Mumbai: The landmark year witnessed a revolution in the English Movie Channel category with the launch of MOVIES NOW - India?s First HD English Movie Channel. The channel from The Times Television Network bouquet celebrates its first successful year on 19th December 2011.

Since inception, the channel aimed at challenging the existing status quo in the industry. It has not only dominated the ratings but has also catapulted the entire category viewership by a whopping 50% with an increase in GRPs from 50 to 74 points:

• A phenomenal increase in the reach from 46 million to 56 million viewers!
• An incredible increase in the TSV (Time Spent per Viewer) from 42 minutes to 55 minutes!

Month on month with consistent top deck ratings, MOVIES NOW, the proverbial new kid on the block has now firmly established itself as a leader in the English Movie Channel Category.

MOVIES NOW is the first 24 hour HD channel to launch in India for the discerning viewers. Today, the channel boasts of setting a high audio-visual quality benchmark for all channels hereby creating a new wave in the industry. The TAM ratings for the past 51 weeks (week 52, 2010 - week 50, 2011) across 8 metros are a strong affirmation of the channel?s leadership in the English Movie Channel category. With a relative channel share of 30% across all 8 metros and unrivalled performance in 1mn+ towns, all India & across time-bands, MOVIES NOW is the clear favourite of the audiences. *(Source: TAM, TG: CS 15-34 AB, All 8 Metros, Period: wk 52 ?10 - wk 50 ?11)

Congratulating on the channel success, Mr. Sunil Lulla, Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer, Times Television Network said, ?Times Television Network is committed to deliver distinctive brands to its viewers and advertisers. MOVIES NOW has made a break-through on both fronts by redefining the viewing experience with its stunning picture quality and awesome surround sound experience. We congratulate our audience and our partners on being an integral part of this success!?

Speaking on the occasion, Mr. Ajay Trigunayat, Channel Head, MOVIES NOW said ?We had a clear mission for MOVIES NOW when we launched last year to bring a stellar brand to the viewers. The past one year has
been nothing less than a dream come true for all of us. I want to thank all our support groups: from our audiences who are our biggest critics, to our distributors and our business partners. We at MOVIES NOW are working towards ensuring that the product is even more entertaining for our viewers, so that we are loved more and watched more.?

With its superlative content and packaging, MOVIES NOW is the best partner for brands seeking urban affluent audiences! With over 200+ brands already advertising on MOVIES NOW, the channel has become one of the most sought after channels in the country. MOVIES NOW offers the highest Reach & TSV across all English Channels!

MOVIES NOW has always led by example and has been a pioneer of many FIRSTS. From its library led movie collection to innovative programming, from its zany promotional teasers to its reach, the channel has always had the foresight to offer its viewers something that never existed in the English Movie Channel Category. This strategy was backed with the zest of exploring potential markets. Apart from having a homogenous distribution across all 8 metros, MOVIES NOW has also partnered with all DTH platforms ? Tata Sky, DISH TV, Airtel Digital TV, Videocon D2H, Reliance Digital TV, and Sun Direct for a wider audience reach.

On the road ahead Ajay further elaborates ?MOVIES NOW will augment its phenomenal reach by enhancing Digital availability. Also, we are looking at aggressively increasing our reach from all metros to the 1 million + markets. We at MOVIES NOW have always believed that the English Movie Channel Category is a mass product and are continuously expanding the viewership base.?

MUMBAI: With 54 UFO Digital theatres in Assam, UFO Moviez India Ltd., the world?s largest satellite-based digital cinema network, has ensured that audiences across Assam are able to view new film releases first day first show at the same time as the rest of India. This has also resulted in increased audiences in theatres, which in turn, has led to a sea change in the film distribution landscape. The Assam circuit (comprising the states of Assam, Meghalaya, Manipur and Nagaland) has witnessed an almost five fold increase in territory selling prices for blockbuster films like ?RA-One?, Bodyguard or the forthcoming ones like ?Agneepath?. This is as compared to prices in the region pre UFO or early UFO days, when a commercial success like ?Mai Hoon Na? or ?Om Shanti Om? sold for Rs. 10 - 20 lakhs (approx) in 2004 - 2007.

In a short span of time, UFO Moviez has successfully introduced satellite-delivered digital cinema in this region, which faces significant geographical and topographical challenges and where local language cinema was on the verge of dying down. First day first shows of films across the region enabled by UFO Moviez? satellite-delivered digital cinema solutions have stimulated a sea of change in the cinema theatre business in Assam, particularly amongst the single theatre owners, who were facing survival issues.

Bhaskarjyoti Cinema Hall in Sivasagar district of Assam was closed for almost ten years, until UFO Moviez installed its digital cinema system in the theatre in May 2010. Now, after complete renovations, it is widely acknowledged as the best theatre in the region and enjoys regular houseful screenings of new Assamese and Hindi films.

The Assam circuit, previously allotted low priority in the distribution chain, had barely ten theatres that screened new Assamese and Hindi films. As a result of the delay in the delivery of physical film prints to the region, these theatres were often forced to screen films as late as two months after their all India release. All of this changed, when in April 2007, the first UFO digital cinema system was installed in Assam. Anuradha Cinema in Guwahati, the second theatre in the region to install UFO?s projection system on its premises in April 2007, is now a premiere theatre in Assam and boasts a best in class projection system that offers superior picture quality and brightness and UFO?s 3D system. Theatre owner Chinmoy Sharma says, ?UFO Moviez? digital cinema systems ensure that audiences throughout Assam are able to enjoy high quality first-day-first-show screenings of films, unhampered by weather conditions, terrain or any other technical snags or delays.?

Mr. Arun Mehra of Aum Moviez (the largest distributors of films in the Eastern Circuit) says, ?Increasing box office revenues have transformed Assam into a major territory for Indian films in the Eastern region. Most of the theatres in Assam now have improved sound systems to match UFO?s digital picture quality. Thanks to increasing revenues from ticket sales, all major theatres have been refurbished with pushback seats and new food courts. It?s an added bonus for film-goers in Assam, who are today willing to pay for the quality and value proposition that are a part of UFO?s digital cinema installations.? Adds Mr. Shankar Lal Goenka, Proprietor, Goenka Enterprises (a major film distributor based in Assam and winner of the Dada Saheb Phalke Academy Award for his services to the Indian film industry) says, ?The box office in Assam has expanded thanks to first-day-first-show screenings made possible by UFO Moviez.?

Theatres like Smriti Gopal Cinema (only running theatre in Jorhat region) and Sarma Talkies (only one in Pathsala town), which were about to close down due to losses, have become active and vibrant again, thanks to UFO Moviez? pioneering solutions. Post installations of UFO?s digital infrastructure, these theatres have undergone a complete renovation of the premises and now operate profitably. The Gold Digital Cinema chain is now present in the region and has recently opened a new theatre in Shillong, Meghalaya.

Assamese language cinema has also benefited immensely. Earlier, the average number of Assamese film releases per year was about one or two at the most. In 2011, there have been six Assamese film releases so far. In 2012, around seven Assamese language films are expected to be released. This growth is almost entirely due to the fact that there are now a much larger number of theatres that an Assamese film can reach in the first week of its release. For example, romantic Assamese drama film ?Raamdhenu? was released in 24 cinema halls across Assam early this year. The film screened to houseful audiences for two weeks in almost all these theatres and completed 25 weeks of screening to appreciative audiences. Producers of the film at Pride East Entertainment Pvt. Ltd. stated, ?We are delighted at the success of Raamdhenu and we hope that we will set the success ball rolling for the Assamese film industry. We share this success with UFO Moviez; their digital cinema technology platform and their support has made it possible to provide good content to our audiences on time and showcase the best quality in cinema.?

The growth of cinema in the region is not limited to Assamese language films alone. Refurbished theatres, enthusiastic audiences and a growing appetite for cinema has meant that even Bengali and Bhojpuri films now play to packed audiences in Assam. For example, Bengali film ?Romeo? recently released in 16 UFO theatres in Assam. Hindi films too now enjoy larger audiences in the region. Shahrukh Khan starrer ?RA-One?, for example, was released in 49 theatres in Assam in its first week. ?Ready? and ?Singham? released in over 41 UFO digital screens across Assam. Dabangg ran houseful for almost a week in all the theatres in Assam. The ?big picture? in Assam is only going to get bigger and better!

MUMBAI: The fourth season of "Jhalak Dikhla Jaa", based on the international hit Dancing with the Stars and produced by BBC Worldwide Productions India, has won the award for Best Entertainment Programme Best General Entertainment Programme at the 16th annual Asian Television Awards. The ceremony took place at a gala event in Singapore.

Myleeta Aga, General Manager & Creative Head of BBC Worldwide Productions India, who picked up the award on behalf of the show says, "It is an honour to win at the Asian Television Awards and testimony to the BBC Worldwide Production India and Sony Television teams who worked so tirelessly to bring the show to life. Jhalak Dikhla Jaa Season 4 truly lived up to its promise of being bigger and bolder than the successful seasons before it. he Indian version of BBC Worldwide?s international bestseller "Dancing with the Stars" had been extensively remodelled to appeal to the country?s viewers. The dances were typically more exuberant than on its sister programmes around the world, owing to India?s unique Bollywood tradition".

Launched in 1996, the Asian Television Awards (ATA) is the Asian TV industry?s most significant and celebrated event, recognizing excellence in programming, production and performance..

The awards comprise over 30 categories and enjoy the support of every major industry player throughout the region. ATA attracts a multitude of entries from a wide range of broadcasters, including free-to-air television stations and pay-TV platforms, as well as many independent production houses in Asia, including India.

Full of glitz and glamour, Jhalak Dikhla Jaa attracted top celebrity judges such as Madhuri Dixit, Malaika Arora Khan and Remo D?Souza and received an overwhelming number of votes, mails and viewers from around India. The show has been a great success for BBC Worldwide Productions India and Sony Television, opening with TRPs of over 5.Dancing with the Stars has been sold to over 35 broadcasters and can be seen in 75 countries across 6 continents.

Mumbai: The new umbrella brand name for the communication companies in which the communications- entrepreneur N. Chandramouli has a majority stake was announced today. The umbrella brand, called the Comniscient Group includes six companies, Blue Lotus Communications, bluebytes, i9 Communications, Blue Online, Trust Research Advisory and Brix Media. The umbrella branding has been created to reflect the common philosophy and culture of the group, infusing that common thread across these independently led companies. The nine-year old group has achieved leadership in Public Relations and related fields through its unique entrepreneurial culture and knowledge approach. The new brand identity for the group has been created by Bacteria Design.

Commenting on the new branding and its approach, N. Chandramouli, CEO, Comniscient Group said, ?Driving communications with knowledge as a strategic tool, and businesses with an entrepreneurial spirit has helped several of our group companies attain global recognition. In creating an umbrella branding the name that that best represented our character was the word Comniscient, which is essentially the word ?Omniscient? with a ?C? prefixed. The name reflects the group?s scientific and knowledge based approach, and it also shows our intense focus on the all-important communication vertical. The new group branding in a way is serendipitous because it is the way we naturally think in our group.?

?The Comniscient Group logo is made of parts of three circles which intersect in a non-standard form reflective of the philosophy of the group. On the whole, the form shows a dancing spirit reflective of conviviality with which we go about our business. The use of three non-standard colors shows the unique and effective approach of the Comniscient Group, and the intersections of the circles display a continuous and eternal movement indicative of progress. And, the forms which are created by the lack of forms shows how intangible of communications creates everything that is tangible.?, Chandramouli added

MUMBAI: Percept/H has been assigned the creative mandate for Congress? launch campaign ?Jago Udho badlo? for the forthcoming Uttar Pradesh Assembly 2012 Elections. Percept/H won the account following a multi-agency pitch that included agencies like JWT, and Crayons. The campaign was released all over at the same time when Mr. Rahul Gandhi started his campaigning at Phulpur on November 14,2011and will continue over the next few months till the elections.

The brief that was shared with Percept/H was to provide a 360 communication strategy in UP that helps to influence the state electorate and creates a favorable environment for the Congress party in the lead up to the UP Assembly elections. Percept/H conducted its own research, understood the issues and came up with a creative strategy to launch the creative campaign. The objective of the communication was to create a sustained & multiplier communication strategy that would help Congress to emotionally and rationally CONNECT with the UP electorate and WIN their confidence, trust and ultimately their vote.

The first set of campaign started from Saturday, highlighting the poor record of non-congress governments on development, crime, opportunities, for youth and farmers issues Three different press advertisements were released between the 12th and 14th of November in UP as part of the Congress? launch campaign and Rahul Gandhi?s rally. Each communication ended with the punch line ?Jawab hum denge? and each ad was a hard hitting commentary on the ?misrule? of the non-Congress governments over the last 22 years. The challenge was to highlight Congress? legacy as an umbrella party that can take all sections of the society and religious groups together. For the first time,the campaign will hard sell brand Rahul as the party?s future leader and portray his dominating & aggressive image with a hard-hitting slogan against past governments in UP.

Speaking on winning the business Amitava Mitra, Chief Operating Officer ? North, Percept / H, Delhi said, ?We did our research in the state and discovered that Rahul Gandhi and the Congress were synonymous with each other. If there was one leader from the Congress they identified with, and were very fond of, it was Rahul. The way he reaches out to them, the way he carries himself, the way he lends an ear?It was pretty clear that for the campaign to be effective, he had to be the face of the Congress in Uttar Pradesh. Normally Congress campaigns are sober and have the Aam Aadmi as the hero with small photographs of Sonia Gandhi, Manmohan Singh and Rahul Gandhi in the corner of an ad or poster or hoarding. For the 1st time and at our insistence the Congress party dared to be different ?

Elaborated Rajiv Agarwal, Executive Creative Director, Percept /H, Delhi, ?We were very clear from the beginning that as far as UP was concerned Rahul Gandhi had to be the face of the campaign. Not as a protagonist but more for what he stands for in the state. And the tonality of the campaign had to be in sync with the current state of affairs. Deliberately deviating from the Congress tonality that people are used to, it?s meant to be engaging, and aggressive, without being offensive. If you notice there?s no ?typical? election slogan. It?s a brave statement, a war cry. ?Jawab Hum Denge? is more than just a smart tagline; it?s a meant to deliver a befitting reply to everything that should not be.?

The challenge was to highlight Congress? legacy as an umbrella party that can take all sections of the society and religious groups together. Never before has the Congress ever been so aggressive and nor have they ever projected Rahul Gandhi in such a manner. It shows him as a man on a mission to get the Congress back in to power in UP after 22 years. Percept/H successfully launched the campaign to create the maximum buzz.

MUMBAI: Today on the occasion of RK?s birth anniversary of Rak Kapoor, Shemaroo Entertainment brings to his fans a collection of RK?s 100 plus best videos on Youtube.

The variety includes songs and scenes from 21 of his super hit films including and 10 films from the RK banner. You can check the same on - http://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLEB7DE2BBC3CED05D (Raj Kapoor & Nargis?s Romantic Scenes & Songs) and http://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL0754E2BD9833D840 (Raj Kapoor Superhit Songs)

The list of videos include scenes from Ram Teri Ganga Maili , Satyam Shivam Sundaram, Awara and Shree420 among others.There is a full fledge Shemaroo channel - ?The RK Collection? on Youtube which is devoted to the legendary actor. You can check - http://www.youtube.com/TheRkcollection for the same.The channel has a crossed a million views till date.

Raj Kapoor ? Bollywood?s greatest showman, had a tremendous influence on millions of cine goers over decades, with his magical movies. His films have touched the hearts, souls and lives of a million of people across boundaries.salutes this ?Showman of The Millennium? - one of the most influential actors and directors from Indian Film fraternity!