Streaming Media Asia 2001, the largest Internet audio and video event and the largest broadband content marketplace ever held in Asia, premiers May 3 to 4 at the Hong Kong Convention & Exhibition Center.

The first annual Streaming Media Asia is part of the global series of streaming media events, which set out to be the forum for broadband content providers, users, creators, distributors or investors that are pioneering the second generation internet and it‘s broadband exploitation to meet and discuss strategies and develop alliances, according to a press release.

Over 80 speakers are slated present papers at the conference. Held over two days, there will be three concurrent, conference tracks going on. These tracks - a mix of panel discussions, product demos and case studies broadly divided between business, enterprise, technology and content issues - will bring together experience and influence in the streaming video and audio fields, the release states.

Streaming Media Asia 2001 will be the largest exhibition ever held for streaming, broadband and content companies in Asia. Building on the success of other streaming media events held in San Jose, New York City, Amsterdam and London and anticipating a heavy turnout, the organisers have developed a large floor space for the event‘s debut in Asia.

If its Kyunki Saas Bhi Kabhi Bahu Thi from the Balaji stable in the evening prime band, UTV‘s Shagun is currently the number one non prime time show on television among Hindi speaking audiences. The unfolding drama has left Sony‘s Ghar Ek Mandir, Zee TV‘s Babul Ki Duniya and even the newly launched Chandan Ka Palna on Zee far behind in the soap race, according to a company release.

It is among the top 4 shows today on Star Plus after KSBKBT, Kahani Ghar Ghar Ki and Kaun Banega Crorepati, despite being in the afternoon time band, the release adds.

Shagun has steadily climbed the TRP charts to garner ratings better than many prime time programmes. Says Zarina Mehta who created the show: "We are delighted that our story is appealing to audiences. Shagun is about two sisters Aradhana & Arti who love each other more than life itself. But Aradhana is "abshaguni" (jinxed) and somehow manages to bring terrible unhappiness not only to herself but worse still to those she loves most. Shagun is a tragic and beautiful story of Aradhana‘s struggle to win despite her own fate."

Latest TAM data collated for a three-week period across all-India C&S homes, shows Shagun averaging 2.9 TRPs ahead of Sony‘s Ghar Ek Mandir with 2.5 TRPs and both Zee offerings Chandan Ki Palna Resham (0.8 TRPs) and Gharana (0.6 TRPs). All these programmes air in the afternoon slot.

Shagun screens every afternoon at 2:30 PM with a repeat telecast at 11:30 PM from Monday to Thursday on Star Plus.

The Star India team, along with Kaun Banega Crorepati anchor Amitabh Bachchan and producer Siddharth Basu, yesterday presented to the media Vijay Raul and wife Arundhati, the first Crorepatipatni winners of the jackpot prize Rs 10 million. Star broke the news while providing details of KBC Junior, which premiers on Sunday, 6 May at 10 am.

Coincidentally or otherwise, the episode featuring the two winners will be telecast the very next day, 7 May at 9 PM on Star Plus.

The first winners of the ‘Crorepatipatni‘ format of KBC where husband and wife contest as partners on the gameshow hail from Rourkela in the eastern state of Orissa. While Raul is a chief assistant engineer at GAIL in Rourkela, Arundhati is a homemaker.

"They were a most unassuming couple, and I least expected them to win," Bachchan said. "In fact I was under the impression that they probably wouldn‘t get past Rs 10,000. But they certainly took me by surprise once they were on the hotseat," he said.

KBC Junior is organised around young participants between the ages of 10 to 18. "My heart was palpitating, I am still weak-kneed after having shot two episodes continuously," said Bachchan in a light vein while expressing how he felt hours after the shoot of two episodes with a bunch of enthusiastic and precocious children.

To arrest the fall in KBC‘s popularity, Star, as part of a strategic move, shifted the Thursday show of KBC to Sunday placing it at an apt spot when other competing channels air mythological programmes. The programme has received a good response from the advertisers, said Sameer Nair, executive vice president programming Star Plus. While Compaq is giving away a personal computer to any child who makes it to the hotseat, irrespective of whether he is a winner or not, the channel has promised gifts to the 10 final participants. The channel is optimistic about getting a positive response for the programmes and are expecting a two digit TRP rating for the show, said Nair.

According to Basu KBC Junior has received an overwhelming response, with over 600,000 phone calls in the three days lines were open.

MTV, in its continuing efforts at targeting the youth in all possible ways, yesterday launched CO-branded credit cards in association with Citibank India and Mastercard in a typically MTV style fun-packed function in south Mumbai.

Alex Kuruvilla, MD, MTV India, while unveiling the card, said: "The launch of the credit card in association with Citibank is one step ahead in the ‘MTV 360 degree brand juggernaut‘ which we initiated this time last year when we were known only as music channel. After one year, I am happy to say that successful initiatives like the MTV Style clothes range, MTV Youth website as well our tie-up with Planet M have prompted us to take the next step."

When asked what the tie-up with Citibank for providing the credit card service involved, he said: "We will basically be providing all kinds of marketing expertise like making promos and all the creative work will be done by us. All our events will be used to promote the card. We will be using the channel to promote sales." About how MTV would add value to the card he said it would add tremendous value as "we will be bringing lots of relations like the cardholder will get special discounts on the MTV Style clothing range and special events organised by us like the MTV concerts. So apart from the general discounts and facilities provided he will be getting much more value addition."

About the expected response to the cards he said: "Our target customer is the youth and that is the single largest growing segment in the market. We have established ourselves strongly in this segments, so we will definitely help in promoting the new venture. MTV will not invest separate funds for the project. We will not add to our workforce or set up a new team but make use of the present set-up only."

Actual ground marketing and all other backend services like processing, service, billing etc will be done by Citibank. Talking on the new venture Atul Malik, director marketing (cards), Citibank India said: "We have looked at it as a product for the ‘Young at Heart.‘ Even the appearance of the card is very colourful and different from the regular cards. We have tied up with 100 outlets in Mumbai covering book stalls, pubs, gyms, etc. which are like regular hangout points for the youth where they will get discounts which is an added attraction for the customer."

Initially, the service will be started in Mumbai and then will be taken to Delhi, Bangalore and Pune in a phased manner. The yearly fees is Rs 750 and the features are the same as the Citibank Silver International card.

"We have set ourselves a target of selling 50,000 cards for the year," Malik said. MTV has plans to take it to other cities in future. Both parties were tightlipped about the revenue sharing arrangement between MTV and Citibank.

The first card was handed over to Bollywood actor Ajay Devgan by Nanoo Pamnani, CEO and global consumer bank head, Citibank India.