He brought back the magic of Vikram and Rajni Kanth with Aparichit and Sivaji, and now Shankar’s been roped in by the King of Bollywood Shah Rukh Khan. SRK has signed the ace director for his home production company Red Chillies Entertainment. It has been speculated that SRK will be doing the lead role of a scientist in Shankar’s next sci-fi movie. The scientist’s character in the movie creates a robot for his young child to play with. But the robot turns bad and starts killing people and the scientist is making desperate attempts to stop it. SRK had thought Hrithik in the robot’s role. But due to his tight schedule, Hrithik is off the project. So let us see if this speculated film will happen or not!
Sanjay Dutt set for sentencing in Mumbai blasts
Bollywood actor Sanjay Dutt, convicted of acquiring illegal weapons from gangsters linked with the country's worst bombings, will appear in court on Tuesday for likely sentencing.
Dutt, 48, was cleared of conspiracy in the serial blasts in Mumbai in 1993 that killed 257 people, but found guilty of unauthorised possession of an AK-56 rifle and a pistol.
Dutt's punishment carries a maximum sentence of 10 years and fines, but he could appeal.
"I'm mentally prepared for any sentence, but please pray for me," Dutt told the Times of India newspaper last week.
His lawyers have urged that the actor, who found fame playing macho gangsters and anti-heroes, be set free for his good behaviour during his bail.
The actor has been on bail since 1995 after more than a year in prison during initial investigations into the blasts.
His trial has transfixed Bollywood -- the world's largest film industry by volume and ticket sales. Millions of dollars are riding on movies already under production which involve the star.
The actor, son of legendary Bollywood couple Sunil and Nargis Dutt, is the most high-profile among 100 people, mostly Muslims, found guilty in the bombings trial, one of the world's longest-running court cases, which ended last year.
So far, a special anti-terrorism court has sentenced 96 people, including 12 to death, mostly on charges of conspiracy, preparing the bombs or leaving explosives-laden cars and scooters at several Mumbai landmarks such as the main stock exchange, two crowded markets and a cinema.
Police say the bombings were ordered by India's most wanted man, Muslim gangster Dawood Ibrahim, to avenge the destruction of an ancient mosque by Hindu zealots in 1992 and subsequent Hindu-Muslim riots in Mumbai and elsewhere across the country.
Dutt has said he procured the weapons to protect his family during the riots.
Sexiest Bollywood actress Celina Jaitley’s is a hot property in New Zealand
Celina Jaitley is certainly going places — literally! After being voted the sexiest Bollywood actress through a live poll on Zee News, she left last night for a charity ball in LA.
In spite of contenders like Sherlyn Chopra, Koena Mitra and Jiah Khan, Celina fetched more than 40 per cent votes.
Says Celina, “I was like wow! I was in New Zealand shooting for Love Has No Language when some Indians came up to me and congratulated me. ‘We hate Mallika!' they said.”
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Aishwarya Rai wants starring role in Bollywood version of Spoof! The Motion Picture
Bollywood mega superstar and reincarnated global deity Aishwarya Rai has demanded to know why some relative newcomer like Rachel McAdams might be given first refusal to play a leading female role in the blockbuster movie Spoof! The Motion Picture following industry reports that the entire production would be outsourced to India.
The news comes after dire fisticuffs broke out between two central male characters vying for prominence in the film's plot which is centered in an Agatha Christie-like setting of a cruise aboard an ocean going-liner cruising the balmy waters off Alaska's Juneau Bay.
Aishwarya Rai's agent issued a statement that the chance to play the role of Queen Mudder seemed a natural choice "because if you say Mudder quickly enough it sounds like the Hindi version of Mother anyway".
"But Aishwarya is very concerned at what nudity scenes - if any - she might be expected to play because having just got married to a v-e-r-y jealous, macho man she was naturally concerned about her reputation, marriage and reactions of her fan club."
There was no word as yet from Central Casting on the subject of nudity and sex in the forthcoming nudity, pending final script tweaking about what prominence Britney's Vagina would play in the plot - something which would be resolved by the studio ethics committee.
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ESPN Star Sports announces Dream Job
Three years ago, ESPN Star Sports (ESS) had come up with an anchor based reality show format. The show was called Dream Job - Harsha Ki Khoj and involved searching for an anchor who had strong presentation skills like Harsha Bhogle.
Now the sports broadcaster has announced the second edition of the show called Clinic All Clear Dream Job. This offers a one-year contract with the broadcaster. The winner will become a presenter on Star Cricket.
The broadcaster has roped in actor and cricket presenter Mandira Bedi as a celebrity judge for the show. The jury for the second edition will also include stars like Ravi Shastri, Wasim Akram, Harsha Bhogle and Alan Wilkins. The broadcaster's news executive producer Sharon van Zwieten News and SportsCenter presenter Colette Wong will also play a critical role in the jury.
The show will air every Thursday from 20 September on Star Cricket.
ESPN Software India MD R C Venkateish said, “The launch of Dream Job is a part of our overall strategy of launching quality sports based feature programmes. The first edition of the programme received a huge response from cricket lovers across the nation and we expect an even better response this time. The format of the show has been made bigger; the scale is now going to be international. After all, the prize on offer for the winner is literally a Dream Job – he will be a presenter on Star Cricket.”
HUL GM and category head, Hair Care Rajaram Narayanan said, “Dream Job is a perfect platform for any Indian who eats, breathes and sleeps cricket, a sport that unites India. Clinic All Clear as a brand stands for self - assurance, self - confidence and perfection; and Dream Job is a hunt for a perfect candidate who needs to have similar attributes.”
Bedi said, “It is not easy to be a presenter especially for sports. The action is live and the result unpredictable. Hence the reactions have to be honest, impromptu and informed. This is a lethal combination and it takes time to adjust and respond. One has to be always at his confident best to be All Clear All The Way.
“As the jury, we will be testing the contestants on various parameters like presence of mind, domain knowledge, presentation, camera readiness, ease with cricket as well as non-cricket sport and performance during live matches. I am very excited with this new association with the number one sports network in India and world over. Working with ESPN Star Sports is like a dream come true for me. It is my dream job”.
Clinic All Clear Dream Job has kick started with entries through audio/video clips and call in phone lines that will be open till 6 August 2007. The show has already received overwhelming response from enthusiasts across the country, an official release said.
The entries will be reviewed and the short listed candidates will be called for on-ground auditions at the four metros in the presence of the jury. Starting with Delhi on 18 August, Dream Job will travel to Mumbai on 25 August, followed by Bangalore on 1 September and Kolkata on 8 September.
The search goes international as India is taking on England for 3 Tests and 7 One Day Internationals. On each match day the broadcaster will hunt for candidates from the stands and four candidates will make it to the final phase of the reality show.
From the on ground auditions, 16 contestants will make it to the studio rounds, with the final 4 heading to Sydney for an experience of a lifetime and the viewers will not just get to see the contestants live during the semi finals but also vote for their favourite to reach the final round.
The final round will see the top two go to the ESS studios at Singapore where each of them will get to do a story live on Sportscenter. The two will have a final job interview and the winner will get a one year contract as a sports presenter thereafter.
The broadcaster adds that the Dream Job contest last time received an response with entries across the country. The show had on ground auditions in six cities and after a six month long process, Anand Narsimhan from Bangalore was chosen as the winner.
Yahoo, AOL plan to charge users for sending 'direct' emails
A new digital divide is set to separate the haves from the have-nots, with two internet giants endorsing a system that gives preferential treatment to emails sent by paying subscribers.
America Online (AOL) and Yahoo, two of the world's largest providers of email accounts, plan to start charging an optional fee to send email directly into user inboxes without going through junk mail filters, a media report said here.
Users will now have to pay from a quarter of a cent to 1 cent per email to ensure their messages are marked as certified and grab the attention of the receiver.
"The Internet companies say this will help them identify legitimate mail and cut down on junk email, identity-theft scams and other scourges that plague users of their services," the New York Times reported on Sunday.
The companies also stand to earn millions of dollars a year from the system if it is widely adopted, the daily said.
In the next two months, AOL will start accepting email processed by the US-based Goodmail Systems which will collect the electronic postage and verify the identity of the sender.
Unpaid emails will be subject to AOL's spam filtering process which diverts suspicious messages to a spam folder.
Meanwhile, Yahoo has said it will start trying out Goodmail's system in the coming months but has not yet decided how paid email will be differentiated from unpaid.
"In a broader sense, the move to create what is essentially a preferred class of email is a major change in the economics of the Internet. Until now, senders and recipients of email...Each covered their own costs of using the network, with no money changing hands," the daily said.
Source-hindustantimes.com
Ten Sports in deal with Goal TV for licensing and production
Ten Sports and Goal TV have agreed to a new multi-year deal which will allow Goal TV's football content to be shown to the 50 million households of Ten Sports and Zee Sports in the Indian sub-continent.
The agreement also sees the production of Goal TV's two all-football channels shift to the Ten Sports headquarters in Dubai. Goal TV is a JV between Astro in Malaysia and Hong Kong's Yes TV. It claims to reach 60 million viewers in 16 countries.
Goal TV founder Thomas Kressner said, "It is an excellent development for us to partner with the Indian sub-continent's leading sports channel, with its huge daily audience and solid production experience".
Goal TV's content includes live action from the French, Scottish and Dutch premier leagues and programming from top English clubs Manchester United, Liverpool and Chelsea, and Spanish La Liga club Barcelona.
Ten Sports senior VP Peter Hutton said, "This volume of excellent football content is part of a growing bouquet of football rights on Ten and Zee Sports. It supports our existing deals with the Uefa Champions League, Uefa Cup, Uefa Supercup, Fifa, AFC, the English championship and the All India football federation."
The new agreement means that Taj TV, Ten Sports' parent will now produce and transmit nine channels from its Dubai based headquarters, ranging from the Cricket Plus channel for Directv in the US to the Football Channel for Singapore cable operator Starhub.
Dish TV plans DTH services in cars, trains
Need to leave for an appointment just as Tendulkar comes in to bat? Why not install a TV in your car and watch his innings on the road?
After direct-to-home (DTH), get ready for direct-to-car services. Aimed at consumers travelling in chauffeur-driven cars, Dish TV, Zee group’s DTH arm, is in the final stages of implementing its DTH services in cars.
DTH in cars will work with the help of a special auto-tracking antenna that will be mounted on the roof of the car.
The antenna will automatically track Dish TV’s satellite placed in orbit at 36,000 km, from where signals will be fed to the set top box (STB) placed near the television set inside the car. This will enable seamless transmission of satellite channels in cars.
The DTH service in cars will provide over 125 satellite channels. The company says it will not take more than three months to implement the technology after it finalises the hardware supplier for the special antennas.
The company is currently talking to two suppliers — Camos of Korea and SpeedRay1000 of Israel. “We are testing both,” says a senior Dish TV executive.
The bill is currently high — Rs 15,000 for the antennas and set-top box, which is more than three times what you pay for DTH at home.
When contacted, Jawahar Goel, managing director, Dish TV, declined to share the pricing strategy for its direct-to-car venture.
“These innovations are part of our overall strategy of providing Dish TV everywhere. We just rolled out Dish TV’s interface with computers that will allow access to Dish TV on computers. Expansion in cars, buses and trains is a logical extension of our vision,” he added.
At present, Dish TV is available in six Kingfisher Airlines aircraft. Dish TV is also available in premium segment special utility vehicles (SUVs priced over Rs 12 lakh) but costs about Rs 40,000 due to the heavy weight of the equipment.
“We are working on developing the back-end to enable the usage of Dish TV in mid-segment cars, luxury buses and trains,” says Goel.
Dish TV is also in talks with luxury bus manufacturers like Ashok Leyland and Volvo to replicate this technology in buses. According to industry estimates, about 100 luxury coaches are sold every month.
A similar project was undertaken by public broadcaster Prasar Bharati two years ago but could not be implemented owing to the high cost implications.
YouTube is gonna launch copyright protection software
Google's video sharing site YouTube will launch a system in September designed to prevent copyrighted material from going up on the site, said an official statement.
The search engine giant plans to generate a library of digital video fingerprints that would be used by a computer system to screen clips being uploaded to YouTube. The screening process would take only a few minutes to determine whether a clip is copyrighted or not.
This is the first time that Google has set a firm launch date for a filtering-system roll out.
"We hope to have the testing completed and technology available by sometime in the Fall," said a Google spokesman. "But this is one of the most technologically complicated tasks that we have ever undertaken, and as always with cutting-edge technologies, it is difficult to forecast specific launch dates."
Google currently faces several lawsuits related to the copyrighted videos hosted on YouTube by its users. These lawsuits have been filed by companies including Viacom, The Football Association Premier League Ltd. and Bourne Co.
Filmy to ride on Rajnikanth wave, acquires non-Hindi movies
Riding high on the Rajnikanth wave, Filmy will begin a festival of movies starring the South Indian superstar under the title Shaniwaar ki Raat Rajnikanth ki Laat.
The films will be screened every Saturday at 8 pm starting 11 August. Sahara's Filmy channel has acquired titles like Johny Ustaad, Dushmanon ka Dushman and Ilaka but has stayed away from the recent grosser Sivaji.
Filmy, in fact, is eyeing the non-Hindi film segment. It has recently acquired some South Indian films and is looking to acquire Bhojpuri films as well.
Says Filmy business head Shailesh Kapoor, "We have acquired some South Indian films starring actors like Rajnikanth, Mammooty and Surya that will be dubbed in Hindi and screened on the channel from August."
Post September, the channel plans to leverage the popularity of Bhojpuri cinema and infuse fortnightly screenings of the same. The channel has earlier shown the Amitabh Bacchan starrer Bhojpuri film Ganga on 22 April.
Kapoor says, "Being a Hindi movie channel, our focus is not on Bhojpuri films but looking at their current popularity, we are in talks to acquire few big ticket Bhojpuri movies."
The channel has also spruced up their programming mix by introducing a Sunday morning slot for kids between 10 am to 2 pm. Presently the channel is showing The Jungle Book which will be followed by other properties which the channel claims are unexposed to Indian audiences.
Kapoor says, "There are a few locally produced shows that will be aired. We will also showcase some international properties which will be dubbed in Hindi and shown in the same slot soon after The Jungle Book concludes in September."
Apart from movies, Filmy recently announced its first reality show Bathroom Singer for which auditions are under way. The weekly show will be a Sunday prime-time offering and will go on air from 26 August.
In Cas areas, digital cable leads over DTH
Cable TV has stood firm ground against competition from the direct-to-home (DTH) operators in the Cas (conditional access system) pockets of Mumbai, Delhi and Kolkata.
Digital cable has penetrated the highest in the Cas zone of Mumbai with 44 per cent of the C&S homes opting for set-top boxes (STBs) till 15 June, according to Tam estimates. Out of the total 572,000 homes, cable has pocketed 249,985 households who have gone in for STBs.
DTH, in contrast, has seen just 3 per cent penetration with 16,852 homes flocking to it. Despite aggressive marketing, DTH players have seen a 1 per cent rise in penetration over a five-month period.
DTH has performed better in the South Delhi Cas market, having a 6 per cent penetration with 43,332 out of 723,000 total homes migrating to the platform. Digital cable, however, has a 29.4 per cent penetration with 212,384 households buying STBs.
Under the Cas zone in Kolkata, there has been a low offtake for digital services with cable seeing a 18.1 per cent penetration (94,162 homes) comparable with 1.8 per cent (9,167 homes) DTH households.
The Tam study shows that the upper segment of the socio-economic strata are the leading consumers of digital cable. In the Cas market of Mumbai, the highest purchase for STBs is from SEC A and B (31 per cent each). This is followed by SEC C (20 per cent of the total STB population in Mumbai), SEC D (11 per cent) and SEC E (8 per cent).
Delhi has a higher SEC A STB ownership skew with 57 per cent of STB ownership in the city coming from this segment, followed by SEC B (24 per cent). The other strata account for just 19 per cent, according to Tam estimates.
Kolkata is seeing a similar trend with SEC A and B accounting for 74 per cent of the STB population while the remaining 26 per cent is distributed among the other socio-economic strata.
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Zee TV edges closer to Star Plus
The Indian Hindi general entertainment space is heating up and could possibly be on the brink of a huge change as Subhash Chandra's flagship channel Zee TV inches closer to Star Plus, Rupert Murdoch's key revenue driver in Asia.
The difference in GRPs between the two channels now stands at a mere 48, according to Tam's latest data (C&S 4+, HSM, Week 29 - 15 to 21 July).
With Zee TV at 303.4 GRPs as against Star Plus' 351.6 GRPs, this is the closest the channel has come to the leader since it was dethroned more than six years ago. While it may be premature to say that Zee will regain its top status, it is surely threatening to do so.
There has been nothing sudden in Zee TV's rise in the reckonings. Rather, it has been a gradual maneuvering of its way up the ladder. In the first week of July, the gap between Star Plus and Zee TV was 60, as Star stood 323.5 and Zee at 263 (Tam C&S 4+, HSM, Week 26, 24 - 30 June).
Star took over the reigns from Zee in 2000 with its landmark show Kaun Banega Crorepati with Amitabh Bachchan as host, a monumental year for Murdoch's fortunes in the country. Since then, Star has dominated the Hindi GEC terrain.
Star's decline has been due to a confluence of several factors - from a saturation of its top saas-bahu sagas Kyunki... and Kahaani, to niche channels eating into the share of the genre. "Star's dipping numbers are due to the gradual decline of its top programmes along with Zee's steady growth," states an industry observer.
Queried about the threat posed by Zee TV, a senior Star official says, "We would not like to comment on a week's ratings. We will only have cause to worry if this trend continues for two to three weeks. At the moment our weekly primetime shows continue to be strong and are at the top of the ratings charts."
Zee, of course does not want to jump the gun in uncorking the bubbly just yet. Zee TV business head and Zeel director Punit Goenka tells Indiantelevision.com that the channel's gradual climb is what they have been working hard on for some time. Goenka also credits the rise and rise of his channel with the success that its long running musical show Sa Re Ga Ma Pa Challenge 2007 has been enjoying. Says Goenka, "Sa Re Ga Ma Pa Challenge has indeed given us a big boost over the last two and a half months."
Adds Zeel CEO Pradeep Guha, "This has been built up over a period of time and has been contributed to by each and every show."
A point of note is that even as the competition intensifies between the two top players, a whole bunch of newcomers are warming up in the wings. These include Viacom 18, the Sameer Nair-helmed NDTV Imagine, Indrani Mukherjee's 9X and Anuradha Prasad's Bag Films, among others. What are the implications that this could have on the television entertainment space?
According to Starcom MD India - West and South Manish Porwal, "The general entertainment genre itself is 'de-growing'. In fact, over the last three to four years the space has lost ten per cent every year. This, coupled with the novelty value of new players will give a double blow to the space."
"This phenomena will favour the challenger. It will be a two- horse race for a while," Porwal opines. The second runner up in the GEC space is Sony which is lagging far behind at a GRP of 135.6.
However, Mindshare MD R. Gowthaman points to the diminishing dominance of the GEC cluster. "The capability of the GEC space as a whole to deliver reach is on the decline. The price that the space commands is primarily based on its reach. However, we are witnessing a scenario in which the GEC is losing its reach potential, and this is a major concern from a marketer's perspective."
"While the reality is that Zee is catching up with Star, we will soon see a level playing field. These numbers, are only the initial trends of audience movement towards different genres. Within about four to five months this will gain critical mass and the configuration of television clusters will start changing," Gowthaman avers.
Currently, Hindi GEC occupies the lion's share of the television pie advertising at 28-30 per cent in HSM markets, says Porwal. But with news channels in particular gaining in importance, followed by movies, the share is only going to tilt further away. It is also important to note that sports, kids and youth channels are gaining significance in the Indian TV space.
TME president Anupriya Acharya shares her perspective on the "dynamic" quality of the television segment. "We have been closely following the turnaround that Zee TV is witnessing by closing its gap with Star Plus. But at an overall level, it is important to note that other niche channels are also eating away from its pie especially news channels and the growth of the second GECs."
That, of course, is a larger issue that the GEC genre as a whole will have to grapple with sooner rather than later. At the moment, all eyes are on whether the challenger will really be able to dislodge the queen bee channel from her thrown.
Source-http://www.indiantelevision.com
Hrithik Roshan to write the script for Krrish 2
Hrithik Roshan has earned largest of the applause for papa Roshan’s films and it is no unknown fact that he strives really hard for his dad’s movie. Determined to put in all of his effort Hrithik will be helping his dad while scripting for the sequel for Krrish. Rakesh Roshan was quoted saying, ‘’Hrithik has always taken a keen interest in scripting and has been an intrinsic part in the making of all my films. He will write the script of Krrish 2 along with me.'’ Looks like it won’t be far when Hrithik will become a director as skilled or more than dad Roshan.
Sex racket involving Bollywood actresses, models busted
An International internet sex racket, involving 'professional' Bollywood actresses and models, was busted here today.
Speaking to newsmen, Nagpur District (Rural) Superintendent of Police (SP) Yashaswi Yadav said three girls, in their twenties, were arrested, while entertaining a dummy client from a farmhouse on the outskirts of the city this afternoon.
One of the girls had done five movies, while another girl had appeared in several advertisements and even done modelling for a Mumbai-based tabloid, he said.
The third girl had also done modelling and starred in two movies, the SP said.
Police received confidential information that a sex racket was operating through two websites, named www.hotpari.com and www.damesndesires.com. The sites were being allegedly operated by persons, identified as Nick alias Niraj and Rajiv, both residents of Lokhandwala in Mumbai, he said.
On the basis of the information, police got a dummy client to call up Nick and asked for girls, Mr Yadav said. During the conversation, Nick claimed he could provide 'high-class' actresses and models and even foreigners, including Russian and Swedish girls, for a high price, he said.
Nick agreed and sent the three girls to Nagpur, whom the dummy client received at the airport, he said adding the girls were supposed to charge Rs four lakhs for a night.
On receiving the girls at the airport, the dummy client took them to the designated farmhouse, where a trap had been laid and paid them Rs 75,000 as advance, the SP said. After receiving the money, the girls started to give sexual favours to the dummy client, he said.
At a signal from the dummy client, police raided the farmhouse and arrested the girls, Mr Yadav said.
The police have registered an offence under various sections of the Information Technology (IT) Act and Prevention of Immoral Trafficking Act, he added.
From Bollywood babe to Bond girl
People from the industry thinks Sushmita, Aishwarya and Shilpa can carry off the role quite nicely.
Shilpa Shetty, with her newly found stardom, post the Big Brother episode, seems all set to make her presence felt in Hollywood as well.
Speculations are rife that the lady is considered for the role of a Bond Girl opposite none other than Daniel Craig in the forthcoming James Bond movie slated to be released next year.
Rumours about Aishwarya Bachchan featuring in such a flick were also doing the rounds. So with Bollywood babes figuring in the list of probable Bond Girls, what leaves one perplexed is the question that can these babes do justice to the character and who among the current crop fits the bill for this much hyped role? AT finds out...
Film producer Mukesh Bhatt doesn’t find anything special in Hollywood actresses and rates their Indian counterparts highly. “Indian actresses are so talented that they can do any kind of role given to them.” So whom does he find ideal for a Bond Girl? “Bipasha would be fantastic doing this role as she is smart, has got elegant looks and an exceptional figure. Moreover, she carries herself very well, unlike other actresses in the industry,” says he.
Kunal Kohli, film-maker, was not far behind to endorse him. Indian actresses are capable enough to portray any sort of role, whether it is in an Indian film or a Hollywood film and I think actresses like Bipasha Basu, Aishwarya Bachchan and Shilpa Shetty are a straight fit for this,” opines Kunal.
Isn’t it interesting that whosoever has been a Bond Girl previously, has garnered immense popularity and has even left a matchless cinematic impact that remains unequalled till date? So will an Indian actress ever get an opportunity to act in a Bond film?
Trade pundit Taran Adarsh avers, “It would indeed be a great idea to have an Indian actress playing the role of a Bond Girl. They have those glamorous international looks teamed with a stunning figure. So what else can one actually ask for? In my opinion, Sushmita Sen, Aishwarya Bachchan and Shilpa Shetty can carry off the role quite nicely.”
But Adman Prahlad Kakkar has completely different criteria for an actress to qualify for the role of Bond Girl. According to him, “Apart from looking sexy, the actress should be dumb to fit in the role of the Bond girl. They are only sex objects in the movie; they can play James Bond if they are intelligent enough. And I feel Bipasha Basu, Priyanka Chopra and Shilpa Shetty can do justice to this role.” We know what Prahlad is trying to suggest!
And actress turned TV host Pooja Bedi, says, “It would be wonderful for Bollywood if an Indian actress does the job of a Bond Girl. I think Shilpa Shetty fits the bill for this role as she is good-looking, has a fantastic body and has enjoyed a reasonable amount of fame of late.”
When asked whether an Indian actress would be comfortable doing those bold scenes, which are part of each and every James Bond movie, Pooja replies, “I don’t know. May be she is comfortable doing those bold scenes, may be not. Nowadays one also has the luxury to use body doubles, so I think this should not be a big issue for not accepting the role of Bond Girl.”
So it seems its Hollywood calling for Shilpa Shetty!
Fleming may quit international cricket to join ICL
New Zealand captain Stephen Fleming may abruptly end his international career to join the rebel Indian Cricket League (ICL), according to a media report here.
Fleming has been approached by the ICL officials and the lucrative offer might prompt the Kiwi skipper to quit international cricket and join the league, according to 'The Australia' newspaper.
The report quoted unnamed sources as saying that Fleming had been offered a deal worth USD 440,000 a year to skipper any one of the six teams in the proposed league.
"Why is that awkward if you are planning retirement?" asked a source close to the ICL negotiations.
Fleming retired from one day cricket after leading the side to the semifinals of the World Cup in the West Indies and is expected to lead New Zealand in the tour of South Africa which, incidentally, coincides with the first ICL Twenty20 league.
Though ICL staged a major coup of sort by roping in West Indies batting great Brian Lara while the likes of Shane Warne and Glenn McGrath are also ready to jump on the bandwagon, getting a contemporary player of Fleming's stature would be a huge morale booster for the organisers.
Meanwhile, former Australian batsman Dean Jones, part of the ICL Executive Board, said that though Damien Martyn and Justin Langer had rejected similar offer, he was in touch with some other Australian players, who are all set to join the league.
ESPN gets broadcast rights of India-Scotland ODI
ESPN-Star Sports have acquired the broadcast rights of the India-Scotland One-Day International to be played at Glasgow on August 16.
"We are absolutely delighted to bring the India-Scotland One Day International to millions of cricket followers in the country," R C Venkateish, Managing Director, ESPN Software Pvt Ltd, said in a statement here today.
Zee Dish TV to offer 200 channels in coming months
Zee Dish TV is already managing to win more customers compared to Tata Sky DTH as they are offering more channels and better schemes.
The company is now going to become even more competitive as they are now planning to add more channels in the next couple of weeks.
Zee aims to offer as many as 200 channels in the next couple of months. This is going to be further expanded to 400 channels by next year.
Dish TV managing director Jawahar Goel said in a statement: “We plan to offer about 400 channels by next year. This would be both Indian and international channels. Currently, we offer about 170 channels and plan to take it up to 200 channels in the next 4-8 weeks.”
The market is going to become more crowded with both Reliance and Airtel launching their DTH services in the coming months.
ESPN Star Sports acquires rights for India-Scotland ODI
ESPN Star Sports has acquired the telecast rights for the India-Scotland one-dayer to be played in Glasgow on 16 August. The ODI match is part of India’s ongoing tour of England, Ireland and Scotland.
ESPN software India Private Ltd MD R C Venkateish said, "We are absolutely delighted to bring the India-Scotland one day international to millions of cricket followers in the country. We have almost uninterrupted international cricket lined up over the next 15 months and we will continue in our endeavour to add more exciting properties to the list."
Cricket Scotland CEO Roddy Smith said, "We are delighted that our game against India will be shown through our partnership with ESPN Star Sports. There is huge passion for the game in Scotland and I know the viewers will be enthralled by a competitive game from Glasgow."
ESS is also telecasting India’s tour of England where India plays three Test matches and eight one day internationals (July – September), followed by Twenty20 World Cup in South Africa (September 07), India’s Australia tour (December 07 –March 08) and Asia Cup in Pakistan (May 2008). This will be followed by ICC Champions Trophy in Pakistan (September 2008).
ESS has in its line up the ICC global telecast and marketing rights until 2015. The rights package, starting in 2007, includes the two ICC cricket World Cups in 2011 and 2015, ICC Champions Trophy and ICC Twenty20 World Cups.
Source-indiantelevision.com
Chak De creates Bollywood record!
For a long time my tractor driver Kulwant thought that YRF was a tire manufacturer. When I told him it's apne sarson ke khet ka Yash Raj Films, Kulwant's heart swelled like the Jhelum.
Now it will overflow when he comes to know that YRF's next release Chak De! India has created a Bollywood record even before its release. The film has scored its first goal -- it was shot using, ma kasam, a little over 1,500 cans of raw stock!
It outscored Boney Kapoor's Pukar which, thanks to its constant shooting and re-shooting, had consumed about 1,350 cans. If you are wondering what's the big deal, spare a thought for the poor editor; an average Bollywood movie consumes about between 300 and 400 cans.
Last heard, Shah Rukh Khan was exasperatedly asking 'Yeh, Chak De itna footage kyun khaya?' to which director Shimit Amin muttered, 'It's a sports film unlike anything ever seen in India before!'
Arsenal Signed Bollywood star Shahrukh Khan
To surprise all the fans of the north London club Arsenal and foot ball, Shahrukh Khan had signed yesterday a four years contract to the club.
"The most important reason to us to capture him is his offensive ability performed in 'Kuch Kuch Hota Kai' movie," Said the magician exploiter Arsene Wenger, after the deal was done. "I hope he will do to us the same thing here."
In the mentioned movie Shahrukh, playing for his school, will just accept the ball from the goal keeper and scores a fascinating goal passing all the players.
King of bollywood Shahrukh was quoted saying: "It was the most difficult decision in my life to leave Bollywood, but finally I decided to join Arsenal b/c they play like the movies fantastically. Like I was doing in the 'Dil to Pagal Hai' and other movies, I will surprisingly appear before goal keepers and score goals."
He had also told reporters that Arsenal fans should never worry if the team mates on the field will be only 10, because he will surprisingly be the 11th one.
Disney bans smoking in its movies
The Walt Disney Co. has banned all depictions of smoking in its family-oriented branded films. It would also "discourage" it in films distributed by its Touchstone and Miramax labels, according to a Reuters report.
Disney chief executive Robert Iger reportedly said in a letter to US Rep. Edward Markey, whose committee last month held hearings on the effects of movie images on children, that the studio would place anti-smoking public service announcements (PSAs) on DVDs of any future films that feature cigarette smoking.
He said the company would also encourage theater owners to show on screen anti-smoking public service announcements, or PSAs, before such films, adds the report.
Disney Channel to premiere 'Cheetah Girls 2' on 28 July
Disney's television feature film Cheetah Girls 2 will be aired for the first time in India on 28 July at 11 am on Disney Channel.
The Cheetah Girls 2, a television movie, is the sequel to the Disney Channel original movie The Cheetah Girls, starring Raven-Symoné (Galleria) of That's So Raven fame, Adrienne Bailon (Chanel), Kiely Williams (Aqua) and Sabrina Bryan (Dorinda). The sequel is about talented teen quartets who take a whirlwind tour of the Catalonian capital to pursue their dreams of pop superstardom.
In the sequel to the movie, directed by Kenny Ortega who also directed High School Musical, the talented teen divas' quest for pop superstardom takes an unexpected international turn. As they plan a summer rehearsing at home in New York City, the Cheetah Girls learn that Chanel must instead accompany her mother to Spain to meet her wealthy beau Luc's family. So the ever-resourceful Galleria enters the group in a Barcelona music festival, and the spirited foursome - Galleria, Chanel, Aquanetta and Dorinda - embark on a Catalan adventure of a lifetime.
Cricket makes a comeback on TV
The ongoing India-England cricket test series has managed to pull back to TV sets the cricket fans who had shied away after India’s debacle in the World Cup in the West Indies earlier this year.
The recently drawn test match between India and England has delivered a high television rating (TVR) of 1.75 in the metros. The ratings have been released by aMap, the online television measurement rating agency.
According to experts, these ratings are indicative of the return of faith among millions of cricket fans.
“A television rating of around 2 for India playing test matches abroad is considered decent. The aMap ratings from the metros indicate that a good number of cricket fans were glued to the television in the evenings, expecting India to do well,” a senior media planner said.
Delhi, Mumbai, Bangalore, Kolkata, Hyderabad and Chennai account for over 60 per cent of the target audience that advertisers target on a sports channel.
Therefore, a relatively higher ratings for India-England test series compared to the last series in Bangladesh is a good sign for cricket, experts add.
According to aMap, India’s tour to Bangladesh in May post World Cup debacle resulted in an extremely low TVRs of 0.02-0.30. Even advertisers stayed away from the series raising questions on the popularity of the game.
Though recently launched Star Cricket channel has struggled with the all-India roll out and reach in the initial days of the first test match, channel executives say that it is now being watched across most of the 70 million cable homes.
“Star Cricket is a new channel and many agreements with over 100 cable operators were done during the second and the third day of the five-day test match. As its reach increases, ratings will start reflecting a clear picture of the popularity of the game,” a senior ESPN executive said.
Star Cricket is the all-cricket channel launched by ESPN Star India.
‘Vulgar’ innerwear ads incur Goverment wrath
Even before the controversial Broadcast Content Code has been finalized and come into play, two advertisements which have been on air for more than three months - ‘Lux Cozy Underwear’ and ‘Amul Macho Underwear’ - have been banned.
The reason: They have been deemed by government mandarins to be indecent, vulgar and suggestive.
The information and broadcasting ministry said all channels have also been directed to be more careful in future in selection of content of advertisements and to strictly adhere to the Advertisement Code prescribed under the Cable Television Networks (Regulation) Act, 1995 and Rules framed thereunder in avert further action.
The advertisements of ‘Lux Cozy Underwear’ and ‘Amul Macho Underwear’ have been considered indecent, vulgar and suggestive and thus violative of Rule 7 (8) of the Advertising Code prescribed under the Cable Television Networks (Regulation) Act, 1995 and rules framed thereunder.
The ministry vide its advisory on 27 April, 2007, in respect of indecent advertisement of Gen-X undergarments had directed all the channels to be more careful in future in selection of content of advertisements and strictly adhere to the Advertising Code.
Earlier this year, the Government had banned channels FTV and AXN for showing "vulgar" programmes, but later withdrew the ban even before the expiry of the penal period.
Shilpa slams 'wild accusations' she ruined woman's marriage
Celebrity Big Brother star Shilpa Shetty has hit out at “wild accusations” that she helped ruin another woman’s marriage.
The Bollywood star has been romantically linked with British-based Indian businessman Raj Kundra, 31.
But Kundra’s estranged wife Kavita, 25, the mother of his 10-month-old daughter, claimed her husband’s obsession with Shetty ruined her marriage.
A spokeswoman for Shetty, 32, said she and Kundra were just friends.
Today Shetty released a statement criticising the “baseless allegations against me of ruining her (Kavita Kundra’s) marriage”.
She said: “My understanding is that Raj and Kavita’s marriage was over a year ago and they have filed for divorce and have been living separately for over a year.
“I met Raj Kundra three months ago in a business capacity, so where the question of me breaking up her marriage arises, this is impossible as I have known him for 12 weeks.
“I am disgusted by her reported comments and completely refute the allegation.”
She warned of legal action if the allegations continued, adding: “My culture and upbringing does not permit me to break marriages and I am the least interested in knowing or hearing any more about her.”
Shetty said her “conscience is clear” over the “wild accusations”.
Kavita has been quoted as saying: “Now I look at the pictures of them together and think, she’s with my husband, she’s living my life”.
“She is a cultural icon in the Indian community. She can have any man she wants and there are plenty of single men about.
“While I was trying to put our marriage back together, he was talking constantly about Shilpa, as if it didn’t matter what happened to us because he had found someone better, cleverer, and more famous than me.”
Former Bollywood actress Monica Bedi has been released from jail a day after she was given bail by a special court.
A smiling Bedi stepped out of the Chanchalguda jail, in the southern Indian city of Hyderabad, 20 months after she was incarcerated.
She had been convicted and sentenced in a case of passport forgery.
Bedi was extradited from Portugal in 2005 along with Abu Salem, a prime suspect in the 1993 bombings in Mumbai that killed more than 250 people.
The two were arrested in Portugal in 2002.
The prosecution said Bedi and Abu Salem secured passports from India's Andhra Pradesh state with false information.
Bedi's lawyers have always denied that she was Abu Salem's girlfriend. They said she had been held hostage.
A confident and relaxed looking Bedi walked through the huge iron gates of the jail, accompanied by her father and uncle.
The special court in Hyderabad issued her release orders on Tuesday, but as the orders could not reach the jail superintendent during office hours, her release was delayed by a day.
A crowd of curious onlookers gathered outside the jail on Wednesday morning as word spread about her release.
Bedi was released after her father paid the bail amount of $600 (25,000 rupees) in the special court.
Bedi also gave an undertaking that she would not leave her village [Chabbewal in Hoshiarpur district of Punjab] without informing the local police.
"Initially it was difficult, but later I adjusted to the life in prison. There was no other way," she told journalists after her release.
Asked about her future plans, Bedi said her top priority would be to spend time with her family.
Bedi said she had received several offers both from the Hindi film industry in Mumbai and the Telugu film industry in Hyderabad.
"I will return to Hyderabad to work here," she said.
The BBC's Omer Farooq in Hyderabad says Bedi hit the big time after she became a "friend" of the underworld don Abu Salem who had considerable sway over Bollywood.
Authorities in India say that Mr Salem, an Indian Muslim, is a key associate of India's "crime lord" Dawood Ibrahim - wanted in connection with the Mumbai (Bombay) train bombings of 1993.
Abu Salem also faces murder, extortion and kidnapping charges in a number of cases.
Priyanka Chopra back on the ramp with Madhur Bhandarkar
Madhur Bhandarkar had been out of news for quite some time now. But he made sure that he comes with a bang! After his Traffic Signal flopped badly at the Box Office, Bhandarkar was out of scene preparing for his next introspective film ‘Fashion Show’. As all of his films, Bhandarkar reveals the darker side of the Fashion world in this film. And guess who stars the movie. None other than the former Miss World and the most sought after heroine in Bollywood- Priyanka Chopra! And this time around Bhadarkar makes sure that his film crosses a big budget – a whopping Rs 20 Crore! Let us see what new, apart from gay designers and cut throat competitions, has to be revealed about the fashion world.
'Cash' is certainly coming this Friday - Anubhav Sinha
It is less than 48 hours to go for the release of 'Cash' but rumor mongers are having a field day building stories about the film. The latest one making the rounds is that the film has been postponed further by a week.
This would mean that instead of coming this Friday, which is an open week, 'Cash' would instead clash with Anil Kapoor produced and Akshaye Khanna starrer 'Gandhi My Father' at the box office.
Here is an official word from the man at the hot seat, Anubhav Sinha, himself. "Not true", says Anubhav, "The film is certainly coming day after tomorrow, no two thoughts about this." But why such inflow of rumors time and again? "I don't know, really", he says with a shrug, "I have maintained all this while that July 27th is the D-day. Still, if people out there want to speculate about this, I can't help it, right?"
Tell him the film's music is carrying good buzz now and he says, "I was confident about the score by Vishal Shekhar. It was just a matter of time before the score started getting appreciated by 'junta'. I am quite sure that once the film hits the screens, the music is only going to move further up the charts."
For the uninitiated, while the music videos of title song of 'Cash', 'Mindblowing Mahiya' and 'Naughty Naughty' are already on the air, the ones for 'Reham Kare' and 'Naa Poocho' would hit the small screen soon too. Meanwhile 'Zara Bachke Ji' is already being used extensively for the film's promos and is garnering good response.
Looking for the Big B: Bollywood, Bachchan and Jessica Hines
The UK is at the start of an Indian summer, with all things Bollywood beguiling Britain over the coming months. At the forefront of Hindi film in her home country, is writer and academic Jessica Hines. A frequent visitor to India, Hines, who was reportedly associated with Bollywood actor Aamir Khan, talks with the author on her views on the Big B, the response to her book Looking for the Big B: Bollywood, Bachchan and Me, and her love for Bollywood.
You have travelled to India 29 times, would you consider living in India permanently?
I love living in India but it only works, to my mind, if you have a specific job to do there. There was a point where I thought I would be living there more than London but that didn't pan out.
Where did your interest in Hindi Film begin?
It began in earnest at SOAS (The School of Oriental And African Studies). I was very earnest.
You have been responsible for bringing Bollywood into the public consciousness in the UK, with events like film festivals and Selfridges department store Bollywood month. When do you think Bollywood 'arrived' in the UK?
Well its funny, I wonder how much quicker Hindi films would have wooed the UK audiences had video not made its huge impact on the Indian community. Remember that almost overnight the number of cinemas showing Hindi films went from almost 100 to 0. It wasn't until the early 1990s that film culture started to inch its way out of the Indian communities living rooms again. I think it started to kick off again at the end of the 90s.
You launched your book earlier this year. What has been the response to it? Has the response been different in the UK compared to India?
Well in India the response was a bit nuts. But that was more because of my personal life and the fact that I had finally completed this book, than about the book itself. The UK is being its uniquely insular self and hasn't picked up on the fact that I have a certain notoriety in India, which is a very bizarre thing.
What was the most difficult thing about writing the book?
Being a single mum with a small baby and no money? Oh that's three.
When was the last time you met Amitabh Bachchan?
We just missed each other in Mumbai and London. I spoke to him a couple of weeks ago though when he called to congratulate me on my engagement.
What do you think of Amitabh's recent performances in his recent releases Kabhi Alvida Na Kehna, Baabul, Eklavya: The Royal Guard, Nishabd, Cheeni Kum?
I think that he is growing with the variety of roles that he is taking on now. Sometimes you would think that he could just mail in a performance but I know that each shot is thought about and planned and worked on. All actors have to constantly find the feelings over again or they fail as an actor.
Is Amitabh more popular in the UK or the US?
I think the UK, although the sellout performances and events that the NY Film Festival a couple of years ago show that there is a big fan following and a growing awareness.
There is very little mention of Abhishek Bachchan in the book. How do you feel he compares to his father?
He is an interesting actor and an exceptionally nice man. I think it is going to be very interesting to watch him develop. The Bachchans all take time to become what they are meant to be. Amitabh did and so did his later father.
In the UK, Indian film stars are able to enjoy a certain degree of anonymity. How hard is it to be a celebrity of Amitabh Bachchan's status in India?
I think it is an insanely difficult thing. As Salman Rushdie said, I don't know how he remains sane.
As a western woman and an academic on Hindi Film, what is your perception of the portrayal of goras in Bollywood?
It is limited but that is expected. It is also limited in Hollywood. Villains or fops or loveable cockney rogues.
Finally, what is your favourite Hindi film?
My fave Hindi film is Amar Akbar Anthony.
SRK, Sanjay in no mood to work
Asha's friends in need
Asha Bhosle has lots of friends but the catch is that they all have to "sing" for her!
So after Sunjay Dutt, Brett Lee and Urmila Matondkar passed the acid test by singing in her album Asha and Friends, Asha it seems has now set her eyes on none other than Shah Rukh Khan.
So, while she is raring to go for a second installment of the album, SRK is reportedly refusing to fall into the trap. News is that SRK begged out of the collaboration citing his films and endorsement commitments.
So guess what? Asha tai has hit back by roping in no less than Mithun Chakraborty. At this rate, Asha may not be left with any friends for her third album.
Shilpa Shetty's career in meltdown?
Celebrity Big Brother star Shilpa Shetty's career is allegedly going into meltdown.
The Sun newspaper quotes sources as revealing that the 32-year-old Bollywood star's management is being sued over thousands of pounds allegedly owed to creditors.
She has been dropped by PR guru Max Clifford after a string of rows with aides.
AdvertisementAnd Kavita Kundra, 25, accused the Celebrity Big Brother winner of stealing her film producer husband Raj, 31.
The claims have hit Shilpa's image after she won praise for enduring racist taunts on the CH4 reality show.
Meanwhile, London law firm Carter Ruck, which gave her legal guidance, is suing her management company Cine Entertainment for about £10,000.
And security firm CTR Services claims it is owed £3,000. There are said to be other creditors.
Last night Mr Kundra insisted he split from his wife before meeting the Bollywood actress.
Shilpa's agent Farhath Hussain said he was in the process of paying the bills.
'My MTV' to launch digital music store
As part of MTV India's repositioning strategy to 'My MTV,' the network plans to launch a digital music store.
This is the channel's effort to personalise their offerings and create a platform for more viewer involvement. Users will then be able to pay and download their favourite music from this store that will stock over 15,000 songs - both Hindi and International.
The viewers will soon see the manifestation of the new brand attributes in MTV's clothing line - MTV Gear as well with the changes that would not only be visible in terms of designs and attitude but also in terms of visual merchandise, so that the same experience is seamlessly extended beyond platforms.
The channel also unveiled a new look for its VJs. All the MTV presenters will be wearing designer clothes done by Neeta Lulla. The new gaze will be visible in all the new shows they will present.
The new tagline 'My MTV' promises that the MTV brand proposition of interactivity and personalisation, will soon be available across several platforms.
MTV's new look has been created taking into consideration views and interpretations of various cross-sections of its viewers including Bollywood, students, designers, music artists amongst many more.
MTV India VP creative and content Ashish Patil said, "The Spankin New MTV is the result of an extensive research spread over six months that gave us key insights into today's youth, their interests, passions and above all their expectations from MTV."
Along with infusing a slew of non music shows, the channel will also redo the presentation of existing shows. The change will also be available across various platforms like internet, mobile and merchandise.
Talking of the new shows, Patil added, "For today's youth, 'Style is their second skin' and with the new shows MTV will 'turbocool the youth' in many of their key interest areas like food, style, careers, dating, humour, adventure and above all music. Further, each of these shows will be driven by user-generated-content, with viewers sending us their ideas"
Over the next one month, MTV plans an exhaustive multi-media marketing campaign to reach out to its consumers across key markets - from Bill-boards in close to ten cities to innovations on India's top10 online destinations, to presence in youth hang-outs to radio.
The coming age of interactive video game ads
Double Fusion,a company that arranges for ads to appear in video games, has conducted a study that it says proves the effectiveness of marketing to gamers. Using focus groups and laser-eye tracking -- a system that determines what a player is looking at while he's hammering away at a game -- Double Fusion has found that more than 80 percent of players notice ads in games. An ad has to appear on-screen for as little as a half second before a gamer recognizes it, says the company.
But here's the most interesting finding: Ads that function as three-dimensional objects in games -- say there's a certain brand of cell phone your character has to use to communicate with others -- make for extremely effective advertisements. And according to Jonathan Epstein, Double Fusion's CEO, we'll soon be seeing many more such 3D marketing efforts in all the games we play.
Double Fusion's study looked at various kinds of ads -- billboards, sponsored instant-replays in sports games, etc. -- in almost a dozen games of different styles and on all major consoles. The three-dimensional ad elements had the advantage of time -- they were on the screen longer than any other ad objects.
A typical billboard ad in the first-person shooter game "Rainbow Six: Vegas" appears on screen for about 25 seconds, and a gamer only looks at it about 4 percent of that time. But 3D objects -- like Dodge pickups scattered throughout "Rainbow Six" -- are on-screen for almost six minutes, and because gamers must use the elements as part of the action, they look at them for a quarter of the time they're displayed.
There's another marketing benefit to 3D objects: the ads grab hold of gamers' brains during what Epstein calls a "heightened emotional state." That Dodge pickup just saved your life! Now you may see Dodge in a whole new light -- or at least Chrysler hopes so.
Epstein says that Double Fusion and other ad firms are perfecting technology to make these 3D ads "dynamic"; advertisers will be able to change in-game objects after a game has been published. Imagine that game makers originally allowed your character to use a Samsung cell phone, but now Samsung has released a new model. Through an Internet connection, marketers can serve the game details of the new phone.
Were this any other medium, I'd be troubled by technological improvements that help out advertisers. But marketers' encroachment into games don't work me up very much -- and according to Double Fusion's study, most gamers feel the same way.
For one thing, just about every major title features some kind of in-game spots; ads are now a routine part of games, and it's no surprise they'll get more ubiquitous. Advertising also makes games more realistic. It would seem strange to play a racing game whose verhicles weren't plastered with logos. Or imagine going down a city street in a crime-fighting game and not seeing any billboards. The real world's wired up with ads -- so why not virtual worlds, too?
Ten Sports sells terrestrial rights to Bangladesh TV
Taj Television Ltd, which runs Ten Sports, has sold the exclusive terrestrial rights of the Bangladesh tour of Sri Lanka to terrestrial broadcaster Bangladesh Television.
The deal was concluded in conjunction with Ardent Marketing Ltd. and will provide viewers throughout Bangladesh the opportunity to enjoy live coverage of the ODI matches between Sri Lanka and Bangladesh.
Taj TV has concluded deals worldwide, providing its cricket coverage to its international broadcast partners which include Zee in Europe, DirecTV in North America and Astro in Malaysia.
With these syndication arrangements in place, in addition to Ten Sports coverage, the Bangladesh tour of Sri Lanka is expected to be seen in over 70 million homes globally. Launched in April 2002, Taj TV’s Ten Sports is broadcast from Sharjah, the West Indies, Pakistan, Sri Lanka and Morocco throughout the Indian sub-continent and Asia, as well as in the United States (Cricket Plus), Europe, the Middle East and North Africa.
Ten Sports also owns the exclusive rights for WWE, the UEFA Champions League, the U.S. Open tennis and World Cup hockey.
Source-indiantelevision.com
Bollywood Needs Dozens Of New Actors: Anupam Kher
Anupam Kher says there is a dearth of actors in Bollywood and that is why he is making his second directorial venture with newcomer Ruslaan Mumtaz, who recently made his debut in the teenybopper romance 'Mera Pehla Pehla Pyaar'.
'The industry needs at least three dozen new actors. There are just a handful of stars now ruling Bollywood. Most filmmakers cannot afford them. We sincerely need to cultivate new talent,' Anupam told IANS.
Ruslaan is an ex-student of Anupam's acting school Actor Prepares.
'Whether it's Ruslaan or Sammir Dattani or even my own son Sikandar, these boys have the talent and the will to excel. That's where our acting school comes in. We're trying to create a talent bank for Bollywood. And if I don't use my own students, why would other directors do the same?' he asked.
'Ruslaan is an ex-student from my acting school and my proudest product so far. For my second attempt at direction I needed a face that was sensitive and vulnerable,' added Anupam.
Anupam toyed with the idea of casting Ruslaan after the young actor's appearance in 'Mera Pehle Pehla Pyar' got him encouraging reports.
'But the clincher for me was the boy's second film 'Tere Sang' which Satish Kaushik is directing for our production company. Ruslaan's confidence level, his dancing and emoting were just right for the character I have in mind.'
Anupam's untitled directorial venture is a romantic film and goes on the floors in January or February.
'All I can say right now is that it's going to be a young film about young aspirations. And it will touch on contemporary issues,' he said.
His first directorial venture was a family drama titled 'Om Jai Jagdish'. He worked with heavyweights like Waheeda Rehman, Anil Kapoor and Urmila Matondkar in the film, which also had Abhishek Bachchan, Fardeen Khan and Mahima Chaudhary.
Star Cricket signs nationwide deal with Hathway
ESPN Software India Pvt Ltd has signed a deal with multi-system operator (MSO) Hathway Cable & Datacom for distributing nationwide its new channel Star Cricket.
Earlier, ESS had signed up the other two leading MSOs Incablenet and Wire & Wireless India Ltd.
Said ESPN Software India Pvt Ltd VP Rajesh Kaul, "The deal with Hathway will now ensure that cricket fans across the country will be able to enjoy the on-going India-England cricket series."
Star Cricket is available across various platforms nationally including all conditional accesss system (Cas) notified areas. The company has also closed deals with the two major direct-to-home (DTH) operators - Tata Sky and Dish TV.
ESPN Software has also signed up with independent cable operators across the country.
"Within three weeks of the launch of the new channel, Star Cricket has been able to have a national footprint," said Kaul.
After Google, now Microsoft to curtail web-search storage
Microsoft has announced that it will try to cut down on Web search storage and is making attempts at calling on the search and advertising industry to develop a common set of privacy practices.
Microsoft chief privacy strategist Peter Cullen said, "We think we as an industry ought to take a look at ways to further enhance privacy protections. We are trying to make sure that people have the ability to have a trusted experience."
He said that these steps are part of an effort to create an industry consensus on privacy practices.
Specifically, Microsoft would make all Web search query data anonymous after 18 months on its 'Live Search' service, unless it receives user consent to store it longer.
Microsoft plans to store customer search data separately from data tied to people, e-mail addresses or phone numbers and take steps to assure no unauthorized correlation of these types of data can be made.
It also will permanently remove "cookie" user identification data, Web address or other identifiers.
Last week Ask.com unveiled Askeraser, a service that will allow Ask.com users to change their privacy preferences at any time.
The Microsoft iniative follows last week's announcement by Google on cutting down on cookie storage. Both the internet giants face scrutiny from European and U.S giants over their plans to merge with major players in the online advertising industry.
England v India, 1st Test, Lord's, 5th day pictures
Mahendra Singh Dhoni plays one off the back foot
Ian Bell attempts to stop a stroke from Anil Kumble
Mahendra Singh Dhoni flicks the ball to the midwicket boundary,
Andrew Strauss watches the ball speed to the boundary, while VVS Laxman crosses over to the other end,
Mahendra Singh Dhoni urges the nonstriker to pick up a quick single while Matt Prior looks on
England v India, 1st Test, Lord's, 5th day pictures
Mahendra Singh Dhoni plays one off the back foot
Ian Bell attempts to stop a stroke from Anil Kumble
Mahendra Singh Dhoni flicks the ball to the midwicket boundary,
Andrew Strauss watches the ball speed to the boundary, while VVS Laxman crosses over to the other end,
Mahendra Singh Dhoni urges the nonstriker to pick up a quick single while Matt Prior looks on
Shilpa Shetty faces accusations of being a marriage-wrecker
Bollywood actress Shilpa Shetty, winner of Big Brother reality TV show and a recent recipient of a honorary doctorate from Leeds University, has been accused of wrecking a marriage by a UK-based film producer's wife.
According to the News of the World tabloid, 25-year-old Kavita Kundra claimed the 32-year-old Bollywood diva is now "an item with her film producer husband Raj".
"Our marriage was in a rough patch but I was certain we could make it work for the sake of our new baby daughter. But then along came Shilpa. Suddenly Raj changed and now he wants a divorce," Kavita told the tabloid.
Reacting to the report, Shilpa's spokesperson Dale Bhagwagar said in Mumbai, "the two are just friends, however cliched it may sound."
"All these rumours of Shilpa and Raj getting married are baseless. Raj is the licensor of the perfume Shilpa launched recently, so obviously they were seen together at public places," Bhagwagar said.
Asked about his relationship with Shilpa, Raj, 31, also told the tabloid: "We're just friends. I have a business relationship with Shilpa regarding her perfume. My marriage ended 12 months ago and it was nothing to do with Shilpa."
Later he telephoned to say he had only been estranged from his wife for nine months, according to the tabloid.
Bhagwagar also said the two met only four months ago, whereas Raj and Kavita separated 10 months back. "There is no question of Shilpa breaking their marriage."
According to Kavita, Raj broke the news of his secret relationship with Shilpa in February after she found fame in the Big Brother house as the victim of racist bullying.
Kavita admitted their three-year marriage had been through a rocky patch, but insisted: "Up until then Raj had been talking about putting it back together, making things work for the sake of our daughter."
Kavita's remarks come after a week of gossip fuelled by snaps of Shilpa and Raj -- who helped launch her S2 perfume -- shopping together. He also escorted her to a recent "Bollywood Oscars" bash in Yorkshire.
Bollywood diva charges £20,000 for a chat
As befitting of her role as one of Bollywood's leading stars, Shilpa Shetty donned her sari and posed with the Mayor of London Ken Livingstone last week to help promote India Now, London's three-month celebration of Indian culture.
"Cultural respect and encouraging a deeper understanding of Indian traditions through a celebration of diversity, art, dance and food is obviously an issue close to my heart, which is why I am delighted to be a part of these events," gushed Shetty.
Well-intentioned as the actress's motives no doubt were, her services didn't exactly come cheap. When journalists following the event enquired after interviews with the comely star to speak about her noble cause, they were informed by organisers not only would their publications have to pay for the pleasure, but it was likely to cost them somewhere in the region of £20,000.
Leaving aside the sums involved, hacks were stunned that Shetty wouldn't be champing at the bit for the exposure. Despite winning Celebrity Big Brother - and some News of the World scandal yesterday over her private life - Shetty could hardly be considered a household name.
When questioned about the matter, organisers of India Now, however, were unmoved. "Sorry, but we've been told by her people that this is the usual sort of fee she'd ask for," I'm told.
"But I am certain it is something that could be negotiated."
Daniel has Hitler in his sights
You wait ages for one film about the plot to assassinate Hitler, and then two come along at once.
Tom Cruise is in Berlin filming Valkyrie, in which he plays the 1944 plot's ringleader Claus von Stauffenberg.
Now, plans are afoot to bring the British novelist Justin Cartwright's acclaimed tome The Song Before It is Sung to the big screen.
A mole recently spotted Cartwright in Los Angeles enjoying a meal with moody actor Daniel Day-Lewis.
I'm reliably informed that Cartwright is keen for the reclusive British thespian - star of The Last of the Mohicans - to play the book's protagonist Adam von Trott, one of Stauffenberg's main accomplices.
"The book has been very well received in the States and got a cracking write-up in the LA Times recently," I'm told. "As you can imagine, once that happens the producers usually spring into action."
When Kirsty's pupils dilated
Kirsty Young's recent interview with Yoko Ono on Desert Island Discs proved to be something of a marmalade dropper.
During the course of the programme, Ono revealed to Young she had strongly considered aborting her son by John Lennon, Sean.
"When something like that happens, you just have to sit on your hands and hope your guest doesn't spot your pupils dilating," Young told me at the recent Grazia magazine awards. "I suppose the trick is to behave like you're at a dinner party, and act natural.
"As soon as Yoko said it, though, I could just sense her publicist turning towards my producer in absolute horror."
Prezza punt
Whoa there, hold your horses Prezza! John Prescott's online entry in political bible Dod's Parliamentary Companion has him down as "Leader, UK parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe".
It's a little premature, since the election for the council's vacant leadership isn't until tonight. And while a number of Labour delegates aren't best pleased at the way Prescott reckons he's a shoo-in for the job (and are hoping for an upset), the former deputy prime minister isn't to blame.
Says a spokesman for Dod's: "Honestly, it's our fault it's there, not Prescott's. We are aware the election isn't until Monday night, but we thought putting it in now would be a pretty safe punt."
Please - not so coy, Vanessa ...
It's backs against the wall over at the BBC, where Mark "Mad Dog" Thompson is cracking down after a string of recent embarrassments. At a recent function for Rosé d'Anjou, I asked Vanessa Feltz about Boris Johnson standing for Mayor of London, but the usually rambunctious blonde was somewhat vague. "I couldn't possibly say anything. I'm not allowed," she said. "I'm strictly forbidden. Really, I'm a BBC reporter, I can't say anything."
Feltz kept her cards so close to her chest it was almost impossible to guess who she'd be backing. "All I really will say is that I'm absolutely delighted Boris is running and it will add to the gaiety of nations," she added. "I can't comment on Ken as I am a Beeb reporter, but, God, it's great Boris is running. But I mustn't say anything at all."
MTV India gets a face lift
As part of a repositioning strategy, Viacom's music channel MTV India is aiming to personalise its offerings conveyed through a fresh tagline 'My MTV.' This move will see the channel heavily infuse more non-music shows into the content mix for the channel and encourage further viewer interactivity.
MTV GM and VP creative and content Ashish Patil said, "MTV will now become personalized with our viewers and therefore our tagline becomes My MTV. Each of our new programs will be driven by viewers."
Elaborating on the new positioning Patil said, "Youngsters want more than just music. Our new shows will do that better for them."
Though the new shows extend the MTV youth offering further, music will still form 70 per cent of the programming mix.
MTV has lined up a slew of six new shows to breathe fresh life into the channel. It plans to gradually introduce these shows starting with the launch of crazysexycool.com which will kick off on 23 July. This half-hour weekly show will be hosted by VJs Rannvijay and Anousha who will travel all across the country and talk about the "craziest, sexiest and the coolest things that comes across." Viewers can even post their experiences which can be featured on the show.
Another affix to the line up is MTV It Sucks, a weekly offering hosted by Cyrus Sahukar. Speaking on it Patil said, "Cyrus will criticize anything that irritates people like open potholes or continuous telemarketing calls, in his typical funny style."
Cyrus will also give his own solutions to deal with such problems by asking people to give the numbers of the telemarketing people who call up often for credit cards and schemes. MTV will flash their numbers on screen to ask viewers to keep calling the telemarketing people.
Additionally the channel will kick off with shows like MTV Wear Their Skin, which is made for college students wherein the VJs will talk about how to get a cost effective makeover.
MTV Lovebytes, which is partly animated, will provide guidelines to viewers on how to behave on their first date. MTV Food Guide will speak about the weird food that is offered in the hostels across the country. Both these will be short opinionates.
The launch is also accompanied with the addition of a new International VJ called Mia who is an ex-Kingfisher swim suit model. She will host a show called Saturday Shuffle, a five hour program which features international hit music videos.
"We had run a promotional campaign across various cities wherein we asked people to design logos for us. We received a response of 15,000 logos as well as logo's designed by celebritees like Bobby Deol and Shah Rukh Khan", said Patil.
All these shows are interactive and viewers will be invited to share their ideas and opinions on the show as well the re-launched website mymtvindia.com.
"The website becomes user freindly with communities and blogs, thus taking forward the meassage of our tagline my MTV" added patil.
Source-indiantelevision.com
Reliance's Bluemagic to use Measat-3 satellite for DTH
Reliance-Anil Dhirubhai Ambani Group's Bluemagic will use Measat-3 satellite and is planning to launch its direct-to-home (DTH) service in the last quarter of this year.
Reliance has signed a deal with the Indian Space Research Organisation (Isro) for using the foreign satellite from the Astro Group, a source close to the company says. Measat had made its Ku-band transponders available and Isro was studying it technically to make an internal evaluation.
Isro has in principle agreed to allow Measat offer its Ku-band transponders to Indian DTH operators, the source confirms. Reliance wants Measat's eight Ku-band transponders, he adds.
When contacted, Isro contract management and legal services director SB Iyer refused to comment. He had, however, told Indiantelevision earlier that the coordination with Measat was in the final stages and Isro would take a decision after a month.
Reliance's Bluemagic will be using MPEG-4 compression technology which will allow it to pack in more channels per transponder. While Kalanithi Maran's Sun Direct has gone in for the same technology, existing DTH operators Dish TV and Tata Sky have gone in for MPEG-2 compression.
Bluemagic will be using Nagravision's conditional access solutions and the set-top boxes (STBs) will be from multiple vendors, the source adds. Nagravision, part of the Switzerland-based Kudelski Group, is a leading player in the field of conditional access for digital TV and broadband internet.
Bluemagic is also tying up with US-based OpenTV, the provider of enabling technologies for advanced digital television services. Zee Group's Dish TV has also entered into a multi-year license agreement with OpenTV which enables it to deliver a variety of advanced interactive television services, including PVRs (personal video recorders), to its subscriber base.
Disney-ABC elevates Swati Shetty to TV distribution head in India
The Walt Disney Company’s Disney-ABC International Television (Asia Pacific), the international TV distribution arm, has appointed Swati Shetty as director, India, responsible for Disney-ABC International Television’s TV distribution business across all platforms in India.
Shetty replaces Amit Malhotra who was promoted in June 2007 to regional sales director, Pan-Asia, India and Singapore.
Shetty will be based in Mumbai and report directly to Malhotra in Hong Kong as well as the managing director for Walt Disney Company (India) currently overseen by , Walt Disney International president Andy Bird. She joins Disney-ABC International Television in early August.
The announcement was made today by Disney-ABC International Television’s vice president of sales for Asia Pacific Greg Johnson.
Shetty joins from her earlier position as associate director, advertising sales, Disney Channel in India where she played an instrumental role in launching Disney Channel in the country.
Previously, Shetty held sales and business development positions at major Indian broadcasters including Star India and Sahara India.
Commenting on the new appointment in India Johnson said, "Swati’s strong sales experience combined with her deep understanding of the Indian television market will be integral to the continued growth of our distribution business in India, a key strategic market for the Company. We're very excited to welcome her to the TV sales team.
Indian Cricket League now signed Brian Lara
The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) better watch out. Subhash Chandra promoted Essel Group's Indian Cricket League (ICL), a parallel cricket format, continues to expand its list of star cricketers.
After roping in Kapil Dev and Tony Greig on the executive board, it has now signed in former West Indian cricketer Brian Lara as captain of one of ICL's six city teams.
ICL project head Himanshu Mody said, "We are extremely honored to welcome Brian to the ICL family. I think the youngsters we are grooming for India’s future will benefit immensely from playing alongside him in the ICL."
Marigold will see lots of Salman Khan
Leading Hollywood filmmaker Willard Carroll about his experience of working with Salman Khan in Marigold and his impressions of Bollywood .
A Hollywood filmmaker has taken up Bollywood’s cause and has sworn his first Hollywood-meets-Bollywood film will be free of kitsch and will have lots of Salman. Willard Carroll on Bollywood, Amitabh and spending four days in Sallu’s house!
150 Hindi films and counting...
The first Bollywood film I ever saw was Chori Chori Chupke Chupke . After that, I went home and watched about 150 Bollywood movies and got well versed with Hindi cinema. Then I returned to Mumbai and met Salman Khan. I had 15 minutes with him and thought I would briefly explain what my next film Marigold will be all about. And the next thing I knew, he had thrown a party for me, invited all his friends and I was practically adopted by his family! It was quite a treat and I left his house after four days. Salman is a very chilled out guy who seems to treat acting like child’s play. But actually he is a serious professional. Salman’s instincts are spot on.
Dancing to an Indian tune...
My film’s leading lady Ali Larter had no clue about Bollywood. In fact, she was sitting next to an Indian woman in a plane and asked her who Salman is. The Indian woman got really excited and said that he is the heartthrob of the Indian film industry. That made Ali say yes to the film.
But once here, the dancing was quite a challenge for her. Ali comes from the school of thought that you have to learn everything about the character. So she wanted to get her steps right and she actually did. But when she saw others doing their steps with the assistants, she realised that all her effort was in vain.
Bollywood-Hollywood...
I have met almost all Bollywood stars during the shooting of the film. I met Aamir when he was campaigning for Lagaan at the Oscars. I think he is a brilliant guy. Here the actors are very warm and open-hearted. I also like the humility of stars like Aamir and Shah Rukh when they are not facing the camera. But the moment the camera is switched on, they explode with energy. They are real gentlemen. They have perfect comic timing and this is how the movie stars in the West used to be. I miss this in Hollywood.
Sean is our Big B...
Sean Connery is our Amitabh Bachchan. He commands a lot of respect and I have had a lot of good luck working with the actors in Hollywood as well. Also I think Preity Zinta and Rani Mukherji have the ability to make it big in Hollywood. My own movie will open the doors for a lot of actors from India in Hollywood.
Monica Bedi is still a hit
A poll amongst Bollywood filmmakers shows that they would cast former jailbird Monica Bedi if she suited a role in their movies.
American celebrity Paris Hilton’s jail term became a widely read Prison Diary and her release after serving 23 days in jail created a frenzy as to what she would do next. Well, the jailbird turned songbird soon after and has a flourishing future ahead in fashion by just uttering her trademark “That’s hot!”
Closer home, former Bollywood starlet Monica Bedi wasn’t met with any such offers after being acquitted by a Bhopal court in a fake passport case.
Though she did announce that she would love to return to films and start acting all over again, never mind her infamous status as Abu Salem’s moll.
Apparently, Monica kept herself occupied by teaching other women prisoners yoga, dancing and English for the ten months she spent in jail.
We asked Bollywood whether her infamy would do her fledgling Bollywood career any good and would they cast her in their films...
Meghna Gulzar – An actor should be given a role depending on his/her acting prowess and not on the basis of whether they went to prison or came out of it.
Anil Sharma – I cast an actor according to the suitability of the character. Monica will get work regardless of her infamy or fame. We will look at her from the perspective of an artiste and talent. One should get a second chance.
Vikram Bhatt – You shouldn’t cast someone because they have created a media furore of any kind. If Monica or Paris suit a character, casting them is fine. I would cast Monica only if I had something she could do.
Vipul Shah – Casting depends on the merit of the role and that is decided by the script. When people have sympathy for actors like Salman Khan, who genuinely enjoys the love of the audience and they know the good side of him, does the actor gain from all the trouble he gets in. It doesn’t work for everybody though.
Sanjay Gupta – Paris is in America and Monica’s in India. Strictly no comments.
Bollywood has become too fast now: Padmini Kolhapuri
Padmini Kolhapuri started off as a child actor in the film industry and then made her way into the list of successful heroines in Bollywood. Now, this 40-plus actress is keen to start afresh. Here's what she has to say about her upcoming Hindi film, Doctor.
Q: What made you sign the film?
A: I liked the story. My character is not out of the world, but is interesting. I play a working woman who does not want to have children for her career's sake. Then, her father-in-law adopts a baby girl. The woman gradually develops a motherly feeling towards the girl. She then wants to start her own family.
Q: Can you relate to your character?
A: I was a working woman till the time I got married. I left work because I wanted to have a family of my own. So I think somewhere deep down I do understand this character well.
Q: Would the film inspire people to adopt a girl child?
A: In India, a male child is still the first preference. Especially, amongst the business class, where most think that the boy would grow up and run his father's business. But times have changed and so has the mentality of the people. Today, boys and girls are hardly differentiated between.
Q: Would you adopt a girl child if possible?
A: Yes, why not. I have a son, and if given a choice I would adopt a daughter. However, I do not think that it is practically possible now, since my son has grown up.
Q: Tell us about Doctor?
A: The story highlights the necessity of adopting a girl child. Being a woman I know how much happiness a girl can bring into the family, and surely, all women know this. A girl does so much for a family, so do boys. Yet a girl is a girl, after all.
Q: Do you think this film will represent Indian women and the girl child?
A: I feel that people will like this film because even today an Indian girl upholds her values even while accepting Western culture.
Q: Any particular reason behind naming the film Doctor?
A: I do not think I'm the best person to answer this question. You will either have to ask the producer or the director.
Q: Any particular reason for returning to Bollywood?
A: No, there is nothing in particular. I have always been associated with acting from a very young age. I had to take a break because I had wanted a family of my own. Now that my son has grown up, what else could I return to.
Q: What changes do you find in the film industry when you compare it with your time?
A: It is true that the film industry has changed. Earlier there was a relaxed attitude while making a film. We never did more than a film or two a year and while shooting, too, we used to do only a few scenes. Today, actors are extremely professional and time is more precious than money. Earlier a director had a lot of time to give tips to a newcomer. But not any more.
Q: So, has Bollywood changed for the better or worse?
A: All that I will say is that it is too fast.
Q: Which films are you doing in the Marathi language?
A: I have done a film titled Mumbai Amchi, which will be releasing soon. I have not signed any other film in any language.
Source -santabanta.com
Eros' Bollywood Channel on Youtube Crosses the 1 Million Views Milestone
Eros International, the leading vertically integrated Indian media & entertainment company, announced today that it's official Bollywood channel launched recently on YouTube has received over 1 million views. The channel has also been ranked consistently in the Top 20 "Partner Channels" of YouTube that include mainstream channels such as the NBA, CBS, NBC and more.
The channel offers customers a wide range of premium content such as a 'first-look' at films, events and happenings from Bollywood such as the latest IIFA Awards, music videos, interviews, exclusive upcoming film trailers and much more. This premium content is only available on Eros' YouTube channel and Eros own portal at http://www.erosentertainment.com prior to availability on any other online medium.
This is the first partnership between YouTube and a major content owner from Bollywood - the Indian movie industry. The channel can be accessed at http://www.youtube.com/erosentertainment
Manu Kaushish, SVP New Media, Eros International, commented: "We are extremely pleased with the initial success of the channel; this has helped us validate the demand for our exclusive content library. Over the next few months, we will be launching our own ad supported platform http://www.erosentertainment.com and will be pioneering this model for the Indian movie industry."
About Eros International plc:
Eros International plc is a well-established global player in the fast-growing Indian media and entertainment arena. Being vertically integrated means that Eros not only produces and commissions films like studios but it also distributes/exploits films across formats globally via cinemas, home entertainment, television formats and new media.
Established in 1977, Eros International has three decades of market leadership in creating a global platform for Indian cinema. The company operates in over 50 countries with worldwide offices in India, UK, USA, Dubai, Australia, Fiji and Isle of Man. It has built a successful business model around the release of 30-40 new films every year and the exploitation of a film library containing more than 1,300 titles, making it one of the largest content owners in the business.
Global Distribution, Motion Pictures, Music, Home Entertainment, e-Television, New Media and Animation are the main Strategic Business Units of Eros.
Eros enters its 30th year in the business with the Vision of consolidating the fragmented industry, the Strategy of operating a vertically integrated business model and the Motto of Powering Indian Cinema.
Govinda rocks today's Indian Idol!
Today's gala round is packed with high powered performances, backed by the electrifying and vintage dance moves of none other than Hero No 1, Govinda himself. The one who enticed him to take the stage was none other than the spunky Ankita Mishra, whose spunky rendition has made the entire judges dance to her tune on stage.
Govinda's moves could put many a youngster to shame. The ease with which he danced to the classic hit babuji dheere chalna brought the house down. He followed it up with the racy and raunchy babuji zara dheere chalo. Result: The audience wanted more and so did the judges. So the show continued with Alisha, Anu Malik and Udit Narayan all taking to the stage with the contestants for a mind-blowing performance.
While Govinda will be seen promoting his upcoming film, Partner on Indian Idol, his co-star Salman will be doing same tomorrow on Zee's Sa Re Ga Ma. Now they only way to gauge their popularity is by keeping a check on the TRPs of these two shows! What say?
81 million people in the US watch broadband video
An estimated 81 million people, or 63 per cent of the 129 million people who access the Internet over broadband in the US watch broadband video at home or at work, according to new research conducted by Nielsen for The Cable & Telecommunications Association for Marketing (Ctam).
This number increased from 70 million in September 2006 to 81 million in March 2007, a jump of 16 per cent in six months.
The analysis also showed that traditional home television ratings are minimally, if at all, affected by broadband video viewing over the internet, because broadband viewing was found largely to be incremental new viewing rather than a substitute for traditional television viewing.
The multi-phased study - A Barometer of Broadband Content and Its Users - provides a look at the relationship of broadband video consumption at home and at work to traditional television viewing behavior. It also presents a detailed analysis of specific television network viewing preferences among broadband video users across all key demographics.
Commissioned by Ctam and conducted by Nielsen Entertainment and NielsenConnect, the multi-faceted research effort integrates analysis from across The Nielsen Company. Findings were derived through online research based on the Nielsen/NetRatings MegaPanel and NetViews services, extensive interviews conducted in the Nielsen Entertainment digital lab, and a "fusion" of the quantitative online survey data with television viewing data from Nielsen Media Research's National People Meter sample.
Nielsen executive VP Susan Whiting says, "Nielsen was delighted to work with Ctam on this report, which reflects the value we can create by integrating data and analysis from across our company. This approach allows us to deliver new insight into our clients' customers and markets."
Key findings from the report include:
Online Video Usage Supplements Traditional Television Viewing Overall: Online video (including broadband video at work and in the home) was shown to add to overall video viewing more frequently than it replaced traditional television viewing in the home, representing a net audience gain to total television viewing.
33 per cent of those surveyed indicated that watching video over broadband internet increased their television viewing time, versus 13 percent who indicated it decreased their traditional television viewing.
Programme viewing online is high among current broadband video users: An additional 32 million lighter broadband video users report being open to more TV programmes via the internet. Further, consumers indicate that greater awareness of where to find the videos they are seeking, better navigation interfaces and increased availability of more high-profile television programs online could significantly drive future broadband video content use over the long-term.
TV Set Access is the Tipping Point for Widespread Broadband Video Use: Based on respondent feedback, widespread consumer use of broadband video seems to be contingent on internet platform video content becoming more easily accessible via home television sets. At that point, consumers say, internet video fare could assume its place as another source for content on demand.
ABC.com was the leader across all broadband viewer visits to television network Web sites, while Yahoo Movies was the leader in the movies category.
Ctam president, CEO Char Beales says, "The growing popularity of broadband video programming makes it vital to better understand its true impact on the viewership of and engagement with television. This research provides an unprecedented look at how consumers are making television viewing decisions as well as which consumers are more likely to embrace broadband content in the future."
Nielsen chief research officer Paul Donato says, "Linking television viewing data with Internet usage behavior goes far beyond what traditional survey-based research methods can offer to help content providers best manage the growth of television and broadband video platforms.
"The fusion of these discrete Nielsen data sets into a single, unified analysis provides the most complete benchmark of broadband content viewing behavior to date."
Source-Indiantelevison.com
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