US television network giant CBS Corporation is all set to enter the Indian market. Announcing an equally owned joint venture with Reliance Broadcast network, CBS is looking forward to tapping the emerging Indian market, said officials at the company.

The joint venture, called BIG CBS Networks Pvt. Ltd., will start operations by offering three channels in India, the content of which will be English language programs that belong to CBS. These will be offered by the end of this year, say sources. This deal has been anticipated for some time now, and although financial details were not revealed, it is clear that American networks are keen to get a foothold into the burgeoning Indian television arena.

Reliance Broadcast Network Limited (RBNL, belongs to Anil Ambani. The group has investments in other entertainment wings such as radio stations, digital advertising and outdoor advertising. This is the company’s first television venture.

Details of the three channels were released – one will be BIG CBS Prime, which is a general entertainment channel; secondly the BIG CBS Spark, which will be targeting the young people; and BIG CBS Love, which is to be a women’s channel. This will be India’s first women’s’ channel providing entertainment content in English.

New and old CBS syndicated American shows like ‘Hawaii Five-0’, ‘Everybody Loves Raymond’ and ‘Entertainment Tonight’ would be shown on the channels said sources. They venture also remarked that they were exploring possibilities whereby they could launch regional language entertainment content while engaging in other joint projects as well.

Mexico- based cinema operator Cinepolis has revealed its expansion plans in India by announcing that it will set up 40 new screens over a period of 12 months in the country. The company will invest Rs 130 crore ($ 28 million) for the purpose.

The company had earlier targeted to set up 500 screens in different cities in India by the year 2016. The company had calculated its per-screen investment at $700,000. The recently unveiled plans is part of that target and includes the setting up of screens in Bangalore, Jaipur, Mumbai, Hyderabad, Thane, Surat, Ahmedabad, Patna and Bhopal and Cinepolis has already commenced talks with developers for setting up the theatres. The multiplex operator is especially looking to integrate its theatres in large malls, so that its customers can have a shopping experience as well.

Cinepolis will also build a megaplex, which is a multiplex consisting of more than 10 screens, in Magarpatta near the city of Pune in early 2011. The project will be followed by another megaplex in Thane district. Megaplexes would allow the company to conduct 50 shows in a single day. They would also run shows of art and developing films besides commercial movies, although the seating capacity would vary for screens displaying art cinema and commercial cinema. The company said that its theatres would also offer a platform for small-budget movies as well. Cinepolis also said that the megaplexes can be sustained in the long run owing to the large number of movies produced in India each year totaling at almost 1,000. So the theatres would never fall short of movies to show.

Cinepolis revealed that it was not aggressively looking to acquire any existing multiplex or multiplex chain. The company, which started its India operations last year with a multiplex in the Celebrations Mall in Amritsar, had talked to DLF-owned DT cinemas before but the talks were not successful.

According to the company, India was a market that offered a lot of potential. The ratio of number of screens to the population in India was 0.6 screens for every million people. The same ratio in the US was 120 screens for every 1 million people while in Mexico it was 40 screens for 1 million people. Indians, the company noted, were also increasing their spending on movies due to the increase in the per capita income. The reduction of demand in the Mexican market was also a reason for Cinepolis to look for newer markets abroad.

Cinepolis was established in Mexico in 1971 and ranks fifth among the largest movie theatre chains in the world. The company owns over 2,250 screens present in six countries and employs over 15,000 people globally.?

With news broadcasters reaching an agreement with the IPL top brass, telecast of the matches in the third edition of the Indian Premier League that were in limbo, will now go on stream. The news broadcasters have been observing a boycott calling the IPL norms on telecast arbitrary.

The timing for striking a deal between the warring parties came about as perfect. The IPL tourney is to get underway in a few hours, with the first match to begin between 2009 champions Deccan Chargers and Kolkata Knight Riders in Navi Mumbai. The tussle between broadcasters and the League authorities was triggered as a clause in the telecast rights schedule had read that non-rights broadcasters could air the footages only half an hour after a match. Besides, the norm on maximum fresh footage that could be used by them was another area of contention. However, with the agreement now in place, things are back on track.

The new guidelines issued by the League top brass say that there has to be a minimum of a 10-minute delay from the live telecast by the official broadcaster before telecast of any match footage by a news broadcaster. An exception solves the matter further. It has been pointed out that news broadcasters will be allowed to telecast an exceptional event, which means an exceptional occurrence during the matches, with a minimum of a five-minute delay from the conclusion of the live telecast of such exceptional event. The IL has spelt out a 15-point charter too. As per the guidelines, “news and current affairs broadcasters will be allowed a maximum of 5.5 minutes of ‘fresh footage’ per match in a day, including not more than 4.5 minutes of deferred live coverage of match play and not more than 1.5 minutes of deferred in-stadium entertainment footage”. News channels also can use a total of two minutes of footage per half an hour of broadcast, provided that it is not more than 5.5 minutes of fresh footage per match.

An agreement has reached accordingly. Yet another allowance the news broadcasters get is the provision to a maximum of two repeats of footage initially broadcast by the news broadcaster. This would be permitted in each hour of broadcast.

With the hurdles now removed, broadcast of the matches though with a few minutes of delay is fir sure. The cricket enthusiasts are now back in front of their television sets.

To start with, the two new TV channels will be available only on the direct-to-home (DTH) platform of Tata Sky, Discovery Networks said in a statement.

Discovery Science has been described as a family-oriented channel. It will broadcast programmes which provide an “overview of how science and technology affect people’s daily life,” according Discovery Networks.

The entertainment programmes to be aired on the Discovery Science television channel will include topics like research, discoveries, human body, genetics, exploration, astronomy, space, and advances in the medical field.

Discovery Turbo will broadcast programmes related to cars, motorbikes, trucks, trains, aircraft, and yachts. The TV channel targets viewers who are “upscale males” and are interested in watching programmes on Formula One racing and other motoring events, motor clubs and trends, and celebrity motoring profiles, Discovery Networks said in the statement.

In August 2009, Discovery Networks Asia-Pacific had obtained permission from India’s Ministry of Information and Broadcasting to broadcast three more channels in India. These three channels are Discovery Turbo, Discovery Science, and Discovery HD.

According to Rahul Johri, senior-vice president and general manager-India, Discovery Networks Asia-Pacific, OneAlliance is working on distributing the Discovery Turbo and Discovery Science channels. The telecast of the two channels will start with the DTH of Tata Sky, but the channels will eventually be available on the other DTH platforms, too.

All the Discovery channels being aired in India at present – Discovery Channel, Animal Planet, and Discovery Travel and Living – have Indian content. Discovery Science and Discovery Turbo will start with total international content, Rahul Johri said. But, as it was with the Discovery Travel and Living channel, more Indian content will be added to Discovery Science and Discovery Turbo as the two channels “mature,” Johri explained.

Both the Discovery Science and Discovery Turbo TV channels will be free of advertisement for the time being. The channels will carry advertisements after a few months, according to Rahul Johri.

The 3 existing networks of Discovery in India – Discovery Channel (a factual entertainment channel), Animal Planet (dedicated to wildlife), and Discovery Travel and Living (international lifestyle channel) – offer content in English, Hindi and Tamil languages to about 116 million cumulative subscribers.

Aapka Colors has roped in Amitabh Bachchan as its brand ambassador, who just completed a successful stint as the host in the reality show, ‘Bigg Boss 3’, with Colors. Viacom18, a JV between Viacom Inc and Network 18, launched the channel in the US and is a part of its aggressive growth plans to extend its brand outside India, said Haresh Chawla, group CEO of Viacom18. “Over the last 18 months, Colors has risen to become the no. 1 rated general entertainment channel in India,” he added.

The announcement was made in a press conference, held in New York, by Viacom18 and Network18 Group CEO Haresh Chawla, Kamat and Dish Network VP of International Programming Chris Kuelling.

People will be able to watch popular shows like Balika Vadhu, Uttaran, Naa Aana Iss Des Laado, National Bingo Night and Jai Shri Krishna during the week. Aapka Colors will broadcast format shows and blockbuster Bollywood movies on weekends.

Aapka Colors TV channel is available in Dish Network’s Hindi Mega Pack and the Hindi Super Pack, both of which include the leading general entertainment channels from India. Aapka colors will be available on Dish Network channel no 651.

This is the second international release of the channel, the first being in UK. Viacom18 launched the channel in UK on 25 January 2010. In UK market, the channel has been introduced as ‘Colors’ itself. It will be broadcast free-to-air initially for a couple of months.

Rajesh Kamat, chief executive officer of colors believes that, with Amitabh as their brand ambassador, the channel could scale heights. “Mr. Bachchan is one of the biggest global icons from India. His effortless charm and ability to connect with a wide range of people across demographics as ‘Pop Philosopher’ in ‘Bigg Boss’ has been a testimony for all to witness.”

Kamat further added that there would not be any lag in the telecast of episodes compared to India. “One of our key strategies for this market is that there will be no lag in the telecast of episodes versus India thus ensuring that the viewers in this market are always up to speed with all of our key shows.”

“Given the uniqueness of our shows and Dish’s robust distribution, I’ve no doubts that we’ll replicate our success in the US market as well,” added he.

The vice president of international programming for Dish Network, Chris Kelling said, “Dish Network has led international programming innovation for the US based South Asian community since 1998. The launch of Aapka Colors on Dish Network is another significant step in our evolution of providing market leading programming for the aware and connected Indian consumer in the United States.”

It has just been a year since Colors channel was launched in India . The channel took over Star Plus’ long leadership of nine years by grabbing the leading general entertainment channel spot.

The company is now in process of expanding its offerings to other international markets including the Middle East, Canada and South Africa in a phased manner.

The season 3 of the Bigg Boss television reality show, to be hosted by Amitabh Bachchan, is all set for the small screen.

The Bigg Boss season 3 will take off on October 4, 2009, and will be telecast daily at 9 p.m.

The initial season of Bigg Boss was a huge hit, making all the housemates house-hold names in India. Rakhi Sawant, who was a starlet till then, went on to milk it to the full becoming a celebrity in her own right. Housemates voted her out, but she was brought back on popular demand.

The second season of Bigg Boss was hosted by Big Brother UK winner Shilpa Shetty. Compared to the first season, the second season was relatively a bore. However, there was interest because of Rahul Mahajan, son of late Promad Mahajan in the show and his rumoured love interest in another housemate, Monica Bedi, ex-partner of gangster Abu Salem.

Amitabh Bachchan, who plays the role of ‘Pop Philosopher’ on the show, will make his appearance on Fridays and Saturdays. He will play the role of a connecting link between the show’s viewers and housemates (participants) – by performing such duties as analysing the developments in the house, decoding the show participants’ behaviour as well as acting as a sounding board for the housemates.

And, with the Bigg Boss season 3, Amitabh Bachchan is making his comeback to the television in India after a break of nearly 4 years. Latest story about Amitabh Bachchan from this site

The TV show Kaun Banega Crorepati, hosted by Amitabh Bachchan, has been a huge success in early 2000. The reality show set had records on the Indian TV, and the lion’s share of the credit went to Bachchan, making him an icon on the small screen, too. Kaun Banega Crerepati was later hosted by Shah Rukh Khan.

In an interview to CNN-IBN, the Big B spoke about his comeback to the TV, on the concept of the Bigg Boss reality show as also on why he was “intrigued” by the show.

He explained that the Bigg Boss reality show is one that has “intrigued me immensely as a viewer” because of its format, the contestants, and the psychological battle in the house. “My role,” Amitabh Bachchan told CNN-IBN in the interview, “gives me the chance to help viewers comprehend emotions and the simple philosophies of life.”

Bachchan said in the interview he felt that it was “unusual” to make 13 people live in a very enclosed area for as long as 3 months. “I wondered what would go on in their mind and heart, what would their behaviour be in such strenuous circumstances, and I thought it would be interesting to study each one of them or the ones who get evicted,”

However, reports say that Annu Kapoor will not be there for the Bigg Boss season 3.

Annu Kappor has been quoted as saying that she was invited to appear in the third edition of the Bigg Boss, but he declined the offer.

Annu Kapoor – who became very popular by hosting the singing reality show Antakshari – reportedly said that appearing on the Bigg Boss 3 would be “against his ethics” and that participating in that kind of a show “went against my culture.” “I can’t compromise with my values because of the Bigg Boss,” Annu Kapoor was quoted as explaining.

The grapevine has it that experienced actress Loveleen Mishra, who played Chutki in the hit show Hum Log in 1984, is likely to participate in the Bigg Boss season 3.

It is also rumoured that actress Poonam Dhillon too has been invited to participate.

There are some rumours that the Colors TV channel is actively trying to get former Bollywood superstar Rajesh Khanna to participate in Bigg Boss 3. However, there is no independent confirmation of the same. The Rajesh Khanna of today is hardly the lovable superstar of yesterday – however his presence might get a lot of people to watch Bigg Boss 3 out of curiosity. At this point, however, let’s treat it as just a rumour.

In the promotional campaign of the Bigg Boss season 3, while the first part announced the Bigg Boss’s arrival with Amitabh Bachchan, the second part sought suggestions from viewers as to who they wanted to see their iconic actor in the house.

The other promotional drives included Bachchan him “questioning and understanding” on the varied aspects of the reality show – like, for example, asking viewers whether they can live away from their children for as many as 80 days.

A music video, in which Amitabh Bachchan both acts and sings, is to be telecast soon.

Apart from this, the website UTVi.com is to be re-branded as bloombergutv.com

In a press release, UTV Software Communications Limited said it is India’s leading global integrated media house with business interests in television, broadcasting, games, movies, and new media. UTV India and its subsidiaries, according to the company, create, aggregate and disseminate content of various genres across varied distribution platforms.

The addition of 14-15 million television sets in India every year will “drive viewership of business news in the country,” according to Ronnie Screwvala, chairman of UTV News.

The co-branded television channel will “deliver unsurpassed real-time business, economic and political news to households across India,” UTV Software Communications said in the press release, adding that the new business channel will become “the premier outlet for broadcasting business and financial news.”

UTVi, the English-language business news channel promoted by UTV Software Communications Limited, was launched in 2008.

Andy Lack, chief executive of Bloomberg Multimedia group, said in a statement that Bloomberg, by working with UTV, is trying “to realise the shared vision of the two firms for business and financial television.”

According to the planned deal between Bloomberg and UTV Software Communications, Bloomberg, reportedly, will get a 10% stake in UTV News Limited; the business channel UTVi will get Bloomberg’s content and also will become a co-branded channel named Bloomberg-UTV.

In addition, Bloomberg will get a licence fee, but the payments will be staggered over a period of many years and Bloomberg has sought a share of the UTVi channel’s revenues.

UTVi, launched in 2008, is said to be at the bottom of the ratings list for business-news television channels, behind such channels as NDTV and CNBC TV18. Though UTVi channel has a content tie-up with ABC News, UTVi has virtually stopped using the ABC News content.

In the statement, UTV Software Communications said that, for the first time, the local newsgathering, distribution and production expertise of UTVi will be combined with the “deep financial-news capabilities and global reach of Bloomberg in order to broadcast news and information for and about the Indian market.”

Television viewers in India will have access to Bloomberg Television network’s global feed, supported by 145 Bloomberg news bureaus worldwide.

Bloomberg-UTV, the UTV Software Communications elaborated, will incorporate extensive international programming elements from Bloomberg Television’s worldwide network and the editorial and production teams of both organisations will cooperate closely.

The Indian edition – priced at Rs 75 – will have a mix of Indian and international content and serve as a “tool kit” for entrepreneurs with information on a variety of subjects like finance, investments, hiring, technology as well as inspirational stories, according to the publishers.

Lakshmi Narasimhan, chief executive officer (magazine publishing) of Infomedia18 told reporters that “India’s small-scale businesses, having 42 million-plus business units, offer the biggest opportunity worldwide.” The company sees this as “the right time” to launch a business magazine “to become a part of this important ecosystem.”

The magazine would be made available across India through “the strong distribution network” of Infomedia18.

“Entrepreneurship,” according to Lakshmi Narasimhan, “is a flourishing concept and yet entrepreneurs in India tread a lonely path, and Entrepreneur aims at “filling the void in the life of every entrepreneur in India.”

According to Peter Shea, chairman and publisher of Entrepreneur Media Incorporated, the company’s vision is “to continue extending its expertise to as many viable regions as possible as well as to support the social and economic benefits of entrepreneurship globally.”

The publishers claim the Indian edition of Entrepreneur targets the small and medium business units, businessmen who already have ventures and also those people who aspire to become entrepreneurs.

In a press release, Bipin Chandran, Editor of the Indian edition of Entrepreneur, said that the magazine’s approach to content will be “different” in that it will offer “practical business tips as well as highlight opportunities, which an entrepreneur in India can benefit from.”

The Indian edition of Entrepreneur, a general business magazine, will compete with Indian business magazines such as Business Today and Business World.

The Entrepreneur magazine, which has existed in the United States for the last 32 years, claims to have a readership of 3 million readers each month. Also, it has a presence in many nations, including Russia, Mexico, South Africa and the Philippines.

Network18 currently publishes the business magazine Forbes India, in partnership with international business publisher Forbes Media, which publishes the magazine Forbes.

In India, the total revenue from print-media advertising was around Rs 9,000 crore in 2008 – with magazines making up about 10% of this amount. However, business magazines at present account for just 2% of the total revenues from the print media.

With the funding, Doordarshan will be able to upgrade its infrastructure in Delhi, Mumbai, Kolkata, and Chennai to telecast the Commonwealth Games in HDTV format.

indiatelevision.com has reported that the requisite equipment will have to be imported at a cost of around Rs 1.6 billion. The remaining Rs 50 million has been earmarked for recurring expenditure for project implementation and spectrum charges.

Reports say that the Information and Broadcasting (I&B) ministry has shortlisted five broadcasters, namely, Tokyo Broadcasting, Canadian Broadcasting Corporation, USA’s International Sports Broadcasting and International Games Broadcast Services.

As of now Prasar Bharati’s transmitters are largely on analog mode. The HDTV format will enable Prasar Bharati to provide superior picture and sound quality to viewers. Though, viewers will need HDTV-enabled TVs or a set-top box to view the programming in HDTV.

Meanwhile, in other news about the 2010 Commonwealth Games, the Supreme Court of India overturned a Delhi High Court ruling that required the setting up of a committee to monitor the construction at the Commonwealth Games Village (CGV) in Delhi.

As per the Supreme Court judgment, the Delhi Development Authority (DDA) can now continue to build the CGV.

“Delhi Development Authority (DDA) and other authorities are free to proceed with the work at the CWG village site,” the Supreme Court said.

The High Court ruling had come after a petition was made that the construction of the CGV would have an adverse effect on the ecology of the Yamuna river bed that would lead to the changing of the river’s course causing flooding.

The High Court then gave the directive that a committe should be set up to ascertain whether the CGV site complex was, in fact, being built on the Yamuna riverbed or flood plain.

The DDA appealed to the Supreme Court against the ruling saying that the project had received environmental clearances including that from National Environmental Engineering Research Institute (NEERI).

The DDA also pointed out that that the Akshardham Temple was built 1.7 km away from the Yamuna river bed and that the CGV site was situated 1.2 kms away from the river bed.

It also said that the stalling of the project just some time away from the 2010 Commonwealth games would jeopardize its sovereign guarantee for holding the 2010 Commonwealth Games in Delhi. The government has already pumped in Rs 2,000 into the project, and is already behind schedule.

The Supreme Court accepted this and said the construction site of the CGV site was adjacent to that of the Akshardham Temple complex, and therefore the same considerations should be applied to the building of the CGV.

The Supreme Court bench comprising Chief Justice K.G. Balakrishnan and Justices P. Sathasivam and B.S. Chauhan upheld the appeal and said the observation and conclusion of the High Court was unsustainable.

“The decision of the expert and autonomous body, NEERI, supported by materials placed by other bodies such as Central Water Power Research Station and the ministry of environment and forest (MoEF), the same cannot be lightly interfered with by the court without adequate contra material,” Justice Sathasivam, the author of the judgment, said.

The bench also held that the High Court had not taken into consideration of experts and scientific organisations that have categorically maintained that the CGV site is not located on a riverbed or a flood plain.

The Supreme Court also said that the High Court should not have entertained the PIL since it was file in 2007, eight years after the land was alloted in 1999.

The apex court also set aside the committee that was put together by the High Court to examine the construction of the CGV from an ecological vantage point.

Meanwhile, a special commissioner of police was appointed by the government, for the 2010 Commonwealth Games, on July 28, 2009.

The new commissioner of police, Ajay Chadha, was transferred from Arunachal Pradesh where he was Director General of Police.

Cover photo of The Spectator magazine June 13, 2009 issue

The Registrar of Newspapers in India had approved the title in April 2009.

The Spectator is owned by the publishers of the The Daily Telegraph, the Barclay brothers. Spectator India is the second foreign magazine to be launched under the ‘news and current affairs’ section after Forbes India, which was launched by Network18 Group.

Telegraph Publications Pvt. Ltd, a unit of ABP that publishes The Telegraph in Kolkata, was granted the permission to publish the Indian version of The Spectator on July 3, 2009, by the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting (MIB).

Spectator India will be a monthly magazine that will carry articles related to Indian politics, arts and culture.

The Spectator was first published in July 6, 1828 and since then has informed its readers about current happenings, arts, literature and everyday issues though in a more conservative vein.

An Australian edition of The Spectator was launched in late 2008.

Apart from Spectator India, the ABP group also plans to launch the Indian edition of Fortune magazine. In October 2007, the ABP Group has said that it had entered into an agreement with Time Warner to publish the India edition of Fortune by February 2008.

International newspapers who are looking to launch local editions got the go-ahead from the government in January 2009. As per the policy changes, international newspapers could now publish facsimile editions.

The government now allows 100% foreign direct investment (FDI) subject to prior government approval for the publication of the facsimile editions of international media outfits on the condition that the investment is made by the owner of the original newspaper.

Other international newspapers that are planning to launch India editions are The Wall Street Journal, International Herald Tribune, and Financial Times.