ITV

Tag: Shilpa Shetty

  • Government concerned over content in TV news channels

    NEW DELHI: Information and broadcasting minister Priya Ranjan Dasmunsi today wondered why news channels tended to sensationalise entertainment news, and said he would meet editors of the news channels next month in this connection.

    The minister expressed his concern on two occasions, first while addressing a seminar on gender parity in the media on the occasion of World Press Freedom Day, and then in his reply in the Lok Sabha to the Cable TV Networks (Regulation) Amendment Bill 2007 making it mandatory for all cable operators to show Lok Sabha TV and two terrestrial channels of Doordarshan.

    He said 60 per cent of the time on news channels was taken by entertainment news, and very
    little time was given to serious news. There was also a tendency to sensationalise, and gave the example of the ’28 seconds of Shilpa Shetty kissing’ which was shown by channels throughout the day. Noting that the ‘poor woman’ (Shilpa Shetty) was suffering, the minister said ’28
    seconds of Shilpa Shetty kissing was shown 28 times, 48 times, 88 times, even 100 times. Is it for commercial purposes, TRP purposes? In a country of 1 billion people, I don’t know how this becomes breaking news.”

    Dasmunsi was referring to the kissing incident between Hollywood actor Richard Gere and filmstar Shilpa Shetty at a function here to raise AIDS awareness among truckers last month, which had led to a case in Rajasthan and demands for Gere’s arrest for “violating Indian culture”.

    He also said while Indian media barons and employers were enjoying ‘freedom of press’, they did not allow ‘freedom of journalists’. “In India we have freedom of press – yes; but freedom of journalists – not yet. Sometimes journalists work in most pitiable conditions,” commented the minister. He alleged, “75 per cent journalists in India are voucher paid (as against regular salaried employees). Does this reinforce the freedom of press?”

  • Zee to kick off Zee Carnival on 16 February in London

    Zee to kick off Zee Carnival on 16 February in London

    MUMBAI: Zee Network is set to host its annual event Zee Carnival 2007 at the Grand Hall, Olympia in London on 16, 17 and 18 of February.

    Zee Carnival’s main attraction is its catalogue of Bollywood star appearances. Expected to attract about 30,000 people across the three days, the line up consists of Priyanka Chopra and Esha Doel, along with Big Brother winner Shilpa Shetty who will provide a Live interview.

    In addition, Pakistani cricket sensation Shahid Afridi will be present and Himesh Reshmiya will be performing live. Zee’s soap stars including Jay Walia, Bani, Vidhya, Chandini and Nahar Singh and celebrity chef Sanjeev Kapoor will also be present. The carnival will also have about 125 stalls in various zones, inform an official release.

    The network states that the carnival will be highly publicised with “mammoth advertising campaigns including underground advertising all over the UK.”

    Zee Entertainment Enterprises Ltd. senior vice president Ashish Kaul said, “Zee Carnival 2006 was a huge success. This year’s main attraction is the catalogue of Bollywood, television, cricket and musical stars appearance in the event.”
     

  • Channel 4 postpones sex shows after Shetty controversy

    Channel 4 postpones sex shows after Shetty controversy

    MUMBAI: Following the criticism of racism on its show Celebrity Big Brother which saw Bollywood actress Shilpa Shetty win, UK broadcaster Channel 4 has decided to postpone a series of shows on sex.

    The series of programmes were to be themed around masturbation. One show media reports state was a documentary about a charity ‘masturbate-athon’. Another programme called Virgin School, was to feature a 40-year-old former vicar being taught sex techniques in Amsterdam

    A spokesperson for the channel though was quoted saying that they will evenutually air. Clearly the channel does not want to air content that has the potential to lead to more negative publicity.

    Meanwhile the row over Celebrity Big Brother continues to make headlines.

    Reports state that one of Shetty’s three alleged tormentors, glamour model Danielle Lloyd, has met police for a three-hour discussion about the race row.

  • Shilpa Shetty trots away with ‘Big Brother’ win

    Shilpa Shetty trots away with ‘Big Brother’ win

    MUMBAI: Bollywood contestant Shilpa Shetty emerged as the winner of Channel 4’s reality show Big Brother on Sunday. Following a heated controversy sparked by alleged racial comments hurled at Shetty by inmates of the Big Brother house, earned her a lions share of the public vote of 67 per cent.

    In the last leg of the show Shetty beat MJ’s big brother Jermaine Jackson and was reportedly paid in excess of 40,000 pounds for her participation. Touted as the ‘hot favourite’ by bookies, the win seemed to have been an expected outcome for the Bollywood star.

    The racial slurs did not only have repercussions for the professional careers of those in question, namely Jade Goody, but also cost the show the withdrawal of one its biggest sponsors Carphone Warehouse, which said it did notwant bto e associated with claims of racist bullying.

    Both the broadcaster Channel 4 and television regulator Ofcom were said to have received more than 21,000 complaints in support of Shetty. The matter was further taken to the House of Commons by British Prime Minister Tony Blair, in response to NRI MP Keith Vaz statements.

    As opposed to this, the Indian adaptation of Endemol’s reality format Bigg Boss crowned Rahul Roy as victor awarding him Rs 5,000,000. However, Shilpa’s teary eyed incidents seemed to have over-shadowed the ‘drama’ in the celebrity enclosure back home.

  • Madhuri Dixit shares her ‘kahani’ on Radio City

    Madhuri Dixit shares her ‘kahani’ on Radio City

    MUMBAI: For its special episode of ‘Meri Kahani’ Radio City has roped in Madhuri Dixit as a guest on the show. The radio channel reveals that this is the actress’ first ever radio interview.

    Other guests to feature on this show in the past are personalities like Lata Mangeshkar, Subhash Ghai, Jitendra, Shilpa Shetty, Tabu, Khayyam and Anil Kapoor. This special episode will be telecast on 21 January at 1:00 pm.

    The episode will be aired across the cities of Mumbai, Delhi, Bangalore, Hyderabad and Lucknow. In this one-hour show, the actress reminisces her soulful moments and milestones of her extraordinary life and career that will strike a chord, leaving a lasting impression in the minds of millions of fans across the country.

    The show format of Meri Kahani gets the stars to talk about their lives, childhood stories, the backgrounds in which they have grown up, the start of their careers, struggling years, turning points and the important people who have been instrumental in shaping up their great lives.

    They also talk about their future plans and views on the Indian film and music industry. The show presents an exhilarating combination of all that listeners always wanted to know about their favourite stars and their lives.

    According to Radio City head programming Vikas Varma ‘At Radio City, it has always been our aim to connect with our listeners and the experts of the entertainment industry in a unique way.

    ‘Meri Kahani’ provides an opportunity to the legends of the industry to take a pause from their hectic lives and trace their journey to success and fame. The unique format of this new show has captured millions of listeners who connect with some unforgettable and unheard aspects in the journey of their favourite stars as they relive their past. Bringing yet another such exciting episode with ‘Madhuri’ on Meri Kahani which will keep our listeners tuned into Radio City thus living to our commitment to provide innovative and exciting programming to our listeners consistently.”

  • Big Bro loses sponsor over racist bullying row

    Big Bro loses sponsor over racist bullying row

    MUMBAI: It has become the ‘big brother’ of all controversies, with accusations of racism, the parliaments of two country’s wading in, and the show’s producers Endemol and UK broadcaster Channel 4 on a fast ride to ratings nirvana.

    And it doesn’t stop there. The latest twist to the story comes with one of the major sponsors pulling the plug on Celebrity Big Brother, the low brow reality show that is at the centre of a storm over the treatment meted out to Bollywood starlet Shilpa Shetty by her fellow “housemates”.

    Carphone Warehouse, the biggest mobile phone retailer in Europe, has pulled out its sponsorship of the current series saying that it did not want its name associated with claims of racist bullying. “We had already made it clear to Channel 4 that were this to continue, we would have to consider our position. Nothing we saw last night gave us any comfort. Accordingly we have instructed Channel 4 to remove our sponsorship name and branding with immediate effect,” Carphone Warehouse said in a statement.

    The statement added, “Nothing we saw last night gave us any comfort. Accordingly we have instructed Channel 4 to remove our sponsorship name and branding with immediate effect.”

    Carphone Warehouse has sponsored the show since 2004. The deal with Channel 4 and programme makers Endemol is understood to be in the region of £3million, Britain’s Sun tabloid reported.

    What would come as no surprise to most media watchers is that the controversy has also fuelled the ratings for the show. Tuesday’s telecast of the show was watched by over 4.5 million viewers almost 1 million more than the previous day. Interest in the show has skyrocketed both within UK’s Asian and white communities.

    UK’s broadcasting watchdog Ofcom has received a record 27,000 complaints, while Channel 4 has received 3,000 about alleged racism by the house mates towards Shetty. The show has also become a hot topic amongst bloggers making sure the interest in the show is kept alive.

    Ratings and voting revenues are likely to soar further after Goody and Shetty are now pitted against one another and depending on the most nominations received, one will be evicted from the house.

    Meanwhile Channel 4 released a statement insisting that there had been no overt racism, and claiming that the clashes were based on class and cultural differences.

    Ofcom chief executive Ed Richards has made it clear that he would not conduct a “kangaroo court” over the row. Richards was responding to questions over what action his organisation would be taking following accusations of racism in the show after his keynote speech at the Oxford Media Convention.

    One of the more ridiculous ofshoots of the controversy that everyone and their big brother is trying to cash in on came from online community Gottabet.com which is offering £10,000 to anyone “who can get a custard pie in the face of any one of the trio of girls” – Jade Goody, Danielle Lloyd and Jo O’Meara – who have been at the centre of allegations of bullying in the house.

    Celebrity Big Brother is now in its fifth season on UK’s Channel 4. Netherlands based Endemol is the series producer and had adapted the format to Indian television under the title Big Boss, currently running on Sony Television.

  • Radio City launches autobiography series ‘Meri Kahani’

    Radio City launches autobiography series ‘Meri Kahani’

    MUMBAI: Starting 11 June, Radio City will launch a series on autobiography of the stars by the stars. The series Meri Kahani will be aired across the cities of Mumbai, Delhi, Bangalore, Hyderabad and Lucknow on every Sunday at 1 pm.

    The series kicks off with the autobiography of Nightingale of India, Lata Mangeshkar. In this one-hour show, the queen of the Indian melody reminisces her soulful moments and milestones of her extraordinary life and career that will strike a chord, leaving a lasting impression in the minds of millions of fans across the country, according to an official statement.

    Besides, Lata Mangeshkar Radio City will feature Subhash Ghai, Jitendra, Shilpa Shetty, Tabu, Khayyam and many more through the series.

    The show Meri Kahani incites the stars to talk about their lives, childhood stories, the backgrounds in which they have grown up, the start of their careers, struggling years, turning points and the important people who have been instrumental in shaping up their great lives. The stars also talk about their future plans and views on the Indian film and music industry.

    “At Radio City, it has always been our aim to connect with our listeners and the experts of the entertainment industry in a unique way. The unique format of this new show will enable listeners to connect with some unforgettable and unheard aspects in the journey of their favourite stars as they relive their past,” says Radio City national programming head Vikas Verma. “