ITV

Tag: Television

  • Wift in conversation with Anupama Chopra and Zoya Akhtar

    Wift in conversation with Anupama Chopra and Zoya Akhtar

    MUMBAI: The name is Chopra, Anupama Chopra. Yes, if you are a movie buff then you know whom we are talking about.

     

    The author, journalist and film critic has written several books on Indian cinema and the latest addition to this long list is ‘100 Films To See Before You Die’. With Indian cinema completing hundred years in 2013, it is a perfect guide for cinema enthusiasts.

     

    Wift Mumbai Chapter, a not-for-profit organisation dedicated to providing a dynamic platform to facilitate the exchange of ideas, accelerate the professional development and recognise the achievement of women in film, television and other screen based media, is giving an opportunity to such enthusiasts to have conversation with the author herself.

     

    The event is a networking evening for women who get to interact with other professionals from the industry. “They get an opportunity to meet Anupama Chopra who has written the book and director Zoya Akhtar. The biggest challenge is to meet the right people. Wift gives them the opportunity through workshops like these with leading industry professionals,” says founder Petrina M D’Rozario.

     

    The organisation aims to have one such event every month. It also has an initiative called SNF (Saturday Night Fever) which is a relaxed evening one Saturday of the month with a theme over vino and cheese!

     

    Unlike some of the other events held by the organsiation which are only for the members, today’s event is open for all but will come with a charge of Rs 300 per head. “Only to be fair to our members who pay for the events and to pay for the F&B served at the event do we charge people,” clarifies Petrina.
    So, on a Friday evening head out to Le Sutra (Khar) to mingle with the industry professionals as well as to get an insight on the biggest churner of entertainment – Bollywood – from 6.30 pm onwards.

  • Now avail Dish TV on the go

    Now avail Dish TV on the go

    NEW DELHI: Commemorating completion of 10 years in the business, the country’s oldest DTH platform – Dish TV – today launched its services on laptops, tablets and smart phones, albeit available only to those customers who subscribe to the platform on television.

     

    Significantly, this is a first for any DTH player to have launched a full-fledged, OTT (Over the top) streaming application that provides unlimited entertainment ‘on the go’.
    The platform expects to add nearly 50,000 subscribers in the same period for its latest innovation

     

    Dish TV will make available the additional service in two packages: the Jumbo Pack for Rs 129 per month and the Starter Pack for Rs 49 every month. Initially though, these packs will be available for Rs 69 and Rs 29 per month, respectively. However, the platform will offer a free trial for the first two days.So what’s on offer? The packs come with 35 plus live channels, 1000 plus films in their video library, and the capacity to see repeats of TV series episodes within 24 hours. CEO RC Venkateish says he expects the number of live channels to increase further.

     

    How can the service be accessed? It’s available on Android and Apple app and works wonderfully on 3G or Wifi. Powered by Essel owned Zee’s Ditto TV aided by Siemens, the service will shortly be available on Windows 8. The application can be downloaded from the Google Playstore or Apple App Store.

     

    Speaking of Dish TV’s versatility as a platform, vice president (marketing) Anjali Malhotra says Dish TV was the first to launch HD TV channels (42 channels presently), Dish on wheels which made it possible to view channels in moving cars/trains/ships, recorders with unlimited capacity, value added services, and now Dish Online – Anywhere, Everywhere.

     

    Malhotra claims 50,000 recorders have been sold in just six months and the platform expects to add nearly 50,000 subscribers in the same period for its latest innovation, considering 35 per cent mobile consumers use smart phones. Malhotra says Essel is now a Rs 2,200 crore company while COO Salil Kapoor says Dish TV is Asia’s largest and the world’s third largest DTH platform.

     

    About the films component of the package, Kapoor explains Dish TV subscribers can register simply by sending their account details where expenses would be added to their main bill.

     

    Apart from print and other media, the service will be mainly marketed on Zee channels and through messages to all Dish TV subscribers through their mobile numbers.

     

    Fielding queries as to why Dish TV thought of such a service, Kapoor goes on to explain that India is the third largest Internet player in the world with 74 million subscribers; 75 per cent of whom are between 15 and 35 years of age. This demographic is expected to increase five-fold by 2015, of which three-fourth is expected to own mobiles. Currently, an estimated 60,025,000 Indians have watched videos on their personal computers or laptops.

  • Film & Television Producers Guild of India re-elects Mukesh Bhatt as president

    Film & Television Producers Guild of India re-elects Mukesh Bhatt as president

    MUMBAI: The Film & Television Producers Guild of India (‘Guild’) has re-elected Mukesh Bhatt as its president. The appointment was announced in the first meeting of the newly constituted Guild Council of Management.

    The other office bearers of the ‘Guild’ management team were also re-elected – namely Dheeraj Kumar, Ashutosh Gowariker, Vipul Shah and Siddharth Roy Kapur as vice presidents and Manish Goswami and Ashim Samanta as treasurers.
    We have made a conscious attempt to radically change the overall image and make-up of the Guild, says Mukesh Bhatt

    Ratan Jain, Vijay Singh and N P Singh were elected as new members in the Guild Council of Management for the year 2013-14 whilst Rajkumar Kohli was nominated by the Council as a co-opted member. Veteran council member and ex-president of Guild Amit Khanna was honoured by the council on being accorded the privilege of a permanent member of council of management.

    Kulmeet Makkar will continue to manage the affairs of the Film & Television Producers Guild of India as its CEO.

    In the opening speech at the Guild AGM, Bhatt, in the course of apprising the members about various initiatives of Guild during the past 12 months said, “We have made a conscious attempt to radically change the overall image and make-up of the Guild with the ultimate endeavor to build ‘Guild’ – not only in the eyes of the government and fellow trade associations/stakeholders but more significantly to earn goodwill amongst the Guild’s most prized assets – our esteemed Guild members. I am pleased that we have brought in an assured outlook in our delivery mechanism approach to all concerned individuals/entities and the effects are very much visible.”

  • Priyanka to deliver keynote at SAMMA

    Priyanka to deliver keynote at SAMMA

    Priyanka Chopra has been making waves on the international stage ever since the release of her first single In My City. Now adding yet another feather to her cap is the keynote that the actress will deliver at the 4th Annual South Asians in Media, Marketing and Entertainment Summit.

     

    Chopra will be one of the members delivering the keynote while the others include Dr. Mehmood Khan, EVP and Chief Innovations and Science Officer at PepsiCo and Keli Lee, EVP and Head of Casting at ABC Entertainment, according to a media release.

     

    The two-day networking conference for South Asian leaders and innovators in digital media, television, film, advertising, marketing and entertainment, is co-presented by SAMMA (the South Asians in Media, Marketing and Entertainment Association) and long time presenting sponsor Time Warner Inc.

  • Comigo Duo Box galvanizes the TV market

     

    MUMBAI: Comigo, the creator of a comprehensive multi-screen TV platform, has announced the launch of a new generation of smart set-top-box, named Comigo Duo. Featuring the Android Jelly Bean 4.2.2 operating system and a strong dual-core ARM Cortex A9 processor, the set-top-box will provide new social and interactive features and capabilities for the TV viewer. Comigo Duo set-top-box is 3G / LTE enabled, ensuring that viewers can take advantage of the latest wireless communications service available.

     

    With a finger on the viewers‘ pulse for social and communications needs, Comigo Duo supports video conferencing (Skype), enabling the viewer to invite friends and family for a chat while watching their favourite programme. Keeping up with developments in mobile technology, Comigo will roll out new services that take advantage of the latest innovative solutions.

    With the Comigo Duo solution, consumers can also perform common home computing tasks, such as emailing, chatting, browsing, gaming and even document viewing and editing. Comigo attempts to bridge the gap between the complex user experience provided by personal computers and the intuitive user experience of a smart device in one handy package.

     

    “Today‘s consumer is more demanding than ever before – they want to interact and communicate with their friends and family,” said Comigo founder and CEO Dov Moran. “We have been working to overhaul the TV experience with our comprehensive multi-screen TV platform – our solutions portfolio has continued to expand to address the rapidly evolution of consumers‘ expectations.”

  • The seven season itch

    T he daggers are drawn and the battle field is set for what promises to be one of the most closely watched fights in recent television history.

    We’re talking about the ensuing tussle between two of the small screen’s hottest properties: Sony Entertainment’s Kaun Banega Crorepati season seven vs. Colors’ Bigg Boss season seven.   

    While there really are no guesstimates as to which among these two shows will succeed in grabbing more eyeballs (… and TVTs), both Hindi general entertainment channels (GECs) are more than ready for the kill.  

    Sony is betting big on the seventh season of KBC which comes to drawing rooms beginning 6 September, in a new and improved avatar. Not to be outdone, Colors is kick-starting Bigg Boss season seven – The ‘Wow’ and the ‘Aow’ barely nine days later i.e. 15 September.

    We identify our strengths and weaknesses, and then see how we can complement our strengths with new shows, says confident Raj Nayak

    Rechristened Saptakoti Mahadhani… Kaun Banega Mahacrorepati, KBC will be aired every Friday to Sunday at 8:30 pm. whereas Bigg Boss season seven will be telecast Monday to Sunday at 9:00 pm.

    So what is the USP of this particular season, which the GECs are banking on?

    KBC aims to create a platform of opportunities for Indians across ages, genders and socio-economic groups, and has had a makeover in terms of its format and prize money, which is now a whopping Rs 7 crore, among others.

    Bigg Boss, on the other hand, arrives with a novel theme of heaven vs hell – The ‘Wow’ associated with the former and the ‘Aow’ with the latter.

    A quick look at what’s new in both the shows:

    KBC’s money tree will now comprise 15 questions and it will boast a brand new lifeline called ‘Power Paplu’ to aid those who seek to revive an already used lifeline. ‘Flip the question’ (Alat Palat) will replace ‘Ask the expert’ while ‘50:50’ will replace ‘Double Dip’.

    In the entire game play, a hot seat contestant may now use only four of the five lifelines on offer.

    A new feature ‘Play along’ has been introduced for the Fastest Finger First contestants who do not make it to the hot seat.

    Well, competition is a reality. Within the very aggressive, competitive market, you have to differentiate the niche, says N.P Singh

    Using ‘Play along’, they can play with the hot seat contestant and the one who answers the maximum number of questions in the minimum amount of time gets to win one lakh rupees at the end of the episode.

    Additionally, the time limit for the ‘Phone a friend’ lifeline has been increased from 30 to 45 seconds. What’s more, audiences can win by playing the Ghar Baithe Jeeto Jackpot.

    In contrast, Bigg Boss promises to be a roller-coaster ride for audiences, what with the heaven vs hell theme.

    Of the 14 contestants, seven will be new names residing in a separate heaven themed house while the remaining seven will be old members, staying under one roof in another hell themed house, who’ve already been members of the Bigg Boss house during the last six seasons. The contestants from both the houses would be pitched against eachother in a series of tasks.

    Among the newbies entering the Bigg Boss house are Shekhar Suman, Vatsal Seth, Suraj Pancholi, Kushal Tandon, Pratyusha Banerjee and Sonarika Bhadoria. The seventh newcomer is still to be identified.

    Blast from the past: Hellcat Pooja Mishra is among the old members who will continue to occupy the house. Other members are still not confirmed.

    There will be some amount of competition and fragmentation between the two shows, says Deepak Netram

    Apart from programming frills, the channels themselves seem super confident about their respective properties. Moreso considering Bigg Boss has had a successful run last season with an opening of 4.0 TVR (television viewership ratings); ditto for KBC’s last season which opened with 6.1 TVR.

    Colors CEO Raj Nayak says the channel is very clear and conscious in its strategy to be a complete household entertainment channel. “Today if you do a FPC (Fixed Point Chart) check across all channels, you will see Colors has the maximum variety. While strategy is one part, everything we do involves risks. But when I say risks, we take calculated risks. We identify our strengths and weaknesses, and then see how we can complement our strengths with new shows. If we succeed, they become better. If not, we keep trying,” he exults.

    Asked if Sony has any particular strategy to beat the competition, SET chief operating officer N.P Singh says, “Well, competition is a reality. Within the very aggressive, competitive market, you have to differentiate the niche. Sony in its last 17 years has always run shows which are different from the rest and that has set us apart and we continue to follow that strategy.”

    Since it is the seventh season, both shows have a great following and it will be very hard to choose one, says Ashish Bhasin

    While Lodestar UM vice president Deepak Netram agrees there will be some amount of competition and fragmentation between the two shows, he is quick to point out that they cannot be compared. “They are unique in their own way. From the past what we have seen is KBC ratings have been there year on year. So we hope to maintain that. Bigg Boss on the other hand is looking bigger; the promotions are really huge and have happened way in advance. So it will be interesting to see how this pans out,” he observes.

    Aegis Group plc chairman India and CEO southeast Asia Ashish Bhasin echoes Netram’s sentiments saying it will be a tough call between two very established properties. “Since it is the seventh season, both shows have a great following and it will be very hard to choose one. What viewers always believe in is content. If the content is of the viewers’ interest, people will definitely opt for that. The main competition will be when something else comes at that time – say a big movie is being launched by another channel or any big news event – which show loses out in that instance is going to be more interesting to watch,” he opines.

    peaking from the point of view of advertisers, Bhasin says this particular slot is becoming increasingly attractive to them as it is also the hub of reality shows. “Advertisers will go where the eyeballs are and choose the most cost-effective way to get them. That’s how pricing will be done. And that can vary depending upon what the market rates are for that channel around that point of time. I don’t think finding advertisers for any of these shows will be an issue,” he says.

    On his part, Nayak maintains Colors’ non-fiction shows generate more traction from advertisers than its fictional shows and Bigg Boss gets some of the biggest brands. However, he adds that it works as a loss leader and the channel has been investing in it because it is a cult show. This apart, it generates a lot of buzz. Estimates are that it is in the region of Rs 15-20 crore.

    Most advertisers across categories agree that since both KBC and Bigg Boss are big properties and have local audiences across age groups, they cannot afford to ignore any one of them.

    “Who would not want to take advantage of these shows to reach out to their target group? People are waiting for the shows to start and with festivals coming up; no one would be a fool to favour one over the other. Maximum eyeballs give us maximum reach,” says an advertiser who didn’t wish to be named.

    As things stand, both the shows have gone viral on various digital platforms. Bigg Boss seven’s official Facebook page boasts around 1.8 million likes and more than 30,000 people talking about it. KBC Seven is not far behind with 1.6 million likes. Both are popular on Facebook but don’t seem to be trending that much on twitter.

    Whether Big B’s charisma will work or Salman Khan’s swagger, only time will tell…

  • “The Ellen DeGeneres Show” returns in its eleventh season with happy hour at 3pm on Zee Café starting this September

    “The Ellen DeGeneres Show” returns in its eleventh season with happy hour at 3pm on Zee Café starting this September

    “The Ellen DeGeneres Show” is the daytime destination for laughter and fun on television. Slated to air weekdays at 3pm, Zee Cafe brings a refreshing perspective to daytime television. Voted the ‘funniest person in America’  Ellen’s charming personality and inimitable take on everyday life invite a relaxed and candid environment and allow her guests to engage in entertaining and thoughtful discussions on topical issues. The environment the host creates always leads to having moments of unpredictable fun, illuminating celebrities “in the moment,” and saying and doing things viewers won’t experience anywhere else! When members of Hollywood’s A-list and Ellen get together, anything can happen—from dancing with First Lady Michelle Obama to Christmas Caroling with Britney Spears to catching George Clooney after setting numerous “Clooney traps.”

     

    The show features a diverse mix of celebrity interviews, musical performers, audience participation, and segments spotlighting everyday people with extraordinary stories and talents. “The Ellen DeGeneres Show” continues to be a destination for the world’s biggest stars. In addition to Clooney, guests have included Brad Pitt, Reese Witherspoon, Justin Timberlake, Penelope Cruz, Halle Berry, Drew Barrymore, just to name a few.
    In addition to celebrity interviews, the show includes chart-topping musical performers and breaking new acts. The show has featured an eclectic catalogue of performances ranging from music legends Cher, Madonna, Paul McCartney, Prince, and Sir Elton John to pop superstars Beyonce, Lady Gaga, Pink, and Mariah Carey to smooth R&B and hip-hop artists Kanye West, The Black Eyes Peas, and Mary J. Blige .The show continues to prove itself as a leader in the daytime talk show genre by blending genuine warmth, humor, and unparalleled celebrity interviews.

     

    With the eleventh season Ellen DeGeneres continues to deliver uplifting, inspiring, and hilarious experiences to viewers. Ellen’s talent, personal warmth, and insight have earned her recognition as a global entertainer and household name. Through her show, she brings her humor and talent for tackling topical issues into viewers’ lives with her distinctive style touching every aspect of the show.
    “The Ellen DeGeneres Show” was launched in September 2003 to great success and critical acclaim.  In its launch year itself, the show won four Daytime Emmys, while Ellen has won ‘Outstanding talk show host’ four years in a row! Premiering on the 10TH of September, in its eleventh season the show airs Mondays to Fridays at 3pm exclusively on Zee Cafe.

  • The Pitch season 3 search for the top 10 begins

    The Pitch season 3 search for the top 10 begins

    MUMBAI: Bloomberg TV India, the nation’s premier English business news channel’s third season of THE PITCH moves into its second phase. The first phase, which was a nationwide call-for-entries, saw the channel receive close to 5000 entries.

     

    Subsequently the jury, comprising of successful entrepreneurs Mahesh Murthy, Vishal Gondal and Neeraj Roy, have identified the top 25 contenders. These 25 contenders will present their Elevator Pitches to the Jury for a place in the TOP 10 of THE PITCH Season 3. The Jury will evaluate these aspirants on the brilliance of their business pitches and their individual excellence.

     

    Starting 6th September, Bloomberg TV India will exclusively telecast THE PITCH Season 3 at 10.30 pm on Fridays and 5.00 pm on Sundays.

     

    The final 10 contestants will face challenges thrown to them by some of India’s most prominent new age entrepreneurs each week. In every episode, an entrepreneur will assign tasks to the participants. The tasks will challenge the aspirants on the most critical skills required to be a successful entrepreneur and by eliminating the weakest performer, narrow down to the most competent and deserving aspirant who goes on to receive the funding of up to Rs. 5 crore from Seedfund.

     

    The Pitch Season 3 is presented by Reliance Commercial Finance and powered by Hyundai. Big Daddy Productions are the concept partners for The Pitch. The show will be supported by a 360 degree marketing campaign spread across Television, Outdoor, Print, OOH, Online, Mobile, Radio, Multiplex, Retail, Restaurants, Malls, etc

  • Sahara One reports y-o-y flat results, net profit down for Q1-2014

    Sahara One reports y-o-y flat results, net profit down for Q1-2014

    BENGALURU: Television and motion picture operator Sahara One Media and Entertainment Limited (Sahara One) has reported disappointing results for Q1-2014. Total income, including income from operations and other income in Q1-2014 was almost flat at Rs 30.32 crore as compared to the Rs 30.36 crore for Q1-2013. Total income for Q4-2013 was Rs 28.2 crore.

    Sahara One’s net profit for Q1-2013 at Rs 1.21 crore for Q1-2014 was 32.02 per cent lower than the Rs 1.78 crore for Q1-2013. For Q4-2013, Sahara One reported a loss of Rs (-1.74) crore.

    Let us look at the other figures reported by Sahara One for Q1-2014
    Income from operations for Q1-2014 at Rs 27.42 crore was 6.73 per cent lower than the Rs 29.40 crore for Q1-2013, and marginally higher (by 3.35 per cent) than the Rs 26.53 crore for Q4-2013.

    Other income at Rs 2.9 crore was significantly higher (almost three times) the Rs 0.96 crore for Q1-2013 and was 74 per cent more than the Rs 1.67 crore for Q4-2013.

    Expenditure for Q1-2014 at Rs 28.54 crore was 2.92 per cent more than the Rs 27.73 crore for Q1-2013 and almost flat as compared to the expenditure of Rs 28.63 crore for Q4-2013.

    A major portion of the expenditure for Sahara One is Purchase of Content. The company paid Rs 21.73 crore in Q1-2014 for Purchase of Content, 16.23 per cent lower than the Rs 25.94 crore for Q1-2013 and 18.1 per cent lower than the Rs 26.53 crore for Q4-2014.

    Two segments bring in the revenue for Sahara One – Television and Movie Production.

    Revenue from Television for Q1-2014 at Rs 28.26 crore was 5.7 per cent lower than the Rs 29.97 crore for Q1-2013, but 3.6 per cent higher than the Rs 27.27 crore for Q4-2013. The segment result for Television at Rs 2.49 crore was less than half (45.52 per cent) of the Rs 5.47 crore for Q1-2013, but more than two and a half times the Rs 0.96 crore for Q4-2013.

    Motion pictures segment had revenue of just Rs 0.013 crore for Q1-2014 as compared to the Rs 1.53 crore for Q1-2013. The segment reported no revenue for Q4-2013. Motion pictures segment reported a loss of Rs (-0.16) crore which was more than six times less than the Rs (-1.01) crore for Q1-2013 and 58.74 per cent of the Rs (-0.27) crore for Q4-2013.

    Capital employed in Q1-2014 by the Television segment at Rs 57.95 crore was 55.56 per cent more than the Rs 37.25 crore in Q1-2013 and 18.76 per cent more than the Rs 48.79 crore for Q1-2013.

    Capital employed by the Motion pictures segment in Q1-2014 at Rs 86.17 crore was 6.12 per cent more than the Rs 81.20 crore for Q1-2013 and flat as compared to the Rs 86.09 crore for Q4-2013.

    Unallocated capital employed at Rs 149.77 crore was substantially lower (11.91 per cent) than the Rs 170.71 crore for Q1-2013 and 6.84 per cent lower than the Rs 159.79 crore for Q4-2013.