ITV

Tag: TV

  • Nielsen to launch VoD measurement service in US on 11 December

    Nielsen to launch VoD measurement service in US on 11 December

    MUMBAI: Nielsen Media Research in the United States has announced that it will launch a new service to measure nationally distributed Video On Demand (VoD) content on 11 December. This service will use the same National People Meter sample it uses to provide television ratings to national programmers.

    As with Nielsen’s current ratings, clients will receive household and demographic ratings for VoD content along with other detailed audience information. By measuring VoD content in its national ratings panel, Nielsen will enable clients to compare the performance of programs airing on traditional channels with the performance of those same programs on demand, informs an official release.

    Nielsen will be able to provide VoD reporting to clients who implement “watermarking,” or audio code, technology that identifies specific on-demand titles. Working in conjunction with clients, Nielsen has developed the encoding tools to uniquely “watermark” VoD content so that Nielsen’s newly deployed Active/Passive meter can accurately identify on-demand viewing sessions.

    Nielsen’s launch of VoD measurement ushers in a new level of reporting for all types of video on demand programming, including titles from the libraries of content providers and recently telecast programs shown again via VoD.
    New broadcast and cable network programming that is played back via VoD is already included in Nielsen’s time-shifted viewing ratings, but only if the programming content and advertising is the same as is in the original live telecast, adds the release.

    “Because Video On Demand is a growing business and a potentially valuable new revenue stream for programmers, it is increasingly important for them to understand who is watching their shows and to be able to compare the viewing that is being done via traditional television and VoD,” said Nielsen senior vice president Scott L Brown. “With this launch, we continue to ‘follow the video’ wherever it is broadcast, while fulfilling a commitment we made to clients who told us last year that VoD measurement was a major priority for them. Nielsen will be working with clients to make sure they install our watermarking technology so we can identify both their library content and their new, recently presented programs shown via VoD.”

    The release also states that Nielsen’s new watermarking process involves new software that embeds content identification information in the audio of the VoD program. This software has been tested by a number of clients over the course of several months and is now ready for use. Once a client installs the watermarking software, Nielsen can identify the programs it wishes to track through the VoD process, and the VoD programs viewed in sample households can be credited accordingly.

  • Channel [V] to launch VJ hunt on 19 November

    Channel [V] to launch VJ hunt on 19 November

    MUMBAI: Channel [V] is all set to launch, [V] VJ Freshers, a search for the channel’s next new VJ, on 19 November at 12 pm.

    The hunt is presented by Pantaloon and styled by Maybelline New York.
    This six-episode series will capture the entire drama, fun and tribulations experienced by all the contestants. The first episode will see the four city auditions that took place in New Delhi, Bangalore, Pune and Mumbai, asserts an official release.

    From students, architects, doctors to animated individuals; the auditions witnessed a gamut of performances, desperate attempts and die-hard efforts by contestants to impress the [V] team judging them and make it to the final eight.

    Some of the contenders are Farhad from Pune who did a pole dance, Ram Menon from Mumbai who imitated Laloo campaigning for votes, Neel from Mumbai who feels his sense of humour is like his faithful dog Tommy, Tulika from Pune and Akshat from Delhi.

    Accompanying the contestants through their trip is VJ Juhi, who will host the series and take viewers through their journey on [V] VJ Freshers, adds the release.

  • Tim Mewton selected to produce ‘India Trade and Culture’ documentary

    Tim Mewton selected to produce ‘India Trade and Culture’ documentary

    MUMBAI: US-Asia Business Forum (USABF) has selected Tim Mewton to produce the official documentary for the 2007 India Trade Delegation and Culture Tour.

    Earlier Mewton directed and produced a documentary on the economic growth of India and the benefits of a strong US-India partnership, asserts an official release.

    The completed documentary will premiere at a major film festival in 2007. It will then be screened for the CEOs of Fortune 500 companies, and distributed to governments, schools, colleges, universities, museums and libraries around the world, adds the release.

    USABF founder and president Kevin Kaul said, “Tim’s work has been instrumental in creating positive change in the growing relationship between the U.S. and India. We are delighted that Tim has accepted our offer to produce the official documentary for this historic event.”

    Mewton was chosen for the project from over 500 potential candidates, including directors from the United States, United Kingdom, India and Australia. The selection process focused on exceptional creativity and understanding of the subject matter, as demonstrated through a track record of significant achievement, asserts an official release.

    Commenting about his plans for the project Mewton said, “This important film will provide an insight into the cultural, social, economic and political aspects of India. By recording the findings and experiences of the trade delegation, we are helping others to learn about India from both a business and cultural perspective.”

    The Trade Delegation will comprise USABF officials and U.S. investors visiting India from 8 to19 January 2007. USABF and the Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FICCI) will guide delegates to explore investment opportunities in India.

    The event has the support of many leaders and political figures. U.S. President George Bush stated, “I appreciate the USABF members and all those committed to promoting economic relations and prosperity between our two nations.”

  • NDTV Profit to launch ‘Business on Course’

    NDTV Profit to launch ‘Business on Course’

    MUMBAI: Starting 18 November, NDTV Profit will showcase a new show Business on Course. The show will bring interviews with top notch CEO’s over a gaming session of golf .

    The discussions will focus on business strategies that they advocated as amateurs, the faults and mistakes they have made and learnt from. Until the present time with well honed skills and elegant swings, how they navigate themselves and their corporations through the intimidating course of business. A show on interesting experiences the businessmen have been through in their lives to be the pros and icons they are today, according to an informs.

    The repeat will air on 19 November at 8.30 am and 6 PM respectively. Its well accepted that golf as a sport reveals character. Top notch business executives have been known to use time on the golf course to plan business strategies, gain intimate knowledge of business associates, and strike the biggest deals over a shot on the greens.

    Business on Course spends half an hour every weekend evaluating the golf swing with CEOs on some of the best fairways across the country. With names like Pawan Munjal (Hero Honda), Gunit Chadha (Deutsche Bank, India), Arvind Thakur (NIIT) and V K Sibal (directorate general of Hydrocarbons) teeing off on Business on Course, the show will bring you a side of the best business minds that you have never seen before.

    NDTV Profit managing editor Vikram Chandra said, “They say 30 per cent of the world’s biggest business deals are sealed on the golf links. NDTV Profit is proud to turn this concept into a show that will bring to the viewers the real masters of the game who have made winning strokes both on and off the field.”

  • Vh1 and Jack Black join to produce ‘Department of Acceptable Media’

    Vh1 and Jack Black join to produce ‘Department of Acceptable Media’

    MUMBAI: VH1, Jack Black and the team from Channel101.com have announced the launch of weekly comedy program Department of Acceptable Media.

    The user-generated content and material show will be responsible for a website that will launch in early 2007 followed by a 8 episode weekly TV series premiering on VH1 in the Spring of 2007, asserts an official release.

    On board as coconspirators for The Department are Dan Harmon and Rob Schrab as executive producers, who teamed with Black in 2003 to cofound Black Channel 101, a Website dedicated to screening digital shorts made by novice filmmakers in a competitive forum. Benjamin Cooley will oversee for Electric Dynamite Productions.

    VH1 SVP of films and scripted series Maggie Malina, will oversee television production for VH1, along with VH1 EVP production and programming Michael Hirschorn.

    Each week viewers will see new three-minute episodes of six proposed TV series, most produced by the ‘Department’ staff, some produced by web users. Viewers will then be able to vote, via the Web site www.acceptable.tv, for three of those series to return with a new episode.

    The three with the least votes are cancelled and replaced by three new pilots the following week. All shows acceptable and unacceptable will be shown on the website. The best of these shorts could eventually grow to a full series on VH1, adds the release.

    Actor and series producer Jack Black said, “Over the years, Dan Harmon and Rob Shrab have assembled an incredible group of young filmmakers at their internet event, Channel101.com.”

    “They have mastered the art of the three-to-five minute entertainment power nugget. I am proud to be a producer of this breakthrough television series. This is the first show in TV history to be programmed by the audience,” he added.

    “The formation of the Department places VH1 and its viewers again at the forefront of the user-generated content revolution. VH1 tapped into the online video explosion early with our weekly Web Junk 20 series nearly a year ago. The show found the funniest videos on the internet and shared them with our viewers — thousands of whom uploaded their own videos to us,” said MTV Networks music group and logo president entertainment Brian Graden.

  • International products and technology innovations to be unveiled at Wire & Cable India 2006

    International products and technology innovations to be unveiled at Wire & Cable India 2006

    MUMBAI: With Prime Minister Manmohan Singh having assigned priority status to infrastructure, a strong impetus has been provided to construction, power and telecom sectors. This, in turn, is giving a major boost to the wire and cable industries, and the related input technologies, equipment and products.

    All these key aspects of this high growth potential segment will be presented this week at Wire & Cable India 2006, which will be held from November 16 to 18, 2006 at MMRDA Grounds, Bandra Kurla Complex.
    Organized by the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII), this flagship event will feature over 120 exhibitors from 20 countries, showcasing the latest products and world-class technology innovations. Around 4000 trade visitors from India and its neighboring countries are expected to attend the three-day event.

    With 50% of the exhibitor profile comprising International players from Germany , Italy, Spain, Japan and China and Korea , Wire & Cable India 2006 will provide a common industry platform for meeting key clients and partners from across the globe in a comprehensive, cost-effective format.

    Wire & Cable India 2006 is exclusively for materials, machinery and accessories for the production of wires & cables, optical fibre cables, fasteners, springs, wire ropes and other wire products. A variety of finished products including wires will also be displayed.

    The exhibitors will unveil the most modern wire manufacturing and finishing machinery, spring manufacturing machinery, cable and stranding machines, process technology tools, process technology materials, lubricants, measuring and controlling technology, process monitoring systems, quality assurance and measuring systems, drive and control technology, “finished product” testing system, all types of wires, cables, wire rods, bright, bars, sheet metal and specialty wires.

    Visitors will primarily be engineers, technicians, buyers, production managers and sales managers from a diverse range of sectors including the wires, cables, automotive supply, electricals, aerospace supply, electrical engineering and electronics, telecommunications, computer manufacturing, chemicals and construction.

  • Natpe Conference to have an in-depth focus on mobile

    Natpe Conference to have an in-depth focus on mobile

    MUMBAI: The National Association of Television Programme Executives (NATPE) in the US has announced the schedule for its annual conference. This takes place from 15-18 January 2006 in Las Vegas.

    A highlight is the daylong NATPE Mobile++. This is is a specially focussed and separate conference addressing the impact and business opportunities for wireless, mobile and digital distribution platforms for television producers, developers, technology companies, broadcasters and advertisers.

    The conference will analyse the rapid evolution occurring in the digital media industry, its impact on the traditional media industry and the many lucrative business opportunities it presents. It will explores cutting edge audience behaviours – the rapid consuming of mobile and digital entertainment. It will look at

    – Branded entertainment and the important role of advertising in the digital media industry

    – The ever-growing role of mobile media and mobile services

    – Mobile technology’s role in social networking and community building

    – Monetisation strategies for user generated content

    – The importance of user-centric design in the digital media industry

    Another session looks at The Long Tail. Online services carry far more inventory than traditional retailers. Even as consumers flock to mainstream books, music and films there is a real demand for niche fare found only online. To one degree or another, the same is true for all other aspects of the entertainment business.

    These potential markets may be twice as big as they appear. If the biggest money is in the smallest sales, how do we get over the economics of scarcity? Attendees will find out more about the markets that lie outside the reach of the physical retailer – they are big and getting bigger says Natpe. The panelists are Wired Magazine editor-in-chief Chris Anderson; ICM (International Creative Management) vice chairman Robert Broder, USA Networks president Bonnie Hammer and Fox Interactive Media president Ross Levinsohn.

    There will also be a sesion on IPTV in terms of the lessons learned from global Rollouts and what the implications are for the US. IPTV Natpe notes has already achieved significant penetration in both Asia and Europe; however, the degree to which IPTV will successfully penetrate the United States market is still anyone’s guess. With that said, insights into how IPTV has achieved this success overseas foreshadow the coming challenges for the US market.

    What will compel subscribers to leave their existing provider and switch to IPTV. Is it interactivity? specialised programming? price? Will telcos find new revenue streams or simply a way to reduce churn?

    There will also be a Shoot Out session that looks at Hollywood. This is a live extention of the TV show Shoot Out which is hosted by Variety editor Peter Bart and Mandalay Entertainment chairman/CEO Peter Guber. On the TV show which kicks off in India on Star World next month they take their best shots at the industry, the movies, and each other. If Hollywood is talking about it, they’re fighting about it.

    Now at Natpe the two hosts will conduct a session in order to get an international perspective on the industry’s changing landscape. The speakers are MGM worldwide TV Group Harry Sloan and Lionsgate CEO Jon Feltheimer.

    Another session is called The Currency of Content “In a time where content development and its marriage to marketing can cause chaos, adult supervision is at a premium,” says panel moderator Media Link’s Michael Kassan. How best to quantify, monetise and harness the explosive energy that is the result of ever more personalized and divergent content delivery?

    That is the challenge faced by businesses who work in the field of cross-platform content delivery and marketing. This panel chosen Natpe says has demonstrated the ability to recognise opportunity, bring disparate creative forces to bear on initiatives, and convert the resulting content into business currency. The panelists include Microsoft corporate VP global marketing Jeff Bell; Cingular Wireless VP, advertising and marketing communications Daryl Evans; FremantleMedia North America CEO Cecile Frot-Coutaz, Digitas president Laura Lang and Unilever US head of worldwide media Alan Rutherford.

    Another session looks at TV formats. From American Idol to Project Runway to Next Top Model, some of the most successful shows on TV today started as international formats and in some cases spawned their own international versions. Producers of hit shows have had to learn to adapt success for audiences that speak different languages, live in different cultures and even have different senses of humour.

    Producers of some of these shows talk about what makes a successful format that can be taken worldwide and the challenges of adapting a format for multiple markets.

    Another session aims to impaort knowlege on generations X, Y, and Z. Natpe notes that it is important for media firms to keep up with how our most wired, engaged and media savvy generation of consumers experience media content? Brian Seth Hurst, one of The Hollywood Reporter’s Digital 50, interviews members of this on-demand, user-engaged community. The panel of 18 -25 year olds will break it down for attendees – how they experience brands, consume content and, yes, even create their own networks for themselves and their peers. Where does traditional media fit in and how can firms capture this audience?

    There will also be a chat with Elise Doganieri who co-created the reality show The Amazing Race.From the creative processes to strategic decisions to the seemingly infinite logistics, this hands-on executive producer oversees every single detail of The Amazing Race which airs in India on AXN. So, what is the recipe for reality TV success and how do you create award-winning programming that consistently beats the competition and is considered the real must-see TV? That is what the sesion looks to answer.

  • Tivo’s new service allows net delivery of films to TV sets

    Tivo’s new service allows net delivery of films to TV sets

    MUMBAI: Tivo which works in the area of creating television services for digital video recorders (DVR) in the US has announced that it will debut a break-through new service early next year which will provide friends and families scattered across the US with an easy way to share their home videos, by sending them directly to the television.

    Rather than burning and mailing DVDs, or viewing videos uploaded on a computer, friends and family will now be able to set-up their own private channel to send home videos directly to a Tivo subscriber’s TV set.

    Tivo has partnered with One True Media an online service that helps people easily turn their video and photos into online video stories, to create an end-to-end solution for the person who took the home movies and to whomever he or she would like to show them.

    After uploading their home movies to One True Media, consumers will be able to edit their videos online and will receive a personal TiVo channel code which they can then distribute to other Tivo subscribers. With a few clicks of the Tivo remote, and the personal Tivo channel code, friends and family will be able to get a Season Pass recording that will deliver to their TiVo all the current and future home movies from the video creator. Videos will be displayed in the Tivo subscriber’s Now Playing List — the same location all of their favorite television programming is stored within Tivo.

    Tivo president, CEO Tom Rogers says, “TiVo is not only the best way to watch television, but it is also the best way to get television programming of all types. TiVo is committed to ensuring that its subscribers can enjoy their favorite video content no matter what the source. With the introduction of home movies, TiVo is once again delivering new service features that expand the universe of choices available to our subscribers.

    “Video that stars the important people and events in a subscriber’s life should be viewable on TV. It is not TV until it is on the TV and that is one reason we say ’It’s not a TiVo unless it’s a TiVo.’”

    To share home movies or slide shows privately the video creator gives his personal Tivo channel code to friends and family. Only people with the unique personal code assigned to the subscriber’s channel can see the published channel. Thus, creators can share their videos with friends and family, while assuring that their most treasured memories are not publicly available to anyone.

    One True Media CEO Mark Moore says, “One True Media makes it easy to tell the most important stories of our lives and share them with friends and family. We are excited to work with TiVo to enable consumers to now create their own personal TV channels and enjoy their videos on the big screen in their living room.

    “Tivo revolutionised the way we watch TV, putting consumers in charge of what they want to watch and when. Now, our two companies are taking that empowerment to the next level.”

  • Bangla board clears Nimbus deal after cricket chief quits

    Bangla board clears Nimbus deal after cricket chief quits

    MUMBAI: Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) president Mohammad Ali Asghar has resigned to clear the way for the government to sign a record television deal with Singapore-headquartered Nimbus Sport.

    As already reported on Indiantelevision.com, the deal, which runs from 1 November 2006 to 31 March 2012 and includes 16 international cricket events, was awarded to Nimbus after it made a whopping $ 56.88 million bid. Nimbus Sport will exclusively market media rights encompassing television, radio, broadband internet and mobile telephony. Nimbus will also produce the television world feed for all the events in the term.

    The official announcement that the Bangladesh board and Nimbus had entered into a partnership for marketing of BCB media rights came a day after Asghar’s resignation.

    Replacing Asghar, a lawmaker of the country’s outgoing ruling party, is senior government official Mohammad Abdul Aziz.

    “I have resigned as the ministry was delaying signing a deal with Nimbus that won a tender for a cricket marketing deal,” Asghar had been quoted by news service Reuters as saying.

    Nimbus will exclusively market media rights encompassing television, radio, broadband internet and mobile telephony. Nimbus Sport will also produce the television world feed for all the events in the term.

    Nimbus’ telecast of Bangladesh cricket begins later this month with a five-match one-day series against Zimbabwe. After that, Bangladesh plays Bermuda and Canada in early 2007 (two ODIs each).

    The full roster of international cricket events the rights encompass include three India tours, and tours by all major test-playing nations including England, Australia, South Africa, Sri Lanka, Pakistan, West Indies and New Zealand. It also includes a number of domestic cricket events, an offical release states.

  • Al Jazeera International launches Wednesday; not available in India

    Al Jazeera International launches Wednesday; not available in India

    MUMBAI: There’s just a day left for the official launch of Al Jazeera International, the English language sibling of the sometimes controversial Arabic language channel Al Jazeera.

    Al Jazeera International will kick off its inaugural broadcast from its headquarters in Doha, Qatar at 12 GMT tomorrow.

    In English-language markets, the channel will beam down from the Astra and Eurobird satellites to DSat homes in the UK; the Globecast platform in the US; Optus in Australia; and foreign-language platform Orcus in New Zealand, informs an official release.

    Interestingly, though India has been identified as a potential market, the channel will not be available in the country after the Union Home Ministry informed that the Qatar-based Arab news channel will not be allowed to register an office in India, thereby restricting its plans to beam into the country.

    The government had asked the channel to go off air six months ago on account of not conforming to the downlinking guidelines by 10 May. Al Jazeera had submitted an application to the company affairs ministry for registration of a company in India, as stipulated by the government for channels uplinking from overseas and seeking to downlink into the country.

    While the I&B ministry cleared the application, the home ministry, however, declined the application citing security considerations. According to a media report, the ministry, in a letter dated 14 September, specified that the company should not be permitted to deal in the business of providing news.

    Earlier this year, information and broadcasting minister PR Dasmunsi had clarified that the reason Arab television channels like Al-Jazeera, Al-Arabia, QTV had gone off air was because they had not applied for downlink permission in India.

    Broadcast across the globe, Al Jazeera English will far exceed its original launch target of 40 million cable and satellite homes. It will be distributed across all continents throughout the world and in addition to cable and satellite will be available on broadband IPTV, ADSL, terrestrial and mobile phone platforms.

    Not surprisingly the channel has got a very limited distribution in the US after it was “blanked” by big satellite players like News Corp’s DirecTV and Charlie Ergen’s Echostar and cable giants like Comcast and Time Warner. Al Jazeera English will only be available to subscribers of the GlobeCast Network – a subsidiary of France Telecom that carries channels from all parts of the world and services mainly non-Americans.

    Among the European satellite and cable platforms to carry the channel are Canal Sat and TPS in France, Kabel Deutschland and Kabel BW in Germany, HK Broadband in Hong Kong, YES TV in Israel, Sky Italia, Astro Malaysia, Canal Digital in The Netherlands, ORCUS in New Zealand, Canal Digitaal in Nordic Region and Sky Guide 514 in United Kingdom.