MUMBAI: Sony Pictures Television (SPT) Networks is expanding its UK presence by wholly acquiring the channels business of Dolphin Broadcasting and taking a majority stake in ad sales house, Dolphin TV.

The five Dolphin television channels are Movies4Men, Movies4Men+1, Movies4Men2, Movies4Men2+1 and Men&Movies. The channels target an older, male demographic, offering movies and television content including war, western and action films. They are available on Sky and Freesat, as well as Freeview in Manchester.

The acquisition of Dolphin?s channels business will add five new channels to SPT?s UK network portfolio, building on SPT?s launch of the Sony Entertainment Television channel in April this year.

The stake in Dolphin TV Ltd is an important step in SPT?s long term goal to build an advertising sales business across Europe, joining other SPT advertising joint ventures in territories including Romania and Croatia.

SPT senior VP, networks, Europe, Middle East and Africa Eddie Nelson said, "Increasing our foothold in the UK is an important part of our EMEA growth plan. As a well established specialist in the UK?s multichannel market, Dolphin is an ideal fit for SPT as we develop our channel portfolio and focus on expanding Dolphin?s market share of advertising sales. We are extremely excited about working with Dolphin?s existing clients and developing the teleshopping business."

Dolphin?s channels business will now merge with SPT?s existing UK networks business, led by SVP broadcast and channel development, Kate Marsh, who reports into Nelson.

Dolphin TV MD David Goffin said: "Sony Pictures Television is a great strategic fit for our own channels and our advertising sales business. Naturally we are delighted to become part of SPT. The UK sales market is rapidly evolving and this allows us to invest in our core areas of spot and teleshopping sales."

Dolphin TV, the ad business, will continue to operate under the same name and management team, and from the same office in London. The business is led by Goffin, who now reports into Nelson. Current Dolphin TV spot advertising clients include CSC Media Group?s True Movies and the Welsh broadcaster, S4C; with teleshopping clients Channel 4, ITV, BskyB, Chello and Ulster TV.

MUMBAI: Amid a global economic downturn, Zee Entertainment Enterprises Ltd (Zeel) is looking at a 9 per cent growth from its international business this fiscal.

India?s leading broadcasting network overseas will see international income up from advertising, syndication and other operations while subscription revenue will stay almost flat.

?Historically, we were very subscription-led. But for the last three years we have developed other revenue streams like mainstream advertising and syndication, which are posting growth. That enabled us to launch many products,? said Zeel international business head Bharat Ranga in an interview with Indiantelevision.com, while refusing to disclose any financials.

Zeel had posted an international subscription revenue of Rs 4.09 billion in FY?11, degrowing by 2 per cent over the year-ago period. In the first six months of this fiscal, the company has reported revenue of Rs 1.93 billion.

Zeel announces its international subscription revenues, but does not disclose the break-up of its advertising income from India and other markets.

The depreciation of the rupee against the dollar would somewhat help Zeel in the second half, but the economies of UK and Europe still remain terribly stressed.

?Europe and UK remains a huge challenge but within this turmoil, the South Asians are somewhat better placed. However, because our competitors sell very cheap or even make free content available, growth is still a challenge,? said Ranga.

Zeel launched Zee Caf?, a hybrid channel, to arrest degrowth in that market. The channel airs cricket and regional fiction shows sub-titled in English, among other lines of content.

So will the company launch more channels in global markets? ?We are very selective about launching Indian channels in these markets. We launch only when we spot gaps. In UK, we felt that there was a male product gap. We would like to launch when we see that there is an instant market need. We want to first harness the growth of these new launches,? said Ranga.

Zeel has also paced up its localisation strategy in global markets, which keeps it far ahead of its rivals. Zee Aflam, for instance, has seen reasonable growth and reached break-even status within three years. Other localisation experiments are already on in Malaysia, Russia and, to a limited extent, in France in partnership with Canal.

Will Zeel launch local products in more markets? ?There are plans in additional markets but we can?t disclose now because it is strategic in nature. We have developed homegrown tools to identify markets,? said Ranga.

MUMBAI: Alan Yentob, BBC?s Creative Director, will join the board of BBC Studios and Post Production as a non-executive director.

A commercial subsidiary of the BBC, the company offers world-class studios, post production and digital media services to the media industry.

Based at London?s Television Centre, Elstree and Bristol, it works in partnership with media companies creating and managing content across all genres for a variety of broadcasters including ITV, Channel 4, Channel 5, Sky and the BBC.
 

Yentob said, ?I am delighted to be joining the BBC Studios and Post Production Board as it continues to build on recent strong performance. I look forward to working with colleagues on the board to further develop a successful business model for the future.?

BBC Studios and Post Production chairman John Tate said, "I am delighted that Alan is joining the BBC Studios and Post Production Board. He brings a wealth of experience from the UK creative sector, and I?m very much looking forward to working with him and building a strong future for the business."

As the BBC?s Creative Director, he is at the creative helm of the BBC and has oversight across the BBC?s services in all media. He is BBC Films chairman and is the focal point for talent management across the whole of the organisation.

Previously BBC One andBBC Two controller, he became director of programmes in production in 1997 before becoming Director of Television with responsibility for BBC Television?s terrestrial and digital channels. Alan has held his current post since 2004.

His other responsibilities have included membership of the boards of The South Bank and the International Academy of Television Arts and Sciences, and Chairmanship of the Institute of Contemporary Art. He is currently Chairman of children?s charity Kids Company.

Under CEO Mark Thomas, BBC Studios and Post Production is the largest studios and post facilities provider in the UK. Last year it worked with over 250 media companies and other customers. The business has just completed its best ever year with the highest profitability since it was formed in 1998.
 

MUMBAI: Uefa has announced the appointment of the BBC and ITV as the official broadcasters of Uefa Euro 2012 in the UK.

All 31 matches will be transmitted live across BBC and ITV. The broadcasters will further exploit all 31 matches via their respective internet and mobile platforms.

A daily highlights programme will also be shown on each match day during the tournament and the BBC has the right to provide extensive coverage of the competition across its radio channels.

Uefa Events marketing director Guy-Laurent Epstein said, "Uefa is delighted to continue its relationship with the BBC and ITV, our traditional broadcast partners for the UEFA European Championships.

"We look forward to working with the UK?s leading free-to-air broadcasters and are convinced that they will provide fans in the UK with an exceptional depth of coverage of the tournament across all media platforms."

The BBC and ITV also confirmed the full split of matches between the two broadcasters across the tournament.

The broadcasters will show a total of 16 matches each including the final, which will be broadcast by both ITV and the BBC.

ITV controller of sport Niall Sloane said, "Major events such as the Euro 2012 Championships have huge significance for our viewers and attract some of the biggest audiences on television. I?m delighted that ITV has secured an outstanding selection of games through the tournament which includes England?s opening game against France as well as a potential peak time group decider against hosts Ukraine.

"ITV1 will also be the home of some terrific clashes between the top teams in Europe including Spain v Ireland, Spain v Italy, Portugal v Holland and Ireland v Croatia."

BBC Head of TV Sport Philip Bernie said, "The BBC is delighted to be showing the UEFA European Football Championship, a huge football event, which, along with the London Olympics, should ensure a fantastic sporting summer for BBC viewers.

"We are happy with the live matches on BBC One, as they give us a strong climax to the event, with both semi-finals, as well as England?s quarter-final if they progress. We also have some very appetising group games, including England?s second match, against Sweden, in peak time, Ireland?s final match, against Italy, and heavyweight clashes between Holland and Germany and Germany and Portugal."

MUMBAI: UK pubcaster the BBC has announced that five children from the UK will be travelling across the world to find out how the everyday items they take for granted are made, in a new CBBC documentary series - Show Me What You‘re Made Of.

The programme, which is presented by Stacey Dooley and is due to air this year, follows the kids as they travel to Indonesia and the Philippines to work in the factories that make gadgets, toys and clothes.

Through five episodes, the kids report to genuine bosses, sleep in the homes of real workers and see the reality of life for the people who actually make their favourite things.

The children stuff soft toys in an Indonesia factory, join a vast clothing production line, try their hand at intricate jewellery making, and experience the extraordinarily controlled working conditions of a high-tech electronics factory, which makes tiny components for some of the electrical goods that British kids enjoy.

After their working day is finished the kids return home and stay with the workers, and find the poverty outside the factory gates is a real shock. But will their experience make them think twice about the things they take for granted?

CBBC executive producer Melissa Hardinge said, "In the run-up to Christmas, children are often most concerned about ensuring that the latest must-have items are on their wish-list, but this programme illustrates what other people go through to make the things that they take for granted.

"At CBBC one of our goals is to challenge children‘s perceptions of the world around them and make them think differently about the things they see. This programme certainly fits this bill and the children involved in the show have had a once in a life-time experience that they will never forget."