From icernet@listserv.cddc.vt.edu Mon Mar 1 16:23:45 2004 From: icernet@listserv.cddc.vt.edu (icernet@listserv.cddc.vt.edu) Date: Mon, 1 Mar 2004 21:53:45 +0530 Subject: The message & the medium Message-ID: Professional sports, the music video and Seinfeld are three forces that have changed television and the way it is viewed in the past few decades. Neil Anderson, a Canada-based media expert, feels that with the coming of colour commentary, sport is no longer a game, but almost an art. The music video may have succeeded in getting initially reluctant young eyeballs glued to TV sets, but their popularity is now waning, felt Anderson. On another note, he added, the popular sit-com Seinfeld changed the way the genre was made and watched. Source: http://www.telegraphindia.com/1040301/asp/calcutta/story_2951133.asp From icernet@listserv.cddc.vt.edu Mon Mar 1 16:19:18 2004 From: icernet@listserv.cddc.vt.edu (icernet@listserv.cddc.vt.edu) Date: Mon, 1 Mar 2004 21:49:18 +0530 Subject: What the net did next Message-ID: No matter how long you have been using the net, it is a fair bet that Vint Cerf has been using it longer. Not least because Dr Cerf has been involved with the net since its earliest days, in fact, even before it existed. He has been called "the father of the internet", although he says that is a title he is unhappy with. But if he is not the father he may well be the midwife because he was present at its birth. Dr Cerf helped design the net's basic protocols that ensure that all those packets of data reach their intended destination. With Bob Kahn, Dr Cerf wrote the blueprint for the formidably named "Transmission Control Protocol/Internet Protocol" (TCP/IP) that defines the format of net data packets and how they get to their destination. TCP/IP was key to turning the Arpanet into the internet. Source: http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/technology/3292043.stm From icernet@listserv.cddc.vt.edu Mon Mar 1 16:19:18 2004 From: icernet@listserv.cddc.vt.edu (icernet@listserv.cddc.vt.edu) Date: Mon, 1 Mar 2004 21:49:18 +0530 Subject: Pressing on for women journalists Message-ID: AFTER gaining independence from Britain in 1947, the Indian Press went from strength to strength to become a formidable force that set the standards in the Asian region. One person who was there to see it from the beginning is Usha Rai, a prominent authority on the Indian media. She has been in journalism for 40 years. At a recent meeting with senior editors of the New Straits Times Press, she talked about the current state of the Press and position of women journalists in her homeland. "Despite being vibrant and dynamic, the Indian Press is not without its set of problems," said Usha. Source: http://www.emedia.com.my/Current_News/NST/Monday/Features/20040301082034/Art icle/indexb_html From icernet@listserv.cddc.vt.edu Mon Mar 1 16:09:12 2004 From: icernet@listserv.cddc.vt.edu (icernet@listserv.cddc.vt.edu) Date: Mon, 1 Mar 2004 21:39:12 +0530 Subject: BJP to take tech leap in election campaign Message-ID: This summer, the national election campaign in the world's largest democracy is set to get an unprecedented technological dimension: an "e-campaign" by the ruling Hindu nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). The party, known for its organising skills, has drawn up a plan for a slick campaign blitz to seek votes through mobile and land telephones, e-mail, TV, movies and radio. The next time a phone rings in an Indian home, it could be a call from Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee himself -- a recording -- listing his government's achievements and asking people to vote for the BJP to help build a strong India. Source: http://www.reuters.com/locales/newsArticle.jsp?type=topNews&locale=en_IN&sto ryID=4452076 From icernet@listserv.cddc.vt.edu Tue Mar 2 16:45:08 2004 From: icernet@listserv.cddc.vt.edu (icernet@listserv.cddc.vt.edu) Date: Tue, 2 Mar 2004 22:15:08 +0530 Subject: I&B Ministry kept EC in dark on cable TV ad ban Message-ID: The Election Commission was kept in the dark by the Information & Broadcasting Ministry about a provision in the Cable TV Regulation Act, 1995, which prohibits advertisement of religious/political nature totally. The EC had argued that only a few major parties would be able to afford TV ads and therefore, it would ''introduce serious distortions in the electoral arena''. And therefore, the EC had for the first time decided to ban political ads during the 1998 general elections. However, the I&B Ministry Secretary failed to bring it to the EC's notice that the 1995 Cable TV Regulation Act was already in force and the issue did not require a fresh EC directive. Subsequently, the Andhra Pradesh High Court - which looked into the issue in the light of poll expenditure of candidates - stayed the EC order. Four years down the line, the EC again issued a similar ban on political ads on the electronic media on November 19, 2003. This was withdrawn within two days after the Andhra HC order was rediscovered. ''And, all this while the I&B Ministry kept silent on the fact that an Act of Parliament was already in place,'' EC sources said. Source: http://www.indianexpress.com/full_story.php?content_id=42195 From icernet@listserv.cddc.vt.edu Tue Mar 2 16:39:28 2004 From: icernet@listserv.cddc.vt.edu (icernet@listserv.cddc.vt.edu) Date: Tue, 2 Mar 2004 22:09:28 +0530 Subject: Tatas plan to invest Rs 800 cr in DTH venture Message-ID: After putting the conditional access system (CAS) on hold for an indefinite period, the government is moving on to the intricacies of other broadcasting technologies, such as direct-to-home (DTH) and broadband. Tata Sons, the Indian partner of STAR, for the DTH venture, is planning to make a presentation to senior government officials on its direct-to-home business model very shortly in Mumbai. It is understood that Tatas would pump in around Rs 800 crore into the broadcasting venture. Source: http://www.expressindia.com/fullstory.php?newsid=28931 From icernet@listserv.cddc.vt.edu Tue Mar 2 16:39:28 2004 From: icernet@listserv.cddc.vt.edu (icernet@listserv.cddc.vt.edu) Date: Tue, 2 Mar 2004 22:09:28 +0530 Subject: TV Channels Likely To Lose Millions Message-ID: With the Election Commission of India banning electoral campaigning on the electronic media, various television channels in the country could lose around Rs 75 crore (Rs 750 million), according to industry estimates here. India's top broadcasters, including Zee Telefilms, Sun and Eenadu, were in advance stages of negotiations with the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the opposition Congress for rates and spots. During the last general elections, some of the channels got a stay on the ban on political advertisements. Some more channels may be taking this step this year. Source: http://www.indolink.com/displayArticleS.php?id=030104113215 From icernet@listserv.cddc.vt.edu Tue Mar 2 16:29:17 2004 From: icernet@listserv.cddc.vt.edu (icernet@listserv.cddc.vt.edu) Date: Tue, 2 Mar 2004 21:59:17 +0530 Subject: Bollywood: Invasion Of The Young Turks Message-ID: A new generation of more realistic and cost-conscious filmmakers hits India's Tinseltown. Behind the scenes, it's the financing that makes the new crop of films sustainable. They're made for well under $100,000 each and are mostly funded by the family and friends of the filmmakers. In contrast, a typical Bollywood blockbuster can cost as much as $8 million. These low-cost flicks feature lesser-known stars -- some of them from India's television and modeling worlds -- who work for a fraction of what the big stars make. Urban audiences increasingly like the realism of these plots, as opposed to the escapism of traditional Bollywood fare. To keep distribution costs down, the films play in small cinemas located in new multiplexes, nearly 30 of which opened across India last year. "The next 18 months will see the industry start to grow and go global," predicts Sunir Kheterpal, head of media and entertainment for Rabo Bank International's India operation. Source: http://www.businessweek.com/magazine/content/04_10/b3873065.htm From icernet@listserv.cddc.vt.edu Tue Mar 2 16:47:02 2004 From: icernet@listserv.cddc.vt.edu (icernet@listserv.cddc.vt.edu) Date: Tue, 2 Mar 2004 22:17:02 +0530 Subject: DD's revenues expected to touch Rs 600-crore mark Message-ID: DD had earned revenues of Rs 550 crore in 2002-03 against a target of Rs 513 crore. AIR is expected to achieve gross revenues of Rs 150 crore in the current year as against a target of Rs 125 crore. It had achieved a total revenue of Rs 114 crore in 2002-03 while the target for that year was Rs 90 crore. An interesting development this time is that the DD and AIR are going to benefit from the ensuing elections because mandatory time-slots provided to all political parties will no longer be free. Source: http://www.business-standard.com/today/story.asp?Menu=23&story=35512 From icernet@listserv.cddc.vt.edu Wed Mar 3 16:50:49 2004 From: icernet@listserv.cddc.vt.edu (icernet@listserv.cddc.vt.edu) Date: Wed, 3 Mar 2004 22:20:49 +0530 Subject: Bollywood gets taste of Oscar winners Message-ID: It would be a lesson for Bollywood filmmakers on how to make Oscar winning films, in a year where no Indian film even made it to the Academy Awards. A week-long film festival at Mumbai's Chandan Cinema brings together 30 films from all over the world that have won Oscars in the foreign language category. But if Bollywood's filmmakers could learn after watching foreign films, they could have done it even earlier when they tried to pinch scenes from these Flicks. Sadly though filmmakers have not even been able to copy properly. Only three films Mother India, Salaam Bombay and Lagaan have reached the nomination stage of this prestigious award till date. Source: http://www.ndtv.com/ent/newstory.asp?section=Movies&slug=Bollywood+gets+tast e+of+Oscar+winners&id=2566 From icernet@listserv.cddc.vt.edu Wed Mar 3 16:50:48 2004 From: icernet@listserv.cddc.vt.edu (icernet@listserv.cddc.vt.edu) Date: Wed, 3 Mar 2004 22:20:48 +0530 Subject: The TV's turned off, but BJP's found a new chord Message-ID: With the Election Commission clamping down on the use of electronic media for wooing voters, the BJP's much-vaunted e-campaign, aimed at touching a fourth of the electorate through the modern, but unconventional, means of communication, is likely to be reworked, focusing more on the internet-based media, phones - both landline and mobile, and target-specific journals to lure the generation-next. Source: http://www1.economictimes.indiatimes.com/articleshow/533309.cms From icernet@listserv.cddc.vt.edu Wed Mar 3 17:01:03 2004 From: icernet@listserv.cddc.vt.edu (icernet@listserv.cddc.vt.edu) Date: Wed, 3 Mar 2004 22:31:03 +0530 Subject: THE FANTASTIC AS REAL Message-ID: It is extraordinary that at the end of a typical Oscar awards ceremony - a familiar and meretricious mix of giggle and glamour - the enduring image should be that of an Oxford don who specialised in Old and Middle English. The moment may have belonged to Kiwi director Peter Jackson, whose highly praised The Lord of the Rings (Return of the King) took home 11 golden statuettes thereby tying with Ben Hur and Titanic to become the three most honoured films in Oscar history. But in many ways the time belongs to John Ronald Reuel Tolkien (1892-1973), whose fabulist tales of hobbits, orcs, wizards, elves and other fantastic creatures that populate an invented universe with its own history, genealogy and topography continue to captivate a worldwide audience many decades after they were written. Source: http://www.hindu.com/2004/03/03/stories/2004030301371000.htm From icernet@listserv.cddc.vt.edu Thu Mar 4 16:42:14 2004 From: icernet@listserv.cddc.vt.edu (icernet@listserv.cddc.vt.edu) Date: Thu, 4 Mar 2004 22:12:14 +0530 Subject: Rediff.com launches Internet radio Message-ID: Rediff.com has launched a subscription based online service, 'Rediff Radio', which will offer radio jockey-hosted shows and on-demand streaming music across 30 popular genres. The service is targeted at Indian-American community in US and would provide a range of Indian music and shows across two channels. At present, Rediff Radio is exploring opportunities to present regional music in Tamil, Telugu and other languages, apart from additional genres like classical and devotional music. Source: http://www.hinduonnet.com/thehindu/holnus/006200403041939.htm From icernet@listserv.cddc.vt.edu Thu Mar 4 16:42:11 2004 From: icernet@listserv.cddc.vt.edu (icernet@listserv.cddc.vt.edu) Date: Thu, 4 Mar 2004 22:12:11 +0530 Subject: Broadcasters lobby for political advertisements Message-ID: Apart from taking up the issue of direct impact of the Cable Television Networks (Regulation) Act, 1995, prohibiting political and religious advertisements, the broadcasters, sources indicated, also wanted to know whether programmes sponsored by political parties and other indirect appeals to the electorate violated the Act. According to Section 5 of the Act, "No person shall transmit or re-transmit through a cable service any programme unless such programme is in conformity with the prescribed programme code." Section 6 says "No person shall transmit or re-transmit through a cable service any advertisement unless such advertisement is in conformity with the prescribed advertisement code". Rule 7, which relates to the Advertising Code, says in Clause 1 that advertising carried in the cable service shall be so designed as to conform to the laws of country and should not offend morality, decency and religious susceptibilities of the subscribers. Rule 7(3) says "No advertisement shall be permitted, the objects whereof, are wholly or mainly of a religious or political nature; advertisements must not be directed towards any religious or political end". Source: http://www.tribuneindia.com/2004/20040304/main7.htm From icernet@listserv.cddc.vt.edu Fri Mar 5 16:51:21 2004 From: icernet@listserv.cddc.vt.edu (icernet@listserv.cddc.vt.edu) Date: Fri, 5 Mar 2004 22:21:21 +0530 Subject: 'Piracy survives because someone is willing to pay' Message-ID: Pirates survive because there is a demand and somebody is willing to pay. Piracy generates business by underpricing and offering products at lower prices. The only way to beat pirates is to price products lower than what they offer and get huge volumes. The only way you can fight piracy is to make it uneconomical to be a pirate. Music piracy is worse, because people get music without having to pay for it. There needs to be a fundamental change in the business structure. Primarily, there is no corporate aggregation of these businesses; no single player big enough to influence. Source: http://www.thehindubusinessline.com/2004/03/05/stories/2004030501570400.htm From icernet@listserv.cddc.vt.edu Fri Mar 5 16:51:21 2004 From: icernet@listserv.cddc.vt.edu (icernet@listserv.cddc.vt.edu) Date: Fri, 5 Mar 2004 22:21:21 +0530 Subject: More people read papers, but spend less time on them Message-ID: More people are reading newspapers today - but spending a little less time with them when they do - according to a survey released by the US Readership Institute, a division of the Media Management Center at Northwestern University. The study notes that reader behaviour scores (RBS) rose in 2003 to 3.56 (on a scale of 1-7) from 3.24 in 2002. The number one denotes someone who does not read the local daily newspaper and seven represents a reader who spends a lot of time with the paper. Not surprisingly, age is a primary factor for readership. Despite fresh efforts by many papers to reach younger readers, the RBS continues to drop among the youngest age group polled, those 18-24, with a score of 2.68 in 2003. That number was 2.95 in 2002. Young people that do read papers tend to purchase single copies. RBS numbers among those 65 and older have the strongest showing among all age groups and increased the most sharply, 4.44 in 2003 from 3.91 the year prior. However, the average time that people spend with newspapers is down. Readers spend 26 minutes per day during the week reading the paper (down from 27 minutes in 2002) and 57 minutes on Sunday (down from 64 minutes). Source: http://www.editorandpublisher.com/eandp/news/article_display.jsp?vnu_content _id=1000454563 From icernet@listserv.cddc.vt.edu Fri Mar 5 16:47:53 2004 From: icernet@listserv.cddc.vt.edu (icernet@listserv.cddc.vt.edu) Date: Fri, 5 Mar 2004 22:17:53 +0530 Subject: The Politics Of Advertising Message-ID: Having used enormous state resources to run its election-oriented `India Shining' advertising campaign in the media, it seems to have no compunction in calling a halt to all political advertising on private television and FM radio channels. The Election Commission has played into the Centre's hands by rubber-stamping the view that Rule 7(3), which relates to cable TV operations, can somehow be invoked to achieve an objective that was thwarted by judicial intervention. Both the Centre and the Commission seem to have overlooked the vital point that, in the light of the Andhra Pradesh High Court ruling that a ban on political advertising in the broadcast media would violate a fundamental right, the legal validity of Rule 7(3) has no leg to stand on. If political advertisements are permitted in the print media, which also reach tens of millions of voters, what possible logic can there be for excluding them from television? To be fair, the Election Commission's 1999 orders were democratically motivated: only a few major political parties could afford the heavy cost. The issue of unequal access to resources during elections is important and needs to be addressed separately. But the solution does not lie in peremptory bans or in invoking legal provisions that violate the spirit, if not the letter, of judgments by the higher judiciary that, after looking into the basic principles and the larger issues at stake, have clarified the rules of the game. Source: http://www.hindu.com/2004/03/05/stories/2004030501421000.htm From icernet@listserv.cddc.vt.edu Thu Mar 4 16:31:51 2004 From: icernet@listserv.cddc.vt.edu (icernet@listserv.cddc.vt.edu) Date: Thu, 4 Mar 2004 22:01:51 +0530 Subject: Not much to cheer for women in Bollywood Message-ID: To be fair to the Hindi film industry, in the last two years the silver screen's portrayal of women has matured from all-sacrificing mothers and wives to exceptionally well-crafted characters like Lady Macbeth. This has been made possible with female filmmakers bringing in their distinctive style to an industry dominated by male directors and leading ladies plunging into direction, production and heading industry associations. Another factor is that popular female actors like Aishwarya Rai, Urmila Matondkar and Kareena Kapoor seem keen on winning the National Award rather than raking in the moolah. It means that directors take up women-oriented films as they get star power without considerably boosting budgets, since popular female actors are willing to cut fees for good roles. Nevertheless, much is wanting. In the last decade not one film with a strong feminist message or female protagonist has triumphed at the box-office. India has the biggest film industry in the world but we can count the number of women filmmakers on our fingertips. The number of women directors in mainstream cinema, both Hindi and Tamil, can be counted on the fingers of one hand. Many women are making a name for themselves in the world of documentaries, where budgets are bottom-of-the-barrel, but where there is big money involved, a male has a better chance of getting funding. Source: http://www.newindpress.com/NewsItems.asp?ID=IE420040307122321 From icernet@listserv.cddc.vt.edu Thu Mar 4 16:29:02 2004 From: icernet@listserv.cddc.vt.edu (icernet@listserv.cddc.vt.edu) Date: Thu, 4 Mar 2004 21:59:02 +0530 Subject: Film lyricists stand up for their copyrights Message-ID: Many well-known lyricists of the Hindi film industry are in a rage. The reason: the rather unpoetic licence taken by a publisher who has published their works without their knowledge or consent. The object of their anger is a hardcover, glossy, self-proclaimed 'encyclopaedia of music' which offers 2,100 of the choicest Hindi film songs from over the years in six volumes. They have recently found out that this set of books, titled ' Music Masti-An Encyclopaedia of Music ', priced at Rs 2,500, has been selling across India as well as in the US , UK and Canada , since 1998. It has been published by Jyotsana Paresh Shah and is in its third edition now. All the lyricists whose works feature in this set, from Naqsh Lyallpuri to Gulzar, allege that their lyrics have been 'stolen'-or used in defiance of the Copyright Act (1957). Source: http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/articleshow/544840.cms From icernet@listserv.cddc.vt.edu Thu Mar 4 16:29:02 2004 From: icernet@listserv.cddc.vt.edu (icernet@listserv.cddc.vt.edu) Date: Thu, 4 Mar 2004 21:59:02 +0530 Subject: Indian cinema and Pakistan Message-ID: Our problem with the Indian movies is that (unlike the Indian army that we may be able to stop at our borders) these can come in unchecked and unobstructed. And as to why these can conquer and stay in our homes is that they speak the same language, depict similar customs and, except for religion, have similar emotional underpinnings. That being a fact of life the questions which have often bothered the policy makers in our country is: should we stop this massive onslaught on our cultural identity, our indigenous cinema's financial viability and at a higher plane our claim to the two nation theory? If the answer to these questions is that we should, then the next question is: Can we really stop their onslaught. One answer to latter is: We have tried but failed. Source: http://www.hipakistan.com/en/detail.php?newsId=en56653 From icernet@listserv.cddc.vt.edu Thu Mar 4 16:29:00 2004 From: icernet@listserv.cddc.vt.edu (icernet@listserv.cddc.vt.edu) Date: Thu, 4 Mar 2004 21:59:00 +0530 Subject: Cricket, election to jolt Indian TV ad sales Message-ID: Television networks in India, the world's third-largest cable television market, are set to enjoy a big boost in advertising revenues as Indians tune in for a historic cricket tournament and general elections. Broadcasters such as News Corp's Star India, Sony Entertainment Television, Zee Telefilms Ltd, Television Eighteen and the T.V. Today Network had already hiked revenue estimates, expecting media spending to rise in line with India's robust economic growth. Now, advertisers for products ranging from colas to cars will spend about 1.5 billion rupees ($33 million) on sports channels during the India-Pakistan cricket series in March, and 750 million rupees on news channels during elections in April-May. Source: http://www.reuters.com/locales/newsArticle.jsp;:404db759:e2305f5bda7610?type =topNews&locale=en_IN&storyID=4523986 From icernet@listserv.cddc.vt.edu Wed Mar 10 16:48:58 2004 From: icernet@listserv.cddc.vt.edu (icernet@listserv.cddc.vt.edu) Date: Wed, 10 Mar 2004 22:18:58 +0530 Subject: Should political ads be allowed on TV? Message-ID: TV advertising is an effective way of reaching out to the electorate but a distinction can be made between ads and programmes In India, with its huge population, the issue of connecting with people is much more complex. Traditionally, political rallies served the purpose of political information dissemination but with the size of constituencies getting larger, television has emerged as a cost-effective medium with the reach and viewership to connect with large pockets of the population at one go. It's time to give television a chance! - Arvind Sharma Chairman & CEO, Leo Burnett. Existing law prima facie appears to ban advertising with political content.The safest, most conservative stand for any political party or individual wishing to avoid the infamy of prosecution would be to follow this prima facie legal interpretation. However, an arguable case on interpretation can be raised even on existing law on the basis that only advertisements with political content are barred but programmes - for example, documentaries or video films on a party or its leaders - are not. Needless to add, some amount of legal adventurism is involved in this option. Abhishek M Singhvi Congress spokesperson and lawyer. Source: http://www.business-standard.com/today/story.asp?Menu=26&story=36033 From icernet@listserv.cddc.vt.edu Wed Mar 10 16:48:59 2004 From: icernet@listserv.cddc.vt.edu (icernet@listserv.cddc.vt.edu) Date: Wed, 10 Mar 2004 22:18:59 +0530 Subject: Star rises on the DTH horizon Message-ID: The Tatas and Rupert Murdoch's News Corp have ambitious direct-to-home TV plans. They will be spending over Rs 1,600 crore on DTH. They are aiming at not just upscale subscribers but, eventually, the mass market. This $350 million gamble could challenge the stranglehold cable operators have on their hapless customers and fundamentally change the rules of the satellite channel distribution game. The two groups involved in this huge play are, of course, Rupert Murdoch's News Corp and the Tatas. News Corp, the global media company, has been taking on cable operators across the globe. Strikingly, the News Corp-Tata combine is looking at an aggressive pricing strategy - a monthly subscription fee of Rs 250 to Rs 400 for up to 80 channels. That suggests that instead of just focusing on rich subscribers in the metropolitan cities, the venture will aim at the mass market. "The eventual plan is to cover the whole country," confirms a top Tata group executive. The Tata-News Corp duo is, in fact, quite clear that it's not positioning DTH as just a niche platform but as an alternative to cable TV services. Source: http://www.business-standard.com/ice/story.asp?menu=71&story=36009 From icernet@listserv.cddc.vt.edu Wed Mar 10 16:48:59 2004 From: icernet@listserv.cddc.vt.edu (icernet@listserv.cddc.vt.edu) Date: Wed, 10 Mar 2004 22:18:59 +0530 Subject: Will reel-life stars really influence polls? Message-ID: As poll fever gripped the nation and the media, Bollywood was no exception. Never in the past had stars shown so much interest in politics to the extent of joining one party or the other and campaigning for it. The BJP which had earlier nominated `Dream Girl' Hema Malini to the Rajya Sabha crowed in triumph when she finally joined the party and promised to campaign for the Prime Minister and other BJP stalwarts. The current levels of opportunism in the star influx into politics was in sharp contrast to the dedication, loyalty and hard work put in by an earlier generation of film stars. Sunil Dutt and his late wife, Nargis belonged to the Congress and as per the wishes of Jawaharlal Nehru were the first to entertain Indian troops stationed in the remote areas along the border. Abroad in Hollywood, stars like Gregory Peck, Paul Newman and Marlon Brando, were influenced by ideology to lend support mainly to Democratic Party presidents. They opposed Cold War politics, the arms race and solution to international issues through war and violence. They never sought power or position. But one of them, who was a flop actor, managed to reach the White House. That was Ronald Reagan. Source: http://www.samachar.com/features/100304-features.html From icernet@listserv.cddc.vt.edu Mon Mar 15 16:42:33 2004 From: icernet@listserv.cddc.vt.edu (icernet@listserv.cddc.vt.edu) Date: Mon, 15 Mar 2004 22:12:33 +0530 Subject: India Entertainment Industry to Grow at 17 Pct/Year Message-ID: Revenue from India's entertainment industry is likely to grow at a compound annual rate of 17 percent to $9.4 billion in 2008, an industry consultant said. Revenues for the industry -- which includes films, radio, television and live events -- grew by 15 percent in 2003 to $4.2 billion. Growth will come from an improved distribution landscape, greater revenues from cable subscriptions, expansion of digital film technology and increased consolidation across segments, according to a report by Ernst & Young. "But the industry continues to be hamstrung by piracy, high entertainment tax rates and the slow acceptance of institutional funding for films," said Farokh Balsara, head of the media and entertainment practice at Ernst & Young. Revenues for India's film industry, the world's most prolific, stood at $1 billion in 2003 and are estimated to expand at a compounded annual growth rate of 18 percent to $2.2 billion by 2008. Source: http://www.reuters.com/newsArticle.jhtml?type=industryNews&storyID=4569519 From icernet@listserv.cddc.vt.edu Mon Mar 15 16:40:07 2004 From: icernet@listserv.cddc.vt.edu (icernet@listserv.cddc.vt.edu) Date: Mon, 15 Mar 2004 22:10:07 +0530 Subject: Summer Course in Film Appreciation, Pune Message-ID: A four week full-time course in Film Appreciation will be held at Pune from May 17 to June 12, 2004 under the joint auspices of the National Film Archive of India and Film & Television Institute of India. The course is primarily designed to meet the needs of teachers interested in introducing film study activities in educational institutions but would also be useful for film society organisers, film critics, journalists, film researchers, government officials handling films and others interested in film studies. The curriculum includes theoretical and practical study of the art and history of film and the development of cinema as a medium of art and communication. Film classics, both Indian and international, will be used for critical analysis and study. Application last date: March 26, 2004 Details at: http://www.rediff.com/news/2004/mar/12iycu.htm From icernet@listserv.cddc.vt.edu Mon Mar 15 16:40:09 2004 From: icernet@listserv.cddc.vt.edu (icernet@listserv.cddc.vt.edu) Date: Mon, 15 Mar 2004 22:10:09 +0530 Subject: Indian parties vie for Bollywood stars Message-ID: As the battle for the ballot hots up, India's leading political parties are vying with each other to rope in Bollywood stars to bolster their election campaigns. Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee's Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and its main rival the Congress have been unveiling their latest prized star catch almost everyday, drawing huge media attention in a nation crazy about movies. Stars often have cult-like followings in India, where some of them such as Bollywood icon Amitabh Bachchan are worshipped in temples, so the line between reel and real life can be blurred. The star-as-politician first emerged in the south decades ago where matinee idols M.G. Ramachandran and N.T. Rama Rao, who often played Hindu god Krishna, enjoyed long tenures as chief ministers. A screen siren-turned-politician rules the southern state of Tamil Nadu and two former Bollywood action heroes, Shatrughan Sinha and Vinod Khanna, are federal ministers. Source: http://www.reuters.co.uk/newsPackageArticle.jhtml?type=worldNews&storyID=475 121 From icernet@listserv.cddc.vt.edu Mon Mar 15 16:40:09 2004 From: icernet@listserv.cddc.vt.edu (icernet@listserv.cddc.vt.edu) Date: Mon, 15 Mar 2004 22:10:09 +0530 Subject: India to have 7 lakh DTH subscibers by 2004-end Message-ID: Direct to Home broadcasting service - that took off in 2003 - is expected to by 80 per cent over the next five years. The country is likely to boost of 7-lakh DTH subscribers by 2004-end, from current level of 75,000. According to Farokh T Balsara, head, Media & Entertainment practice, Ernst & Young, DTH service will account for 12 per cent of cable homes in the country over the next five years. In contrast, in a matured television market like United States, 22 per cent of all TV homes avail of the DTH service. Though there is only one player in the DTH space in the country as of date - Zee group-backed Dish TV - two more players - Star-Tata combine and Prasar Bharati - are likely to join the race over the next six months. Source: http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/articleshow/559968.cms From icernet@listserv.cddc.vt.edu Tue Mar 16 16:46:38 2004 From: icernet@listserv.cddc.vt.edu (icernet@listserv.cddc.vt.edu) Date: Tue, 16 Mar 2004 22:16:38 +0530 Subject: UK University to introduce Bollywood at UG level Message-ID: After attracting Bollywood directors to shoot in its exquisite locations, the United Kingdom has now opened its doors for academic pursuit of the Indian film industry -- with one of UK's leading university introducing Bollywood as a separate study module. "The University of Leicester will become the first in the world to offer Bollywood as a separate subject as part of its three-year course in Film Studies and Visual Arts at the Undergraduate level", according to Lakshmi Iyer, assistant Manager of Study Overseas, a representative of the University in India. "Indian Cinema is already a part of the national cinema section, but the university now plans to introduce it as a separate module to explore the cultural behemoth it represents", she said in Mumbai. Bollywood, which was being studied as part of national cinema in the second year, has now been transformed into a separate module, she said. Source: http://www.indiaexpress.com/news/regional/maharashtra/bombay/20040316-0.html From icernet@listserv.cddc.vt.edu Tue Mar 16 16:39:59 2004 From: icernet@listserv.cddc.vt.edu (icernet@listserv.cddc.vt.edu) Date: Tue, 16 Mar 2004 22:09:59 +0530 Subject: TV to be king by 2008 Message-ID: According to Ernst & Young, television will constitute almost 70 per cent of the Indian entertainment industry by 2008. The television market in India has grown rapidly in the last few years, yet it lags significantly behind the United States. According to Nielsen, less than half of households throughout the country have television sets, compared to the 100 per cent penetration of TV sets in the US. As the future looks rosy for the television industry in India, Nielsen's McCann has just a few words of caution. Watch out for the inevitable fragmentation of the industry and the rapidly changing consumer behavior, he tells broadcasters. Source: http://inhome.rediff.com/money/2004/mar/16tv.htm From icernet@listserv.cddc.vt.edu Tue Mar 16 16:40:00 2004 From: icernet@listserv.cddc.vt.edu (icernet@listserv.cddc.vt.edu) Date: Tue, 16 Mar 2004 22:10:00 +0530 Subject: FM radio needs to survive first Message-ID: In 2003, private FM Radio managed to attract only Rs 110 crore as apposed to Rs 9,000 crore of ad-spend on TV. The Indian radio market only manages to attract 2 per cent of the total advertising budget as compared to Sri Lanka, which gets 20 per cent of the ad-budget from the advertisers. In more mature Radio markets the ad-spend on radio is 10-15 per cent of the total advertising in mass media. Source: http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/articleshow/562939.cms From icernet@listserv.cddc.vt.edu Tue Mar 16 16:33:17 2004 From: icernet@listserv.cddc.vt.edu (icernet@listserv.cddc.vt.edu) Date: Tue, 16 Mar 2004 22:03:17 +0530 Subject: Net localization foretells opportunity, segregation Message-ID: The expansion of the Internet into non-English-speaking nations promises to diversify the Web and increase international communications. However, the move also threatens the Internet's existence as a global information source not controlled by local convention or governments, according to Paul Twomey, chief executive of the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers. To meet demand in emerging markets like India and China, the Internet and its programming must be customized to serve local language needs. However, Twomey said, each region's Web offerings remain dependent upon one another. The isolation would only get worse if a proposal currently under consideration by the United Nations' International Telecommunications Union is approved. Twomey says the policy, which would entrust individual governments with the regulation of the Web, is a bad idea. "Governments have an important role in terms of public policy, crime prevention and content," he said. "But putting the technical elements into the political arena makes it a bargaining tool." Source: http://business.timesonline.co.uk/article/0,,9071-1034648,00.html From icernet@listserv.cddc.vt.edu Tue Mar 16 16:33:21 2004 From: icernet@listserv.cddc.vt.edu (icernet@listserv.cddc.vt.edu) Date: Tue, 16 Mar 2004 22:03:21 +0530 Subject: Film industry has grown global: I&B minister Message-ID: With more international releases and more crossover films, the Indian film industry is thinking truly global, said Ravi Shankar Prasad, Union minister for Information & Broadcasting. "Today the losses that a film makes in the domestic market are, many a time, made good in the international market. Indian films have become the toast of the world. More and more crossover films are being made" said Prasad. Indian filmmakers are thinking differently and have started to think big, he added. Sounding extremely bullish on the entertainment industry, the minister said that the nineties were the era of the IT and communications. But there is a feeling that the first decade of the new millennium belongs to entertainment, he added. Source: http://www.business-standard.com/today/story.asp?Menu=2&story=36485 From icernet@listserv.cddc.vt.edu Wed Mar 17 16:45:28 2004 From: icernet@listserv.cddc.vt.edu (icernet@listserv.cddc.vt.edu) Date: Wed, 17 Mar 2004 22:15:28 +0530 Subject: English Mania In Movie Message-ID: The Overseas market has been a great boon to the decaying entertainment business of Bollywood. Films that are made with social message and with family values had great success in the past. English seems to be the most common communicating source of interaction with foreign audiences as many renowned and established filmmakers are switching to bilingual mode of film entertainment. The surprise success of crossover films like 'Bollywood Hollywood' and 'Bend it like Beckham' has inspired many to follow their track of working. Source: http://ww.smashits.com/index.cfm?Page=Reviews&Subpage=bigarticle&ID=3373 From icernet@listserv.cddc.vt.edu Wed Mar 17 16:52:57 2004 From: icernet@listserv.cddc.vt.edu (icernet@listserv.cddc.vt.edu) Date: Wed, 17 Mar 2004 22:22:57 +0530 Subject: India needs a ratings authority, not a censor board Message-ID: India needs a ratings authority rather than a censor board for its films as the media environment has changed dramatically with the advent of satellite and cable TV, speakers at an entertainment convention here agreed. Representatives of the film industry at the Frames 2004 convention organised by the Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FICCI) shared experiences on how the film censor board had been inconsistent in its approach and had even tried to dictate how producers should edit their films. "This is a sensitive issue as it has become fashionable for artists to say that they don't believe in censorship," said actor and filmmaker Rahul Bose. Source: http://www.keralanext.com/news/index.asp?id=29765 From icernet@listserv.cddc.vt.edu Wed Mar 17 16:52:57 2004 From: icernet@listserv.cddc.vt.edu (icernet@listserv.cddc.vt.edu) Date: Wed, 17 Mar 2004 22:22:57 +0530 Subject: Beyond the digital divide Message-ID: Amid much worthy talk of "bridging the digital divide", technology firms have realised that fostering the adoption of information technology in the developing world would not just benefit locals, but is in vendors' best interests as well. HP is somewhat ahead of the curve, but it is not alone. Companies around the world are now busy developing low-cost devices and innovative business models to reach the world's poor. Intel, the world's largest chipmaker, is pushing cheap wireless-data systems as the best way to extend connectivity to rural areas. Vodacom, South Africa's largest mobile operator, has set up "phone shops" where rural entrepreneurs can buy and resell airtime. And the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) in Chennai recently unveiled a stripped-down cash-dispenser that it plans to take to the masses in partnership with private-sector banks. Source: http://www.economist.com/research/articlesBySubject/displayStory.cfm?story_i d=2476920 From icernet@listserv.cddc.vt.edu Thu Mar 18 16:49:32 2004 From: icernet@listserv.cddc.vt.edu (icernet@listserv.cddc.vt.edu) Date: Thu, 18 Mar 2004 22:19:32 +0530 Subject: Broadband penetration poised to jump in India Message-ID: The number of users with high speed Internet access in India will jump this year from a low two per 10,000 people helped by new regulation being drawn up, the country's telecoms regulator said. Pradip Baijal, chairman of the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India, told an industry seminar the Authority would shortly unveil a policy paper to boost broadband Internet access that will tap the access of millions of Indian homes to cable TV. India is the world's third-biggest cable television market with 48-million cable households. India, Asia's third-largest economy and one of the fastest growing, has had notable success in boosting phone penetration over the past decade helped by radical regulatory changes. But Internet access is slow and expensive and its penetration of 0.4 per 100 people lags that in China of two per 100 people, 11 in Malaysia and 58 in Korea. Internet access in India is usually through dial-up telephone lines where speeds never exceed 50 kilobytes per second. Source: http://www.reuters.com/locales/newsArticle.jsp?type=technologyNews&locale=en _IN&storyID=4595408 From icernet@listserv.cddc.vt.edu Thu Mar 18 16:48:32 2004 From: icernet@listserv.cddc.vt.edu (icernet@listserv.cddc.vt.edu) Date: Thu, 18 Mar 2004 22:18:32 +0530 Subject: Media musings Message-ID: Year 2003 was a year of `breakneck' activities that kept media and TV professionals on their toes all year through! There were two events that shook everyone in the TV industry last year - the World Cup and the CAS announcements. Besides these two, which were more specific to TV, there were other events that had a significant impact on the overall media and television scene, like, say, the State Assembly Elections. However, while 2004 promises to be significantly different, there are lots of learnings from last year which could help us deal with some challenges in the future. Let's look at some of the most significant developments expected in 2004. Source: http://www.thehindubusinessline.com/catalyst/2004/03/18/stories/200403180004 0100.htm From icernet@listserv.cddc.vt.edu Thu Mar 18 16:48:28 2004 From: icernet@listserv.cddc.vt.edu (icernet@listserv.cddc.vt.edu) Date: Thu, 18 Mar 2004 22:18:28 +0530 Subject: Mukesh Ambani sees entertainment boom Message-ID: The domestic entertainment industry has the potential to grow a 100 times to $200 billion in 20 years owing to the advent of the digital age, according to Mukesh Ambani, chairman and managing director of Reliance Industries. "The digital age gives us a fantastic opportunity through broadband. The digital age gives us the ability to make entertainment industry as one of the largest creators of wealth for India. Consequently, it will help raise India's GDP and regain our global leadership in entertainment," Ambani said during the valedictory address at Ficci-Frames 2004, the annual global convention of the entertainment industry. Source: http://www.business-standard.com/today/story.asp?Menu=2&story=36633 From icernet@listserv.cddc.vt.edu Fri Mar 19 16:38:58 2004 From: icernet@listserv.cddc.vt.edu (icernet@listserv.cddc.vt.edu) Date: Fri, 19 Mar 2004 22:08:58 +0530 Subject: India draws flak for 'official harassment of journalists' Message-ID: India has drawn severe flak from an international media rights body for "official harassment of journalists" and using "draconian laws" to silence the press. "(Indian) government remained sensitive to criticism in the press... Officials harassed journalists through lawsuits, using restrictive laws governing criminal defamation, contempt of court and national security to silence reporters' accounts of corruption", says the Committee to Protect Journalists's (CPJ) latest report on attacks on journalists throughout the world. Source: http://www.hindustantimes.com/news/181_626824,0008.htm From icernet@listserv.cddc.vt.edu Fri Mar 19 16:38:55 2004 From: icernet@listserv.cddc.vt.edu (icernet@listserv.cddc.vt.edu) Date: Fri, 19 Mar 2004 22:08:55 +0530 Subject: Star power in politics Message-ID: There are allegations of Bollywood stars being roped in to campaign for India's national elections next month. BOLLYWOOD stars are flocking to join political parties ahead of India's national elections but questions are now being asked whether it's due to their strong political convictions, the raw taste of power or the lure of cash. Source: http://www.star-ecentral.com/news/story.asp?file=/2004/3/19/movies/7524280 From icernet@listserv.cddc.vt.edu Mon Mar 29 16:25:33 2004 From: icernet@listserv.cddc.vt.edu (icernet@listserv.cddc.vt.edu) Date: Mon, 29 Mar 2004 21:55:33 +0530 Subject: EC Yet To Decide On Surrogate Ads On TV Channels Message-ID: The Indian Broadcasting Foundation has decided to refrain from carrying controversial surrogate advertisements, which attack prominent political personalities presently neck deep into electioneering. One of the biggest issues before the Election Commission now is whether to allow political parties to advertise on television and carry on surrogate advertisements, particularly by some parties taking advantage of recent Indian cricket team's victory over Pakistan and denigrating Congress president Sonia Gandhi as a "foreigner". Last week the Andhra High Court stayed a ban on parties to advertise on television, but there are still concerns that television allows political parties to directly or indirectly attack prominent personalities and some political parties have expressed major concerns over the issue. The latest controversy on this issue has erupted over an advertisement issued by a certain Kamakshi Educational Trust against leaders of foreign-origin, without doubt, Sonia Gandhi. Source: http://www.indolink.com/displayArticleS.php?id=032904043647 From icernet@listserv.cddc.vt.edu Mon Mar 29 16:20:35 2004 From: icernet@listserv.cddc.vt.edu (icernet@listserv.cddc.vt.edu) Date: Mon, 29 Mar 2004 21:50:35 +0530 Subject: Online journalists need multi-language skills Message-ID: Rather than expecting the world to adopt English as the international language of web news, publishing could begin to demand multi-lingual web journalists, according to researchers at the UK's University of Warwick. "Obviously publishers need to balance what is local and what is global news, but our initial hypothesis is that translation can be a way of maximising markets," said Dr Joy Sisley, lecturer and research fellow for the Translation in Global News project at the University of Warwick. The project was established in 2003 to explore the role of translation in the production of global news. Translation presents significant technical problems for web publishers. As well as translating the meaning of the text, multi-language sites must be able to present different alphabets and formatting conventions. News publishers are often deterred from publishing news in multiple languages because of the cost. Automated translation tools do not yet provide accurate enough results, which means that news must still be manually translated. "Within big news organisations, there is often the view that translation is too important to leave to translators - they prefer to employ multi-lingual journalists," said Dr Sisley. Source: http://www.journalism.co.uk/news/story843.shtml From icernet@listserv.cddc.vt.edu Mon Mar 29 16:20:36 2004 From: icernet@listserv.cddc.vt.edu (icernet@listserv.cddc.vt.edu) Date: Mon, 29 Mar 2004 21:50:36 +0530 Subject: New rules for the game Message-ID: One might wonder: why have things come to such an impasse? Why don't we have a clear and transparent broadcasting policy that allows foreign broadcasters to operate in an unhindered manner? Does the Supreme Court have to spend its precious time delivering judgements on telecast of cricket matches? Think of the man-hours spent by the government and courts to find a solution. The reality is that the country lacks a comprehensive broadcasting policy for entertainment and sports channels. It was only last year that government policy made it mandatory for an Indian company to own at least a 74 per cent stake in a company engaged in the business of running a news channel. However, there was no policy change for other channels. Broadly speaking, there are two types of broadcasting companies - foreign and local. A foreign company is one that receives advertising revenues in dollars directly from the advertiser or through its Indian agent company. Source: http://www.business-standard.com/today/story.asp?Menu=26&story=36862 From icernet@listserv.cddc.vt.edu Mon Mar 29 16:20:36 2004 From: icernet@listserv.cddc.vt.edu (icernet@listserv.cddc.vt.edu) Date: Mon, 29 Mar 2004 21:50:36 +0530 Subject: Film stars enter ballot battlefield with a big bang Message-ID: Elections-2004 promise to be a veritable "star wars" what with cine actors, singers, musicians not only scripting the success of their parties by campaigning but also in some cases pitted against political stalwarts of the opposite camp giving them a run for their money. Source: http://sify.com/news_info/fullstory.php?id=13441474 From icernet@listserv.cddc.vt.edu Tue Mar 30 16:29:04 2004 From: icernet@listserv.cddc.vt.edu (icernet@listserv.cddc.vt.edu) Date: Tue, 30 Mar 2004 21:59:04 +0530 Subject: Handheld Simputer targets India's unconnected poor Message-ID: If the makers of the Simputer get their wish, the audience for Internet media will soon expand by 50,000. That's because the makers of Simputer, a computer designed specifically for India's poor, hope to sell 50,000 of the low-cost, handheld computers within one year. Simputer's designers hope the gadgets will allow the Internet revolution to sweep the Indian countryside. The $240 basic model runs on a 206MHz processor and 64MB of memory, and includes an internal microphone, speakers and a six-hour battery. Users can browse the Web and compose e-mails and documents by typing or writing on-screen with a stylus. Simputers, the first computers designed and manufactured in India, went on sale March 26. Source: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/technology/3578309.stm From icernet@listserv.cddc.vt.edu Tue Mar 30 16:26:10 2004 From: icernet@listserv.cddc.vt.edu (icernet@listserv.cddc.vt.edu) Date: Tue, 30 Mar 2004 21:56:10 +0530 Subject: Govt, EC pass the box on political ads Message-ID: The issue of political advertising on television continues to be pushed back and forth between the government and the Election Commission. And the broadcasting sector, wary of censorship, has volunteered to self-regulate the ads and stop airing those which are slanderous. In an effort to thwart such interference, the Indian Broadcasting Foundation has announced that its members will refrain from accepting advertisements from any society, trust, political party or candidate, which involve a personal attack on leaders of any political party. While the EC has warned political parties against engaging in personal attacks and slander, whether it will go so far as to include slander and personal attacks in its list of dos and dont's, remains to be seen. Past requests by the I&B ministry to the EC for detailed norms on political advertising have drawn a blank. Source: http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/articleshow/590116.cms From icernet@listserv.cddc.vt.edu Tue Mar 30 16:26:10 2004 From: icernet@listserv.cddc.vt.edu (icernet@listserv.cddc.vt.edu) Date: Tue, 30 Mar 2004 21:56:10 +0530 Subject: Express journalist, women's group get Chameli Devi Award Message-ID: SONU Jain, special correspondent of The Indian Express, was today awarded the 2003-04 Chameli Devi Jain Award for Outstanding Woman Mediaperson. The award instituted by The Media Foundation was given to Jain for her ''sustained high-quality reportage that has earned her a devoted readership''. The other awardee is the Chitrakoot Women's Collective, which produces Khabar Lahariya with support from Nirantar, a Delhi-based resource group. The Chitrakoot Collective is a group of six rural women who are first generation learners. They have braved their feudal set-up and produced a fortnightly of professional quality which addresses social concerns. Source: http://cities.expressindia.com/fullstory.php?newsid=80231 From icernet-admin at listserv.cddc.vt.edu Mon Mar 1 21:53:45 2004 From: icernet-admin at listserv.cddc.vt.edu (icernet-admin@listserv.cddc.vt.edu) Date: Tue Jan 4 13:40:57 2005 Subject: The message & the medium Message-ID: Professional sports, the music video and Seinfeld are three forces that have changed television and the way it is viewed in the past few decades. Neil Anderson, a Canada-based media expert, feels that with the coming of colour commentary, sport is no longer a game, but almost an art. The music video may have succeeded in getting initially reluctant young eyeballs glued to TV sets, but their popularity is now waning, felt Anderson. On another note, he added, the popular sit-com Seinfeld changed the way the genre was made and watched. Source: http://www.telegraphindia.com/1040301/asp/calcutta/story_2951133.asp From icernet-admin at listserv.cddc.vt.edu Mon Mar 1 21:49:18 2004 From: icernet-admin at listserv.cddc.vt.edu (icernet-admin@listserv.cddc.vt.edu) Date: Tue Jan 4 13:40:57 2005 Subject: What the net did next Message-ID: No matter how long you have been using the net, it is a fair bet that Vint Cerf has been using it longer. Not least because Dr Cerf has been involved with the net since its earliest days, in fact, even before it existed. He has been called "the father of the internet", although he says that is a title he is unhappy with. But if he is not the father he may well be the midwife because he was present at its birth. Dr Cerf helped design the net's basic protocols that ensure that all those packets of data reach their intended destination. With Bob Kahn, Dr Cerf wrote the blueprint for the formidably named "Transmission Control Protocol/Internet Protocol" (TCP/IP) that defines the format of net data packets and how they get to their destination. TCP/IP was key to turning the Arpanet into the internet. Source: http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/technology/3292043.stm From icernet-admin at listserv.cddc.vt.edu Mon Mar 1 21:49:18 2004 From: icernet-admin at listserv.cddc.vt.edu (icernet-admin@listserv.cddc.vt.edu) Date: Tue Jan 4 13:40:57 2005 Subject: Pressing on for women journalists Message-ID: AFTER gaining independence from Britain in 1947, the Indian Press went from strength to strength to become a formidable force that set the standards in the Asian region. One person who was there to see it from the beginning is Usha Rai, a prominent authority on the Indian media. She has been in journalism for 40 years. At a recent meeting with senior editors of the New Straits Times Press, she talked about the current state of the Press and position of women journalists in her homeland. "Despite being vibrant and dynamic, the Indian Press is not without its set of problems," said Usha. Source: http://www.emedia.com.my/Current_News/NST/Monday/Features/20040301082034/Art icle/indexb_html From icernet-admin at listserv.cddc.vt.edu Mon Mar 1 21:39:12 2004 From: icernet-admin at listserv.cddc.vt.edu (icernet-admin@listserv.cddc.vt.edu) Date: Tue Jan 4 13:40:57 2005 Subject: BJP to take tech leap in election campaign Message-ID: This summer, the national election campaign in the world's largest democracy is set to get an unprecedented technological dimension: an "e-campaign" by the ruling Hindu nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). The party, known for its organising skills, has drawn up a plan for a slick campaign blitz to seek votes through mobile and land telephones, e-mail, TV, movies and radio. The next time a phone rings in an Indian home, it could be a call from Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee himself -- a recording -- listing his government's achievements and asking people to vote for the BJP to help build a strong India. Source: http://www.reuters.com/locales/newsArticle.jsp?type=topNews&locale=en_IN&sto ryID=4452076 From icernet-admin at listserv.cddc.vt.edu Tue Mar 2 22:15:08 2004 From: icernet-admin at listserv.cddc.vt.edu (icernet-admin@listserv.cddc.vt.edu) Date: Tue Jan 4 13:40:57 2005 Subject: I&B Ministry kept EC in dark on cable TV ad ban Message-ID: The Election Commission was kept in the dark by the Information & Broadcasting Ministry about a provision in the Cable TV Regulation Act, 1995, which prohibits advertisement of religious/political nature totally. The EC had argued that only a few major parties would be able to afford TV ads and therefore, it would ''introduce serious distortions in the electoral arena''. And therefore, the EC had for the first time decided to ban political ads during the 1998 general elections. However, the I&B Ministry Secretary failed to bring it to the EC's notice that the 1995 Cable TV Regulation Act was already in force and the issue did not require a fresh EC directive. Subsequently, the Andhra Pradesh High Court - which looked into the issue in the light of poll expenditure of candidates - stayed the EC order. Four years down the line, the EC again issued a similar ban on political ads on the electronic media on November 19, 2003. This was withdrawn within two days after the Andhra HC order was rediscovered. ''And, all this while the I&B Ministry kept silent on the fact that an Act of Parliament was already in place,'' EC sources said. Source: http://www.indianexpress.com/full_story.php?content_id=42195 From icernet-admin at listserv.cddc.vt.edu Tue Mar 2 22:09:28 2004 From: icernet-admin at listserv.cddc.vt.edu (icernet-admin@listserv.cddc.vt.edu) Date: Tue Jan 4 13:40:57 2005 Subject: Tatas plan to invest Rs 800 cr in DTH venture Message-ID: After putting the conditional access system (CAS) on hold for an indefinite period, the government is moving on to the intricacies of other broadcasting technologies, such as direct-to-home (DTH) and broadband. Tata Sons, the Indian partner of STAR, for the DTH venture, is planning to make a presentation to senior government officials on its direct-to-home business model very shortly in Mumbai. It is understood that Tatas would pump in around Rs 800 crore into the broadcasting venture. Source: http://www.expressindia.com/fullstory.php?newsid=28931 From icernet-admin at listserv.cddc.vt.edu Tue Mar 2 22:09:28 2004 From: icernet-admin at listserv.cddc.vt.edu (icernet-admin@listserv.cddc.vt.edu) Date: Tue Jan 4 13:40:57 2005 Subject: TV Channels Likely To Lose Millions Message-ID: With the Election Commission of India banning electoral campaigning on the electronic media, various television channels in the country could lose around Rs 75 crore (Rs 750 million), according to industry estimates here. India's top broadcasters, including Zee Telefilms, Sun and Eenadu, were in advance stages of negotiations with the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the opposition Congress for rates and spots. During the last general elections, some of the channels got a stay on the ban on political advertisements. Some more channels may be taking this step this year. Source: http://www.indolink.com/displayArticleS.php?id=030104113215 From icernet-admin at listserv.cddc.vt.edu Tue Mar 2 21:59:17 2004 From: icernet-admin at listserv.cddc.vt.edu (icernet-admin@listserv.cddc.vt.edu) Date: Tue Jan 4 13:40:57 2005 Subject: Bollywood: Invasion Of The Young Turks Message-ID: A new generation of more realistic and cost-conscious filmmakers hits India's Tinseltown. Behind the scenes, it's the financing that makes the new crop of films sustainable. They're made for well under $100,000 each and are mostly funded by the family and friends of the filmmakers. In contrast, a typical Bollywood blockbuster can cost as much as $8 million. These low-cost flicks feature lesser-known stars -- some of them from India's television and modeling worlds -- who work for a fraction of what the big stars make. Urban audiences increasingly like the realism of these plots, as opposed to the escapism of traditional Bollywood fare. To keep distribution costs down, the films play in small cinemas located in new multiplexes, nearly 30 of which opened across India last year. "The next 18 months will see the industry start to grow and go global," predicts Sunir Kheterpal, head of media and entertainment for Rabo Bank International's India operation. Source: http://www.businessweek.com/magazine/content/04_10/b3873065.htm From icernet-admin at listserv.cddc.vt.edu Tue Mar 2 22:17:02 2004 From: icernet-admin at listserv.cddc.vt.edu (icernet-admin@listserv.cddc.vt.edu) Date: Tue Jan 4 13:40:57 2005 Subject: DD's revenues expected to touch Rs 600-crore mark Message-ID: DD had earned revenues of Rs 550 crore in 2002-03 against a target of Rs 513 crore. AIR is expected to achieve gross revenues of Rs 150 crore in the current year as against a target of Rs 125 crore. It had achieved a total revenue of Rs 114 crore in 2002-03 while the target for that year was Rs 90 crore. An interesting development this time is that the DD and AIR are going to benefit from the ensuing elections because mandatory time-slots provided to all political parties will no longer be free. Source: http://www.business-standard.com/today/story.asp?Menu=23&story=35512 From icernet-admin at listserv.cddc.vt.edu Wed Mar 3 22:20:49 2004 From: icernet-admin at listserv.cddc.vt.edu (icernet-admin@listserv.cddc.vt.edu) Date: Tue Jan 4 13:40:57 2005 Subject: Bollywood gets taste of Oscar winners Message-ID: It would be a lesson for Bollywood filmmakers on how to make Oscar winning films, in a year where no Indian film even made it to the Academy Awards. A week-long film festival at Mumbai's Chandan Cinema brings together 30 films from all over the world that have won Oscars in the foreign language category. But if Bollywood's filmmakers could learn after watching foreign films, they could have done it even earlier when they tried to pinch scenes from these Flicks. Sadly though filmmakers have not even been able to copy properly. Only three films Mother India, Salaam Bombay and Lagaan have reached the nomination stage of this prestigious award till date. Source: http://www.ndtv.com/ent/newstory.asp?section=Movies&slug=Bollywood+gets+tast e+of+Oscar+winners&id=2566 From icernet-admin at listserv.cddc.vt.edu Wed Mar 3 22:20:48 2004 From: icernet-admin at listserv.cddc.vt.edu (icernet-admin@listserv.cddc.vt.edu) Date: Tue Jan 4 13:40:57 2005 Subject: The TV's turned off, but BJP's found a new chord Message-ID: With the Election Commission clamping down on the use of electronic media for wooing voters, the BJP's much-vaunted e-campaign, aimed at touching a fourth of the electorate through the modern, but unconventional, means of communication, is likely to be reworked, focusing more on the internet-based media, phones - both landline and mobile, and target-specific journals to lure the generation-next. Source: http://www1.economictimes.indiatimes.com/articleshow/533309.cms From icernet-admin at listserv.cddc.vt.edu Wed Mar 3 22:31:03 2004 From: icernet-admin at listserv.cddc.vt.edu (icernet-admin@listserv.cddc.vt.edu) Date: Tue Jan 4 13:40:58 2005 Subject: THE FANTASTIC AS REAL Message-ID: It is extraordinary that at the end of a typical Oscar awards ceremony - a familiar and meretricious mix of giggle and glamour - the enduring image should be that of an Oxford don who specialised in Old and Middle English. The moment may have belonged to Kiwi director Peter Jackson, whose highly praised The Lord of the Rings (Return of the King) took home 11 golden statuettes thereby tying with Ben Hur and Titanic to become the three most honoured films in Oscar history. But in many ways the time belongs to John Ronald Reuel Tolkien (1892-1973), whose fabulist tales of hobbits, orcs, wizards, elves and other fantastic creatures that populate an invented universe with its own history, genealogy and topography continue to captivate a worldwide audience many decades after they were written. Source: http://www.hindu.com/2004/03/03/stories/2004030301371000.htm From icernet-admin at listserv.cddc.vt.edu Thu Mar 4 22:12:14 2004 From: icernet-admin at listserv.cddc.vt.edu (icernet-admin@listserv.cddc.vt.edu) Date: Tue Jan 4 13:40:58 2005 Subject: Rediff.com launches Internet radio Message-ID: Rediff.com has launched a subscription based online service, 'Rediff Radio', which will offer radio jockey-hosted shows and on-demand streaming music across 30 popular genres. The service is targeted at Indian-American community in US and would provide a range of Indian music and shows across two channels. At present, Rediff Radio is exploring opportunities to present regional music in Tamil, Telugu and other languages, apart from additional genres like classical and devotional music. Source: http://www.hinduonnet.com/thehindu/holnus/006200403041939.htm From icernet-admin at listserv.cddc.vt.edu Thu Mar 4 22:12:11 2004 From: icernet-admin at listserv.cddc.vt.edu (icernet-admin@listserv.cddc.vt.edu) Date: Tue Jan 4 13:40:58 2005 Subject: Broadcasters lobby for political advertisements Message-ID: Apart from taking up the issue of direct impact of the Cable Television Networks (Regulation) Act, 1995, prohibiting political and religious advertisements, the broadcasters, sources indicated, also wanted to know whether programmes sponsored by political parties and other indirect appeals to the electorate violated the Act. According to Section 5 of the Act, "No person shall transmit or re-transmit through a cable service any programme unless such programme is in conformity with the prescribed programme code." Section 6 says "No person shall transmit or re-transmit through a cable service any advertisement unless such advertisement is in conformity with the prescribed advertisement code". Rule 7, which relates to the Advertising Code, says in Clause 1 that advertising carried in the cable service shall be so designed as to conform to the laws of country and should not offend morality, decency and religious susceptibilities of the subscribers. Rule 7(3) says "No advertisement shall be permitted, the objects whereof, are wholly or mainly of a religious or political nature; advertisements must not be directed towards any religious or political end". Source: http://www.tribuneindia.com/2004/20040304/main7.htm From icernet-admin at listserv.cddc.vt.edu Fri Mar 5 22:21:21 2004 From: icernet-admin at listserv.cddc.vt.edu (icernet-admin@listserv.cddc.vt.edu) Date: Tue Jan 4 13:40:58 2005 Subject: 'Piracy survives because someone is willing to pay' Message-ID: Pirates survive because there is a demand and somebody is willing to pay. Piracy generates business by underpricing and offering products at lower prices. The only way to beat pirates is to price products lower than what they offer and get huge volumes. The only way you can fight piracy is to make it uneconomical to be a pirate. Music piracy is worse, because people get music without having to pay for it. There needs to be a fundamental change in the business structure. Primarily, there is no corporate aggregation of these businesses; no single player big enough to influence. Source: http://www.thehindubusinessline.com/2004/03/05/stories/2004030501570400.htm From icernet-admin at listserv.cddc.vt.edu Fri Mar 5 22:21:21 2004 From: icernet-admin at listserv.cddc.vt.edu (icernet-admin@listserv.cddc.vt.edu) Date: Tue Jan 4 13:40:58 2005 Subject: More people read papers, but spend less time on them Message-ID: More people are reading newspapers today - but spending a little less time with them when they do - according to a survey released by the US Readership Institute, a division of the Media Management Center at Northwestern University. The study notes that reader behaviour scores (RBS) rose in 2003 to 3.56 (on a scale of 1-7) from 3.24 in 2002. The number one denotes someone who does not read the local daily newspaper and seven represents a reader who spends a lot of time with the paper. Not surprisingly, age is a primary factor for readership. Despite fresh efforts by many papers to reach younger readers, the RBS continues to drop among the youngest age group polled, those 18-24, with a score of 2.68 in 2003. That number was 2.95 in 2002. Young people that do read papers tend to purchase single copies. RBS numbers among those 65 and older have the strongest showing among all age groups and increased the most sharply, 4.44 in 2003 from 3.91 the year prior. However, the average time that people spend with newspapers is down. Readers spend 26 minutes per day during the week reading the paper (down from 27 minutes in 2002) and 57 minutes on Sunday (down from 64 minutes). Source: http://www.editorandpublisher.com/eandp/news/article_display.jsp?vnu_content _id=1000454563 From icernet-admin at listserv.cddc.vt.edu Fri Mar 5 22:17:53 2004 From: icernet-admin at listserv.cddc.vt.edu (icernet-admin@listserv.cddc.vt.edu) Date: Tue Jan 4 13:40:58 2005 Subject: The Politics Of Advertising Message-ID: Having used enormous state resources to run its election-oriented `India Shining' advertising campaign in the media, it seems to have no compunction in calling a halt to all political advertising on private television and FM radio channels. The Election Commission has played into the Centre's hands by rubber-stamping the view that Rule 7(3), which relates to cable TV operations, can somehow be invoked to achieve an objective that was thwarted by judicial intervention. Both the Centre and the Commission seem to have overlooked the vital point that, in the light of the Andhra Pradesh High Court ruling that a ban on political advertising in the broadcast media would violate a fundamental right, the legal validity of Rule 7(3) has no leg to stand on. If political advertisements are permitted in the print media, which also reach tens of millions of voters, what possible logic can there be for excluding them from television? To be fair, the Election Commission's 1999 orders were democratically motivated: only a few major political parties could afford the heavy cost. The issue of unequal access to resources during elections is important and needs to be addressed separately. But the solution does not lie in peremptory bans or in invoking legal provisions that violate the spirit, if not the letter, of judgments by the higher judiciary that, after looking into the basic principles and the larger issues at stake, have clarified the rules of the game. Source: http://www.hindu.com/2004/03/05/stories/2004030501421000.htm From icernet-admin at listserv.cddc.vt.edu Thu Mar 4 22:01:51 2004 From: icernet-admin at listserv.cddc.vt.edu (icernet-admin@listserv.cddc.vt.edu) Date: Tue Jan 4 13:40:58 2005 Subject: Not much to cheer for women in Bollywood Message-ID: To be fair to the Hindi film industry, in the last two years the silver screen's portrayal of women has matured from all-sacrificing mothers and wives to exceptionally well-crafted characters like Lady Macbeth. This has been made possible with female filmmakers bringing in their distinctive style to an industry dominated by male directors and leading ladies plunging into direction, production and heading industry associations. Another factor is that popular female actors like Aishwarya Rai, Urmila Matondkar and Kareena Kapoor seem keen on winning the National Award rather than raking in the moolah. It means that directors take up women-oriented films as they get star power without considerably boosting budgets, since popular female actors are willing to cut fees for good roles. Nevertheless, much is wanting. In the last decade not one film with a strong feminist message or female protagonist has triumphed at the box-office. India has the biggest film industry in the world but we can count the number of women filmmakers on our fingertips. The number of women directors in mainstream cinema, both Hindi and Tamil, can be counted on the fingers of one hand. Many women are making a name for themselves in the world of documentaries, where budgets are bottom-of-the-barrel, but where there is big money involved, a male has a better chance of getting funding. Source: http://www.newindpress.com/NewsItems.asp?ID=IE420040307122321 From icernet-admin at listserv.cddc.vt.edu Thu Mar 4 21:59:02 2004 From: icernet-admin at listserv.cddc.vt.edu (icernet-admin@listserv.cddc.vt.edu) Date: Tue Jan 4 13:40:58 2005 Subject: Film lyricists stand up for their copyrights Message-ID: Many well-known lyricists of the Hindi film industry are in a rage. The reason: the rather unpoetic licence taken by a publisher who has published their works without their knowledge or consent. The object of their anger is a hardcover, glossy, self-proclaimed 'encyclopaedia of music' which offers 2,100 of the choicest Hindi film songs from over the years in six volumes. They have recently found out that this set of books, titled ' Music Masti-An Encyclopaedia of Music ', priced at Rs 2,500, has been selling across India as well as in the US , UK and Canada , since 1998. It has been published by Jyotsana Paresh Shah and is in its third edition now. All the lyricists whose works feature in this set, from Naqsh Lyallpuri to Gulzar, allege that their lyrics have been 'stolen'-or used in defiance of the Copyright Act (1957). Source: http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/articleshow/544840.cms From icernet-admin at listserv.cddc.vt.edu Thu Mar 4 21:59:02 2004 From: icernet-admin at listserv.cddc.vt.edu (icernet-admin@listserv.cddc.vt.edu) Date: Tue Jan 4 13:40:58 2005 Subject: Indian cinema and Pakistan Message-ID: Our problem with the Indian movies is that (unlike the Indian army that we may be able to stop at our borders) these can come in unchecked and unobstructed. And as to why these can conquer and stay in our homes is that they speak the same language, depict similar customs and, except for religion, have similar emotional underpinnings. That being a fact of life the questions which have often bothered the policy makers in our country is: should we stop this massive onslaught on our cultural identity, our indigenous cinema's financial viability and at a higher plane our claim to the two nation theory? If the answer to these questions is that we should, then the next question is: Can we really stop their onslaught. One answer to latter is: We have tried but failed. Source: http://www.hipakistan.com/en/detail.php?newsId=en56653 From icernet-admin at listserv.cddc.vt.edu Thu Mar 4 21:59:00 2004 From: icernet-admin at listserv.cddc.vt.edu (icernet-admin@listserv.cddc.vt.edu) Date: Tue Jan 4 13:40:58 2005 Subject: Cricket, election to jolt Indian TV ad sales Message-ID: Television networks in India, the world's third-largest cable television market, are set to enjoy a big boost in advertising revenues as Indians tune in for a historic cricket tournament and general elections. Broadcasters such as News Corp's Star India, Sony Entertainment Television, Zee Telefilms Ltd, Television Eighteen and the T.V. Today Network had already hiked revenue estimates, expecting media spending to rise in line with India's robust economic growth. Now, advertisers for products ranging from colas to cars will spend about 1.5 billion rupees ($33 million) on sports channels during the India-Pakistan cricket series in March, and 750 million rupees on news channels during elections in April-May. Source: http://www.reuters.com/locales/newsArticle.jsp;:404db759:e2305f5bda7610?type =topNews&locale=en_IN&storyID=4523986 From icernet-admin at listserv.cddc.vt.edu Wed Mar 10 22:18:58 2004 From: icernet-admin at listserv.cddc.vt.edu (icernet-admin@listserv.cddc.vt.edu) Date: Tue Jan 4 13:40:58 2005 Subject: Should political ads be allowed on TV? Message-ID: TV advertising is an effective way of reaching out to the electorate but a distinction can be made between ads and programmes In India, with its huge population, the issue of connecting with people is much more complex. Traditionally, political rallies served the purpose of political information dissemination but with the size of constituencies getting larger, television has emerged as a cost-effective medium with the reach and viewership to connect with large pockets of the population at one go. It's time to give television a chance! - Arvind Sharma Chairman & CEO, Leo Burnett. Existing law prima facie appears to ban advertising with political content.The safest, most conservative stand for any political party or individual wishing to avoid the infamy of prosecution would be to follow this prima facie legal interpretation. However, an arguable case on interpretation can be raised even on existing law on the basis that only advertisements with political content are barred but programmes - for example, documentaries or video films on a party or its leaders - are not. Needless to add, some amount of legal adventurism is involved in this option. Abhishek M Singhvi Congress spokesperson and lawyer. Source: http://www.business-standard.com/today/story.asp?Menu=26&story=36033 From icernet-admin at listserv.cddc.vt.edu Wed Mar 10 22:18:59 2004 From: icernet-admin at listserv.cddc.vt.edu (icernet-admin@listserv.cddc.vt.edu) Date: Tue Jan 4 13:40:58 2005 Subject: Star rises on the DTH horizon Message-ID: The Tatas and Rupert Murdoch's News Corp have ambitious direct-to-home TV plans. They will be spending over Rs 1,600 crore on DTH. They are aiming at not just upscale subscribers but, eventually, the mass market. This $350 million gamble could challenge the stranglehold cable operators have on their hapless customers and fundamentally change the rules of the satellite channel distribution game. The two groups involved in this huge play are, of course, Rupert Murdoch's News Corp and the Tatas. News Corp, the global media company, has been taking on cable operators across the globe. Strikingly, the News Corp-Tata combine is looking at an aggressive pricing strategy - a monthly subscription fee of Rs 250 to Rs 400 for up to 80 channels. That suggests that instead of just focusing on rich subscribers in the metropolitan cities, the venture will aim at the mass market. "The eventual plan is to cover the whole country," confirms a top Tata group executive. The Tata-News Corp duo is, in fact, quite clear that it's not positioning DTH as just a niche platform but as an alternative to cable TV services. Source: http://www.business-standard.com/ice/story.asp?menu=71&story=36009 From icernet-admin at listserv.cddc.vt.edu Wed Mar 10 22:18:59 2004 From: icernet-admin at listserv.cddc.vt.edu (icernet-admin@listserv.cddc.vt.edu) Date: Tue Jan 4 13:40:58 2005 Subject: Will reel-life stars really influence polls? Message-ID: As poll fever gripped the nation and the media, Bollywood was no exception. Never in the past had stars shown so much interest in politics to the extent of joining one party or the other and campaigning for it. The BJP which had earlier nominated `Dream Girl' Hema Malini to the Rajya Sabha crowed in triumph when she finally joined the party and promised to campaign for the Prime Minister and other BJP stalwarts. The current levels of opportunism in the star influx into politics was in sharp contrast to the dedication, loyalty and hard work put in by an earlier generation of film stars. Sunil Dutt and his late wife, Nargis belonged to the Congress and as per the wishes of Jawaharlal Nehru were the first to entertain Indian troops stationed in the remote areas along the border. Abroad in Hollywood, stars like Gregory Peck, Paul Newman and Marlon Brando, were influenced by ideology to lend support mainly to Democratic Party presidents. They opposed Cold War politics, the arms race and solution to international issues through war and violence. They never sought power or position. But one of them, who was a flop actor, managed to reach the White House. That was Ronald Reagan. Source: http://www.samachar.com/features/100304-features.html From icernet-admin at listserv.cddc.vt.edu Mon Mar 15 22:12:33 2004 From: icernet-admin at listserv.cddc.vt.edu (icernet-admin@listserv.cddc.vt.edu) Date: Tue Jan 4 13:40:58 2005 Subject: India Entertainment Industry to Grow at 17 Pct/Year Message-ID: Revenue from India's entertainment industry is likely to grow at a compound annual rate of 17 percent to $9.4 billion in 2008, an industry consultant said. Revenues for the industry -- which includes films, radio, television and live events -- grew by 15 percent in 2003 to $4.2 billion. Growth will come from an improved distribution landscape, greater revenues from cable subscriptions, expansion of digital film technology and increased consolidation across segments, according to a report by Ernst & Young. "But the industry continues to be hamstrung by piracy, high entertainment tax rates and the slow acceptance of institutional funding for films," said Farokh Balsara, head of the media and entertainment practice at Ernst & Young. Revenues for India's film industry, the world's most prolific, stood at $1 billion in 2003 and are estimated to expand at a compounded annual growth rate of 18 percent to $2.2 billion by 2008. Source: http://www.reuters.com/newsArticle.jhtml?type=industryNews&storyID=4569519 From icernet-admin at listserv.cddc.vt.edu Mon Mar 15 22:10:07 2004 From: icernet-admin at listserv.cddc.vt.edu (icernet-admin@listserv.cddc.vt.edu) Date: Tue Jan 4 13:40:58 2005 Subject: Summer Course in Film Appreciation, Pune Message-ID: A four week full-time course in Film Appreciation will be held at Pune from May 17 to June 12, 2004 under the joint auspices of the National Film Archive of India and Film & Television Institute of India. The course is primarily designed to meet the needs of teachers interested in introducing film study activities in educational institutions but would also be useful for film society organisers, film critics, journalists, film researchers, government officials handling films and others interested in film studies. The curriculum includes theoretical and practical study of the art and history of film and the development of cinema as a medium of art and communication. Film classics, both Indian and international, will be used for critical analysis and study. Application last date: March 26, 2004 Details at: http://www.rediff.com/news/2004/mar/12iycu.htm From icernet-admin at listserv.cddc.vt.edu Mon Mar 15 22:10:09 2004 From: icernet-admin at listserv.cddc.vt.edu (icernet-admin@listserv.cddc.vt.edu) Date: Tue Jan 4 13:40:58 2005 Subject: Indian parties vie for Bollywood stars Message-ID: As the battle for the ballot hots up, India's leading political parties are vying with each other to rope in Bollywood stars to bolster their election campaigns. Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee's Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and its main rival the Congress have been unveiling their latest prized star catch almost everyday, drawing huge media attention in a nation crazy about movies. Stars often have cult-like followings in India, where some of them such as Bollywood icon Amitabh Bachchan are worshipped in temples, so the line between reel and real life can be blurred. The star-as-politician first emerged in the south decades ago where matinee idols M.G. Ramachandran and N.T. Rama Rao, who often played Hindu god Krishna, enjoyed long tenures as chief ministers. A screen siren-turned-politician rules the southern state of Tamil Nadu and two former Bollywood action heroes, Shatrughan Sinha and Vinod Khanna, are federal ministers. Source: http://www.reuters.co.uk/newsPackageArticle.jhtml?type=worldNews&storyID=475 121 From icernet-admin at listserv.cddc.vt.edu Mon Mar 15 22:10:09 2004 From: icernet-admin at listserv.cddc.vt.edu (icernet-admin@listserv.cddc.vt.edu) Date: Tue Jan 4 13:40:58 2005 Subject: India to have 7 lakh DTH subscibers by 2004-end Message-ID: Direct to Home broadcasting service - that took off in 2003 - is expected to by 80 per cent over the next five years. The country is likely to boost of 7-lakh DTH subscribers by 2004-end, from current level of 75,000. According to Farokh T Balsara, head, Media & Entertainment practice, Ernst & Young, DTH service will account for 12 per cent of cable homes in the country over the next five years. In contrast, in a matured television market like United States, 22 per cent of all TV homes avail of the DTH service. Though there is only one player in the DTH space in the country as of date - Zee group-backed Dish TV - two more players - Star-Tata combine and Prasar Bharati - are likely to join the race over the next six months. Source: http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/articleshow/559968.cms From icernet-admin at listserv.cddc.vt.edu Tue Mar 16 22:16:38 2004 From: icernet-admin at listserv.cddc.vt.edu (icernet-admin@listserv.cddc.vt.edu) Date: Tue Jan 4 13:40:58 2005 Subject: UK University to introduce Bollywood at UG level Message-ID: After attracting Bollywood directors to shoot in its exquisite locations, the United Kingdom has now opened its doors for academic pursuit of the Indian film industry -- with one of UK's leading university introducing Bollywood as a separate study module. "The University of Leicester will become the first in the world to offer Bollywood as a separate subject as part of its three-year course in Film Studies and Visual Arts at the Undergraduate level", according to Lakshmi Iyer, assistant Manager of Study Overseas, a representative of the University in India. "Indian Cinema is already a part of the national cinema section, but the university now plans to introduce it as a separate module to explore the cultural behemoth it represents", she said in Mumbai. Bollywood, which was being studied as part of national cinema in the second year, has now been transformed into a separate module, she said. Source: http://www.indiaexpress.com/news/regional/maharashtra/bombay/20040316-0.html From icernet-admin at listserv.cddc.vt.edu Tue Mar 16 22:09:59 2004 From: icernet-admin at listserv.cddc.vt.edu (icernet-admin@listserv.cddc.vt.edu) Date: Tue Jan 4 13:40:58 2005 Subject: TV to be king by 2008 Message-ID: According to Ernst & Young, television will constitute almost 70 per cent of the Indian entertainment industry by 2008. The television market in India has grown rapidly in the last few years, yet it lags significantly behind the United States. According to Nielsen, less than half of households throughout the country have television sets, compared to the 100 per cent penetration of TV sets in the US. As the future looks rosy for the television industry in India, Nielsen's McCann has just a few words of caution. Watch out for the inevitable fragmentation of the industry and the rapidly changing consumer behavior, he tells broadcasters. Source: http://inhome.rediff.com/money/2004/mar/16tv.htm From icernet-admin at listserv.cddc.vt.edu Tue Mar 16 22:10:00 2004 From: icernet-admin at listserv.cddc.vt.edu (icernet-admin@listserv.cddc.vt.edu) Date: Tue Jan 4 13:40:58 2005 Subject: FM radio needs to survive first Message-ID: In 2003, private FM Radio managed to attract only Rs 110 crore as apposed to Rs 9,000 crore of ad-spend on TV. The Indian radio market only manages to attract 2 per cent of the total advertising budget as compared to Sri Lanka, which gets 20 per cent of the ad-budget from the advertisers. In more mature Radio markets the ad-spend on radio is 10-15 per cent of the total advertising in mass media. Source: http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/articleshow/562939.cms From icernet-admin at listserv.cddc.vt.edu Tue Mar 16 22:03:17 2004 From: icernet-admin at listserv.cddc.vt.edu (icernet-admin@listserv.cddc.vt.edu) Date: Tue Jan 4 13:40:58 2005 Subject: Net localization foretells opportunity, segregation Message-ID: The expansion of the Internet into non-English-speaking nations promises to diversify the Web and increase international communications. However, the move also threatens the Internet's existence as a global information source not controlled by local convention or governments, according to Paul Twomey, chief executive of the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers. To meet demand in emerging markets like India and China, the Internet and its programming must be customized to serve local language needs. However, Twomey said, each region's Web offerings remain dependent upon one another. The isolation would only get worse if a proposal currently under consideration by the United Nations' International Telecommunications Union is approved. Twomey says the policy, which would entrust individual governments with the regulation of the Web, is a bad idea. "Governments have an important role in terms of public policy, crime prevention and content," he said. "But putting the technical elements into the political arena makes it a bargaining tool." Source: http://business.timesonline.co.uk/article/0,,9071-1034648,00.html From icernet-admin at listserv.cddc.vt.edu Tue Mar 16 22:03:21 2004 From: icernet-admin at listserv.cddc.vt.edu (icernet-admin@listserv.cddc.vt.edu) Date: Tue Jan 4 13:40:58 2005 Subject: Film industry has grown global: I&B minister Message-ID: With more international releases and more crossover films, the Indian film industry is thinking truly global, said Ravi Shankar Prasad, Union minister for Information & Broadcasting. "Today the losses that a film makes in the domestic market are, many a time, made good in the international market. Indian films have become the toast of the world. More and more crossover films are being made" said Prasad. Indian filmmakers are thinking differently and have started to think big, he added. Sounding extremely bullish on the entertainment industry, the minister said that the nineties were the era of the IT and communications. But there is a feeling that the first decade of the new millennium belongs to entertainment, he added. Source: http://www.business-standard.com/today/story.asp?Menu=2&story=36485 From icernet-admin at listserv.cddc.vt.edu Wed Mar 17 22:15:28 2004 From: icernet-admin at listserv.cddc.vt.edu (icernet-admin@listserv.cddc.vt.edu) Date: Tue Jan 4 13:40:58 2005 Subject: English Mania In Movie Message-ID: The Overseas market has been a great boon to the decaying entertainment business of Bollywood. Films that are made with social message and with family values had great success in the past. English seems to be the most common communicating source of interaction with foreign audiences as many renowned and established filmmakers are switching to bilingual mode of film entertainment. The surprise success of crossover films like 'Bollywood Hollywood' and 'Bend it like Beckham' has inspired many to follow their track of working. Source: http://ww.smashits.com/index.cfm?Page=Reviews&Subpage=bigarticle&ID=3373 From icernet-admin at listserv.cddc.vt.edu Wed Mar 17 22:22:57 2004 From: icernet-admin at listserv.cddc.vt.edu (icernet-admin@listserv.cddc.vt.edu) Date: Tue Jan 4 13:40:58 2005 Subject: India needs a ratings authority, not a censor board Message-ID: India needs a ratings authority rather than a censor board for its films as the media environment has changed dramatically with the advent of satellite and cable TV, speakers at an entertainment convention here agreed. Representatives of the film industry at the Frames 2004 convention organised by the Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FICCI) shared experiences on how the film censor board had been inconsistent in its approach and had even tried to dictate how producers should edit their films. "This is a sensitive issue as it has become fashionable for artists to say that they don't believe in censorship," said actor and filmmaker Rahul Bose. Source: http://www.keralanext.com/news/index.asp?id=29765 From icernet-admin at listserv.cddc.vt.edu Wed Mar 17 22:22:57 2004 From: icernet-admin at listserv.cddc.vt.edu (icernet-admin@listserv.cddc.vt.edu) Date: Tue Jan 4 13:40:58 2005 Subject: Beyond the digital divide Message-ID: Amid much worthy talk of "bridging the digital divide", technology firms have realised that fostering the adoption of information technology in the developing world would not just benefit locals, but is in vendors' best interests as well. HP is somewhat ahead of the curve, but it is not alone. Companies around the world are now busy developing low-cost devices and innovative business models to reach the world's poor. Intel, the world's largest chipmaker, is pushing cheap wireless-data systems as the best way to extend connectivity to rural areas. Vodacom, South Africa's largest mobile operator, has set up "phone shops" where rural entrepreneurs can buy and resell airtime. And the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) in Chennai recently unveiled a stripped-down cash-dispenser that it plans to take to the masses in partnership with private-sector banks. Source: http://www.economist.com/research/articlesBySubject/displayStory.cfm?story_i d=2476920 From icernet-admin at listserv.cddc.vt.edu Thu Mar 18 22:19:32 2004 From: icernet-admin at listserv.cddc.vt.edu (icernet-admin@listserv.cddc.vt.edu) Date: Tue Jan 4 13:40:58 2005 Subject: Broadband penetration poised to jump in India Message-ID: The number of users with high speed Internet access in India will jump this year from a low two per 10,000 people helped by new regulation being drawn up, the country's telecoms regulator said. Pradip Baijal, chairman of the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India, told an industry seminar the Authority would shortly unveil a policy paper to boost broadband Internet access that will tap the access of millions of Indian homes to cable TV. India is the world's third-biggest cable television market with 48-million cable households. India, Asia's third-largest economy and one of the fastest growing, has had notable success in boosting phone penetration over the past decade helped by radical regulatory changes. But Internet access is slow and expensive and its penetration of 0.4 per 100 people lags that in China of two per 100 people, 11 in Malaysia and 58 in Korea. Internet access in India is usually through dial-up telephone lines where speeds never exceed 50 kilobytes per second. Source: http://www.reuters.com/locales/newsArticle.jsp?type=technologyNews&locale=en _IN&storyID=4595408 From icernet-admin at listserv.cddc.vt.edu Thu Mar 18 22:18:32 2004 From: icernet-admin at listserv.cddc.vt.edu (icernet-admin@listserv.cddc.vt.edu) Date: Tue Jan 4 13:40:58 2005 Subject: Media musings Message-ID: Year 2003 was a year of `breakneck' activities that kept media and TV professionals on their toes all year through! There were two events that shook everyone in the TV industry last year - the World Cup and the CAS announcements. Besides these two, which were more specific to TV, there were other events that had a significant impact on the overall media and television scene, like, say, the State Assembly Elections. However, while 2004 promises to be significantly different, there are lots of learnings from last year which could help us deal with some challenges in the future. Let's look at some of the most significant developments expected in 2004. Source: http://www.thehindubusinessline.com/catalyst/2004/03/18/stories/200403180004 0100.htm From icernet-admin at listserv.cddc.vt.edu Thu Mar 18 22:18:28 2004 From: icernet-admin at listserv.cddc.vt.edu (icernet-admin@listserv.cddc.vt.edu) Date: Tue Jan 4 13:40:58 2005 Subject: Mukesh Ambani sees entertainment boom Message-ID: The domestic entertainment industry has the potential to grow a 100 times to $200 billion in 20 years owing to the advent of the digital age, according to Mukesh Ambani, chairman and managing director of Reliance Industries. "The digital age gives us a fantastic opportunity through broadband. The digital age gives us the ability to make entertainment industry as one of the largest creators of wealth for India. Consequently, it will help raise India's GDP and regain our global leadership in entertainment," Ambani said during the valedictory address at Ficci-Frames 2004, the annual global convention of the entertainment industry. Source: http://www.business-standard.com/today/story.asp?Menu=2&story=36633 From icernet-admin at listserv.cddc.vt.edu Fri Mar 19 22:08:58 2004 From: icernet-admin at listserv.cddc.vt.edu (icernet-admin@listserv.cddc.vt.edu) Date: Tue Jan 4 13:40:58 2005 Subject: India draws flak for 'official harassment of journalists' Message-ID: India has drawn severe flak from an international media rights body for "official harassment of journalists" and using "draconian laws" to silence the press. "(Indian) government remained sensitive to criticism in the press... Officials harassed journalists through lawsuits, using restrictive laws governing criminal defamation, contempt of court and national security to silence reporters' accounts of corruption", says the Committee to Protect Journalists's (CPJ) latest report on attacks on journalists throughout the world. Source: http://www.hindustantimes.com/news/181_626824,0008.htm From icernet-admin at listserv.cddc.vt.edu Fri Mar 19 22:08:55 2004 From: icernet-admin at listserv.cddc.vt.edu (icernet-admin@listserv.cddc.vt.edu) Date: Tue Jan 4 13:40:58 2005 Subject: Star power in politics Message-ID: There are allegations of Bollywood stars being roped in to campaign for India's national elections next month. BOLLYWOOD stars are flocking to join political parties ahead of India's national elections but questions are now being asked whether it's due to their strong political convictions, the raw taste of power or the lure of cash. Source: http://www.star-ecentral.com/news/story.asp?file=/2004/3/19/movies/7524280 From icernet-admin at listserv.cddc.vt.edu Mon Mar 29 21:55:33 2004 From: icernet-admin at listserv.cddc.vt.edu (icernet-admin@listserv.cddc.vt.edu) Date: Tue Jan 4 13:40:58 2005 Subject: EC Yet To Decide On Surrogate Ads On TV Channels Message-ID: The Indian Broadcasting Foundation has decided to refrain from carrying controversial surrogate advertisements, which attack prominent political personalities presently neck deep into electioneering. One of the biggest issues before the Election Commission now is whether to allow political parties to advertise on television and carry on surrogate advertisements, particularly by some parties taking advantage of recent Indian cricket team's victory over Pakistan and denigrating Congress president Sonia Gandhi as a "foreigner". Last week the Andhra High Court stayed a ban on parties to advertise on television, but there are still concerns that television allows political parties to directly or indirectly attack prominent personalities and some political parties have expressed major concerns over the issue. The latest controversy on this issue has erupted over an advertisement issued by a certain Kamakshi Educational Trust against leaders of foreign-origin, without doubt, Sonia Gandhi. Source: http://www.indolink.com/displayArticleS.php?id=032904043647 From icernet-admin at listserv.cddc.vt.edu Mon Mar 29 21:50:35 2004 From: icernet-admin at listserv.cddc.vt.edu (icernet-admin@listserv.cddc.vt.edu) Date: Tue Jan 4 13:40:58 2005 Subject: Online journalists need multi-language skills Message-ID: Rather than expecting the world to adopt English as the international language of web news, publishing could begin to demand multi-lingual web journalists, according to researchers at the UK's University of Warwick. "Obviously publishers need to balance what is local and what is global news, but our initial hypothesis is that translation can be a way of maximising markets," said Dr Joy Sisley, lecturer and research fellow for the Translation in Global News project at the University of Warwick. The project was established in 2003 to explore the role of translation in the production of global news. Translation presents significant technical problems for web publishers. As well as translating the meaning of the text, multi-language sites must be able to present different alphabets and formatting conventions. News publishers are often deterred from publishing news in multiple languages because of the cost. Automated translation tools do not yet provide accurate enough results, which means that news must still be manually translated. "Within big news organisations, there is often the view that translation is too important to leave to translators - they prefer to employ multi-lingual journalists," said Dr Sisley. Source: http://www.journalism.co.uk/news/story843.shtml From icernet-admin at listserv.cddc.vt.edu Mon Mar 29 21:50:36 2004 From: icernet-admin at listserv.cddc.vt.edu (icernet-admin@listserv.cddc.vt.edu) Date: Tue Jan 4 13:40:58 2005 Subject: New rules for the game Message-ID: One might wonder: why have things come to such an impasse? Why don't we have a clear and transparent broadcasting policy that allows foreign broadcasters to operate in an unhindered manner? Does the Supreme Court have to spend its precious time delivering judgements on telecast of cricket matches? Think of the man-hours spent by the government and courts to find a solution. The reality is that the country lacks a comprehensive broadcasting policy for entertainment and sports channels. It was only last year that government policy made it mandatory for an Indian company to own at least a 74 per cent stake in a company engaged in the business of running a news channel. However, there was no policy change for other channels. Broadly speaking, there are two types of broadcasting companies - foreign and local. A foreign company is one that receives advertising revenues in dollars directly from the advertiser or through its Indian agent company. Source: http://www.business-standard.com/today/story.asp?Menu=26&story=36862 From icernet-admin at listserv.cddc.vt.edu Mon Mar 29 21:50:36 2004 From: icernet-admin at listserv.cddc.vt.edu (icernet-admin@listserv.cddc.vt.edu) Date: Tue Jan 4 13:40:58 2005 Subject: Film stars enter ballot battlefield with a big bang Message-ID: Elections-2004 promise to be a veritable "star wars" what with cine actors, singers, musicians not only scripting the success of their parties by campaigning but also in some cases pitted against political stalwarts of the opposite camp giving them a run for their money. Source: http://sify.com/news_info/fullstory.php?id=13441474 From icernet-admin at listserv.cddc.vt.edu Tue Mar 30 21:59:04 2004 From: icernet-admin at listserv.cddc.vt.edu (icernet-admin@listserv.cddc.vt.edu) Date: Tue Jan 4 13:40:58 2005 Subject: Handheld Simputer targets India's unconnected poor Message-ID: If the makers of the Simputer get their wish, the audience for Internet media will soon expand by 50,000. That's because the makers of Simputer, a computer designed specifically for India's poor, hope to sell 50,000 of the low-cost, handheld computers within one year. Simputer's designers hope the gadgets will allow the Internet revolution to sweep the Indian countryside. The $240 basic model runs on a 206MHz processor and 64MB of memory, and includes an internal microphone, speakers and a six-hour battery. Users can browse the Web and compose e-mails and documents by typing or writing on-screen with a stylus. Simputers, the first computers designed and manufactured in India, went on sale March 26. Source: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/technology/3578309.stm From icernet-admin at listserv.cddc.vt.edu Tue Mar 30 21:56:10 2004 From: icernet-admin at listserv.cddc.vt.edu (icernet-admin@listserv.cddc.vt.edu) Date: Tue Jan 4 13:40:58 2005 Subject: Govt, EC pass the box on political ads Message-ID: The issue of political advertising on television continues to be pushed back and forth between the government and the Election Commission. And the broadcasting sector, wary of censorship, has volunteered to self-regulate the ads and stop airing those which are slanderous. In an effort to thwart such interference, the Indian Broadcasting Foundation has announced that its members will refrain from accepting advertisements from any society, trust, political party or candidate, which involve a personal attack on leaders of any political party. While the EC has warned political parties against engaging in personal attacks and slander, whether it will go so far as to include slander and personal attacks in its list of dos and dont's, remains to be seen. Past requests by the I&B ministry to the EC for detailed norms on political advertising have drawn a blank. Source: http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/articleshow/590116.cms From icernet-admin at listserv.cddc.vt.edu Tue Mar 30 21:56:10 2004 From: icernet-admin at listserv.cddc.vt.edu (icernet-admin@listserv.cddc.vt.edu) Date: Tue Jan 4 13:40:58 2005 Subject: Express journalist, women's group get Chameli Devi Award Message-ID: SONU Jain, special correspondent of The Indian Express, was today awarded the 2003-04 Chameli Devi Jain Award for Outstanding Woman Mediaperson. The award instituted by The Media Foundation was given to Jain for her ''sustained high-quality reportage that has earned her a devoted readership''. The other awardee is the Chitrakoot Women's Collective, which produces Khabar Lahariya with support from Nirantar, a Delhi-based resource group. The Chitrakoot Collective is a group of six rural women who are first generation learners. They have braved their feudal set-up and produced a fortnightly of professional quality which addresses social concerns. Source: http://cities.expressindia.com/fullstory.php?newsid=80231