13 Feb, 2016 – The international division of US pay-TV giant NBCUniversal International Networks has commissioned Halcyon, a new short-form scripted series, for its Syfy global science fiction and entertainment channel.

SyfyProduced by Secret Location, Halcyon is a police procedural series set in 2058 and focuses on a future world where virtual reality is as ubiquitous as smartphones are today. Its 15 episodes will alternate between 10 episodes available to view on Syfy linear channels around the world, along with their accompanying Syfy websites, and five VR episodes to be distributed through the proprietary VR platform Oculus Rift.

For an enriched experience, viewers can watch both the linear and virtual reality episodes; and for viewers who are only watching linear episodes, short recaps of each of the five VR episodes will ensure that all viewers are able to follow the complete storyline. Additional premium and mobile platforms will be announced.

Read more at Rapid TV News

11 Feb, 2016 – The Ministry of Information & Broadcasting (MIB) has granted uplinking licences to Star India, thus paving the way for the broadcast major to expand its sports portfolio by launching regional sports channels in Marathi, Bengali, Tamil, Telugu and Malayalam.

The ministry has awarded 10 new licences to the broadcaster to launch Star Sports Marathi, Star Sports Bengali, Star Sports Malayalam, Star Sports Tamil, and Star Sports Telugu in standard definition (SD) as well as high definition (HD).

If all goes as per plan, the broadcaster will effectively have 18 sports channels. Currently, it has eight sports channels including four SD and four HD channels. Star was the first Indian broadcaster to launch a Hindi sports channel in SD and HD, namely Star Sports 3 and Star Sports HD3.

Read more at Television Post

SINGAPORE, FEBRUARY 12, 2016 – GAME OF THRONES begins its ten-episode sixth season in Asia same time as the US: Monday April 25 at 9am, with a same day primetime encore at 9pm – only on HBO / HBO GO.

Based on George R.R. Martin’s popular book series “A Song of Ice and Fire”, HBO’s hit Emmy®-winning fantasy series chronicles an epic struggle for power in a vast and violent kingdom.

The ensemble cast for the fifth season included Emmy® and Golden Globe winner Peter Dinklage, Nikolaj Coster-Waldau, Lena Headey, Emilia Clarke, Aidan Gillen, Kit Harington, Diana Rigg, Natalie Dormer, Maisie Williams and Sophie Turner. Executive producers, David Benioff, D.B. Weiss, Carolyn Strauss, Frank Doelger, Bernadette Caulfield; co-executive producers, Guymon Casady, Vince Gerardis, George R.R. Martin.

11 Feb, 2016 – Among the shows on Hayu, set to debut in March, are ‘Keeping Up with the Kardashians,’ its spin-offs and ‘The Real Housewives.’

NBCUniversal International on Thursday said that it would in March launch hayu, a subscription VOD service focused on reality TV shows.

The company called it “the first all-reality service of its kind – curated and fully integrated with social media,” saying it would launch in the U.K., Ireland and Australia on various devices, including mobile phones, tablets, laptops and connected TVs.

Read more at the Hollywood Reporter

11 Feb, 2016 – The BBC is going to scan the faces of viewers to make sure they’re enjoying TV content.

The broadcaster began trials of the technology last year, but will now press ahead with plans to formally adopt the facial-coding software, as reported by the Independent.

The system is developed by British start-up CrowdEmotion, which uses cameras to record a viewer’s facial expressions.

Read more at Trusted Reviews

11 Feb, 2016 – Richard Pleper, Chief Executive of HBO, has revealed that HBO NOW, the broadcaster’s OTT platform, has attracted some 800,000 paying subscribers, with Jeff Bewkes, Chairman and CEO of HBO’s parent company Time Warner, suggesting the service was a significant contributor to HBO’s 2.7 million domestic subscriber additions in 2015.

The figures were highlighted during Time Warner’s Fourth Quarter 2015 Earnings Call, during which Bewkes suggested that the combination of an even stronger original programming line-up and best selection of hit Hollywood movies and ever improving digital products would drive continued subscriber growth both at HBO NOW and with its traditional distributors.

Read more at Advanced Television

11 Feb, 2016 -Media giant Time Warner has revealed modest gains in its 2015 financial year, buttressed by strong performance in its Turner and Home Box Office (HBO) divisions.

For the fiscal 12 months ended 31 December 2015, the company reported that full-year revenues and adjusted operating income increased 3% and 19% respectively from 2014 to $28.1 billion and $6.9 billion. The growth in adjusted operating income was said to have benefited from lower programming charges at Turner and restructuring and severance charges across the company as a whole, partially offset by a swing in intersegment eliminations. Revenues and adjusted operating income included the unfavourable impact of foreign exchange rates of approximately $1.1 billion and $480 million, respectively, in the year. Operating income increased 15% from 2014 to $6.9 billion.

Read more at Rapid TV News

11 Feb, 2016 – Motorsport guru and Formula 1 commentator Eddie Jordan, world record-breaking German racing driver Sabine Schmitz, renowned motoring journalist and YouTube petrolhead Chris Harris, and car reviewer and TV presenter Rory Reid are today all confirmed to join Chris Evans and Matt LeBlanc for the eagerly awaited return of Top Gear.

The new team will cover the entire automotive spectrum and bring with them their own unique and very individual love of cars that will resonate with every type of Top Gear viewer from the family who enjoy the entertainment values of the show, to aspirational car lovers and fanatical petrolheads.

Formula 1 heavyweight Eddie Jordan comes armed with a trademark no-nonsense, richly experienced view of the motoring world, and life in general, which is guaranteed to be anything but boring. The colourful Dublin-born entrepreneur has flirted with cars all his life, and as owner of the former Jordan Grand Prix team gave many of the world’s most iconic drivers their first taste of the most powerful and loudest starting grid on the planet including Michael Schumacher, who made his debut for Jordan in 1991, and Eddie Irvine.

Sabine Schmitz, the legendary Queen of the Nurburgring, re-enters Top Gear folklore by becoming the show’s first female presenter in 15 years. Another familiar face to Top Gear viewers following her unforgettable appearances in series 5 and series 11, she has already completed some filming with Chris Evans in a sequence that will leave even the most hardened speed–demons gasping for breath when it debuts on TV (sick-bags not included!).

Motoring journalist Chris Harris, the man whose very name sends shivers through many car manufacturers’ boardrooms, comes armed with a self-confessed determination to cause mischief and tell viewers insightful things about automobiles they probably didn’t even think they needed to know.

And newcomer Rory Reid, who was recruited to Top Gear from the show’s 2015 public auditions, is an award-winning journalist, has launched and presented for CNET’s Car Tech channel, and also had a starring role in Sky 1’s Gadget Geeks series.

Chris Evans said of his new Top Gear gang: “We really do have a bit of everything for everyone. A fellow lifelong petrolhead from the other side of the pond in Matt; a fearless speed-demon in the irrepressible and effervescent Sabine; the encyclopedic, funny and wonderfully colourful character that is EJ; Chris, one of the world’s top no-nonsense car reviewers; and Rory, who simply blew me away in his audition and fully deserves his place on the team.”

Eddie Jordan said: “I’m giddy with excitement to be joining Chris and the team. I have such enormous respect for all my fellow presenters and I politely ask that they go easy on these old bones. Cars are in my DNA and although I’ve been fortunate enough to accomplish most things I ever aspired to in motorsport, presenting Top Gear is quite simply the icing on the cake.”

Chris Harris said: “Top Gear is the thing that helped shape my life with cars, my perception of cars and my obsession with cars, and I’m raring to give it a go. I’m also quite gobby and happy to get into trouble, so I’m hoping I can underpin the programme with journalistic credibility but still cause some mischief. And if it all goes wrong, well, I can say I was once on Top Gear, and just head back to being that annoying small bloke off YouTube.”

Sabine Schmitz added: “I grew up next to the Nurburgring, and have been racing for most of my life, so the chance to combine both driving and filming was too good an opportunity to pass up. I’ve appeared on Top Gear a few times in the past, so I know we’re going to have a lot of fun.”

Rory Reid commented: “When I submitted my 30-second audition tape, I knew the odds were very firmly against me, as the auditions were open to absolutely everybody. To be the only person to make it through the open audition process makes me immensely proud. I’ve been a Top Gear fan for decades, but more than that, I live and breathe cars in a way that is perfectly compatible with the show. I’m looking forward to bringing my brand of knowledge, energy and humour to what promises to be a very exciting new series.”

The Stig, clearly not wanting to be left out of today’s announcement, sent the following reply via electronic communication: “-.-. …. . .– .. . –..– / .– . .—-. .-. . / …. — — . .-.-.-“

Top Gear returns this May to BBC Two and TV screens everywhere.

– ENDS –

10 Feb, 2016 – Quarterly revenues of $7.38 billion for 21st Century Fox show a decline of 1 percent from the prior-year period, as healthy cable network programming and television segments were more than offset by the weak performance within filmed entertainment.

Quarterly total segment operating income before depreciation and amortization (OIBDA) of $1.73 billion increased 2 percent from the $1.70 billion of adjusted OIBDA reported in the prior year.

Read more at World Screen

5 Feb, 2016 – The news that the BBC is to stream live coverage of Saturday’s Scotland v England RBS Six Nations match may not raise too many eyebrows, but the fact that will be doing so to British astronaut Major Tim Peake in the International Space Station is somewhat different.

Peake will be able to watch the game 400km above the earth as the BBC and European Space Agency feed the game to him live in the space station. A photo sent by Peake from the space station shows him getting into the spirit ahead of the game.

Read more at Advanced Television