After an unprecedented 15 new series launched on AXN thus far this calendar year, the channel is planning to launch five more first-run series in September.
Even though action animation does not feature as one of the four pillars of AXN India‘s programming (movies, series, adventure reality and lifestyle sports), the channel plans to introduce a CGI fantasy series, Excalibur‘, from July this year. Says AXN Asia managing director Todd Miller, "Action animation has a loyal but niche following in India."

A Japanese animated series called Dual is also currently on air on the channel.

AXN, which premiered the acclaimed Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon late last year to reasonably good ratings, is planning to bring the TV premiere of the critically appreciated Shadow of the Vampire (starring John Malkovich and Willem Dafoe) and Time and Tide, as part of its Asian Cinema movie special, later this year. In keeping with its action adventure image, the channel will also telecast the premiere of the ‘The World Stunt Awards‘ on July 26, with Hollywood muscleman Arnold Schwarzenegger making a surprise appearance at the ceremony.

While serials like Scariest Places on Earth;‘Guiness World Records: Primetime;The Amazing Race season II; Andromeda; Farscape season III; No Boundaries;CSI Season II; The Agency; Relic Hunter Season II; Queen of Swords; The Outer Limits; Motorworld; Rated X (a new entertainment magazine show) and Eco Challenge continue to hold niche audiences (nearly 40 per cent of the channel‘s viewers in India are women), Miller says Fear Factor too will commence its second season later this year.

When Sony Entertainment announced that it had bought the India cable and satellite cricket telecast rights for the International Cricket Council‘s tournaments until 2007, including the 2003 and 2007 cricket World Cups, from rights distributor Global Cricket Corporation (GCC), it raised quite a few eyebrows. The reason: with a reported $ 255 million price tag, the deal was seen as being a pretty tough one for Sony in terms of returns on investment.
Well the Sony purchase might well be the only deal the GCC has negotiated that has found favour with Rupert Murdoch and his News Corporation. Reports are that News Corp has taken full financial control of the ICC rights because "the GCC failed to meet targets set".

Interactivity in TV viewing will see the light of day in India with the proposed introduction of Conditional Access Systems (CAS), says Canal+ Technologies general manager sales-Asia/Pacific Nicolas Andrieu.

CAS, says Andrieu, will be the key to the concept of pay TV, hitherto unknown in India. "The role of CAS in the pay-TV segment is going to be monumental as it alone can ensure that everyone, from the Broadcasters to MSOs and viewers, all benefit. CAS would ensure that the broadcasters‘ rights to their content are not violated; that the MSOs get their fair share of revenues from the subscribers; and last, but not the least, the viewers pay only for what they watch and not for what is being fed to them indiscriminately according to the whims and fancies of the cable operators", he says in a statement.

The imminent introduction of CAS definitely augurs well for Canal +, a global leader in providing Conditional Access systems Mediaguard to over 30 digital operators and broadcasters. It is also a leading international provider of digital and interactive TV software solutions with more than 13.1 million set-top boxes powered by its software. It is one of the founding members and a very active participant of the Digital Video Broadcasting (DVB) consortium and has been implementing DVB CAS solutions since 1996. WINfirst in the US, CANALSATELLITE in France, Astro Measat and Zee TV are some of Canal+‘s clients worldwide.

Says Andrieu, "The Indian viewers are no longer shackled to the old conventional TV viewing. They can now, exercise their freedom of choice, the essence of any open economy."

Sven-Olof Koopmann, head of new technologies, BetaResearch, KirchGruppe, Munich, will be the keynote speaker at the CASBAA 2002 Satellite Industry Forum Breakfast at 8:30am on Monday, 17 June at the Fullerton Hotel, Singapore.
Koopmann will address the topic "Trends in New Media: Implications & Applications for Content Providers & Carriers" as well as answering questions about KirchGruppe and European technology issues, an official release states. He will focus on piracy, conditional access and rights issues; MHP and middleware advancements; set-top-boxes and IP in the broadcast environment.

Koopmann has been developing telecommunications, broadcast and multimedia applications for the last eight years for both Asian and European companies. He previously worked for PT Satelindo in Indonesia, integrating the Deutsche Telekom joint venture in mobile telecommunications and satellite, the release says.