MUMBAI: The seventh edition of Focus, Associated Chambers of Commerce and Industry of India?s (Assocham) annual summit on media and entertainment, will take place on 2 May this year at the Le Meridien in the capital city.

The annual event which was started in 2007 enjoys the support of the Ministry of Broadcasting and Information. This year, the theme of the summit will be celebrating 100 years of Indian cinema. Yes Bank is the title partner at the event this year.

The key sessions to be held this year include - Content: Cornerstone of Success in the M&E industry, Digitisation V2.0 - Going beyond the Metros, Print Media: Tipping Point in a Digital World?, Is Regional The New National and Technology & New Media - Game Changers.

Probable speakers at Focus 2013 include Information and Broadcasting minister Manish Tewari, director, producer and The Film & Television Producers Guild of India president Mukesh Bhatt, Indian Broadcasting Federation (IBF) president Manjit Singh, The Walt Disney Company India MD Ronnie Screwvala, and Indian Express editor-in-chief Shekhar Gupta.

MUMBAI: Sony Pictures Entertainment (SPE) and Starz have inked a new, multi-year agreement that extends their exclusive first-run output premium pay TV deal.

As a result, Starz will have the exclusive pay television rights to Sony Pictures? theatrical releases through 2021. The previous agreement between the two companies had covered motion pictures released theatrically through 2016.

Commencing with 2005 theatrical releases, Starz has been the exclusive first-run pay television home for the exhibition of Sony Pictures? films including titles from Columbia Pictures, Sony Pictures Classics, TriStar, and Screen Gems.

Starz had recently renewed its exclusive long-term licensing agreement with Disney-ABC Domestic Television, a division of The Walt Disney Company, for theatrical releases from The Walt Disney Studios through 2015.

The new SPE-Starz agreement provides movie content for all Starz platforms including its linear STARZ and ENCORE channels in standard definition and HD, subscription VOD services in standard definition, HD On Demand and 3D On Demand, and online streaming services, including the recently launched Starz Play and Encore Play.

Big, hit Sony titles coming in 2013 exclusively on pay television to the STARZ channels and services include: The Amazing Spider-Man, 21 Jump Street, Zero Dark Thirty, The Vow, Men In Black 3, and Resident Evil: Retribution.

"Starz and Encore subscribers have enjoyed the consistently stellar theatrical product from Sony, and we are thrilled to extend our exclusive partnership into the next decade," said Starz CEO Chris Albrecht.

"Starz will continue to offer the richest premium TV viewing experience for our subscribers and distributors for years to come thanks to Starz? growing original programming slate, along with the robust lineup of new blockbuster Sony releases and our deep movie library."

"Starz has been a terrific partner and we are excited to be extending our relationship with them through the 2021 slate," said SPT President, U.S. John Weiser.

MUMBAI: $335 million. That?s the price Rupert Murdoch-controlled News Corp has to fork out to buy The Walt Disney Company-owned ESPN?s 50 per cent stake in their Asian joint-venture ESPN Star Sports (ESS).

Murdoch, keen to take full control of the sports broadcasting empire in Asia, will not have ESPN as the guarantor for $800 million of payment obligations of ESS towards rights acquired for sports events. News Corp will, thus, be the sole guarantor for the rights payment obligations now.These include payments that are to be made for the remaining tenure of the cricket properties like ICC (including World Cup) and Champions League.

"The value News Corp is paying is for gaining market strength in countries like India. The profit of the JV comes from the rest of Asia business. But India is a bigger bet for Murdoch," says a media analyst.

Walt Disney will recognise a gain of approximately $220 million ($165 million after tax) in the first quarter of 2013.

On 7 November, the company sold its 50 per cent equity interest in ESS, which operates 25 television networks and three broadband networks covering 24 markets in Asia.

News Corp had in June announced that it will take full control of ESS following ESPN?s decision to sell its 50 per cent stake in the JV which was formed 17 years back.

Before the JV was formed, ESPN competed with News Corps? Star Sports in India and Asia which saw the bids for sports rights spiral out of control. Hence the decision to come together and exploit the opportunities together in the nascent Asian market.

The stake sale marks the exit of ESPN from the Asian market due to a two-year non-compete clause. However, the company continues to be invested in Asia through its digital business which includes ESPNCricinfo, ESPNFC and ESPN Mobile.

Murdoch has expressed sudden aggression in the sports broadcasting business in the US as well. Gearing up to give ESPN a fight in the US, News Corp acquired in November 49 per cent stake in Yankees Entertainment and Sports Network (Yes), the cable network channel owned by baseball team New York Yankees and its partners.

MUMBAI: UTV Software Communications co-founder Zarina Mehta has put in her papers, a year after the company was wholly taken over by The Walt Disney.

Mehta was designated as chief creative officer at Walt Disney India and was looking after UTV channels including Bindass.

"After 27 years, I have decided that I need to move on from my beloved UTV," Mehta said in an internal mail to the employees. "It has given me joy and fulfillment to create a vibrant, passionate, cutting-edge company that believes passionately in creativity at its core."

She will now move full time to the foundation SHARE (Society to Heal, Aid, Restore And Educate) as managing trustee, she said in the mail.