MUMBAI: Reality TV producer Mark Burnett has teamed up with technology company ACTV8.ME, to usher in a whole new world of audience participation and integration with television. Now, anyone with an iPhone, iPad, or Android device will be able to interact, socialise, consume, share and participate in real time, all while watching his or her favorite TV shows.

Burnett‘s successes include Survivor (currently in its 23rd season) airing on CBS; The Voice, which starts its second season in February 2012 on NBC; The Apprentice and Celebrity Apprentice on NBC, Shark Tank on ABC. He also produced the 2011 Emmy Awards; the 2010 and 2011 People‘s Choice Awards; and the 2011 Spike Video Game Awards, which aired this past weekend. Since 2007, Burnett has also served as the executive producer for the MTV Movie Awards.

In making the deal with ACTV8, Burnett explains, "It has always been my dream to create a deeper and more engaging relationship with the audiences of our shows. ACTV8 enables us to give the audience exactly what they want: interactivity, metadata, behind the scenes views, scoops and insights, social relevance and connectivity. Today‘s audience brings a whole new set of expectations from the shows they connect to and embrace. ACTV8 allows our content to take a much more important and relevant position for consumption within the changing lifestyles of our viewers. This breakthrough technology serves to foster a world of New Era TV Networks."

ACTV8 delivers what it calls a "complete global media integration platform." The platform synchronizes a user‘s mobile device or tablet to any live or recorded video broadcast and not only provides rich interactive content to the user‘s device related to the programming, but also feeds viral hooks into Facebook and Twitter. With its proprietary technology, ACTV8 has married broadcast and cable television to the two largest social media platforms on the planet, and then made this all interactive, thus creating the ultimate ?ber-platform. Their powerful technology enables ACTV8 to deliver a host of program enhancements, line extensions, quizzes, trivia, gaming and sales experiences in conjunction with any TV programming.

ACTV8 founder/CEO Brian Shuster explains, "ACTV8 represents an altogether new model for digital media creation, interaction and distribution. ACTV8 creates a world where viewers won‘t skip branded messages and integration, because ACTV8 unlocks their value for consumers. We are working with the largest brands in the world to enrich their connection to the consumer and establish new relationships between their brands and their audiences."

MUMBAI: US broadcaster CBS has announced a February premiere date for the next season of the reality show ?Survivor? and ordered two more editions of the series for broadcast during the 2012-2013 season. The broadcasts next season will mark the 25th and 26th editions of television?s longest-running hit reality competition series.

Emmy Award winner Jeff Probst will return as host and executive producer for all three upcoming cycles. Probst has hosted ?Survivor? since its inception in May 2000.

CBS Entertainment executive VP, alternative programming Jennifer Bresnan said, "Survivor is an outstanding franchise. Its format guarantees fresh characters, exotic places and fascinating social dynamics every season. And, the show is backed by an A-plus production team that is as passionate as the diehard ?Survivor? fans. All of us at CBS are incredibly proud of Survivor?s ongoing success."

The show?s executive producer Mark Burnett said, "I am extremely proud of the continuing success of ?Survivor?, which is due to the immense loyalty of our millions of fans. We are excited to offer two more seasons of ?Survivor? and look forward to entertaining audiences for years to come."

Probst said, "I am thrilled to continue working on the longest-running reality competition show with the world?s greatest adventure crew for two more seasons. We are so thankful for the supportive fans who remain with us every season, and we promise to deliver another year of quality television."

Mumbai: The Board of Governors of the Academy of Television Arts and Sciences in the US has elected Bruce Rosenblum as its new chairman and CEO. Rosenblum is elected for a two-year term beginning in January 2012.

Rosenblum currently serves as Warner Bros. Television Group President and oversees the worldwide distribution of all Warner Bros. Television Group programming to all current and emerging platforms. His mandate also includes developing new business models for the evolving television landscape.

Additionally, Rosenblum was an architect of the CBS joint venture forming The CW, which he continues to oversee on behalf of Warner Bros.

Additional officers elected include:

Vice chair: outgoing Treasurer and senior supervising producer of ‘The Talk‘ Kevin Hamburger

Second Vice Chair: Frank Scherma, current Governor Commercials Peer Group, current Creative Arts Awards Show Committee vice chair, president.

MUMBAI: US media conglomerate CBS has reported an eight per cent jump in revenue to $3.6 billion for the fiscal second-quarter ended June.

The revenue increase was driven by 21 per cent growth in content licensing and distribution revenues, which benefited from a new licensing agreement for the digital streaming of select library titles.

Revenues were also boosted by 12 per cent growth in affiliate and subscription fee revenues, reflecting rate increases and subscription growth as well as higher retransmission revenues.

Ad revenues increased by three per cent despite a difficult comparison to last year‘s second quarter, which posted higher political advertising and higher revenue for the NCAA Division I Men‘s Basketball Championship ("NCAA Tournament"). CBS‘s new programming agreement for the NCAA Tournament results in lower revenues, but higher profits.

Operating income before depreciation and amortization ("OIBDA") of $873 million for the second quarter of 2011 increased by 51 per cent from $579 million for the same prior-year period, driven by strong growth and margin expansion in every segment.

The OIBDA margin increased seven percentage points to 24 per cent compared to last year‘s second quarter. The Company‘s strong growth and margin expansion was driven by higher margin revenue streams, as well as lower sports programming costs resulting from the new programming agreement for the NCAA Tournament.

Operating income for the second quarter of 2011 increased 69 per cent to $734 million from $435 million for the same quarter last year. Net earnings were $395 million for the second quarter of 2011, up from net earnings of $150 million and adjusted net earnings of $176 million,, for the same quarter last year due to the aforementioned OIBDA growth and a decrease to interest expense of $24 million, driven by the company‘s 2010 debt reduction activities.

Free cash flow for the second quarter of 2011 increased by 32 per cent to $646 million from $491 million for the second quarter of 2010 and for the first half of 2011 increased 30 per cent to 1.50 billion from $1.15 billion for the first half of 2010, principally driven by the OIBDA increase.

Entertainment (CBS Television Network, CBS Television Studios, CBS Studios International, CBS Television Distribution, CBS Films and CBS Interactive) revenues for the second quarter of 2011 increased by 10 per cent to $1.84 billion from $1.67 billion for the same prior-year period, driven by the new licensing agreement for the digital streaming of select library titles, the third-cycle domestic syndication sale of Frasier, higher retransmission revenues and growth in Network primetime advertising.
 
These increases were partially offset by the impact of the new programming agreement for the NCAA Tournament, which resulted in lower revenues but higher profits. Entertainment OIBDA for the second quarter of 2011 increased 97 per cent to $440 million from $223 million for the same prior-year period with an 11 percentage point improvement in the margin to 24 per cent.

The strong margin growth reflects increases in higher margin revenues as well as lower sports programming costs resulting from the new programming agreement for the NCAA Tournament.

Cable Networks (Showtime Networks, CBS Sports Network and Smithsonian Networks) revenues for the second quarter of 2011 increased by 12 per cent to $413 million from $369 million for the same prior-year period driven by rate increases and growth in subscriptions at both Showtime Networks and CBS Sports Network, as well as higher international syndication and home entertainment revenues for Showtime original series.

Showtime Networks (which includes Showtime, The Movie Channel and Flix) subscriptions totaled 70 million as of June 30, 2011, up by 6 million from the same time last year, due to higher cable, direct broadcast satellite and telco subscriptions.

CBS Sports Network subscriptions of 44 million were up by eight million compared to the prior year, resulting from increased cable subscriptions, driven by the company‘s ten year carriage agreement with Comcast entered into in 2010, and higher direct broadcast satellite subscriptions. Smithsonian Networks subscriptions of eight million as of 30 June, 2011 were up by three million from the same time last year.

Cable Networks OIBDA for the second quarter of 2011 increased by 36 per cent to $176 million from $129 million for the same prior-year period, reflecting revenue growth as well as lower theatrical programming costs, partially offset by higher programming costs for original series.

MUMBAI: US broadcaster CBS has announced that David Wisnia is executive VP, affiliate relations.

Wisnia will work closely with CBS president, affiliate relations Diana Wilkin.in negotiating new affiliation contracts while helping to oversee the department?s operations and personnel. In addition, Wisnia will serve as a senior liaison to the Affiliate Board and station/ group owners.

The appointment is effective 15 August.

Wilkin said, "David is that rare executive who brings sales, distribution and marketing experience along with a strong legal background. He is someone who understands the nuances of the network-affiliate model, and the value of CBS programming to our many stations. I am looking forward to working with David as we continue to evolve our relationship with our affiliates and set the industry standard."

Wisnia most recently served as News Corp?s Star TV senior VP, distribution, sales and marketing head of North American and European Operations where he oversaw day-to-day operations of those region?s businesses, including P&L, affiliate relations, advertising, marketing, local programming, as well as strategic planning for growth.