CEOs of some of the top cable operating companies in North America, all members of the CableLabs board of directors? executive committee, are among more than 30 leaders from the cable industry who will attend the upcoming 2002 International Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas, Nevada.
CEOs of some of the top cable operating companies in North America, all members of the CableLabs board of directors? executive committee, are among more than 30 leaders from the cable industry who will attend the upcoming 2002 International Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas, Nevada.

Joe Collins, Chairman and CEO of AOL Time Warner Interactive Video, will lead a CableLabs contingent that includes Bill Schleyer, CEO of AT&T Broadband, Glenn Britt, chairman and CEO of Time Warner Cable, Jim Robbins, president and CEO of Cox Communications, Brian Roberts, president of Comcast Communications, Carl Vogel, president and CEO of Charter Communications, among others at the 2002 International CES - Your Source for Workstyle and Lifestyle Technology from 8-11 January, an official release states.

CableLabs is an R&D consortium of cable television system operators representing the continents of North America and South America. CableLabs plans and funds research and development projects and also transfers relevant technologies to member companies and to the industry.

CNBC India has instituted the equivalent of the Oscars for the Indian automotive industry.

The annual awards will reward excellence in car manufacturing in India and provide vital car buying information to the Indian consumer. The awards ceremony will be held in New Delhi on 14 January 2002. While the awards in the first year will focus on passenger cars, the scope will be widened in the coming years. The awards are being jointly given along with Autocar, the magazine for the auto industry.

A jury of 17 experts with a vast experience in the field of evaluating cars, including car designer Dilip Chhabria, leading auto historian Manvendra Singh, India?s leading female driver Navaz Bhathena, Indian National Rally champion N Leelakrishnan, Autocar editor Hormazd Sorabjee, associate editor Shapur Kotwal and Rajeev Khanna. The jury will be helped in its analysis by Autocar?s database on car performances aggregated from car tests through the year. They will then assess the vehicles and rank them in relation to their rivals. A Car of The Year award is also scheduled to be given away, among the different categories.

CNBC CEO Harish Chawla surmises the importance of the awards thus: "For CNBC, the launch of the auto awards has special significance. Historically, the fortunes of world economies have been closely intertwined with those of the automotive industry. This industry has served as the quintessential barometer of industrial production and consumption - two drivers of economic growth. These awards underline CNBC?s commitment to providing essential business insights and supporting the establishment of standards in leading industrial sectors."

While the Mercedes Benz C Class, Opel Corsa Swing, Hyundai Sonata and Honda Accord figure among the list of eligibles, stringent criteria have been laid down for the awards. These include - fitness, relevance to Indian market, value for money, design and styling, space, comfort and practicality, engine and performance, and overall safety.

The chosen cars shortlisted for the awards will be driven over thousands of kilometers to evaluate these parameters, CNBC officials say.

For those tired of the eternal "saas bahu" tangles, there?s good news from the action front. AXN claims that two of its reality shows currently being aired in India have smashed records in the US.

The two shows from the Columbia Tristar stable, Survivor Africa and Crime Scene Investigation (CSI), have been voted number one and five respectively on the US charts, claims the channel. Both shows will close to sensational ends this month. CSI is a drama about a passionate team of forensic investigators trained to solve mysterious and seemingly unsolvable crimes by examining and assessing the evidence at the scene of the crime.

CSI has been nominated for a Golden Globe award for best dramatic television series. The critically acclaimed series, which has become the best performing show in its primetime slot in the US and the highest ranked new drama of the season, has also won numerous other accolades including ?Best New Series of the year? in the 2001 TV Guide Awards.

Survivor Africa is all about pushing participants? physical and mental endurance to the limits in a challenging and excruciatingly intimidating environment. Sixteen strangers stranded on a difficult and dangerous terrain, battle it out in a game of wits, grit, deception and determination, in an edge-of-the-seat entertainment for the audience.

SET senior vice president, franchise channels and distribution Shantonu Aditya says more such shows are in the pipeline in the coming year.