(May 9, 2013) It looks as though Fox will be a lot more aggressive with its new programming this season.

Last night the network ordered nine pilots to series, nearly double the five new series it picked up last year.

That includes five comedies, most of them with a decidedly male focus, unlike the past two seasons, when its sitcoms skewed more female with “New Girl” and “The Mindy Project.”

Read more at Media Life Magazine

(May 8, 2013) The National Geographic Channel will begin a branding campaign on Sunday to introduce its new programming strategy to viewers and advertisers.

Courteney Monroe, the channel’s chief marketing officer, said its executives had worked since 2011 to switch its programming from being four-fifths documentaries and one-fifth series to four-fifths series and one-fifth documentaries. “It’s very hard to build a big, loyal audience without recurring series,” she said.

Read more at The New York Times

(May 9, 2013) ITV has entered an exclusive fixed term partnership with Samsung to offer the new and improved ITV Player app on the manufacturer’s Android devices.

The ITV Player app will be available on a range of Samsung Android tablet and smartphone devices, including the new Galaxy S4, the Galaxy Note 8.0 and the Galaxy Mega, whilst it has also been optimised for the Galaxy S III, Galaxy SII, Galaxy Note II, Note and Galaxy Note 10.1.

Read more at Advanced Television

(May 9, 2013) Abbe Raven, chairman of A+E Networks, pointed to the gains made by the group’s channel portfolio at its Upfront presentation last night, noting, “In 2012, all six of our core networks were up year over year. We are the only network group who can say that.”

Read more at World Screen

(May 9, 2013) Adam Levine, the frontman of the band Maroon 5 and a coach on The Voice, and his producing partner Jordan Feldstein have entered into an exclusive first-look development deal with NBC Entertainment for scripted and alternative programming.

Read more at World Screen

(May 9, 2013) BBC One’s outgoing controller Danny Cohen has ordered the new drama series Our Zoo, Poldark, Dickensian and From There to Here.

Read more at World Screen

(May 10, 2013) Vietnamese military-run mobile operator Viettel has reportedly received licence to provide cable TV services, StoxPlus writes. The company plans to launch the business in the last quarter of this year.

Read more at Telecompaper

(May 9, 2013) “Paid news is becoming a menace in TV and print, both in language media as well as in English news. It is a threat to the society as well as freedom of media and must be stopped immediately,” said Uday Shankar, CEO, STAR India.

Read more at Exchange 4 Media

DIVA UNIVERSAL CELEBRATES ASIA’S FASHION

SIGNS ON INTERNATIONAL EMMY NODDED LOCAL PRODUCTION ‘SUPERMODELME’ FEATURING ASIA’S SUPERMODEL LISA S

BACKS ASIAN FASHION EXCHANGE 2013

Singapore, 9 May 2013 – Fashion gets a new attitude as leading entertainment channel DIVA Universal announced today that it will be the exclusive regional channel to broadcast the International Emmy nominated reality-competition series, Supermodelme. The announcement comes as DIVA seals its partnership as the official female channel with one of Asia’s most prolific fashion events, the Asian Fashion Exchange, held in Singapore from 13-19 May 2013.

Championing its cause to support local productions and provide entertainment tailored for DIVA’s predominantly female audience, including fashion on its programming slate has been a natural progression for the channel. DIVA viewers will not only get to watch exclusive short format programs featuring internationally renowned designers at the festival, they will also have the first viewing of the unscripted Supermodelme later in the year.

“Supermodelme and the Asian Fashion Exchange are two of the biggest brands associated with Asia’s fashion scene and DIVA viewers will be keen to get an insider’s look into Asia’s glamorous world of fashion,” says David Gunson, VP, SEA Channels, Universal Networks International, who secured the first-window rights of Supermodelme for the Asia region.

Supermodelme is a multiplatform reality-competition series revolving around the lives of Asian models as they kickstart an international career in the cut-throat world of fashion. With three highly successful seasons under its belt, Supermodelme has proved itself ground-breaking in both Asian and international arenas. It has won a highly commend prize as the Best Cross Platform Content at the 2012 Asian Television Awards and most recently earned a nomination for a 2013 International Digital Emmy Award.

Now in its fourth season, Supermodelme will up the ante and showcase a highly stylized and inspiring series with 12 Asian models vying with one another through a series of physically and mentally gruelling challenges for the cash prize of $35,000.

Resident Judge and host, supermodel Lisa S will have E! Asia host, Dominic Lau, and Singapore-born, Thailand-based model and actress Ase Wang on the panel this season to mentor the models and prepare them for international stardom. Guest judge Jenny Shimizu, an American model and actress, will also provide industry tips and expert advice for the models.

Karen Seah, CEO of Refinery Media and Executive Producer says, “The new season of Supermodelme is about to get even edgier and even more ground-breaking in terms of pushing the cross-platform storytelling boundaries. The dynamics of the cast and celebrity judges get better every season, and the new season will certainly hold greater appeal.”

Supermodelme will launch on DIVA Universal later in 2013 and will be available online and mobile platforms.

About Universal Networks International
Universal Networks International, the international channels division of NBCUniversal, is one of the world’s premier entertainment portfolios, delivering quality content and compelling brands to over 176 territories across Europe, the Middle East, Africa, Latin America and Asia Pacific. The brands in the portfolio include Universal Channel, Syfy, 13th Street Universal, Studio Universal, E! Entertainment Television, The Style Network, DIVA Universal and Golf Channel. These unique brands deliver a full range of entertainment experiences to local audiences across the globe. Universal Networks International also operates Movies 24 and has a controlling interest in the KidsCo joint venture.

Universal Networks International is a division of NBCUniversal, one of the world’s leading media and entertainment companies in the development, production, and marketing of entertainment, news, and information to a global audience. NBCUniversal owns and operates a valuable portfolio of news and entertainment television networks, a premier motion picture company, significant television production operations, a leading television stations group, and world-renowned theme parks. NBCUniversal is owned by Comcast Corporation.

For more information, please contact:
Universal Networks International
Marlene Ee, Communication Manager, Asia Pacific
+65 6326 1872
Marlene.ee@nbcuni.com

Strategic Public Relations Group on behalf of UNI
Regina Yeo, Consultant, Singapore
+65 6325 8232
regina.yeo@sprg.com.sg

Strategic Public Relations Group on behalf of UNI
Sarah Sanusi, Associate, Singapore
+65 6325 8185
sarah.sanusi@sprg.com.sg