MUMBAI: Lifestyle channel TLC will showcase the cuisine of Spain peppered with its history and cultural influences in a new series - ?Rick Stein?s Spain?.

The series is showcased through the lens of one of the most applauded Chefs, Rick Stein, who travels the length and breadth of the country in an old campervan, going off the beaten track to discover the authentic soul (?duende?) of Spanish cooking.

The show will air every Thursday at 9 pm.starting 5 July. The show follows the course that Rick Stein embarks on to discover if it is still the old Spain he visited as a young boy or is Spain becoming more like the new Europe. He unravels the traditions of Spain and learns if Spanish cuisine is changing or is it sill the old sort of beans, stews and quite heavy peasant food.

Discovery South Asia senior VP, GM Rahul Johri said, ?TLC was the first international lifestyle channel to introduce food programming in India. It offers the finest repertoire of food shows hosted by iconic personalities such as Nigella Lawson, Anthony Bourdain, Bobby Chinn amongst many others. We are delighted to present a new host Rick Stein who will enthrall the audience with his culinary expedition of Spain.?

Stein wanders around the country and the restaurants, giving a sneak peek into the unparalleled recipes and ingredients that are sure to excite viewers about the country?s unique cuisine. According to Rick, no one cooks fish with more respect or grills meat better.

In the past, French and Italian cooking have been seen to have more finesse, but thanks to a handful of really dedicated Spanish chefs and a growing enthusiasm for its rugged flavours, that has all begun to change. Rick introduces the viewers to contrasting recipes and offbeat ingredients, like Valencia paella, Monkfish, Manchego cheese and others.

MUMBAI: French company Lagardere has said that its unit Lagardere Unlimited has had a difficult 2011 on account of losses from the Indian Premiere League (IPL).

Profits were hurt despite increased sales due to provisioning, non-collection of debt and litigation, primarily with the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) in connection with cricket rights at World Sport Group (WSG). Lagardere is the parent company of WSG.

It was a busy sports calendar in 2011, particularly due to the Asian Football Cup (WSG) and qualifying matches for the Uefa Euro 2012. This slightly offset by the absence of revenue from the IPL and no Africa Cup of Nations on the schedule.

Lagard?re Unlimited?s recurring EBIT before associates was negative -?6 million, down ?34 million compared to 2010. Sales grew by 6.2 per cent in the fiscal ended 2011.

Net sales was up 14.5 per cent to ?454 million on a reported basis.

Lagardene (not Legardere Unlimited) managed stable net sales of ?7.6 billion, up 0.2 per cent on a like-for-like basis. Recurring EBIT from Media activities was ?414 million, a reduction of 11.1 per cent at constant exchange rates.

Adjusted net income was ?226 million, down by ?58 million. Net income was impacted by write-downs amounting to ?895 million. At the same time net cash from operating and investment activities was up to ?766m (?320 million in 2010). There was reduction in net indebtedness: ?1,269 million (down ?503 million) and has available cash of ?2 billion.