MUMBAI: US media conglomerate Time Warner and Chinese investment fund China Media Capital (CMC) focused on media and entertainment, have announced the formation of a strategic investment partnership. The announcement was made in the western Chinese city of Chengdu, where top business leaders convened for the 2013 Fortune Global Forum.

The alliance pairs Time Warner home of such businesses as Warner Bros, HBO, and Turner Broadcasting, with an preeminent investment platform in China dedicated to the media and entertainment sector. The goal of the partnership is to capitalise on China?s rapidly expanding media sector as digital devices proliferate and China?s demand for high-quality content across multiple platforms rises.

Time Warner chairman and CEO Jeff Bewkes said, "This partnership with CMC and Ruigang Li will give us a unique window into one of the world?s largest and fastest growing media and entertainment markets. Increasing our global presence is one of Time Warner?s strategic priorities and China is one of the most attractive territories in which we operate, but it is complex. This alliance will give all our businesses a savvy and accomplished partner as we strive to bring our leading brands and storytelling to people everywhere, across a wide range of devices."

CMC chairman Ruigang Li said, "China?s media and entertainment industry is undergoing a profound change on various fronts including technology, creativity and commercialisation. We are privileged to be at the forefront of these unprecedented opportunities as well as challenges. We are pleased to forge this partnership with Time Warner, a global power of television, film, and digital content, to jointly explore innovative ways of creating premium content for the new generation of consumers at the age of Internet and mobile, which will further contribute to the dynamic industry development in China."

The Chinese media and entertainment market is among the largest and fastest growing in the world. Box office revenue is projected to reach $4.4 billion in 2013, and with an estimated 45 per cent compound annual growth rate (CAGR) between 2009 and 2013. Animation revenues are projected to reach $7.1 billion in 2013, with a 27 per cent CAGR over the same period, and online video revenues are projected to reach $2 billion in 2013 with a 64 per cent CAGR between 2009 and 2013.

CMC founding chairman Li founded CMC as China?s first media and entertainment-focused investment fund in 2010. CMC?s investment portfolio has participated in several investments and transactions including DreamWorks Animation?s Chinese joint venture and CMC?s acquisition of Star China from News Corporation. Li was previously the chief executive of Shanghai Media Group, where he was credited with successfully transforming the Shanghai based provincial broadcaster SMG into one of China?s largest media conglomerates.

MUMBAI: US media conglomerate Warner Bros has announced a strategic realignment of its television and home entertainment operations. The aim is to continue the studio?s focus on producing content while maximising its value by taking full advantage of every current and emerging exhibition platform. The organisational changes were announced by Warner Bros CEO Kevin Tsujihara.

He said, "The digital revolution continues to change every aspect of the way we do business, and this strategic realignment will help us address those changes to better deliver our world-class content to the widest array of consumers across the globe.

"Warner Bros has the world?s best television series, films, games and original digital content, and we are committed to maximizing its value to the company, our creative partners and, ultimately, consumers."
 
Under this realignment, which is effective immediately, the Studio?s worldwide television operations will be overseen by a team of longstanding executives responsible for global production and distribution; the Studio?s digital strategy will be consolidated under a chief digital officer; and various home entertainment functions will be reassigned.

Warner Bros chairman Barry Meyer said, "One of Warner Bros? greatest strengths has always been its people, and this realignment will tap into the expertise and experience of a number of the company?s longstanding executives. The studio and its leadership have a legacy of adapting and evolving to meet and exceed consumers? demands. The changes announced today continue that tradition and solidly position us for future success."

In television, Peter Roth will now serve as Warner Bros Television Group president, chief content officer while retaining his title and responsibilities as Warner Bros Television, Warner Horizon Television and Animation president. He will add creative oversight of Telepictures Productions and Warner Bros International Television Production to his responsibilities. Craig Hunegs will now serve as Warner Bros Television Group president, business and strategy with responsibility for the business operations of the group. He will also be responsible for windowing strategies and expanding production businesses. Additionally, Hunegs will join the boards of both The CW Network and Shed Media.
 
Jeffrey Schlesinger will now serve as Warner Bros Worldwide Television Distribution president and be responsible for distribution of the Studio?s content to all television platforms worldwide, including the sale of previously produced series and feature films to US broadcast and cable outlets, domestic syndication and sales to SVOD and AVOD platforms. He will also continue to be responsible for the business operations of WBITVP.

Roth, Hunegs and Schlesinger will all report directly to Tsujihara. Roth and Schlesinger will share oversight of Warner Bros Worldwide Television Marketing, headed by Warner Bros Television Group CMO Lisa Gregorian.

Thomas Gewecke, who was previously Warner Bros Digital Distribution president has been named Warner Bros Entertainment chief digital officer and executive VP, strategy and business development. He is responsible for driving the studio?s worldwide digital growth and managing its global business strategy. He will further be charged with coordinating the company?s various digital distribution strategies to maximise the value of all of Warner Bros? content across all current and emerging digital exhibition platforms (SVOD and TVOD functions will continue to be managed by the Television and Home Entertainment Groups). Gewecke will additionally oversee Warner Bros Technical Operations, Corporate Business Development, and Home Entertainment?s Direct-to-Consumer, Business Development and Flixster groups. Gewecke will report directly to Tsujihara.

In the Home Entertainment division, Ron Sanders who was Warner Home Video President will become Warner Bros Worldwide Home Entertainment Distribution president. In this new role, Sanders will expand his purview to include global digital transactional business (electronic sell-through and VOD), as well as the global distribution activities of Warner Bros Interactive Entertainment (WBIE). Additionally, Sanders will help expand the retail distribution of DC Entertainment products, working closely with DCE?s President, Diane Nelson. Sanders will report directly to Tsujihara.

Diane Nelson remains DC Entertainment president, which continues to be a stand-alone entity under Warner Bros Entertainment, and she will now have a dual report to Tsujihara and Warner Bros Pictures Group president Jeff Robinov. Nelson adds responsibilities as WBIE president, chief content officer, where she will oversee the development, production and marketing of all video game titles for WBIE, including those based on DC characters, as well as other Warner Bros properties and original IP. In this capacity, she will work closely with WBIE president, Martin Tremblay, who will now report to Nelson and Sanders.

MUMBAI: The network and studio Warner Bros. Television are currently chalking out a fresh deal for, the ?half? in the title, young star Angus T. Jones to persist on the Chuck Lorre comedy, as reported by the Hollywood Reporter.

Meanwhile, stars Ashton Kutcher, who play the role of the goofy billionaire Walden Schmidt and Jon Cryer who plays the middle aged Alan Harper have inked new one-year deals for season eleven and will return to the series as before. The news doesn?t spring much of a surprise as Jones had been vocal about his desire to focus on college following Men?s tenth season.

Jones has also publicly expressed his views about the way the series had used his character in the tenth season, as Jake frequently appeared via Skype after having enlisted in the military in the show.

CBS entertainment chief Nina Tassler told reporters in January at the Television Critics Association?s winter press tour that she?d like to see Jones continue with the series despite his provocative digs at the series that had made him an overnight star.

"He made his public apology and we?ve moved on," she said of Jones? comments, in which he declared the show as "filth" and urged viewers to stop watching. "The kid is 19 years old. I?ve got a 24-year-old. Between the ages of 19 and 24, there?s been plenty of things my kid has said that I wish he hadn?t. The bottom line is cooler heads prevailed," Tassler concluded.

The series, which moved to the prime slot post - Big Bang Theory on Thursdays at 8:30 p.m. in its tenth season, averaged 4.2 rating among the core adults (18-49) demographic.

As for whether the Thursday night comedy would go beyond eleven seasons, Tassler took a "we?ll see" approach. "We have such a crazy success story in terms of our long-running shows, who knows," she said.

The Indian viewers who have enjoyed all the previous seasons on Star World would be eagerly awaiting the eleventh season, but it is still unclear if the Lorre hit comedy would continue airing on Star World in India.