SINGAPORE:The ninth annual convention of the Cable & Satellite Broadcasting Association of Asia (CASBAA), scheduled to be held in Singapore from 4-6 December, will focus on the core business values of the pay-TV industry in Asia.
Tagged Blueprint for Success the convention will bring together a group of world class speakers for the convention, says an official release. The project will encompass close relationships with Singapore government bodies, like the Economic Development Board and the Singapore Broadcasting Authority. The CASBAA Convention 2002 will run parallel to the Asia Television Forum market and conference, the Asia Animation Week and the "on-air" promotions-led Promax BDA conference.

MUMBAI: MTV is getting into film production with Bas Yun Hi, a maiden venture of the new production house Bandra West Productions.
To be released in theatres across India in October this year, Bandra West Productions has entered into a partnership with MTV for creative input as well as for promotions. Bandra West, promoted by Raja Menon and Pratap Raju, aims to make films that will not just do well commercially but will also provide emotional sustenance for the viewer. While Raju serves as co-producer of the venture, Menon wears the director‘s cap. While the two are not looking at Bas Yun Hi as a litmus test, they are not talking to other television channels for future initiatives either.

"This is our first project and at this point of time our sole concentration is on Bas Yun Hi. We want the medium budget film to be commercial in the sense of dragging people into cinema halls but at the same time it shouldn?t repeat the same old formula. Judging by public reaction when the film is released within the first couple of weeks in October we will proceed further." chorus the two.

Queried about the story and nature of Bas Yun Hi they say, "Well the story, which takes place within the span of ten days, is steeped in emotional urban reality. The characters are down to earth, so the audience will not have a problem making a connection. This is important, because as Indians, we express ourselves emotionally more easily. Although the story is entirely fictional, one character could be an amalgamation of a few people in real life. The friends are all at the starting points of their respective careers and their various personalities enable them to bounce off each other. For instance, Aditya harbours dreams of being a filmmaker. Another character is an aspiring actress. The story takes a dramatic twist when one character plays a prank on another."

They also explain the reason why most films released earlier this year flopped. "For us, the script was fundamental. Without the solid grounding of a healthy screenplay, the glitz and glamour of a film tends to get lost in the shuffle. This is one of the main reasons why so many films released this year have performed indifferently at the box office. Another problem is that there is not sufficient differentiation between one product and the next. We however are trying to create space of our own."

The duo have also made a conscious attempt to avoid exaggerated melodrama that peoples Bollywood - like a hero saving the country, for instance. When a song is played, it serves a mechanism to take the story forward, they claim. So, Nandita Das grooving to a Salsa tune in the film is just an example of a glimpse into the character‘s mindset, they say.

Bas Yun Hi has been shot in Bangalore over a period of 40 days; post-production is currently on. While Uma da Cunha is responsible for the casting, the first time she has handled a Hindi film, the music has been supplied by Rajeev Raja & Merlin.

Noted cinematographer Jehangir Choudhary along with sound engineer Nakul Kamte have shot the film in sync sound, as with Lagaan and Dil Chahta Hai, Kamte‘s earlier ventures. "There is no dubbing, which makes a huge difference to audio output," says Menon. Queried about the difference between making an ad and a feature film, Menon who has a wealth of experience in the ad film world said, "In the former you are dealing a product. In a span of 30-40 seconds you have to pitch it to prospective consumers. With film the time period is much more. It allows freedom. It is also a more personal experience as you are dealing with the lives of people. However if a film fails at the box office you have yourself to blame. It is a no excuse medium."

NEW DELHI: The issue of conditional access system (CAS) is getting not only getting curioser, but also hotter.
Joining issue with a consumer activist group of Delhi is the Delhi-based National Cable and Telecom Association (NCTA) which has called for a press conference later in the day to highlight the inadequacy of the government in enacting a legislation that would facilitate the implementation of the CAS in phases in the country.
On one hand the Delhi cable operators have threatened a blackout of satellite channels for an hour in the evening, beginning 20 July, while on the other hand NCTA, whose founder members include vocal supporters of CAS, have said that during the press conference it will expose the lobby which is opposing CAS being brought about.

In the meantime, indiantelevision.com learns from reliable government sources that till yesterday broadcasters lobbied with the official of the I&B ministry highlighting the shortcomings in the Bill which will have a legislation in place on CAS, something of the sort which has not been tried out elsewhere in the present format.

It is also learnt that government officials told a foreign broadcaster representative yesterday that in the basic tier the government is basically looking at including Doordarshan channels.

Coming back to the NCTA press conference, it is learnt that all those who support CAS will be out in strength at the media briefing to present the cable service providers view and position.

The issue is the proposed amendment to the Cable TV Networks Regulations Act 1995, which is pending an okay from the Rajya Sabha (Upper House) of the Indian Parliament. It has already cleared the Lok Sabha (Lower House). NCTA feels that the amendment in the Cable TV Networks Regulation Act to implement the CAS has been delayed "under the influence of major broadcasters."

According to Vikki Choudhry, general secretary of the NCTA, the opposition parties are "behaving strangely." They first supported CAS but now are turning it down, an NCTA statement on the eve of the press conference said.

Pointing out that CAS "will affect the advertisement revenue for each and every pay TV channel," NCTA has said the issue of under declaration too, will be addressed by CAS.

Higher subscription revenues and a tight control on costs enabled Indian media major Zee Telefilms Ltd (ZTL) to notch up a better better bottomline in Q1 2002-2003 as compared to Q1 2001-2002. Net profit is up 31 per cent to Rs 476.7 million (Rs 363 million in the corresponding previous financial quarter). Things are not that rosy on the turnover front with total revenues rising a minuscule 6.5 per cent to Rs 2488 million (Rs 2335 million).

The major contributor to the turnover rise is the 52 per cent jump in subscription revenues to Rs 1015 million (Rs 667 million). The fact that subscription collections are rising is an indicator that the company‘s pay TV strategy is bearing fruit. ZTL has a joint venture with AOL Time Warner to distribute its channels in India.

During the quarter, the Company has completed all formalities for acquiring a controlling stake in ETC Networks Limited (ETC), says a company release. It adds that the transfer of ETC promoter shares in favour of Zee Telefilms is under process and hence during the first quarter, financials of ETC have not been consolidated with that of the Company.

Additionally, Zee Telefilms, acting in concert with Padmalaya Enterprises Pvt Ltd (PEPL) has acquired, by way of preferential allotment 20,00,000 equity shares of Padmalaya Telefilms Limited (PTL) at a price of Rs. 142.2 per share. The company states that PEPL had made an open offer to acquire upto 20 per cent equity shares of PTL.

The open offer closed on 5 June 2002 and 19,25,031 shares of PTL were tendered and accepted. It adds that payment has been made to all shareholders who have tendered their shares in the open offer. Zee has funded PEPL to enable it to acquire the above shares.

The transfer of promoter?s 22,50,000 shares of PTL to PEPL is under process, it says. With this acquisition, the Company will have a 63.3 per cent equity stake in PEPL and PEPL will have 49.60 per cent stake in PTL

NEW DELHI: The Delhi Cable Operators United Front - a newly created body consisting of MSOs, franchisees, and independents based in the Capital- has decided to black out all channels for an hour daily starting 20 July in protest against the delay in the passing of the CAS amendment.

The Front hopes to send a message across to consumers that vested interests and a weak-kneed government are derailing a regulation which is going to benefit viewers in the long run. It also hopes to take the protest to other metros nationwide.

But this time the cable operators seem a determined lot. That determination should take them afar.