Saturday, July 25, 2009

Whats in Paatu Paadava..

Paatu Paadava had started this week in Vijay TV and the show is pretty interesting. Whats in Paatu Paadava ??? its all about the lyrics game where the contestants choose song from the given choice and they have to sing the song without forgetting the lyrics..

Not the whole Lyrics
Its not that the contestants have to sing the whole song without forgetting the lyrics.. it will be any 2 lines from the song that they will have to sing. So, any song that the singer chooses.. the lyrics will appear in the screen and they can see it and sing. In the middle there will 2 lines missing and it will look with dashes which the contestant got to fill. Singing those 2 lines exactly makes him/her to go through next round of the game.

Money tree
Paatu Paadava has money tree which will show the current branch where the contestant his and also the money he had won until now. Tree will have the route for the whole game. The show has 8 rounds from 1 to 8.. first round has prize money of 10,000 rs..followed by 2nd round with 20k and 3rd round with 30k.. the final round that is the 8th round has the prize money of 5,00,000 rs..

Song Choice
Contestant can choose his own category of songs.. there will be 8 categories from which he can choose but its upto system to provide him choices of songs in that particular category.. then the contestant has the option to choose between the options of songs..

Lifeline
Contestant have 3 lifeline that they can choose whenever they require.. they are 50:50, where one line of the blank will be given to contestant and they got to sing only one line. There is another lifeline that is similar to 50:50 but it will give only first 2 words of the line. The 3rd lifeline is ask your friend who come with you.

Modhi Vilayadu team..



It was partial team of Modhi Vilayadu film appearing in Koffee with Anu sterday.. it was the film music directors Hariharan, Leslie and later joined by the hero of the film Vinay... I will not say that it was promotional show for the film, for the reason being the film director or producer was not in the show.. ;) First it was Hariharan to join Anu and he spoke about his childhood and his passion for music. Hariharan said about his gurus and his life in music and how it all began.



Then Leslie, Hariharan's pair in music industry, he came in joining them.. they both spoke about Colonial Cousins and their plans for bgm in movies. it was interesting to know that they dint take up music for films becuase they thought the trend was not in their style and now with the current trend they feel that its with their style.. Vinay, the actor of Unnale Unnale & Jeyam kondan joined the show. The show had Koffee Taro where SPB and Shankar Mahadevan came in for Colonial cousins and Vinay had his heroines.. Bhavana and Sada..

This show also had album segment for all 3 celebrities and Koffee award given by Hariharan-LEslie.. They gave the award to A.R. Rahman for his achievements and wished him for more..

Anu alavum Bayamillai..

Anu alavum bayamillai is a new program that is all set to attack us from next week in Vijay Tv. This show has Anu Hassan hosting the show with 6 small screen actresses who will be asked to perform some interesting and fearing task. The show is staring from this Friday and here is the schedule..

Anu alavu Bayamillai = Friday & Saturday, from 31st July 2009 @ 9 PM

Here is the girls who would be competing in this show..

Aarthi
Ujjaini
Pooja
Santhoshi
Pooja
Sandra

The show will be really itneresting I think..

Pollachi Babu marches ahead of Monica..

Anchorer Monica made her apperance in the Samayal Samayal show today and she came with her sister-in-law Angel to compete against Pollachi Babu.. yeah actor who appears in many serials and also in some films.. This is Babu and his wife's second round and the verdict made them to be ready for their final round which can win them a dream kitchen.. This week's show was anchored by Malini Yugendran, giving PD and DD a break..

It was Chicken special in the show and Malini asked Monica whether she eat Chicken and from when she started eating them even. With the secret ingredient being Chicken, both the teams started to prepare lots of Masala and stuffs for delicious chicken. Finally it was Pollachi Babu team to get through to the next round of the competition and it would be his final round in the show. It was bad that the judge/Chef, when tasting the food prepared by Monica's team started to laugh and he said that the dish was not comparable to Chicken Stew and its like a Chicken Soup.

Anuradha Sriram's new role..




Yesterday it all started in Vijay TV, a brand new program for the singers.. yeah it is for the singers but definitely its a very difficult show. Its the tamizh version of bol baby bol/dont forget the lyrics.. in this lyrics game, the participants, playback singers have to choose the song from the set of options and sing them without forgetting the lyrics of the song. Anuradha Sriram, very popular playback singer is in this event too.. but she is in as anchorer/host of the show. When she introduced herself, it was like Mamathi Chari presenting the show.. and the hair dressing was even similar to her. It took a while to confirm it with Anuradha Sriram. I think, its good choice of having Anuradha Sriram as host for this show, because she will be known to almost all play back singers and any others wil not be more suitable.Ofcourse if Chinmayi had been with Vijay TV she would have been the best choice..

Whats up with Chennai Auditions

Chennai auditions got over last week in Airrtel Super Singer junior 2.. it was 2 week episode of the chennai auditions which had lot of kids participating in the event. The show was anchored by DD and she looks to be impressive until now. With the initial judges shortlisting almost 150 kids, it was difficult for the level 3 judges Tippu, Shalini and Mahathi to pick 15 kids from the list. Finally they picked up 57 kids for the next round in the competition. I think the judges in Trichy and Coimbatore even to select few more in their auditions looking at the numbers in Chennai.

Over to the numbers, this figure of 97 (which is comprising of 57 from Chennai, 21 from Coimbatore, 19 from Trichy) is all set to increase further. The 2 kids who are already become super singers will join the sets round - Balasarangan and Roshan. Also in the first week there were few more contestants selected (during Senior Vs Junior). I donno how the contestants will be selected from here in the show. This week it looks like Unni Menon will join the judges and replace Tippu for the next level of the competition. Lets see how it goes.. from the promotional video it looks like

Friday, July 24, 2009

Kanchivaram @ Vijay


Kanchivaram, the film that got rave reviews, will be telecast on Vijay TV at 7pm on July 30th! The film is set in the post-independence era and essays the struggles of a silk weaver. The story of Kanchivaram revolves around a silk weaver Vengadam (Prakash Raj),who dreams of getting his daughter married in a silk saree.

Kanchivaram is directed by Priyadarshan and stars Priyadarshan and Shreya Reddy in the lead roles. M. G. Sreekumar has scored the music for the film. Commenting on his film, Priyadarshan said, “To date it is my best work and this film is a creative arrogance.”

Thursday, July 23, 2009

Athu Ithu Ethu, Delhi Ganesh, Tyagu, Pandu

Athu Ithu Ethu with Delhi Ganesh, Tyagu and Pandu..

Yugendran, Satyan & Kalpana

Paatu Paadava will be starting from tomorrow in Vijay Tv and the show is set to be ROCKING with the playback singers coming this time to prove their skills.. but not only in singing.. it will be lyrics game and they got to sing without changing or forgetting the lyrics of the song. First show, that is tomorrow we will see playback singers Yugendran, Satyan and Kalpana fighting and looks like they have option to choose what kind of song they wanna sing. Promotional video looks impressive and I might see the program tomorrow.. how about u guys ??

UniverCell Paatu Paadava - Singers' new role




We have seen the playback singers performing in various stage shows; we have also seen them judging various reality shows. But this time, the playback singers are ready to don a new role and they are no longer hosts or judges, but they are participants on Vijay TV’s UniverCell ‘Paatu Paadava’. Popular playback singers like Deepan Chakravarthi, Srilekha Parthasarathy, Satyan, Krish, Prasana, Kalpana, Rahul Nambiyar, Malathi, Roshni, Naveen, Jaya, Yugendran, and many others will participate in Vijay TV’s UniverCell Paatu Paadava.

So, how does the show works? A playback singer will be prompted to sing a song with right lyrics for increasing amounts of cash prizes. After each correct answer, the contestant can continue playing, risking what he has already earned, or quit the game and take home all the money he or she has earned. If the contestant continues playing and is successful in completing eight song lyrics, he or she takes home a grand prize of 5 lakhs. The contestant would start singing to the lyrics which appear on screen, the screen would suddenly go blank and the participant is challenged to recall the song from their memory. There is also 3 lifelines which would help the participants incase they forget the lyrics in half way. ‘50:50’, ‘Ask a friend’ and ‘fill in the blanks’ are the three lifelines that will be provided to every contestant.

The prize money begins from 10, 000 and the winner takes home 5 lakhs once he clears all the rounds successfully. The various rounds which the participants would face are Lyricist round, Rajnikanth hits, Kamalahaasan hits, Barathiraja hits, Trisha hits, Latest romantic hits, Gana hits, Mother’s Special hits, Ilayaraja hits and many more. The show is hosted by Anuradha Sriram.

UniverCell Paatu Paadava

Broadcasters meet Soni over Content Code

Broadcasters today told the government that they were in favour of rigourously implementing a self regulated code rather than one imposed by the government. They expressed this in a meeting with Information and Broadcasting Minister Ambika Soni to discuss the issues relating to Content Code and regulation of television and broadcasting. The meeting is understood to be part of an ongoing dialogue on Content Code vis-à-vis self-regulation. Most of the broadcasters who attended the meeting today belonged to the News Broadcasters Association, but some representatives of the Indian Broadcasting Foundation were also present. Those present included NBA president G Krishnan, IBF chairman Jawahar Goel, NBA secretary general Annie Joseph, India TV's Rajat Sharma and Star India TV CEO Uday Shankar.

Govt's debate on content of reality shows

Information & Broadcasting Minister Ambika Soni said today that the government is ready for a structured debate on the content of reality shows on television, particularly in the context of the ongoing controversy relating to Sach Ka Saamna. Speaking to the media after a meeting with the broadcasters on the Content Code, she said her ministerial colleague Prithviraj Chavan had made it clear in Parliament yesterday that the government had no objection to any debate on the subject if a proper notice was given and the Chair permitted it.

Meanwhile, Ministry sources told Indiantelevision.com that Star Plus had not yet given any formal reply to the notice issued yesterday evening, which is being studied by the channel and its legal experts. The Ministry has asked the channel to respond by 4 pm on 27 July. The copy of the notice made available today said it had been brought to the notice of the Ministry that the contents of the episodes of 17 and 21 July and earlier "are vulgar, indecent and against good taste and decency."

It further says that "the anchor of the programme seeks replies to questions regarding infidelity, incest, and other taboo subjects that are not suitable for unrestricted public exhibition, especially keeping in view the Indian ethos and culture." These questions and their replies are followed by a polygraph test, the results of which are at times contrary to the replies given resulting in great embarrassment not only to the participants and their families but also to the viewers watching the programming along with their families. These, therefore, appear offending against good taste and decency; apparently contain obscene words; appear to malign and slander segments of social, public and moral life of the country and are not suitable of unrestricted public exhibition," the notice said.

Thus, the notice says this violates Section 5 of the Cable TV Networks (Regulation) Act 1995 read with Rules 6 (1) (a) (d) (i) and (o) of the Cable TV Rules 1994. The notice under Section 20 of the Act – while asking why action under the downlinking guidelines should not be taken - also says "if no reply is received within this period (4 pm on 27 July), it will be presumed that Star Plus has nothing to say in the matter and further action for the violation will be taken ex parte." A Star TV spokesperson clarified that their CEO Uday Shankar had met the Minister along with other broadcasters, and not in connection with the controversy relating to Sach Ka Saamna’.

-Indiantelevision

57 from Chennai !!!!

It was whopping 57 kids being selected for the Main level of Airtel Super Singer Junior 2 in Chennai auditions. I am really shocked at looking at the numbers.. It was 21 in Coimbatore, 15 in Trichy and now 57 in Chennai !!! that makes 97 contestants are all ready to ROCK the stage for the next levels of the competition. well the numbers will be more given that there are some contestants who were directly selected for main events and few who were selected in first week of the Airtel Super Singer jr 2 event started with Seniors vs Juniors.

Today's episode was too good in the Chennai auditions.. many contestants who paricipated today were selected and that too spot selected.. they had amazing talents and I think for a while judges asked "where were u guys till now".. With top 100 contestants there will be tough competition amongst them to reach the title and Rs. 25 lacs.. lets see how the show goes on..

Its Ramesh Kanna's wedding..




This week in Namma Veetu Kalyanam it will be actor/director Ramesh Kanna's marriage.. I think the show itself will be very interesting and Ramesh Kanna will make lot of fun with his sense of humour.. in the promotional video, it happened that his wife said - the photo in which Ramesh Kanna puts "Metti" in her legs - this is the one she liked most. Ramesh Kanna replies saying - because I have fallen in her feet she liked this photo most.. There was another incident he saying, that there was not much big artists appearing in his marriage and he advices all artists to attend any small or not popular actors' wedding..

Kanchivaram, July 30th

We see the promotional video of the film Kanchivaram for quite sometime in Vijay TV and the promotional video looks very impressive n brings in lot of expectations for the film. I dint see that film at all and I should say that I am waiting for it to be telecasted in Star Vijay TV. Now, the date is confirmed for the movie.. it will be on Thursday, July 30th, 2009 at 7 PM.. dont miss it. so does this timing mean that Airtel Super Singer Junior wont be there on Thursday and it will be a 3 day show next week and same goes with Roja Kootam, Shri Krishna Leelai and Anbe Vaa. I think this is the time for Vijay TV to start getting copyrights for new tamil movies and have them during Friday evenings every week. This is being the trend now, we could see Kalaignar and K TV had started with newly released films on friday late evenings to attract audiance.. Vijay TV should also look in the same front and that will bring in more rating for the channel.

Star India launches new shows for regional channels

Star Entertainment Media, the wholly-owned company of Star India Pvt. Ltd., which manages regional channels like Vijay TV, Star Jalsha and Star Pravah, is betting high on consolidating its market position by introducing new shows.

Tamil general entertainment channel (GEC) Vijay TV has lined up three reality shows for Friday and Saturday and two fiction shows for weekdays. Bengali GEC of the group, Star Jalsha, is launching two shows. And Marathi GEC Star Pravah is coming up with three fiction shows.

Vijay TV is launching two new reality shows, UniverCell - Paatu Paadavaa and Tata Docomo - Anu Alavum Bayamillai, for the prime time weekend slot. Apart from these, the GEC launched the second season of Aachi - Boys vs Girls, the gender-based dance competition on July 17, which is aired every Friday and Saturday at 8 pm.

Paatu Paadavaa is similar to Bol Baby Bol. However, in this show, instead of common people, popular singers of the Tamil music industry, such as Krrish, Prasanna, Ranjith, Prashanthini and Naresh Iyer, will participate. The show will be launched on July 24 at 10 pm, and will be telecast on Fridays and Saturdays.

Tata Docomo Anu Alavum Bayamillai, which is similar to Fear Factor, will be launched in the last week of July. In this show, eight celebrities face their fears. This 26-episode show will be aired on Fridays and Saturdays at 9 pm. This show will replace Koffee with Anu, a talk show on the channel.

For the weekday programming, Vijay TV recently launched two fiction shows - Anbe Vaa, a love story and Rojakoottam, a story of five friends who stay in the same locality. The channel also has two family dramas in the pipeline.

Another regional channel of the Star bouquet, Star Jalsha, is launching two new shows - Ogo Bodhu Sundari and Dancing Stars. Ogo Bodhu Sundari, which will go on air on July 27, has been made by the team behind Bou Kotha Kao, the bestseller on the Bengali GEC. This daily show will be aired at 9 pm from Monday to Friday and will replace Neer Bhanga Jhor, another fiction show on the channel. Gaurav Banerjee, vice-president, programming, Star Entertainment Media, says, "As a channel, we have made a conscious decision to stay away from being intriguing and indulging in kitchen politics. Rather, we aim to bring human values and warmth through our shows." Dancing Stars will be launched in August. This dance reality show will have eight dancers competing to win a role in a film directed by Jishu, an acclaimed Bengali director. This show will replace Swayamwar, a matchmaking show. Apart from this, the channel will also air Star Jalsha Entertainment Awards on Sunday, July 26.

Star Pravah, the Marathi GEC, is all set to launch fiction shows. Man Udhan Variyche is an attempt by the channel to launch an iconic Marathi love story. Aired from Monday to Saturday, this is the first time the channel is trying its hand at a story around a love triangle. The theme of this show is how youngsters treat love. Banerjee shares that apart from this show, most of the other shows on Star Pravah are family dramas. This love story is replacing Ase Kaghalda, which was launched in November. Apart from this, the seven-month-old channel has two more daily fiction shows in the pipeline.

How is Shri Krishna Leelai ??




Latest with the spiritual front in Star Vijay is Shri Krishna Leelai.. I have seen much of the serial since I come home only after the serial ends.. so dint had a chance to watch. I think, this is also dubbed serial. But the time of time serial is kept in mind with the Raj TV's Shri Krishna... now gues what.. there is a very good competition between the channels. Is this a strategic move by Vijay TV in order to make sure the viewers dont go to other channels and they provide better content which will make viewers to stick on with them ??

Tuesday, July 21, 2009

Arasu Cable Corporation ceases to exist in TN

The hope with which cable TV operators joined the Tamil Nadu government promoted Arasu Cable Corporation (ACC) at the height of the feud within the state's first family is fast receding. Now that the 2007 conflict between Tamil Nadu chief minister M Karunanidhi's family and his grand-nephews, the Maran brothers, has ended, cable operators, who joined the state-run entity feel they have been left in the lurch. Industry sources say they are battling political pressure to quit ACC and join one of the larger Multi System Operators (MSO) functioning across the state. Some cable operators in Tirunelveli and Vellore complained that they had to leave ACC owing to political pressure.

ACC is now on the verge of collapse, with just one or two operators in Tirunelveli, Vellore and Thanjavur still on its network, while many quitting the cable corporation in Coimbatore from around March this year in the wake of a police complaint by ACC against the Maran-run private operator, Sumangali Cable Vision (SCV) for allegedly cutting ACC cables. "They (ACC) have virtually shut down operations in Vellore and Tirunelveli. All the infrastructure created by the government will end up as liabilities." says, Shakilan, president, Tamil Nadu Cable TV Operators' Welfare Association.

"In Thanjavur, about 200 operators are still trying to stick on to ACC but in Coimbatore, almost all cable operators have gone back to private networks. All operators want the CM to fulfill promises made to them last year and protection provided to them." Shakilan adds. "We still believe in the concept of ACC. Cable operators are virtually on the brink of collapse. ACC would help us survive. They have extremely good digital quality pictures and a well established network," an cable TV operator said. "We fear for our future in the cable business, if ACC cable does not take the steps it promised. We even asked for the equipment to be given on lease to us. But the government is not willing to do even that," another operator in Vellore said.

Senior government officials, when contacted, indicated that some announcement was in the offing, but declined to talk about ACC's plans. ACC was in fact expected to begin operations in Chennai in September 2008 itself, but there is no sign of the rollout happening. Even the policy note tabled in the Assembly on Monday has no mention of the ACC's plans for Chennai. "Arasu Cable Corporation has set up digital head-ends at Thanjavur, Tirunelveli, Coimbatore and Vellore utilising state-of-the-art equipment. Arasu is carrying out works in the districts to facilitate distribution of the signals," the policy note said.

Courtesy - Televisionpoint

Paatu Paadavaa




We have seen the playback singers performing in various stage shows; we have also seen them judging various reality shows. But this time, the playback singers are ready to don a new role and they are no longer hosts or judges, but they are participants on UniverCell Paatu Paadava. Vijay TV is making this true with their up-coming launch "UniverCell Paatu Paadava". Popular playback singers like Deepan Chakravarthi, Srilekha Parthasarathy, Satyan, Krish, Prasana, Kalpana, Rahul Nambiyar, Malathi, Roshni, Naveen, Jaya, Yugendran, and many others will participate in Vijay TV's UniverCell Paatu Paadava.

The show's contestants compete to win Rs five lakh prize money by recalling song lyrics without any slip-up. A playback singer will be prompted to sing a song with right lyrics for increasing amounts of cash prizes. After each correct answer, the contestant can continue playing, risking what he has already earned, or quit the game and take home all the money he or she has earned. If the contestant continues playing and is successful in completing eight song lyrics, he or she takes home a grand prize of Rs five lakhs.

The contestant would start singing to the lyrics which appear on screen, the screen would suddenly go blank and the participant is challenged to recall the song from their memory. There are 3 lifelines which would help the participants incase they forget the lyrics in half way. '50:50', 'Ask a friend' and 'fill in the blanks' are the three lifelines that will be provided to every contestant. The prize money begins from Rs 10, 000 and the winner takes home Rs five lakh once he clears all the rounds successfully. The various rounds which the participants would face are Lyricist round, Rajnikanth hits, Kamalahaasan hits, Barathiraja hits, Trisha hits, Latest romantic hits, Gana hits, Mother's Special hits, Ilayaraja hits and many more.

Paatu Paadava would be hosted by Anuradha Sriram, leading playback singer from the Tamil industry. With a huge prize money of Rs five lakh, do not miss to watch UniverCell Paatu Paadava every Friday & Saturday, beginning from July 24, 2009 at 10pm on Vijay TV.

Its 1000 !!!

I am very glad to write this 1000th post in my blog.. It all started last September-October when I was impressed by the shows of Star Vijay TV. I like many of the Vijay TV shows and I have even started few more blogs to post the videos of the specific shows so that it will be like a library where the videos are archived. I will continue to post the reviews and information about Vijay Tv, TamilNadu television information and Media related articles that I come across and I get to know. I thank all you guys for supporting me in visiting my blog and commenting your views on the posts. Also, with the programs/shows getting increasing in the Channel, I wish Vijay TV to get bigger and better..

Betting big on pay-per-view

Film producers and direct-to-home (DTH) service providers see pay-per-view (PPV) buying of movies emerging as a significant contributor to revenues, with the growing popularity and expanding subscribers of satellite television. Television viewers have received an fantastic option of PPV, which allows them to view movies or individual programmes for a nominal fee. Movies are seen as especially well-suited for the pay-TV model, allowing subscribers the option of viewing in the privacy and comfort of home at a time of their choice. The major providers of PPV include the Essel Group-owned Dish TV, Tata Sky, a joint venture between the Tata group and Star TV, Reliance Communications' Big TV and Bharti Airtel's digital TV. Sun Direct still needs to capture this potential market.

DTH operators update the menu of movies on offer every fortnight and subscribers pay between Rs 25 and Rs 75, depending on whether it is a monthly rental or an a la carte offering. PPV rights for movies are sold for a fixed duration and on a non-exclusive basis, depending on the star cast, time of release and box-office ratings. DTH firms have been experimenting with the pay-per-view model for some time. Earlier this year, Tata Sky offered its customers an option of viewing Slumdog Millionaire for Rs 25 a pop. The offer lasted for three days before the Academy Awards and some 150,000 viewers took it up. UTV Motion Pictures will release its Phir Kabhi movie, which has been produced at a cost of Rs 3 crore, on all the platforms including Dish TV, Tata Sky, Big TV and digital TV. UTV and operators see the film as an experiment in the right direction for both producers of small-budget films and the platform itself.

"We generally buy satellite rights in a bundle, including conventional, DTH and internet protocol TV. PPV rights are first sold to DTH operators to give them the advantage of airing it in advance. While Hindi or regional films can be viewed through other means, PPV for international films is bound to grow faster due to exclusivity," says Amrita Pandey, vice-president, international distribution and syndication, UTV Motion Pictures. Airtel digital TV will premiere Hannah Montana: The Movie, ahead of its theatrical release in India. The movie, available from 22 July for pay-per-view (PPV) subscribers, is priced at Rs 75. DTH operators are optimistic about such a trend catching on and are hoping pay-per-view emerges as a separate revenue stream. Currently, the PPV business contributes an insignificant amount to their revenues. Rajesh Jain, research head, information, communications and entertainment, KPMG, says, "PPV is a step forward to 'increase stickiness' for DTH services. Operators are still testing the waters in terms of viewer demand, just as producers are evaluating the market dynamics." A report by consulting and audit firm KPMG and industry lobby Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FICCI) predicts that the number of DTH subscribers in India is at 13 million and estimates that the subscriber base will grow to 25-27 million by 2012.

Multiplex boom in Chennai

At 120 screens and 60,000 seats, Chennai’s voracious appetite for movies has seemingly not been satiated. A number of upcoming mutiplexes is set to change the average Chennai movie-goer’s cinematic experience. As many as six multiplexes are set to be operational in the next year and a half, with 40 screens and 8,000 seats in all. After Inox, it is now the turn of other national players like PVR Cinemas and Fame India to turn their attention to Kollywood capital Chennai. PVR Cinemas, which will make its debut in the Chennai market with seven screens at Ampa Skywalk on Nelson Manickam Road this October, will be the first in a string of multiplexes. PVR operates more than 100 screens across the country.

Mumbai-based Fame Cinemas too has signed up with Spectrum Mall that’s coming up in Perumbur. "We are planning a five-screen multiplex with a total seating capacity of 1,400 seats. Fame Cinemas will run the multiplex," said Mr Senthilkumar of Ganga Foundations, which is executing the project. While PVR Cinemas operates multiplexes in both Bangalore and Hyderabad, Fame operates one multiplex and one single-screen cinema hall in Bangalore. They are also said to be in talks with the two-decade-old National Theatres, which is currently being reconstructed to house five screens. Chennai-based Gemini Studios is also said to be in the fray for the same.

Chennai currently has under ten multiplexes, Sathyam Cinemas, Inox Chennai, Mayajaal and Abirami Mega Mall being some prominent ones. So, how will the city, whose average theatre occupancy stands at a dismal 45%, react once all these mutiplxes are up and running? People who did not travel long distances to catch movies at the handful of existing multiplexes will now have the opportunity to do so in their neighbourhood, thus, increasing occupancy rates, feels Chennai Theatre Owners Association president and Abirami Mega Mall managing director Ramanathan. Citing the example of Maharashtra that has hundreds of multi-screen theatres, he said that the emergence of the multiplex culture will also lead to filmmakers making smaller films targeted at this urban crowd, the way it is in Bollywood. "The kind of movies being made will also change. There will be lesser unnecessarily lavish ones. It is a healthy trend," he opined.

-Economic Times

Dish TV raises STB prices

Dish TV, the direct-to-home (DTH) venture of Essel Group, is going for a Rs 100 price hike in its set top boxes (STBs) triggered by the increase in customs duty on import of STBs from zero levels to 5 per cent. The price step-up will be effective from July 20 and a bare STB will now be priced at Rs 1,590 in place of Rs 1,490. Salil Kapoor, chief operating officer, Dish TV, says, "We have decided to increase the box price by Rs 100 across all offers, as 5 per cent customs duty has been imposed on import DTH boxes. Despite having a subsidy-based business model, we have been absorbing various taxes. But, we have to pass on this extra burden to the subscriber." Kapoor added, "This exemption that was granted earlier should have been withdrawn only after the domestic manufacturing capability was in place. Right now, against a demand of roughly 10 million boxes, the local supply will be just a few thousands which in no way will help the growth of the industry." "Box paucity or increase in cost will further impact the CAS implementation pace. The revenue generated from the 5 per cent customs duty will be to the tune of Rs 80-90 crore. But, the indirect benefits like digitization and therefore extra income to government due to taxes from growth in DTH have probably not been taken into account." he says.
"These indirect benefits are much higher than the revenue that will be collected on account of this duty. We have full faith that the Informaton & Broadcasting Ministry will take it up with the Finance Ministry," Kapoor rounded off.

The other top DTH player Tata Sky, has also said earlier that it will increase the price of a DTH connection by Rs 130-150, translating into a 5 per cent increase in the entry cost for a subscriber. Recently, the Cable and Satellite Broadcasting Association of Asia (CASBAA) has expressed concerns over the levy of additional duties on imported STBs. The move on STBs may prove detrimental for consumers, who will now need to pay more for digital services such as DTH and digital cable TV subscriptions. The first company to launch DTH service in India, Dish TV is now competing with four players – Tata Sky, Airtel digital TV, Reliance's Big TV and Sun Direct – in a highly subsidised model. Dish TV, which is proceeding with mobilising the second Rights Issue tranche, claims that its market share is 42 per cent among private DTH operators, which has come down from 53 per cent in 2007.

Thirteen cleared TV channels still to pay licence fees

Permission to 13 of the 23 television channels cleared for uplinking last month has been held back as they have not paid the requisite fee as on 15 July. These include three channels of the TV18 Group, Information TV’s four channels, Krishnaswamy Associates Media Rennaissance's Krishna TV, Raj Television Network’s Raj TV Asia, Vijayanthi Televentures’ Rhythm, Pavitar Entertainment’s Pavitar, Anoli Holdings’ City Pulse, and Vedic Broadcasting’s Vedic. The three channels proposed by TV18 are CNBC-TV18 South, CNBC-TV18 Gujarat, and CNBC-TV18 Channel 3.

Information TV’s channels are: Awam, Samaj, Mumbai News, and Delhi News.

Those cleared to uplink within the next three months are four of the Fox Channels (India) group, a channel owned by Tamil Nadu chief minister K Karunanidhi's family, Pride East Entertainments’ E Live, Amoda Broadcasting’s ABN-Andhra Jyothy, Priyamda Media’s Apna News, Eastern Media’s Kanak Sambad, and Rama Associates’ Fresh TV. According to Information and Broadcasting Ministry sources, Minister Ambika Soni decided to give composite clearance to all proposals which were found fulfilling the requisite conditions. The channels proposed by Fox are National Geographic HD Channel, Nat Geo Wild, Nat Geo Adventure, and Nat Geo Music, while Kalaignar Asia is the channel owned by Karunanidhi’s Kalaignar TV P Ltd.

Credits : Indiantelevision

Monday, July 20, 2009

Did Ajeesh used MP3 Player ????


I came across this interesting post and I think its a valid one too.. I agree with the writer on the MP3 part but I dont think other mistakes should be considered.. If this kind of consideration is been done for all, then none would have become a super singer.. Read this post to know more ...

Airtel Super Ajeesh Doesn't deserve to be winner - A true analysis.

This is my first post on my observance which people always forget to analysis why some one is a winner and someone is not?

In the airtel super singer finals when ajeesh sang the song " Sangeetha jathi mullai" the crowd was mesmerished by his singing capability. But, do you know what really happened.

Take a look at the clipping at:

http://video.yahoo.com/watch/5227265/13797620

Specifically, look at the clip what ageesh is doing, between the timer -7:20 to -7:17. You would see he is removing his earplugs from his ears!

This is what in music studio when a singer records a song. The song will be previously recorded with a track singer. The singer job is to just overlap that singing and record their sound track separately. Now, they would remove the track singer's voice and insert the track of the true playback singers voice. This is how it is being done so that they don't waste the time of the playback singer!

Now, what are the flaws of what Ajeesh did on that song:

1. Up until the alabanai, he just copied what SPB was singing in his earplugs ;)

2. The tempo of the song. Listen to the song SPB has sung and you will find that this is a fast paced svaram at the end of the song. SPB completed the Svarangal 4 lines before Ajeesh! Even if you have the notes and practice then with the slow pace you can sing the same song, yes but with lot of practice.

3. In the last Svarangal, he screwed up the lines:


thagara thoom |
tharegida thoom |
tharegana thoom |
thagadimi thoom | ---3

tharegida thoom was repeated 4X3 times. These nuances are the essential beauty of the singer!

4. Don't know but, I heard minor voice that was singing maybe from the earplug between -6:36 to -6:28. Maybe echo, which I dont see anywhere when he was singing with music. If so it should echo, when he was singing with music as well.

5. Was Vijay TV involved in showing leniency to him, by allowing him to use MP3 player????

6. The emotion of the song was lost. In the original SPB, would make you feel that the actor reels, emotional, frustrated, lost, angry, sad, zeal, happy, passionate. All these are reflected in SPB singing but not with Ajeesh, who went on to sing "emotionlessly" the song. This a required quality of a singer to take you to the state of the song!



So what is lagging, everything and showing wrong path to success!


I'm not harsh on Ajesh, but being critical I wanna show people of Tamil Nadu what a bad judgement they gave! I would rate Renu better even she looks at the notes to sing the song.


Ajesh, the success you got will not sustain if it was coming from the wrong path you choose. But, I agree, with you is that, you have far superior pronounciation and clarity in voice when compared to Ravi. You sound more Tamil rather being a Mallu. I appreciate your effort on that.

Cheers this is my first Critic Post!

Content courtesy - http://blogs.myspace.com/485710268

Tdsat asks Dish TV and Sun TV to mediate

The Telecom Disputes Settlement and Appellate Tribunal (Tdsat) has passed on the ongoing dispute between Dish TV and Sun TV Network to its former member DP Sehgal for mediation. The direct-to-home (DTH) operator and Kalanithi Maran-promoted southern major have locked horns over the terms and conditions of their agreement and the subscriber base. The broadcast tribunal bench headed by justice Arun Kumar has referred the dispute to Sehgal following the appeal from Sun TV’s counsel. Dist TV counsel Pratibha Maninder Singh said that the dispute between them regarding the pricing of the channels is almost settled. However, certain other commercial terms on the reference interconnection offer (RIO) are yet to be resolved.

Sunday, July 19, 2009

Better contestants..

Athu Ithu Ethu has been a good concept from Vijay TV and Sivakarhikeyan drives the show very well. I think the show looks impressive only if it has good celebrities as contestants otherwise its boring. This week the show had comedy actors Delhi Ganesh, Thyagu and Pandu competing each other.. last week even the show was good with John, Dev and Shri.. small screen actors competing.

I think the show is getting well nice but the timing of the show seems to be bit longer.. it will better if its been changed as 30 minutes program and I dont think it requires 1 hour to have 3 rounds of the show.. In fact it will become more interesting to see it has half an hour program.. what do you guys say ??

Kadhalil Irukiravargal Vs Irundavargal..

It was fight between the lovers of today and lovers of yesterday in Neeya Naana.. the topic was Kadhalil Irukiravargal Vs Kadhalil Irundavargal. it was happiness in one side and sadness on the other side... the show spoke about how the love blossomed in one side and how it broke on the other side.. Gopinath in fact asked about the words that they spoke to build or break the relationship. I felt sad for the ppl in sterday's lovers.. few ppl who said about their relationship with their lovers and how they were treated badly in turn and its really good to know that they are still waiting for their lovers to come back n feel sorry for them. In today's lovers side it was good to know that they have very good bonding between them..

Show had film director karu. Pazhaniyappan and playback singer kalpana.. Karu. Pazhaniyappan said about his love marriage... he spoke well and in which I liked.. love marriages are good only if they are with parents of both the sides agreed. There were lil sad part in the show with sterday's lovers.. i will post the videos soon..

Multiple promotions for Roshan, Balasarangan

We all knew Roshan and Balasarangan participating in many Vijay TV programs and they keep on ROCKING all the time they perform any song. It was shocking to see both Roshan and Balasarangan to participate in Airtel Super Singer Jr 2 Chennai auditions. I first thought they are here to entertain other participants but they instead said that they want to participate and learn more from this even. It was very nice of these kids. It was Roshan's turn to sing in front of Pop Shalini and she asked him why was here.. even she was shocked after knowing the reason.

Roshan immediately called Balasarangan even.. Shalini said that they need not attend this audition.. but she wants to confirm with Tippu. When shalini took them to Tippu, they were given multiple promotions.. not double promotion.. Tippu said that they can participate directly in Set rounds.. rounds that will be in the Airtel Super Singer set.. It was nice move by Tippu..

Best of Koffee with Anu

Nadodigal - Sirappu Paarvai

Koffee with Vishnuvardhan & Yuvan Shankar Raja

It was music director Yuvan Shankar Raja and director Vishnuvardan to have koffee with Anu sterday in Vijay TV.. most interesting news from the show was both Yuvan and Vishnu were schoolmates.. the show started with Anu inviting Yuvan Shankar Raja and asked "what question would you think that you have not been asked in any interviews.." with Yuvan speaking about his career which he started in his schooldays.. yeah during his school days.. unbelievable. Vishnuvardhan joined the show soon after which they went down the memory lines of their childhood days in school.

Show had Rapid fire round and the gift went to Vishnuvardhan for the reason being - he was able to choose the options frankly even with many options being given. It was followed by Koffee Tarro and the Koffee award. It was fun listening to Yuvan speaking like Silambarasan. Koffee award was given to Premji, whom Yuvan said was his favourite..

Watch the video here

What to Expect from Boys Vs Girls this season ?

The first season of Boys VS Girls concluded in an impressive manner and the Girls team was adjudged the winners. They were awarded with a total cash prize of 7 lakhs. Even after the Girls team bagging the title, "who is the greatest gender in terms of dance" still remains a million dollar question! To find out which gender rules the other, Vijay TV is now back with the biggest dance gender war with Aachi Boys VS Girls Season 2. Launching from July 17, 2009, both Boys & Girls are ready to prove their true spirit on the dancing floor.

With beautiful damsels and handsome hunks, the Aachi Boys VS Girls Season 2 is all set with small screen artists from the Tamil television; they are ready to face the biggest battle ever - Are the Boys best? Or are the Girls best? Venkat, Nethran, Balaji, Michael, Sivakarthikeyan Ram, Pranav, Rinson (child artists') comprises the boys' team. Sandra, Aishwarya, Priya, Hema, Asha, Misha, Sai Promodhitha, Kavitha, Abhinaya & Krithika (child artists') form the girls' team. The team captains are to be announced on the day of launch.

With two dance schools in tow to train the teams and a celebrity judge's panel, the new and brightly lit stage is set for the gender war to continue. Aachi Boys VS Girls Season 2 is all ready for its launch from July 17, 2009 and will air every Friday & Saturday, 8pm in Vijay TV. The show also promises to give its viewer an unmatched entertainment and a power packed performance from both the teams week after week.

The two teams will be performing to freestyle round in the introductory week to prove to the others in which they excel in. Apart from the solo and duet rounds, the second season of Boys VS Girls will have some unique themes like betting round, entertainment round, concept round, out of the box round, and much more where the participants will be put through difficult tasks and only the fittest will survive!

With the famous duo, Deepak & DD hosting the show do not miss to watch Aachi Boys VS Girls Season 2 from July 17, 2009 on all Friday & Saturday at 8pm on Vijay TV!

Boys vs. Girls - Season 2

Vijay TV is back with Aachi Boys vs. Girls - Season 2 from July 17.

Here is the team -

Boys

Venkat
Nethran
Balaji
Michael
Sivakarthikeyan Ram
Pranav
Rinson

Girls

Sandra
Aishwarya
Priya
Hema
Asha
Misha
Sai Promodhitha
Kavitha
Abhinaya
Krithika.

Deepak and Divyadarshini are the hosts.

DD, AIR to get Rs 1 bn

The range and capacity of Doordarshan and All India Radio (AIR) transmitters in border areas is being augmented, following persistent complaints that stronger signals from across the border result in jamming Indian channels. The Information and Broadcasting Ministry is understood to have set aside a budget of around Rs 1 billion for this purpose. When pointed out that this was not a new complaint, Ministry sources told that Prasar Bharati was an autonomous body and the government could interfere only up to a certain extent. "In fact, senior officials in Prasar Bharati have themselves not got used to the fact that they work for an autonomous organisation," the source quipped. The sources also regretted that one reason for the weak signals was the fact that cable and direct-to-home operators often did not carry Doordarshan channels on the prime band as required under law under Section 8 of the Cable Television Networks (Regulation) Act 1995.

Who will be the next big brand endorser?

Imagine a common man, like you or me, standing on a terrace and saying, "Wish karo, dish karo." Anybody except Shah Rukh Khan, would have made it seem like yet another corny punch line. However, when Khan says those lines, a brand gets created. Prabhakar S, who runs Indiaby2, a Chennai based advertising agency, explains what goes behind choosing a face to endorse a brand. "Identification of a strong link between what the personality stands for and the kind of image that the brand is trying to create is instrumental in choosing a brand ambassador." he says.

When southern actress Jyothika wore a saree with 50,000 colours, RmKv, a wedding silks shop in Chennai, became an instant name among south Indians, or when actor Madhavan's face was splashed across UniverCell's campaigns, the company's recall value grew instantly. "Until 2007, UniverCell's presence was just very small in Chennai. When we decided to make it a national chain, we wanted a face to represent our brand. Our research findings directed us to choose someone who was smart, intelligent and had a pan-Indian appeal," says Satish Babu, managing director, UniverCell.

"Although Madhavan was not endorsing any brand at that point nor had had any phenomenal hit film then, he fit the bill. It has helped the brand immensely. In fact, in a research finding by GFK Group, a research company, it was found that Madhavan's face has increased the recall value of UniverCell." Babu adds. Talking of brand ambassadors, advertising gurus in Chennai feel that actor Suriya stands for earnestness. "If you want to inspire a certain trust in a brand and need it to have rural and urban reach, Suriya is your best bet," says Prabhakar. Mark Manuel, creative director, films, JWT - Chennai, says, "Mirinda's new campaign with Asin is a hit all over India. Her happy-go-lucky image is instantly identifiable with the image of the product."

It is also well-known that there was a significant increase in sales following JWT's Madhavan-Vidya Balan Airtel campaign. "The advertisement worked because both celebrities played normal people. They were just like any other newly married couple. The reach may not have been as good if they had merely played their celebrity selves in the ad," says Mark. Ask Vijay Xavier, vice-president, Lowe - Chennai, about what goes behind a brand endorsement, and he says, "Apart from sportspersons, there isn't anyone in the country, who has a national reach." Vijay adds, "Maybe actor Rajinikanth has a holistic approach, but, unfortunately, he doesn't endorse any brand. So, we decided to tap into the regional market, and chose Shriya Saran for representation in the South, as she is a very popular face here. She has many hit films to her credit and has an amazing screen presence." If Priyanka Chopra playing the role of a girl-next-door worked for Nokia, Madhavan's earnest approach made viewers believe in the brand. Mark Manuel says, "Pepsi's new tagline is Youngistan and we are still scouting around for a face that can represent the brand in the South."

Courtesy - Televisionpoint

Ajeesh @ SS Jr 2


Airtel Super Singer 2008 winner Ajeesh was present in Chennai Auditions of the Super Singer Jr 2 event.. Ajeesh made guest appearance in the show and the way all kids went around him was interesting. Ajeesh even said that he dint expect this kind of introduction in front of kids.. where all of them were around him..

Games @ SS Jr 2

We tend to see lot of games being played in Super Singer junior event.. the kids who are in waiting area are involved in these kinds of games.. almost all the times it was Divyadarshini who organised these kinds of games which doesnt make the kids and parents boring and keep everyone entertained. some of those games being played are really entertaining for the viewers even.. one game which they played where parents' eyes will be tied with cloth and kids will call "amma".. and mother of that girl should identify her child. There were singing games, arm wrestling ;) and even fight between actors Surya and Vijay fans..

These games are being played in all the places and it was entertaining everywhere..DD really making the show well.. I will post a separate post on DD's Super Singer journey..

Budget 2009: Network18 dominates news genre

Network18, which has channels like CNBC-TV18, CNN-IBN and CNBC Awaaz, were the most watched news channels in the English business news segment, in the English generic news segment and in the Hindi business news segment, respectively on July 6, 2009, when the Finance Minister presented his Budget speech. According to TAM data for C&S 25+ All India, on July 6, CNBC-TV18 had a channel share of 67 per cent. For the period July 5-11, the pre/post coverage period of the event, the channel fetched a market share of 72 per cent. For the same period, NDTV Profit, recorded channel shares of 22 per cent and 14 per cent respectively. UTVi was placed third for its Budget day coverage and post-Budget coverage, with channel shares of 7 and 9 per cent respectively. The new kid on the block, ET Now's Budget coverage got it a channel share of 4 per cent on July 6 and a channel share of 6 per cent for its post-Budget analysis.

Neel Chowdhury, vice-president, marketing, CNBC-TV18 & CNBC Awaaz, explains that CNBC-TV18 have been synonymous with the budget programming and analysis since inception. Over the years the channel has carved a niche in being the platform that covers the Union Budget most comprehensively, giving multiple perspectives using innovative and diverse approaches. Chowdhury claims that CNBC-TV18 is a market leader in the business news genre and says that content and the way it was presented has to be the differentiator. For the Budget 2009, the channel had laid out a series of editorial shows, ground events, on air segments and specials with a strong emphasis on interactivity and audience involvement. Chowdhury says, "Business news is a specialist format and also has a distinct viewer base, the way we presented the Union Budget, it attracted a larger viewership during that day. Besides that, the presentation of other important events in an innovative manner has helped grow the channel's popularity."

On the Budget day, besides telecasting the Finance Minister's budget speech live, CNBC-TV18 and CNN-IBN roped in over 100 guests to share their reactions to the Finance Minister's proposals. It had a line of bankers on the channel, which included names such as Deepak Parekh, KV Kamath and Vallabh Bhansali. Punitha Arumugam, chief executive officer, Madison Media, says, "It is an accepted notion that in the television medium, a TV channel network is only as good as its content. The numbers for CNBC-TV18 has been quite good and it is definitely a channel where clients like to advertise. The channel has a clear domination."

R Venkatasubramanian, vice-president, Lintas Media Group, says, "A strong differentiator that worked in favour of CNBC-TV18 has been its news-centric strategy. The channel has always been the leader in the segment, followed by others. However, encouraging performance of the other players and its own numbers somehow failed to capture the change." As for the coverage of the Budget by the English general interest news channels, as per the TAM C&S 15+ All India data, CNN-IBN led on B-Day, with a channel share of 32 per cent, followed by NDTV 24x7, whose channel share stood at 31 per cent.

Times Now's coverage of the day saw it grab a channel share of 19 per cent. Headlines Today and NewsX were next in line, with channel shares of 13 and 6 per cent, respectively. The week-long debates and commentary, saw both CNN-IBN and NDTV 24x7 with identical channel shares of 28 per cent each (TAM figures for C&S 15+, All India Markets). For the same period, Times Now gathered a channel share of 25 per cent.

In the Hindi business news genre, CNBC Awaaz, proved its credibility, being the leader when it came to the coverage of the country's most important event after the General Elections 2009. CNBC Awaaz's Budget day coverage fetched it a channel share of 69 per cent and its post-Budget analysis coverage (July 5-11), got it a channel share of 69 per cent. Another Hindi business news channel, Zee Business, had a channel share of 31 per cent for both its Budget day and post-Budget coverage. Sanjay Pugalia, editor-in-chief, CNBC Awaaz, says, "CNBC Awaaz was the only channel that was providing a Hindi translation of the Budget speech as it was being delivered in English by the Finance Minister. We interpreted the Budget through our analysis of tax rebates, customs duty analyses and sectoral analysis."

In the general interest Hindi news channels, the leader was Aaj Tak. As per TAM data, 15+ HSM, the news channel topped the charts for its Budget coverage on July 6, with a channel share of 20 per cent. In the second and third spots were Star News and India TV respectively, with channel shares of 18 per cent and 14 per cent. For the post coverage analysis, in the Hindi news genre, Aaj Tak scored over its rivals by being the leader in 15+ HSM (July 5-11), garnering a channel share of 17 per cent. However, the week-long in-depth analysis and debates on Budget announcements saw both Star News and India TV tied at the second spot, with identical channel shares of 16 per cent each. As per the TAM data, 15+ HSM for July 6, Zee News and NDTV India scored identical channel shares of 10 per cent each, and were placed fourth. The sixth player, IBN7, had a market share of 8 per cent. Budget coverage on July 6 got Sahara Samay and News 24 channel shares of 5 and 4 per cent respectively. The TAM findings highlight that Zee News led the pack, when it comes to average time spend on a channel per viewer, which was of 8 minutes. Barun Das, chief executive officer, Zee News, says, that the channel aims to bring to viewers the best programming and the most accurate news that carries a holistic view of the issue.

Courtesy - Televisionpoint

Whats up with Chennai Auditions..

Chennai Auditions in Airtel Super Singer Jr 2 had started last week.. yeah.. it started last week and will continue for next week even... with the number of contestants being very high, the show got to be for 2 weeks in the channel. But, I think the number of contestants are less than wat was expected but is it that the program organisers doesnt want to show that up ??.. Considering the contestants at Trichy and Coimbatore, definitely chennai had got more than twice the number of contestants. With the preliminary auditions being judged by 6 judges the next level of auditions were judged by Tippu, Pop Shalini and Sunitha Sarathy separately. Looks like 150 contestants are being short listed for the next week main auditions which will have all 3 judges judging the performances of the contestants together..

There were lot of interesting moments in the show in Chennai event even, as it happened in other places. The show still says that top 15 contestants will be selected from this main audition but I think it will atleast 25 to 30 contestants to be selected for the main level of the show. Now, the number looks like 40 from Trichy and Coimbatore. Lets see how the show goes this week..
 
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