MUMBAI: ?Really Cool Stuff? (working title) is the eighth original production to be announced by BBC Worldwide as part of the new commissioning strategy for its global branded channels, unveiled last September.

Blending science and factual entertainment, the fully funded format will premiere on BBC Knowledge (Asia, Africa, CEE, Italy, Australia, New Zealand, Poland and the Nordics) and BBC HD (Europe, Middle East, Africa and Latin America) next year. Dissecting the coolest things in the universe, the general knowledge show will be led by three British presenters alongside studio experiments and CGI and animations.
 
The 10 episode factual entertainment series from 360Production will tackle some of the world?s greatest mysteries from why cats have nine lives, to why we experience D?j? Vu and whether anyone could move fast enough to dodge a speeding bullet.

BBC Worldwide?s aim is to deliver 100 hours of original programming to its BBC branded channels by next year.

The company adds that this latest original production which blends science with factual entertainment, demonstrates VP of commissioning Tracy Forsyth?s commitment to work with independent producers and the BBC?s in-house production teams to create original and high quality television formats for the BBC?s international channel portfolio. Lucy Pilkington will act as BBC Knowledge executive producer, while BBC Worldwide will hold all commercial rights to the new series of ?Really Cool Stuff?, including global broadcast and distribution.

Created with an international BBC audience in mind, ?Really Cool Stuff? will take a magnifying glass to the world?s greatest and most intriguing natural wonders and examine quirky topics in bite size chunks. There will be a mix of presenter interaction, CGI, studio-based scientific experiments, demonstrations and expert input. Hosts Greg Foot (Physicist and adrenalin junkie), Fran Scott (biologist and practical experimenter) and Dominic Byrne (radio and TV broadcaster) will together debate, investigate and dissect a wide spectrum of topics including: "What is more deadly, a tornado or a hurricane?", "where do accents come from?" and "what is the loudest living thing in the ocean?"
 
Forsyth commented, "This high-energy, visually stimulating and incredibly informative series by 360Production, truly delivers a great mix of science and factual entertainment content in a fresh, digestible and returnable format. ?Really Cool Stuff? will answer some of those bizarre common-place questions you have always wondered about, no matter where you live in the world ? and this is one of the many reasons I believe the show will have wide-appeal with our international BBC audiences".

360Production creative director John Farren said, "Everyone at 360Production loves perplexing questions, funny answers, brilliant design and making things go bang. In this show, we get to do them all and can?t wait to share the results with audiences around the world."

MUMBAI: UK pubcaster the BBC?s commercial arm BBC Worldwide MD Australia and New Zealand (ANZ) Jon Penn has made some strategic changes to key roles in his senior team, to prepare the company for growth in the territory.

Deirdre Brennan is to become the director of content, taking responsibility for content management and development in the region. In this new role, she will oversee format production, drama investment and the editorial delivery of the ANZ channels.

Blair McQuade, who until recently was BBC Worldwide ANZ acting GM, has taken on the new role of chief commercial officer (CCO). As CCO, McQuade will oversee strategy and corporate development, finance and operations. McQuade?s role will also manage the TV Sales business distributing programming to FTA, STV and digital platforms.

Irene Read has been promoted to head of sales, leading the team that licenses all TV programming and news in Australia and New Zealand on a daily basis, reporting to McQuade in this role. Read joined BBC Worldwide in 2011 and has successfully overseen sales in the Australian region to date.

Rob Leach will become digital and business development director with an expanded remit overseeing commercial digital, brand licensing and new business lines. He has recently taken on responsibility for the licensing of BBC Worldwide?s brands in Australia and New Zealand, notably live events, consumer products and DVDs. He is also responsible for BBC World News and the relationship with MCN.

Completing the executive leadership team for BBC Worldwide Australia and New Zealand are: Melissa Madden, director of brands and marketing, leading the company?s marketing department and creative services team. Fiona Lang, head of business and legal affairs, overseeing all legal, contractual, regulatory and compliance activity.

Penn said, "As BBC Worldwide looks to grow its business outside the UK, placing more autonomy in this territory?s hands, there is a fantastic opportunity for growth. I am confident that I have put the best team and structure in place to deliver this growth in the areas that have the most potential - content, brands and digital - with a strong strategic and visionary team behind it."

MUMBAI: The success of the Indian Premier League (IPL) is inspiring other countries to try and follow suit. Already countries like Bangladesh have launched their own league. Next in line is the West Indies. The Caribbean Premier League (CPL) which kicks off in July has engaged IMG, to assist in the delivery of the inaugural franchise-based tournament.

IMG also manages the IPL and so the move is natural. The sports management and talent agency will advise on the operational and commercial execution of the tournament and be responsible for television production and media distribution.

IMG has represented many of the world?s cricket boards over the last 20 plus years, including the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI), the West Indies Cricket Board (WCB), Cricket Australia (CA), Cricket South Africa (CSA), the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) and Cricket New Zealand (CNZ) as well as the International Cricket Council (ICC).

The company created the Sahara Cup, an annual series of Official One Day Internationals between India and Pakistan in Canada in the 1990s, and most recently was involved in the creation of the IPL on which it continues to advise the BCCI. IMG has extensive experience of working in the Caribbean having produced television coverage of international cricket from the region for two decades.

CPL CEO Damien O?Donohoe said he was delighted IMG would be involved in the tournament. "IMG will bring with them a wealth of commercial, financial and organisational knowledge to aid the CPL team we are assembling. They know cricket and they know Twenty20 cricket as they have a proven track record in T20 leagues. On top of that, they have worked with several cricket boards over many years and, most notably from our perspective, that includes a long-standing relationship with West Indies cricket so they know the Caribbean too."

IMG executive VP Andrew Wildblood said, "It is a privilege for IMG to be involved in the development of the Caribbean Premier League. Our long experience of working in the region, allied to our wide ranging involvement in the sport of cricket will enable us to make a valuable contribution to the delivery of the CPL."

"The CPL is a wonderful opportunity for IMG to try to contribute to the next stage of development of cricket in the West Indies. The West Indies is one of the most important cricket regions in the world, a region that every true cricket fan cares about passionately, and one which has contributed so much to international cricket in the past with a flavour and atmosphere all of its own," he further added.

The agreement with IMG is the latest part of the organisational structure to be put in place by CPL organisers as the tournament, set to get underway on 30 July, moves ever closer.

Six West Indies stars have already been confirmed as franchise players - Dwayne Bravo, Chris Gayle, Sunil Narine, Kieron Pollard, Darren Sammy and Marlon Samuels. Some of them have already made a big impact on the on-going IPL season.

Also confirmed are the six overseas icon players - former Australia captains Adam Gilchrist and Ricky Ponting, ex-New Zealand captain Ross Taylor, Pakistan Twenty20 International captain Mohammad Hafeez, Herschelle Gibbs of South Africa and Sri Lanka spin wizard Muttiah Muralitharan.

CPL will have six franchises based in Antigua and Barbuda, Barbados, Guyana, Jamaica, St. Lucia and Trinidad &Tobago.

Also confirmed is the make-up of the CPL Cricket Committee, which will be chaired by former Jamaica prime minister PJ Patterson and include Zorol Barthley, Conde Riley and Walter Scott, QC (West Indies Cricket Board nominees) alongside Ian Bishop, Lance Gibbs and Charles Wilkin, QC (CPL nominees).

90 players will be contracted to play in the CPL. Each of the six Franchise teams will comprise 15 player squads. All the teams are required to have a minimum number of local players from their franchise country.

At least four of them must be under the age of 23, and teams can also field a maximum of four international players. The remainder of the team must consist of regional and/or local players.