programmes that will be create from a combination of new shows, previously produced Nasa material and live events for a minimum of 12 hours per day.

    Upto 30 per cent of new programming should be relevant for ages eight and above. All programming is to be free of charge. The partner must also have a full understanding of the architecture for Nasa TV.
     
     
     

    Nasa Television is a resource designed to provide real-time coverage of Agency activities and missions, as well as providing resource video to the news media and educational programming to teachers, students and the general public. The organisation states that Nasa Television’s multi-channel digital format and transmission system greatly enhances its ability to reach educational facilities, museums, and the general public.

    The partner would work with Nasa personnel cooperatively and would have editorial input in accordance with Nasa’s standards and values. Nasa will offer the chosen partner access to its various physical and electronic archives as part of this collaboration, as well as specialised access for live events or personnel.

    Nasa states that it may consider negotiating brand placement, limited exclusivity, such as “official sponsor/affiliate” designation and other naming rights, as well as other opportunities as part of this collaboration in exchange for the creation, producing, programming and managing of NTV content for this public channel.

    All creative concepts from the proposer regarding this opportunity will be considered by Nasa. However, consideration only will be given to those offers that are commensurate with the value of the above, and that reflect Nasa mission, values and goals.

  • Fox Stations seeks license transfer to News Corp

    MUMBAI: Fox Television Stations, Inc. filed applications with the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) seeking approval of the transfer of the licenses of its 35 owned-and-operated stations to a domestic subsidiary of News Corporation and its shareholders.
     
     

    The request follows the 12 November, 2004 reincorporation of News Corporation, which was previously an Australian company, in the United States. The proposed transfer will be accomplished by an internal restructuring of the relevant corporate entities and will not affect the equity ownership of the Fox-owned stations or any aspect of their day-to-day operations.
     
     

    Restrictions on foreign ownership of broadcast stations had prohibited News Corporation from controlling the Fox-owned stations when it was an Australian company.

    Now that News Corporation is based in the US, and both its voting and total shares outstanding are overwhelmingly owned by US citizens, ownership of the stations can be legally transferred to News Corporation and its shareholders. The proposed transfer will reduce corporate complexity for News Corporation.

    Fox Television Stations, Inc., one of US’ largest owned-and-operated network broadcast groups, comprises 35 stations in 26 markets, covering nearly 45 per cent of US television homes. This includes five duopolies in the top 10 markets: New York, Los Angeles, Chicago, Dallas and Washington D.C., as well as duopolies in Houston, Minneapolis, Phoenix and Orlando.
     

  • China Telecom seeks foreign strategic partner

    MUMBAI: China Telecom is in search of an international strategic partner. The Hong Kong-listed unit of China’s biggest fixed-line operator, through such an alliance, aims to raise its profile in global telecommunications.
     

    China Telecom chairman Wang Xiaochu said the company would eventually seek to bring in foreign strategic investors, to benefit from international management experience. According to Wang, the company hasn’t initiatied any formal talks with potential investor or partner.

    In April this year, the state-run parent of China Netcom Group, China Telecom’s biggest domestic rival, bought a 20 per cent stake in PCCW. PCCW Limited is the largest communications provider in Hong Kong and one of Asia’s leading IT&T players.
     
     

    According to Wang, the company expects broadband, mobile and fixed-line operations to each contribute a third of its revenue by that time. Wang made the comments after the company’s annual general meeting in Hong Kong, the first one it has held in the territory and a rarity among H-share companies.

    China Telecom currently doesn’t have any mobile services, but it offers a localized wireless service known as Personal Handyphone System, or Xiaolingtong. Internet services, mainly broadband, contributed 9 per cent of the company’s total revenue in 2004. Local telephone services, including fixed-line, phone booths and Xiaolingtong, took up half of total revenue.

    Wang expects broadband subscriber growth this year to exceed last year’s, when new additions reached 6.6 million. At the end of March, China Telecom had 15.7 million broadband customers.

    Wang said the company’s Internet Protocol Television service, which began a trial run late last year, has about 40,000 users. The service is now available in Shanghai and several main cities in Guangdong province.

  • Star Movies seeks to leverage hype around final ‘Star Wars’ movie

    MUMBAI: One of the biggest movie sagas of all time is about to come to a close. George Lucas’ Star Wars film epics which began way back in 1977 will go out with a bang.

    The final chapter Star Wars: Episode III — Revenge of the Sith, which shows why Darth Vader turned to the dark side has its worldwide opening on 19 May (in India as well).
     
    To coincide with the excitement Star Movies will launch the initiative Experience Hollywood. The journey kicks off with a special double bill of Star Wars movies – Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace and Star Wars Episode II Attack of the Clones.
     
     

    Star Wars Episode II: The Attack of the Clones airs on 13 May at 6:25 pm. This will be followed by exclusive never-seen-before footage from The Revenge of the Sith before its all India theatrical release.

    The movies had created a rage worldwide with Star Wars – The Phantom Menace grossing around $431,088,301 and Star Wars 2 – The Attack of the Clones, pulling in $924,488,301!

    Star Wars – The Phantom Menace is an effects-soaked space saga about Jedi Knights uncovering a galactic plot, meeting a gifted boy with an uncertain future. the film is set some 30 years before the original Star Wars episode 4: A New Hope in the Era of the Republic.

    According to media reports, Geroge Lucas has also announced plans for two Star Wars television spinoffs, one a live-action series and the other an extension of the Clone Wars animated series that airs on the Cartoon Network. The reports also indicates that Lucas says both are at least a year away from production.

  • Jagran TV seeks foreign investment

    NEW DELHI: Jagran TV Pvt. Ltd, part of the Rs 5 billion Kanpur-based Jagran Prakashan, which publishes Dainik Jagran newspaper, has decided to offload about 25 per cent stake in its TV venture to a Mauritius-based fund.
     

    The television company, which manages the affairs of the recently-launched Hindi news channel, called Channel 7, has applied to the Foreign Investment Promotion Board (FIPB) seeking permission for this foreign investment.

    According to government sources, Jagran TV Pvt Ltd is seeking permission to offload 25.7 per cent equity stake to New Vernon Bharat Ltd, a Mauritius based fund.
     
     

    The size of the deal is approximately Rs 300 million. FIPB is yet to take a view on this proposal that is aiming to bring in additional investment in the TV venture, which has been started with an initial investment of about Rs 700 million.

    According to Indian government guidelines, news channels uplinking from this country cannot offload more than 26 per cent equity stake to foreign companies or investors.

    Channel 7 from the media group Jagran went formally on air early April, promising different treatment to its programming tilted towards non-fiction and hopped on to a DTH platform at the same time to increase its reach, which is supplemented by the cable networks it is managing to ride on.

    The launch of Channel 7 marks the entry of Dainik Jagran, a dominant print medium player, into the TV broadcasting arena. The free-to-air Hindi satellite channel is also confident of securing a presence in 28 million households, across 300 cities in the first month of operations itself.

    The promoters of the channel include Mahendra Mohan Gupta, managing editor and chairman Jagran Prakashan Pvt Ltd and MD Jagran TV; Sanjay Gupta, editor and director Jagran Prakashan Pvt Ltd and Shailesh Gupta, director, marketing, Jagran Prakashan Pvt Ltd.

    The Jagran group, according to media reports, is also believed to be planning a foray into the den of another print medium powerhouse, Dainik Bhaskar, in Madhya Pradesh.

    Jagran Prakashan has already roped in a foreign partner for the newspaper business, announced earlier. The foreign investor is The Irish Independent, which picked up a 26 per cent stake in the Indian media company.

  • Key Fox TV exec seeks greener pastures at Paramount

    MUMBAI: Gail Berman the Fox Television network president of entertainment is said to be leaving to take an unspecified role at Paramount Pictures.
     

    An AP report indicates that Paramount is in discussions with Berman about a senior creative role at the studio and hopes to reach a deal soon. Paramount issued a statement saying, “Berman is one of the most talented executives in the entertainment industry, with great relationships, exceptional taste, and an amazing creative track record.” Fox and News Corp have not commented on the news.

    Another report in The Hollywood Reporter indicates Berman may take on a role akin to that held by Sherry Lansing, who oversaw the studio’s creative decisions until her retirement. It is also not clear as to who will be succeed her at Fox. Speculation centered on FX Networks president Peter Liguori and 20th Century Fox TV president Dana Walden
     
     

    Berman would be the first high-profile hire of Paramount head Brad Grey, who himself took the top spot at Paramount from Lansing earlier this month. Berman has led Fox for five years, a relatively long tenure in the pressure-cooker job of network entertainment. After its traditional slow start, Fox caught fire in January with the return of American Idol. Largely on the strength of that show, Fox is currently No. 1 this season among viewers aged 18-to-49. It ranks fourth when all viewers are counted.

    The pressure to make a quick decision on a replacement for Berman is heightened by Fox’s recent shift to a year-round programming cycle. This means that in addition to presenting its plans for the second half of the year to advertisers in May, the network is scheduled to launch a miniseason of new and returning series by mid-summer.

    Berman’s efforts to develop hits have been hampered by a schedule that is interrupted by Major League Baseball playoffs in October and November, when rival networks are building audiences for new programmes.