From arulselvan@vasnet.co.in Sun Dec 1 16:15:10 2002 From: arulselvan@vasnet.co.in (Arul Selvan) Date: Sun, 01 Dec 2002 21:45:10 +0530 Subject: [icernet] 2002: A lacklustre year for Bollywood Message-ID: <3DEA358E.5040107@vasnet.co.in> Almost all the films released this year failed to break even. Usually, the ratio of hits is about 15-20 per cent. However, this year only 7-8 per cent of films managed to generate any business. "It is a point of desperation because films aren't doing well and this year has been particularly bad for the film industry. And so obviously producers are tending to sell television rights of their films quickly. Now it is not a particularly good trend in terms of cinema business, although for television audiences it is a great bonanza," said veteran film maker Shyam Benegal. Source: http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/cms.dll/html/uncomp/articleshow?artid=29940773 From arul.selvan@mic.manipal.edu Mon Dec 2 09:43:16 2002 From: arul.selvan@mic.manipal.edu (Arul Selvan MIC) Date: Mon, 02 Dec 2002 14:43:16 +0500 Subject: [icernet] Google says it's a small world Message-ID: <21cca25208.2520821cca@manipal.edu> Google is the world's largest search engine, and the similarity of search queries over the 86 languages they accommodate indicate that people are thinking about the same issues globally, The New York Times reports. Everything from sports to anthrax to sex to American movies and celebrity is searched over just about every language available. Greg Rae, one of three members of Google's data logging team, said, "It's amazing how similar people are all over the world based on what they are searching for." Politics, breaking news, and natural occurrences affect searches as well. For instance, Rae said that Germany and Brazil were intensely interested in their elections as evidenced by speech and campaign traffic in those countries. Within minutes, a February 28, 2001 earthquake in Seattle increased searches for relevant info almost 200-fold. Another data logger, Amit Patel, said, "You can't interpret it unless you know what else is going on in the world." Because Google searches often reflect widely watched entertainment events on TV and in Movies, there's some question as to where the site will make commercial use of its massive data logs. However, Google currently does not allow outside access to these logs because of security issues. But the engine's popularity continues to globalize pop culture phenomena that may have previously only been known in a specific region. Source: http://www.nytimes.com/2002/11/28/technology/circuits/28goog.html?pagewanted=2 From arul.selvan@mic.manipal.edu Mon Dec 2 10:18:53 2002 From: arul.selvan@mic.manipal.edu (Arul Selvan MIC) Date: Mon, 02 Dec 2002 15:18:53 +0500 Subject: [icernet] FDI in print envisages inter-ministerial consultation:Govt Message-ID: <288ae2432e.2432e288ae@manipal.edu> Guidelines for permitting foreign investment in Indian entities publishing newspapers and periodicals and those in technical, scientific and speciality magazines and journals would not stipulate constitution of a committee, Rajya Sabha was told today. Source: http://www.outlookindia.com/pti_news.asp?gid=&id=101512 From arul.selvan@mic.manipal.edu Mon Dec 2 10:42:13 2002 From: arul.selvan@mic.manipal.edu (Arul Selvan MIC) Date: Mon, 02 Dec 2002 15:42:13 +0500 Subject: [icernet] A cartoonist who dared the high and the mighty Message-ID: <261492246a.2246a26149@manipal.edu> Cartoonist Abu Abraham, who died here today, took his art at a new intellectual high seldom failing to communicate his message across the spectrum of readers. "A good cartoon is like a poster. What it wants to say should be clear," Abu, whose witty and sharp poltical cartoons had made a tremendous impact on readers over the decades, had once said. Rated among the best in the art of cartooning, Abu, with a liberal outlook and steadfast socialist ideals, added political meaning to all his pieces. Source: http://www.outlookindia.com/pti_news.asp?id=101427 ---------------- Cartoonist who stepped out of line - Unny http://www.newindpress.com/Newsitems.asp?ID=IEH20021202011416 He stood tall when others crawled - Sudhir http://www.hindustantimes.com/news/181_112331,0008.htm From arul.selvan@mic.manipal.edu Mon Dec 2 10:46:40 2002 From: arul.selvan@mic.manipal.edu (Arul Selvan MIC) Date: Mon, 02 Dec 2002 15:46:40 +0500 Subject: [icernet] 620 million Indians are waiting for IT Message-ID: <286c028491.28491286c0@manipal.edu> Over 62% of all Indians can't use computers because they don't know English. And despite a 20-year headstart, the Indian-language software industry remains less than a drop in the Rs 62,000-cr Indian IT industry. Bogged down by lack of standardization, the industry has been overshadowed by the success of software exports. But the burgeoning e-governance vertical and growing compliance to Unicode standards could well turn the fortunes of this industry. Source: http://www.dqindia.com/content/top_stories/102110901.asp From arul.selvan@mic.manipal.edu Mon Dec 2 11:02:39 2002 From: arul.selvan@mic.manipal.edu (Arul Selvan MIC) Date: Mon, 02 Dec 2002 16:02:39 +0500 Subject: [icernet] Is our live coverage of terror strikes insensitive? Message-ID: <29e2e2a192.2a19229e2e@manipal.edu> No. Television only mirrors reality with speed and accuracy. Rajdeep Sardesai,Managing Editor, NDTV http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/cms.dll/html/uncomp/articleshow?artid=29890723 Yes. Atmospherics seem to matter more than content. Nalini Singh, Managing Director, TVLIVE http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/cms.dll/articleshow?artid=29890841 From arulselvan@vasnet.co.in Tue Dec 3 14:16:07 2002 From: arulselvan@vasnet.co.in (Arul Selvan) Date: Tue, 03 Dec 2002 19:46:07 +0530 Subject: [icernet] Experts warn against commercialisation of media Message-ID: <3DECBCA7.5040805@vasnet.co.in> In the present scenario, media tend to create new material needs in the society to sell their products to consumers who are better off even without them, Editor of 'Dainik Bhaskar' Vashwant Vyas told a symposium on 'Media Techniques and Broadcasting' . Practising media persons must understand the inherent relationships between the controlling capital and the media's role in society, Vyas said. The role of mediapersons has become all the more important with advertisements occupying major space in today's media and only their commitment could be the saving grace, he added. Source: http://www.outlookindia.com/pti_news.asp?id=101874 From arulselvan@vasnet.co.in Tue Dec 3 14:16:16 2002 From: arulselvan@vasnet.co.in (Arul Selvan) Date: Tue, 03 Dec 2002 19:46:16 +0530 Subject: [icernet] Five journalists awarded K K Birla Foundation fellowships Message-ID: <3DECBCB0.7070906@vasnet.co.in> Seven persons, including five journalists, have been awarded fellowships of the prestigious K K Birla Foundation for the year 2002-03. The awardees include two journalists from the English media, two from Hindi and one from Malayalam, besides an educationist and an employee with a publishing house. A Hindustan Times senior reporter Rema Nagarajan along with a freelancer would study the impact of primary education in the capital and the impact of violence in Kashmir respectively. The other scribes who were selected for the fellowship are; Rajesh Mali of Ratlam-based Hindi Daily Dainik Bhaskar, Nusrat Ali, a freelancer from Delhi writing in Hindi and Suchitra M of Qest features and Footage, Kochi, it said. While Mali would do research on the Banchara community under "Banchara community's flesh trade and AIDS challenge: causes and remedies" Ali's has been assigned to the subject of "Urdu journalism and national-international issues". The only fellowship in regional language has been awarded to Suchitra M for research work in Malayalam on "From plenty to scarcity: Kerala's water crisis and poor resource management", the Foundation said. Source: http://www.outlookindia.com/pti_news.asp?id=100678 From arulselvan@vasnet.co.in Tue Dec 3 14:15:57 2002 From: arulselvan@vasnet.co.in (Arul Selvan) Date: Tue, 03 Dec 2002 19:45:57 +0530 Subject: [icernet] Will deluge of films sink Bollywood? Message-ID: <3DECBC9D.1020403@vasnet.co.in> Though for movie buffs the slew of interesting films translates into wholesome entertainment, the sheer number might cause an overkill. Already there are only 15,000 cinema halls for the Hindi film industry, which produces around a quarter of the world's films. For a population of over a billion, which thrives on Bollywood and cricket, the ratio of screens per person is highly disproportionate. There are just not enough halls to screen the 40 plus canned Hindi films waiting to see the light of the day, say insiders. As things stand, the Hindi film industry is living its worst nightmare. It has lost a whopping Rs.2.9 billion this year. It has seen an almost unbroken chain of flops with nothing raking in the moolah at the box-office, be it romance, patriotism or NRI dreams. Usually, the ratio of hits is about 15-20 percent, but this year only seven to eight percent have managed to generate some business. Source: http://www.hindustantimes.com/news/181_112241,00110003.htm From arulselvan@vasnet.co.in Tue Dec 3 14:16:25 2002 From: arulselvan@vasnet.co.in (Arul Selvan) Date: Tue, 03 Dec 2002 19:46:25 +0530 Subject: [icernet] Govt may reconsider regulator's power in Convergence Bill Message-ID: <3DECBCB9.8080300@vasnet.co.in> Communications Minister Pramod Mahajan today said the Centre was 'not in a hurry' to place the Communications Convergence Bill, 2002 before Parliament and may reconsider powers to be delegated to the regulatory body proposed in the Bill. "We are not in a hurry to place the Bill. The Parliamentary Standing Committee has submitted its report and lot of issues have been raised...we will take a decision on these by May next year," he told reporters here. "The basic issue is whether the super regulator, who will control both the content and carriage of information, is desirable or not," Mahajan, who was here to inaugurate the 'Infocom 2002' Conference and Exhibition, said. Source: http://www.outlookindia.com/pti_news.asp?id=101436 From arulselvan@vasnet.co.in Tue Dec 3 14:16:33 2002 From: arulselvan@vasnet.co.in (Arul Selvan) Date: Tue, 03 Dec 2002 19:46:33 +0530 Subject: [icernet] No easy shift to mags for foreign book publishers Message-ID: <3DECBCC1.1080909@vasnet.co.in> IT'S not going to be an easy transition from books to magazines for foreign publishing houses operating in India. If any of these publishing houses plan to bring out foreign journals and magazines, they would have to adhere to the sectoral norms on foreign direct investment (FDI) stipulated by the Government. Currently the organised publishing industry in India accounts for more than Rs 1,600 crore revenues annually which include around Rs 300 crore exports. Though no specific figure is available for the numerous small publishers spread across the country, the industry estimates that the total national turnover of the domestic publishing industry will be in excess of Rs 2,000 crore. It is also estimated that India currently has 13,000 publishers bringing out 60,000 new titles each year. Source: http://thehindubusinessline.com/2002/12/03/stories/2002120302490500.htm From arulselvan@vasnet.co.in Tue Dec 3 14:16:39 2002 From: arulselvan@vasnet.co.in (Arul Selvan) Date: Tue, 03 Dec 2002 19:46:39 +0530 Subject: [icernet] Zee-Turner to bring Reality TV Message-ID: <3DECBCC7.6020702@vasnet.co.in> Zee-Turner Ltd, the subsidiary of Zee Telefilms Ltd, is planning to distribute the UK-based Zone Broadcasting Maximum Reality Ltd's Reality TV channel in India, Nepal and Bhutan. Reality TV was launched in October this year in the UK on the Sky Digital platform and is received by 10 million paid subscribers in several countries across the globe. The channel claims "to capture human drama when everyday life takes a turn for the unexpected". Source: http://thehindubusinessline.com/2002/12/03/stories/2002120302730100.htm From arul.selvan@mic.manipal.edu Wed Dec 4 09:49:25 2002 From: arul.selvan@mic.manipal.edu (Arul Selvan MIC) Date: Wed, 04 Dec 2002 14:49:25 +0500 Subject: [icernet] Asianet to launch news channel Message-ID: <32fdb2c9e7.2c9e732fdb@manipal.edu> Asianet Communications plans to launch the first Malayalam news channel by the end of this year. Originally Asianet had intended to wind up its second channel Asianet Global and have a new one fully devoted to entertainment, but has now shelved the proposal. As per the new plan, Asianet Global is to be rechristened as Asianet News. It would have news programmes from 6 am to 10 pm after which there would be a variety of entertainment programmes. There would be news bulletins every hour. This was to cater to the large NRI (Non Resident Indian) audience in West Asia and Europe. A news-based morning show is also on the cards. Source: http://www.financialexpress.com/fe_full_story.php?content_id=23089 From arul.selvan@mic.manipal.edu Wed Dec 4 09:58:34 2002 From: arul.selvan@mic.manipal.edu (Arul Selvan MIC) Date: Wed, 04 Dec 2002 14:58:34 +0500 Subject: [icernet] 'Bollywood dreams still alive' Message-ID: <3155e2e61b.2e61b3155e@manipal.edu> "The entertainment industry in India is neither dependent on literacy levels of the viewers nor is it dependent on technology for its progress" said Reliance Entertainment's chairman Amit Khanna. According to him, the entertainment industry in India has registered a growth of 30 per cent this year. "There has been significant progress, with Indian films like 'Monsoon Wedding' going global. In addition to this, we have seen that the concept of film insurance and corporate finance becoming a reality." Source: http://www.financialexpress.com/fe_full_story.php?content_id=23081 From arul.selvan@mic.manipal.edu Wed Dec 4 10:03:25 2002 From: arul.selvan@mic.manipal.edu (Arul Selvan MIC) Date: Wed, 04 Dec 2002 15:03:25 +0500 Subject: [icernet] Information Bill passed Message-ID: <30ff82d29e.2d29e30ff8@manipal.edu> Parliament today took a huge step towards putting a law on citizens' right to access information when the Lok Sabha passed the Freedom of Information Bill. The Bill, first mooted by the V.P.Singh government in the late eighties, enables citizens to have access to information on a statutory basis and remove the bottlenecks in the existing legal framework. It makes it obligatory upon every public authority to provide information and maintain all records consistent with its operational requirements duly catalogued, indexed and published at such intervals as may be prescribed by the appropriate government or the competent authority. The Bill had been pending for a long time though there was a consensus among all parties about the need for such a legislation. Source: http://www.indianexpress.com/full_story.php?content_id=14136 From arul.selvan@mic.manipal.edu Wed Dec 4 10:10:58 2002 From: arul.selvan@mic.manipal.edu (Arul Selvan MIC) Date: Wed, 04 Dec 2002 15:10:58 +0500 Subject: [icernet] MIT lab to connect Indian villages Message-ID: <306a72eabf.2eabf306a7@manipal.edu> Speaking at the second international conference on Development by Design (dyd02) at Infosys here, Media Lab Asia chief executive officer Bimal Sareen said their researchers are working on a pilot project to provide connectivity to rural India. "The new technology will provide broadband, asynchronous, store and forward connectivity in rural villages," said Sareen. Called the 802.11 technology, it would be demonstrated to provide rural connectivity by provisioning wireless internet along the Kanpur-Lucknow corridor. Several villages across the 85 km corridor would be connected. Source: http://www.newindpress.com/Newsitems.asp?ID=IEK20021203130515 From arulselvan@vasnet.co.in Thu Dec 5 13:14:00 2002 From: arulselvan@vasnet.co.in (Arul Selvan) Date: Thu, 05 Dec 2002 18:44:00 +0530 Subject: [icernet] Information Bill key step but has freedom to keep a secret Message-ID: <3DEF5118.5020002@vasnet.co.in> When the Freedom of Information Bill passed yesterday by the Lok Sabha becomes a law, every government organisation will have at least one public information officer (PIO) whose job will be to provide information to the public about its functioning. Despite the limits laid down by the Bill on the extent of disclosures that the Government is obliged to make, the creation of a mechanism in the form of PIOs is a big step forward towards making the proposed statutory right to information a tangible reality, say experts. Source: http://www.indianexpress.com/full_story.php?content_id=14229 From arulselvan@vasnet.co.in Thu Dec 5 13:14:13 2002 From: arulselvan@vasnet.co.in (Arul Selvan) Date: Thu, 05 Dec 2002 18:44:13 +0530 Subject: [icernet] 'Low taxes can attract UK producers to Bollywood' Message-ID: <3DEF5125.2030604@vasnet.co.in> British film producers will invest in Bollywood if the taxes on the entertainment industry in India are lowered and insurance cover is provided to them, Michael Fox, director of Commonwealth Film Festival Limited (CFFL) has said. Stating that he has interacted with Indian financial institutions and bankers for constituting a Commonwealth Film Investment Fund (CFIF), he said that the film world of commonwealth countries including India need huge funds to compete with the USA, and the corpus of this fund is expected to be around 500 million dollars. Source: http://news.sify.com/cgi-bin/sifynews/news/content/news_fullstory_v2.jsp?article_oid=12186171&category_oid=-20614 From arulselvan@vasnet.co.in Thu Dec 5 13:14:25 2002 From: arulselvan@vasnet.co.in (Arul Selvan) Date: Thu, 05 Dec 2002 18:44:25 +0530 Subject: [icernet] 'The Warrior' loses Oscar nomination for using Hindi Message-ID: <3DEF5131.1050101@vasnet.co.in> The British entry Asif Kapadias The Warrior for the Foreign Language Oscar has been disqualified after the judges decided that Hindi, the language used in the film, was not indigenous language of Britain. The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences said that a film using Hindi should feature the British Hindi community and not Indian warriors. Directed and written by Kapadia, the film tells the story of one mans spiritual journey from the deserts of Rajasthan to the snow-capped Himalyan mountains. It has only six minutes of dialogue-- in Hindi. But the judges apparently felt that the Indian background disqualified the films entry as a British film. Would the judges have accepted the entry if an Indian from Southall or Wembley was featured doing the same journey? The controversy kicked off by the refusal is set to become quite serious here. Not only over 1.7 million Hindi speakers in this country but the entire British film world has been shocked. Source: http://www.hindustantimes.com/news/181_114564,00050003.htm From arulselvan@vasnet.co.in Thu Dec 5 13:14:35 2002 From: arulselvan@vasnet.co.in (Arul Selvan) Date: Thu, 05 Dec 2002 18:44:35 +0530 Subject: [icernet] VCs keen on Bollywood Message-ID: <3DEF513B.8040707@vasnet.co.in> The next blockbuster could well be funded by venture capital investors rather than local producers. And silver screen production houses churning out saans-bahu serials could also attract a large chunk of investment. The opportunity is too big to resist. Churning out over 800 productions a year, the Indian film industry expects exports to top $3.3 billion by 2005, up from the current $335 million. Its expertise in content creation, special effects and process management software are already attracting investments, explains Asian Venture Capital Journal chairman Daniel Schwartz. As India's song-and-dance masala movies are gaining popularity in the overseas market, VCs could also target the film distribution segment. Source: http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/cms.dll/html/uncomp/articleshow?artid=30293868 From arulselvan@vasnet.co.in Thu Dec 5 13:14:44 2002 From: arulselvan@vasnet.co.in (Arul Selvan) Date: Thu, 05 Dec 2002 18:44:44 +0530 Subject: [icernet] Pather Panchali chosen top Indian film Message-ID: <3DEF5144.2050302@vasnet.co.in> Satyajit Ray's universally acclaimed film Pather Panchali made in 1955 was adjudged the top Indian film while Masala directed by NRI Srinivas Krishna, has topped the British Film Institute's web poll for South Asian Cinema. Ramesh Sippy's Sholay comes second after Pather Panchali while Oscar-nominated Lagaan comes fourth after Dilwale Dulaniya Le Jayenge (DDLJ), an all time box office hit produced by Aditya Chopra. The poll, hosted on the BFI's own website, was open to everyone and votes were registered from across the globe, the Institute said in a release on Thursday. Following on from the critics' poll of South Asian film announced in October, the public was invited to vote for its own favourite South Asian film titles: Both polls were divided into five sections, producing top tens for Indian, Pakistani, Sri Lankan and Bangladeshi cinema, with a separate category for films with contemporary Asian themes or made by Western Asians. Source: http://www.expressindia.com/fullstory.php?newsid=17407 From arul.selvan@mic.manipal.edu Fri Dec 6 12:17:05 2002 From: arul.selvan@mic.manipal.edu (Arul Selvan MIC) Date: Fri, 06 Dec 2002 17:17:05 +0500 Subject: [icernet] The Warrior's Dispute Message-ID: <3c30c3b2f4.3b2f43c30c@manipal.edu> Kapadia insisted that his film, The Warrior, which follows a man's spiritual journey from the deserts of Rajasthan to the snowy peaks of Himachal Pradesh in the Himalayas, was British. Its producer, Bertrand Faivre, said that, other than the fact that it was shot in India, the film could not have been more British. "The writer was British. The director was British. The majority of department heads were British," Mr Faivre said. "The post-production was British. The money was British. FilmFour was British. The department for culture gave it a certificate of British nationality." In a further ironic twist, The Warrior's place will be taken by Tim Lyn's Welsh-language coming-of-age tale, Eldra. While the number of Welsh-speakers in the UK is estimated to be around 500,000, there is said to be three times as many people reasonably fluent in Hindi. To add insult to injury, the academy allowed the predominantly Russian-language and Russian-set Lilya 4-Ever to compete for Sweden. Mr Faivre told Screen International that festivals around the world had described the film his film as a landmark in British film-making. "The academy seems to have a very narrow view of what a British film is. Asif is a second generation Indian, born and brought up in London, who was expressing something of worth. He had a western take on an Indian story." Source: http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk_news/story/0,3604,854853,00.html From arul.selvan@mic.manipal.edu Fri Dec 6 12:38:01 2002 From: arul.selvan@mic.manipal.edu (Arul Selvan MIC) Date: Fri, 06 Dec 2002 17:38:01 +0500 Subject: [icernet] MIT Chancellor Bullish on Media Lab Message-ID: <39e063b77a.3b77a39e06@manipal.edu> Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) chancellor Phillip L Clay has pinned great hoped on the success of the Media Lab project in helping bridge the digital divide. Mr Clay, who is in India to promote MIT's global partnership program, said that if wireless technology were to be deployed effectively, broadband access could empower the society through knowledge dissemination and global connectivity. It could all lead to improvement of working and living conditions of artisans and other villagers. Source: http://www.financialexpress.com/fe_full_story.php?content_id=23227 From arul.selvan@mic.manipal.edu Fri Dec 6 12:42:06 2002 From: arul.selvan@mic.manipal.edu (Arul Selvan MIC) Date: Fri, 06 Dec 2002 17:42:06 +0500 Subject: [icernet] Broadcasters to support govt on CAS Message-ID: <399c03dbb2.3dbb2399c0@manipal.edu> In a change in its stand, Indian Broadcasting Foundation (IBF) has unanimously expressed support to the goverment's move to introduce conditional access system (CAS) based television distribution system in the country. The IBF have so far been against the implementation of the CAS system in its present form and has demanded that the bill to introduce CAS should be referred tot he consideration of the standing committee on IT and telecom headed by Somnath Chatterjee. Source: http://www.business-standar.com/today/story.asp?Menu=2&story=3418 From arul.selvan@mic.manipal.edu Fri Dec 6 12:43:39 2002 From: arul.selvan@mic.manipal.edu (Arul Selvan MIC) Date: Fri, 06 Dec 2002 17:43:39 +0500 Subject: [icernet] Press Area a woman's nightmare Message-ID: <36ce03cc2a.3cc2a36ce0@manipal.edu> "As it is the place was unsafe for women after sunset. The horrific incident right in the heart of ITO, in broad daylight, has yet again instilled a sense of fear among the women working in the adjoining areas," says Mona, 25, a journalist with a leading national daily the office of which is located on Bahadur Shah Zafar Marg. "We never know what's coming next, be it in the evening or noon," she further adds. Source: http://www.dailypioneer.com/archives1/secon2.asp?cat=\story11&d=FRONT_PAGE&fdnam=dec502 From arulselvan@vasnet.co.in Sat Dec 7 17:51:46 2002 From: arulselvan@vasnet.co.in (Arul Selvan) Date: Sat, 07 Dec 2002 23:21:46 +0530 Subject: [icernet] 14 publications face contempt proceedings Message-ID: <3DF23532.5020106@vasnet.co.in> For the first time in the history of the judiciary since Independence, the Karnataka High Court today suo motu initiated criminal contempt of court proceedings against 56 persons from 14 newspapers and magazines, who have reported on the alleged Mysore episode involving judicial officers, on the premise that the "reports have scandalised the image of the judiciary''. A Full Bench, comprising Justice T.S. Thakur, Justice H.L. Dattu and Justice V.G. Sabhahit, ordered issuance of emergent notices to the respondents, asking them to show cause why contempt of court proceedings should not be initiated against them under the Contempt of Courts Act, 1971, and why they should not be punished for the same. The court posted the case to January 8, 2003 for further hearing. The respondents included the editors, printers, reporters, and publishers of 14 publications. Among them are The Times of India, The New Indian Express, Kannada Prabha, Deccan Herald, The Hindu, Prajavani, Vijaya Karnataka, Udayavani, Lankesh Patrike, Agni, Nota, The Week, and Outlook. The Bench said: "We are prima facie satisfied that the publications referred to in the note put up by the Registrar General constitute contempt of this court, and call for suo motu action against these respondents for the same.'' It observed: "While we do not consider it necessary at this stage to express any opinion on the merits of the case, we hope and trust that the Press shall, in view of the pendency of these proceedings, act with greater restraint and responsibility.'' Source: http://hinduonnet.com/thehindu/2002/12/06/stories/2002120604380600.htm From arulselvan@vasnet.co.in Sat Dec 7 17:43:44 2002 From: arulselvan@vasnet.co.in (Arul Selvan) Date: Sat, 07 Dec 2002 23:13:44 +0530 Subject: [icernet] Curbs on media in Karnataka Message-ID: <3DF23350.90606@vasnet.co.in> The Editors Guild today appealed to the Supreme Court to “intervene without delay” in the Karnataka High Court’s reported move to put curbs on the media to report on the activities of some judges under the provision of the Contempt of Courts Act. In a statement here, the Guild President, Mr Hari Jaisingh, who is also the Editor of The Tribune, said the reported move of the Karnataka High Court under the “antiquated” Contempt of Courts Act was “unfortunate and uncalled for” and appealed to the Karnataka High Court to “review its decision and allow the media to function freely and fearlessly.” Source: http://www.tribuneindia.com/2002/20021207/main4.htm From arulselvan@vasnet.co.in Sat Dec 7 17:43:50 2002 From: arulselvan@vasnet.co.in (Arul Selvan) Date: Sat, 07 Dec 2002 23:13:50 +0530 Subject: [icernet] A noose for news Message-ID: <3DF23356.5030600@vasnet.co.in> When a significant section of the press is issued contempt notices by a full bench of the Karnataka High Court, for publishing news on an incident concerning alleged judicial impropriety, it raises fundamental questions about the role of the media and the limits of public interest journalism. The judges in their showcause notice voiced their expectation that the media acts with ‘greater restraint and responsibility’. While the expectation is unexceptional, the question remains that if the media does not perform its function of illuminating developments that have a direct bearing on the public good, who will? Source: http://www.indianexpress.com/full_story.php?content_id=14288 From arulselvan@vasnet.co.in Sat Dec 7 17:50:03 2002 From: arulselvan@vasnet.co.in (Arul Selvan) Date: Sat, 07 Dec 2002 23:20:03 +0530 Subject: [icernet] Attacks on press Message-ID: <3DF234CB.9060402@vasnet.co.in> There have been a number of cases of attacks, physical and otherwise, on journalists in the recent past. And these attacks have come from different quarters, including the Government. A correspondent of a Kashmir daily was jailed for allegedly violating the Official Secrets Act, though the information which was the basis of his report was available on the Net. He was believed to have been arrested solely for his coverage of the Kashmir situation that put the Government in an unsavoury light. The media was also restrained from covering the Presidents visit to riot-torn Gujarat. The more publicised censure of the Time magazine correspondent for his not very flattering report on the prime minister, the continued harassment of the Tehelka staff, the abduction by a separatists group of two journalists in Manipur for apparently not giving enough coverage to their group, all these point to growing intolerance at one level and attempts to curb the freedom of the press at another. Source: http://www.deccanherald.com/deccanherald/dec06/edits.asp Editorial # 2 From arul.selvan@mic.manipal.edu Mon Dec 9 11:30:38 2002 From: arul.selvan@mic.manipal.edu (Arul Selvan MIC) Date: Mon, 09 Dec 2002 16:30:38 +0500 Subject: [icernet] Star TV seeks satellite uplinking facility Message-ID: Notwithstanding the policy which allows all television channels to uplink from India irrespective of their ownership or management control, the Information and Broadcasting Ministry has decided to seek the Cabinet's view on Star TV's application for the facility. Caught in a situation that it had not anticipated while opening up satellite uplinking completely in July 2000, the I&B Ministry thought it best to approach the Cabinet, given the ticklish nature of the issue at hand. The Minister, according to officials, felt it would be advisable that the decision be a collective one of the Cabinet rather than that of the Ministry alone. Source: http://www.hinduonnet.com/2002/12/08/stories/2002120802091000.htm From arul.selvan@mic.manipal.edu Mon Dec 9 11:34:42 2002 From: arul.selvan@mic.manipal.edu (Arul Selvan MIC) Date: Mon, 09 Dec 2002 16:34:42 +0500 Subject: [icernet] Computer education : shifting focus to 'functional' literacy Message-ID: <946db26f.b26f946d@manipal.edu> >From tribals of Adilabad district in Andhra Pradesh to villagers in Jodhpur and slum dwellers on the outdkirts of Delhi, a silent computer literacy revolution is taking shape, courtesy NGOs, government and some IT education institutes. Source: http://www.outlookindia.com/pti_news.asp?id=102954 From arul.selvan@mic.manipal.edu Mon Dec 9 11:37:20 2002 From: arul.selvan@mic.manipal.edu (Arul Selvan MIC) Date: Mon, 09 Dec 2002 16:37:20 +0500 Subject: [icernet] NDTV's news channel to have 16.47% foreign stake:Sushma Message-ID: Government has approved New Delhi Television Ltd's (NDTV) proposal to start a 24-hour news channel with foreign equity component of 16.47 per cent while that of Star News Broadcasting is still "under process", Rajya Sabha was informed today. Source: http://www.outlookindia.com/pti_news.asp?id=103006 From arul.selvan@mic.manipal.edu Mon Dec 9 11:42:14 2002 From: arul.selvan@mic.manipal.edu (Arul Selvan MIC) Date: Mon, 09 Dec 2002 16:42:14 +0500 Subject: [icernet] Not telling it like it is Message-ID: If you want a handy guide to self censorship in India, it falls into the following categories: censorship imposed by the market, by political correctness, by militancy and extremism, by the political connections of the editor/owner, by the inability to substantiate, and generally on account of laziness accompanied by fear of libel (Can't get proof or the other side's version? Just drop the name.) We all practice self censorship a lot of the time, this writer included. Media bashing? Stick to TV. Don't bash fellow newspapers. Dog does not eat dog. Source: http://www.hinduonnet.com/thehindu/mag/stories/2002120800560300.htm From arul.selvan@mic.manipal.edu Mon Dec 9 11:44:07 2002 From: arul.selvan@mic.manipal.edu (Arul Selvan MIC) Date: Mon, 09 Dec 2002 16:44:07 +0500 Subject: [icernet] Infotech to boost farm output Message-ID: The International Crops Research Institute for Semi-Arid Tropics (ICRISAT), near Hyderabad, is launching two new initiatives to utilise modern information and communication technology to speed up agricultural development and help farmers combat drought. These initiatives include setting up of a technology innovation centre (TIC) and a computer based distance learning module for farmers on coping with drought. Source: http://www.business-standard.com/today/story.asp?Menu=3&story=3568 From arul.selvan@mic.manipal.edu Mon Dec 9 11:48:47 2002 From: arul.selvan@mic.manipal.edu (Arul Selvan MIC) Date: Mon, 09 Dec 2002 16:48:47 +0500 Subject: [icernet] AAAI sets up committee to study agency remuneration Message-ID: In a significant move, the Advertising Agencies Association of India (AAAI) has set up a 'steering committee' to examine the issues concerning the agency remuneration system in the Indian advertising industry. The committee's members have been selected from its 16-member executive committee. Source: http://www.financialexpress.com/fe_full_story.php?content_id=23443 From arul.selvan@mic.manipal.edu Tue Dec 10 10:34:09 2002 From: arul.selvan@mic.manipal.edu (Arul Selvan MIC) Date: Tue, 10 Dec 2002 15:34:09 +0500 Subject: [icernet] Camera-phones predicted to change Web journalism Message-ID: <5c4b329c.329c5c4b@manipal.edu> A columnist predicts that camera-equipped mobile phones will change journalism. This technology has sold millions in Japan and allows passersby to capture and transfer newsworthy images before journalists and photographers can be dispatched, reported Dan Gillmor of the Mercury News. Weblogs are among the first to enjoy the tech-trend. "Several sites invite people to contribute what they're seeing and capturing digitally, with mixed artistic results," Gillmor said. And U.S. versions of multimedia phones are also producing experimentation in journalism, including Danger's hiptop handheld that has yielded HipTop Nation's wireless blogging. The site started after the T-Mobile Sidekick was released, and the site offers a communal blog that enables users to share experiences. Source: http://www.siliconvalley.com/mld/siliconvalley/4693890.htm From arul.selvan@mic.manipal.edu Tue Dec 10 10:38:24 2002 From: arul.selvan@mic.manipal.edu (Arul Selvan MIC) Date: Tue, 10 Dec 2002 15:38:24 +0500 Subject: [icernet] Judicial excesses - contempt of court proceedings against press Message-ID: Even more disturbing are the implications for the press and the larger democratic system as the High Court's action threatens to upset the balance to be maintained among the various institutions. The Court has observed "we hope and trust that the Press shall, in view of the pendency of these proceedings, act with greater restraint and responsibility". The very purpose of starting contempt proceedings at this stage seems to be to make the issues sub judice and silence the press on the ground that the matter is before the court. Source: http://hinduonnet.com/thehindu/2002/12/09/stories/2002120900431000.htm From arul.selvan@mic.manipal.edu Tue Dec 10 10:42:13 2002 From: arul.selvan@mic.manipal.edu (Arul Selvan MIC) Date: Tue, 10 Dec 2002 15:42:13 +0500 Subject: [icernet] 'The Academy is wrong' Message-ID: <6b356ea5.6ea56b35@manipal.edu> Film producer Bertrand Faivre has ridiculed The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences for disqualifying his film, The Warrior, as the British entry for the Foreign Language Oscar, saying Academy members "have a very narrow idea of what constitutes a British movie." "They don't have a good idea of how the film was made, how it started, the people involved or who Asif Kapadia is. For them, this film belongs to no category, although the director is English, most of the actors are English, the financing is English, the scriptwriters are English," he adds. Source: http://www.rediff.com/entertai/2002/dec/10warr.htm From arul.selvan@mic.manipal.edu Tue Dec 10 10:43:38 2002 From: arul.selvan@mic.manipal.edu (Arul Selvan MIC) Date: Tue, 10 Dec 2002 15:43:38 +0500 Subject: [icernet] Regulate TV channels: Members Message-ID: <923e8602.8602923e@manipal.edu> The members' ire was not limited to the popular soap opera as a number of them in the course of discussion on the Cable Television Networks (Regulation) Amendment bill,2002, were up in arms against Fashion TV as well as Channel V and MTV. Members showed unanimity in appealing to the Minister to take urgent steps to regulate airing of these channels which were being beamed from outside the country. Source: http://www.outlookindia.com/pti_news.asp?id=103307 From arul.selvan@mic.manipal.edu Tue Dec 10 10:45:22 2002 From: arul.selvan@mic.manipal.edu (Arul Selvan MIC) Date: Tue, 10 Dec 2002 15:45:22 +0500 Subject: [icernet] Doordarshan 'most watched': Qureshi Message-ID: <84389354.93548438@manipal.edu> Amid a tough competition from private channels, Doordarshan today said it continued to be the "most-watched broadcaster" with its news programmes capturing 93 per cent of the market share and 35 of its programmes being among the top 50 programmes. DD Director General S Y Qureshi taking a snipe at the private telecasters for "trumpeting" their Telivision Rating Points (TRP) ratings, charged them with "manipulating figures as huge (advertisement) money is involved". He told reporters here that DD's revenue earnings till November-end this year had dipped to Rs 266.64 crore against Rs 327.9 crore during the corresponding period last year particularly due to withdrawal of Channel 9 but expressed confidence that the shortfall would be made up by March. Source: http://www.outlookindia.com/pti_news.asp?id=102118 From arul.selvan@mic.manipal.edu Wed Dec 11 11:13:31 2002 From: arul.selvan@mic.manipal.edu (Arul Selvan MIC) Date: Wed, 11 Dec 2002 16:13:31 +0500 Subject: [icernet] Indian films monotonous: PM Message-ID: Asserting that Indian film industry was not just Bollywood, the Prime Minister said, "cinema in non-Hindi languages in our country has is a rich and proud tradition. Alongwith Hindi cinema, it has played a great role in promoting national integration and in celebrating different aspects of our diverse social and cultural life." "I think that there should be greater awareness of non-Hindi Indian cinema, both within and without our country." "When life is so rich and complex, when there are so many colours and shades of emotion and experince in life, why do our films generally try to stick to a stereotype?," he asked. Source: http://www.outlookindia.com/pti_news.asp?gid=130&id=103386 From arul.selvan@mic.manipal.edu Wed Dec 11 11:16:00 2002 From: arul.selvan@mic.manipal.edu (Arul Selvan MIC) Date: Wed, 11 Dec 2002 16:16:00 +0500 Subject: [icernet] HP CM lauds role of media Message-ID: <92e78883.888392e7@manipal.edu> Himachal Chief Minister P K Dhumal today lauded the role of the media as "informer and educator" and a "watch dog of democracy" saying the criticism in the media should be taken in the right perspective as it provided an opportunity to take corrective measures. Addressing the function, former Chief Minister V B Singh said globalisation had posed new challenges for the Indian newspaper industry. He lauded the role of the newspapers in the freedom struggle. Source: http://www.outlookindia.com/pti_news.asp?gid=71&id=103369 From arul.selvan@mic.manipal.edu Wed Dec 11 11:17:57 2002 From: arul.selvan@mic.manipal.edu (Arul Selvan MIC) Date: Wed, 11 Dec 2002 16:17:57 +0500 Subject: [icernet] No liquor, tobacco ads, overt or surrogate: Swaraj Message-ID: <93af894b.894b93af@manipal.edu> "Ads about liquor or tobacco are banned. Each channel has been sent a notice for carrying these ads directly or even for surrogate advertising. We have formed a committee to look into the matter," Information and Broadcasting Minister Sushma Swaraj said in Rajya Sabha. Source: http://www.outlookindia.com/pti_news.asp?id=103355 From arul.selvan@mic.manipal.edu Wed Dec 11 11:27:14 2002 From: arul.selvan@mic.manipal.edu (Arul Selvan MIC) Date: Wed, 11 Dec 2002 16:27:14 +0500 Subject: [icernet] A folk play with a disturbing message Message-ID: For, the visual medium - be it the screen or the stage - has the power to completely grip one's attention and the images invariably tend to remain in one's memory long after the curtain has fallen. This is one important reason why a movie-maker or a drama director has to be particularly careful about what he shows. Unfortunately, some are careless, to the point of being irresponsible. A fok play (Jatra) in West Bengal is now under Government scrutiny because of its distrubing message. Source: http://hinduonnet.com/thehindu/2002/12/10/stories/2002121001110900.htm From arul.selvan@mic.manipal.edu Wed Dec 11 11:32:36 2002 From: arul.selvan@mic.manipal.edu (Arul Selvan MIC) Date: Wed, 11 Dec 2002 16:32:36 +0500 Subject: [icernet] Bill passed to pave the way for CAS Message-ID: After a series of hiccups, the Cable Television Network Amendment Bill 2002 was unanimously passed in the Rajya Sabha to enable introduction of the conditional access system (CAS) in the country. but, what will CAS actually offer? On one hand, it is viewed as an instrument which will help the subscriber choose only those channels which he wants, based on his willingness to pay. On the other, those opposing CAS felt there isn't much freedom for the subscriber in CAS. Reason: Government control over the basic tier may result in the shift of some free-to-air channels to the pay regime. Source: http://www.financialexpress.com/fe_full_story.php?content_id=23561 From arul.selvan@mic.manipal.edu Wed Dec 11 11:36:55 2002 From: arul.selvan@mic.manipal.edu (Arul Selvan MIC) Date: Wed, 11 Dec 2002 16:36:55 +0500 Subject: [icernet] IDBI film financing book tops Rs 97 Cr Message-ID: IDBI was the first institution to provide film finance after the sector was declared an industry in October 2000. The move has helped the industry to get loans at the rate of Rs 16 per cent per annum. The conservative approach adopted by banks and financial institutions earlier had been forcing film producers to depend on underworld dons for financing at rates ranging from 36 per cent to 48 per cent per annum. The Reserve Bank of India has stipulated that the quantum of assistance to the film industry should not exceed 50 per cent of the budgeted cost of a project. Source: http://www.financialexpress.com/fe_full_story.php?content_id=23574 From arul.selvan@mic.manipal.edu Thu Dec 12 11:36:09 2002 From: arul.selvan@mic.manipal.edu (Arul Selvan MIC) Date: Thu, 12 Dec 2002 16:36:09 +0500 Subject: [icernet] Take the nation forward, PCI chief tells media Message-ID: Justice Jayachandra Reddy, chairman of the Press Council of India, today called upon the media to shun sensationalism and take the nation forward. "It is the sole role of the media to take the nation forward in the current scenerio, characterised by growing communal tensions, rampant corruption, unfriendly neighbours and a steep fall in moral values", he said. Source: http://www.outlookindia.com/pti_news.asp?id=103734 From arul.selvan@mic.manipal.edu Thu Dec 12 11:38:11 2002 From: arul.selvan@mic.manipal.edu (Arul Selvan MIC) Date: Thu, 12 Dec 2002 16:38:11 +0500 Subject: [icernet] Media Stocks In Limelight Post- CAS Bill Passage Message-ID: <1095113e68.13e6810951@manipal.edu> On The Stock Exchange, Mumbai (BSE), broadcasting media stocks Sri Adhikari Brothers (up 3.42 per cent to Rs 107.50), TV18 (up 7.20 per cent to Rs 75.90) and Jain Studios (up 2.06 per cent to Rs 24.75), made headway on buying interest following the passing of the Cable TV bill. Source: http://www.financialexpress.com/fe_full_story.php?content_id=23693 From arul.selvan@mic.manipal.edu Thu Dec 12 11:50:09 2002 From: arul.selvan@mic.manipal.edu (Arul Selvan MIC) Date: Thu, 12 Dec 2002 16:50:09 +0500 Subject: [icernet] Govt committed to freedom of press: Advani Message-ID: Deputy Prime Minister L.K.Advani today said the government was committed to freedom of the press even while asking the fourth estate to exercise self-control while covering sensitive issues like terrorism. Source: http://www.outlookindia.com/pti_news.asp?id=103490 From arul.selvan@mic.manipal.edu Thu Dec 12 11:52:42 2002 From: arul.selvan@mic.manipal.edu (Arul Selvan MIC) Date: Thu, 12 Dec 2002 16:52:42 +0500 Subject: [icernet] Reddy calls for more powers to PCI Message-ID: <11ff613fcd.13fcd11ff6@manipal.edu> Justice K Jayachandra Reddy, Chairman of Press Council of India (PCI), today said more powers should be given to the council, whose objective is to preserve freedom of the press and maintain standards of newspapers. Reddy expresseed concern at the "threat from big business houses to the freedom of press". Source: http://www.outlookindia.com/pti_news.asp?id=103102 From arul.selvan@mic.manipal.edu Thu Dec 12 11:58:51 2002 From: arul.selvan@mic.manipal.edu (Arul Selvan MIC) Date: Thu, 12 Dec 2002 16:58:51 +0500 Subject: [icernet] New drama in cable story Message-ID: Currently, broadcasters have been overcharging consumers because of under-declaration by cable operators. In this scenario, they may opt to lower the charges in a bid to woo viewers in a transparent system. And Star has taken the lead by announcing a price cut to Rs 30 from Rs 40. Meanwhile, in a task-force meeting in New Delhi, the I&B ministry gave a day's time to multi-system operators (MSOs) to state in writing the time frame each of them will take to start implementing CAS in the four metros. Source: http://www.mid-day.com/entertainment/television/2002/december/38786.htm From arul.selvan@mic.manipal.edu Thu Dec 12 12:20:38 2002 From: arul.selvan@mic.manipal.edu (Arul Selvan MIC) Date: Thu, 12 Dec 2002 17:20:38 +0500 Subject: [icernet] News channels are high on popularity charts Message-ID: In the recent times, according to industry estimates the news channels are high on popularity charts and have started to attract more advertising revenues. Advertising on news as a genre grew by about 50 per cent, from Rs 200 to Rs 310 crore, in 2001 over the previous year. It is estimated that in 1999 news earned only Rs 80 crore as advertising revenue. That is not all. the audience share of news channels jumped by a whopping 235 per cent in 2001. In contrast, the Hindi entertainment channel's audience share increased by only 6.5 per cent while the sports channels actually lost their share by about 27 per cent. Source: http://www.business-standard.com/today.story.asp?Menu=2&story=3772 From arulselvan@vasnet.co.in Fri Dec 13 13:50:31 2002 From: arulselvan@vasnet.co.in (Arul Selvan) Date: Fri, 13 Dec 2002 19:20:31 +0530 Subject: [icernet] Weblogs: The little engines that could Message-ID: <3DF9E5A7.9070808@vasnet.co.in> Weblogs are gaining so much popularity that larger media forces like MSNBC and the Wall Street Journal are starting their own to avoid losing readership to independent sites, nzoom.com reported. This is an ironic plan, considering weblogs, also known as "blogs," exist to present a voice outside of mainstream corporate media. Weblogs first showed up a couple years ago as online amateur diaries that carried links to other Web sites that the author favored. Today, traffic statistics to different logs suggest that they are gaining rapid readership for current event issues, allowing their authors to become mini-pundits who sit outside the mainstream media. Although their overall readership levels are modest, more Web surfers are turning to blogs for succinct commentary on a variety of subjects of interest from music to possible war with Iraq. Source: http://technology.nzoom.com/technology_detail/0,1608,151445-113-117,00.html From arulselvan@vasnet.co.in Fri Dec 13 14:16:15 2002 From: arulselvan@vasnet.co.in (Arul Selvan) Date: Fri, 13 Dec 2002 19:46:15 +0530 Subject: [icernet] Sexism 'rife' in cyberspace Message-ID: <3DF9EBAF.2000708@vasnet.co.in> The battle between the sexes is being carried over to cyberspace, research shows. A survey conducted by search engine AltaVista found that male chauvinism is alive and well on the internet, with 80 per cent of men claiming to be better surfers than their female partners. Men are also far more likely to be backseat drivers, interfering while their partners surf the web. And just as road rage is often the preserve of the male of the species so too net rage seems more likely to happen to men. In fact, women are overtaking men in many areas of net use such as e-mail and searching for health-related information. They are also more likely to shop online than men, though male shoppers tend to be bigger spenders. But for both sexes, finding what you want quickly on the net can be a tiresome experience. Source: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/technology/2562601.stm From arulselvan@vasnet.co.in Fri Dec 13 14:16:22 2002 From: arulselvan@vasnet.co.in (Arul Selvan) Date: Fri, 13 Dec 2002 19:46:22 +0530 Subject: [icernet] Do women have a sexual identity in Bollywood? Message-ID: <3DF9EBB6.9000008@vasnet.co.in> With V K Prakash's Freaky Chakra coming up, the number of films in recent times dealing with the younger man-older woman relationship has shot up one more. The older woman has to be single/dysfunctional/lonely/ crotchety. Her life has to change for the better when the young man steps in, and, of course, there is the added advantage of sex without strings, relationship without commitment. Nobody in India would expect a romance like this to last. And the woman, most of all, ought to have known that. If she breaks the rule, she has to be punished. Her feelings are not to be taken into account in the journey of a younger man's rite of passage. Source: http://www.rediff.com/entertai/2002/dec/13deepa.htm From arulselvan@vasnet.co.in Fri Dec 13 14:16:28 2002 From: arulselvan@vasnet.co.in (Arul Selvan) Date: Fri, 13 Dec 2002 19:46:28 +0530 Subject: [icernet] 'Criticism by media should be welcomed' Message-ID: <3DF9EBBC.1050002@vasnet.co.in> Barring character assassination, media's criticism of issues and individuals should be welcomed, the former Supreme Court judge, S.Mohan, said Asking ``politicians and the judges not to be worried'' over criticism of their actions, he said that when the press does good, it was important ``not to stop it.'' ``I am in favour of every criticism except character assassination,'' he said. Source: http://hinduonnet.com/thehindu/2002/12/12/stories/2002121206470700.htm From arulselvan@vasnet.co.in Fri Dec 13 14:16:33 2002 From: arulselvan@vasnet.co.in (Arul Selvan) Date: Fri, 13 Dec 2002 19:46:33 +0530 Subject: [icernet] BBC World Fastest Growing News Channel In Apac: IATS Message-ID: <3DF9EBC1.6080102@vasnet.co.in> The British Broadcasting Corporation’s television is the fastest growing international news channel in Asia Pacific, according to an International Air Travellers Survey (IATS). The study, which measures the viewership of global TV channels as well as readership of international publications among international air travelers, revealed that BBC World’s viewership has increased from six per cent to 13 per cent. While Ted Turner promoted CNN (Cable News Network) has dropped from 26.1 per cent to 19.8 per cent, and CNBC has come down to 6.9 per cent from 10.4 per cent. Source: http://www.financialexpress.com/fe_full_story.php?content_id=23717 From arulselvan@vasnet.co.in Sun Dec 15 14:58:57 2002 From: arulselvan@vasnet.co.in (Arul Selvan) Date: Sun, 15 Dec 2002 20:28:57 +0530 Subject: [icernet] E-slur here, be sued there Message-ID: <3DFC98B1.7020101@vasnet.co.in> Australias Supreme Court recently gave a landmark judgement concerning Internet defamation and jurisdiction, which promises to open up a Pandoras Box. In the case entitled Dow Jones vs Joseph Gutnick, Australias apex court has held that a defamation case arising out of a story on a United States website can be heard in Australia. This judgement promises to have wide ranging implications for the entire online publishing industry. This judgement opens up a legal minefield for web publishers, over which defamation, libel and other laws they must follow. The judgment is likely to impact not only freedom of speech of the media organizations, but it could also expose publishers to legal actions all over the world. Source: http://www.hindustantimes.com/news/181_120270,00030010.htm From arulselvan@vasnet.co.in Sun Dec 15 14:59:14 2002 From: arulselvan@vasnet.co.in (Arul Selvan) Date: Sun, 15 Dec 2002 20:29:14 +0530 Subject: [icernet] Desi films break the language barrier Message-ID: <3DFC98C2.8090604@vasnet.co.in> For an audience hooked on to Hindi films or regional cinema, the viability of such Indian English flicks seems suspect. But then its makers are suave, convent-educated urbanites. “They are young, city-bred Indians, comfortable with English, who find it easier to use it as a medium of expression,” explains Nihalani. So, for the likes of Madhwani, English is the obvious choice for it’s the language he “thinks in,” while for Benegal, it’s the ideal means of communicating to different sections. Though the audience is niche, it’s a respectable figure, thanks to India’s large English speaking population. Besides, with Bollywood becoming “increasingly out of sync with reality,” Indian English films are a viable alternative. Source: http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/cms.dll/html/uncomp/articleshow?artid=31246180 From arul.selvan@mic.manipal.edu Mon Dec 16 09:55:20 2002 From: arul.selvan@mic.manipal.edu (Arul Selvan MIC) Date: Mon, 16 Dec 2002 14:55:20 +0500 Subject: [icernet] Plan to allow IIMs, IITs have FM channels Message-ID: <9fa99f1e.9f1e9fa9@manipal.edu> A new policy is being framed to permit all educational institutions to have their own FM channels at lower frequency levels, Information and Broadcasting Minister Sushma Swaraj informed the Rajya Sabha today. Swaraj said the draft was being sent to the Cabinet for approval. She said as many as 95 new FM stations and upgradation of 18 existing FM stations of All India Radio (AIR) were envisaged during the Tenth Five Year Plan. The Minister said 133 FM Radio Stations of AIR were functioning covering 31.34 per cent population. Source: http://www.hinduonnet.com/thehindu/holnus/02161408.htm From arul.selvan@mic.manipal.edu Mon Dec 16 10:07:15 2002 From: arul.selvan@mic.manipal.edu (Arul Selvan MIC) Date: Mon, 16 Dec 2002 15:07:15 +0500 Subject: [icernet] Safeguards taken in opening Indian dailies and periodicals Message-ID: Minister for Information and Broadcasting Sushma Swaraj today said adequate safeguards had been taken in opening Indian Newspapers and Periodicals to Foreign investors. Annexing the guidelines in reply to a written question, Swaraj said the safeguards included verification of antecedents of the foreign investors, requirement of 3/4th of the directors being resident Indians and keeping the editorial and management control in the hands of resident Indian Nationals. Source: http://www.outlookindia.com/pti_news.asp?gid=&id=104829 From arul.selvan@mic.manipal.edu Mon Dec 16 10:09:07 2002 From: arul.selvan@mic.manipal.edu (Arul Selvan MIC) Date: Mon, 16 Dec 2002 15:09:07 +0500 Subject: [icernet] Higher FDI permit will boost printing industry: Govt Message-ID: Government today said the decision to increase FDI limit to 74 per cent in the non-news sector of the print media would make India an "international printing hub" giving a major boost to trade in the sector. Source: http://www.outlookindia.com/pti_news.asp?id=104790 From arul.selvan@mic.manipal.edu Mon Dec 16 11:24:05 2002 From: arul.selvan@mic.manipal.edu (Arul Selvan MIC) Date: Mon, 16 Dec 2002 16:24:05 +0500 Subject: [icernet] Endangered DD Message-ID: <8064ac3c.ac3c8064@manipal.edu> What exactly is Doordarshan? Or AIR? Are they money-making concerns, do they need to earn their keep and make some money while doing so, like a hotel? Or are they a public service? If they are, then that service has to be paid for in the manner in which several public service broadcasters are paid all over the world - not by advertising revenue, nor by government grants, but by licence fees on radio and television sets. Source: http://hindustantimes.com/2002/Dec/14/181_119795,00120001.htm From arul.selvan@mic.manipal.edu Mon Dec 16 11:32:17 2002 From: arul.selvan@mic.manipal.edu (Arul Selvan MIC) Date: Mon, 16 Dec 2002 16:32:17 +0500 Subject: [icernet] The death of DD Message-ID: The ET-TAM Media Research survey of the Indian television market has confirmed the growing popularity of Star Plus. This Rupert Murdoch flagship channel in India now commands the highest viewership of 11% among cable television channels. With its base built on KBC and consolidated through a steady stream of 'K' family soaps, the resurgence of Star Plus over the last couple of years has been remarkable. But the bigger story in the survey is that of rapid decline in the share of the state controlled Doordarshan. Source; http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/cms.dll/html/comp/articleshow?artid= 31399907 From arulselvan@vasnet.co.in Tue Dec 17 13:50:31 2002 From: arulselvan@vasnet.co.in (Arul Selvan MIC) Date: Tue, 17 Dec 2002 19:20:31 +0530 Subject: [icernet] Ministry to regulate content on TV Message-ID: Censured by both MPs and the human rights commission for obscenity and undesirable bias on television, the I&B ministry has taken the first step towards content regulation. The ministry has sent notes to MPs who are members of its consultative committee for a discussion on how to contain a surfeit of violence and vulgarity on television. To make the matters worse, the human rights commission has recently sent a note to the ministry about two objectionable commercials on TV apparently promoting colour prejudice and bias against the girl child. Source: http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/cms.dll/html/uncomp/articleshow?artid=314 94831 From arulselvan@vasnet.co.in Tue Dec 17 13:50:35 2002 From: arulselvan@vasnet.co.in (Arul Selvan MIC) Date: Tue, 17 Dec 2002 19:20:35 +0530 Subject: [icernet] The power of knowing Message-ID: The Freedom of Information Bill makes it obligatory for every public authority to make available all its records. It answers, to some extent, a long campaign by groups like Rajasthan’s Mazdoor Kisan Shakti Sangathana, which have consistently argued that the right to information is an enabling right for all other rights, such as the right to know the identities of individuals arrested by the police during riots or the right of taxpayers to know how their money is being spent. Additionally, the Bill has not really had a significant impact in the states in which it has already been passed such as Tamil Nadu, Rajasthan and others. Thus, the Bill is probably more symbolic than real. But it is a highly potent symbol as it gives hope that the governing culture of our country might just transform itself from a secretive and colonial one, to one that is transparent, egalitarian and socially democratic. Source: http://www.indianexpress.com/full_story.php?content_id=14184 From arulselvan@vasnet.co.in Tue Dec 17 13:50:33 2002 From: arulselvan@vasnet.co.in (Arul Selvan MIC) Date: Tue, 17 Dec 2002 19:20:33 +0530 Subject: [icernet] Corporates to cash in on World Cup TV boom Message-ID: TV channels here are going to be deluged by cricket related content as the nation will be in the grip of World Cup from February 8 to March 23, 2003. The mega event has already begun permeating channels with corporates lining up an estimated Rs 300 crore of ad spend. Source: http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/cms.dll/html/uncomp/articleshow?artid=315 75968 From arulselvan@vasnet.co.in Tue Dec 17 13:50:27 2002 From: arulselvan@vasnet.co.in (Arul Selvan MIC) Date: Tue, 17 Dec 2002 19:20:27 +0530 Subject: [icernet] Information Bill gets approval of Parliament Message-ID: Parliament today approved a bill providing citizens the statutory right to access official information. The Freedom of Information Bill, which had earlier been passed by Lok Sabha, was passed by Rajya Sabha by a voice vote. Speaking in Rajya Sabha before the House passed the Bill, Minister of State for Personnel Vasundhara Raje Scindia said that in this age of information technology, openness in the Government’s functioning was long overdue. The Bill empowers citizens with powers to seek information on Government’s functioning. Scindia said the Government proposes to amend service rules to insert a clause of punishment for erring officials. Source: http://www.indianexpress.com/full_story.php?content_id=14945 From arulselvan@vasnet.co.in Tue Dec 17 14:02:58 2002 From: arulselvan@vasnet.co.in (Arul Selvan MIC) Date: Tue, 17 Dec 2002 19:32:58 +0530 Subject: [icernet] On-Line Defamation Message-ID: ARTICLE FOR THE NEW YORK TIMES: DOW JONES v GUTNICK An Australian court ruling will have widespread implications for online publishing, writes Matt Collins.* In October 2000, Barrons magazine and its online cousin, Barrons Online, published a scathing 7,000 word article about Australian businessman Mr Joseph Gutnick. It traversed a range of issues, accusing Mr Gutnick of exploiting religious charities in the United States, of involvement in share manipulation and tax evasion, and of improper dealings with a gaoled tax evader and money launderer, Mr Nachum Goldberg. Mr Gutnick brought defamation proceedings against the American publisher of Barrons and Barrons Online, Dow Jones, in the Supreme Court of his home State, Victoria, Australia. Mr Gutnick's case has not yet reached a hearing on the merits. We do not know whether Dow Jones believes it was justified in publishing the article. We do not know what steps the journalist, editor and publisher took before making the decision to go to press. The case has been mired since its inception in arguments about jurisdiction: should an American publisher be held to account in a Victorian court according to Australian law? Or should Mr Gutnick have to bring his proceedings in the courts of New York, where Dow Jones is based, or New Jersey, where its web servers are located? More fundamentally, does the First Amendment to the US Constitution have extraterritorial reach: should Americans have the benefit of the First Amendment when they publish material about foreigners which is accessible outside the US, or must they have regard to the vastly different legal standards which prevail in other countries in relation to freedom of speech? The trial judge, Justice John Hedigan of the Victorian Supreme Court, saw the issue as simple and uncontroversial: Mr Gutnick is a prominent Victorian, with a business and personal reputation there which he is entitled to protect. Dow Jones elected to publish an article about Mr Gutnick, knowing each of those matters. It was not unfair, so Hedigan J concluded, for Dow Jones to be held to account in Victoria according to Australian standards of what constitutes defamation. No question of conflict between Australian standards and US standards arose. On appeal to the High Court, Australia's ultimate appellate court, this case attracted a great deal of international interest. International media outlets, including The New York Times, CNN, Bloomberg, Reuters and The Wall Street Journal intervened in the case, arguing that the jurisdictional issue had serious international implications. Hedigan J's ruling, they argued, would mean that international publishers would have to restrict the availability of material online in Australia, to avoid the risk of being sued in Australian courts. Worse still, Hedigan J's ruling meant that publishers could potentially be sued in the courts of hundreds of countries, making it all but impossible to protect against liability. The ruling, if upheld, would have a 'chilling effect' on freedom of speech. The Australian High Court unanimously ruled on 10 December in Mr Gutnick's favour. He may proceed with his defamation action against Dow Jones in the Supreme Court of Victoria, and have liability assessed according to Australian standards of what constitutes defamation. Dow Jones will not be entitled to rely on the First Amendment to avoid liability in relation to damage caused by persons reading the article in question in Victoria. What is perhaps most striking about the judgments of the members of the High Court is the extent to which they rejected arguments about the revolutionary nature of the Internet. As four of the judges observed: 'the problem of widely disseminated communications is much older than the Internet and the World Wide Web. The law has had to grapple with such cases ever since newspapers and magazines came to be distributed to large numbers of people over wide geographic areas.' The dire warnings of the major media outlets received short shrift from the High Court. The majority judges again: 'the spectre which Dow Jones sought to conjure up in the present appeal, of a publisher forced to consider every article it publishes on the World Wide Web against the defamation laws of every country from Afghanistan to Zimbabwe is seen to be unreal when it is recalled that in all except the most unusual of cases, identifying the person about whom material is to be published will readily identify the defamation law to which that person may resort.' Only one judge, Justice Michael Kirby, expressed any reservations about the outcome of the case, noting that it was 'a result contrary to intuition' and that national legislative attention and international discussion might be required. In the end, though, even Kirby J upheld Hedigan J's ruling. The High Court's decision will receive close attention worldwide because it is the first time an ultimate appellate court has ruled on the question of jurisdiction for defamatory online material. It would be surprising if courts in England, Canada and New Zealand, among others, did not treat the decision as being highly persuasive. As a matter of the application of legal principle, the ruling is unexceptional. It is consistent with decisions of lower courts in countries including the United States, England, France and Canada. The case will, however, have widespread implications, not all of which were considered by the court. To avoid the risk of being sued in foreign countries - including many with laws much less benign than Australia - Americans wishing to publish material critical of foreigners must consider the law of each place where the foreigner might have a substantial reputation. In practice, to minimize the risks, American publishers will have to seek foreign legal advice and water down the content of their writings. Publishers may decide not to publish risky articles at all, not publish them online, or try to restrict foreigners from having access to their sites. On any scenario, freedom of speech will be chilled, and the public deprived of information. Dr Matt Collins is a barrister in Melbourne, Australia and the author of The Law of Defamation and the Internet (Oxford University Press, 2001). E-mail: matt.collins@vicbar.com.au The text of the High Court judgment can be found at http://www.austlii.edu.au/au/cases/cth/high_ct/2002/56.html From arul.selvan@mic.manipal.edu Wed Dec 18 10:48:20 2002 From: arul.selvan@mic.manipal.edu (Arul Selvan MIC) Date: Wed, 18 Dec 2002 15:48:20 +0500 Subject: [icernet] Broadband: Unravelling The Bandwidth Puzzle Message-ID: <758197f8.97f87581@manipal.edu> In strictest terms, broadband is defined as a pipe through which one can provide multiple services ranging from plain voice to Internet to video on demand (VoD). If one is talking about the bandwidth or the throughput which can qualify as broadband, then it can vary from 128 kilo bits per second (Kbps) to even 10 mega bits per second (Mbps) or more. Source: http://www.financialexpress.com/fe_full_story.php?content_id=24025 From arul.selvan@mic.manipal.edu Wed Dec 18 10:50:14 2002 From: arul.selvan@mic.manipal.edu (Arul Selvan MIC) Date: Wed, 18 Dec 2002 15:50:14 +0500 Subject: [icernet] Doordarshan Looks Beyond Satyam For An Integrated Site Message-ID: <3fa7577f.577f3fa7@manipal.edu> Public broadcaster Doordarshan began its portal initiative way back in 2000, But ironically, it is still negotiating with companies to put in place an integrated website. While, DD had earlier announced Satyam Infoway (Sify) as its partner in the venture, now it is another story altogether. Source: http://www.financialexpress.com/fe_full_story.php?content_id=24028 From arul.selvan@mic.manipal.edu Wed Dec 18 10:45:38 2002 From: arul.selvan@mic.manipal.edu (Arul Selvan MIC) Date: Wed, 18 Dec 2002 15:45:38 +0500 Subject: [icernet] Indian media splashes Hindu nationalist victory in Gujarat Message-ID: India's media splashed the Hindu nationalist BJP's massive electoral victory in assembly polls in riot-torn Gujarat state, crediting caretaker chief minister Narendra Modi with the landslide. The surprise result, in which the Bhartiya Janta Party (BJP) scored a two-thirds majority with 126 seats in the 182 member assembly, dominated the front pages of all major newspapers. Source: http://abc.net.au/news/newsitems/s748986.htm From arul.selvan@mic.manipal.edu Wed Dec 18 11:04:26 2002 From: arul.selvan@mic.manipal.edu (Arul Selvan MIC) Date: Wed, 18 Dec 2002 16:04:26 +0500 Subject: [icernet] Govt to monitor television content Message-ID: <4c8a41fe.41fe4c8a@manipal.edu> The government had earlier taken objection to airing of some "horror and thriller" shows on cable and satellite channels that were considered to have negative effect on children. Indian Broadcasting Foundation is said to be looking at shifting such programmes on to late night slots or at times when children are not likely to be watching television. Meanwhile, the Indian Broadcasting Foundation is close to finalising a programming code that is to be followed by the member-broadcasters. The government move to regulate and monitor content on the small screen comes close on the heels of Parliament giving its seal of approval to making addressability mandatory for viewing pay chennals. This would help to roll out conditional access regime in the country over the next six to 12 months. Source: http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/cms.dll/html/uncomp/articleshow?artid=31663200 From arul.selvan@mic.manipal.edu Wed Dec 18 11:07:36 2002 From: arul.selvan@mic.manipal.edu (Arul Selvan MIC) Date: Wed, 18 Dec 2002 16:07:36 +0500 Subject: [icernet] Who would be the broadband operators? Message-ID: <4d5242c6.42c64d52@manipal.edu> World over, the general trend is that the players in broadband business are the basic telecom operators, cable operators and/or Internet service providers. Most suitable to enter the field are basic operators - a trend slowly catching up in India. Source: http://www.financialexpress.com/fe_full_story.php?content_id=24027 From arul.selvan@mic.manipal.edu Thu Dec 19 10:49:19 2002 From: arul.selvan@mic.manipal.edu (Arul Selvan MIC) Date: Thu, 19 Dec 2002 15:49:19 +0500 Subject: [icernet] Gujarat, BJP And The Media Message-ID: <9108ae19.ae199108@manipal.edu> The Congress had everything to gain and the BJP everything to lose. But the results have confounded this neat package of assumptions and analyses. The real lesson from Gujarat perhaps lies not in why Modi won but how the national media is so out of sync with reality and how it has advanced so little beyond the euphemisms it uses. No matter how undesirable to many, the Modi victory comes from a free and fair election. The people have spoken. Many of us hardly feel happy about it, and in fact it offers real fodder for thought regarding Indian society and how public opinion is moulded, but in the long term it is equally dangerous to have a media which is so powerful but also so self-righteous, opinionated and openly in league with political parties. Source: http://www.financialexpress.com/fe_full_story.php?content_id=24094 From arul.selvan@mic.manipal.edu Thu Dec 19 11:08:28 2002 From: arul.selvan@mic.manipal.edu (Arul Selvan MIC) Date: Thu, 19 Dec 2002 16:08:28 +0500 Subject: [icernet] Regulator for TV channels mooted Message-ID: The information and broadcasting ministry is planning to set up an independent broadcasting regulatory authority for content regulation on television channels following the delay in the passage of the Communications Convergence Bill. According to the officials, the regulatory authority will also have adequate powers to penalise channels, which do not accord to parameters set by the authority. Source: http://www.business-standard.com/today/story.asp?Menu=2&story=4241 From arul.selvan@mic.manipal.edu Thu Dec 19 11:10:52 2002 From: arul.selvan@mic.manipal.edu (Arul Selvan MIC) Date: Thu, 19 Dec 2002 16:10:52 +0500 Subject: [icernet] "Asian Age" ties up with "New York Times" Message-ID: "The Asian Age" has entered into an agreement with "The New York Times" to bring out a weekly section of news and features from December 21 along with its Mumbai edition. The special supplement is basically an "editorial package" and created by NYT for the Mumbai edition for Saturdays publication. Source: http://www.outlookindia.com/pti_news.asp?id=104855 From arul.selvan@mic.manipal.edu Thu Dec 19 11:14:12 2002 From: arul.selvan@mic.manipal.edu (Arul Selvan MIC) Date: Thu, 19 Dec 2002 16:14:12 +0500 Subject: [icernet] E-media watcher looks into online journalism's crystal ball Message-ID: In 2003, online ad revenues will be up and paid-content revenue models down, e-media watcher Steve Outing predicts for Editor & Publisher. Outing is optimistic that 2003 will also bring in a flashier Web, as the improvement of Macromedia's Flash technology allows designers to start creating more multimedia, interactive content for broadband. The most loathed form of Internet advertising, the pop-up, will eventually become extinct, Outing predicts, thanks to the increasingly popular pop-up blockers. Instead, Outing believes media-rich ads will dominate cyberspace in 2003, and better targeting of online ads -- due to an increase in visitor registration at Web sites -- could encourage online ad spending. Thus comes Outing's suggestion that news sites steer clear of entirely subscription-based revenue models. Consumers will pay for high quality, premium content, but don't devalue the free part of a Web site, he says, since advertisers will still require high traffic numbers if they are to spend money online. Despite optimism that 2003 will bring more great things for online publishers, Outing fears that most newspapers won't move quickly enough to capitalize on the recruitment market. Source: http://www.editorandpublisher.com/editorandpublisher/features_columns/article_display.jsp?vnu_content_id=1779308 From arul.selvan@mic.manipal.edu Thu Dec 19 11:18:26 2002 From: arul.selvan@mic.manipal.edu (Arul Selvan MIC) Date: Thu, 19 Dec 2002 16:18:26 +0500 Subject: [icernet] Choose your channels Message-ID: <9ae2f2bf.f2bf9ae2@manipal.edu> An important feature of the CAS is that, unlike in the past, viewers would be able to subscribe to only those pay channels they want to watch. To be sure, its implications would be far-reaching; cutting across broadcaster, cable operators and advertisers. To begin with, considering the pervasice dissatisfaction with the present quality of television soap opera and excessive depiction of violence, the power to determine the pay channels one would receive on television sets would be valued in many Indians homes as a criticial choice; albeit only a negative one. Source: http://hinduonnet.com/thehindu/2002/12/18/stories/2002121800551000.htm From arul.selvan@mic.manipal.edu Fri Dec 20 12:09:10 2002 From: arul.selvan@mic.manipal.edu (Arul Selvan MIC) Date: Fri, 20 Dec 2002 17:09:10 +0500 Subject: [icernet] TV (almost) for free Message-ID: First and foremost, information and broadcasting minister Sushma Swaraj needs to be applauded, for having made serious attempt to bring about some semblance of order in an otherwise chaotic industry, by getting the conditional access system (CAS) related issue passed in Parliament. But now comes the billion rupee question. Will addressability in Indian cable homes really mean cheaper cable services for the average consumer in the four metros, where CAS will probably be implemented over the first phase? Source: http://www.dailypioneer.com/secon2.asp?cat=/med1&d=MEDIA From arul.selvan@mic.manipal.edu Fri Dec 20 12:14:40 2002 From: arul.selvan@mic.manipal.edu (Arul Selvan MIC) Date: Fri, 20 Dec 2002 17:14:40 +0500 Subject: [icernet] Reliability of Indian pre-poll surveys & exit polls Message-ID: <1429d126f3.126f31429d@manipal.edu> The argument would run that since there are more players, the statistical chances of going wrong increases. But beyond the apparent explanations rest more fundamental reasons on why pre-poll surveys and exit polls are becoming more and more flawed with their results rarely coming anywhere close to the final verdict. The answer, as to why the scenario has become akin to a game of guessing with numbers, can be found in imperfect models, questionable methodology and suspect political judgement. Source: http://www.dailypioneer.com/archives1/secon2.asp?cat=/opd1&d=Oped&fdnam=dec1802 From arul.selvan@mic.manipal.edu Fri Dec 20 12:20:05 2002 From: arul.selvan@mic.manipal.edu (Arul Selvan MIC) Date: Fri, 20 Dec 2002 17:20:05 +0500 Subject: [icernet] DTT & CAS to clash in metros Message-ID: <10e5511db0.11db010e55@manipal.edu> At a time when the conditional access system (CAS) is in the process of being implemented, another technology-digital terrestrial transmission (DTT) - is also in the offing. Doordarshan is planning a market roll-out of DTT around January. But there's a conflict: For both CAS and DTT, you need separate decoder set-top boxes. And although the two technologies are being targeted at different segments, both are being launched in the metros first. The question is, will there be any DTT takers in metros with just five DD channels in the bouquet, when CAS is a reality too? Source: http://www.financialexpress.com/fe_full_story.php?content_id=24174 From arul.selvan@mic.manipal.edu Fri Dec 20 12:26:42 2002 From: arul.selvan@mic.manipal.edu (Arul Selvan MIC) Date: Fri, 20 Dec 2002 17:26:42 +0500 Subject: [icernet] Oh, but there is a nipple in the air Message-ID: One of our contemporaries has been spending a lot of time on the billboards lately. A few months ago, The Times of India announced it had become the largest circulated English daily in the world. More recently, it informed us, quoting the Indian Readership Survey, that it had become the most read English newspaper in New Delhi, displacing the Hindustan Times. Such growth deserves to be studied, if only to critically assess what must, if true, be the biggest publishing success story the world has known. Source: http://www.thestatesman.net/page.arcview.php?date=2002-12-15&clid=4&id=7602 From arulselvan@vasnet.co.in Sat Dec 21 05:19:05 2002 From: arulselvan@vasnet.co.in (Arul Selvan) Date: Sat, 21 Dec 2002 10:49:05 +0530 Subject: [icernet] REUTERS ORGANIZES BUSINESS JOURNALISM COURSE Message-ID: The Reuters Foundation is organizing a course on writing business news to be held in Sofia, Bulgaria, in April 2003. The course is designed for journalists from transitional and developing countries and aims at helping them develop skills in newsgathering and presentation. Exercises built around simulated news cases are central to the course. Another focus of the course is improving participants' knowledge of financial markets, both national and international. Presentations, detailed briefings and occasional visits to financial institutions will also be part of the program. Eligible applicants from countries in economic or political Transition and from countries of the developing world must have at least two years of professional experience, and must work as journalists or contribute regularly to media organizations. Applicants also must demonstrate devotion to practicing journalism in their home countries. Reuters Foundation will cover travel expenses and accommodations of selected applicants and provide them with a moderate living allowance. Applicants need to fill out an application form and supply the following materials to be considered for the course: a biography, a story on the state of their country's economy, a statement describing their work as journalists, recent samples of published work, and a letter from their current employer, supporting their participation in the program. All applications should be sent to The Director, Reuters Foundation, 85 Fleet Street, London EC4P 4AJ, UK. For an online application and for more detail on the course, visit Reuters Foundation at http://www.foundation.reuters.com/Journalism/businessnews/index.htm From arulselvan@vasnet.co.in Sun Dec 22 15:45:37 2002 From: arulselvan@vasnet.co.in (Arul Selvan) Date: Sun, 22 Dec 2002 21:15:37 +0530 Subject: [icernet] Govt To Freeze Frame On FDI In TV News Channels By Jan Message-ID: <3E05DE21.2090102@vasnet.co.in> The Union Cabinet will consider three options before making a decision on the foreign equity component of news TV channels uplinking from India, according to Information & Broadcasting Minister Sushma Swaraj. The Cabinet may either bring the TV news channels’ foreign equity structure on par with FDI in news publications (26 per cent), or make it comparable with other areas in broadcasting (cable and direct-to-home) at 49 per cent. Yet another option before the Cabinet is to bar news channels with foreign equity from uplinking altogether. Source: http://www.financialexpress.com/fe_full_story.php?content_id=24330 From arulselvan@vasnet.co.in Sun Dec 22 15:45:56 2002 From: arulselvan@vasnet.co.in (Arul Selvan) Date: Sun, 22 Dec 2002 21:15:56 +0530 Subject: [icernet] Year of the viewer Message-ID: <3E05DE34.4010703@vasnet.co.in> In 2002, TV viewers were wooed silly, their every whim and fancy tracked. They had a growing, increasingly high spending entertainment industry on their toes. Much sleep was lost by many high powered industry honchos over figuring out what such people would watch and what they would buy. Source: http://hinduonnet.com/thehindu/mag/stories/2002122200640300.htm From arul.selvan@mic.manipal.edu Mon Dec 23 11:10:35 2002 From: arul.selvan@mic.manipal.edu (Arul Selvan MIC) Date: Mon, 23 Dec 2002 16:10:35 +0500 Subject: [icernet] As many as 67 journalists slain in 2002 Message-ID: As many as 67 media professionals lost their lives in 2002, sparking plans to create a new organization to increase awareness of journalism's perils, according to the International Federation of Journalists (IFJ). The IFJ's report said kidnapping and beheading of Wall Street Journal reporter Daniel Pearl by Islamic militants in Pakistan called attention to the targeting of investigative reporters this year; the organization named Colombia, Russia and Pakistan as the most dangerous areas for journalists. The IFJ intends to start an International News Safety Institution in 2003 with help from media groups and unions to improve "a culture of safety awareness,'' according to IFJ general secretary Aidan White. "It is time for the international community and the media industry to join hands in a new campaign to hunt down those who target journalists for asking the tough questions that help keep democracy intact," White said. The IFJ represents more than 500,000 journalists globally. Source: http://www.newsday.com/news/nationworld/world/wire/sns-ap-journalists-slain1220dec20,0,2679073.story?coll=sns-ap-world-headlines From arul.selvan@mic.manipal.edu Mon Dec 23 11:12:41 2002 From: arul.selvan@mic.manipal.edu (Arul Selvan MIC) Date: Mon, 23 Dec 2002 16:12:41 +0500 Subject: [icernet] Govt Mulls Opening Ku Band For Broadcast Message-ID: After lifting the ban on Ku band for direct-to-home (DTH) television, the government is examining the proposal to allow Ku band uplinking for all TV broadcasting, according to information and broadcasting minister Sushma Swaraj. This is in response to representations made by a group of teleport owners and the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII), the minister said. Source: http://www.financialexpress.com/fe_full_story.php?content_id=24391 From arul.selvan@mic.manipal.edu Mon Dec 23 11:18:48 2002 From: arul.selvan@mic.manipal.edu (Arul Selvan MIC) Date: Mon, 23 Dec 2002 16:18:48 +0500 Subject: [icernet] Cybertrends: Deep linking, copyright, convergence and more Message-ID: The conversation with two cyberlaw experts in India covers a wide range of legal issues directly impacting news media on the Internet: linking, deep linking, hyperlinking, framing, domain name disputes, privacy, confidentiality, defamation, and Cybercrime. Pavan Duggal is a practicing advocate at the Supreme Court of India, specialising in cyberlaw. He is the author of the book "Cyberlaw - The Indian Perspective." Na. Vijayashankar ("Naavi") is an e-business and cyberlaw consultant based in Chennai. He is the author of the book "Cyberlaw for Netizens." For details: http://www.inomy.com/midd2.asp?storyid=1223021§ion_code=17&subsection_code=49&page=Subsection%20Page1749 From arulselvan@vasnet.co.in Tue Dec 24 15:58:42 2002 From: arulselvan@vasnet.co.in (Arul Selvan) Date: Tue, 24 Dec 2002 21:28:42 +0530 Subject: [icernet] Press Council asks media not to show mangled bodies Message-ID: <3E088432.5020906@vasnet.co.in> "While reporting news with regard to terrorist attacks or communal riots, the media should not publish pictures of mangled corpses or any other pictures which can create terror, or revulsion or ignite communal passion among people," the Press Council's new guideline said. The Council appealed to the media to follow this guideline in "national interest" while discharging its duties. Source: http://www.outlookindia.com/pti_news.asp?id=106771 From arulselvan@vasnet.co.in Tue Dec 24 15:58:49 2002 From: arulselvan@vasnet.co.in (Arul Selvan) Date: Tue, 24 Dec 2002 21:28:49 +0530 Subject: [icernet] Hollywood formula clicks better Message-ID: <3E088439.9050902@vasnet.co.in> Bollywood may have delivered duds this year, but Hollywood has sure had its share of hits in India. So while you had the spooky Vikram Bhatt-directed Raaz generating revenues of Rs 20 crore, Marvel comic character Spiderman grossed around Rs 26.1 crore here. Are Indians preferring `phoren fillums' to Hindi masalas? The appetite for English films has been growing over the years. According to estimates, the size of the Indian film industry is about Rs 3,000-3,500 crore and the share of Hollywood films is about 10 per cent, about Rs 300 crore. This has been growing at around seven per cent each year. The Hindi film industry is already facing losses of about Rs 300 crore this year. Source: http://blonnet.com/2002/12/23/stories/2002122301920100.htm From arulselvan@vasnet.co.in Tue Dec 24 15:58:36 2002 From: arulselvan@vasnet.co.in (Arul Selvan) Date: Tue, 24 Dec 2002 21:28:36 +0530 Subject: [icernet] All Channels Will Go Free To Air: Sushma Message-ID: <3E08842C.2070101@vasnet.co.in> As CAS is likely to restrict pay channels’ entry into cable homes, it might make sense for broadcasters to opt for only ad revenues. So far, the ratio between ad revenues and subscription revenues in the industry is at around 80:20. Overall, revenues in the Indian television industry stand at around Rs 5,000 crore. But, as a recent research points out, even if all channels go free-to-air, there will still be a limitation on how many one can watch. For, under CAS, there will be a cap on the number of free-to-air channels. Source: http://www.financialexpress.com/fe_full_story.php?content_id=24448 From arulselvan@vasnet.co.in Tue Dec 24 15:58:56 2002 From: arulselvan@vasnet.co.in (Arul Selvan) Date: Tue, 24 Dec 2002 21:28:56 +0530 Subject: [icernet] Bollywood 2002 & Beyond Message-ID: <3E088440.60108@vasnet.co.in> The festive season may be upon us but there's a gloomy mist over Bollywood. 2002 has seen a spate of flops, underworld threats and unstoppable piracy which has left the Hindi film world in crisis. An air of pessimism pervades the world's largest film industry. What's more, the quality of films has gone from bad to worse, and even unashamedly lifting scripts from Hollywood is not pulling in the crowds anymore! If anything did save the film industry in 2002, it has been the growing non-resident Indian (NRI) market. Films may have done badly in India but some recovered their money due to desis all around the world flocking to theatres like never before. In Britain itself, such has been the craze that big Cinema houses like Warner and Odeon have followed Cineworld's initial gamble and thrown open the doors to Bollywood with tremendous success. Films like Devdas even reached number 5 in British film charts. Source: http://www.clickwalla.com/article.php?cid=26&aid=1489 From arulselvan@vasnet.co.in Wed Dec 25 15:43:06 2002 From: arulselvan@vasnet.co.in (Arul Selvan) Date: Wed, 25 Dec 2002 21:13:06 +0530 Subject: [icernet] FM Phase II: No Resource-sharing, Overlap Between AIR, Pvt Players Message-ID: <3E09D20A.4030108@vasnet.co.in> Having binged on resource-sharing between All India Radio (AIR) and private FM players in the first phase of privatisation, the government is taking a second look at the concept for the next round of private FM. In fact, the government is examining a strategy, whereby AIR FM stations and private FM radio do not overlap in coverage, according to a Prasar Bharati official. Source: http://www.financialexpress.com/fe_full_story.php?content_id=24514 From arulselvan@vasnet.co.in Wed Dec 25 15:43:15 2002 From: arulselvan@vasnet.co.in (Arul Selvan) Date: Wed, 25 Dec 2002 21:13:15 +0530 Subject: [icernet] All India Radio, BBC In Commercial Tango Message-ID: <3E09D213.9000707@vasnet.co.in> In an interesting development, BBC has entered into a commercial deal with All India Radio (AIR). Although known in India for its ‘news’ strength, BBC World Service has bought a weekly time slot on AIR FM1 for a lifestyle programme—BBC Extra. Commenting on the deal, AIR deputy director general (commercial) M S Rugmani said that BBC was paying Rs 8,000 for every programme (30 minutes) and there will be no ad spots on the show. Under the sponsored format, BBC Extra falls in category I. In all, there are five slots—category AI, I, II, III and IV (in AIR). While the top category—AI—does not accommodate any sponsored programmes because it is already full-up, its ad spot rate is fixed at Rs 900 per 10 seconds. The lowest rung—category IV—is the late night slot with only repeat programmes, and therefore no rates are fixed for this slab. Category III has programmes at Rs 4,000 per half an hour and the ad spot rate is fixed at Rs 300 per 10 seconds. The categories are decided by internal AIR survey and advertisers’ response. The AI category ranges from 8 to 10 in the morning and 6 to 7 in the evening, and the last rung (category IV) is the late night slot. Source: http://www.financialexpress.com/fe_full_story.php?content_id=23501 From arulselvan@vasnet.co.in Wed Dec 25 15:43:23 2002 From: arulselvan@vasnet.co.in (Arul Selvan) Date: Wed, 25 Dec 2002 21:13:23 +0530 Subject: [icernet] Journalists should expose abuse of power: Tejpal Message-ID: <3E09D21B.2090908@vasnet.co.in> Tarun Tejpal, the editor-in-chief of Tehelka.com said that plain reporting of events was the practice sometime back, but it was the duty of the journalists of the 21st century to expose corruption and abuse of power by men who are at the helm of affairs. Speaking before a large gathering of journalists at the Press Club here, Tejpal referred to the match fixing exposure and defence equipment procurement deals which made headlines for the Tehelka.com, asserting that on every occasion his organisation ensured that there was no tampering with truth. Source: http://www.outlookindia.com/pti_news.asp?id=107216 From arulselvan@vasnet.co.in Wed Dec 25 15:43:28 2002 From: arulselvan@vasnet.co.in (Arul Selvan) Date: Wed, 25 Dec 2002 21:13:28 +0530 Subject: [icernet] How the ad industry can win back its respect Message-ID: <3E09D220.8010603@vasnet.co.in> Talking on `Creative Business Ideas - Way Forward for the Advertising Industry', Mr Raina, Chairman and CEO, India/Middle East, Euro RSCG Advertising, said the industry had not walked the talk about remodelling itself. "The ad agency is a bridge between the client's offer and the minds of end-users, a system for turning insights into creativity into relationships and profits," but the ad agency of today still "resists breaking old remuneration models and does not think beyond a 30-second TVC or a double-spread print ad", he said. "While the industry was busy protecting its 15 per cent, consulting firms evolved the strategy, research agencies found the insights, the media firms got deals with the clients, public relations agencies made the CEOs famous, event managers did the media launches and celebrity models did the creative," Mr Raina remarked, saying it was "time to do something spectacular and win back our clients". Source: http://blonnet.com/2002/12/24/stories/2002122401820600.htm From arulselvan@vasnet.co.in Wed Dec 25 15:43:37 2002 From: arulselvan@vasnet.co.in (Arul Selvan) Date: Wed, 25 Dec 2002 21:13:37 +0530 Subject: [icernet] How technology helps rural healthcare system Message-ID: <3E09D229.1060206@vasnet.co.in> In an era where handheld gizmos are changing the way we live and communicate, particularly for the upwardly mobile, here is piece from the rural heartland. Mobile devices are bringing dramatic changes in the lives of people at grassroots level in the country, albeit in a small and yet certain way. The research and development centre of CMC Ltd, which is now part of the TCS following its acquisition earlier this year, is working on three interesting information technology projects — the India Health Care Project, the Integrated Tribal Management Project and an education project that seek to empower people at grassroots using handheld devices. Source: http://blonnet.com/2002/12/24/stories/2002122401511700.htm From arul.selvan@manipal.edu Thu Dec 26 22:36:06 2002 From: arul.selvan@manipal.edu (Arul Selvan MIC) Date: Thu, 26 Dec 2002 17:36:06 -0500 (GMT+5) Subject: [icernet] 007: The Licence To Entertain Message-ID: <64481.203.90.115.194.1040942166.squirrel@mail.vasnet.co.in> The existing version of a non-ideological master spy who looks at the world in black and white as the good versus the bad guys, who on screen lives out all our subliminal fantasies regarding beautiful women and keeps us at the edge of our seats as we devour popcorn and let the magic of a fast cut narrative transport us into a world of fantasy. That indeed is what the Bond magic is all about even after 40 years of hitting the silver screens. Source: http://www.financialexpress.com/fe_full_story.php?content_id=24568 From arul.selvan@manipal.edu Thu Dec 26 22:38:24 2002 From: arul.selvan@manipal.edu (Arul Selvan MIC) Date: Thu, 26 Dec 2002 17:38:24 -0500 (GMT+5) Subject: [icernet] When will we have e-democracy? Message-ID: <65391.203.90.115.194.1040942304.squirrel@mail.vasnet.co.in> Accountability seems very nearly absent. Even for stake-holders, information is rather difficult to come by and their plight is compounded by the style of functioning of the administrators. Of course, the situation is much worse for others, including the media. The new buzzword "e-democracy" must catch on soon for India to have good public governance. Source: http://www.thehindubusinessline.com/2002/12/25/stories/2002122500030800.htm From arul.selvan@manipal.edu Thu Dec 26 22:40:15 2002 From: arul.selvan@manipal.edu (Arul Selvan MIC) Date: Thu, 26 Dec 2002 17:40:15 -0500 (GMT+5) Subject: [icernet] RMG David to break ground in `promising' medium radio Message-ID: <33506.203.90.115.194.1040942415.squirrel@mail.vasnet.co.in> Radio still plays the role of a support medium, at best, and is not yet a serious part of any media planner's budget, but it has enormous potential and provides an exciting opportunity for innovation. "The radio revolution is back - and there is a lot of exciting stuff happening," said Mr Josy Paul, Country Head & National Creative Director, rmg david. Currently, although listenership for FM in the metros is growing and more clients are asking for radio, there is not much innovation in programming formats or content, Mr Paul said. Programming mostly comprises 30-minute slots of music countdowns and request shows, with commercial breaks and radio jockey-chat. "We can have three-minute programming slots, and it doesn't have to be a 30-second commercial spot, either," Mr Paul said. "Radio offers another sense - sound - so people have to be innovative - we're not exploiting the medium enough." Source: http://www.thehindubusinessline.com/2002/12/25/stories/2002122501520600.htm From arulselvan@vasnet.co.in Fri Dec 27 14:34:46 2002 From: arulselvan@vasnet.co.in (Arul Selvan) Date: Fri, 27 Dec 2002 20:04:46 +0530 Subject: [icernet] Roller coaster entertainment Message-ID: <3E0C6506.3000808@vasnet.co.in> It promises to be an action-packed 2003 for the entertainment and media sector. Not only is healthy growth on the cards, analysts predict whole new segments will open for this Rs 10,000 crore industry. The news battle will be fought in April with the launch of four news channels — two from NDTV and one each from TV Today and Star. Television viewers will enjoy much more freedom in metros with the rollout of Conditional Access System expected in June. Number crunchers are fairly confident that Star Plus will continue to dominate as the top entertainment channel in 2003. As far as foreign direct investment in print goes, the main action will be in the non-news segment while it will still take some time before the pace picks up in the news segment. Much of the current mess in the private FM radio stations will get sorted out. Delhi consumers will be able to tune in to private FM stations by March. Community FM stations will also be rolled out in educational institutions in the first quarter of the coming year. Source: http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/cms.dll/html/uncomp/articleshow?artid=32490463 From arulselvan@vasnet.co.in Fri Dec 27 14:34:42 2002 From: arulselvan@vasnet.co.in (Arul Selvan) Date: Fri, 27 Dec 2002 20:04:42 +0530 Subject: [icernet] CII to direct regional film industry Message-ID: <3E0C6502.2010905@vasnet.co.in> The Confederation of Indian Industry (CII), in collaboration with the South Indian Film Chamber of Commerce (SIFCC) and the Tamil Nadu Cine Artistes' Association, plans to organise a film festival to attract international attention for regional movies. S.R. Ramanathan, CII southern region's chairman of the working group on film industry, pointed out that regional films contribute about 50 percent of the total number of movies produced in this country every year.Indian films reach 100 countries and the export is worth Rs.5 billion now. However, the profits do not reach the Indian filmmakers due to video piracy and underselling of rights.As many as 70,000 films in various languages have been made in this country since 1931, said Sarath Kumar, a film star, and an MP. Source: http://www.newindpress.com/Newsitems.asp?ID=IEB20021226090126 From arulselvan@vasnet.co.in Fri Dec 27 14:34:59 2002 From: arulselvan@vasnet.co.in (Arul Selvan) Date: Fri, 27 Dec 2002 20:04:59 +0530 Subject: [icernet] Press Council advises against liquor, tobacco ads Message-ID: <3E0C6513.5020101@vasnet.co.in> The Press Council has asked newspapers to refrain from carrying advertisements of tobacco products, liquor and other intoxicants "directly or indirectly" promoting their production, sale or consumption. This follows a request to the Council to "appropriately advise" newspapers in connection with surrogate or other advertising with regard to liquor, tobacco and cigarettes made by the Consultative Committee of MPs through Government, a release from the Council here today said. Source: http://www.outlookindia.com/pti_news.asp?id=107570 From arulselvan@vasnet.co.in Fri Dec 27 14:35:13 2002 From: arulselvan@vasnet.co.in (Arul Selvan) Date: Fri, 27 Dec 2002 20:05:13 +0530 Subject: [icernet] Timely CAS May Boost Revenues For Broadcasters, MSOs: I-Sec Survey Message-ID: <3E0C6521.9060302@vasnet.co.in> Heres yet another survey on yet-to-be rolled out technologyconditional access system (CAS). If Information and Broadcasting Minister Sushma Swaraj surprised the industry by forecasting that all pay channels would gradually shift to a free-to-air regime, a recent survey by ICICI Securities points out that broadcasters would now need to optimise the advertisement and pay revenue trade-off paradigm to maximise revenues. Although the Indian Broadcasting Foundation (IBF) is now backing CAS, earlier several broadcasters had opposed the same, particularly criticising the way it was being introduced. The I-Sec survey should bring greater cheer to the broadcasters fraternity. It says that if implemented in a timely manner, CAS would expand the pay revenues for broadcasters and MSOs through increased declaration of subscribers. Source: http://www.financialexpress.com/fe_full_story.php?content_id=24628 From arulselvan@vasnet.co.in Fri Dec 27 14:35:04 2002 From: arulselvan@vasnet.co.in (Arul Selvan) Date: Fri, 27 Dec 2002 20:05:04 +0530 Subject: [icernet] WLL reaches the villages via postmen Message-ID: <3E0C6518.9000003@vasnet.co.in> THE Grameen Sanchar Sewak (GSS), a pilot project of Bharat Sanchar Nigam Ltd (BSNL) to provide accessibility of public telephone to the rural population by using wireless in local loop (WLL) technology, is a unique step, which ought to be replicated by other countries if they want increase teledensity, the Prime Minister, Mr Atal Bihari Vajpayee, has said. Launching the pilot project on Tuesday, the Prime Minister noted that this project should provide the roadmap for the growth of telecom in the country. The GSS project, Mr. Pramod Mahajann said, would go a long way in meeting the teledensity targets set in the New Telecom Policy 99. Source: http://blonnet.com/2002/12/26/stories/2002122601470400.htm From arulselvan@vasnet.co.in Sun Dec 29 15:17:49 2002 From: arulselvan@vasnet.co.in (Arul Selvan) Date: Sun, 29 Dec 2002 20:47:49 +0530 Subject: [icernet] Bollywood taps Valley VCs Message-ID: The Hindi film industry is, in fact, looking for venture capital from the Silicon Valley in a big way and has formed an e-entertainment industry alliance which combines the Ficci entertainment division, Nasscom and TiE to explore the possibility of attracting VC funds to Bollywood. Says Bobby Bedi, MD Kaleidoscope and producer of Saathiya: "While the Indian IT industry started with hardly any advantage globally, the film industry is 50 years old. We also have a huge market both domestic and global and like the IT industry, a large pool of talent. Hence we are trying to apply the venture funding model to entertainment as well.'' Source: http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/cms.dll/html/uncomp/articleshow?artid=32 699310 From arulselvan@vasnet.co.in Sun Dec 29 15:17:55 2002 From: arulselvan@vasnet.co.in (Arul Selvan) Date: Sun, 29 Dec 2002 20:47:55 +0530 Subject: [icernet] English media failed to gauge Gujarati pulse: scribes Message-ID: Most of the English newspapers and magazines failed to understand the pulse of the local Gujaratis during the just-concluded assembly polls, leading journalists said today. English media which have the power to influence opinion among the elite masses failed to gauge the mood of the tribals and other Gujaratis and projected Chief Minister Narendra Modi as a reincarnation of Milosevic, whereas the voters perceived him as the saviour of Hindus, they said. Source: http://www.outlookindia.com/pti_news.asp?id=107688 From arulselvan@vasnet.co.in Sun Dec 29 15:17:53 2002 From: arulselvan@vasnet.co.in (Arul Selvan) Date: Sun, 29 Dec 2002 20:47:53 +0530 Subject: [icernet] Time wakes up to Bollywood's appeal Message-ID: Sanjay Leela Bhansali's version of Saratchandra Chatterjee's 'Devdas' has found mention in this year's top ten films in the world listed by the Time magazine. 'Devdas' is an "all-singing, all-dancing, all-fired spectacle which gives a colourful introduction to Bollywood" said Time placing it fourth in its list of top ten films in world cinema this year. 'Devdas' has been ranked ahead of films like Steven Spielberg's 'Minority Report,' Laurent Cantet's 'Time Out' (France), Hayao Miyazaki's 'Spirited Away (Japan), and Peter Jackson's 'The Lord Of The Rings: The Two Towers (New Zealand). Source: http://www.hinduonnet.com/thehindu/holnus/09281608.htm From arulselvan@vasnet.co.in Mon Dec 30 15:08:25 2002 From: arulselvan@vasnet.co.in (Arul Selvan) Date: Mon, 30 Dec 2002 20:38:25 +0530 Subject: [icernet] Ad revenue of private TV channels up 42% Message-ID: <3E106169.6070900@vasnet.co.in> Advertising revenues of TV channels will stand at Rs 3,758 crore this fiscal, up from an ad spend of Rs 2,900 crore in the previous fiscal - a 30% rise - according to the Indian Broadcasting Foundation (IBF). Breaking up the figures, one finds that out of the Rs 3,758 crore TV channel ad revenues, private channels will account for a whopping Rs 3,143 crore, while the earlier king of the ring Doordarshan will end up with Rs 615 crore in ad revenues. Last year, the private channels had clocked ad revenues of Rs 2,200 crore, thereby showing a growth of 43% this year. Meanwhile, the revenues of Doordarshan fell from Rs 700 crore last year to Rs 615 crore this year — a fall of 12%. A senior industry official told ET, “Only four TV companies — Star, Sun, Zee and Sony — are making serious money. The rest are mostly bleeding.” Source: http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/cms.dll/html/uncomp/articleshow?artid=32792822 From arulselvan@vasnet.co.in Mon Dec 30 15:08:20 2002 From: arulselvan@vasnet.co.in (Arul Selvan) Date: Mon, 30 Dec 2002 20:38:20 +0530 Subject: [icernet] Aaj Tak's English channel from Feb Message-ID: <3E106164.4020006@vasnet.co.in> TV Today Chief Executive Officer G Krishnan said ''we plan to launch another channel, the plans for the same are in the final stages, and the channel is expected to start broadcasting by mid-February.'' Aaj Tak, which had commenced as a nightly half-hour programme on Doordarshan, created the genre of news among television channels. Aaj Tak leads the number game. Krishnan claimed that the channel presently enjoys 55 per cent market share amongst the news channels and a reach of 30 million households, the highest amongst the news channels. From 2000 to 2001, all news channels excluding Aaj Tak grew by 52 per cent, whereas news channels including Aaj Tak grew by 160 per cent. In other words, the growth of the news channel market was driven by Aaj Tak. He claimed that 'the ad pie for the news channel market is growing and is expected to reach Rs 500 crore in the next two years.' Source: http://news.sify.com/cgi-bin/sifynews/news/content/news_fullstory_v2.jsp?article_oid=12373128&category_oid=-20614 From arulselvan@vasnet.co.in Mon Dec 30 15:16:18 2002 From: arulselvan@vasnet.co.in (Arul Selvan) Date: Mon, 30 Dec 2002 20:46:18 +0530 Subject: [icernet] New Year herald changes at SET Message-ID: <3E106342.6030303@vasnet.co.in> THE New Year will herald several changes at Sony Entertainment Television (SET), including a hike in the monthly subscription fee for One Alliance. The network will continue look for other alliances, but with an eye on quality rather than quantity, said Mr Rohit Gupta, Executive Vice-President & Head - Sales & Revenue Management, and Channel & Business Head of HBO and AXN. The One Alliance currently includes Sony, Max, AXN, CNBC, Discovery and Animal Planet; distribution of CNBC will move to Zee-Turner from April next year. SET has identified three core areas: mass entertainment Hindi, English and cricket. Any alliances will be linked to these existing structures, Mr Gupta said. To expand its market, the company has expressed an interest in aligning with a news channel, a music channel and, possibly, a kids' channel. While these would make sense from the distribution side - "it would complete our bouquet," Mr Gupta said - the network is moving slowly because of the small volumes in ad sales. "News is a high growth area, but revenues are small in music," Mr Gupta pointed out. Source: http://blonnet.com/2002/12/28/stories/2002122800480600.htm From arulselvan at vasnet.co.in Sun Dec 1 21:45:10 2002 From: arulselvan at vasnet.co.in (Arul Selvan) Date: Tue Jan 4 13:40:46 2005 Subject: [icernet] 2002: A lacklustre year for Bollywood Message-ID: <3DEA358E.5040107@vasnet.co.in> Almost all the films released this year failed to break even. Usually, the ratio of hits is about 15-20 per cent. However, this year only 7-8 per cent of films managed to generate any business. "It is a point of desperation because films aren't doing well and this year has been particularly bad for the film industry. And so obviously producers are tending to sell television rights of their films quickly. Now it is not a particularly good trend in terms of cinema business, although for television audiences it is a great bonanza," said veteran film maker Shyam Benegal. Source: http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/cms.dll/html/uncomp/articleshow?artid=29940773 From arul.selvan at mic.manipal.edu Mon Dec 2 14:43:16 2002 From: arul.selvan at mic.manipal.edu (Arul Selvan MIC) Date: Tue Jan 4 13:40:46 2005 Subject: [icernet] Google says it's a small world Message-ID: <21cca25208.2520821cca@manipal.edu> Google is the world's largest search engine, and the similarity of search queries over the 86 languages they accommodate indicate that people are thinking about the same issues globally, The New York Times reports. Everything from sports to anthrax to sex to American movies and celebrity is searched over just about every language available. Greg Rae, one of three members of Google's data logging team, said, "It's amazing how similar people are all over the world based on what they are searching for." Politics, breaking news, and natural occurrences affect searches as well. For instance, Rae said that Germany and Brazil were intensely interested in their elections as evidenced by speech and campaign traffic in those countries. Within minutes, a February 28, 2001 earthquake in Seattle increased searches for relevant info almost 200-fold. Another data logger, Amit Patel, said, "You can't interpret it unless you know what else is going on in the world." Because Google searches often reflect widely watched entertainment events on TV and in Movies, there's some question as to where the site will make commercial use of its massive data logs. However, Google currently does not allow outside access to these logs because of security issues. But the engine's popularity continues to globalize pop culture phenomena that may have previously only been known in a specific region. Source: http://www.nytimes.com/2002/11/28/technology/circuits/28goog.html?pagewanted=2 From arul.selvan at mic.manipal.edu Mon Dec 2 15:18:53 2002 From: arul.selvan at mic.manipal.edu (Arul Selvan MIC) Date: Tue Jan 4 13:40:46 2005 Subject: [icernet] FDI in print envisages inter-ministerial consultation:Govt Message-ID: <288ae2432e.2432e288ae@manipal.edu> Guidelines for permitting foreign investment in Indian entities publishing newspapers and periodicals and those in technical, scientific and speciality magazines and journals would not stipulate constitution of a committee, Rajya Sabha was told today. Source: http://www.outlookindia.com/pti_news.asp?gid=&id=101512 From arul.selvan at mic.manipal.edu Mon Dec 2 15:42:13 2002 From: arul.selvan at mic.manipal.edu (Arul Selvan MIC) Date: Tue Jan 4 13:40:46 2005 Subject: [icernet] A cartoonist who dared the high and the mighty Message-ID: <261492246a.2246a26149@manipal.edu> Cartoonist Abu Abraham, who died here today, took his art at a new intellectual high seldom failing to communicate his message across the spectrum of readers. "A good cartoon is like a poster. What it wants to say should be clear," Abu, whose witty and sharp poltical cartoons had made a tremendous impact on readers over the decades, had once said. Rated among the best in the art of cartooning, Abu, with a liberal outlook and steadfast socialist ideals, added political meaning to all his pieces. Source: http://www.outlookindia.com/pti_news.asp?id=101427 ---------------- Cartoonist who stepped out of line - Unny http://www.newindpress.com/Newsitems.asp?ID=IEH20021202011416 He stood tall when others crawled - Sudhir http://www.hindustantimes.com/news/181_112331,0008.htm From arul.selvan at mic.manipal.edu Mon Dec 2 15:46:40 2002 From: arul.selvan at mic.manipal.edu (Arul Selvan MIC) Date: Tue Jan 4 13:40:46 2005 Subject: [icernet] 620 million Indians are waiting for IT Message-ID: <286c028491.28491286c0@manipal.edu> Over 62% of all Indians can't use computers because they don't know English. And despite a 20-year headstart, the Indian-language software industry remains less than a drop in the Rs 62,000-cr Indian IT industry. Bogged down by lack of standardization, the industry has been overshadowed by the success of software exports. But the burgeoning e-governance vertical and growing compliance to Unicode standards could well turn the fortunes of this industry. Source: http://www.dqindia.com/content/top_stories/102110901.asp From arul.selvan at mic.manipal.edu Mon Dec 2 16:02:39 2002 From: arul.selvan at mic.manipal.edu (Arul Selvan MIC) Date: Tue Jan 4 13:40:46 2005 Subject: [icernet] Is our live coverage of terror strikes insensitive? Message-ID: <29e2e2a192.2a19229e2e@manipal.edu> No. Television only mirrors reality with speed and accuracy. Rajdeep Sardesai,Managing Editor, NDTV http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/cms.dll/html/uncomp/articleshow?artid=29890723 Yes. Atmospherics seem to matter more than content. Nalini Singh, Managing Director, TVLIVE http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/cms.dll/articleshow?artid=29890841 From arulselvan at vasnet.co.in Tue Dec 3 19:46:07 2002 From: arulselvan at vasnet.co.in (Arul Selvan) Date: Tue Jan 4 13:40:46 2005 Subject: [icernet] Experts warn against commercialisation of media Message-ID: <3DECBCA7.5040805@vasnet.co.in> In the present scenario, media tend to create new material needs in the society to sell their products to consumers who are better off even without them, Editor of 'Dainik Bhaskar' Vashwant Vyas told a symposium on 'Media Techniques and Broadcasting' . Practising media persons must understand the inherent relationships between the controlling capital and the media's role in society, Vyas said. The role of mediapersons has become all the more important with advertisements occupying major space in today's media and only their commitment could be the saving grace, he added. Source: http://www.outlookindia.com/pti_news.asp?id=101874 From arulselvan at vasnet.co.in Tue Dec 3 19:46:16 2002 From: arulselvan at vasnet.co.in (Arul Selvan) Date: Tue Jan 4 13:40:46 2005 Subject: [icernet] Five journalists awarded K K Birla Foundation fellowships Message-ID: <3DECBCB0.7070906@vasnet.co.in> Seven persons, including five journalists, have been awarded fellowships of the prestigious K K Birla Foundation for the year 2002-03. The awardees include two journalists from the English media, two from Hindi and one from Malayalam, besides an educationist and an employee with a publishing house. A Hindustan Times senior reporter Rema Nagarajan along with a freelancer would study the impact of primary education in the capital and the impact of violence in Kashmir respectively. The other scribes who were selected for the fellowship are; Rajesh Mali of Ratlam-based Hindi Daily Dainik Bhaskar, Nusrat Ali, a freelancer from Delhi writing in Hindi and Suchitra M of Qest features and Footage, Kochi, it said. While Mali would do research on the Banchara community under "Banchara community's flesh trade and AIDS challenge: causes and remedies" Ali's has been assigned to the subject of "Urdu journalism and national-international issues". The only fellowship in regional language has been awarded to Suchitra M for research work in Malayalam on "From plenty to scarcity: Kerala's water crisis and poor resource management", the Foundation said. Source: http://www.outlookindia.com/pti_news.asp?id=100678 From arulselvan at vasnet.co.in Tue Dec 3 19:45:57 2002 From: arulselvan at vasnet.co.in (Arul Selvan) Date: Tue Jan 4 13:40:46 2005 Subject: [icernet] Will deluge of films sink Bollywood? Message-ID: <3DECBC9D.1020403@vasnet.co.in> Though for movie buffs the slew of interesting films translates into wholesome entertainment, the sheer number might cause an overkill. Already there are only 15,000 cinema halls for the Hindi film industry, which produces around a quarter of the world's films. For a population of over a billion, which thrives on Bollywood and cricket, the ratio of screens per person is highly disproportionate. There are just not enough halls to screen the 40 plus canned Hindi films waiting to see the light of the day, say insiders. As things stand, the Hindi film industry is living its worst nightmare. It has lost a whopping Rs.2.9 billion this year. It has seen an almost unbroken chain of flops with nothing raking in the moolah at the box-office, be it romance, patriotism or NRI dreams. Usually, the ratio of hits is about 15-20 percent, but this year only seven to eight percent have managed to generate some business. Source: http://www.hindustantimes.com/news/181_112241,00110003.htm From arulselvan at vasnet.co.in Tue Dec 3 19:46:25 2002 From: arulselvan at vasnet.co.in (Arul Selvan) Date: Tue Jan 4 13:40:46 2005 Subject: [icernet] Govt may reconsider regulator's power in Convergence Bill Message-ID: <3DECBCB9.8080300@vasnet.co.in> Communications Minister Pramod Mahajan today said the Centre was 'not in a hurry' to place the Communications Convergence Bill, 2002 before Parliament and may reconsider powers to be delegated to the regulatory body proposed in the Bill. "We are not in a hurry to place the Bill. The Parliamentary Standing Committee has submitted its report and lot of issues have been raised...we will take a decision on these by May next year," he told reporters here. "The basic issue is whether the super regulator, who will control both the content and carriage of information, is desirable or not," Mahajan, who was here to inaugurate the 'Infocom 2002' Conference and Exhibition, said. Source: http://www.outlookindia.com/pti_news.asp?id=101436 From arulselvan at vasnet.co.in Tue Dec 3 19:46:33 2002 From: arulselvan at vasnet.co.in (Arul Selvan) Date: Tue Jan 4 13:40:46 2005 Subject: [icernet] No easy shift to mags for foreign book publishers Message-ID: <3DECBCC1.1080909@vasnet.co.in> IT'S not going to be an easy transition from books to magazines for foreign publishing houses operating in India. If any of these publishing houses plan to bring out foreign journals and magazines, they would have to adhere to the sectoral norms on foreign direct investment (FDI) stipulated by the Government. Currently the organised publishing industry in India accounts for more than Rs 1,600 crore revenues annually which include around Rs 300 crore exports. Though no specific figure is available for the numerous small publishers spread across the country, the industry estimates that the total national turnover of the domestic publishing industry will be in excess of Rs 2,000 crore. It is also estimated that India currently has 13,000 publishers bringing out 60,000 new titles each year. Source: http://thehindubusinessline.com/2002/12/03/stories/2002120302490500.htm From arulselvan at vasnet.co.in Tue Dec 3 19:46:39 2002 From: arulselvan at vasnet.co.in (Arul Selvan) Date: Tue Jan 4 13:40:46 2005 Subject: [icernet] Zee-Turner to bring Reality TV Message-ID: <3DECBCC7.6020702@vasnet.co.in> Zee-Turner Ltd, the subsidiary of Zee Telefilms Ltd, is planning to distribute the UK-based Zone Broadcasting Maximum Reality Ltd's Reality TV channel in India, Nepal and Bhutan. Reality TV was launched in October this year in the UK on the Sky Digital platform and is received by 10 million paid subscribers in several countries across the globe. The channel claims "to capture human drama when everyday life takes a turn for the unexpected". Source: http://thehindubusinessline.com/2002/12/03/stories/2002120302730100.htm From arul.selvan at mic.manipal.edu Wed Dec 4 14:49:25 2002 From: arul.selvan at mic.manipal.edu (Arul Selvan MIC) Date: Tue Jan 4 13:40:46 2005 Subject: [icernet] Asianet to launch news channel Message-ID: <32fdb2c9e7.2c9e732fdb@manipal.edu> Asianet Communications plans to launch the first Malayalam news channel by the end of this year. Originally Asianet had intended to wind up its second channel Asianet Global and have a new one fully devoted to entertainment, but has now shelved the proposal. As per the new plan, Asianet Global is to be rechristened as Asianet News. It would have news programmes from 6 am to 10 pm after which there would be a variety of entertainment programmes. There would be news bulletins every hour. This was to cater to the large NRI (Non Resident Indian) audience in West Asia and Europe. A news-based morning show is also on the cards. Source: http://www.financialexpress.com/fe_full_story.php?content_id=23089 From arul.selvan at mic.manipal.edu Wed Dec 4 14:58:34 2002 From: arul.selvan at mic.manipal.edu (Arul Selvan MIC) Date: Tue Jan 4 13:40:46 2005 Subject: [icernet] 'Bollywood dreams still alive' Message-ID: <3155e2e61b.2e61b3155e@manipal.edu> "The entertainment industry in India is neither dependent on literacy levels of the viewers nor is it dependent on technology for its progress" said Reliance Entertainment's chairman Amit Khanna. According to him, the entertainment industry in India has registered a growth of 30 per cent this year. "There has been significant progress, with Indian films like 'Monsoon Wedding' going global. In addition to this, we have seen that the concept of film insurance and corporate finance becoming a reality." Source: http://www.financialexpress.com/fe_full_story.php?content_id=23081 From arul.selvan at mic.manipal.edu Wed Dec 4 15:03:25 2002 From: arul.selvan at mic.manipal.edu (Arul Selvan MIC) Date: Tue Jan 4 13:40:46 2005 Subject: [icernet] Information Bill passed Message-ID: <30ff82d29e.2d29e30ff8@manipal.edu> Parliament today took a huge step towards putting a law on citizens' right to access information when the Lok Sabha passed the Freedom of Information Bill. The Bill, first mooted by the V.P.Singh government in the late eighties, enables citizens to have access to information on a statutory basis and remove the bottlenecks in the existing legal framework. It makes it obligatory upon every public authority to provide information and maintain all records consistent with its operational requirements duly catalogued, indexed and published at such intervals as may be prescribed by the appropriate government or the competent authority. The Bill had been pending for a long time though there was a consensus among all parties about the need for such a legislation. Source: http://www.indianexpress.com/full_story.php?content_id=14136 From arul.selvan at mic.manipal.edu Wed Dec 4 15:10:58 2002 From: arul.selvan at mic.manipal.edu (Arul Selvan MIC) Date: Tue Jan 4 13:40:46 2005 Subject: [icernet] MIT lab to connect Indian villages Message-ID: <306a72eabf.2eabf306a7@manipal.edu> Speaking at the second international conference on Development by Design (dyd02) at Infosys here, Media Lab Asia chief executive officer Bimal Sareen said their researchers are working on a pilot project to provide connectivity to rural India. "The new technology will provide broadband, asynchronous, store and forward connectivity in rural villages," said Sareen. Called the 802.11 technology, it would be demonstrated to provide rural connectivity by provisioning wireless internet along the Kanpur-Lucknow corridor. Several villages across the 85 km corridor would be connected. Source: http://www.newindpress.com/Newsitems.asp?ID=IEK20021203130515 From arulselvan at vasnet.co.in Thu Dec 5 18:44:00 2002 From: arulselvan at vasnet.co.in (Arul Selvan) Date: Tue Jan 4 13:40:46 2005 Subject: [icernet] Information Bill key step but has freedom to keep a secret Message-ID: <3DEF5118.5020002@vasnet.co.in> When the Freedom of Information Bill passed yesterday by the Lok Sabha becomes a law, every government organisation will have at least one public information officer (PIO) whose job will be to provide information to the public about its functioning. Despite the limits laid down by the Bill on the extent of disclosures that the Government is obliged to make, the creation of a mechanism in the form of PIOs is a big step forward towards making the proposed statutory right to information a tangible reality, say experts. Source: http://www.indianexpress.com/full_story.php?content_id=14229 From arulselvan at vasnet.co.in Thu Dec 5 18:44:13 2002 From: arulselvan at vasnet.co.in (Arul Selvan) Date: Tue Jan 4 13:40:46 2005 Subject: [icernet] 'Low taxes can attract UK producers to Bollywood' Message-ID: <3DEF5125.2030604@vasnet.co.in> British film producers will invest in Bollywood if the taxes on the entertainment industry in India are lowered and insurance cover is provided to them, Michael Fox, director of Commonwealth Film Festival Limited (CFFL) has said. Stating that he has interacted with Indian financial institutions and bankers for constituting a Commonwealth Film Investment Fund (CFIF), he said that the film world of commonwealth countries including India need huge funds to compete with the USA, and the corpus of this fund is expected to be around 500 million dollars. Source: http://news.sify.com/cgi-bin/sifynews/news/content/news_fullstory_v2.jsp?article_oid=12186171&category_oid=-20614 From arulselvan at vasnet.co.in Thu Dec 5 18:44:25 2002 From: arulselvan at vasnet.co.in (Arul Selvan) Date: Tue Jan 4 13:40:46 2005 Subject: [icernet] 'The Warrior' loses Oscar nomination for using Hindi Message-ID: <3DEF5131.1050101@vasnet.co.in> The British entry Asif Kapadias The Warrior for the Foreign Language Oscar has been disqualified after the judges decided that Hindi, the language used in the film, was not indigenous language of Britain. The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences said that a film using Hindi should feature the British Hindi