MUMBAI: BBC Worldwide Channels has launched three of its channels, BBC Entertainment, BBC World News and BBC Lifestyle, on newly launched Indonesian pay TV platform, max3.

max3 is the retail brand of Biznet Networks, a leading telecommunication and multimedia operator in Indonesia whose services currently include unlimited broadband internet service and pay TV services.

With the debut of BBC Entertainment in Indonesia, the full suite of BBC?s channels will now be available in the country.

?Indonesia is a very important part of BBC Worldwide?s growth strategy in Asia, and we are very pleased to be working with Biznet to launch our channels on their new platform,? commented BBC Worldwide Channels Asia SVP and GM Mark Whitehead. ?We are confident that the high quality and award winning programmes on BBC Entertainment, together with BBC World News and BBC Lifestyle will be popular with max3?s viewers.?

2012 has been a year of tremendous growth for BBC World News. "The channel surpassed the 300 million household figure in May, and several international news events of the year allowed BBC World News to do what it does best. That Biznet sees the value in carrying us in what is a strategic Asian market does not come as a surprise. We look forward to working with them to build the BBC World News brand in Indonesia, especially as we are about to move into new state-of-the art studios in London,? said BBC Global New Director Distribution Colin Lawrence.

?We are very happy that three of the BBC channels will join us when we launch our platform. We are confident that high quality content is a key factor in driving our subscription growth. We are confident that BBC World News, BBC Lifestyle and BBC Entertainment will make max3?s offerings even stronger and more sought after by our subscribers," said Biznet Networks President Director Adi Kusma.

MUMBAI: ?Space Dive?, the documentary charting Felix Baumgartner?s record-breaking skydive, has been snapped up by broadcasters across the globe with BBC Worldwide licensing the documentary to 13 countries.

Belgium (VRT), Denmark (DR), Finland (YLE), Germany (RTL), Holland (VPRO), France (France 4), Russia (Russia 2), Norway (NRK), Singapore (Channel News Asia), Korea (Chosun), Poland (TVP), Indonesia (Kompas TV) and Canada (Sportsnet) are all set to screen the documentary which contains exclusive never-before-seen footage charting Felix Baumgartner?s remarkable mission.

BBC Worldwide president, MD for sales, distribution Steve Macallister said, ?Felix Baumgartner?s space dive was a truly extraordinary event played out in front of a global audience. Now with the ?Space Dive? documentary viewers all over the world will have the chance to step behind-the-scenes and see just what went into this epic mission and experience the jump through Baumgartner?s eyes.?

On 14 October Felix Baumgartner jumped from 128,100 feet (39,045 metres) above the Earth?s surface, completing the highest and fastest freefall ever and becoming the first person to skydive through the sound barrier.

Featuring footage from 20 cameras covering the jump itself, ?Space Dive? reveals the moment when Felix lost control, spinning dangerously back to Earth. The documentary also tells how hours earlier the team came close to aborting the mission, and moves back in time to show the four years of preparation and training that turned Felix from a base jumper into an extreme altitude specialist.

MUMBAI: BBC Worldwide Channels has unveiled a new addition to the slate of original productions for its BBC-branded portfolio around the world, ?Best In Town?.

The new series is the business? first fully-funded production with an independent production company since the announcement in September to treble the number of original programme hours ordered for its international audience.

Commissioned from Richard Bacon?s production company Mox Productions, which operates within Sebastian Scott?s Predictable production hub, ?Best in Town? sets three local business owners from the same area against each other in a battle to see who is "the best" operator in town. Featuring a diverse range of characters running familiar businesses, this competitive new factual entertainment series will air on BBC Entertainment and BBC HD in key territories from 2013.

The title has been ordered by Tracy Forsyth, VP, Commissioning, as part of her plan to treble the number of original hours ordered for BBC Knowledge, BBC Entertainment, BBC Lifestyle and UKTV (BBC Worldwide?s general entertainment channel in Australia and New Zealand) in 2012, with the aim of increasing the number of original hours on the channels to 100 by 2014. More major productions will be unveiled later this year.

Created with global audiences in mind, ?Best in Town? builds on one part of Forsyth?s twin track commissioning strategy; to order both international formats which will air in all markets, alongside local productions targeting individual markets.

Forsyth said, "We believe that the competition between passionate business owners in Best in Town will provide fertile territory for creating some truly entertaining moments in this returnable factual entertainment format. We think this desire to be the best is universal and will be of great appeal to our global audience."

BBC Worldwide Channels acting MD David Weiland said, "BBC Worldwide is committed to sourcing the best content from the UK production community and reflecting the most recent global trends. This new series is the sort of high-quality, innovative programming our global audience has come to expect from the BBC."

?Best in Town? sees three real life competitors from the same type of business battle it out for honours in the same area. The series challenges the entrepreneurs to use all their knowledge and business sense when they come face to face with their fellow traders for the first time. After the competitors have visited and assessed each other?s businesses and faced their ultimate challenge, a mystery shopper will put their customer service skills to the test. With the winner revealed, the business owners must meet again, shake the winner by the hand and admit that they are the "best in town".

Best in Town will air from next year on BBC Entertainment in Asia, Africa Latin America, Poland and the Nordic region and BBC HD in EMEA and Latin America.
In September, BBC Worldwide Channels had outlined plans to bolster its original programming slate, through a combination of fully funded series and co-productions from the BBC?s in-house productions teams, as well as the independent production community.

MUMBAI: Scandal-hit British pubcaster BBC has appointed Paul Dempsey as the interim Chief Executive Officer of BBC Worldwide from December until incoming CEO Tim Davie?s arrival next year.

Paul, currently Managing Director for Consumer Products at BBC Worldwide, will oversee the BBC?s commercial arm from December 1 until Tim Davie hands over his duties as Acting Director-General to Director-General Designate Tony Hall in March.

BBC Worldwide?s current CEO John Smith announced his decision to step down after eight years in charge of the company last month and will leave the business in December.

The appointment was made by Tim Davie as Acting Director-General.

Paul Dempsey said, "I am proud and privileged to have been asked by Tim to take on these responsibilities as an interim measure until he arrives early next year. BBC Worldwide is a dynamic company with exciting times ahead of it. My immediate priority will be to provide the company with leadership and direction so it can keep on delivering great returns to the BBC."

Tim Davie said, "Paul has a great track record at BBC Worldwide and a sound understanding of the commercial imperatives that have made it an international success. I have every faith that he is the right person to lead BBC Worldwide over the coming months and make sure it carries on supporting the BBC brand around the world."

In his current role, Paul oversees Consumer Products, a global producer and distributor of TV entertainment packaged media, including DVD, Blu-ray, DTO, licensed product, music, BBC Shop and book publishing partnerships.

Paul joined BBC Worldwide in 1998 as UK Sales Director and became Managing Director of BBC Audio books in 2002. He was appointed Director of BBC Worldwide?s Audio & Music business when it was established in 2006. Prior to joining BBC Worldwide, Paul?s background in sales and marketing included eight years at Mars Confectionery followed by two years as Sales Director of Frontline Ltd, BBC Worldwide?s magazine joint venture business.

As a result of the move, Marcus Arthur, Managing Director for Global Brands, will take over Paul?s current responsibilities as Acting Managing Director for Consumer Products, in addition to his current role.

The BBC has been battling allegations of sex-scandal surrounding Jimmy Savile, the late BBC television star now alleged to have been a prolific child sex offender. The scandal saw the resignation of BBC?s Director General George Entwistle in the wake of Newsnight report on North Wales child abuse. The report wrongly implicated a politician in child sex abuse.

MUMBAI: UK pubcaster The BBC?s commercial arm BBC Worldwide has enhanced its deal with Middle East broadcaster Al Jazeera Children?s Channel (JCC).

The enhanced deal involves JCC buying 180 hours of programming from BBC, all of which will be dubbed into Arabic.

BBC Worldwide Territory Manager Middle East, Africa Natasha Hussain said, "This deal further builds on the strong relationship we have with Al Jazeera Children?s Channel. We have a real breadth of engaging and informative programming in our Children?s catalogue so it?s great to see some of our exciting live-action drama and documentary content such as MI High and Deadly 60 licensed by the channel for the first time."

Al Jazeera Children?s Channel acting director of sales and media rights Rashed Al Qurese said, "Both JCC and BBC have a strong tradition of providing quality entertainment to their audiences. This new selection of creative and intelligent series will expand on our schedule of programming that children will love and parents will trust."