Tag: TV channel

  • Thrilling expedition with Sony BBC Earth’s January premieres

    Thrilling expedition with Sony BBC Earth’s January premieres

    Mumbai: Starting the new year with renewed vigour and anticipation, Sony BBC Earth brings in an interesting line-up of premieres for its viewers. Adding to the promise of making viewers feel alive by offering a fresh perspective on knowledge and adventure, the channel is premiering ‘World’s Most Dangerous Roads’, ‘Ancient Powers’, and ‘Spy in the Ocean’.

    ‘World’s Most Dangerous Roads’ takes viewers on a virtual expedition along with six British celebrities as they navigate the planet’s most treacherous highways, awe-inspiring landscapes, and captivating characters. The show guarantees an adrenaline rush and the thrill of a lifetime. With ‘Ancient Powers’ viewers can journey through time as they unravel the secrets concealed within ancient monuments and landmarks. It is a remarkable story of the social, technological, and physical challenges five powerful civilizations faced in their battle for survival and domination of the ancient world. Whereas ‘Spy in the Ocean’ takes people to an extraordinary underwater spy mission. With state-of-the-art hidden cameras, the show offers unprecedented perspectives on the ingenious creatures that call the ocean home. A new secret is unveiled of ocean life, into the heart of the underwater world.

    Watch ‘Ancient Powers’ on Saturday and Sunday at 8 pm from the 13 Jan, ‘World’s Most Dangerous Roads’ on Monday to Friday at 10 pm from the 15 Jan, and ‘Spy in the Ocean’ premiering on the 22 Jan at 12 pm and 9 pm from Monday to Thursday.

  • India Today teams up with Amazon Alexa for UP elections coverage

    India Today teams up with Amazon Alexa for UP elections coverage

    Mumbai: Fight for political supremacy in the Hindi heartland of Uttar Pradesh is one of the most anticipated events in India’s political calendar. With all eyes glued to this political fervour unfolding ahead of the counting day, India Today has joined hands with Amazon Alexa to deliver election broadcast in the digital arena.

    The alliance puts the focus on delivering insightful analysis and updates through three special episodes of flagship show called “Trigger Point” hosted by Preeti Chaudhary.

    “As the seven phases of polling nearly comes to an end and exit polls being around the corner, this unique content partnership comes at the crucial juncture in the most anticipated political festival of Hindi speaking belt of India – Uttar Pradesh elections,” said the broadcaster in a statement.

  • Zeel’s sales director Ankit Anthwal moves on

    Zeel’s sales director Ankit Anthwal moves on

    Mumbai: Zee Entertainment Enterprises Ltd’s (Zeel) director of sales Ankit Anthwal has announced his decision to move on from the company after a six-year stint. 

    Anthwal took to social media and shared an update saying he is moving onto a new chapter in his life. “As I move onto a new chapter in my life, the journey that has led me here is something I’d like to share. Zee Entertainment Enterprises Limited has been an integral part of my life over the last 6 years. This has by far been the longest time I have invested in any organisation and there are quite a few reasons for the same,” he said in a LinkedIn post.

    Anthwal joined Zeel in 2015 as senior manager – North (Zee TV). In 2018, he became territory head (North) and led the market for Z Marathi/Z Yuva (GEC’s) and a new music channel launch in Maharashtra, Z Vajwa.

    Prior to Zeel, Anthwal worked with Star TV Network as a senior executive for two years and handled Star Plus and Star Gold. He earlier worked with Reliance Broadcast Network and Bajaj Allianz Life Insurance.

    “While there are many people who work hard in their professional careers, there are very few places that acknowledge and reward the same. Zee Entertainment was that place for me. With consistent growth and support I flourished within its system. My mentors guided me through the various challenges, my peers motivated me to keep going and my teams’ efforts always ensured we thrived. Thank you Zee, for a rollercoaster ride that has finally reached its conclusion, leaving behind a thrilling experience that I’ll always be thankful for and have fond memories of,” he further said in the same post.

    Anthwal completed his MBA in marketing from ICFAI Business School, Hyderabad. His next assignment is still unknown.

  • Good News Today to telecast ‘The Horses Stable’ from 11 December

    Good News Today to telecast ‘The Horses Stable’ from 11 December

    Mumbai: Hindi news channel Good News Today has announced a new show called “The Horses Stable: Jo Jeeta Wohi Sikander.” The show launched will be launched on 11 December every Saturday at 8 p.m and Sunday at 5 p.m.

    The series will feature entrepreneurs who will pitch their business models to a panel of investors and convince them to invest money in their ventures, said the channel in a statement. The format of the show will be akin to the great Indian derby, it added.

    The investors or ‘horses’ include marquee names like Freeflow Venture Builders founder and chief ideator Suraj Juneja, Angels Network CEO and managing director Nandini Mansinghka, Saha Fund founder Ankita Vashistha, angel investor Mandar Joshi, deal advisor and startup mentor Deeksha Ahuja. Uniting these stalwarts is award-winning actor, producer, businessman and serial entrepreneur Suniel Shetty.

    The show is also sponsored by Vivek Bindra’s BadaBusiness.com and it is supported by the Atal Innovation Mission, NITI Aayog, and is a joint effort of Prashant Agarwal and Suniel Shetty. This initiative is also supported by MSH under the Ministry of Electronics and IT (MeitY).

    “We are proud to see what India’s brilliant business minds and entrepreneurs are able to bring to this country everyday, and the challenger startup ecosystem we have created on a global stage,” said India Today Group CEO television and radio business Rahul Shaw. “The India Today group has been tuned to the needs and aspirations of the nation for over 4 decades, and are thrilled once again to be able to provide a platform to let ideas of all shapes and sizes find the support they need to blossom and strengthen the momentum of India’s startup story. We are thrilled to bring this home on the Good News Today platform where it can reach and inspire more people than ever before.”

    The India Today Group officially launched the show on 6 December. The event was attended by Niti Aayog CEO Amitabh Kant, Atal Innovation Mission mission director Dr Chintan Vaishnav, HPPL founder Prashant Agarwal, FTC Talent and Entertainment Suniel Shetty and India Today Group CEO television and radio business Rahul Shaw. 

  • Zee Ganga becomes only channel in the region to celebrate Chhath in primetime original fiction shows

    Zee Ganga becomes only channel in the region to celebrate Chhath in primetime original fiction shows

    Mumbai: When it comes to festive celebrations, no one does it better than Zee Ganga. Taking that legacy forward, the channel is all set to bring a unique Chhath themed lineup for its viewers.

    Considering the significance of Chhath and the elaborate celebrations not just around the core region of Uttar Pradesh and Bihar but nationally as well as internationally these days, the channel will create a landmark moment this year by being the only channel to celebrate Chhath in original primetime fiction shows with a unique theme — “Yeh Hath Vrat Hai,” “Yeh Chath Vrat Hai.” Each show will undertake a journey signifying and amplifying the tough resolve that is needed to observe the most auspicious festival Chhath.  

    This is further accentuated by enhancing the celebration of Chhath across “Shyam Tulsi,” “Kaniya Pradhan,” “Mitwa,” and “Bandhan Tute Na” with the region’s biggest female celebrity icons Rani Chatterjee, Akshara Singh, and Monalisa across primetime shows on 10 November, from 7 p.m to 9 p.m only on Zee Ganga.  

    Presenting viewers a triple treat, each of the three spectacular shows is bound together by a common theme. One that sees the central character overcome constant barriers as they look forward to celebrating Chhath. Despite having their backs to the wall, their Aviral spirit, encouraged by the above-mentioned special guests,  help them rise to the challenge culminating into a Maha Vrath Chhath celebrated amidst much gusto. With such engaging plotlines, power-packed performances and a never-say-die attitude brought out in full display, Zee Ganga brings an added sense of elation and pride to audiences on one of the biggest festivals in the region.

    The show “Shyam Tulsi” will have a special surprise for the audience as actor Rani Chatterjee makes a guest appearance. The episode will showcase how Chhathi Mayi helps Shyama through Rani Chatterjee, who is a close friend of Nikhil, and makes his family accept her. This track will be aired at 7 p.m. Adding to the festive fervour, audiences are in for a treat with the special Mahasangam episode between Mitwa and Kaniya Pradhan featuring one of regions biggest stars Akshara Singh, where she will help strengthen the bond between Amarendra and his mother, as well as Ritu and Mithlesh. The one-hour-long episode will be telecast from 7:30 p.m to 8:30 p.m. 

    Last but not the least, “Bandhan Tute Na” will celebrate the festival with popular Bhojpuri as well Hindi GEC celebrity Monalisa Antara Biswas. As Chanda wants to impress Madhav keeping Chhath Vrat but Neela Devi creates obstacles, viewers will get to know how Chhathi Mayi helps Chanda through Monalisa, this special episode is to be aired between 8:30 p.m to 9 p.m.

    “As one of the pioneers in Bhojpuri GEC category, we have always looked towards building on consumer insights and adapting accordingly. With Chhath being one of the most celebrated festivals in the region, we do understand how one, with their Aviral spirit, manages to complete the fast every single year,” stated chief channel officer- Bhojpuri Amarpreet Singh Saini. “Taking this thought forward, we pride ourselves in being the only channel to curate fictional shows themed around Chhath that audiences can relate to. Having roped in some of the biggest names in the region, we have left no stone unturned towards celebrating this feeling of pride and accomplishment amongst our viewers.”

    “The idea behind weaving festive themes into Zee Ganga’s prime time offerings is to elevate the viewing experience and make it more personal. Considering all these are eagerly-awaited family shows, and festivals are the time when people indulge in buying and new investments, leading brands across sectors also can reach out to viewers across age groups with deeper and more meaningful associations through these festive offerings,” he further said.

  • News18 HSM’s ‘Hindi Ke Samrat’ contest receives overwhelming response

    News18 HSM’s ‘Hindi Ke Samrat’ contest receives overwhelming response

    Mumbai: On the occasion of ‘Hindi Diwas’, News18 HSM network organised a unique and engaging activity. In an effort to promote a connect with Hindi, the network rolled out ‘Hindi Ke Samrat’ contest, which ran on News18 India, News18 Rajasthan, News18 Madhya Pradesh/Chhattisgarh, News18 Bihar/Jharkhand & News18 Uttar Pradesh/Uttarakhand.

    The contest was widely promoted across not only the News18 HSM channels but also on social media and saw participation from almost 15,000 people. The campaign delivered close to three million impressions and had more than one million views and engagement – numbers that clearly stand testimony to the success of the campaign.

    Viewers who pre-registered for the activity with a simple missed call were short-listed and asked to complete Hindi muhawaras (proverbs). The chosen ones were then crowned ‘Hindi Ke Samrat’ and gratified.

    As the region’s leading HSM network, this viewer engagement campaign to promote the Hindi language is an integral part of our effort to bring content that is not only engaging but also has great socio-cultural relevance.

  • Rakuten TV turns to Amagi for FAST channel distribution

    Rakuten TV turns to Amagi for FAST channel distribution

    Mumbai: Rakuten TV has partnered with the cloud-based SaaS tech firm Amagi for channel distribution and monetisation across Europe. The video-on-demand (VOD) streaming service company has deployed Amagi’s free ad supported streaming TV (FAST) solutions.

    In Europe, Amagi supports premium content brands, including A+E Networks UK, Horse & Country TV, NBCUniversal International, News UK, Sofy TV, Koch Media, ADN, Ofive TV and Viceland UK among others, on its cloud broadcast platform.

    “This partnership with Amagi is key for Rakuten TV as we continue our European expansion,” said Rakuten TV CEO and founder Jacinto Roca. “It has provided access to a great line-up of third-party content across a wide range of genres.”

    For Rakuten TV, Amagi delivers a line-up of nearly 50 third-party linear channels, working alongside Rakuten TV’s primary monetisation partner Rakuten Advertising. These include Bite, Bon Appétit, Brat TV, IMG EDGEsport, Insight TV, PopSugar Fitness, Qwest TV, Talk Radio TV, and Xite.

    “Our channel creation, distribution and monetisation solutions are already the preferred choice for some of the largest OTT platforms and content brands in the market. We are pleased to add Rakuten TV’s FAST service in Europe to Amagi’s distribution network,” said Amagi co-founder Srinivasan KA. “With our premium content partners, viewership and advertising analytics capabilities, we are confident of accelerating Rakuten’s market share in the region.”

    With over 90 free linear channels, Rakuten TV provides an unlimited audiovisual entertainment through a catalogue that features the latest releases, on-demand access to premium subscription services, free films and TV shows.

  • Sony YAY! to launch ‘Ding Dong Bell, Masti Ka Khel’ on 16 August

    Sony YAY! to launch ‘Ding Dong Bell, Masti Ka Khel’ on 16 August

    Mumbai: Kids’ channel Sony YAY! has launched a new show ‘Ding Dong Bell, Masti Ka Khel’ starting 16 August. The animated series is a chase comedy with a voice-over by Jaaved Jaaferi and Mubeen Saudagar.

    In every episode, the Kukkads – Ding, Dong, and Bell are chased by a hungry fox, named Bhukkad. The perennially hungry fox is forever on the prowl for these chicks who are always at the ready to foil his plan. Each chick equipped with a special talent of ‘brains’, ‘brawn’ and ‘beauty’ is in the race to outsmart the fox and hence creating a laughter riot for kids. Every failure angers the determined fox to devise even more elaborate plans to outwit them in each passing episode, which usually ends up being a wild chick chase.

    “‘Ding Dong Bell, Masti Ka Khel’ is our pre-festive treat to kids which is packed with a hilarious ride doubled with funny commentaries by the best artists of the industry. While we have a barrage of new content lined up for the upcoming festive season, this is to give our young audience a taste of what they can expect in the coming months and continue serving them all their favourite characters & narratives,” said Sony Pictures Networks India, business head, Leena Lele Dutta.

    “I have always loved working with kids’ content and with a show like Ding Dong Bell, it has been a laugh riot while shaping up the narrative around it. The show is a perfect mix of comedy and adventure,” said Jaaved Jaaferi.

    Sony YAY! will introduce the new characters of the show in an exclusive sneak peek on 14 August via Zoom.

  • Budget 2019: Finance Minister reveals plan for TV programme dedicated to startups

    Budget 2019: Finance Minister reveals plan for TV programme dedicated to startups

    MUMBAI: While presenting the first Union budget under Prime Minster Narendra Modi's second term, finance minister Nirmala Sitharaman announced a plan to come up with television programme dedicated to startups.

    "We propose to start a television programme within the DD bouquet of channels exclusively for start-ups. This shall serve as a platform for promoting start-ups, discussing issues affecting their growth, matchmaking with venture capitalists and for funding and tax planning. This channel shall be designed and executed by start-ups themselves. Later in this speech, I shall deal with taxation matters of the start-ups." Sitharaman said. 

    It was highlighted in the latest Economic Survey of India that nearly 85 per cent of companies in India were small-scale firms that employed fewer people. With the emerging importance of media and entertainment industry, nine pages have been devoted the sector in Economic Survey this year from zero space in previous editions.

  • Wajah Tum Ho: No Cause de Celebre, this!

    Wajah Tum Ho: No Cause de Celebre, this!

    MUMBAI: Wajah Tum Ho is a murder mystery just like any other. One may have heard of suicides being committed on live phone video or computer video and one hears a lot about hacking of computers on the highest levels. Wajah Tum Ho combines the ideas for its new approach to dealing with a thriller; here a TV channel is hacked to telecast live murders.

    The TV channel Global Times Network is hacked by a mysterious person to telecast a murder being committed live. The immediate suspect is, of course, the owner of the channel, Rajneish Duggal’s character , because this incident is expected to add to his channel’s TRPs. The case is being investigated by an honest inspector, Sharman Joshi’s character, and a lot rests on his shoulders since the person murdered was another cop.

    Duggal’s case is being handled by Sana Khaan’s character who is in love with another lawyer, i.e. Gurmeet Chaudhary’s character. The lovers have a conflicting interest as Gurmeet is helping Sharman with the investigations.

    After the usual twists and turns and red herrings, when Sharman thinks he has cracked the case, there are a couple of more murders in similar fashion.

    The director, Vishal Pandya, who earlier made thrillers like Hate Story 2 and 3 manages to create interest when one thinks of the theme of live murders but that is about all since that has little to do with what follows. The film changes tracks to resort to some romance, intimate scenes and songs between Sana and Gurmeet. It also takes time off to get in to the cop Sharman’s personal life.

    The script leaves some gaps and complicates things. The direction is average and the music is fair. The dialogue is routine and editing is weak. Sharman Joshi is the star attraction of the film, and justifies his presence. Rajneish Duggal has little to do. Sana Khaan and Gurmeet Chaudhary are okay. Wajah Tum Ho is a routine thriller. The film’s solo release status won’t help much either.

    Producers: Bhushan Kumar, Krishan Kumar.

    Director: Vishal Pandya.

    Cast: Sharman Joshi, Rajneish Duggal, Gurmeet Chowdhary, Sana Khaan.

     

    Shor Se Shuruaat: A collection

    With the emergence of small screen, entertainment was sure to come in small doses. Earlier, short films usually meant documentaries or diploma films for film students. Shor De Dhuruaat is an omnibus of seven short features based on the central theme of Shor- the sound around us.

    Aazaad

    Aazaad has Atul Kulkarni as its protagonist. It is about a father son relationship and is set in the present day India. Mentored by Mira Nair, it is directed by her associate Rahul V Chittella.

    Aamer

    Aamer is a 10 year old deaf boy helping his mother sell flowers. Though he can’t hear, he relishes the life around him till one day his mother has saved enough to buy him a hearing aid. The world around him changes but he is not quite prepared for the din he hears. Luckily for Aamer, he can control the noise by reducing the volume knob on his hearing aid or just turn it off totally. Mentored by Zoya Akhtar, the short is directed by Amira Bhargava.

    Decibel

    Decibel is ironic as well futuristic in that  the protagonist is in an age when the sound is totally banned beyond a certain decibel level and the one breaking the law faces severe consequences. Having moved to the city, this girl can’t sleep without sound. She checks into a remedial facility where one is treated for a soundless sleep. However, she ends up breaking the rules each time. Mentored by SriramRaghvan, the feature is directed by Annie Zaidi.

    Yellow Tin Can Telephone

    Yellow Tin Can Telephone is about a girl with overdeveloped sense of hearing and a boy who has the similar sense of colour. While she finds the world around her too noisy and wants to live in a soundless world, for the boy things are too colourful and he prefers to live in a black and white world. Mentored by Homi Adajania, it is directed by Arunima Sharma.

    Hell O Hello

    Hell O Hello deals with the world of consumerism and takes a comic approach. Here, two competing mobile phone salesmen try to convince a seemingly vulnerable buyer with the sales peach, he subjected to all sorts of lies and the noise created around him. And, while all this is going on, the consumer has no voice at all! Mentored by Shyam Benegal, the film is directed by Pratik Rajen Kothari.

    Mia I’m

    Mia I’m is about a girl from North East who becomes the victim of an MMS after falling in love with a boy. Her exploitive MMS follows wherever she goes. She gets rid of what her so called lover loved the most about her, her splendid mop of hair. She than vents her anger through music and works on altering her life. Mentored by Imtiaz Ali, it is directed by Satish Raj Kasireddi.

    Dhvani

    Dhvani is about a man confined to a solitary prison and awaiting his turn to gallows. His only companion here is total silence and before he is hung, he has just one wish. He wants to feel the world away from this silence around him. The film has Sanjay Mishra as its protagonist.

    Mentored by Nagesh Kukunoor, it is directed by Supriya Sharma. The films here have quite a bit of relevance in modern life and identification for the viewer. While they may not hold sway at the box office, they are a must watch for talent scouts.

    Producers: Humara Movie in association with Amazon Prime.