ITV

Tag: TV

  • Excel Home Video looks to grow the TV DVD segment

    Excel Home Video looks to grow the TV DVD segment

    MUMBAI: Earlier this year Excel Home Video entered the television segment. It released the first seasons of Desperate Housewives and Lost.

    Encouraged by the response the company is now looking to add more titles to that list.
    Speaking to Indiantelevision.com this afternoon, Excel Home Video MD MN Kapasi says, “Our focus is only on English shows as those in the SEC A and A+ segments watch them. They can thus afford to buy them. We will be releasing the second seasons of Lost and Desperate Housewives. These rights were got from Buena Vista.

    “We will now be releasing seasons 1-5 of 24 as well as Prison Break and The Simpsons. These rights we got from Fox. Other titles include Boston Legal and Grey’s Anatomy. The Hindi segment is not cost effective. If you want sell a DVD of a Hindi soap like a Saas Bahu then you would have to price it cheap.

    “By the end of the fiscal year March 2007 we will have eight English TV DVD titles. For the next fiscal we will add another seven to eight titles. We are looking at specialised content like aerobics and possibly adventure sports.” The television venture helps Excel build on the relationship it already has with Fox and Disney as far as films are concerned.

    Excel Home Video has 1,000 English film titles on DVD. One of its latest releases has been Ice Age 2. To push it kicked off an offer in association with Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment. Each DVD has a hologram. If the hologram matches the hologram shown on the channel then the consumer gets Ice Age 2 merchandise which has been imported. This way Kapasi says consumers become more aware of legal products as pirated stuff do not have holograms.

    On the retail level when a consumer buys a DVD he can get an Excel VCD exchanged for a DVD and just pay the price difference. The Ice Age 2 DVD has a coupon. The consumer just has to mail the coupon. To push Ice Age 2 Excel also did wall executions in retail outlets like Planet M, Rhythm House. The dubbed version of Ice Age 2 in Hindi will be released later this month. New titles coming up are Cars, X-Men 3 and Pirates Of The Carribean 2. To push X Men 3 Excel will have ads on Pix and AXN. This too will be a hologram linked effort.

    Excel also did the innovation of re – releasing the first Pirates film on DVD to coincide with the release of the sequel. It also re released the first two X Men films to coincide with the theatrical release of X Men 3. “This strategy of synergy marketing has worked well for us” adds Kapasi.

    He says that 50 per cent of Excel’s above the line marketing activities are done through television. Print he adds has not really delivered. Excel not surprisingly also advertises in select multiplexes through slides as that is one place his TG frequents.

    Excel has also come out with the strategy of having Movies and More outlets. This is a place where one can buy DVDs and VCDs. Right now there are 11 mostly situated in multiplexes. The plan is to increase the number to 40 by the end of the fiscal. There will also be a presence in malls.

    Excel has around 30 Hindi films in its library including Dor and Lagaan. Kapasi rues the fact that there is no method in the price one pays to get the rights for a Hindi film. A producer according to him often quotes a price without looking at factors like the market size. He is hopeful that with new producers like Farhan Akhtar coming in the situation will improve.

    In terms of targets he says that the company expects a 40 per cent growth in turnover for this fiscal. Bottomline growth is expected to be in the range of 18-22 per cent. The efforts of Excel have not gone unnoticed. Fox is happy about the way Ice Age 2 has fared on DVD. Fox VP intl licensees Richard Crook says, “The success has sharpened our focus on India’s growing home entertainment market. Excel Home Videos our licensee in India, has delivered a fantastic job by successfully targetting the festive holidays”.

  • European broadcasters oppose swimming, gymnastic Olympic events timings

    European broadcasters oppose swimming, gymnastic Olympic events timings

    MUMBAI: The European Broadcasting Union (EBU) has formally protested the International Olympic Committee (IOC)’s decision to hold some Olympic swimming and gymnastic finals in the morning during the 2008 Beijing Games.

    Media reports indicate that IOC had announced the changes last week in a concession to US broadcaster NBC. However the EBU says that this means that the events willl occur in the middle of the night in Europe.

    In a statement the EBU says, “With this decision the IOC ends the tradition of staging these finals in the evening irrespective of the time zone at the venue. Viewers in Europe as well as the vast majority of the global TV audience will be disadvantaged.”

    Swimmers too have registered their protest in a letter. Ian Thorpe says, “I won’t make a habit of posting annoyances here but this one just blew my mind. Anyone else think it irritating that NBC is putting pressure on the IOC to change the swimming schedule to only benefit the US prime time audience? That’s nice but what about the rest of the planet, who last time I checked, were also involved in the Olympics.”

    Pieter van den Hoogenband says, “Do you see the big athletes of the 100 metre sprint, the Powells and Gatlins, running their final in the morning? Come on. Be serious. For one time, one tournament, they alternate the programme, because of American goals. Without knowing the opinion of the men to swim: we, us. This is worthless. For me especially. I am not a morning person. To be at my best at ten o’clock, shortly after breakfast, is impossible .”

  • i-Pop propels AXN’s move from TV to mobile

    i-Pop propels AXN’s move from TV to mobile

    MUMBAI: Asian mobile media services firm i-Pop will kick off the inauguration of action adventure network AXN Asia’s mobile interactive WAP site wap.axn-asia.com.

    The mobile launch is in conjunction with the debut of AXN’s biggest original production in Asia – The Amazing Race Asia between 9-14 November. The series will be broadcast across Asia through AXN’s four programming feeds.

    i-Pop has been appointed to develop and manage an interactive, user-friendly mobile Wap site that will further bridge AXN’s on-air offerings with its viewers. The mobile platform will immerse viewers through value-added interactivity of their award-winning series and original productions, allowing them to have a seamless, well-rounded, enriching entertainment experience that complements their TV viewing.

    i-Ppop says that it will play a key role in facilitating the network’s tri-media approach of on-air, online and mobile platforms in promoting the key properties of AXN. The SMS entry mechanism enables content downloads and on-air contests to be accessed via the ease of a mobile phone. The aim is to optimise viewer participation and create greater synergies in the branding prowess of AXN as well as its advertisers, through integrated campaigns that will enhance viewer experience.

    Jointly working with telecommunication and cable operators in the various regions – Starhub (Singapore), Astro (Malaysia), Smart (Philippines) and other major operators in Hong Kong, i-Pop spearheaded the Phase One launch of AXN Mobile that will allow viewers to download funky ringtones and wallpapers at AXN mobile storefront.

    Fans of the The Amazing Race Asia can also subscribe to a video streaming service for interviews and clips from the latest episodes. Viewers can also expect MMS content, mobile gaming and other services to be made available in more countries in the coming months.

    iPop executive VP Colin Miles says, “i-Pop has had four years of front line experience working strategically with the topmost media brands in Asia to effectively enable mobile integration across all their key touch points. We are delighted to support AXN’s suitably adventurous approach, grasping the challenge and setting a strong direction to utilise mobile in a truly connected way for their viewers across the region. i-Pop is proud to be able to work with this leading network in delivering dynamic rich media content to its mobile viewers”.

    Mobile phone content, such as music, gaming and video, is forecast to reach $43 billion in sales worldwide by 2010, according to a report by research firm iSuppli Corp. Media organisations are now seeing the significant value and a new source of revenue in applying mobile media services to their brand output and viewer relationships. Even the most casual viewer cannot fail to see SMS interactions and mobile contest being widely propagated across both terrestrial TV stations and cable networks.

  • UK’s Ofcom OKs sponsorship of TV, radio channels

    UK’s Ofcom OKs sponsorship of TV, radio channels

    MUMBAI: UK regulator Ofcom is amending its Broadcasting Code to allow the sponsorship of commercial television channels and radio stations, subject to specific safeguards intended to preserve editorial independence, protect the under 18s and ensure audiences are made fully aware of the sponsorship relationship.

    Modifying a regulation in place for over 50 years, Ofcom announced yesterday that sponsorship of commercial television and radio programmes has been permitted for 15 years.

    Restrictions on certain programmes and channels
    The Ofcom Broadcasting Code prohibits the sponsorship of news and, for television, current affairs programmes. It also prohibits specific product categories from sponsoring certain kinds of programmes. For example, alcohol brands are not allowed to sponsor children’s programmes and gambling companies may not sponsor programmes aimed at under 18s.
    Ofcom intends to allow the sponsorship of any channel, so long as the amount of programming that cannot be sponsored is limited.

    For example, channels and stations that broadcast short hourly news bulletins will be allowed to be sponsored. However, an alcohol brand would not be allowed to sponsor a children’s television channel.
    General restrictions: 
    Specific safeguards will be put in place to preserve editorial integrity and protect children.

    These include: 
    * Viewers must be made aware of the sponsorship arrangement and the sponsor’s credits must be separated from all other editorial and advertising content on the channel; credits for the channel sponsor must not appear in or around programmes that cannot be sponsored and credits should not suggest that these programmes are included in the sponsorship arrangement;

    * The sponsor’s presence on the channel should not be unduly prominent;

    * Broadcasters will be unable to name channels after the sponsor. However, as at present, a company with a brand known in another field – for example, Hallmark or Saga – may be granted a Broadcasting Act licence in its own right, with editorial responsibility for all programme output.

    Next steps
    Channel sponsorship represents a new opportunity for broadcasters; however it is important that transparency, editorial independence and appropriate protection for the audience are maintained. Ofcom will therefore publish guidance for broadcasters to go alongside the new Code rules, to ensure full compliance.

  • Dreamworks, Nick announce tie-up to bring big screen properties to TV

    Dreamworks, Nick announce tie-up to bring big screen properties to TV

    MUMBAI: US kids brand Nickelodeon, is working with DeamWorks Animation to make television shows based on the films Madagascar and Kung Fu Panda.

    Media reports state that the Madagascar show will chronicle the adventures of its penguin characters — Skipper, Kowalski, Rico and Private.

    Nick will handle the day-to-day development of the series, but plans to outsource the actual CG production. DreamWorks’s Jeffrey Katzenberg was quoted in Variety saying that these two projects are likely just the first of what will be future partnerships between Nickelodeon and Dreamworks, which have been in the works since DreamWorks was acquired by Paramount last December

  • Upscale hotels may have to pay more for pay channels

    Upscale hotels may have to pay more for pay channels

    MUMBAI: If an order issued today by the sector regulator gets implemented, pay broadcasters will now be able to charge “market rates” to more upscale hotels and big commercial establishments that access their channels.

    The Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) has identified “hotels with ratings of 3 Star and above, heritage hotels and commercial establishments providing board and lodging and having 50 or more rooms” as falling within the category that “may not need tariff protection.”

    The regulator has grouped the rest of commercial establishments into the residual category and decreed that the same rules that govern ordinary cable subscribers will apply to them also, both in CAS and non-CAS areas.

    The Trai order has decreed that: “For commercial subscribers falling in the first category, there will be no ceiling on pay channel tariff. However, in order to ensure that the choice of individual channels is made available to these subscribers also in CAS areas, the draft amendment order has provisions for commercial subscribers falling in the first category in the form of mandatory offer of channels on a la carte basis with restrictions on the maximum retail prices of individual channel in relation to the prices of bouquets. The tariff for supply of set top boxes is also proposed to be regulated on similar lines.”

    Trai issued the order after the Supreme Court agreed with its argument that in order to ensure an orderly growth of the telecom sector in the country, it was necessary to have differential tariffs for commercial and non-commercial subscribers of conditional access system (CAS).

    Trai’s submission was in response to a petition filed by the Association of Hotels and Restaurants, which challenged an order of the Telecom Disputes Settlement and Appellate Tribunal (TDSAT) that upheld the dual rates.

    Trai has placed the draft Tariff Orders, both for CAS notified areas and non-CAS areas, along with a letter to stakeholders inviting comments by 10 November.

  • Intel, Omnicom team up for net delivered ads to the TV

    MUMBAI: Computer chip major Intel and Omnicom Media Group (OMG), which includes global media agencies OMD Worldwide and PHD Network have announced a collaboration.

    They will develop “10 foot” or large screen advertising templates for Internet-delivered advertising to TVs connected to Intel Viiv technology-based computers.
    The effort will connect content owners and advertisers to advance how interactive, broadband-delivered advertising is best tailored to specific programming and audiences, and best presented on large screen sizes in TV-like “10 foot” viewing environments.

    The enabling of ad-supported interactive viewing in the “10 foot” environment will help fuel more compelling and premium entertainment experiences. Intel Viiv technology delivers a variety of rich, entertainment content to the TV from the Internet and provides a foundation for interactive and highly targeted advertising in the living room.

    Creating such an environment will require the development and design of easily repeatable, “10 foot” user-interface advertising templates, which will help generate new business opportunities for advertisers and content creators alike.

    Through the Next Fund an emerging-media group supported by a large number of OMG clients, OMG and Intel will collaborate to develop criteria for advertising templates, including interactive options optimised for living room viewing. For the initial research environment, Intel and OMG selected AOL’s 10 foot AOL Video service for its online library of high-quality, branded content and innovative and compelling user interface. Zetools’ MediaModeler software, which recently merged with Tandberg Television, was used to help complete the test interface.

    Testing will be conducted by market research firms to define the easiest and most effective ways to reach consumers. The advertising models or templates will provide consumers with more flexibility to personalise the content they want to watch by linking it to relevant advertising.

    Omnicom Media Group. CEO Daryl Simm says, The ’10 foot’ interactive viewing environment is largely unexplored space, but it’s a huge opportunity in terms of advertising effectiveness and consumer engagement, which are top priorities for all our clients.

    “We couldn’t be happier about launching this effort with a company of Intel’s capabilities and reputation.”

    The foundation of this effort strategically builds on Intel’s work to drive technology to accelerate the 10 foot experience, as well as OMG’s expertise in developing innovative and creative advertising techniques. Intel and OMG are also exploring adding more participants in the effort to exchange information and foster industry collaboration around standards that everyone can openly use and share.

  • Viacom is testing social networking platforms for TV, ad integration

    Viacom is testing social networking platforms for TV, ad integration

    MUMBAI:The phenomenon of social networking is growing rapidly in the US and MTV is the latest media firm looking to take advantage of this phenomenon.

    It is testing new social-networking platforms that will integrate television programming with virtual world technology, resulting in interactive experiences that let viewers personally experience — and ‘live’ for themselves — the content they see on-air.

    The new platforms are in early stage development and will evolve in partnership with advertisers and audience feedback. MTV says that it could help define next-generation media and advertising models.

    The company is working hand-in-hand with Pepsi, Mediavest Worldwide and OMD on the development of a beta version of the first platform Virtual Laguna Beach. This is built around the successful MTV series Laguna Beach.

    MTV president music, films, Logo Van Toffler noted that the platforms will deliver immersive environments that are not only reflective of, but parallel to, the world viewers see on
    television. These universes take viewers beyond passive consumption to active engagement with programming and with marketers’ messages. A beta version of Virtual Laguna Beach is at www.vlb.mtv.com.

    Other virtual worlds are planned later this year for the broader music community and for viewers of Logo. This makes it one of the first such applications for the lesbian, gay, bi-sexual and transgender community.

    Toffler says, “Our audience wants more interaction with our content and with each other. Virtual Laguna Beach lets our audience become the stars themselves, stepping onto a virtual stage and living the life they see — or would like to see — on television.

    “Virtual Laguna Beach also is just one example of the next-generation media models that we’re creating for our viewers to connect with one another in ways they never could before; for content creators to develop experiences that live side by side with on-air content; and for marketers to become an integral and meaningful part of the programming.”

    MTV executive VP Jeff Yapp programme enterprises notes that the media models give rise to a new concept of social networking by combining two elements audiences love —
    popular television programming and emerging virtual world technology.

    He says, “Virtual Laguna Beach and the other models we are developing hold the potential for ushering in a new era of audience engagement.

    MTV says that the platforms offer the ideal environment for marketers to seamlessly weave their messages into the overall experience.Viewers in- world also can choose to interact with sponsors’ content and also purchase virtual as well as physical goods. MTV is working with its advertisers to help them become an integral part of each experience so they can reach their consumers — our audience — in meaningful ways.

    Marketer Support: A number of marketers and media buyers have pledged their support for Virtual Laguna Beach. Pepsi says that through Virtual Laguna Beach the brandwill be able to interact with consumers in ways that it never thought possible.

    Mediavest says that platforms like Virtual Laguna Beach allows it to achieve much more than a simple campaign extension. They offer the opportunity to dimensionalize the brand and infuse brand attributes into the user experience in a smart, fun, engaging way.

    OMD notes that this opportunity is an extension of the truly convergent partnership between it and MTV. It allows clients the opportunity to connect with the audience of one of MTV’s premier properties in a much deeper and personal way.

    Virtual Laguna Beach transports viewers directly to Orange County, California, where they live in the same environment as their favorite cast members, and interact with other fans through real-time chat. Viewers can hang out at the beach or shop at the local surf store and interact with one another in ways that mirror the on-air program. Just as the cast gears up
    for the Winter Formal, so too can viewers within Virtual Laguna Beach prepare for the big night, find a date online and select the tux or prom dress for their on-screen identity.

    The third season of the reality drama premiered last month and chronicles the coming-of-age stories of various high school stories in the upscale seaside town. On MTV.com fans can join the VIP section of the Laguna Beach Surf Club. Die-hard fans also can go to MTV’s Overdrive broadband channel to get exclusive content, first looks, community features, games and much more.

    MTV is also working with Makena Technologies on the development of Virtual Laguna Beach and the forthcoming Logo environment. MTV Networks is also working with Doppelganger, formerly Evil Twin Studios, on the virtual
    music environment.

    MTV Networks selected Makena Technologies, creators of the 3D social virtual world There.com. Makena is helping develop Virtual Laguna Beach and the forthcoming Logo-based experience. The selection leverages Makena’s many years of experience in developing one of the Internet’s largest 3D social virtual worlds, its understanding of the youth demographic, its
    development of an in-world economy, and its sophisticated integration of user-created content.

  • TV content code to be in place soon

    TV content code to be in place soon

    NEW DELHI: The Indian government is close to finalising the content code for television and films, which is likely to re-write the business of broadcasting vis-à-vis prime time viewing.

    According to a government official in the information and broadcasting minister, the content code is likely to be notified by month-end or early November.

    “We are in the process of finalizing the content code and would like to get it in place as soon as possible,” an official in the I&B ministry said.

    The content code is aimed at having a uniform yardstick for films and television content.

    If the code gets in place, then quite a few popular TV soaps are likely to get re-classified and would have to be aired at timings set by the government.

    The official said that the government is worried about complaints relating to content on TV and would like to regulate the same.

    The content code is likely to classify TV content into categories, including whether it’s fit for unrestricted viewing or not.

    This would be the first time that the Indian government would bring under censor regulations (mainly meant for films) TV content, which has been left out of regulation.

    The Indian film censor board chief and veteran actress Sharmila Tagore had exhorted the government to remove overlaps in the functioning of censor board and a proposed broadcast regulator.

    She also called for “transparency” while forming the proposed Broadcast Regulatory Authority of India (Brai), which is supposed to deal with content regulations.

    Regulating content or complaints relating to TV shows is part of the government’s overall aim to address issues on content.

  • Mauj Telecom wins Red Herring Asia 100 Award

    Mauj Telecom wins Red Herring Asia 100 Award

    MUMBAI: Mauj Telecom, the wireless solutions provider, has emerged as a ‘Red Herring Asia 100 Winner’, an award programme that recognises the most promising private technology companies in the region.

    Red Herring’s lists of top private companies are an important part of the renowned magazine’s tradition of identifying new and innovative technology firms and entrepreneurs. Companies like Google and eBay were spotted in their early days by Red Herring editors as companies that would change the way we live and work, states an official release.

    After receiving more than 600 submissions and nominations from across countries in Asia, Red Herring’s editorial staff rigorously evaluated Mauj Telecom and the other contenders through a careful analysis of financial data and subjective criteria, including quality of management, execution of strategy and dedication to research and development. The Red Herring 100 Asia companies are at the forefront of the technologies that are changing our lives in profound ways, the release adds.

    Mauj Telecom CEO Arun Gupta says, “Mauj Telecom in less than three years is established as the Gold Standard in the Mobile Entertainment business in India. We are continually pushing to set new standards in mobile entertainment by delivering a broad range of exclusive and highly compelling content,applications and services on the mobile phone and that is revolutionizing the way people experience entertainment on the move, transforming the mobile into the fourth screen for entertainment after Cinema, TV and PC. Mobile media channel is one of the biggest opportunities of this century and Mauj Telecom is very excited to be at the vanguard of this business.”