Political advertising money has started moving to the DTH sector. Dish TV and Tata Sky have firmed up ad deals with the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and are in talks with other political parties, including the Congress, as India goes to the Lok Sabha polls this month. The BJP has committed Rs 1.5 million to Dish TV, which has a subscriber base of close to five million. Tata Sky, however, did not disclose the ad money it would get from the BJP.
Starting today, Dish TV will have ad spots running on its default landing interactive channel no. 999 and branding on its News Active and Bhakti Active services. Tata Sky has already started running BJP’s campaign on its channel no. 100, the promo channel of the DTH operator. Meanwhile, the new DTH entrants like Big TV and Airtel Digital TV have not been able to tap political advertising as their subscriber base is still too small, political sources say.
Thursday, April 2, 2009
Amitabh Bachchan is most recognised Celebrity
Percept Talent Management (PTM) and Hansa Research, which have launched CelebTrack in November last year to track India's most powerful celebrities across movies, sports and television, have announced the initial findings of their work. Over 400 celebrities were ranked on five parameters - popularity, image attributes, power of persuasion, media presence and overexposure. Together, these determined the Celebrity Power Score (CPS). Film stars, cricketers, sports personalities, TV stars and musicians have been included in the exercise.
Manish Porwal, chief executive officer, Percept Talent Management, says, "Being the largest widest and deepest research on celebrities and being a track, it is set to become a currency of evaluating star power. Our endeavour is to provide a professional and yet affordable model, which will allow one to make informed profitable choice."
Ashok Das, managing director, Hansa Research, adds, "We believe that the almost Rs 1,000 crore endorsements market is more than ready to identify its celebrity endorsers through hard facts collected over a huge sample base, rather than on perception of a few or on anecdotal learning."
In phase 1, the research was to shortlist 400 national and regional celebrities from the areas of cricket, television, movies, other sports and music; and was carried out in November 2008. In phase 2, the media presence of the shortlisted celebrities was ascertained and events during the period were taken into account. It was a quantitative primary research, which included a face-to-face interview, and gathered data from over 10,800 respondents (urban, all adults, SEC A,B,C and D and 15-50 years) across India in a period of two waves annually.
Celebrity endorsement has usually depended a lot on gut feel and brands are undertaking extensive research to see if a celebrity is in sync with the brand. For instance, before roping in actor Aamir Khan, Tata Sky had studied all those attributes that the actor stood for and whether they were in sync with the Tata Sky brand, and only then appointing him as the brand ambassador. According to Vikram Mehra, chief marketing officer, Tata Sky, "The most important criteria to rope in a celebrity is whether he stands for the same attributes that the brand stands for. The bigger decision that every marketer has to take right now is to find out more about what the celebrity stands for and it is an evolving thing."
The research shows that celebrities who are popular may not necessarily be liked by the masses. For example, while Amitabh Bachchan is the most recognised celebrity, Akshay Kumar is the most liked one. Similarly, among actresses, Kajol is the second most recognized actress, while Madhuri Dixit is the second most liked celebrity. Amitabh Bachchan leads the market for the masses, while Shah Rukh Khan is more popular with the upper classes. This research also brings out a list of celebrities, whom people don't want to see or read about. The top two names on this list, across India as well as specifically in the HSM, are Rakhi Sawant and Kamal Hassan. On the other hand, people want to read more about Sachin Tendulkar and Dhoni. Finally, when all these parameters are put together, the celebrity with the highest CPS in the male actors' category is Amitabh Bachchan, followed by Akshay Kumar. In the female actors' category, these two positions are held by Aishwarya Rai and Katrina Kaif respectively.
Sachin Tendulkar and M S Dhoni lead the list in the cricketers' category, while Sania Mirza and Vishwanathan Anand are on the first and second spot, respectively, in the other sports category. The findings also differ across geographical markets. Akshay Kumar and Amitabh Bachchan are the top two celebrities across HSM; while in Karnataka, Sachin Tendulkar and Rahul Dravid make it to the top two.
A Televisionpoint.com News
Manish Porwal, chief executive officer, Percept Talent Management, says, "Being the largest widest and deepest research on celebrities and being a track, it is set to become a currency of evaluating star power. Our endeavour is to provide a professional and yet affordable model, which will allow one to make informed profitable choice."
Ashok Das, managing director, Hansa Research, adds, "We believe that the almost Rs 1,000 crore endorsements market is more than ready to identify its celebrity endorsers through hard facts collected over a huge sample base, rather than on perception of a few or on anecdotal learning."
In phase 1, the research was to shortlist 400 national and regional celebrities from the areas of cricket, television, movies, other sports and music; and was carried out in November 2008. In phase 2, the media presence of the shortlisted celebrities was ascertained and events during the period were taken into account. It was a quantitative primary research, which included a face-to-face interview, and gathered data from over 10,800 respondents (urban, all adults, SEC A,B,C and D and 15-50 years) across India in a period of two waves annually.
Celebrity endorsement has usually depended a lot on gut feel and brands are undertaking extensive research to see if a celebrity is in sync with the brand. For instance, before roping in actor Aamir Khan, Tata Sky had studied all those attributes that the actor stood for and whether they were in sync with the Tata Sky brand, and only then appointing him as the brand ambassador. According to Vikram Mehra, chief marketing officer, Tata Sky, "The most important criteria to rope in a celebrity is whether he stands for the same attributes that the brand stands for. The bigger decision that every marketer has to take right now is to find out more about what the celebrity stands for and it is an evolving thing."
The research shows that celebrities who are popular may not necessarily be liked by the masses. For example, while Amitabh Bachchan is the most recognised celebrity, Akshay Kumar is the most liked one. Similarly, among actresses, Kajol is the second most recognized actress, while Madhuri Dixit is the second most liked celebrity. Amitabh Bachchan leads the market for the masses, while Shah Rukh Khan is more popular with the upper classes. This research also brings out a list of celebrities, whom people don't want to see or read about. The top two names on this list, across India as well as specifically in the HSM, are Rakhi Sawant and Kamal Hassan. On the other hand, people want to read more about Sachin Tendulkar and Dhoni. Finally, when all these parameters are put together, the celebrity with the highest CPS in the male actors' category is Amitabh Bachchan, followed by Akshay Kumar. In the female actors' category, these two positions are held by Aishwarya Rai and Katrina Kaif respectively.
Sachin Tendulkar and M S Dhoni lead the list in the cricketers' category, while Sania Mirza and Vishwanathan Anand are on the first and second spot, respectively, in the other sports category. The findings also differ across geographical markets. Akshay Kumar and Amitabh Bachchan are the top two celebrities across HSM; while in Karnataka, Sachin Tendulkar and Rahul Dravid make it to the top two.
A Televisionpoint.com News
Wednesday, April 1, 2009
IPL Matches extended by 10 minutes for Sponsors :)
The duration of the Indian Premier League (IPL) season two could just be longer than the usual as their are plans to have two additional breaks and extend the duration of the match by 10 minutes. Under the current ICC rules, the T20 game is a three-hour affair with only one interval of 15 minutes between the two innings. Ten minutes will not have much of an issue for an average spectator, but for Multi Screen Media (MSM) India, the broadcaster of the event, it means megabucks. The five-minute breaks to be squeezed in between each innings is aimed to rake in more advertising slots, which in turn will net more money.
The commercial move, which could fetch the broadcaster nearly $ 5 million, will be given a completely cricketing makeover by converting it into a rule wherein captains could use that time to regroup and redraw strategies. The plan is a part of the BCCI-MSM India deal that was renegotiated recently. The fact that the 10 minute break per match will be used primarily for commercial purposes has also been inked in the deal.
Media reports suggest that as against the estimated commercial air-time of 2000 seconds per match last season, this time MSM India would get 2600 seconds. This is one major reason why there was a strong emphasis on targeting the prime time television audience in India while the schedule was being finalized in South Africa. For the moment, the answers will have to wait because the official word isn't out as yet. Rohit Gupta, president, network and sales, MSM India, says, "I haven't heard of any such development."
Recently, MSM India renegotiated the broadcast rights with BCCI last week for a whopping $ 1.6 billion for nine years as compared to the amount of $ 918 million paid by World Sports Group (WSG) for 10 years. A $ 5 million venture ? Going by the current market rates, a 10 second ad slot is likely to fetch the broadcaster close to Rs 4 lakh. Thus, a 10 minute break will net Rs 24 lakh. Multiply it by 59, the number of matches that will be played in IPL Season 2, and we get a whopping Rs 23.6 crore or $ 5 million.
The commercial move, which could fetch the broadcaster nearly $ 5 million, will be given a completely cricketing makeover by converting it into a rule wherein captains could use that time to regroup and redraw strategies. The plan is a part of the BCCI-MSM India deal that was renegotiated recently. The fact that the 10 minute break per match will be used primarily for commercial purposes has also been inked in the deal.
Media reports suggest that as against the estimated commercial air-time of 2000 seconds per match last season, this time MSM India would get 2600 seconds. This is one major reason why there was a strong emphasis on targeting the prime time television audience in India while the schedule was being finalized in South Africa. For the moment, the answers will have to wait because the official word isn't out as yet. Rohit Gupta, president, network and sales, MSM India, says, "I haven't heard of any such development."
Recently, MSM India renegotiated the broadcast rights with BCCI last week for a whopping $ 1.6 billion for nine years as compared to the amount of $ 918 million paid by World Sports Group (WSG) for 10 years. A $ 5 million venture ? Going by the current market rates, a 10 second ad slot is likely to fetch the broadcaster close to Rs 4 lakh. Thus, a 10 minute break will net Rs 24 lakh. Multiply it by 59, the number of matches that will be played in IPL Season 2, and we get a whopping Rs 23.6 crore or $ 5 million.
Ini Oru Vithi Seivom.
"Ini Oru Vithi Seivom" is a new program in Star Vijay TV's basket of realty shows.. This will be a talk show that involves only women & looks like the show will have these women speaking about the problems/issues that they face. Probably they might get some solutions even.. Ini Oru Vithi Seivom is set to start from April 6th..at 12 Noon.. from Monday to Friday..
Ini Oru Vithi Seivom 12 Noon Monday to Friday
Ini Oru Vithi Seivom 12 Noon Monday to Friday
Is Tippu joining next week ;)
With playback singer Harini joining the Airtel Super Singer 2008 show.. I am expecting Tippu to join the show next week ;).. I was thinking after the couple appeared in Koffee with Anu show and it was obvious that Vijay TV would pull them for few more programs/shows. Having said that and Harini making it into Super Singer, Tippu should even be joining the show sooner. Harini came into the show in Unplugged String round & came by singing "Iyengaru veetu azhaga".. When Ajeesh sang "Anjali anjali pushpanjali" she sang that humming that comes in the song.. it was tooo much..
Raghini Eliminated !!!!
Raghini Shree got eliminated from the Airtel Super Singer 2008 show with the Unplugged string round. The show had playback singer Harini joining the show as special guest/judge. Day 3 of the string round started with Raghini singing "sowkiyama kanne sowkiyama" and was quite okay... Ajeesh's "Anjali anjali pushpanjali" was even quite okay performance.. not so great one.. Vijay Narayan was the last contestant to sing "poo maalai vaangi" & he was better than other two..
Harini wanted the 3 contestants to sing someother journal of song.. and Srini pointed out Ajeesh to sing a fast beat, Raghini to sing slow melody & Vijay with something that he had not tried out in the show.. Vijay was the first with a gazzal "Saavare thvarabanajiya" & he was quite good.. with that he would have got confidence that he will not be eliminated ;) Then it was Ajeesh's "Machan peru madhurey" & he was also good.. Raghini was the final contestant with "paadu nilave" but lacked feel & sruti. It was left with judges to decide and the decision was not so difficult for them..
Harini wanted the 3 contestants to sing someother journal of song.. and Srini pointed out Ajeesh to sing a fast beat, Raghini to sing slow melody & Vijay with something that he had not tried out in the show.. Vijay was the first with a gazzal "Saavare thvarabanajiya" & he was quite good.. with that he would have got confidence that he will not be eliminated ;) Then it was Ajeesh's "Machan peru madhurey" & he was also good.. Raghini was the final contestant with "paadu nilave" but lacked feel & sruti. It was left with judges to decide and the decision was not so difficult for them..
Max's ad package for IPL
With the economic downturn in full swing, clients are being cautious about how money is spent. In anticipation of this Sony has introduced an alternative package concept for the Indian Premier League (IPL) which kicks off on 18 April.
Speaking on this Multiscreen Media president network sales, licensing, telephony Rohit Gupta notes that this package allows clients with smaller budgets to get in and advertise on alternate matches. Sony has roped in Vodafone and Airtel Digital TV as the presenting sponsors for the gaming season, while Coca-Cola, Hyundai, Havells, LG, Godrej, Samsung and HUL have stepped in as associate sponsors.
Gupta adds that flexibility has meant that many clients have taken spot buys. These include Pepsi, Tata Teleservices, Max New York Life and Mother Dairy. "70 per cent of our inventory has been sold. We have charged Rs 400,00 for 10 seconds. For us, there is no issue as timings stay the same. In fact, the T20 World Cup in South Africa a couple of years back had set record ratings". Moreover the wrap around show Extraa Innings has its own set of sponsors including Titan Watches, Dell, Cipla and Castrol.
Gupta adds that while the innings break might be extended by five minutes in each match this does not mean that just ads will air. "We will have special content. This could be a commentator interviewing a team captain to discuss strategy. The form and shape of this will be decided by the IPL body. The whole aim is to have a value add for viewers."
A Indiantelevision.com News
Speaking on this Multiscreen Media president network sales, licensing, telephony Rohit Gupta notes that this package allows clients with smaller budgets to get in and advertise on alternate matches. Sony has roped in Vodafone and Airtel Digital TV as the presenting sponsors for the gaming season, while Coca-Cola, Hyundai, Havells, LG, Godrej, Samsung and HUL have stepped in as associate sponsors.
Gupta adds that flexibility has meant that many clients have taken spot buys. These include Pepsi, Tata Teleservices, Max New York Life and Mother Dairy. "70 per cent of our inventory has been sold. We have charged Rs 400,00 for 10 seconds. For us, there is no issue as timings stay the same. In fact, the T20 World Cup in South Africa a couple of years back had set record ratings". Moreover the wrap around show Extraa Innings has its own set of sponsors including Titan Watches, Dell, Cipla and Castrol.
Gupta adds that while the innings break might be extended by five minutes in each match this does not mean that just ads will air. "We will have special content. This could be a commentator interviewing a team captain to discuss strategy. The form and shape of this will be decided by the IPL body. The whole aim is to have a value add for viewers."
A Indiantelevision.com News
Rahman to be awarded Doctrate in July
First it was raining awards, now it's time for Degree's and Doctorate's. Composer A R Rahman has been identified for an Honorary Degree by Middlesex University, London.
Regional Director of Middlesex University Joe Victor met Rahman and T.Selvakumar, Co-Founder and CEO of Rahman's KM Music Conservatory in Chennai. Victor put forward his University's intend to award an Honorary Doctorate for Rahman at a Graduation Ceremony to be held at Middlesex University London in July 2009.
KM music school to tie-up with Middlesex University
KM Music Conservatory began in July 2008 along with Audio Media Education to be the first music conservatory in India to specialize in both Western, Indian music and music technology. The school hopes to train Indian students in Western music Performance, Composition and Music Technology at an internationally competitive level, and also aims to provide India with its own symphony orchestra comprised of its own musicians in coming days.
The Conservatory has initiated a dialogue with the Regional Director South Asia of Middlesex University, London to explore the possibility of developing an Academic Articulation for the Bachelor of Arts Honours Programmed for Music Composition and Music Performance. The Degree from Middlesex University is of three years duration. The aim of KMC will be to explore the possibility of offering the first two years of the Middlesex Programme at the KM Music Conservatory in Chennai while the final year will take place at the Middlesex University in London. This Courses are planned to start from January 2010.
A London Middlesex University is a prestigious institution located in the North of London and has received the highest possible ratings, across all of its programs, from the UK Quality Assurance Agency. The University prides itself in its aim to produce students who make economic, cultural, and social contributions in a growing global community and has affiliated itself to partner institutions across the Globe. This year the Regional Office of Middlesex University is celebrating its tenth anniversary in India.
Courtesy - Radio n Music
Regional Director of Middlesex University Joe Victor met Rahman and T.Selvakumar, Co-Founder and CEO of Rahman's KM Music Conservatory in Chennai. Victor put forward his University's intend to award an Honorary Doctorate for Rahman at a Graduation Ceremony to be held at Middlesex University London in July 2009.
KM music school to tie-up with Middlesex University
KM Music Conservatory began in July 2008 along with Audio Media Education to be the first music conservatory in India to specialize in both Western, Indian music and music technology. The school hopes to train Indian students in Western music Performance, Composition and Music Technology at an internationally competitive level, and also aims to provide India with its own symphony orchestra comprised of its own musicians in coming days.
The Conservatory has initiated a dialogue with the Regional Director South Asia of Middlesex University, London to explore the possibility of developing an Academic Articulation for the Bachelor of Arts Honours Programmed for Music Composition and Music Performance. The Degree from Middlesex University is of three years duration. The aim of KMC will be to explore the possibility of offering the first two years of the Middlesex Programme at the KM Music Conservatory in Chennai while the final year will take place at the Middlesex University in London. This Courses are planned to start from January 2010.
A London Middlesex University is a prestigious institution located in the North of London and has received the highest possible ratings, across all of its programs, from the UK Quality Assurance Agency. The University prides itself in its aim to produce students who make economic, cultural, and social contributions in a growing global community and has affiliated itself to partner institutions across the Globe. This year the Regional Office of Middlesex University is celebrating its tenth anniversary in India.
Courtesy - Radio n Music
Cut/Copy/Paste but...
We have been seeing lot of editing work being done in most of the Vijay TV realty shows.. I have earlier posted on the lil bad work on that with Neeya Naana where the talk being shown in promotional videos doesnt even appear in the actual episode.. That was bad then this is worst.. in Airtel Super Singer they take advertisement breaks quite frequently and moreover in between the judges comments (between Unni, Sujatha and Srinivas). In Unplugged string round on day 1, comments of Unnikrishnan for Ajeesh's performance was not shown at all.. It was a break after Srinivas and Sujatha's comments and thats it.. These editing mistakes can be there rarely but not frequently... is it bcos of too much advertisements ???
Tuesday, March 31, 2009
Ranjani gets nod for next round..
At the end of day 2 in unplugged string round of Airtel Super Singer 2008.. Ranjani got selected for the next round and now its left with Ajeesh, Vijay, Raghinishree who will be performing today. Yesterday's show started with all the 6 contestants singing "veerapandi koattayile" and it was very nice to hear that song with the string instruments..
Ranjani was the first contestant to start off and she ROCKED the stage with "gala galavena pozhiyum megam" and she deserved the next round spot. Vijay Narayan followed her with his "strawberry penne" and he even ROCKED!!! For a moment I thought both Ranjani & Vijay would get chance for the next round ;) as Ravi & Renu got on day 1. Judges even commented Vijay's singing as outstanding performance.. Ajeesh's "Minnale nee" from "May madham" was quite good performance.. it was lovely singing but Ajeesh not at his best. RaghiniShree was the last contestant and she sang "pootukal pottalum" and everyone were quite shocked with the song selection.. although he singing was quite okay this song doesnt suited for unplugged string round.
Ranjani & Vijay were called as shortlisted performances of the day and it was Ranjani who get on to the next round leaving Vijay, Ajeesh and Raghini to fight for next round spot. Lets see how it goes today.... earlier there were rumours that Raghini getting eliminated in this round.. is it going to happen ???
Ranjani was the first contestant to start off and she ROCKED the stage with "gala galavena pozhiyum megam" and she deserved the next round spot. Vijay Narayan followed her with his "strawberry penne" and he even ROCKED!!! For a moment I thought both Ranjani & Vijay would get chance for the next round ;) as Ravi & Renu got on day 1. Judges even commented Vijay's singing as outstanding performance.. Ajeesh's "Minnale nee" from "May madham" was quite good performance.. it was lovely singing but Ajeesh not at his best. RaghiniShree was the last contestant and she sang "pootukal pottalum" and everyone were quite shocked with the song selection.. although he singing was quite okay this song doesnt suited for unplugged string round.
Ranjani & Vijay were called as shortlisted performances of the day and it was Ranjani who get on to the next round leaving Vijay, Ajeesh and Raghini to fight for next round spot. Lets see how it goes today.... earlier there were rumours that Raghini getting eliminated in this round.. is it going to happen ???
Advertisers look for Realty Shows !!!
Advertisers are increasingly looking at investing in reality shows following the huge popularity such shows enjoy among audiences. Reality shows now constitute 20% of the programming mix in the Indian television industry, compared to 5-10% earlier, say experts. Ratings agency Television Audience Measurement (TAM) also recently reported that reality shows were a huge success.
“Advertisers are looking at reality TV shows in a big way because of the returns on investment,” said Maneesh Mathur, COO, P9 Integrated. He said that products advertised through reality shows, in an integrated manner, have a very high brand recall. Three Hindi general entertainment channels, NDTV Imagine, 9X and Colors, launched during 2007-08 have a variety of reality shows, which have turned out to be huge successes.
“Such shows serve the dual purpose of reach and impact at the same time. An advertiser depending on this category typically looks for high buzz value, integration and the right brand fit,” said Simran Hoon, national sales head, Colors. According to KPMG, the launch of these general entertainment channels (GECs) increased the size of the entertainment market; there has been a 30% hike in the weekly gross rating points of GECs in the Hindi speaking market.
Meanwhile, following the recent launch of reality shows like Sarkaar Ki Duniya and Sitaron Ko Choona Hai on Real and Chote Miya and Dancing Queen on Colors, the target rating points (TRPs) of normal soaps have dipped. According to industry experts, advertisers investing in reality shows manage to grab greater percentage of eyeballs since these shows are more captivating and different.
Sunil Lulla, director, Real Global Broadcasting Pvt Ltd, said, “Reality shows like Bigg Boss, MTV Roadies and Fame Gurukul are not scripted and have a larger appeal. The rates depend on the number of times an ad is played, the target audience and the market scenario.” Lulla added said that the rates go up as TRPs rise.
Advertisers, meanwhile, have cropped the length of commercials to be more cost-effective at these tough times, said Joseph Eapen, director, research, aMap. This year, in a bid to further cut costs, advertisers have opted for the out-of-home (OOH) platform for reality shows, as it is available at a much lower cost per contact.“OOH can be used smartly by creating OOH-specific creatives, which work even without the audio component,” said Mathur.
Reach
• Reality shows help channels reach new audiences
• They provide advertisers with a platform for live interactions
• Thay also allow advertisers to integrate brands inside the programme
• Advertisers of reality shows attract greater percentage of consumers
Courtesy - Financial Express
“Advertisers are looking at reality TV shows in a big way because of the returns on investment,” said Maneesh Mathur, COO, P9 Integrated. He said that products advertised through reality shows, in an integrated manner, have a very high brand recall. Three Hindi general entertainment channels, NDTV Imagine, 9X and Colors, launched during 2007-08 have a variety of reality shows, which have turned out to be huge successes.
“Such shows serve the dual purpose of reach and impact at the same time. An advertiser depending on this category typically looks for high buzz value, integration and the right brand fit,” said Simran Hoon, national sales head, Colors. According to KPMG, the launch of these general entertainment channels (GECs) increased the size of the entertainment market; there has been a 30% hike in the weekly gross rating points of GECs in the Hindi speaking market.
Meanwhile, following the recent launch of reality shows like Sarkaar Ki Duniya and Sitaron Ko Choona Hai on Real and Chote Miya and Dancing Queen on Colors, the target rating points (TRPs) of normal soaps have dipped. According to industry experts, advertisers investing in reality shows manage to grab greater percentage of eyeballs since these shows are more captivating and different.
Sunil Lulla, director, Real Global Broadcasting Pvt Ltd, said, “Reality shows like Bigg Boss, MTV Roadies and Fame Gurukul are not scripted and have a larger appeal. The rates depend on the number of times an ad is played, the target audience and the market scenario.” Lulla added said that the rates go up as TRPs rise.
Advertisers, meanwhile, have cropped the length of commercials to be more cost-effective at these tough times, said Joseph Eapen, director, research, aMap. This year, in a bid to further cut costs, advertisers have opted for the out-of-home (OOH) platform for reality shows, as it is available at a much lower cost per contact.“OOH can be used smartly by creating OOH-specific creatives, which work even without the audio component,” said Mathur.
Reach
• Reality shows help channels reach new audiences
• They provide advertisers with a platform for live interactions
• Thay also allow advertisers to integrate brands inside the programme
• Advertisers of reality shows attract greater percentage of consumers
Courtesy - Financial Express
Hollywood Premier League ;)
Star Movies, the English news channel from Star, has lined up mega movies, strategically placing them just after the IPL matches. Star Movies has created the slot ‘Superstar League’ starting 18 April at 11 pm, wherein the channel will air the movies featuring actors like Sylvester Stallone, Jessica Alba, Johnny Depp, Nicholas Cage and others.
The channel has lined up 32 movies for the period, except Friday, which includes Die Hard 4.0, Fantastic 4: Rise of the Silver Surfer, Rocky Balboa, 4 Weddings and A Funeral, Pirates of the Caribbean, Bandidas, National Treasure Book of Secrets, Pulp Fiction, Wild Hogs and Apocalypto. Earlier, HBO unveiled its blockbuster line up under the Hollywood Premier League (HPL) slot. Kicking off on 1 April after the 9 pm movie, HPL will run all through April, May and June, with titles such as American Gangster, No Country For Old Men, Rush Hour 3, Spiderman 3, Transformers, Gladiator, Blood Diamond, The Departed and Mission Impossible 2.
The channel has lined up 32 movies for the period, except Friday, which includes Die Hard 4.0, Fantastic 4: Rise of the Silver Surfer, Rocky Balboa, 4 Weddings and A Funeral, Pirates of the Caribbean, Bandidas, National Treasure Book of Secrets, Pulp Fiction, Wild Hogs and Apocalypto. Earlier, HBO unveiled its blockbuster line up under the Hollywood Premier League (HPL) slot. Kicking off on 1 April after the 9 pm movie, HPL will run all through April, May and June, with titles such as American Gangster, No Country For Old Men, Rush Hour 3, Spiderman 3, Transformers, Gladiator, Blood Diamond, The Departed and Mission Impossible 2.
TRAI rejects higher entry fee for Internet telephony
The Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (Trai) on Tuesday rubbished the Department of Telecom’s (DoT) suggestion to charge a higher entry fee from the internet service providers (ISPs) for rolling out internet telephony services. The Telecom watchdog, in its reply to DoT said, “The authority proposes no change in entry fee for ISPs to provide Internet telephony. Any direct comparison of access service providers and ISPs, due to vast difference in privileges, services, and resources given to them under their respective licenses, does not seem to be desirable.”
Earlier, DoT had suggested higher entry fee for ISPs who pay up to six per cent of their average gross revenue (AGR) as licence fee, whereas telecom operators pay up to 10 per cent. Trai has recommended a uniform annual licence fee of six per cent on all ISPs. Trai also slammed DoT over delaying opening of unrestricted Internet telephony in India. It warned the government that restrictions on net telephony would encourage grey market operations.
A Indiantelevision News
Earlier, DoT had suggested higher entry fee for ISPs who pay up to six per cent of their average gross revenue (AGR) as licence fee, whereas telecom operators pay up to 10 per cent. Trai has recommended a uniform annual licence fee of six per cent on all ISPs. Trai also slammed DoT over delaying opening of unrestricted Internet telephony in India. It warned the government that restrictions on net telephony would encourage grey market operations.
A Indiantelevision News
Monday, March 30, 2009
TRAI extends date for DTH Tariff Regulations
The Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (Trai) has extended till 14 April the date for receiving comments from the stakeholders on DTH issues relating to tariff regulation and new issues under reference from Ministry of Information and Broadcasting. Trai said Monday the date was being extended as some stakeholders wanted more time. The sector regulator had issued the consultation paper on 6 March and the comments had been sought by 30 March.
Trai in its consultation paper had sought views from stakeholders on retail tariff regulation, along the lines imposed for cable services in Cas areas. The sector regulator had also asked for views from stakeholders regarding value-added-services (such as movie-on-demand, pay-per-View), platform services (such as active learning, active stories) and carriage of radio channels on the direct-to-home platform. The issues falling under the ambit of debate included carriage fee, tariff between broadcasters and DTH operators and their subscribers. Trai has raised questions such as: Is a cap on carriage fee needed? Should the fee be the same across the DTH operators? If the variation model is to be adopted, should it be based on the subscriber base?
Trai in its consultation paper had sought views from stakeholders on retail tariff regulation, along the lines imposed for cable services in Cas areas. The sector regulator had also asked for views from stakeholders regarding value-added-services (such as movie-on-demand, pay-per-View), platform services (such as active learning, active stories) and carriage of radio channels on the direct-to-home platform. The issues falling under the ambit of debate included carriage fee, tariff between broadcasters and DTH operators and their subscribers. Trai has raised questions such as: Is a cap on carriage fee needed? Should the fee be the same across the DTH operators? If the variation model is to be adopted, should it be based on the subscriber base?
Contestants choosing the elimination ??
We have been seeing contestans choosing the eliminations.. contestants vote for the worst co-contestant in the show & the person who gets more no of votes will get eliminated from the show in V Channel and M TV. I guess similar kind of activity is followed in Amul's Ungalil yaar adutha Prabhudeva even.. promotional videos show that contestants are asked whom they dislike most and looks like Sai Pallavi is been voted most. I think everyone is interested to know whats gonna happen in it..
Ravi/Renu steal the show..
On the first day of Unplugged string round of Airtel Super Singer 2008 it was Ravi/Renu jodi who did extremely well and the same paid them off. Today it was set with a team of 2 comprising of a girl and a boy. They should perform a duet song... Ravi/Renu started the show with "putham pudhu bhoomi vendum" followed by Vijay/Raghinishree's "nee paartha paarvaikor nandri" of which Vijay was better. Ranjani/Ajeesh was the final pair to perform "kaadhal oviyam" but not so great. The show was supposed to get one contestant selected for the next round but judges thought it should be 2.. now its Ravi & Renu selected for the next round in the show. lets see what happens tomorrow..
Whos in Unplugged String round ??
The background musicians who have come to Unplugged string round of Airtel Super Singer 2008 is amazing.. I never thought that ppl of such high profile would be invited. Here is the list of musicians who work with leading music directors....
Prabhakar
He has around 25 years of experience as musician. Had got gold medal in Trinity college of Music. Currently with Yuvan Shankar Raja and earlier worked with Ilayaraja.
Imaam
This person had been working with Anu Malik, Laxmikant Pyarelal and few more music directors.
Selvam
He has a uniqueness with him.. he had worked in first song of Ilayaraja, A.R. Rahman & Harris Jeyaraj. He continues to work with them.
V.R. Sekar
Son of Kunnakudi Vaidyanathan. Works with Ilayaraja and A.R. Rahman.
Vikram
He plays Tabla & works with A.R. Rahman and Ishal Shekar.
Kannan
Kannan himself a music director and makes albums which are quite popular. He is responsible for title song of Lollu Sabha and Tamizh Pechu Engal Moochu.
Prabhakar
He has around 25 years of experience as musician. Had got gold medal in Trinity college of Music. Currently with Yuvan Shankar Raja and earlier worked with Ilayaraja.
Imaam
This person had been working with Anu Malik, Laxmikant Pyarelal and few more music directors.
Selvam
He has a uniqueness with him.. he had worked in first song of Ilayaraja, A.R. Rahman & Harris Jeyaraj. He continues to work with them.
V.R. Sekar
Son of Kunnakudi Vaidyanathan. Works with Ilayaraja and A.R. Rahman.
Vikram
He plays Tabla & works with A.R. Rahman and Ishal Shekar.
Kannan
Kannan himself a music director and makes albums which are quite popular. He is responsible for title song of Lollu Sabha and Tamizh Pechu Engal Moochu.
Actress Sona @ Mayalogam..
With Magician Rajamoorthy performing some close up magic acts with public/celebrities.. it was actress Sona who was in the show sterday. Glamorous actress Sona (I donno which film she had acted) was amazed seeing the magics being done. Her ring was used by Rajamoorthy and he made it to disappear. After a while he gave it back to her & guess where it was?? the ring was in his car key chain.. oohh.. what kind of magic these guys do & there was also a memory magic he did with her.
Time for Change..
We have been seeing Hemamalini Yugendran in Airtel Super Singer 2008 show for quite a while & frankly I dont like the way she drives the show or Is it because after seeing Chinmayi doing a great job anything less than that would seem to be very bad ;).. I understand that she is from Malaysia but I dont think the Tamizh slang that ppl there speak is so bad.. Whenever she says "BrahMandamaana Kurol ThtheDal" I feel very bad for Vijay TV... I was not seeing Isai kudumbam regularly.. might be thats the reason I donno about this earlier ??? Also the way she dresses in few episodes were still more bad.. Here is the promo video for the western round.. just check Malini's dressing.. is it a effect of Oscars ;) ?? Well we have even seen Chinmayi dressing lil bad in few shows but not quite frequently.. I think its time for Vijay TV to change the anchors for the show.
Close up with Rajamoorthy !!!
With the close up magic been started by Vijay TV's Mayalogam program.. the show itself if getting excited and very interesting. I felt that the stage shows were lil boring after few weeks and the kind of magic thats been done by the magicians seems to be repititive. But now, with Rajamoorthy getting into the act..going thru the roads, celebrity's houses, temples and performing close up magic acts with public/celebrities.. I like the show very much. It was actor/director Pandiarajan who was visited by magician Rajamurthy where he performed some acts with rubber band. Whats so interesting here is, he does the act by including the public/viewers even... this will amaze everyone.
Whats in Unplugged String Round ??
Its Unplugged String round in Airtel Super Singer 2008 this week with the top 6 contestants fighting for their next round spot. Ravi, Renu, Ajeesh, Vijay, Raghinishree & Ranjani will be singing for the back ground music with strings instruments. The promotional videos show that all 6 sing for introduction of the round & later they have individual & duet performances. The show will have Yugendran & Malini anchoring and with very well known judges Unnikrishnan, Sujatha & Srinivas. Playbacksinger Harini is set to join as special guest/judge (might be on the 3rd of the round).
Kollywood on back foot with elections and IPL
Move over Bollywood, if Kollywood were asked to name the biggest blockbuster of last summer, the stock reply would be IPL 2008. The four consecutive wins of the local team Chennai Super Kings, which had Ilayathalapathy Vijay as its brand ambassador in the IPL tournament, created a lot of hype and hoopla due to the live television coverage. Actually, IPL ate into the box-office collections, and all big movies like Kuruvi and Arai En 305il Kadavul received a lukewarm response as prime time evening and night shows clashed with the IPL-T20 telecast.
Says Kalaipuli G Shekharan, a leading distributor and association president, "Last year, the summer box-office, traditionally the best season, was badly hit by the IPL, which was the real box-office superhit." Now, this year too, Kollywood is all set to press the panic button as the summer of 2009 will witness the IPL- Season 2 and Lok Sabha Elections-2009, but out of the country hosting may bring some relief for the cinema owners. Says Ramanarayanan, president of the Tamil Film Producers Council, "Already, the Tamil film industry is in a bad state as there have been no big hits and due to global recession and other factors, the industry is reeling. We had hope for the summer of 2009 as some big and small films were ready for release and they could have revived the industry."
Abirami Ramanathan, a leading exhibitor and spokesperson for the Theatres Association says, "Multiplexes in cities, due to the variety of movies being screened, can cope with the IPL, but it is the single-screen cinemas that will be hit badly, as even the costs of electricity consumed during the evening and night shows cannot be covered."
The movies scheduled for release during this year's April-May period include Vikram's Kanthasamy, Surya's Ayan, Dhanush's Kutty, Jayam Ravi's Peranmai, Vijaykanth's Mariyadai, Mysskin's Nandalala, Cheran's Pokkisham, Selvaraghavan's Aayirathil Oruvan and Ameer's debut film as hero, Yogi.
Due to the IPL, director Vishnuvardhan has brought forward the release of his film Sarvam to March 27. Meanwhile, with the IPL turning out to be last summer's big blockbuster, theatres in the state are looking for a piece of the pie. Ayan, Sarvam and Mariyadai have booked theatres for April 10, while Kanthasamy has confirmed a May 1 release. Suddenly, the Kollywood grapevine is abuzz that several producers are thinking of deferring their releases, as they are just not confident about taking on the double pace attack of the IPL and the elections in the summer heat.
A multiplex owner on condition of anonymity said, "To be frank, the kind of fare dished out by Kollywood in the last one year is not encouraging. So, to minimise losses this year, we are ready to work around show timings and are talking to the IPL board to exhibit the T-20 matches in our cinema halls. If all goes well, at least a dozen Chennai screens will screen IPL-2009 live via DTH, and depending on the opening, more screens can be added." Kollywood, it seems, is definitely going to be on the back foot, as election campaigns and the IPL catch it on a sticky wicket.
A Televisionpoint.com News
Says Kalaipuli G Shekharan, a leading distributor and association president, "Last year, the summer box-office, traditionally the best season, was badly hit by the IPL, which was the real box-office superhit." Now, this year too, Kollywood is all set to press the panic button as the summer of 2009 will witness the IPL- Season 2 and Lok Sabha Elections-2009, but out of the country hosting may bring some relief for the cinema owners. Says Ramanarayanan, president of the Tamil Film Producers Council, "Already, the Tamil film industry is in a bad state as there have been no big hits and due to global recession and other factors, the industry is reeling. We had hope for the summer of 2009 as some big and small films were ready for release and they could have revived the industry."
Abirami Ramanathan, a leading exhibitor and spokesperson for the Theatres Association says, "Multiplexes in cities, due to the variety of movies being screened, can cope with the IPL, but it is the single-screen cinemas that will be hit badly, as even the costs of electricity consumed during the evening and night shows cannot be covered."
The movies scheduled for release during this year's April-May period include Vikram's Kanthasamy, Surya's Ayan, Dhanush's Kutty, Jayam Ravi's Peranmai, Vijaykanth's Mariyadai, Mysskin's Nandalala, Cheran's Pokkisham, Selvaraghavan's Aayirathil Oruvan and Ameer's debut film as hero, Yogi.
Due to the IPL, director Vishnuvardhan has brought forward the release of his film Sarvam to March 27. Meanwhile, with the IPL turning out to be last summer's big blockbuster, theatres in the state are looking for a piece of the pie. Ayan, Sarvam and Mariyadai have booked theatres for April 10, while Kanthasamy has confirmed a May 1 release. Suddenly, the Kollywood grapevine is abuzz that several producers are thinking of deferring their releases, as they are just not confident about taking on the double pace attack of the IPL and the elections in the summer heat.
A multiplex owner on condition of anonymity said, "To be frank, the kind of fare dished out by Kollywood in the last one year is not encouraging. So, to minimise losses this year, we are ready to work around show timings and are talking to the IPL board to exhibit the T-20 matches in our cinema halls. If all goes well, at least a dozen Chennai screens will screen IPL-2009 live via DTH, and depending on the opening, more screens can be added." Kollywood, it seems, is definitely going to be on the back foot, as election campaigns and the IPL catch it on a sticky wicket.
A Televisionpoint.com News
CSK Jr Profiles..
With 4 teams being selected form the first round of auditions for the selection of Chennai Super Kings Juniors.. profiles of few kids selected for their respective teams was been shown this week.. Parents, Teachers, Coach, friends, relatives of the kids who got selected came in the show to speak about them. It was very interesting to see most of the kids do well in academics even... Now, its with 4 teams - Trichy, Coimbatore, Chennai A, Chennai B. Its learnt that all these teams will play round robin matches among themselves to get selected for the final team. There were not much of trained (proper dedicated training) kids in Trichy team but in Coimbatore it was other way where most of them were trained. In Chennai it was mixed.. With IPL being shifted from India to South Africa.. I am sure these kids and their parents would be happiest..
Sunday, March 29, 2009
"I had never won in dance" - Prabhudeva
Following is an interview by journalist Janani in the sets of Ungalil yaar adutha Prabhudeva & snippet is here..
"I had never won in a dance competition" admits prabhudeva who is still revered as southindian michael jackson .i met him on the sets of "ungalil yaru adutha prabhudeva?",a dance reality show.vijay tv has been in a serious hunt for next prabhudeva.i couldn't believe when a dance genius says that he had not won even a single prize for dance.at this point i remember playback singer chitra once told me that she was given second prize in a competion.
i was given just 10 minutes to talk to prabhudeva as he was busy with the shooting..but in those few minutes i got a good message about reality shows from him.the message is clear that the competitions are just for active participation.winning and losing will not decide the successfull future of either the winner nor the loser..after reading this blog dont crumble next time when you lose a competition.here iam writing some of the interesting answers from prabhudeva.
Dont you think its too early to search for next prabhudeva as you are still rocking?
generally in school there would be a helpless boy targeted by teachers and repeatedly abused by them.i was actualy such kind of helpless boy in my school days.was not interested in studies and hence remained the poorest student in class.negative comments fro teachers caused a lot of damage to my self worth.but now a tv show on my name is a real pride to me.i take it in a positive way that boosts my self esteem.
Usualy in reality shows criticising a person after a performance seem to be unethical..what do you say?there can be no reality shows without criticism.they are actualy famous for the critical comments.but i cannot..i realy cannot comment on anybody's dance after a tiring performance.thats why iam here as a specialguest today encouraging the dancers,defnetly will not take up the role as a reality show judge.
Have you ever participated in these kinds of dance competition?
yes..i have participated in many dance competitions but i had never won.but i grew up with a passion for dance.never missed my dance classes but would happily miss my tutition classes.i discontinued my studies after plus one.took up dance as my fulltime work.afterthat no looking back till now..
By any chance can we avoid kutthu dances in tamil cinema?
we have been to theatres..have we ever seen a person dancing and enjoying himself for a western song? kutthu dance entertain the audience and it is for the mass.we cannot deny the fact that we are making movie for the mass.so we cannot avoid kutthudance in a commercial film.
Vijay,ajith,simpu,danush..who is the best dancer according to you?
Rajini...
Interview content courtesy - http://getsetgo-jan.blogspot.com/
"I had never won in a dance competition" admits prabhudeva who is still revered as southindian michael jackson .i met him on the sets of "ungalil yaru adutha prabhudeva?",a dance reality show.vijay tv has been in a serious hunt for next prabhudeva.i couldn't believe when a dance genius says that he had not won even a single prize for dance.at this point i remember playback singer chitra once told me that she was given second prize in a competion.
i was given just 10 minutes to talk to prabhudeva as he was busy with the shooting..but in those few minutes i got a good message about reality shows from him.the message is clear that the competitions are just for active participation.winning and losing will not decide the successfull future of either the winner nor the loser..after reading this blog dont crumble next time when you lose a competition.here iam writing some of the interesting answers from prabhudeva.
Dont you think its too early to search for next prabhudeva as you are still rocking?
generally in school there would be a helpless boy targeted by teachers and repeatedly abused by them.i was actualy such kind of helpless boy in my school days.was not interested in studies and hence remained the poorest student in class.negative comments fro teachers caused a lot of damage to my self worth.but now a tv show on my name is a real pride to me.i take it in a positive way that boosts my self esteem.
Usualy in reality shows criticising a person after a performance seem to be unethical..what do you say?there can be no reality shows without criticism.they are actualy famous for the critical comments.but i cannot..i realy cannot comment on anybody's dance after a tiring performance.thats why iam here as a specialguest today encouraging the dancers,defnetly will not take up the role as a reality show judge.
Have you ever participated in these kinds of dance competition?
yes..i have participated in many dance competitions but i had never won.but i grew up with a passion for dance.never missed my dance classes but would happily miss my tutition classes.i discontinued my studies after plus one.took up dance as my fulltime work.afterthat no looking back till now..
By any chance can we avoid kutthu dances in tamil cinema?
we have been to theatres..have we ever seen a person dancing and enjoying himself for a western song? kutthu dance entertain the audience and it is for the mass.we cannot deny the fact that we are making movie for the mass.so we cannot avoid kutthudance in a commercial film.
Vijay,ajith,simpu,danush..who is the best dancer according to you?
Rajini...
Interview content courtesy - http://getsetgo-jan.blogspot.com/
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