ITV

Tag: TV

  • BBC World is available on Tata Sky

    BBC World is available on Tata Sky

    MUMBAI: BBC World is now available on DTH service provider Tata Sky.

    BBC World regional director distribution and business development, Europe, Middle-East & South Asia Gerry Ritchie says, “We are very excited about our new association with Tata Sky. At a time, when India is witnessing rapid growth and change in the television and entertainment industry, Tata Sky provides us with an ideal platform to reach our target viewer with an interest in international news and events. This new agreement with Tata Sky will introduce BBC World to new viewers and increase the channel’s audience reach.”

    Tata Sky MD and CEO Vikram Kaushik said, “It is our endeavour to provide Indian viewers with a world-class satellite television service, offering the best in home entertainment. Since the launch of our service in August, we have continuously expanded our offering to include India’s most popular television channels and a host of exciting, interactive services.

    “The availability of BBC World on our platform reiterates our commitment to provide our subscribers with access to top-of-the-line content, in this case, the best of international news.”

  • BCCI, ICC resolve MPA differences

    BCCI, ICC resolve MPA differences

    MUMBAI: After all the public grandstanding came the expected resolution. World cricket’s governing body and the Indian board have resolved their differences over the Members Participation Agreement (MPA).

    The quid pro quo was that the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) agreed to withdraw its bid for the broadcast rights for ICC Events from 2007 – 2015 after “legal opinion” indicated there would be conflict of interest.

    Now a new draft of the MPA will be sent to all ICC member countries.

    A statement issued the International Cricket Council (ICC) after its two-day meeting over the weekend said: “The (ICC) board achieved a successful resolution of the outstanding issues involving the MPA with the BCCI.”

    The BCCI’s objection prior to the discussions was that the MPA in its earlier form affected its commercial interests. Following the compromise deal, BCCI officials say that their sponsors have been protected.

    Now though there will not be a conflict between an ICC sponsor and a BCCI one like Nike. In addition countries like India and Australia can keep hosting triangular events and also events involving four teams. The MPA in its earlier form had not allowed this.

    It may be recalled that a month back ICC president Percy Sonn talked tough warning the Indian cricket board that it “could not continue as one of the joint hosts of the 2011 World Cup” if it refused to play ball.

    The never at a loss for words BCCI vice-president Lalit Modi had fired back then that without India, the ICC’s revenues would be drastically affected.

    After a churlish and often childish back and forth between ICC chief Malcolm Speed and the irrepressible Modi over the last few weeks, bridges have been mended and now the crickets global administrator can go ahead with its rights process tender.

  • News broadcasters look at innovative ad sales

    News broadcasters look at innovative ad sales

    Mumbai: The approximately Rs. 600-700 million news market in India may get radically stirred if a proposal being considered by the newly-formed News Broadcasters Association of India sees the light of day.

    According to the still-under-discussion proposal, Hindi language news broadcasters with sizable market shares are looking at the pros cons of offering a uniform advertising rate to clients.

    The proposal, reportedly mooted by a few news market leaders in India who are part of News Broadcasters Association of India, may initially exclude the English news channels from this proposed uniform approach to ad sales, which might be a stumbling block in it going through.

    Scepticism notwithstanding, one news channel head admitted that the proposal is being considered.

    “It’s (having common ad rates across Hindi news channels) certainly on the agenda, but there are too many ifs and buts to be sorted out before any possibility of actual implementation,” the chief executive who did not want to be named said.

    The executive explained that the idea is to find common ground on various news broadcast-related issues, including infrastructure, distribution and, probably, ad sales too.

    Still, the revenue sharing formula being suggested too is debatable. As per an initial suggestion, after offering common ad rates, the revenue would be split amongst news channels as per respective market share in terms of viewership and ratings.

    For example, if Rs. 100 is generated through this common plank, then the bulk of it would go to the news channel boasting the largest market share and then split up as per market share percentage.

    However, another news channel head questioned the model suggested, saying the proposal may be “lofty, but the revenue share formula would throw up various questions.”

    Still, most news channels admit there’s no denying that having common approach to issues, including editorial, distribution and infrastructure, is worth exploring in the Indian market as certain expenses are spiraling.

    For instance, distribution and placement charges of news channels have increased manifold over the last two years with limited bandwidth of cable networks and mushrooming news channels.

    Presently, the major Indian news channels in Hindi and English include Aaj Tak, Star News, Zee News, NDTV India, NDTV 24×7, Sahara’s eight-odd channels, India TV, CNBC TV18, Awaaz, CNN IBN and IBN7.

    The News Broadcasters Association of India is also in the process of finalizing content code for its member companies and exploring having an ombudsman on the lines of Editors’ Guild of India, which primarily oversees the print medium.

  • FIH event’ ratings improving

    FIH event’ ratings improving

    MUMBAI: The International Hockey Federation (FIH) has announced that it has improved its television distribution and television ratings for its major events in 2006 compared to previous years.

    This improvement, which resulted to good figures, was achieved since the FIH decided to take the television distribution ‘in-house’.

    The Champions Trophies, besides the two World Cups two other major FIH events played in 2006, achieved a strong rating. The Rabobank Champions Trophy Women, played in Amstelveen, Netherlands, was shown for the first time on the Chinese terrestrial channel CCTV5.

    The Sahara Champions Trophy men, which took place in Terrassa, Spain, achieved high figures in Pakistan. The national channel PTV1 broadcasted four matches at prime time and achieved a TV rating of 44 per cent from an average of 12.95 million viewers.

    The BDO World Cup Men, played in Monchengladbach, Germany early September, was shown in 150 countries worldwide. This is an increase of 54 countries compared to the previous World Cup in 2002. The Samsung World Cup Women, which took place in Madrid, Spain from 24 September until 8 October, was also shown in 150 countries

    This is an increase of almost 100 percent. The final of the Samsung World Cup was watched live by more than 1.5 million Dutch hockey fans through the national broadcaster of Netherlands NOS. This is a market share of 33 percent, while almost ten percent of the entire Dutch population was watching the final.

  • Educational TV has positive effects on toddlers, preschoolers

    Educational TV has positive effects on toddlers, preschoolers

    MUMBAI: A new study in the US suggests that educational television programmes are successful in broadening young children’s knowledge, affecting their racial attitudes and increasing their imaginations.

    A study has been published in the November issue of Pediatrics, the official journal of the American Academy of Pediatrics.

    Researchers Dimitri A. Christakis, Michelle M. Garrison and Rupin R. Thakkar, MD, of the Child Health Institute, conducted a systematic literature search and identified a total of 376 articles dealing with children and television. Of these, 12 met the criteria of being a controlled trial. The 12 studies were conducted between 1973 and 2000 and focused specifically on television content viewed by children under age six and its impact on learning, racial preference, aggression, pro-social behaviour, self-regulation and imagination. None of these studies looked at infant television viewing or examined the content of videos designed for
    children.

    The research found that there is evidence to suggest that educational television programs, such as Sesame Street and Mister Rogers can aid in the acquisition of general knowledge plus improve overall cognitive knowledge among young children.

    There is also evidence in the literature that children’s imaginative play can be positively affected by television content. Furthermore, there is evidence that educational television programming that emphasizes diversity can improve children’s racial attitudes.

    On the negative side, there is evidence that television viewing can increase a child’s display of aggression. Children who watch aggressive programmes and cartoons with lots of violence can be more likely to engage in aggressive behavior than those that do not.

    Dr. Christakis says, “The bottom line is that content is key — high-quality educational programming can have a positive effect on children under age six. However, much more research is needed. It was disappointing that there are so few rigorous controlled trials of something that is so important and so prevalent.”

    The study’s researchers also stress the importance of AAP recommendations that parents avoid letting their children under age 2 watch television and that parents exert caution — such as setting limits on TV viewing, helping children develop media literacy skills to questions, analyze and evaluate TV messages, and taking an active role in their children’s TV viewing — for children over age 2.

  • 2008 Champions Trophy to see 8 teams competing

    2008 Champions Trophy to see 8 teams competing

    MUMBAI: One of the problems in the recently concluded cricket Champions Trophy is that it took a while to take off. A major reason for this is that you had the minnows Zimbabwe and Bangladesh playing in the first week.

    Recognising this fact, the International Cricket Council (ICC) president Percy Sonn has announced that in the 2008 edition, which takes place in Pakistan, there will be eight teams instead of the ten for this years event. “That should increase the intensity and excitement still further. The shape of the tournament has changed on more than one occasion since its inception as the ICC Knock-out in 1998 but there is no doubt this has been the best format yet.

    “It meant there was something riding on virtually every match and that helped provide a real competitive edge to proceedings” he said.

    Sonn also thanked India for hosting what he called an ‘outstanding’ ICC Champions Trophy.
    “Although world champions Australia came through to take the spoils, this was still a tournament that, more than any other in recent memory, illustrated the unpredictability of our great game.

    “The formbook was turned upside-down on more than one occasion, and matches such as Pakistan’s win over Sri Lanka, South Africa’s great comeback against Pakistan and the West Indies’ win over Australia in the group stages were illustrations of that.

    “The ICC Champions Trophy also showed how fascinating one-day cricket can be when there is a balance between bat and ball and that balance helped define this tournament.”

    Another highlight for Sonn was the way the players embraced the ICC’s dedication of the event to the Spirit of Cricket.

    Only one player – West Indies’ Chris Gayle – was found guilty of a Code of Conduct violation in the 21 matches.

    “We called on players and officials to honour the Spirit of Cricket in this tournament and my view is that they have done just that.

    “The sight of the two sides meeting to congratulate each other after each match was not something the ICC ordered players to do; it was a spontaneous gesture that simply caught on and it was wonderful to see.

    “And incidents like the one where Australia’s Michael Clarke refused to claim a low catch during a crucial stage of the semi-final against New Zealand without any recourse to the umpires will stick in my mind for quite some time.

    “My hope now is that the spirit in which these matches were played will continue for the foreseeable future.”

  • Multi-platform distribution strategy key to media success

    Multi-platform distribution strategy key to media success

    MUMBAI: In a report on the future of the global media industry Standard & Poor’s Equity Research Services says that traditional media companies will need to develop multiple content distribution platforms to exploit the growth of digital and wireless opportunities, as well as the growth of online advertising in order to grow their businesses.

    In the study Emerging Digital Strategies For Branded Entertainment Standard and Poor’s Media and Entertainment Equity Analyst, Tuna N. Amobi, explores the intersection of different digital growth strategies for traditional media companies. While in “Old Media and New Media-Friends, Not Foes,” Standard & Poor’s Internet Software and Services equity analyst Scott Kessler examines how traditional media companies could and should monetise their
    content via partnerships with online media firms.

    Amobi says, “If traditional media and content companies want to grow their businesses and maintain their relevance in the ever-changing entertainment landscape, they need to quickly devise and systematically execute new media strategies that are highly responsive to the digital entertainment revolution.

    “Regardless if it’s through acquisition, partnership or organic growth, these companies need to leverage the growth associated with online advertising and video, as well as the various paid content, wireless and video game channels or risk the perils of a continued audience fragmentation across these emerging platforms.”

    Kessler says, “Given the exciting opportunities and notable challenges constituted by this new Internet age, traditional media companies need to think big, and think differently. They will be best served by partnering with new media companies with specialised assets and competencies, rather than going it alone to monetise their content.”

  • Adobe wins Emmy for its Flash video technology

    Adobe wins Emmy for its Flash video technology

    MUMBAI: Adobe has won a Technical and Engineering Emmy from the National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences for its Flash video technology, in recognition of the software’s role in bringing television content to the Internet.

    The award for streaming media architecture and components was announced by the National Academy of Television and will be formally delivered to Adobe at a ceremony held during the Ces trade show, in January 2007 in Las Vegas.

    Today, television shows like Lost, Desperate Housewives, Grey’s Anatomy and Friday Night Lights are being delivered online thanks to Flash video, while the technology also powers the video capabilities of social networking sites such as YouTube and MySpace.

    Adobe president and COO Shantanu Narayen says, “Flash Video is fundamentally changing the role of video on the Internet, and this prestigious award is further proof of this technology’s profound impact on how broadcasters deliver their content.

    “ABC and NBC and pop culture phenomena like YouTube and MySpace are relying on Adobe technologies to reach new audiences. Winning this Emmy is deserved recognition for our engineering teams and Adobe’s continued commitment to innovation in dynamic media.”

    With Flash Video technology, users can view interactive video online as an instant-on web video experience. Flash Video is delivered via Adobe Flash Player, allowing content publishers to reach the largest possible audience on the web and to deploy consistent, high-impact online video across all major platforms and browsers, while lowering the costs of development, quality assurance, and support. Adobe Flash Player is installed on over 700 million Internet-connected desktops and mobile devices.

    Flash Video works with Flash® Media Server 2 to give organisations a scalable and secure way to stream video content, and partnerships with leading content delivery network providers — Akamai, Limelight, and VitalStream — to create the foundation for delivering web video and rich media applications to the widest possible audience on the Internet.

    The Technology and Engineering Emmy Awards honor achievements in two areas: Science Engineering and Technology for Broadcast Television, which includes broadcast, cable and satellite distribution and Broadband and Personal Television encompassing interactive television, gaming technology, the Internet, cell phone, private networks, and personal media players.

  • Nielsen, NetRatings launch TV/Internet fusion database in the US

    Nielsen, NetRatings launch TV/Internet fusion database in the US

    MUMBAI: US media research firm Nielsen Media Research and subsidiary NetRatings have launched their TV/Internet Fusion database.

    This product merges information from television and Internet panels into a single dataset, and allows television programmers and advertisers to study and capitalize on the relationship between television and Internet use.

    The new service is the first deliverable being developed through Nielsen’s Anytime Anywhere Media Measurement (A2/M2) initiative. This resource combines Nielsen’s National People Meter sample of more than 30,000 respondents with NetRatings’ NetView sample, which electronically tracks Internet use of approximately 29,000 panelists from homes and businesses.

    The fused database uses panelist information, including age, sex, household income, household education and region of the US to link the two databases, thereby providing a picture of consumers’ TV and online activities.

    The National TV/Internet Fusion database serves as a springboard toward the development of a single-sample Internet/television panel. In November, Nielsen Media Research will begin a test to identify the potential impact of Internet measurement on television panel-quality metrics, installing software meters – including NetRatings’ patented metering technology – on the laptops and personal computers of test homes installed with Nielsen People Meters. The company plans to fully deploy the meters during the 2007-2008 television season, assuming successful test results.

    Nielsen Media Research chief research officer v says, “At a time when the importance of the Internet as an advertising vehicle continues to grow and expand with new streaming offerings, it’s particularly important to understand the interaction between these two media. The National TV/Internet Fusion database is an advanced multi-platform measurement service that offers advertisers, agencies and media companies an unparalleled view of this expanding relationship; and it represents a critical element in Nielsen’s commitment to measure television wherever and however it is viewed.”

    NetRatings VP measurement science Mainak Mazumdar said, “The National TV/Internet Fusion database takes media measurement to a new level. As streaming content becomes ubiquitous on the Internet, the importance of a combined television and internet data set is critical for companies competing for the digital consumer.”

    By reporting both national TV network viewership and web site usage in a single data set, the National TV/Internet Fusion database can provide media and advertising clients with a broad range of analysis, including:

    – Assessment of Internet usage by TV audiences, including visits to media company web sites by viewers to their network.
    – TV viewership by visitors to specific websites.
    – Quantification of the unduplicated reach of television sources and Internet web sites.
    – Segmentation of audiences to identify and target specific interest groups.
    – Tracking of changing patterns of media consumption as more TV programming and other streaming content becomes available online.
    – Improved measurement of the reach and frequency of combined TV/Internet campaigns.

    In conjunction with the launch of the new service, the companies have produced a research report of their April 2006 fused data, based on time spent watching television and usage of more than 2,000 ad-supported web sites. Included in the key findings:

    The analysis of the intersection of television and Internet quintiles reports that 40 per cent of the US 2+ population are more television-centric, 24 per cent are more Internet-centric, and 15 per cent are equally heavy users of TV and the Internet (the remaining portion of the population are light users of both media). Heavy Internet users also tend to watch more television than do light Internet users.

    Broadcast and cable networks achieve higher ratings among people who visit their websites, however this relationship differs greatly by demographic and program genre. Visitors to pure-play Internet web sites tend to watch less television than average viewers.

  • Shemaroo in partnership with Croma

    Shemaroo in partnership with Croma

    MUMBAI: Home video major Shemaroo has tied up with Infiniti Retail which is a subsidiary of Tata Sons to retail DVDs and VCDs at Croma. This is Infinity’s electronics mega-store in the Mumbai suburb of Juhu.

    Croma says that it is the country’s first national, large-format, specialist retail chain for consumer electronics and durables. The first Croma mega store was recently launched in Juhu, Mumbai.

    It is spread over 20,000 sq. ft. of space has on display more than 6000 products across eight categories – Home entertainment, Small appliances, white goods, computers and peripherals, communication, music, imaging and gaming software. The store currently offers more than 180 national and international brands.

    In the first 18 months, Infiniti Retail plans to launch 30 such large-format stores across the country.

    Shemaroo VP Hiren Gada said, “It gives us great pleasure to be associated with Infiniti Retail. We firmly believe that organised retail stores like Croma will help grow the legitimate home video market in India.”

    Infiniti Retail CEO Ajit Joshi says, “We are very pleased to partner with Shemaroo Video Pvt. Ltd. for this initiative. It is our endeavor to provide customers with an excellent range of quality products and world-class service. Our association with Shemaroo, a pioneer in the business of home entertainment in India, will enable us to offer our customers with a wide variety of movie titles ranging from the classics to the latest blockbusters.”