MUMBAI: National, December 11th 2012: TIMES NOW has been bestowed the status of SUPERBRAND at the 4th Edition of CONSUMER SUPERBRANDS, a glittering ceremony held in Delhi on December 6, 2012. TIMES NOW has maintained its unquestionable leadership position in the English News genre over the past 4 years and aims to continue to further strengthen its position in 2013. With cutting edge content, TIMES NOW?s commitment to excellence has made the channel an obvious trailblazer in the English News genre.

On this occasion Mr. Avinash Kaul, CEO ? ET NOW, TIMES NOW & Zoom stated, ?we are extremely proud that TIMES NOW has been awarded SUPERBRAND status this year. This award, judged by both consumers and experts, is a testament to the insightful news, views and analysis that TIMES NOW has been providing its viewers since inception. We are always striving for excellence and this achievement will further power our efforts to provide more worthwhile & path-breaking content in the future to our viewers.?

The BCCL group & its brands including The Times of India, The Economic Times, Femina, Filmfare, Radio Mirchi & indiatimes.com have already received that status of SUPERBRAND in the past. Over 500 Indian brands honoured by Superbrands in the last decade have been captured & profiled in 7 Superbrand books, 4 being Consumer Brands and 3 Business Brands.

The Superbrands India Council for 2012 comprised Vineet Agarwal, Executive Director, Transport Corporation of India, Amar Babu, Managing Director, Lenovo India, Ashsih Dikshit, President, Madura Fashion & Lifestyle, Punit Goenka, Managing Director & CEO, Zee Entertainment, Kuldip Kaura, CEO & MD, ACC, RM Malla, Chairman & MD, IDBI Bank, BS Nagesh, Vice Chairman, Shoppers Stop, Sundeep Sikka, CEO, Reliance Capital Asset Management, and N Thiruambalam, Former Chairman & MD, Heinz India.

A concept that started 18 years back in UK, Superbrands embarked on a journey to pay tribute to the brands that have gained eminence in their countries and beyond, and the respective brand guardians who have helped shape & build it. Present in across 86 countries, Superbrands has honoured over 10000 brands across the globe in a span of 18 years. Superbrands has built and today commands its prestige across the globe following its rigorous two step process of selecting and shortlisting brands in each country. The first step is where the consumers in the country rates the over 2000 brands basis their experience & perception. Only around 10% of these make it to the second step where the Superbrands Council rate each brand and the enterprise basis their experience and knowledge, giving out the winning brands that go on to become attain Superbrands status.

MUMBAI: Reinstating its commitment towards the promotion of India?s distinct and abounding heritage, HISTORY TV18 has partnered once again with Central Board of Secondary Education to conduct the Heritage India Quiz 2012.

The Heritage Quiz 2012 involved more than 2500 students from various schools affiliated to the CBSE board. The quiz included an exhaustive selection process which involved a preliminary written exam followed by grueling rounds of quizzing at the regional level, which finally culminated in short-listing of 16 teams for the National semi-final rounds. Winners from the four semi-finals ultimately fought it out in the Grand finale.

Adrian D?Costa from HISTORY TV18 and Mr. Vineet Joshi Chairman CBSE were present at the Grand Finale to propagate the cause of spreading awareness and lessons about India?s tradition amongst school students.

HISTORY TV18 associated with CBSE to implement the Heritage Quiz 2012, with the purpose of enriching students? knowledge about our ?Heritage?, ?Culture? and distinct ?History?. Globally, the History channel is known for its effective outreach programme dedicated towards the restoration, conservation and knowledge enrichment of historic legacies. Taking forward the channel?s core ethos in India, soon after its launch, the channel spearheaded several outreach programmes to promote education and conservation of Indian monuments and heritage.

Commenting on HISTORY TV18?s partnership with CBSE, Ajay Chacko, President, A+E Networks | TV 18 added, ?History TV18 is proud to partner with CBSE in taking further this initiative for the second year. I?m happy that the Heritage quiz has been very well received and it enhances our determination to carry on with this initiative. We hope that we can be of value in making our children realize the value of our rich past and India?s heritage.?

Reiterating the importance of Heritage Education, Shri Vineet Joshi, Chairman CBSE, said ?Heritage Education is an attempt to understand all that makes the identity of Indian civilization. Heritage Education is a link program to explore the heritage of multiple subjects simultaneously taught in schools in an innovative and creative manner. Heritage Education is on one hand interpreting the past for the use of the future, and recognizing contemporary traditions that affect the present and will influence the future. This initiative has received tremendous impetus from the experience and reach of our association with the HISTORY TV18 Channel.?

This is the 12th year of this quiz, being conducted in multiple phases (City Chapter, Regional Chapter, National Semi Finals and National Finals). 753 Schools from 8 regions participated in the quiz which was held in 20 schools.

MUMBAI: The story teams up Camille and Moose as best friends and newly arrived NYU freshmen. Before he can even get to his dorm, Moose who has just applied for an engineering major at New York University is scrutinized by Luke, an aspiring filmmaker who runs the Pirates, a multiethnic crew of misfit dancers who live and train together in his warehouse.

Luke also signs up Natalie, a pretty dancer he spots in the street-level club he runs to pay the rent. Not all is cool with Luke as he is behind on the rent and needs the money to save his place.

The Pirates are, in this story, the good guys who rise through the regional contest toward their much anticipated face-off against a tough crew, House of Samurai led by rich boy Julien who wants to buy out the warehouse.

MUMBAI: HISTORY TV18 pays homage to the ?Father of the Indian constitution? on his 56th death anniversary, with a special series immortalizing the life and paramount triumph of Dr. Babasaheb Ambedkar. The First Law Minister of India and one of the main architects of our Constitution, Dr. Ambedkar is one of the most admired youth icons even today, receiving an overwhelming majority votes in the ?Greatest Indian?; the much appreciated quest spearheaded by HISTORY TV18 and CNN IBN earlier this year.

Widely recognized for his revolutionary contribution towards the framing of the Indian Constitution, Dr. Ambedkar also propagated commandingly social equality, citizens? rights, and democratic political system. A constant source of inspiration to the people of India, Dr. Ambedkar?s ideology and actions continue to have relevance as the incongruity in social and economic standards of life persist even today especially amongst the deprived masses.

With this special series, HISTORY TV18 chronicles the life and struggle of Dr. B. R. Ambedkar ?a documentary that traces fine points of his ascend to become one of the greatest leaders, philosophers and jurists, India ever produced.

Watch the life of this great visionary premiering on Thursday, 6th December at 9 pm only on HISTORY TV18.

MUMBAI: If decoding clues gives you a thrill, hunting for checkpoints is adrenaline pumping, then ?The Shivam Maruti Treasure Hunt? is exactly what you need to add that little spark to your Sunday.

Shivam Autozone is conducting ?The Shivam Maruti Treasure Hunt? in Mumbai on 16th December, 2012. Anyone with a Maruti car can participate in this hunt, individually or with a team of up to 5.

This treasure hunt is designed to test your clue-cracking skills, geographical knowledge and general knowledge. Not to mention your pace! Set between Malad and Borivali, participants have to decode a set of clues, travel to checkpoints with their cars and return to the starting point within the stipulated time. The first three cars that return with the maximum clues solved will be declared winners.

Prizes include a fully automated GPS Navigation System, a makeover for the car with leather seat covers & cushions and wireless reverse sensors with LED display. Not just that, whacky surprises are in store too. Additionally, every participating car will also walk away with goodie bags and gift hampers worth more than Rs 2,000 each.

To register for the hunt, participants simply need to log onto facebook.com/Shivammaruti and register on ?The Shivam Maruti Treasure Hunt? tab.

Mr. Ashish Banka, V.P., Eggfirst Advertising said, ?Shivam is one of the most active dealerships. And being their ad agency, we always strive to come up with unique ideas to connect with their consumers. This Treasure Hunt is our digital initiative that connects offline as well. The event promises to be exciting, challenging and of course, rewarding!?

Shivam Autozone is one of the newest and fastest growing Maruti Suzuki car dealers in Mumbai. With an exclusive boutique showroom at Raghuleela Mega Mall in Kandivali (West), an ultra- premium workshop at Charkop, and the largest Maruti showroom on S.V. Road, Kandivali (West), Shivam Autozone has become a trendsetter and a prominent Maruti Suzuki dealer in Mumbai. Apart from selling Maruti cars, Shivam Autozone is also known for its top-of-the-line servicing and a range of related products like car finance, insurance, accessories, customization, warranty, annual maintenance contracts etc.

Mr. Rishi Goel, Director & CEO, Shivam Autozone said, ?We wanted to do something special for Maruti owners and we loved the idea of a Treasure Hunt - it was something different, and not been done before. It goes well with our brand message of ?Living the Change?. We promise every participant a worthwhile Sunday?.

So what are you waiting for?! Get set to race your heart out!!

MUMBAI: Global Music giant, Sony Music has added 5,00,000 songs from its rich catalogue including Bollywood, International and Tamil film songs on iTunes Music Store, which goes live in India today allowing users to buy local and international music with one click. It is now much easier for the Indian users to buy music of their choice from the wide range of songs through any of their Apple devices.

Mr. Shridhar Subramaniam, President, Sony Music India and Middle East on the launch of Apple iTunes in India, ?This is a very exciting moment and we welcome the launch of the iTunes music store in India. The experience, range and the market friendly pricing is very attractive so we are confident that the store is going to make a big impact.?

He further added, ?This launch is going to change the way we purchase music in India and will see the start of consumer paid download services outside the operator eco system.?

With the increasing penetration of internet in India, stores like iTunes and Flyte come as a boon to for those seeking convenience, catalogue songs and International Music.