MUMBAI: Sony Pictures Television (SPT) has sold the format for its magazine talk show, ?The Dr. Oz Show? to Colors.

This marks the first time a US talk show format will be produced in India and the first formatted medical show to air in the region. Details of the Indian broadcast are yet to be announced.

Colors CEO Raj Nayak said, "Acquiring the format for ?The Dr. Oz Show? is our attempt to bring to the Indian audiences a successful and useful show that creates awareness on health and wellness - something that has not been on air in India. The show will be called "All Is Well" and will connect with our audiences by showcasing the physical and emotional impact of illnesses on not only their own lives but also the lives of their family and friends."

Apart from Colors for the Indian market, SPT has also sold the rights of the show to TV Romania (TVR) for the Romanian market.

With the development, the show format reaches 10 territories around the world. Other territories to develop a series based on the talk show format include Brazil (TV Record), Colombia (RCN), Chile (Mega TV), China (Zhejiang TV), Russia (Rossiya), Armenia (Shant TV), France (TF1) and the Middle East (MBC1). Meanwhile, the print version of The Dr. Oz Show can be seen across five continents and has been sold in 112 countries.

In Romania, TV Romania (TVR) has ordered 100 episodes of the show, marking the first time the format will be produced in the territory. The announcement was made by SPT president, international distribution Keith Le Goy.

In Romania, the local version of ?The Dr. Oz Show? will begin airing next year.

?The Dr. Oz Show? is a magazine talk show full of audience participation and viewer interaction, with its highly qualified medical host and team of specialist advisers serving up daily plans and challenges for ordinary people.

NEW DELHI: The Indian Artistes and Actors Forum (IAAF) today objected to the introduction of porn star Sunny Leone in the popular television reality show ?Bigg Boss 5? on Colors.

In a complaint to the Information and Broadcasting Ministry, the IAAF said Minister Ambika Soni should taken stringent action against the channel for indirectly encouraging and promoting pornography in India.

IAAF Spokesperson Flynn Remedios said, "Sunny Leone has proclaimed on her website ?as seen on Bigg Boss 5?, but the website is nothing but a hard core porn site and there is no mechanism to stop minors from accessing the website. We have e-mailed the complaint to the minister as well as sent the same by registered post to her office."

The complaint said: "We are an informal body of actors and artistes (including singers, musicians, etc) all connected with the Film and Television industry. We would like to place on record through this correspondence our official complaint regarding the indirect promotion of adult content and pornography by TV Channel Colors via the introduction of adult porn star Sunny Leone in their popular TV Reality Show Bigg Boss Season 5."

"Several newspapers have reported on this trend and phenomenon and our own research has found out that thousands of youth including minors who were earlier not aware of Sunny Leone?s status or profession have been specifically searching for her photographs, biodata, etc on the internet and are exposed to hard core pornographic content including photographs and videos on the internet, the moment they type out her name on any search engine like Google.

"This is only because she is seen on the show Bigg Boss 5 and viewers would like to know more about her. Even her website which proclaims Sunny Leone "as seen on Bigg Boss 5" is a hard-core porn website offering pornographic content to users. Though it has an option asking viewer to exit if they are below 18, there is no mechanism to ensure that viewers below 18 do not view the pornographic content on sunnyleone dot com."

In its letter, the IAFF said: "It is our contention that TV channel Colors was aware of this possibility and knowingly chose to introduce an adult porn star into a TV programme which is watched by people of all age groups. By introducing Sunny Leone in their TV programme, TV Channel Colors is indirectly promoting a pornographic website www.sunnyleone dot com and is in blatant violation of Indian Television laws.

"We request you to take immediate and stringent action for this violation of the Broadcast code and ensure that other TV channels in future do not introduce porn actors in family shows."

MUMBAI: FoodFood chief operating officer Karthik Lakshminarayan has put in his papers after spending nearly one year with the company.

FoodFood is a joint venture between Malaysia-based Astro and Chef Sanjeev Kapoor?s Turmeric Vision. Lakshminarayan had joined the company in December 2010 and was instrumental in launching the food speciality channel.

Prior to that, he has worked with production house Freemantle Media India as head of commercial and business development. Earlier he was part of the team that launched Viacom18?s Hindi general entertainment channel Colors.

Lakshminarayan comes with over 17 years experience in media planning, channel launches and production.

Lakshminarayan was not reachable till the time of filing this report.