MUMBAI: Sony Pictures Television Networks, Asia has named James Dumlao as head of its operations in the Philippines.

Designated as director business operations, Dumlao will be based in the company?s Manila office to lead its local team across all strategic operations and brand-building aspects of the business.

Dumlao comes with 13 years of experience in the Filipino pay-TV industry and in his new role, will drive distribution, marketing strategies, and advertising sales for SPT?s networks in the Philippines including AXN, Animax and beTV.

Dumlao is also charged with developing new business opportunities for the company and will report to Sony Pictures Television Networks, Asia Sr VP, business operations and head of Asian content Hui Keng Ang.

"We are delighted to welcome James on board to spearhead the growth of our business in the Philippines. His in-depth local knowledge and experience will prove invaluable in leading the team in an exciting marketplace where we continue to focus and invest significantly in," said Sony Pictures Television Networks, Asia EVP and GM Ricky Ow.

Dumlao was earlier with Pilipino Cable Corp (PCC) where he served as director of marketing and program acquisitions as well as director of advertising sales from 2000 to 2007. Before that, he was manager of PCC?s business in the region of Visayas, and he was with cable network start-up, Telemondial Holdings, Inc. prior to joining PCC.

Following his PCC tenure, Dumlao joined as managing director of the Asiaphil group of companies which is engaged in manufacturing, trading, project management, project financing and energy efficiency solutions. From 2010, Dumlao became an independent management consultant providing consultancy to clients from trading, manufacturing and energy industries including Macondray & Co. Inc. and Asiaphil Management Resources, Inc.

MUMBAI: Sony Pictures Television Networks is rebranding AXN Beyond as beTV across Asia.

Beginning 2 April, the new beTV channel will feature an expanded content line-up and a new on-and-off-air look and feel, with a channel ?personality? to match.

Sony Pictures Television senior VP, GM, Networks, Asia Ricky Ow said, "We have been broadening the appeal of AXN Beyond by introducing a wider range of programming such as Pan Am, Necessary Roughness and A Gifted Man. Renaming the channel to beTV better reflects the broad general entertainment service that it offers. We believe beTV will soon become the new entertainment ?hang-out? for viewers to relax, laugh, catch up with their favourite characters and shows, or just unwind after a long day".

A slate of light entertainment programming will be added including Rob, Rob Schneider?s latest sitcom based loosely on his real-life whirlwind romance and marriage; while reality show ?I Get That A Lot? sets up celebrities like Heidi Klum, Martha Stewart, LeAnn Rimes and Jessica Simpson in everyday jobs such as wait and sales staff, with hidden cameras capturing reactions of unsuspecting customers and passers-by.

Scripted favourites such as ?Everybody Loves Raymond?,

featuring Ray Romano and Touched by an Angel starring Roma Downey and Della Reese, will be familiar additions.

beTV viewers can also continue to enjoy returning seasons of drama series including ?Sherlock? featuring Benedict Cumberbatch, sci-fi themed shows ?Teen Wolf? and ?Supernatural?, comedy dramas ?Chuck? and ?How to be a Gentleman?, along with medical drama ?Grey?s Anatomy?.

beTV will sport a logo and identity in vibrant orange complemented by a set of warm colours to offer an on-air look that is both casual and contemporary. The beTV rebrand will be seen in 15 markets including Brunei, Cambodia, Fiji, Hong Kong, Indonesia, Malaysia, Maldives, Mongolia, Palau, Papua New Guinea, Philippines, Singapore, South Korea, Sri Lanka and Thailand.

MUMBAI: Star India?s Hindi general entertainment channel Star Plus is set to launch new adventure reality show, Survivor India, on 6 January.

The tagline of the show, ?Jo Tikega, Itihaas Likhega?/ Kya Jee Paoge, is a testimony that only the fittest, the grittiest and the ruthless will survive and will be the ultimate winner of this show.

The show is the Indian adaptation of the International series- Survivors and Miditech is producing it for the channel. It will air every Saturday- Sunday at 9 pm.

Star India business head- Hindi channels Nitin Vaidya said, "Star Plus has brought its viewers the ultimate reality formats, whether international or home grown. It was time for us to present another breakthrough concept on the Indian television and hence Survivor India is the perfect New Year gift for our viewers."

"We have always wanted to explore and bring new things, different kind of experience for our viewers. Survivor India is a different kind of reality show. In last two years Star Plus has brought in differentiated content and show formats like- Sach Ka Samna, Masterchef India. By launching Survivor India, we are living upto our promise of giving differentiated offerings to our viewers," he added.

Survivor India will witness 22 participants in its opening season. Some contestants are well known amongst the audience while some are not. The show has been shot in Philippines where contestants will go through physical and mental endurance for 45 days.

The opening season of Survivor India will have contestants like Payal Rohatgi, Shilpa Agnihotri, JD Majethia, Sangram Singh, Abhinav Shukla, Karan Patel, Timmy Narang, Sylvester Rodgers, Priyanka Bassi, Rajesh Khera and Munisha Khatwani.

Originated from USA Survivor has already been replicated in 48 countries around the world.

The channel has already roped in Garnier Fructis as the title sponsor for the show.