• Viacom18 defers Hindi movie channel launch

    Submitted by ITV Production on Sep 27
    indiantelevision.com Team

    MUMBAI: Amid a toughening economy, Viacom18 has tweaked its growth plans. Pushed back for launch is the Hindi movie channel, for which the company had invested over Rs 2.5 billion in acquiring movie rights.

    The channel will now launch next year, perhaps coinciding with an improved ad economy.

    Viacom18 is also planning to launch regional entertainment channels next year.

    Two smaller launches will take place this year. The company will launch within three months Comedy Central and another channel for young audiences.

    Indiantelevision.com had earlier reported that Viacom18 is planning to launch two niche channels.

    "Given the changing dynamics of the television business in this market, we have decided to strategically re-prioritise our growth plans and are now planning to launch Comedy Central and a channel for young audiences within the next three months, while deferring the launch of our Hindi movie channel," Viacom18 Group CEO Haresh Chawla said in an official statement.

    "We are a young organisation and therefore have the agility to tweak our plans as may be required. Given the direction of growth across our businesses, we intend to launch our Hindi movie channel some time next year, with a model that will cut the lead time to leadership significantly...like we?ve been able to achieve in our other businesses," he further added.

    Last month, Viacom18 had appointed Ravish Kumar as head of its proposed Hindi movie channel. Kumar was earlier Star India EVP and general manager for regional channels, handling Star Jalsha and Star Pravah.

    Kumar will now explore the regional prospects of Viacom18.

    "We have also decided to focus more attention to regional language entertainment and Kumar will be leading our efforts to explore and launch that part of the business in the coming year," Chawla added.

    Also Read :

    Viacom18 to launch two niche and HD channels

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    Viacom18
  • Viacom reports double-digital gains in quarter

    Submitted by ITV Production on Aug 08
    indiantelevision.com Team

    MUMBAI: US media conglomerate Viacom has reported double-digit gains for the quarter ended 30 June 2011.

    Consolidated revenues in the quarter grew by 15 per cent to $3.77 billion, primarily driven by growth in affiliate, dvertising and television license revenues.
     
    Adjusted operating income increased by 22 per cent to $995 million, fueled by Media Networks profit growth. Adjusted net earnings from continuing operations attributable to Viacom were up 35 per cent to $583 million with adjusted diluted EPS from continuing operations of $0.99, which represents a 39 per cent increase over the prior year‘s results of $0.71 per share.

    Viacom president, CEO Philippe Dauman said, "The breadth of hit programming found across Viacom‘s media network portfolio continues to expand with top-rated shows and tentpole events on MTV, Nickelodeon, Comedy Central, BET and TV Land, as well as many of our international networks, all of which contributed to strong advertising growth and a
    robust advertising upfront performance. We are strengthening our global entertainment brands and expanding our reach through new international and digital distribution and bringing our audiences the content they want on new platforms."

    Paramount Pictures is the first studio ever to deliver a record six consecutive $100 million-plus domestic box office movies and it was the first studio to cross the $1 billion domestic box office threshold for the fifth year in a row.

    Film revenues grew by 13 per cent to $1.41 billion due principally to higher television license fees and home entertainment revenues. The company‘s worldwide television license revenues were up by 36 per cent in the quarter to $416 million, driven by the number and mix of available titles.

    Home entertainment revenues increased 33 per cent to $331
    million, reflecting one additional release as compared with the prior year‘s quarter as well as the strength of the current year releases. Ancillary revenues also grew, up 57 per cent to $72 million.

    These gains were partially offset by lower theatrical revenues, which were down nine per cent to $588 million, principally reflecting the timing of film releases.

    "The prior year period benefited from strong carryover revenues from DreamWorks Animation‘s ‘How to Train Your
    Dragon‘ whereas ‘Transformers: Dark of the Moon‘ was released in the final week of the fiscal 2011 third quarter, which will result in the majority of the film‘s theatrical revenues occurring in the fiscal fourth quarter," the company said.

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    Viacom
  • Comedy Central gets Charlie Sheen for the 'Roast'

    Submitted by ITV Production on Jul 07
    indiantelevision.com Team

     
    MUMBAI: Viacom?s channel Comedy Central has secured one of Hollywood‘s most notorious bad boys. The network announced that Charlie Sheen will be the next Roastee.

    The special ?Comedy Central Roast Of Charlie Sheen? will tape in Los Angeles on 10 September. The Roast will air on 19 September.

     
    Sheen said, "You could say I‘ve been providing kindling for this Roast for a while. It‘s time to light it up. It‘s going to be epic."

    Comedy Central head of original programming and production Kent Alterman said, "Charlie has assured us that nothing will be off limits in this Roast... which scares even us".

    The airing happens on the same day that Two and A Half Men goes on air with Sheen?s replacement Ashton Kutcher.

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