MUMBAI: Multi Screen Media (MSM), Sony Pictures Television?s India subsidiary, has identified film production and distribution business as the company?s new growth area.

The plan is to first co-produce films before getting into projects independently. As part of this strategy, MSM has entered into a strategic tie-up with Eros International Media, India?s biggest movie production company.

MSM will co-produce and co-invest Shashant Shah?s Bhajathe Raho with Eros. The film currently under production is looking at a mid-year release. It will feature Tusshar Kapoor, Ranveer Shorey, Vinay Pathak, Ravi Kissen, Dolly Alhuwalia and others.

MSM CEO Man Jit Singh said that the film production business will be a separate line of business but housed under MSM. The film production business will be overseen by him and NP Singh initially, he added.

"We have been looking to enter the film production business in India for some time. We will produce a combination of big as well as medium budget films which are commercially successful at the box office," Singh told Indiantelevision.com.

Without divulging details about the investment plan for the film production business, Singh said that the satellite rights of movies produced by MSM will be open for sale to any broadcaster and will not necessarily be aired on the company?s Hindi movie channel, Max.

MSM COO NP Singh added, "As a major Indian television network, we are very happy to enter into this agreement with a leading Indian studio like Eros to develop and release high quality original Indian content to fans of Indian cinema across the world."

It needs to be noted here that Sony Pictures Entertainment had in 2007 entered into a film production and distribution deal with Eros.

Globally, MSM?s parent company Sony Pictures is a big player in movie production and distribution. Columbia TriStar Motion Picture Group (CTMPG), the motion picture arm of Sony, boasts of a library of with more than 3,500 titles.

Eros International Media MD Sunil Lulla said, "We are looking forward to the potential benefits that both entities will bring to the film with their combined strengths. By extending together our established networks to distribute Bhajathe Raho in India and international markets, we hope to give the film the best release platform."

Eros has off late been entering into various strategic tie-ups. It had recently entered into an agreement with HBO Asia to launch two ad free bi-lingual movie channels, HBO Defined and HBO Hits, in India.

On Tuesday, Eros announced that it had entered into an alliance with Endemol to co-produce three feature films as well as get into original programming for television.

NEW DELHI: Star India CEO Uday Shankar has been appointed the new Chairman of FICCI?s Media & Entertainment Committee.

This position was earlier held by legendary filmmaker Yash Chopra, who passed away this year in October. Shankar will be supported by Ramesh Sippy and Karan Johar as the Co-Chair of the Committee.

Shankar has been the Chairman of the FICCI Broadcast Forum, and led the Forum on some seminal work towards broadcast digitisation along with Telecom Regulatory Authority of India and the Information and Broadcasting Ministry.

Multi Screen Media CEO Man Jit Singh will now be the new Chairman of the Broadcast Forum.

The FICCI Entertainment Committee has been working closely with the government on behalf of industry stakeholders for the past decade and has been responsible for achieving major milestones for the industry such as the accordance of ?industry? status to the Indian film sector; income tax rebate to the extent of 50 per cent on book profits to the multiplexes; tax holiday for five years by some state governments to give concessions or exemptions from payment of entertainment tax; spearheading the second phase of privatisation of FM Radio broadcast policy; submitting a definitive TRP report to review and recommend robust system of measurement of TRP; working with the Ministry to define roadmap and solve policy issues relating to animation, gaming , VFX and comic industry (AVGC); towards complete digitisation; forming a Sector Skills Council with NSDC to focus on skill development in the media sector, among others.

In a statement, FICCI said it looks towards Shankar?s vision, rich and varied experience and deft leadership to take the formidable Indian media and entertainment industry to newer heights.

On taking over as the Chairmanship, Shankar said that he would work with all industry stakeholders closely to formulate an agenda for sustained growth of the burgeoning entertainment sector and keep up regular and meaningful dialogue with policy makers.

Mumbai: Broadcasters on Wednesday night will begin the phased genre-wise pullout of analogue television channels from the four metros of Mumbai, Delhi, Kolkata and Chennai three weeks ahead of the complete shift to digitised delivery from 1 November.

The switching off of analogue signals of all English movie channels will start from 11 pm. They will serve a big jolt on 12 October by shutting analogue signals of Hindi general entertainment channels (GECs) for two hours between from 2 pm on Friday, 12 October, before going ahead with the switching off of analogue signals of more genres.

In a letter to multi-system operators (MSOs), Indian Broadcasting Foundation (IBF) president and Multi Screen Media CEO Man Jit Singh said analogue signals of Hindi movie channels will be switched off in the four metros from 11 pm on 15 October, followed by English, Hindi and business news channels from 11 pm on 18 October and Hindi GECs from 11 pm on 22 October. A copy of that letter is with Indiantelevision.com.

The decision to switch off analogue channels in the four metro as part of the final push for digitisation was taken during discussions held under the aegis of the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting.
Will there not be a consumer reaction? "For subscribers who will demand these channels, we are ready to install free digital set-top boxes till 31 October. They can then watch these channels. They will need to pay for the digital services only after 31 October. Since this is a short window, there shouldn‘t be a problem," a senior executive of a leading MSO said on condition of anonymity.

MSOs who have not agreed to the switch off will, however, continue to get these channels. The major MSOs like Hathway Cable & Datacom, Den, Siticable and Digicable have, however, agreed for a genre-wise switch off ahead of digitisation.

The government on Wednesday said an average of 77 per cent of cable TV homes in the four metros have installed set-top boxes required for receiving digital television signals, led by Mumbai with 99 per cent of homes digitised. Kolkata follows with 73 per cent homes digitised, Delhi 66 per cent and Chennai 59 per cent.

As agreed during meetings at the I&B Ministry, MSOs will be giving separate letters to the broadcasters as per a draft prepared by the IBF requesting them to switch off analogue signals. MSOs are required to give complete details of the analogue signals they receive along with the letter. Such request letters were sought from MSOs as otherwise switching off analogue signals would not have been legally tenable, particularly after a recent order by the Telecom Disputes Settlement Appellate Tribunal (Tdsat) on a petition by ESPN Star Sports barring MSOs from switching off analogue signals of its sports channels before 1 November.

Also read:

Broadcasters, MSOs agree for genre-wise switch off ahead of 1 November

MUMBAI: It was an afternoon filled with mixed martial arts expertise as the Ultimate Fighting Championship and Sony?s sports channel Six officially confirmed a wide-ranging, strategic partnership which brings the sports organisation to India.

UFC content can be seen on Six every night at 9 pm. Six is the destination for all UFC programming in India, from live events featuring the biggest names in the sport to athlete profile shows including the seminal Countdown and Primetime.

Six will also feature the greatest fights in the UFC?s 19-year history with UFC Unleashed. In addition there will be a reality show called The Ultimate Fighter: India (TUF India). This will be a competition involving 16 fighters and the winner gets a six figure UFC contract. This event will be held next year in India.

Says UFC chairman, CEO Lorenzo Fertitta, ?We are delighted to bring the UFC - the fastest growing sports organisation in the world - to India. Our TG is 18-34 males. We have grown in Brazil and that success has shown that we can have success here. India has a lot of appetite for new sports and we are confident that Six will skew younger audiences with the special programming of the Ultimate fighting Championship on the channel. The fast paced action along with real fights will appeal to Indians. We also have a legacy of khushti and one day they can become UFC champions.?

?Ultimate Fighter? is the UFC?s long-running reality TV show in the US where 16 of the most talented unsigned martial artists compete for a contract with the UFC. Previous TUF winners have gone on to win UFC world champions and become international superstars.

Says Multi Screen Media CEO Man Jit Singh, ?Mixed martial arts require tremendous physical training, skill and strategy and India certainly has a lot of aptitude for the sport, With the Ultimate Fighter India, we hope to harness and prepare local talent to produce world class fighters. It will be an inspiration to young India. Six will motivate a new generation to compete on the world stage in one of the fastest growing sports in the world.?

TUF India will be the third edition of the long-running sports reality show to take place outside the US; with TUF Brazil taking place earlier this year and TUF: the Smashes (Australia vs UK) to begin airing in Australia later this month.

Fertitta, ?We are very excited to partner with Six as the UFC expands into India. We look forward to working with them to not only further expand the UFC?s fanbase here, but also to find and develop local talent and, ultimately, bring regular live events to India.?

Six?s commitment to the series is crucial for the UFC in the market. Says Fertitta, ?Six?s willingness to step up and commit to the Ultimate Fighter India was very important to us. TUF India will help to introduce the sport in India, to showcase the hard work, dedication, athleticism and skills needed to compete in the UFC. It will also cast a spotlight throughout the country, searching for the most talented local martial artists."

Tapping local talent will be one of the main hunts for the UFC in India. Says Fertitta, ?The UFC will be successful in India even without local stars, but what we?ve seen around the world is fans really want to see one of their own get a chance to compete at the highest level. Somewhere out there in a country of 1.2 billion there is a Indian champion, someone who will capture the imagination of the fans and help take the sport to a whole new level.?

MUMBAI: Multi Screen Media (MSM), the Indian arm of the Sony Pictures Television International (SPTI), has appointed Smriti Krishna as its senior vice president and head of human resources.

Krishna moves from for NBC Universal Asia Pacific where she was VP and head of HR based in Singapore. Prior to NBCU, she has worked in New York, Tokyo and India with the General Electric Company (GE) and its affiliates in HR leadership roles. 

MSM CEO Man Jit Singh said, "We are glad to welcome Smriti Krishna to the MSM family. We are confident that Smriti?s experience in human resources and her global perspective will contribute to the growth of our network and our people. We wish her all the best for her new role."

Krishna comes with a rich background in human resources. She had started her career with Xerox India before joining GE in 2000.