MUMBAI: ET NOW, 24-hr English business news channel launches ?Super Angels?, a path breaking series which will witness start-ups raising funds on national television, for the first time. The show will feature 20 of India?s most innovative start-ups and 4 of India?s most influential investors along with a national audience who will choose India?s next ?Super Entrepreneur?.

The 4 Super Angels on the show are Mahesh Murthy, Managing partner; Seed Fund, Vishal Gondal, Founder; Indiagames, Harshal Shah, Founder; Reliance Ventures and Sanjay Parthasarthy; Entrepreneur and Angel investor. The show will be anchored by Sudhir Syal, Editor; ?Starting Up?.

Every week one start-up will make a pitch to an investor; the TV audience will then be given a chance to vote for the pitch through SMS, email and Facebook. Five months, after the completion of 20 start-up pitches, the audience votes and the investor?s votes will be collated to choose the final 8 Start-Ups, which will then make their pitch in the grand finale. These finalists will have the opportunity to raise funds between Rs.50 Lakhs & Rs. 2 Crores on the show live. During the 5 month period, the start-ups will be mentored by entrepreneurs handpicked by the show?s Mentoring Partners ? ?TIE?.

The series premiers on 10th May at 10:30 PM and will be aired every Tuesday at 10:30 PM with repeats on Saturdays at 10:30 PM and Sundays at 10:00 AM.

MUMBAI: With Mother?s day around the corner, zoOm the 100% Bollywood entertainment channel, and a trendsetter in its genre, brings viewers closer to mothers in Bollywood with mom centric shows. Watch star mom?s and their star offspring share magical moments and select your favorite yummy mummy from zoOm?s list of top Bollywood mothers. The destination of latest Bollywood content provides its viewers with 2 special shows on the occasion of Mothers? Day - Mere Paas Mom Hai and Red Hot Countdown of Yummy Mummies in Bollywood on 8th May 2011, from 12 pm onwards. You can also watch these shows again at 8:30 pm on the same day.

This Mother`s day, zoOm offers a special treat for its viewers with an unlimited dose of entertainment as it explores the marvelous relationship between a Star mom and her Star kid on zoOm`s special show ?Mere Paas Mom Hai?. Watch how was evergreen Neetu Kapoor and elegant Jaya Bachchan?s experience in raising their star offspring?s. Check out Babita Kapoor offering pearls of wisdom to Bebo, and enjoy the light banter and dialogue between the mother daughter duo of Hema and Esha. To know more about our Bollywood Divas turned Diva Mommies tune into zoOm`s special ?Mere Pass Mom Hai? on 8th May, 2011 at 12:30 pm and again at 9 pm.

zoOm`s well-known and admired Red Hot Countdown features ?Top 10 Yummy Mummys? exclusively for Mother`s Day which presents the most desirable moms of Bollywood. The countdown includes Mallaika Arora, Twinkle Khanna, Barbara Mori, Karishma Kapoor and Madhuri Dixit to name a few desirable Mummys of Bollywood. Don`t miss the countdown on 8th May, 2011 at 12 noon and again at 8:30 pm only on zoOm, the ultimate Bollywood destination.
 

 
MUMBAI: Lifestyle Plus is a prime time programme that endeavors to enhance the quality of life of an individual by offering advice or giving suggestions on every facet of a person?s lifestyle, how they live, the way they dress and what they eat ,through sections on homemaking, fashion trends and healthy diet .The anchor based show, to be launched on May 2nd, will be telecast Monday to Friday at 7.30pm.

With international textile brands, fast food chains and western modular kitchenettes within his reach, the modern day Malayalee is exposed to a tantalizing range of choices. Lifestyle Plus shows the way to move with the changing times by helping to pick the best alternative.

Home Management, the opening part of the programme, is an all round coverage of home making, but the main thrust is on the interior aesthetics of homes with the artistic element and comfort factor being the focus of attention. The individuals associated with the conceptualization and creation of the home, the landlord and interior decorator will be roped in for interviews to get their views and opinions. Relatively unexplored aspects of home d?cor that adds character to a home are dealt with in detail: colour schemes that can make or mar a room; lighting patterns which transforms space; theme furniture that co-ordinates all the pieces in a room to a particular motif; interior plants to offset air pollution and add a touch of restful green; exterior landscaping that converts bedraggled backyards into exquisite leisure recesses. Hints on organizational and financial areas of housekeeping, kitchen management, keeping a tight rein on the home budget etc will all figure in this comprehensive section.

Fashion, the chic segment of the show tours the entire fashion circuit, embracing everything from the styles in vogue to the jet set who started the trends. The viewer is plunged into the resplendid world of design, patterns and motifs where one makes the acquaintance of the latest cut in apparels, the newest styles in accessories and brand new generation in cosmetics, ?shown off? by the anchor or some other model; later the viewer walks the ramp with the hottest fashion shows and events; marks out evolving areas like jewellery designing, ethnic experiments such as terracotta ornaments, banana fibre apparels; displays the divas of fashion design and their creations; spotlights top models and their glamorous lives; takes a peak into the wardrobe and accessories collection of celebrities etc.

The final segment is devoted to nutritious, healthy food. It points out wholesome balanced diet for the day; advocates special diets for persons in the winter years of their lives; prescribes the perfect diet for individuals who are victims of life style diseases such as diabetes, blood pressure etc; recommends the benefits of traditional foods that have been pushed to the back shelves of consciousness like millets and arrowroot; tabulates the nutritional make up of common foods while warning against the danger of over consumption. It also offers absorbing tidbits of information such as ways to get wise to adulterated food; how to wipe away effects of pesticide poisoning in vegetables; quick n? easy ways of preservation, canning and pickling of seasonal fruits; sounds the red alert against poisonous combinations of food such as fish curry & butter milk, that can wreck havoc on the stomach.

By striving to steer the attitudes, interest and habits of individuals in a more healthy direction, Lifestyle Plus adds to one?s manner of living thus enriching the very fabric of existence.
 

MUMBAI: Akshaya Tritiya is one of the most auspicious days in the Hindu calendar making the purchase of gold an absolute must on this day as it earmarks THE one day which embodies the belief in Hindus about eternal good fortune. Since gold is considered the ultimate symbol of wealth and prosperity, Akshaya Tritiya accounts for maximum sale of gold on one day in a year. Against the enormity and special positioning enjoyed by this day, STAR CJ alive is proud to announce its initiative by offering exclusive Tanishq pieces to its viewers this Akshaya Trithiya.

So, whether you wish to indulge in a personal purchase or gift gold to someone special, STAR CJ alive, India‘s premier 24 hour home shopping channel, makes it an easy decision. The channel brings to its viewers two enchanting pieces from Tanishq, India‘s largest jewellery brand synonymous with superior craftsmanship, exclusive designs and guaranteed product quality.

" Tanishq Om: OM‘ the sacred symbol in 18kt yellow Gold pendant with a bezel set diamond as the bindu and smaller diamonds studded on letter resonates all sounds, all vibrations and all mantras together. This festive season brings all aspects of creation and existence in the form of this Om pendant. Since it belongs to the universe, it transcends all geographical, political or theological boundaries.

" Tanishq Swastika: The ‘Swastika‘ pendant symbolizes the four stages of life with the four folded metal forms moving in a clockwise direction portraying good luck and fortune coming through the year. It is made of 18k yellow gold and encrusted with small beautifully pave set diamonds making it the ideal ornament to adorn oneself and welcome prosperity and good luck into one‘s life.

Commenting on this auspicious occasion, Mr. Paritosh Joshi, CEO, STAR CJ Network India Pvt. Ltd. said "STAR CJ alive is already the proud partner of Tanishq designs in its portfolio thanks to our commitment of bringing to our viewers the best jewelery products in the market. Tanishq is recognized as being the only jewellery brand in the country that strives to understand the Indian woman and provide her with jewellery that meets her traditional and contemporary aspirations and desires. Combined with our mission to transform our viewers‘ lifestyle, we are sure that this Akshaya Tritiya, the offerings will please all our viewers."

STARCJ alive brings to its viewers the OM piece at Rs. 6200/- and the SWASTIKA at Rs. 7200/-. Be the proud owners of a lamp specially crafted in brass with 24k gold plating and a ladies watch worth Rs. 1299/- on these auspicious purchases. With the ongoing increase in gold rates, getting pendants of such a size and look, at such price points are rare to find!
 

MUMBAI: BIG CBS Networks Pvt. Ltd., the joint venture between Reliance Broadcast Network and CBS Studios International, successfully concludes the launches of its Television Channel network in India, with BIG CBS SPARK going on air from May 2, 2011. The launch of BIG CBS SPARK marks the culmination of the launch of the 3 BIG CBS Channels, in a record breaking period of under 6 months. SPARK will showcase the biggest international youth hits like CBS?s latest hit show Hawaii 5O, the all new 9O21O, iconic American youth show ? Cheaters & the edgy, sensational Jerry Springer Show, to name a few, creating a unique destination addressing a clear void in the youth entertainment space. SPARK, positioned as India?s first international youth entertainment channel, on day of launch itself, will be available across 25 million households in India.

With the first two channels BIG CBS PRIME toppling the competition (Source: TAM India ? CS 15 ? 34 AB ? Males; 7 Metros ? Week 16, 2011) and BIG CBS LOVE leading the English entertainment and lifestyle genre (Source: TAM India ? CS 25 ? 44 AB ? MF ? Wk 16, 2011) and grabbing relevant eyeballs, BIG CBS SPARK promises to entertain a very clearly targeted plum audience base between the age of 15-24 years.

BIG CBS SPARK opens new doors for marketers of youth brands, in an environment, where there is extremely limited international content targeted at the metro centric upmarket youth. Current youth channels cater to mass audiences beyond the metros, resulting in high spill over. SPARK, with its distinct and exciting programming line up, beckons advertisers as a single stop to address the urban upmarket youth. With the total youth population in the country pegged at approximately 460 million, and the current literate youth population growing at a phenomenal speed, this burgeoning market has huge potential. Television also emerges a winner in youth media consumption habits, with over 77% of the 333 million literate, or 259 million, with average time spent a day at over 97 minutes. All these prove to be clear indicators that this channel is chasing just the correct audience mix, one that seeks world-class international content, similar to their counterparts in the west.

With more than 30% of the Indian population between the age of 15-24 years, a media age of 24 years, and marketers flooding the market with products & services for this audience, the business opportunity for this channel remains immense.

Engaging youth, a typically time pressed and low attentive audience, discerning and with access to content through digital media, requires a distinctive programming mix.

The programming mix of SPARK, is built around delivering youth an engaging mix of shows that are Edgy, Cool, Entertaining and Sexy. The Channel will draw from some of the best shows from the CBS Studios International library which ranges from Hawaii Five-0, the number one new series on U.S. television this season to the latest season of 90210, the all-time favourite American teenage drama series that revolves around the fictional West Beverly Hills High and Maximum Exposure - the most compelling moments caught on tape, and more. In addition, the acquired key international hit programs like Cheaters ? one of the best youth reality shows from D3 Films and the controversial and sensational talk show The Jerry Springer Show from NBC Universal.

BIG CBS SPARK has also drawn an aggressive marketing plan to drive the initial sampling of the channel by the youth. BIG CBS SPARK has earmarked INR 50 million which will be used to promote the channel on various platforms including digital media, radio, youth touch points & television. To increase SPARK?s instant connect with the youth, the network has also chalked out an extensive social media marketing plan to reach out to youngsters on platforms like Facebook and Twitter. The existing channels of the network i.e. BIG CBS PRIME and BIG CBS LOVE will be leveraged to drive viewership to the new channel in addition to other platforms from the group like BIG MAGIC, BIG 92.7 FM & BIG Street. Other Reliance Group platforms like Reliance Worlds, BIG CINEMAS, ZAPAK and BIG FLIX will also be leveraged to ensure SPARK is promoted strongly.

On the occasion of the launch of the third channel Mr. Tarun Katial, CEO, Reliance Broadcast Network Ltd. said, ?With the launch of Spark, we mark the completion of the Channels under the BIG CBS bouquet. We have clearly differentiated channels which are segmented to meet a clear audience base. Prime is more male skewed, while LOVE is targeted to the 25+ couples and now Spark is a clear youth destination. This ensures we cover the entire gamut of the upmarket urban audience. The 3 Channel bouquet, will offer audiences unparalleled entertainment while offering marketers extremely focussed platforms to reach their audiences.?
 

Mumbai: The 3D wave swept the city on the occasion of the 51st anniversary of Maharashtra Day on Sunday when Lokmat Media Limited added a new dimension to newspaper reading by publishing the first 3D edition of its Nagpur, Aurangabad, and Mumbai city editions on May 1, Sunday. In Pune, the 3D newspaper was introduced on 29th April.

This unique attempt, first in Maharashtra , coinciding with May Day, garnered an overwhelming response from industry and the readers alike . The three-dimensional effect was applied to most of the daily‘s coloured photographs and advertisements which could be seen through 3-D viewer glasses provided free with the newspaper

With many pioneering initiatives under its belt, Lokmat has added another feather to its cap by being the first publication in Maharashtra to bring the 3D experience in the print medium for the readers. The advertisers got the opportunity to showcase their brand communication in 3 Dimensional view which drew more than the regular response from the readers. Readers spent more time reading the paper and enjoying the 3d experience.

Circulation colleagues at Lokmat were enthralled with the newspaper sales, all copies were literally devoured and there were no unsold or returns. Demand for the newspaper grew gradually and by midday they were all sold out. Regular subscribers were thrilled and are planning to save their copies for future reference.

The advertisers were glad for the value addition the 3D feature provided to their regular print ads and the customer connect and brand recall that it generated. Commenting on the successful venture Mr. Jwalant Swaroop, Director- Advertising, commented ?3D printing is indeed impactful. I am glad we were able to sell the concept to clients of Consumer electronics, Automobile, Real Estate and Financial services categories. We are seen as a proactive media group in Maharashtra and Goa this initiative helped us to strengthen this belief among our readers? and advertisers alike?

The advertiser?s feedback to this feature was very positive mainly because of the appeal it could generate across the industry segments. As one of the advertisers PARANJAPE SCHEMES remarked ?It is an excellent initiative by Lokmat. It will be very useful for advertising as we can present our products in 3 dimensional way which will create more impact, specially for the Builder segment?.

Another advertiser, Ravindra Khinvasara, Khinvasara Constructions, Aurangabad, commented ? It is a maiden attempt by a Marathi newspaper and we appreciate this creative idea of Lokmat which has helped our advertising to get the message across in 3D?

Amol Dhake, CMD, Satvik Group, Nagpur, remarked, ? I am delighted to be associated with Lokmat and had a chance to view ?Satvik? and many other ads in 3D. The response was exhilarating and the unending calls from my clients, friends & relatives kept me busy and happy for the whole day?.

Lokmat has already marked its place in the hearts and minds of the Marathi readers by providing news views and information to empower them in today?s competitive world. With this unique innovation the newspaper has virtually sealed its position.

Lokmat is Maharashtra?s No. 1 daily newspaper with an ABC, J-D 2010 circulation of 17.5 lakh copies (incl. Goa) and an Avg Issue Readership, IRS Q4 of 75.5 lacs.