Discovery Networks to launch three new channels in India

Discovery Networks Asia-Pacific will launch three new 24-hour channels in India – Discovery Science, Discovery Turbo and Discovery HD. Permission for the new channels was granted by the Information and Broadcasting Ministry on August 12, 2009.

Rahul Johri, senior vice-president and general manager – India, Discovery Networks Asia-Pacific, said, “In the current environment, networks that have a distinct brand proposition will emerge as the preferred destinations for viewers, advertisers and affiliates alike.”

Johri adds, “The changing market dynamics, favourable demographics, and research, suggest that millions of viewers in India would enjoy Discovery Science, Discovery Turbo and Discovery HD’s unique and high-quality programme offering.”

The company plans to launch Discovery Science and Discovery Turbo on both analog and digital platforms, while Discovery HD will be launched only on the digital platform. All three channels are available in English.

The new launches increase the breadth of Discovery’s television offering in India to six channels. Currently, Discovery broadcasts Discovery Channel, Discovery Travel & Living and Animal Planet.

Discovery Science is dedicated to making science programming accessible, relevant and entertaining. The channel’s programming genres will include exploration, cutting-edge discoveries, medical research, astronomy, space, genetics and human body.

Discovery Turbo is a new network offering entertaining and inspiring programming for people who love the adrenaline rush of all things motored. Its programming will include events (car, boat, bike shows), celebrity motorist profiles (Formula One, NASCAR), DIY, motoring trends and fashion.

Discovery HD is the only global high-definition television network offering factual and lifestyle entertainment. It brings audiences closer to their world, featuring programming on the wonders of the world including world culture, science, wildlife, natural history, travel and lifestyle.

Mega TV to launch Los Implicados from 17 August

Spanish Broadcasting System’s (SBS) Mega TV is set to launch Los Implicados, a late night show, on 17 August.

The show will be telecast from Monday to Friday at 10 pm.

Hosted by Mexican journalist Alfonso ‘Poncho de Anda’, Los Implicados follows an infotainment format combining entertainment and informative news with a focus on top personalities and well known people in the news.

Said Mega TV MD and SBS chief creative officer and EVP Cynthia Hudson Fernandez, “We are confident that Los Implicados will have a long lasting impact on our audience.”

Times Now No.1 in 2008 ( and now )

TIMES NOW the most watched 24 hour English news channel emerges as the no.1 channel in 2008 according to the audience measurement data released by TAM (Television Audience Measurement). TIMES NOW’s news-centric strategy combined with its superior content has contributed towards establishing TIMES NOW as the undisputed leader in English News Channel space in India.

 

Amongst CS Male 25+ SEC AB, 1Million plus markets TIMES NOW was at No.1 position for 29 weeks out of 52 in 2008 against 18 for NDTV and CNN-IBN for 9 weeks. In terms of channel viewer ship share TIMES NOW garnered an average channel share of 28% in comparison to NDTV 26% & CNN-IBN 22% for the entire year.

 

Amongst all adults (CS15+, 1 Million + markets) TIMES NOW was at No.1 position for 32 weeks out of 52 with NDTV at 28 and CNNIBN at 4.

 

2008 has seen events that have redefined television journalism as we know it – Key events like the Union Budget, the IPL finals, Jaipur blast, the Trust vote of the UPA Government, US elections, Mumbai Terror Attacks and the recently concluded State Elections. TIMES NOW has consistently scored over competition and garnered the highest share in each of these key events.

 

Speaking about the year Mr. Chintamani Rao, CEO TIMES NOW says, “The battle of the news marketplace is fought every day of the week, every hour of the day. TIMES NOW has made it its mission to be ‘Always with the news’ – whether it’s the big events or it’s the daily news; triumph or tragedy. These numbers tell us that what we do is meaningful to the viewers for whom we work 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.”

 

It’s been only 3 years since launch and TIMES NOW has scripted a growth story in TV news unparalleled in terms of traction in viewership, leading over competition and becoming the most watched and preferred English news channel. News relevant to an urban audience in areas of politics, economics, sports, entertainment in India and across the world has resulted in TIMES NOW becoming a daily habit of viewers across the country to catch their news needs. The focus on news, responsible and unbiased reporting and an unparalleled passion for news journalism gives TIMES NOW the clear edge over competition thus dethroning NDTV to emerge as the undisputed leader in English news space.

 

The New Year will see the channel remain committed to asking tough, incisive and often uncomfortable questions to give the viewer the sharpest perspective on news.

NDTV Good Times to launch First Ladies with Abu Sandeep

NDTV Good Times will launch a new show, The First Ladies with Abu Sandeep, on January 3, 2009 every Saturday at 10.00 pm. The show is about 12 special women who have backed their men all the way.

Produced by Red Chillies Entertainment, the show features the better halves of some of India’s most distinguished men – Nita Ambani, Jaya Bachchan, Neerja Birla, Gauri Khan, Usha Mittal, Suzanne Roshan, Manyatta Dutt, Adhuna Akhtar, Anupama Chopra, Tanya Deol, Kiron Kher and HRH Padmini Devi.

Hosted by star designers Abu Jani and Sandeep Khosla, the show presents one celebrity wife and gets an inside view of her private world, otherwise hidden from the public eye. The ladies respond to tricky questions from the anchors and celebrity friends and even make a few confessions.

Shibani Sharma Khanna, channel head, NDTV Good Times, said, “The show is a rare insight into the lives and personalities of these special women, who are part of the phenomenal success stories. The show promises love, laughter, fun and juicy admissions.”

Abu Jani and Sandeep Khosla said, “It is the first time we are hosting a television show and we wanted to be sure that it’s a well-laid out format and presentation. With NDTV Good Times, we were happy to get the right platform. The show’s unique concept makes it a clear cut winner.”

Star Movies to unveil new logo from January 1

Star Movies, the leading English movie channel, will unveil a new logo from January 1, which will be rolled out across its network of services from Southeast Asia and India to the Middle East and Taiwan.

An official spokesperson from the channel said to Televisionpoint.com, “While the logo may have changed, one thing remains constant is that Star Movies continues to deliver the best films from the around the world. There was no conscious decision to make the new logo look different, and was adopted as it matches the programming on the channel.”

The new logo sports a bold look, with emphasis on the word ‘Movies’, and looks different from the logos of the other channels in the Star bouquet, but similar to the Star World logo.

In January, the channel will air hit movies like The Simpsons Movie, Pirates of the Caribbean: At World’s End and National Treasure: Book of Secrets, and the Oscar nominees such as Apocalypto and Enchanted.

In February, the channel will air the 81st Annual Academy Awards. To celebrate the awards, the channel will present Oscar Fever, a themed night featuring the premieres of 2008 Academy Awards winners.

NewsX shines post Mumbai terror attacks

As the entire nation tunes in to the news channels for precise updates post the Mumbai terror attacks, NewsX, the English news channel from the house of INX News, stands firm as an trusted source of information amongst others.

According to the TAM Media ratings for the Week 49, the channel’s prime time programmes touched a new high. While the news bulletin at 11 pm on December 01 was the top rated programme, a special programme on Mumbai called 59 Hours of Terror, was ranked number three among the top 100 programmes across all the English news channels. Overall four programmes from NewsX were among the top five programmes during the week.

The ratings reinstates that the channel has succeeded in building a sustainable relationship with its audience through its programming. NewsX has also been rated as number two channel among C&S Digital audiences with relative channel share of 23 per cent on weekdays during the prime time.

Arup Ghosh, head of news room, NewsX, says, “Our attempt to comply with the framework laid down by the security agencies without compromising on the authenticity of the coverage and content, in wake of India ’s most brutal battles, is what was applauded by our viewers. Our team will continuously strive to offer ethical content to our patrons.”

Adds Gautam Mukerjea, marketing director, INX News, “NewsX stands committed to its core promise of Clarity in a Complex World since inception. These recent ratings clearly stand as testimony to our focus on delivering accuracy and clarity in news dissemination.”

Vh1 brings Big Brother to India from 14 December

Vh1, the international musicand lifestyle channel from Viacom18 stable, is set to launch the format reality show Big Brother on Indian television.

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After the success of Bigg Boss2 on network channel Colors, Vh1 is bringing the international version of Big Brother for Indian audience starting 14 December. The show will be aired every Sunday-Wednesday at 10 pm.

The season – Till Death Do You Part Season 9 USA – is claimed as the “Most Explosive” Big Brother season of all time, the company said in a release.

The launch episode will see 16 houseguests entering the house to compete for the prize sum of $500,000 and to find their true love.

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Vh1 India associate GM Ferzad Palia said, “We are excited about bringing Big Brother to the Indian screens. Indian audiences have loved Bigg Boss2 on Colors. With the launch of Big Brother on Vh1, we will take reality experience to a newer high.”

Zee Studio adds mini-series to content lineup

English movie channel Zee Studio is adding mini-series into its content lineup.

The channel has inked a content deal with BBC Worldwide for this purpose and will be showing television adaptations of classics of English literature.

The mini-series, which airs tonight at 10.30 pm, will include Pride and Prejudice, The Hound of the Baskervilles, and Vanity Fair.

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Zee Studio business head Sujoy Kutti notes that the aim is to attract family audiences.

The action kicks off with Pride and Prejudice. The mini-series has six one-hour episodes.

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Next in line is a fresh rendition of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s most famous Sherlock Holmes story, The Hound of the Baskervilles, on 26 December. Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson take on the case of Sir Henry Baskerville, hoping to protect him from the terrifying fate that has befallen his family for generations.

In January, viewers can join Becky Sharp in the six one-hour episode Vanity Fair as she schemes to climb the social ladder and attains success by exploiting her guile, good looks and the gullibility of doting males.

Zee Studio will also showcase an adaptation of Charlotte Bronte’s classic Jane Eyre in four episodes. The adaptation mines Bronte’s novel for every ounce of passion, drama, colour, madness and horror available, bringing to life Jane’s inner world with beauty, humor and at times great sadness.

It will also air an adaptation of Gustave Flaubert’s Madame Bovary, the tale of Emma Bovary, her thirst for life and her many lovers who let her down.

NDTV Profit launches Ideas for Change campaign

NDTV Profit, the 24-hour business news channel from the house of NDTV Networks, has launched a campaign called Ideas for Change to elicit suggestions on fighting terror. The campaign invites people, especially from corporate India, to share their ideas on how terrorism can be curbed.

The campaign was launched on December 1 through a daily show of the same name on the channel anchored by Shaili Chopra. On the show, which is shot on locations outside the studio, chief executive officers and other people from the business community share their ideas, calling for change.

Shivnath Thukral, managing editor, NDTV Profit, says, “Through this campaign we aim to reach out to one and all and give them a chance to share their constructive ideas, views and suggestion on how to fight terrorism.”

“We want CEOs to use their experience in drafting a blueprint which will help us all to contain this terror. I urge every corporate citizen, every Indian to take a step forward and join us in this campaign.” Thukral says.

The channel will sift through the ideas submitted on the various digital platforms and choose the ones that can be published as a charter. The document will be submitted to the home minister, P Chidambaram, and the Prime Minister, Dr Manmohan Singh. The Ideas for Change is being promoted primarily on the NDTV Networks channels.

Vh1 brings Laura Critchley to India

Viacom18’s international music and lifestyle channel Vh1 is set to bring British songwriter/singer Laura Critchley to India in second leg of Rayban Vh1 Global Music Xpress.

Critchley will kick start her India tour on 10 December in Mumbai and will perform in Delhi, Hyderabad and Pune on the 12, 13 and 14 December respectively.

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Critchley’s début album, ‘Sometimes I,’ was released in November 2007. She has supported artists like the Sugababes and Boyzone on their respective arena tours, and sung duet with Ronan Keating and sung for Robbie Williams. For her last single Today’s Another Day, released in June 2008, she has won the Irish Entertainment Award for best live performance in October 2008.

Critchley said, “I am excited about coming to India and spending a week touring India, as the people of India really appreciate the kind of music we make back home. I look forward to meeting all my fans and friends in India and playing some of my new music and also grooving with the audiences to my latest single Today’s Another Day.”

Vh1 associate GM Ferzad Palia added, “We are partnering with Rayban for the second time for this initiative. Together, it is our aim to present the best musicians and artists to our audiences and make them part of a world-class musical experience. After the successful stint of British R&B artist Jay Sean, we decided to bring down the young and popular British singer Laura Critchley.”