Hallmark Entertainment Network on Wednesday signed agreements with two new partners, Videoland in Taiwan and Korea‘s World Event Network Co. Ltd (WENTV). The move comes just weeks after Hallmark unveiled its extensive channel rebranding under the ‘Celebrate Life‘ tagline.

The addition of these partners adds to the four other affiliates that have joined Hallmark Entertainment Network over the last three months - Sri Lanka‘s Grant Cable (Pvt), Saarc Media Services Ltd. in Bangladesh, Macau Cable TV and Home Cable in the Philippines.

Videoland will distribute Hallmark on a 24-hour basis to Taiwan‘s 4 million cable TV homes - 80 per cent of the market‘s total TV households. Videoland will also represent Hallmark‘s advertising sales efforts in Taiwan from January 1, 2001.

Launched on October 1, WENTV is one of 15 new cable TV channels licensed by the Korean government. Under the terms of the agreement with Hallmark, WENTV will carry four hours of programming every night during primetime, from 8pm- midnight, beginning the last week of December. The programming will carry Korean subtitles in addition to an English-language soundtrack. WENTV currently has 1 million subscribers - around 60 per cent of Korea‘s cable TV homes.

Hallmark is attempting a major revamp as part of its effort to have a more significant presence in the Asian region.

The Cine TV and Artistes Association (CTVAA) on Thursday weighed into the dispute between sacked former host Anupam Kher and Zee Telefilms over the suspension of the problem-plagued game show Sawaal Dus Crore Ka (SDCK).

As Zee desperately tried damage control measures to deal with the snowballing ruckus surrounding the sacking of Kher and co-host Manisha Koirala from SDCK, it got an unexpected shot in the arm from the CTVAA. Association Secretary Dharmesh Tiwari categorically denied the CTVAA had anything to do with the statements attributed to committee member Raza Murad that letters had been sent to Zee and Ashutosh Rana, the man the rumour mill says will replace Kher, seeking an explanation from both parties.

Murad was quoted on Wednesday as having said that the CTVAA had sought a clarification from Zee following receipt of a complaint from Kher over the manner in which Kher?s services were terminated. Murad also said that Rana was asked to explain why he didn?t secure a no objection certificate from Kher before beginning negotiations with Zee.

Tiwari clarified that unless the committee met and debated any issue no one was authorised to issue statements. He admitted the CTVAA had received a complaint from Kher but said the committee was still to meet to take up the matter. The meeting would take place in the next two days, he assured indiantelevision.com.

Asked how Murad could have made statements if he had no authority, Tiwari said unless the CTVAA committee had a chance to get Murad?s version of the situation, he could not comment.

Meanwhile, Kher himself has left the matter to the courts and doesn?t propose to follow up on any further action other than what he has already initiated. When contacted, Kher said the matter will come up for hearing in the next few days and his lawyers would take it from there.

Sony Entertainment Television, which has managed to successfully hold on to its number two slot in the face of Star Television?s Kaun Banega Crorepati (KBC) juggernaut, has a ?killer? slew of exciting programmes lined up for 2001, according to the ever hyper Rekha Nigam, SET?s head of programming. The shows are expected to be launched on the back of Jeeto Chapper Phaad Ke (JCPK), the ?gaming experience? that Nigam is confident will take some of the sheen off KBC.

Indiantelevision.com managed to catch up with her as she waited for superstar Govinda, who was running late, to turn up for his JCPK rehearsal.

Nigam had no definite take on what the public could expect from the Sony stable in the coming months but said a number of soaps, comedies and horror shows were in various stages of development. On JCKP, however, she was more forthcoming. The show will be a totally fun experience for all involved, she asserted. The total package, rather than purely the money angle is what would hook the viewers, she said. Speaking of money, Nigam refused to put a figure to what is the deal that has been worked out with Govinda. However, according to reliable sources, the star has been paid Rs10 million as signing amount and the total package is between Rs80 million and Rs120 million.

On a more personal note, Nigam sees the three months she has been aboard the Sony bandwagon as one great rollercoaster joyride. She certainly seems to be enjoying taking on Star and Zee Television Network at their own game.

The dust just refuses to settle for Zee Telefilms after its decision last week to suspend its much maligned game show Sawaal Dus Crore Ka (SDCK).

Following sacked anchor Anupam Kher?s filing an arbitration petition on Tuesday in the Mumbai High Court, it remains to be seen whether co-host Manisha Koirala will follow suit. Manisha has also received her marching orders.

If that were not enough , the channel?s decision to drop 16 serials, as reported in The Times of India, can only vitiate the climate further.

Kher?s suit urges the court to restrain Zee from discontinuing SDCKwithout him as one of the hosts on the ground that the company had committed breach of contract, according to Press Trust of India.

On 7 December, the actor?s petition raised an apprehension on the basis of press reports that he would be removed from anchoring the show. On 9 December, Zee Telefilms Ltd informed him officially that his services were being discontinued.

Kher then urged the high court on Tuesday to allow him to amend the petition since he had already been removed from the show, and got permission from Justice KK Baam.

Kher might file an amended petition by December 21 because Zee has declared that it has already shot six episodes that would last until then.

The actor contends that Zee cannot terminate his services without a 60-day notice one of the conditions of the agreement entered into between the two on October 13.

It all started ten days ago when Gajendra Singh, Zee TV?s star producer (Antakshari, Sa Re Ga Ma) paid Anupam Kher a visit. SDCK just wasn?t working, said Singh. Zee was bleeding to the tune of Rs48 lakh an episode, and something had to be done.

"I got the feeling that he was trying to tell me to leave the show. So I asked him: do both Manisha and I quit?" Kher told The Hindustan Times? website. Singh said yes. The two, according to Kher, parted after an emotional hug.

But a few days later newspapers informed Kher that Zee had dropped him from the show because of his poor performance and the fact that he and Koirala weren?t gelling.

Zee?s spokesman Sainath Aiyar says the network has never tried to run Kher down. "The two of them didn?t get along and it reflected in the show," says Aiyar.

Kher, however, says that between Manisha and him, there was no doubt about who the better half of the show was. "I had to constantly cover up for her during shoots," says Kher.

Manisha has not commented yet publicly on her rapport with Kher on the sets of SDCK but she stresses the point that since Zee has decided to go in for a complete revamp of the show clearly indicates that the SDCK format was a failure. Blaming the anchors or their lack of chemistry on the sets was simply because Zee refused to own up responsibility for the lack of planning which went into the creation of SDCK.

She makes a valid point there. SDCK suffered enormously when its production values were compared with Star TV?s super-slick Kaun Banega Crorepati. The lack of rehearsals was also brought quite clearly as the shows went on air.

The reported lack of chemistry between the two anchors only added to the inherent problems with which the show suffered from the start.

The media feeding frenzy that has surrounded SDCK?s unending woes has only served to highlight another potential public relations disaster for Zee TV?s executives. There are rumblings in the industry over its decision to drop 16 serials which has heightened the feelings of insecurity all round.

How this finally unravels remains to be seen.

Zee TV?s decision on Sunday to suspend Sawaal Dus Crore Ka, its answer to Star TV?s Kaun Banega Crorepati (KBC), elicited suitably gracious reactions from rivals Sony and Star. Both channels refused to gloat, at least in public, over the new turn of events.

Rekha Nigam, Sony?s head of programming, said it was always sad to hear of the death of a programme, for whatever reasons. Nigam, however, expressed confidence that the same fate would not befall Sony?s Jeeto Chappar Phaad Ke (JCPK) which is slated to go on air in January. She said enough preparation had gone into the creation of the programme to make it a success. While comparisons to KBC would inevitably follow, JCPK will have its own unique pulling power, she added. "The experience is what will make JCPK survive rather than purely the money aspect." Sameer Nair, Star TV?s Head of Programming, saw the development as an interesting one and according to him, inevitable considering the overall deficiencies Sawaal had when compared with KBC. "It will be interesting to see what Zee comes up with. After all Zee?s new show will have to contend not only with with KBC but Sony?s Chappad Phaad Ke too, he said."

Queried about reports that the enthusiasm for KBC itself was starting to wane, Nair said that what had happened was that viewer support was now at a steady level. The initial craze was bound to taper off, he clarified. Nair said that Star had a long-term commitment to KBC but might look at short breaks in the show in future as per the situation. This was the norm abroad also he asserted. He denied there were any plans for a Junior KBC aimed at kids.

Following the success of the show which aired Bollywood?s Aamir Khan and Sonali Bendre, discussions are on to rope in Shah Rukh Khan and Rani Mukherjee for an episode, according to The Asian Age. The Shah Ruk episode is likely to be aired on January 1, 2001.

Zee TV, finally deciding that discretion is the better part of valour, has decided to discontinue for the present its much criticised game show Sawaal Dus Crore Ka. In the process Manisha Koirala, co-host along with Anupam Kher, has joined him on the casualty list.

However, Manisha?s parting of ways doesn?t appear to have the bitterness which surrounded the sacking of Kher last week from the programme. Kher went to town badmouthing Zee for the manner in which he was taken off the show.

Initially touted as Zee?s answer to the runaway success of Star TV?s Kaun Banega Crorepati (KBC), Sawaal had acceptance problems from the beginning. The two anchors didn?t come off well in comparison with KBC?s Amitabh Bachchan and the programme itself was seen as an unwieldy and poor imitation of Star?s product. This was reflected in the TRP ratings Sawaal generated. It could only manage a rating of four against KBC?s 14.

According to a press release Zee put out on Sunday, the channel is in the process of chalking out a new version of the game show with a new theme, new composition and a new anchor and, possibly, revised prize money. It is slated to go on air from the first week of January. The question that begs an answer is whether a month will give Zee enough time to come up with a worthwhile challenge to KBC. Another hasty effort could really prove disastrous to Zee?s fortunes. Especially since Sony?s answer to KBC, Jeeto Chappar Phaad Ke, will have taken off by then. Sony?s programme has been under development since August. As Sameer Nair, Star TV?s Head of Programming, put it: "It will be interesting to see what Zee comes up with. After all Zee?s new show will have to contend not only with with KBC but Sony?s Chappad Phaad Ke too." Nair did not take into account Doordarshan?s Knockout which will be hosted by Kabir Bedi on Sundays and is set to launch next month. Neither did he mention Sabe TV?s Jab Khelo Sab Khelo hosted by the irrepressible Shekhar Suman.

Sainath Aiyar, Zee?s VP Corporate Communications, was noncommittal when quizzed for further details regarding the changes being incorporated in the new game show. He also denied that Ashutosh Rana had been finalised as an anchor to replace Kher and Manisha. An interesting possible name that the industry grapevine has thrown up is that of Abhishek Bachchan. Now that would be a really mouthwatering clash of personalities. Using the son to take on the father.