John McLaughlin kicks off tour in North Carolina…

seen @ Abstract Logix (Ablx Staff – Inhouse Journalist) on 15th June 2007…

Govt. free to advertise on private TV, radio channels …

NEW DELHI: Ministries and departments of the Union government are no longer obliged to advertise only on Prasar Bharati channels if they want to advertise on private channels and sufficient weightage has to be given to regional channels, according to the new Audio-Visual Advertisement Policy.Faced with a situation where the number of advertisements released by the government during 2006-07 actually fell over the previous year, information and broadcasting minister Priyaranjan Dasmunsi has said that the policies for Empanelment of Audio-Video Producers and Electronic Media channels have been reviewed to remove any bottlenecks and ensure greater reach.

The minister told the Consultative Committee of Members of Parliament attached to his ministry that a comprehensive review of policies related to the Directorate of Advertising and Visual Publicity – the nodal agency for the purpose – has been carried out to facilitate the media being catered to.

DAVP sources told indiantelevision.com that broad distribution of advertisements in monetary terms was set at 70 per cent for national channels and 30 per cent for regional channels. Provision has been made for review of rates if TAM rate varies by more than 50 per cent continuously for six months period.

The Directorate will no longer take any departmental charge, as in the case of print media ads. The Empanelment Advisory Committee constitution has changed and is headed by the Cost Advisor in the finance ministry, as in the case of the rate structure committee for Press Advertisements.

Although advertisements amounting to Rs 3.07 billion were released by the government during 2006-07 (around Rs 1 billion to the audio-visual medium), the number of advertisements released both to the print and the audio-visual media came down over the previous year.

According to figures released by the ministry, the DAVP released a total of 150,965 advertisements during the year, of which 130,787 went to the audio-visual media.

The number of advertisements released in 2005-06 was 156,850 (133,471 to the audio-visual media) and 115,137 in 2004-05 (92,903 to the audio-visual media). However, the expenditure has gone up from around Rs 1.67 billion in 2004-05 to just over Rs 2.91 billion a year later.

Dasmunsi also announced that the policies relating to two other wings of the ministry – the Publications Division and the Registrar of Newspapers in India – have also been reviewed to make the systems more transparent and user friendly.

He said DAVP’s new Advertisement Policy for print media has come out with measures to raise the share of small and medium newspapers in the advertising revenue routed through DAVP.

MPs who took part in the meeting felt more focus and support was needed for the medium and small newspapers. It was suggested that a deadline may be fixed for release of advertisements by DAVP so that the newspapers in different parts of the country can carry the ads and do not miss out. Some of the members also complained about blockage of funds at the level of the client ministries who had to release these to DAVP for eventual release to the newspapers.

Meanwhile, DAVP sources said the ministry had been informed that newspapers which have refused to publish advertisements of public service advertisements, as required in clause 18 (f) of the Advertisement Policy had still not replied to notices sent by the Directorate. The newspapers stopped publishing the advertisements following a directive from the Indian Newspaper Society (INS) to member newspapers not to publish advertisements of PSUs and Autonomous Bodies at DAVP rates.

(15 June 2007 3:04 pm – Source: Indiantelevision.com’s Media, Advertising, Marketing Watch | Indiantelevision.com Team )

The Telegraph: Patil but Pratibha

Sonia second choice gets chance to be first woman President RASHEED

KIDWAI New Delhi, June 14: A Patil handpicked by Sonia Gandhi is set to become the next President but the occupant of the highest ceremonial office in the country will not answer to the first name Shivraj.

Pratibha Patil, the Rajasthan governor hailing from Maharashtra, will carry forever the prefix of the first woman President of India if Sonia Gandhi’s masterstroke in the face of near-certain ignominy pays off.

……………..

Sonia Gandhi ………………………. Pratibha Patil

The 72-year-old Pratibha’s candidature was announced by Sonia Gandhi on a day of fluctuating fortunes that pushed the Congress and the Left perilously close to a break-up before the Congress president pulled the surprise Patil out of her hat.

Sonia sprang the gender-sensitive statement after her preference for home minister Shivraj Patil ran into Left opposition and several alternative names began doing the rounds, the list lengthening by the minute and threatening to become the biggest blot on the UPA’s record.

“It’s a historic moment,” a smiling Sonia said at the end of a UPA-Left meeting at the Prime Minister’s house this evening.

Many Indians may be flogging their memory cells to recall the last time they came across the septuagenarian candidate’s name, though she could be entering Rashtrapati Bhavan before – and if at all – Hillary Clinton returns to the White House.

But the choice of a woman candidate appeared to have thrown the Opposition into disarray, at least in the immediate aftermath of the announcement.

The Shiv Sena, part of the BJP-led NDA, is said to be considering whether to offer support to Pratibha as she hails from the home state of the party that thrives on the sons-(now daughter)-of-the-soil theme.

However, the BJP did not betray its nerves. Sonia and Prime Minister Manmohan Singh called Vajpayee late tonight to seek support for Pratibha but the former Prime Minister rejected the plea.

“Atalji, main peheli baar aap ka sahyog maang rahi hoon (This is the first time I am asking for your cooperation),” a source quoted Sonia as telling Vajpayee.

“Aapne der kar di (You are late),” Vajpayee replied, declining to pledge support.

The NDA has advanced a meeting by two days to June 16 to consider whether Vice-President Bhairon Singh Shekhawat should be fielded as an “Independent” candidate backed by the combine.

If the coincidence of Pratibha having the Patil surname may help assuage the hurt feelings of some Congress loyalists who failed to push Shivraj through, her husband’s name could put the Vice-President in a spot of bother if he chooses to contest.

Pratibha’s husband is also a Shekhawat – Devisingh Ransingh Shekhawat – a detail rubbed in by Sharad Pawar when Sonia announced the name of the candidate. Seated at a distance, Sharad Pawar rose to say: “Slight correction, she is Pratibha Patil Shekhawat.”

The “crucial Shekhawat” link is said to have played a significant role in Pratibha edging past Nirmala Deshpande and Mohsina Kidwai who came under consideration after it became clear Shivraj would not be accepted by the Left.

The Vice-President’s supporters conceded that “Bhairon Baba” might find it difficult to contest against a Shekhawat bahu as it may not go down well in Rajasthan.

Aiming to exploit the angle to the hilt, the Congress is coining a slogan: Rajasthan ki bahu, Maharashtra ki beti.

Unless the NDA comes up with an equally surprising candidate and ensures massive cross-voting, the UPA is ahead in the number of votes.

However, the UPA’s upbeat mood in the evening could barely hide the tense moments it lived through the day. Since morning, bad news broke, one after the other.

First, Prakash Karat rejected appeals to accept Shivraj. Then, Ram Vilas Paswan and Lalu Prasad joined in, expressing reservations over Shivraj’s candidature.

In the early afternoon, some Congress leaders were worried whether Sonia could salvage the situation after the allies and the Left turned down the party’s three choices – Shivraj, Sushil Kumar Shinde and Karan Singh who insisted in public he is “best qualified” for the job.

Tension was rising among other senior Congress leaders and cabinet ministers, too, who were keeping a wary eye on one another, hoping that a rival would not be chosen for Rashtrapati Bhavan.

Sources said Sonia, who was aware of the ugly mood, then decided to take a fresh look instead of letting the matter fester.

Once Pratibha’s name rippled down the Congress grapevine, many breathed a sigh of relief. If they haven’t got it, neither has their rival. Besides, the Congress was spared the agony of finding a replacement for Shivraj in the home ministry.

Pratibha said in Rajasthan she was given a hint by Sonia this afternoon when the governor was in Mount Abu. “I never dreamt and thought of the top constitutional post,” she added.

Most of India, too, did not think so till this evening.

One question remains, though. How will she be addressed: rashtrapati or …?

Pratibha Patil

Who’s she? Rajasthan governor. Former deputy chairperson of Rajya Sabha

Double first: Was the first woman to be Rajasthan governor. And if elected, will be the first woman in Rashtrapati Bhavan

Date & place of birth: December 19, 1934, Jalgaon (Maharashtra)

Husband: Devisingh Ransingh Shekhawat

Children: A son and a daughter

At school: Holds a master’s in Arts and a law degree

At play: Was a table tennis champion in her college days

Well-wisher: Called actor-turned-MP Govinda after his family had an accident on the Jaipur-Ajmer road on August 15, 2005

( 06/15/2007 | The Telegraph (calcutta, india) )

From Physical 2 Digital: Indian music industry shifts …

The Indian music industry is seeing a definite shift from physical to digital, and is expected to grow exponentially in the year ahead.

The global scenario:

In 2006, $ 2 billion worth of digital tracks and 1 billion iTunes tracks were sold globally.
Digital downloads currently account for seven per cent of the UK music market. In the US, digital music is expected to be a $ 8.3 billion market by 2010. 10 per cent of digital music players sold, are sold through Amazon. 30 per cent of these burn CD/DVDs weekly in the US. Digital distribution of music is expected to be the principal driver of growth in the US.

An estimated 26 per cent of all music sold by 2011 will be digital. It is expected that over 132 million digital music players will be sold globally by 2009 and the digital music industry would be worth $145.4 billion then.

The Indian scene:

With the world making it huge on the digital music segment, India definitely cannot afford to lag behind. India’s digital music market mainly comprises the web and mobile music market. Says IMI general secretary Savio D’Souza, “Handset sales are on the rise, more and more radio stations are coming up and also, people are becoming increasingly internet savvy; all these factors are boosting the digital music scenario in India.”Adds Times Music AVP, A & R, Rajeeta Hemwani, “Digital music segment has a lot of potential. Times Music is trying to expand by signing exclusive deals with mobile operators and others in this segment. Everyone realises that five years down the line, this segment will be a very important source of income and revenue. No one can afford to just wait and watch.”

In fact, the digital music business, dominated by mobile music, will surpass physical music in sales in India, says a study by digital music company Soundbuzz. The report notes that India is likely to be the second country in the world, after South Korea, where digital music will surpass physical music in sales. D’Souza does not sound as enthusiastic, however. “In India, Music-to-Music accounts for Rs one billion (Rs 100 crore) and physical music Rs six billion (Rs 600 crore). So, I nowhere see mobile music sales surpassing physical music sales.”

The future of Music ??

The potential and the promise:

Digital distribution is poised to become a meaningful segment of the market in 2007 in India and will grow to an estimated $504 million in 2008, which accounts for nine per cent of the overall spending. But many predict that the digital music growth might threaten the existence of CDs.

Says D’Souza, “India is still a developing country and with the kind of demand we see especially from the rural and semi-urban areas, digital music can nowhere threaten the existence of CD sales in India. Yes, the sales might decline, but this segment cannot become extinct.” The slow PC and broadband penetration rate in the country also strengthens his argument. But many firms expect to draw more revenue from the digital segment against the conventional music market in the years to come.

They expect a surge in digital music space to overtake the revenues of CDs and cassettes within the next five years. Says Hemwani, “CDs and DVDs are here to stay for a while. India still doesn’t have people with high disposable incomes that would result in the CD market getting wiped out so soon. But in the coming five to six years, yes, this market will definitely decline in terms of revenue and size.”

The back-runners of the rat race:

Emergence of consumer-friendly and attractively-priced licensed digital services will drive spending in the recorded music market in 2007 and 2008, says a PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC) study on Global Entertainment and Media. India and China are expected to be the fastest growing countries in the world as far as the digital segment is concerned. There has been a marked shift in demand from cassettes to CDs to mobile music; and the sound and record companies are getting interestingly keen on expanding in this market. Says Saregama vice president Atul Chudamani, “There is a shift in the racking at music stores to VCD and DVDs. Sales of physical music have definitely gone down.”

Some music labels are running far behind in this rat race to generate maximum profits from the digital segment. Record labels like Saregama, Tips, Rajshri and others have a limited presence in this segment, possibly due to low demand for the kind of music they are associated with and also, because they are not really opening up to the digitized music space. Hemwani comments, “Today, T-Series and Yash Raj are definitely the key players in the digital music segment. Other music labels like Universal, Tips, Saregama have enough content, but they still have to match the pace.”

The digital pirates:

Piracy has always been a major concern for the music industry. The digital space too has not been spared by the pirates, who have been making quick money by pirating music through the web. Says Univeral’s Rajeev Gangal,”The biggest hindrance to the conventional music industry is piracy. The mobile music segment sees low piracy levels and hence, the industry is benefited more from the digital segment than the conventional one.” But, according to Chudamani, “Our biggest competitor is technology. We sell music. The piracy problems will be dealt with by the anti-piracy bodies. If we start looking at piracy as well, who will look after making and selling good music?”

Hemwani cautions, “If we count the digital downloading of music as well, the major revenue is eaten up by piracy.” But, he says, five years down the line, the digital to physical music in India would be in the ratio 60:40.

Digitization is here to stay and grow. Consumer demand, technology and music companies’ acceptance of the fact will now decide its pace.

(15 June 2007 … by Aaishwari Chouhan [RadioandMusic.com] – Radio & Music Reporter news desk)

Google testet Software zum Schutz von Urheberrechten auf Youtube

San Francisco – Angesichts zahlreicher Klagen wegen der Verletzung von Urheberrechten auf dem Video-Portal Youtube will Eigentümer Google ab Juli eine Software testen, die Raubkopien automatisch ausfiltert. “Wir probieren Identifizierungs-Werkzeuge aus”, schrieb Youtube-Gründer Steve Chen am Donnerstag (Ortszeit) auf der Google-Seite. Youtube hatte die Software “Claim Your Content” (etwa: Mach’ Dein Recht geltend) bereits im April angekündigt. Film- und Fernsehgesellschaften, aber auch einzelne Journalisten haben das Video-Portal wegen massiver Verletzung von Urheberrechten auf Schadenersatz in Milliardenhöhe verklagt. Chen schrieb, Google arbeite bei den Tests mit einigen der großen Medienkonzerne zusammen, unter ihnen Disney und Time Warner.

(15/06/2007 – Source: AFP )

Festival de l’Inde à Grenoble les 15-16 et 23 juin 2007

L’association ASHVATTHA, Arts et Pensées de l’Inde, présente le 1er festival de l’Inde à Grenoble, les 15-16 et 23 juin.
Invitée d’honneur du festival, JALA (l’eau).

Le programme est intéressant. Pour de plus amples informations, vous pouvez consulter leur site internet : http://www.festivaldelinde.org/…e%20d%27accueil.html

L’association Ashvattha, Art et Pensée de l’Inde, a été fondée en novembre 2006 à Grenoble autour de l’idée de promouvoir la culture indienne en organisant des spectacles, concerts, conférences, stages, cours, forums associatifs, avec pour évènement culminant un festival réunissant toutes ces activités. Ce festival est donc le 1er du genre là-bas.

Le festival accueillera :
• 2 spectacles de danse (Odissi et Bharata Natyam)
• 4 concerts (chant, tabla, flûte bansuri, sarangi)
• 4 conférences dédiées à la pensée indienne (Le Dharma, l’eau et le sacré, Krishnamurti et l’éveil de l’intelligence, la voie des émotions dans le shivaïsme du Cachemire)
• un forum associatif regroupant des associations variées tournées vers l’aide et le développement, le yoga, le commerce équitable et le tourisme solidaire
• des ateliers artistiques pour découvrir par la pratique la culture indienne (chant du Bengale, danse pour enfants, danse pour adultes, tabla)

LIEU
Salle Olivier Messiaen / Eglise réformée de Grenoble
rue du vieux Temple / rue Joseph Fourier
38000 Grenoble TARIFS
De 5 € à 12 €
RENSEIGNEMENTS
RESERVATIONS
Association Ashvattha
ashvattha@numericable.fr
http://www.festivaldelinde.org