ITV

Tag: Washington DC

  • Tata Comm building global cloud-based media platform for VICE Media

    MUMBAI: Tata Communications is building a global cloud-based media platform for VICE Media to enable the company’s producers and editors around the world to collaborate as if they were together in the same location. This represents a major shift in how VICE Media’s 5,000 employees work together.

    Previously, VICE Media stored its content on premise which made teamwork challenging between different studios.

    Tata Communications, a leading provider of A New World of Communications™, has been chosen by VICE Media to build a high-performance, completely cloud-based platform for global media asset management, storage, content contribution and distribution. It will enable VICE Media to capture content anywhere in the world, and quickly make it available to hundreds of editors in production centres in New York City, Los Angeles, Washington DC, Toronto and London, for publishing and broadcasting across VICE Media channels.

    The new platform is underpinned by Tata Communications’ Media Ecosystem, which offers VICE Media a full set of media solutions. It includes the Video Connect service, which complements VICE Media’s local area network and provides the company with a global area network of video contribution and IP connectivity. With speeds of up to 10Gbps, Video Connect enables a seamless transfer of video files and remote collaboration between VICE Media teams across different geographies as if they were in the same location.

    The Media Ecosystem is also equipped with Tata Communications’ IZO™ Cloud Storage, which provides VICE Media with secure, reliable private cloud-based media storage for read-write access and archival of data-intensive video files. Previously, some of these files were stored on-premise which made teamwork challenging between different studios. All VICE Media’s files, including videos in HD, 4K and UHD formats, are also now replicated in multiple private cloud locations around the world in real-time for back-up and disaster recovery. Additionally, Tata Communications has integrated VICE Media’s media asset management and file acceleration tools into the new bespoke platform, creating an end-to-end solution for around 5,000 VICE Media employees around the world.

    VICE Media’s offering spans across broadcast and OTT channels such as VICE News, VICE Sports, Noisey (music), Motherboard (technology and science), Broadly (women’s interest), i-D (fashion) and Tonic (health and fitness), among many others. Content on these channels consists of news reports, live and recorded events, documentaries and a wide range of other types of videos.

    “We need to be able operate seamlessly across all platforms to reach a global audience with our content,” said VICE Media vice president of IT Ariel Rubio. “To do this, we need a powerful, well connected platform that enables us to collaborate as if we were together in the same location. Working with Tata Communications, we are able to get a LAN experience in a WAN environment, underpinned by the company’s global network.”

    “VICE Media’s needs reflect a growing trend in the media and entertainment market, whereby there is a huge pressure to quench audiences’ thirst for live events, big and small, as they happen around the world, and bring viewers enhanced experiences through higher quality formats such as 4K and UHD,” said Tata VP & GM – global media and entertainment services Brian Morris.

    “In this high-pressure environment that is being transformed by digital technologies, you need an infrastructure that is completely integrated across media asset management, storage, content contribution and distribution. That is what we are creating for VICE Media, with the aim of empowering the company continue on its path of phenomenal growth in this rapidly evolving market.”

    “VICE Media is a new media company using IP-based broadcast infrastructure to achieve greater velocity and overcome geographical boundaries,” said ABI Research VP Sam Rosen. “Tata Communications provides the glue that holds this solution together with IP transport and storage capabilities, bringing content to central locations, between central locations and studios, and feeding the distribution network when assets are ready to publish. The use of IP within broadcast supports the need for rapid support of nascent standards including 4K, 8K, high dynamic range (HDR) and 360 video.”

    Tata Communications’ media and cloud services are underpinned by the world’s largest subsea fibre network of its kind, creating an end-to-end, completely integrated solution for VICE Media. Today, over 25% of the world’s Internet routes travel over Tata Communications’ network and the company is the only Tier-1 IP network provider that is in the top five by routes in five continents.

  • NBC-Universal buys ‘paranormal’ series from Bomanbridge

    NBC-Universal buys ‘paranormal’ series from Bomanbridge

    MUMBAI/ SINGAPORE: Bomanbridge Media, a Singapore-based content distribution and production agency, announced a series of paranormal series programme sales to NBC-Universal’s Syfy and Celestial.

    NBC Universal’s Syfy acquired the iconic series A Haunting – a paranormal anthology television series that depicts eyewitness accounts of possession, exorcism, and ghostly encounters. They also acquired RIP Files a series that follows paranormal investigators, based in Washington DC, who use their psychic abilities and their deep knowledge of metaphysical techniques to interact with the entities they encounter at haunted locations. These investigators encourage the spirits to share their stories in their own words through amazing EVPs and other evidence that is bridging the gap between the worlds of science and spirituality.

    Celestial, Thrill channel, took another season of the long-running Most Haunted series. The multiple award-winning paranormal investigation series seeks the truth into whether ghosts really do exist. The team, led by Yvette Fielding, spends 24 hours investigating infamously haunted locations to uncover mysteries and bring an honest account of reported paranormal activity. Most Haunted has been shown in more than 80 countries, reached over 200 thrilling episodes and is one of the UK’s longest-running and most successful series.

    “Bomanbridge carries great paranormal content within the catalogue and with the expansion of paranormal genre and channels in Asia, we hope to maintain our edge in this entertaining genre,” said Bomanbridge Media CEO Sonia Fleck.

  • NBC-Universal buys ‘paranormal’ series from Bomanbridge

    NBC-Universal buys ‘paranormal’ series from Bomanbridge

    MUMBAI/ SINGAPORE: Bomanbridge Media, a Singapore-based content distribution and production agency, announced a series of paranormal series programme sales to NBC-Universal’s Syfy and Celestial.

    NBC Universal’s Syfy acquired the iconic series A Haunting – a paranormal anthology television series that depicts eyewitness accounts of possession, exorcism, and ghostly encounters. They also acquired RIP Files a series that follows paranormal investigators, based in Washington DC, who use their psychic abilities and their deep knowledge of metaphysical techniques to interact with the entities they encounter at haunted locations. These investigators encourage the spirits to share their stories in their own words through amazing EVPs and other evidence that is bridging the gap between the worlds of science and spirituality.

    Celestial, Thrill channel, took another season of the long-running Most Haunted series. The multiple award-winning paranormal investigation series seeks the truth into whether ghosts really do exist. The team, led by Yvette Fielding, spends 24 hours investigating infamously haunted locations to uncover mysteries and bring an honest account of reported paranormal activity. Most Haunted has been shown in more than 80 countries, reached over 200 thrilling episodes and is one of the UK’s longest-running and most successful series.

    “Bomanbridge carries great paranormal content within the catalogue and with the expansion of paranormal genre and channels in Asia, we hope to maintain our edge in this entertaining genre,” said Bomanbridge Media CEO Sonia Fleck.

  • Life! Camera Action gets Silent River fest award

    Life! Camera Action gets Silent River fest award

    MUMBAI: US-based filmmaker Rohit Gupta‘s acclaimed film ‘Life! Camera Action‘ has been presented with the ‘Best Film‘ (River Pursuit) and Best Director (River Pursuit) awards at the Silent River Film Festival (SRFF) 2011 in California recently.


    Earlier, it was nominated for the ‘Best Film‘, ‘Best Lead Actress‘ and ‘Best Director‘ categories. Over eight days, the festival showcased 80 handpicked films from over 400 submissions from around the world.
     
    With already over 25 international accolades and awards, the film won the ‘Best Original Music‘‘ & ‘Best Actor in a Supporting Role‘ awards at the the World Music & Independent Film Festival (WMIFF) 2011 held in Washington DC last month.


    The film has also been nominated for the ‘Best Film of the Festival‘, ‘Best Director‘ and ‘Best Supporting Actress‘ awards at the upcoming ‘2011 International Filmmaker Festival of World Cinema‘ in United Kingdom to be held on 15 October.

  • ‘It is a good time to launch specialised channels as they help break through the clutter’ : Rahul Johri – Discovery India senior VP

    ‘It is a good time to launch specialised channels as they help break through the clutter’ : Rahul Johri – Discovery India senior VP

     Discovery is in restructuring mode. Earlier this year, it announced a reshuffle at the top to handle India operations. And the India office, which was reporting directly in to the Discovery headquarters at Silver Spring, Washington DC, will now come under Singapore as part of the integration strategy.

     

    On the content front, Animal Planet introduced a Hindi feed in April to increase penetration. Discovery Travel and Living is eyeing to put its personality-driven shows at the 10 pm slot.

     

    The company is also adding new channels like Discovery HD to grow the market in India.

     

    Indiantelevision.com’s Ashwin Pinto caught up with Discovery India senior VP, GM Rahul Johri to find out more about the company’s aggressive plans in India.

     

    Excerpts:

    What is the main reason behind the restructuring that took place in Discovery recently?
    Discovery went into local markets in Europe a few years back, and this yielded very good results. Applying the same model, the Asia Pacific region has been broken up into six – the Saarc countries which include India, China, Japan, North Asia, Australia/New Zealand and South East Asia (Thailand, Malaysia, Indonesia, Singapore).

     

    In India, people have moved up a level. I have management responsibility for India while Rajiv Bakshi looks after marketing. Then there is a regional managing director who sits in Singapore.

     

    We now work and coordinate with Singapore. The response time is much quicker.

     

    Earlier when we reported to Washington, the time zones were different. Also, what is a priority for us may not be as important for them. Now operations are easier in terms of taking decisions and getting clearances.

    How does the new operational structure help Discovery India?
    Discovery Asia has a strong infrastructure. This will now be more accessible to us. We can approach opportunities on an Asia wide basis as opposed to simply focussing on one country. For instance if a local production is being done out of India or Singapore, it can then be expanded to include other Asian countries. Solutions can be provided to enable this. On the client side also, we can provide solutions more easily so that they get visibility across the region and not just in one country.

    What are the key focus areas for India?
    Collaborating with the other regions in Asia to drive growth will be important. Sharing of content and resources will be key. We will also strengthen the branding of our channels by making the content more definitive. We will keep refreshing content across all the channels so that audiences get what they want to watch.

    Are you looking at growth through launch of more channels?
    Yes! As the Indian television market matures, it is a good time for specialised channels to launch as they help break through the clutter.

     

    We have 14 channels and we will bring what we feel will click the best. Discovery HD is definitely a channel we are keen on bringing to India. Discovery Science is another channel that we feel would work well here. Of course, it is also important for cable to go digital. Otherwise getting carried gets difficult.

    Discovery has launched Planet Green, a new channel for environment, in the US. Do Are there plans to launch in India?
    The channel has just launched in the US. A band of the channel will launch in Southeast Asia. We will see how viewers respond to it. We will test the programming in India and then decide on whether or not to launch the channel here.
    ‘Starting Hindi feed worked for our two channels as there is a lot of commentary. This won’t work in Discovery Travel and Living‘

    In terms of revenue, how important is India within Asia?
    India is one of the top markets along with Japan, Australia and New Zealand. Subscription plays a key role everywhere. In India there has been strong growth in ad sales.

    How is Animal Planet faring after going Hindi?
    The most important thing was the Hindi feed being introduced in April. Now we are able to compete better with National Geographic. Going Hindi was, thus, a progressive step. We play to the core strength of the channel which is focussing on the animal kingdom. We also have hosted shows.

    Will you be doing a Hindi feed for Discovery Travel and Living?
    No! It worked for our other two channels as there is a lot of commentary. In Discovery Travel and Living, though, it will not be natural to see, for instance, two Chinese people speaking in Hindi.

    How has Discovery Travel and Living evolved as a brand since launching four years back?
    DTL is perceived as being a distinctive lifestyle channel for upmarket viewers. People are now familiar with our anchors like Nigella Lawson. They also identify with individual shows like our biker content. We keep refreshing our programming. We bring new shows regularly.

    What have been the programming highlights for the channel this year?
    We did a show with Manish Arora. We are doing two more India productions which will premiere later this year. Our big show now is Cheese Slices. Food is a popular genre for us. So we will kick off a show, Indian Food Made Easy, which will be hosted by Anjum Anand.

     

    We will be launching a multimedia campaign to push our 10 pm slot. This is because our viewers tune in a little later. Personality-based shows will air at this time, seven days a week. The message of the campaign is that at this time you will see hosts like Nigella Lawson, Ian Wright and Anthony Bourdain; the campaign theme will focus on the most recognisable faces on the channel. This will be the largest campaign ever done for the channel.

    Is the aim to bring in appointment viewing?
    This is one of the goals. The campaign will showcase our biggest properties. We are hoping that it will help expand the reach of the channel and drive in new viewership. It is important that our campaign not focus on just one show. By pushing a band, the recall will be high among viewers.

    In what way is the programming strategy being fine tuned for local audiences?
    When we started, we had very little India content. We now produce shows from India. Every global show that is being produced, has a segment on India. So if Anthony Bourdain does a new season, he will visit India as well. This is how the relevance of India is growing. Ian Wright used to just host Globetrekker which is about backpack travel. Most of our viewers do not do that. So we tweaked it and now Wright does VIP Weekends. He visits the best hotels globally.
    Has the thematic weekend concept worked?
    It has done well and the thematic weekends are continuing. But over time our aim is to build a theme across a day – rather than having one theme continuing everyday. Our aim is to strengthen the genres. For instance if you take shows like Anthony Bourdain and Cheese Slices, it is not just about food. It is also about travel, visiting new places. Different genres get intertwined.

    What do you look for in a local show?
    We always look out for good local concepts. Our aim is to have a definitive show in a certain genre. Once we have decided on this, then we go with the best talent. So we roped in Manish Arora to do a fashion show. He is suited for television as he is so colourful.

     

    Our shows have to have an individual and distinctive personality. They need to be of the same class and quality as the other shows that we air. There can’t be any compromise as the same shows travel abroad and showcase India to the world.
    What are the other time bands that DTL is developing outside the 10 pm slot?
    We are also looking at the midnight to 1 am time slot. People watch us at that hour. I think that some channels are missing out on viewership by not concentrating on this audience. They simply run repeats at this hour. Many people work till late and then watch television.
    Is it difficult to get clients to commit serious monies for Discovery Travel and Living with the economy in a downturn?
    Our market is on an upswing. Our TG has not been impacted by the downturn. We have over 600 brands with us including L’Oreal and the car companies. Volkswagen is starting a marketing campaign and they are using our channel as a vehicle. Packaged good companies also advertise with us. Companies that want to target the premium audience cut out wastage completely when they come to us.

    What are the tentpole properties coming up for Discovery?
    Ultimate Olympics is a show that we will air. It looks at the work that has gone behind putting the Olympic Games together. The show gets over a day before the Games start. Another show that will air is Download. This focusses on stories from the internet like the competition between EBay and Amazon.

     

    We will also celebrate Nasa’s 50th anniversary with a show When We Left Earth. Nasa has given us footage of the Apollo Missions. This is the first time that Nasa has done this.
    What is Discovery’s new media strategy?
    We already have our website. For the mobile, 3G has to happen; the phones have to support rich media content. Right now one is still with ring tones and music tones.
  • Al Jazeera English news show wins award at Monte Carlo TV Fest

    Al Jazeera English news show wins award at Monte Carlo TV Fest

    MUMBAI: Al Jazeera English (AJE) has won the award for ‘Best 24 Hour News Program’ at the 48th Monte Carlo Television Festival.

    The channel beats entries from BBC News, Sky News, Lisboa TV and the Phoenix Satellite Television Company.

    Among the specific reports highlighted at the festival were Nour Odeh’s reports from Gaza, where she brought the suffering of the Gazan people, when she was caught in the middle of a violent street battle between Hamas and Fatah. Following the broadcast of the fighting on AJE, both sides in the Gaza battles agreed to a ceasefire.

    In addition to ‘Best 24 Hour News Program’, AJE received nominations in every news category at the awards show, including ‘Best TV Item’ for James Bays’ Taliban Embedded, which was awarded a second place prize, and ‘Best News Documentary’ for Tony Birtley’s Inside Myanmar – The Crackdown.

    AJE’s MD Tony Burman said, ” For me, the award demonstrates the commitment of AJE’s staff to giving a voice to the voiceless, of telling vital stories that are not on the agenda of the western news networks.”

    AJE was launched in November 2006 with broadcast centers in Kuala Lumpur, Doha, London and Washington DC.