CANNES: It?s known for its Big Brother franchise, which has been produced in several companies worldwide, placing it among the top global TV producers and format licensor. And Endemol president Tim Hincks announced today at MipTV what lengths it will go to retain its leadership position.

Speaking to a packed Grand Auditorium in the Palais des Festivals he said: ?We are back in the mergers and acquisition game. We have the free cash to do some takeovers. We will be announcing some of them soon.?

?The traditional broadcasting-producer model is doing very well thank you for all of us; it is very resilient. We have to change the way we think in our minds going forward in digital. It?s time to change the risk model,? he revealed.

In India, Endemol has roped in CA Media as a joint venture partner, but Hincks said that?s not something that could become a model for Endemol for other l markets. He said: "The fundamental principle for us is that we are global company but we operate incredibly locally. In India?s case, the joint venture was the right way to go. It?s not necessarily the way we?ll go as a rule."

He disclosed that Endemol had tied up with the Rolling Stones to launch a Digital App. ?I met up with Mick Jagger and he and his band mates asked us to help them to market themselves digitally and we have done just that,? he revealed. ?There?s a business opportunity here as they have loyal fans out there to whom we can directly market and also offer them a digital experience?
He also announced the launch of a Fear Factor YouTube channel in the US to be followed by launches elsewhere. ?It will be hosted by the Fear Factor hosts and will have a lot of archival material. We will also allow users to upload their Fear Factor videos and also interact with each other and create some commercial opportunities. We have to back the content we create online and offline with some clever marketing. Fuse these two together and you have winners.?

What about its core business of content creation for linear channels? What keeps Endemol going. ?It?s all about the creative process,? pointed out Hincks. ?Creatives like to have a notion of ownership and Endemol provides them that environment to fulfill their creative dreams.?

On that front, he is quite gung-ho about two new shows which are emerging from Endemol. One is a scripted entertainment show Low Winter Sun which is being produced for AMC. And the other is ?I know that face,? a format which was created in same and has become all the rage globally and which is expected to roll out shortly in the US and UK.

?The fact is that we launched 175 formats in 2012 in various countries right from Italy to German to US to Holland to Spain. We managed to do so because we are a creative engine,? he concluded.

MUMBAI: As the US prepares to commemorate the 10th anniversary of the 9/11 terror attacks on New York, Washington, D.C. and Pennsylvania, US broadcaster Showtime will air the documentary ‘The Love We Make‘, which chronicles Paul McCartney‘s poignant and cathartic journey through the streets of New York City in the aftermath of the World Trade Center‘s destruction.

The documentary airs on 10 September.

It also traces the planning and performance of the benefit concert at Madison Square Garden, ‘The Concert for New York City‘, which took place less than six weeks after the terrorist attacks. 

Directed by documentary filmmaker Albert Maysles and his a filmmaking partner, Bradley Kaplan, ‘The Love We Make‘ was shot in the signature cinema verite style that Maysles pioneered and made famous when he filmed the Beatles‘ first visit to America in the 1964 documentary ‘What‘s Happening! The Beatles in the U.S.A‘.

Shooting once again in 16 mm black and white, Maysles‘ camera captures McCartney‘s personal journey to help heal the city that welcomed him with open arms in 1964.

The announcement was made by Shwotime Networks president of entertainment David Nevins.

On the morning of 11 September, 2001 McCartney was on a plane on the tarmac in New York City, scheduled to leave the country when the attacks took place. Grounded, he returned to the city and witnessed first-hand the shock and devastation that overtook the United States.

He returned to the city and saw first-hand the destruction and tragic consequences of one of the most horrific days in US history.

Directors Maysles and Kaplan, along with editor Ian Markiewicz assembled footage of McCartney rehearsing for the benefit concert, connecting with New Yorkers on the city streets, and storytelling behind-the-scenes at interviews with Dan Rather, Howard Stern and others.

Additionally, the film features performances from the benefit concert itself and unparalleled access backstage with McCartney and luminaries from the worlds of music, Hollywood and politics, including David Bowie, Steve Buscemi, Eric Clapton, President Bill Clinton, Sheryl Crow, Leonardo DiCaprio, Harrison Ford, Mick Jagger, Jay Z, Billy Joel, Elton John, Stella McCartney, Governor George Pataki, Keith Richards, James Taylor, Pete Townsend, and many more.

McCartney said, "It was an honor to be able to help New York and America at that time in its history. There was a feeling of shock and fear in the air that I thought we could help alleviate with music. And the fact that so many people stepped up to join us made for a very uplifting evening for us all."

Filmmaker Maysles said, "There was so much suffering as a result of 9/11 it‘s hard to imagine how one might bring relief to those who were impacted by the attacks, and honor those firefighters, police officers and rescue workers who lost their lives in their heroic attempt to help others. But Paul had the answer: music and a film that would tell the full story."