ITV

Tag: Zoom

  • Zoom attempts comedy with Santa & Banta Unlimited; to air from 10 July

    Zoom attempts comedy with Santa & Banta Unlimited; to air from 10 July

    MUMBAI: The original Indian rap king Baba Saigal and popular RJ Siddharth Kannan team up to entertain viewers with Zoom’s first comic bonanza, Santa & Banta Unlimited. This new show aims to redefine ‘time pass viewing’, with it’s two hosts Siddharth Kannan aka Santa and Baba Saigal aka Banta.

    Starting 10 July, the half hour show will air every Monday at 8.30 pm.
    The duo promise to deliver everything from topical news, lifestyle issues, film reviews, TV gags of other shows, parties, call ins for “love” problems and other gyaan, in true Santa Banta style, which is a comical rhapsody, witty repartees and award winning one liners.

    Santa & Banta Unlimited being an extension of the personalities of the two hosts’ reflects the natural camaraderie between Banta, a “cut surd” and Santa, a typical “Tam Bram”. Kannan is known for his spontaneous sense of humor; hence Baba’s rapping will be a great foil to Kannan’s yakking.

    Joking about his rapport with Baba, Kannan remarks with his trademark tongue-in-cheek twist, “We are like a husband and wife team. But we haven’t figured who is the husband and who is the wife. We are two contrasting people with a zest for life. As people in Mumbai would say, we are truly bindaas.”

    “Anchoring is a part of me. It has a different kick, different popularity and a different feedback,” says Baba about his experience. “I have known Siddharth since the past 12 years. We’ve developed a great chemistry and that will be evident on-screen.”

  • Zoom appoints Sunil Sahjwani as chief creative & programming officer

    Zoom appoints Sunil Sahjwani as chief creative & programming officer

    MUMBAI: Lifestyle and glamour channel Zoom’s latest appointment is in keeping with the new initiatives planned for the next quarter. Sunil Sahjwani has been roped in as chief creative and programming officer for Zoom. The programming, production and on air promos (OAP) teams at Zoom will now report in to him.

    With this, Sahjwani will be moving from his current corporate role as chief creative consultant for Bennett & Coleman Co Ltd., ( BCCL) and takes charge of all creative and programming responsibilities at Zoom.

    Commenting on the appointment, Zoom CEO Suresh Bala said, “As Zoom prepares to meet the challenges of becoming a high impact channel, it needs a new dimension of creative leadership to rejuvenate its growth engines and take it to the next level. I believe Sunil Sahjwani, with his experience and expertise is the best person for this role.”

    Sahjwani says, “I am indeed very happy to take up this assignment. Zoom is at a very dynamic stage currently and I think it will be very challenging and exciting to take it forward from here. Zoom has created a unique position for itself in the television space. I’m confident that Zoom will touch even greater heights of success in the days to come.”

    With over 27 years in the areas of advertising, film, radio and television, Sahjwani has worked on several international productions which include shows for BBC’s Channel 4 and CNN.

    Amongst others, he has directed the immensely popular BPL Oye for Channel [V], for which he has won the RAPA, Lions and Screen awards. Sahjwani has also worked with ETC Networks as director of programming as well as VP Creative for Reliance Entertainment. Prior to joining BCCL, Sahjwani was the CEO of the Percept Picture Company.

  • Zoom ropes in former Channel [V] hand Suresh Bala as COO

    Zoom ropes in former Channel [V] hand Suresh Bala as COO

    MUMBAI:The Times Group’s non-fiction entertainment and lifestyle channel Zoom has roped in a former Channel [V] programming professional Suresh Bala as its new chief operating officer.

    With Suresh Bala coming in, the outgoing COO Upen Roop Rai has moved on to head Integrated Marketing Solutions Group (IMSG) and Indiatimes as the director, informs an official release.
    Bala will report to Bennett, Coleman & Co. Ltd’s executive president Arun Arora. He is expected to take over his responsibilities within a week or two.

    Prior to this, for the past three years, Bala was in Canada, and before that he was in the programming function of Channel [V].

    Interestingly, Rai came from Times Group’s internet division where he was the marketing head. His last day as Zoom COO would be 1 June.

    While, overseeing Zoom, Rai continued to handle Indiatimes.com in Delhi. He was completely responsible for revenue, marketing and sales. Integrated Marketing Solutions is also something he was handling.

    Under Rai’s guidance, Zoom has added various franchisees to mark its positioning of an Indian lifestyle channel. Commenting on his move to IMSG and Indiatimes, Rai said, “The experience at Zoom has been a great one. I was sent here for a year and it has been a great year. I am already looking forward to my focus responsibilities at IMSG and Indiatimes.”

  • Zoom, Reliance in interactive deal for Glam Awards

    Zoom, Reliance in interactive deal for Glam Awards

    MUMBAI: Lifestyle and glamour channel Zooms goes interactive. In a unique tie-up with Reliance, Zoom’s first Glam Awards can be viewed by subscribers of Reliance World.

    Speaking to Indiantelevision.com on the initiative, Zoom’s national head, marketing and sales, MK Anand said, “The Glam Awards is a signature event showcasing that glam in India has finally arrived. Interactive Marketing has always been high on Zoom’s agenda, and the tie-up with Reliance is yet another achievment on that front.

    “In the first phase of this tie- up, we had partnered with Reliance for a contest prior to the Glam Awards where subscribers voted for the ‘Best Glam Music Video’. They could download the full music videos selected in this category and vote for the best video. The winner in this contest was a special invitee to the Glam Awards, held recently in Mumbai. Details of the contest were aired on Zoom. Now, in the second phase, we are sharing content for the ‘Curtain Raiser’ and the ‘Glam Awards’ will be telecast on Zoom on 14 May at 9 00 pm.”

    Zoom is the first entertainment channel that will now be included in the Reliance Mobile TV bouquet. So far the only channels who have been in the bouquet have been news channels Aaj Tak, NDTV, CNBC and Times Now.

    Saying that for Reliance, this was a WAP tie up for its subscribers, Anand adds,”We are essentially targeting the upwardly mobile viewers, the imagery that can be downloaded is targeted to the youth from 15 to 34 years who also constitute our target audience. There is, therefore, a lot of synergy with Reliance.”

    “We are redefining the marketing activities by going beyond just print, online and ground initiatives for the Glam Awards. Glamour is also about high technology so this is a step in that direction. The time lag between the airing of the Awards on 14 May and being able to download the special clips it on the cell is just a few minutes,” says Anand.

    The first Glam Awards can be viewed by 5 million subscribers of Reliance World. Whether it is Kareena thanking her “best friend’ on stage or John and Bipasha’s very evident real life chemistry at the awards – it will now be accessible to the Reliance world customers. Snippets such as memorable moments, terrific performances and acceptance speeches will be content that Reliance users can avail.

    The first annual Zoom Glam Awards were held in Mumbai on 30 April.

  • Cellcast to simulcast Bid2Win on Sony, Sahara, Zee Punjabi and Zoom

    Cellcast to simulcast Bid2Win on Sony, Sahara, Zee Punjabi and Zoom

    MUMBAI: An attempt is being made to push the television programming envelope. Even if it is coming in the form of simple game show.

    Come this Sunday, viewers of Sony, Zee Punjabi and Zoom TV will all tune into a single programme at 12 midnight: Bid2Win.

    Before that viewers of SaharaOne will have already sampled the show at 11:30 pm. Based on the reverse auction principle it will run 365 days of the year, and will offer participants, who bid the lowest, prizes ranging from notebook computers to fridges to microwaves to LCD TVs to iPODs to home theater systems, to digital cameras to camcorders.

    Produced by Sparkle Works for UK company Cellcast Interactive, Bid2Win will be hosted by Veer Das, Taraana, and Yudi. Says Cellcast Interactive India CEO Pankaj Thakar: “It’s a compelling interactive format for a mass audience. In a reverse auction, instead of prices going up and up and out of reach, prices stay so low that everyone can participate with confidence. It is a show with high production values and high energy anchors offering high aspirational products at extremely low price.”

    Adds vice president business development Rajeev Dhal: “We plan to simulcast the show on many other channels as the days goes by. This is probably amongst the first major initiatives to push an audience particpatory show.”

    Basically, the three hosts will offer the products on screen and whip up a frenzy among viewers as they either shoot their bids via SMS or IVR. The bids will pop up on screen via graphical interfaces. The lowest bid will stand to win; duplication of a price point by two or more viewers will immediately lead to the bid becoming redundant, reveals Dhal. The auction will continue till the next day with the winner being announced in the following programme. Each SMS has been priced at a premium level of Rs 10 in its tie up with Airtel. Other sign ins with mobile telcos such as Hutch and Idea are likely to follow.

    The half hour show has Prabhu Azgaonkar as the online editor with Asim being the director of photography and Shikha Azgaonkar,the scriptwriter.A four camera set up is being used to bring out the show daily and and an entire operation has been set up to manage the backend for the SMS management and to decide the winner.

    Cellcast Interactive India has bought the telecast slots from the four broadcasters and will not be selling any sponsorships or airtime around the show. Around 10 promos a day are planned to pull in the audience, apart from a SMS push from Airtel.

    Bid2Win is an evolution of a highly successful format pioneered by Cellcast. Reverse auctions first gained popularity on the Internet, and Cellcast developed the concept as a live SMS-driven interactive television show with Star TV in India in autumn of 2004.

    The resulting show received over 6.7 million bids, becoming the world’s largest interactive reverse auction, says a corporate release. In December 2004 a similar format was launched with Lebanese partner Future TV, and proved so popular across the Middle East and North Africa that the show was extended beyond the Ramadan holiday, it adds.

    Will Bid2Win find takers? Will audiences pick up their phones and shoot across SMS and calls? Home shopping companies have been running a successful business by telecasting programming blocks on TV hawking everything from weight loss tools to exercise machines for some years now. Cellcast will probably have to do a lot more to push the concept at viewers; reverse auctions or forward auctions are unfamiliar concepts for the general viewers – a small section of which has been buying goodies shopping at home through television. Additionally, care will have to be taken to ensure that the prizes/bid items are alluring enough.

    If Thakar manages to pull off his plan of roadblocking Bid2Win across 15 channels all over the country, and pushes the telecast time aggressively enough, he might end up making it a success.

  • Zoom rolls out red carpet for ‘Glam Awards’

    Zoom rolls out red carpet for ‘Glam Awards’

    MUMBAI: Zoom, the lifestyle channel from the Times group has brought glamour to the forefront. The channel held the Tuscan Verve Zoom Glam Awards where it succeeded in letting subtle elegance take over from the flaunt-it attitude. Taking a step forward from two of its successful shows, Page 3 and Popkorn, the Glam Awards is a channel positioning statement.

    Hosts Kamal Sidhu & Ash Chandler

    Hosted by Kamal Sidhu and Ash Chandler, it was one of the glitziest nights for the glamour industry as local celebrities went for understated elegance in gracing this first time held event. Colours were everywhere with many opting for sophistication and class, emphasising a confident attitude as opposed to brashness.

    Zoom looked to redefine the red carpet business by inviting a select gathering of people who epitomized personal style.Although the show looked to the past and present, it was also a powerful statement for a return of grace and sensuality in today’s fast paced life.

    An anticipated 200 odd guests including celebrities, very limited media presence, socialites and trend-setters walked the red carpet into a world of glamour and prestige.

    The celebrity culture has coined a phrase for its high profile glamour red carpet dressing. And, Indian style icons seem to be backing away from glitter. Speaking to Indiantelevision.com COO Upen Roop Rai said, “There has been incredible anticipation to this event. It went off even better than imagined.”

    The event had international standard performances by Shibani Kashyap, Shaheen Shaikh, Carol Gracias, Anchal Kumar and Diandra Soares. The finale act was performed by ex Miss India and Bollywood actress Neha Dhupia. The fresh new look at the glamour and glitz of Bollywood dance extravaganzas seen in the performances by the models is set to have the town talking.

    Models Carol, Diandra & Anchal dancing to “Kaisi paheli”
    A select gathering of guests graced the sit down function and all the awardees created a version of silver-screen stardom with amazing grace, in accepting the honour bestowed on them.

    Suave industrialist Gautam Singhania when accepting the Most Stylish Businessman Award said, “India is on the move. Zoom has helped change the image that businees people are boring. This award reveals our glamourous side.”

    Pooja Bedi, Bipasha Basu & Ritu Kumar
    Bollywood actor John Abraham said, “It feels nice to know that my simplicity is recognised as a glam quotient today.”

    Young designer Gaurav Gupta said, “Glamour is relative to time and perception. It is an honour to be recognised for how I present myself.”

    “People are fascinated by the world of glamour that is almost attainable – which is what celebrities are about,” Rai said. “The whole pageantry of dressing up is such an indulgence for our niche gathering. And, getting recognized for it is part of the emotion of the event.”

    The winners seem to be forging a new low-key evening look that blurs the boundaries between day and night where comfort is key. Among the celebs present were Mandira Bedi, Bipasha Basu, Anil Chopra, Hariharan, Bappi Lahiri, Neena Gupta, Dipannita Sharma, Pooja Bedi,, Nethra Raghuraman, Shruti Seth, Ashish Raheja, Art Surendranath, Shiny Ahuja,Kelly Dorji and Times Group MD Vineet Jain.

    In showcasing an event that highlights glamour among individuals from across different fields in society, Zoom has awarded stylish stalwarts in a glitzy night that will be remembered by all. The following are the winners of the Zoom Glam Awards held at the Hilton, Mumbai:
    Most Glam Actor ( Female) : Kareena Kapoor
    Most Glam Actor (Male) : John Abraham
    Most Talked About Debutant ( Male) : Kunal Kapoor
    Most Talked About Debutant ( Female) : Vidya Balan
    Most Stylish Businessman : Guatam Singhania
    Glam Sports Star : Yuvraj Singh
    Politician With Panache : Prafful Patel
    Glam Music Star : Himesh Reshammiya
    Glam Women’s Wear Designer ( Contemperory) : Sabyasachi Mukherjee
    Glam Women’s Wear Designer ( Indian) : Ritu Kumar
    Glam Men’s Wear Designer : Narendra Kumar Ahmed
    Glam Debutant Designer : Gaurav Gupta
    Glam Model ( Male) : Muzamil Abraham
    Glam Model ( Female) : Neha Kapoor
    Glam Photographer : Atul Kasbekar

    These awards are a logical extension of the Zoom brand identity of being a ‘Glamour & Lifestyle Television’ channel. Speaking to Indiantelevision.com prior to the event, the channel’s national sales head MK Anand said, “This event will emphasize the fact that Zoom is reaching new standards of excellence in the television industry.”

    Gautam Singhania receives his award from Ritu Kumar
    Recognising individuals in areas of fashion, music, business and politics amongst other categories, Zoom focused on the individual’s style and attitude. “The Awards is a step to recognize glam which is such an important quotient in our society today,” said Anand.

    Tuscan Verve, with its inimitable brand, reputation and all-round glamour was the main sponsor to the event. The other sponsors were National Institute of Fashion and Design, Reliance, D’Damas, Flying Cats, Pepsi, Sony Ericcson and the co-sponsors were Chateau Indage, Evian, Seagrams and Bright Advertising.

    Zoom will telecast a curtain-raiser including clips from Behind The Scenes and Red Carpet, on 7 May at 9 pm and the final event will be aired on 14 May at 9 pm.

  • Zoom Glam Awards 2006 recognises stylish stalwarts on 30 April

    Zoom Glam Awards 2006 recognises stylish stalwarts on 30 April

    MUMBAI: In an era where award shows are a dime a dozen, glamour and lifestyle channel Zoom announces a unique event – The Zoom Glam Awards 2006 for the stylish stalwarts in society. Today, styles are changing with dizzying velocity, evolving as rapidly as the insatiable media has expanded to chronicle the individuals who epitomize sophisticated style.

    These awards are a logical extension of the Zoom brand identity of being a ‘Glamour & Lifestyle Television’ channel. Speaking to Indiantelevision.com the channel’s national sales head MK Anand said, “Our awards celebrate India’s current finest individuals from different walks of life who contribute to the glamour quotient in society. This event will emphasize the fact that Zoom is reaching new standards of excellence in the television industry.”

    The Awards will recognise individuals in areas of fashion, music, business and politics amongst other categories. Going beyond an individual’s work, in his or her functional area the channel will focus on the individual’s style and attitude. Anand explains, “We aim to establish the Zoom Glam Awards as an aspirational property for the Indian glam circuit – they’ll be the final word on the who’s hot and who’s not / what’s in and what’ out. The Awards is a celebration of individuality. This is a step to recognize glam which is such an important quotient in our society today. It is going to be a real annual event, not episodic as our earlier initiatives as far as programming is concerned.”

    A group of experts are currently deliberating a list of nominees. Finally, it will be the channel that decides the winners from the names thrown up. The awards will maintain an exceedingly premium and aspirational look to them in all ground executions and marketing communications. The promos will start airing from 17 April and it will be written about in all publications and channels that belong to the parent group. The campaign designed will definitely have high curiosity value among those who matter in every field.

    The award ceremony is scheduled for 30 April at the Hilton Towers in Mumbai and is expected to be attended by the country’s glitterati. “We hope to create the glamour and excitement of a first class event for a select audience of 250 people complete with red carpet and press interviews of arriving guests. To some glitz and glamour, add a few sequences performed to international standards, then sprinkle this concoction with some industry stalwarts getting felicitated and you have the recipe for a perfect evening of mind-blasting niche entertainment, ” says Anand.

    On the sponsors, Anand says, “We welcome Tuscan Verve, with its inimitable brand, reputation and all-round glamour as the main sponsor to the event. The other sponsors are National Institute of Fashion and Design, Reliance, D’Dmas and L’Oreal. Anand said that he expected many more high end brands to sign in once the promos start airing. We guarantee the highest degree of visibility and exclusivity in being associated with the event.”

    On what the channel hopes to achieve with this event, Anand says, “It is our personality on display and we are gearing to make it the most envied property in the industry. We are taking a step forward from two of our successful shows, Page 3 and Popkorn. It is an extension of Page 3. It is a channel positioning statement as the stress is on the action itself. It is different in the fact that it steers away from any public activity, in keeping with our efforts to reach a niche audience.”

    Few of the categories for the Zoom Glam Awards are :

    – Politician with panache- Male/Female
    – Glam Fashion Designer – Male /Female
    – Glam Party Host
    – Stylish Businessman
    – Most Glamorous Personality of the year
    – Flamboyant Actor – Male/Female
    – Most talked about debutante – Male/Female
    – Glam Sports Star
    –Image makers.

    WOW Entertainment is the event management company that is working behind the scenes for the event. Zoom will shortly telecast a curtain raiser to the event.