Entries are invited for the Asian Television Technical & Creative Awards 2002, Asia‘s only region-wide awards programme that recognises the efforts and talent of the broadcast, production, and post-production community.

Launched last year, the technical and creative awards programme is an off-shoot of the Asian Television Awards, the continent‘s prestigious awards for programming and performance. The Asian Television Technical & Creative Awards this year will have 18 categories, four of which are new additions.

These are: Best Original Music Score (Short Form), Best Original Music Score (Long Form), Best TVC by an international company produced for Asia, and Best Broadcast Design by an international company produced for Asia. The addition of the last two categories is a response to the feedback from companies outside Asia who are active in co-producing with Asia-based partners or taking on work in the region and would like to see their efforts in Asia recognised as well.

The Asian Television Technical & Creative Awards 2002 are sponsored by Kodak and the Singapore Broadcasting Authority, with media support from Asia Image. Full details and entry forms can be downloaded from www.asiantvawards.com or www.ai-interactive.com or by e-mailing awards@tvasia.com.sg

"Reporting from USS Theodore Roosevelt." US broadcaster National Broadcasting Company (NBC) did just that when it utilised a short-term satellite space lease in combination with occasional use TV services to broadcast its Today show from the USS Theodore Roosevelt aircraft carrier recently.

Intelsat has claimed that NBC chose Intelsat‘s global satellite fleet to carry the show as its flexibility and powerful satellites are well positioned to serve broadcasters looking for high-quality, reliable transmissions from virtually anywhere in the world - even from the middle of the ocean. The transmission of the Today show broadcast, which aired on 26 and 27 March, was between the ship in the Atlantic Ocean and Verestar‘s Holmdel and Glenwood, New Jersey earth stations. The capacity was also used for full-bandwidth video ‘cross-talking‘ between sailors on the ship and their families. It was carried over the Intelsat 605 satellite, located at 332.5?E.

Jonathan Wald, Executive Producer of Today said that guaranteed reliability of transmission that Intelsat could provide at short notice resulted in its selection for transmission of the show.

Zee TV is quietly putting together some fresh programming ideas that it hopes will connect with audiences that have yet to take to what the channel is offering in any great numbers. 
new daily soap Tu Kahe Agar... begins telecast tonight and will be airing Monday to Thursday in the 10:30 pm slot. One thing Tu Kahe Agar... will have to do and fast is get off the blocks with all guns blazing because it is pitted against the top soap in Hindi entertainment television today - Star Plus‘ Kyunki Saas Bhi Bahu Thi.

Tu Kahe Agar... follows on the back of what definitely looks to be a winner for the channel - Jeena Isi Ka Naam Hai - a celebrity talk show hosted by noted actor Farooque Sheikh and produced by Prannoy Roy‘s New Delhi Television (NDTV). Jeena... aired its second episode last Friday.

The first episode of Jeena... featured Bollywood hearthrob Shah Rukh Khan while the second had ex-beauty queen and now filmstar Aishwarya Rai in the spotlight.

Jeena... is seen as a chance for celebrities to catch up with those they knew in their past. It offers a glimpse into what the stars were like in their childhood and formative years before becoming household names.

Coming back to the two episodes that have aired thus far, while the Shah Rukh episode was witty, intelligent and entertaining, Aishwarya Rai‘s simpering sweetness grated on the nerves somewhat.

Expectedly, friends and acquaintences have nothing but nice things to say and that can get rather cloying. In all this "goody two shoes" kind of refrain from the guests, the role of anchor Sheikh becomes that much more crucial to holding the show together by keeping the mood light.
Sheikh might want to look at doing a Whoopi Goldberg (remember the Oscars?) and putting in some irreverence into the show.

On the plus side, the effort put into tracking down teachers, school principals, fellow actors and other old friends and acquaintances shows. And that is likely to work as far as getting the viewers in is concerned.

‘AMANAT‘ TO FAST FORWARD 20 YEARS:
One sign that an idea is working is if someone else cottons on to it. And by that yardstick Star Plus Kyunki... is on a good wicket because Zee TV is doing the same thing for its long running soap Amanat.

One sign that an idea is working is if someone else cottons on to it. And by that yardstick Star Plus Kyunki... is on a good wicket because Zee TV is doing the same thing for its long running soap Amanat.

A new director Mukul Abhyankar has been roped in. Anupama Mishra will do the dialogues and Vandana Oberoi will be responsible for the screenplay. Fresh faces among cast members include Mohit Chaddha.

Reports indicate that Zee was keen on keeping the show going as it is still popular in North India although the show‘s producer Sapna Bhattacharya has said that she wanted to wrap things up.