MUMBAI: This election season, RED FM, the station for expression, has a simple but solid proposition ? Vote ? Karega ya Karvaaon? Starting April 6, RED FM urges citizens to take this once-in-five-years opportunity to make a real difference to our nation.

With all the endless ?Vote Karo! Vote Karo!? messages by celebrities prior to the elections; the actual turn out at polling booths is minimal. RED FM takes its initiative a step ahead to actually get voters to vote on Election Day!

RED FM Bajaao for a Cause, has rolled out an extensive plan for the upcoming elections which uses peer pressure and mass involvement to encourage people to vote. Starting April 6, on-air promos will urge listeners to take responsibility of voters in their social groups ? be it their society, office, etc. Between April 6 and April 18, each show will tie-up with NGOs to answer queries and doubts on the elections.

April 18 onwards, the RED FM RJs along with celebrities, will personally go door-to-door and remind people to VOTE.

The initiative reaches its crescendo on April 30, Election Day, with the RED FM team going to people?s homes and getting them out to vote. For their on-air initiative, RED FM will speak to people at the voting booths, i.e. people with ?dots? on their fingers, those who get their entire society to vote and those who are being forced by the RED FM team to go out and vote!!

Commenting on the initiative, Anuj Singh, National Marketing Head and Station Head (Mumbai), Red FM, said, ?Red FM is known for always doing things differently! Our aim is to raise issues that affect the common man and drive action, in this case, albeit forcefully! In a city like Mumbai, awareness of the elections is not the issue, the issue is inclination and motivation to actually go out and vote. And with this initiative we will make sure people go and vote!!?

As part of its responsibility towards society, Red FM has been involved in numerous activities that positively impact the lives of its listeners. Red FM has always been at the forefront in raising issues that matter to the people.

MUMBAI: The finale of GoaFest 2009 was a reason to celebrate for the very vibrant creative team at BIG 92.7 FM, who brought home the bronze metal in the category of Radio Craft ? Original Music Score for Lux Cottswool. This is the first time that a radio station has won a Creative Abby which only goes to show that aural medium is now commanding a space for itself in the creative advertising fraternity.

It was in December 2008 when the creative team was huddled in the studios, when a great idea was born for Lux Cottswool. With a clear brief from the Client, to create a sonic recall for the brand with the effective use of the aural medium, the Team brainstormed and tried innumerable options to be able to meet the Clients brief. It is then that the team put together which went on to be called the ?winter vanishing music? by the team, which became the creative which was Okayed by the Client. Sounds of cough, sneeze, hands-rubbing, shivering etc. were put together and mixed with Indian tribal beats, which when put together revealed a wonderful creative for the brand.

BIG 92.7 FM, in encouraging young talent and in offering Clients the best solutions across all radio requirements, has an in-house team that is dedicated at putting together Creatives for Clients, that will best suit the aural medium. Given the 45 station network and the regular requirements of Clients, the team headed by Dheeraj Kumar has a set of fresh young minds, who churn out the creative best on a daily basis.

BIG 92.7 FM is the first radio station to have won a CREATIVE ABBY, thus setting a benchmark for the team to perform better and scale to greater heights. The hard-work and perseverance of the team has yielded fantastic results, who are overwhelmed at being recognized for their work and are raring to go,

Speaking about the achievement Mr. Nirupam Sonu, Vice President ? Programming, BIG 92.7 FM said ?Winning a Creative Abby is a significant accomplishment. It was an excellent year to watch out for and given the work that the Team has churned out, we were very optimistic about winning an award. We are very proud of our team whose main strength is thinking outside the box and coming up with creative solutions to client communications requirements on radio. Such acknowledgements from the industry work as an impetus for the team to work harder in the future and continue delivering service leadership, excellence in execution and innovation to Clients.?

MUMBAI: Very often a vibrant and energetic voice is heard on BIG 92.7 FM saying to Mumbai Jo Fit Hai, Who Hit Hai! The voice is of none other than Simmi Sakhuja, celebrity fitness trainer who has a clientele that has some big names in Bollywood, who trains Mumbai on simple and quick to do exercises that can help them stay fit and healthy. World Health Day definitely couldn?t have Simmi sitting back and in true Simmi style she invited on the Station beauty icon Monica Bedi who shared her fitness tips with Mumbai as she exchanged some with Simmi. Listeners were also invited to be part of this t?te-?-t?te with the duo, who had a complete blast, the fit way!

Observing World Health Day, BIG 92.7 FM also hosted interesting on air fitness tips to kickstart the day energized with the right diet plan which ensures you stay fit and alert through the day. Time-pass afternoons invited housewives calling in with their queries on ways to keep in shape at home.Chillax Evenings with RJ Rohit had Simmi give out simple stretches and exercises to keep the body on top form even after long stressful work hours in these tough times. Also, in these hard-hitting times when everyone is stretching themselves, a candid debate with various celebrities and listeners on Money or Health-which was more important to them? The debate is expected to see a surge of responses from Mumbaikars wanting to express their viewpoints.

Wishing everyone a great and healthy way of life, Ms. Neerja Dhillon, Station Director, Big 92.7 FM-Mumbai said, ?Focusing on special days such as World Health Day helps us provide our listeners with interesting and relevant content which is also the current vibe. It is our endeavor to offer listeners a wholesome entertainment mix which is relevant and the meets their needs whether through music or infotainment. Providing them entertainment pegged around fitness is sure to receive a good response. Specialized content helps in building advocacy and loyalty towards the station, with listeners being promised excellent offerings from the Station each day.

MUMBAI: CNN has won a 68th Annual Peabody Award for the network?s multi-platform coverage of the 2008 presidential primary campaigns and debates. According to the Peabody Board, ?CNN gave viewers unparalleled coverage of a historic presidential election process.? CNN relied on its extensive resources and platforms to change the way the world looked at presidential political coverage and, as the Peabody recognizes, led the way with ?distinguished achievement and meritorious public service.?

"A tremendous amount of innovation, commitment, quality journalism and hard work stand behind this honour,? said Jim Walton, president of CNN Worldwide. ?CNN provided unrivalled coverage around the world across every platform possible, including television, radio, the Internet, and mobile.?

The award honours CNN?s application of state-of-the-art technology, such as the ?Magic Wall? and the CNN Election Express, which served as a mobile newsroom. The network used these tools to present viewers with a closer look and better understanding of presidential politics. The judges also cite CNN?s ?small army of reporters, producers and analysts,? who blanketed the country and television screens across the world. The Best Political Team on Television provided viewers with unmatched coverage and a front-row seat to a historic election.

Additionally, in close collaboration with the Best Political Team on Television, CNN.com provided unmatched coverage throughout the election season through in-depth reporting, live and on-demand video, and numerous interactive and customizable features. In particular, CNNPolitics.com and the CNN.com Election Center enabled online users to dig deeply into details about the candidates, their campaigns and their positions on the issues most important to voters and included detailed coverage of debates, fund-raising and state-by-state analysis. Further, the CNN Political Ticker ? the No. 1 political news blog in 2008 according to Nielsen Online ? brought users up-to-the-minute news from the campaign trail from CNN?s political producers, correspondents and analysts each and every day.

In addition to receiving the significant honour of a Peabody, CNN received ratings victories throughout the election season. CNN was the most-watched cable news network on virtually every primary night, including Super Tuesday when CNN also topped other U.S. networks, CBS and ABC in certain demographics. CNN also was the most-watched cable network among the 25-54, 18-34 and 18-49 demographics for all Presidential Debates. Eight of the nine debates CNN hosted ranked as the highest-rated presidential debates in the history of cable news. On Election Night, CNN was the most-watched network on television from 8-12:30a, beating every other network in total viewers and in key 25-54 demographic. Throughout its coverage of the primaries and debates, as well as conventions and on Election Night, the CNN Digital Network maintained its No. 1 ranking among all news and information sites.

The Peabodys, the oldest awards in broadcasting, are considered among the most prestigious and selective prizes in electronic media. The Peabody Awards recognize excellence and meritorious work by radio and television stations, networks, Webcasters, producing organizations and individuals. The 16-member Peabody Board is a distinguished panel of television critics, industry practitioners and experts in culture and the arts. Selection is made by the Board following review by special screening committees of University of Georgia faculty, students, and staff.

CNN Worldwide, a division of Turner Broadcasting System, Inc., a Time Warner Company, is the most trusted source for news and information. Its reach extends to nine cable and satellite television networks; one private place-based network; two radio networks; wireless devices around the world; CNN Digital Network, the No. 1 network of news Web sites in the United States; CNN Newsource, the world?s most extensively syndicated news service; and strategic international partnerships within both television and the digital media.

For more information, visit www.CNNpressroomasia.com.

MUMBAI: NDTV Convergence has launched their election site, elections.ndtv.com. As India prepares to elect its new government and decide upon its future leaders, elections.ndtv.com aims to keep its readers abreast with latest updates, happenings and knowledge about political parties, their manifestos and the candidate?s profiles. The site has various unique offerings like NDTV election featured shows, related videos and interviews of political big wigs like Sushma Swaraj, Omar Abdullah to name a few.

A distinctive feature of the site is the Virtual election, a platform that lets the user float his own political party with personal agenda, participate in NDTV?s online poll and make a speech that could define the mood of the citizens.

Commenting on the new site, Sanjay Trehan, CEO, NDTV Convergence said, "With the election fever in full swing, we want to provide our readers with the information they need to keep themselves updated and informed. Our various interactive features like opinion polls, forums, blogs by our famous anchors truly empower our readers to engage with NDTV and also build awareness about the political system amongst our younger audiences.?

Some of the many highlights of the site include historic data of elections, poll-o-meter predictions, 49 0 debate, state diaries, picture galleries, special reports, schedules and NDTV Election express live.

MUMBAI: Former England star Peter Reid believes none of the 4 English sides left in the UEFA champions League will lose as the tournament starts its quarter final stage.

Reid, who will be an analyst in the Ten Sports studio, is predicting a win for Manchester United

, at least a draw for Arsenal, and a 1-1 draw between Liverpool and Chelsea when the UEFA Champions League quarter finals kick off live on Ten Sports this week.

"At the quarter final stage of the UEFA Champions League there are no easy matches but champions Manchester United have probably got the best draw against Porto,‘‘ Reid told Ten Sports before Tuesday night‘s big match.

"I think that they will be too strong for Porto and will get the victory at Old Trafford," he added.

Defending champions Manchester United, Liverpool and Arsenal are among the leading European clubs which will vie for a place in the last four stage of the UEFA Champions League as the first leg of their home-and-away quarter-final matches takes place this week.

All the live action from these crucial matches ? featuring all eight teams as they try to book their spots for the final in Rome later this year ? will be available exclusively on Ten Sports, the most watched sports channel in the Sub-continent.

The two live matches scheduled for Tuesday, April 7, and Wednesday, April 8, are Manchester United at home against Porto, and Liverpool vs Chelsea respectively. Both matches start at 11:30 pm IST. The United-Porto match will be followed by slightly delayed telecast of Arsenal at Villareal, while the Liverpool-Chelsea match will be followed by the Barcelona-Bayern tie. The delayed live matches will start at 2:15 am IST.

Reid added on Arsenal ?they travel to Spain to face a very good team technically in Villareal but will set themselves up for the counter attack, and with the likes of Theo Walcott, Cesc Fabrgas and Emanuele Adebayor all returning from injury I think the Gunners will come away with at least a draw."

Manchester United will be the favourites at home against FC Porto. Sir Alex Ferguson?s men are unbeaten in 21 matches in the Champions League and have not been beaten in their last 19 home matches. Also, Porto have never won in England, losing ten of their last eleven matches on British soil.

However, it was that one draw ? a 1-1 result in 2003/04 ? which knocked out United from the last-16 stage that season. And Porto, who made it to the quarters with a 2-0 aggregate win against Atletico Madrid, will be looking for a repeat act.

Villarreal would be looking to avenge their semi-final defeat by Arsenal three seasons ago when they host the English club at El Madrigal for the first leg. It was the Spanish Liga side?s debut in Europe?s elite club competition and they lost by the narrowest margin of 1-0, with Arsenal goalkeeper Jens Lehmann saving a last-minute Juan Roman Riquelme penalty that would have taken the tie into extra time.

The Liverpool-Chelsea match could turn out to be the best of the quarters as they meet for the fourth time in last five seasons in the knock-out stage of the tournament. They met in the semi-finals in 2005, 2006 and 2008, with Chelsea winning 4-3 on aggregate last year. Liverpool are unbeaten in five home meetings with Chelsea.

Reid believes that the first leg will be all square. ?In the much anticipated all English clash it will be very difficult to separate the two sides but I think Chelsea are returning to their best and may well be able to get an away goal, probably in a one all draw."

Rafael Benitez?s Liverpool, who advanced to their 13th quarter-final with an emphatic 5-0 aggregate triumph against Spanish champions Real Madrid (1-0 away, 4-0 home), will again hope for some Steven Gerrard magic. Gerrard is the leading goal-scorer in the tournament along with Bayern?s Miroslav Klose (seven each).

Barcelona and Bayern, both former champions, are the joint-highest scorers in the tournament with 24 goals each from eight games, which raises expectations of a fast-paced, thrilling match. Bayern will take heart from the fact that Barcelona have also conceded the most goals of any of the last-eight participants (11), and have still to keep a clean sheet on home soil.

Former England international Reid commented, "Both Barcelona and Bayern Munich have looked strong in reaching the quarter finals and are a bit unlucky to find themselves facing each other at this stage. It should be a great game with Barca proving too good at the Camp Nou."

Bayern are one of three unbeaten sides left in the competition alongside Liverpool and Manchester United. They progressed from the last 16 in emphatic fashion after crushing Sporting Clube de Portugal 12-1 on aggregate (5-0 away, 7-1 at home).