MUMBAI: FremantleMedia Enterprises (FME), the commercial and brand extension arm of television format creator and distributor FremantleMedia, has acquired rights to adapt the French supernatural thriller series ?Les Revenants? for the English language. The English adaptation, ?They Came Back? (working title), will be produced by writer, creator and producer Paul Abbott and his company AbbottVision, with which FME has a first look deal.

Originally developed as a feature film, ?Les Revenants? was adapted for TV by producers Haut et Court for the French pay TV channel Canal+. The series launched in Autumn 2012, attracting a sizable audience averaging 1.4 million viewers across eight one hour episodes. It is the most-watched Canal+ original series. FME will distribute the English adaptation internationally.

?Les Revenants? tells the story of a group of men and women in a small Alpine village in the shadow of a vast dam, who find themselves in a state of confusion, trying to return to their homes. What they do not yet know is that they have been dead for several years, and no-one is expecting them back.

FME CEO David Ellender said, " ?They Came Back? has all the hallmarks of a successful international drama - a compelling concept, proven track record, some of the world?s most talented producers and a committed distributor. We await the final product of this exciting project with great anticipation."

AbbottVision founder Paul Abbott said, "The scripts are a fantastic distillation of the emotional content honed from the film and crafted into a five star TV series, with highly rewarding expansion, suspense and depth."

AbbottVision executive producer Martin Carr said, "We are very excited to be able to take They Came Back into production. There has been fierce international interest in the format and we are very fortunate to have been able to forge a relationship with Haut et Court through FME to take the series and remake it. It is a perfect fit for the AbbottVision brand."

Haut et Court producers Caroline Benjo and Jimmy Desmarais said, "We are absolutely thrilled to have Paul Abbott on board, as he is one of the most idiosyncratic and original writers and we dreamt of being associated with him one day."

MUMBAI: Leading content producer FremantleMedia has appointed Sangeeta Desai to the combined role of chief operating officer and chief financial officer of the company, effective immediately.

In her new role, Desai will be responsible for the management of FremantleMedia?s operations in its corporate centre including financial performance, legal and business affairs, IT, purchasing and procurement, and property.

Desai will be based in London, reporting directly to Cecile Frot-Coutaz, CEO of FremantleMedia, and will sit on the company?s board of directors.

FremantleMedia CEO Cecile Frot-Coutaz said, ?Sangeeta has an exceptional track record of driving strong business growth and operational performance, along with a deep understanding of the media industry and FremantleMedia?s key business areas. She has clear expertise in successfully implementing strategies that substantially increase company value, as well as greatly enhancing operational effectiveness and efficiency. Sangeeta?s strategic vision and financial and operational know how will be a formidable asset to FremantleMedia and I am delighted to welcome her to the management team.?

Desai said, ?Joining FremantleMedia presents an exciting opportunity to work with some of the world?s leading entertainment brands and industry figures. I am very much looking forward to taking on the responsibility and challenges of overseeing the operations and financial performance of this global entertainment company. FremantleMedia?s businesses and the teams behind them represent the most innovative and creative in the industry, and I am thrilled to be joining the team.?

Desai formerly held the position of COO at HIT Entertainment where she managed the company?s day-to-day operations, including business development and global brand management, and had global responsibility for revenue functions including TV, brands, consumer products, DVD, and live events/attractions. She also managed offices in London, New York, Hong Kong and Tokyo.

Prior to joining HIT Entertainment, Desai was a Principal at Apax Partners, a private equity firm, where she had responsibility for sourcing, evaluating and executing on investments, working with management teams in the media sector globally with a particular focus on the entertainment and TV production sub-sectors. She has also held positions in the Investment Banking Division of Goldman Sachs and with JPMorgan.

Sangeeta Desai graduated with distinction from the University of California, Berkeley with a BS in Business Administration. She holds an MBA with Honours from the Wharton School of Business.

MUMBAI: Television format creator and distributor FremantleMedia Enterprises (FME) and Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia (MSLO) are partnering to co-develop television and digital video programming featuring contemporary lifestyle personalities.

Under this new first look and development deal, FME and MSLO will identify the next generation of lifestyle talent to star in programming to be produced under the Martha Stewart banner. FME will support the new programming with its unrivalled global TV, licensing and home entertainment capabilities. The objective is to develop a pipeline of lifestyle talent across food, fashion, home, gardening and more that will resonate with global audiences on all media platforms. FME and MSLO will name a development executive to head up the initiative.

FME?s Global CEO David Ellender said, "Martha Stewart and her team are the best in the business at discovering and developing new talent. Combining America?s best-known domestic and lifestyle expert with the industry?s most successful distributor of multi-format brands is a really exciting prospect."

MSLO president, CEO Lisa Gersh said, "FME is a key player in the global content and brand space and we?re delighted to be working with them to find the next big lifestyle superstars. They?ll help us deliver on our goal of putting our considerable expertise in everything from cooking and decor to gardening and crafting in easy reach of consumers wherever they are, and on whatever platform they?re engaging with, from smart phones and tablets to TVs and social media."

FME and MSLO have also expanded and renewed their long-standing television programming distribution deal outside of the US, which sees FME continuing to be the exclusive distributor of MSLO content around the world, including titles such as the Emmy? Award-winning series "The Martha Stewart Show" and "Martha Stewart?s Cooking School."

MUMBAI: Reliance Broadcast Network Ltd. (RBNL) and RTL have finalised the launch of Thrill, an action entertainment channel, according to the European media company.

This is RTL Group‘s first television channel in India. Big RTL is a television joint venture between RBNL and RTL Group.

"The launch plan for the first joint venture channel in India has been finalised. Big-RTL Thrill will be a Hindi-language channel targeting young viewers with action-oriented content," RTL said.

The launch date, however, is still under wraps. When contacted, RBNL chief executive officer Tarun Katial declined to reveal the exact date.

In May, Big RTL had unveiled the logo of the channel, which is red in colour to signify energy, aggression and high action. ?Thrill? is embedded in bold font inside a rectangular block that reflects the personality and core values of the channels which are ?daring?, ?action-packed?, ?electrifying?, ?sporty?, ?challenging? and ?adventurous?.

Designed by Singapore-based agency BDA, the logo of the channel aims to connect with the mass male audiences in India.

RBNL already runs a separate joint venture in the broadcasting space with CBS Studios International.

Meanwhile, RTL announced its first half financial results. The media company managed to increase group revenue for the first half of the year by 3.3 per cent to ?2,815 million, reflecting higher revenue from Mediengruppe RTL Deutschland and FremantleMedia.

At Group level first-half EBITA was ?506 million.

A higher profit contribution from the German TV operations was offset by challenging market conditions in other areas, higher investment in programming and portfolio effects.

FremantleMedia?s lower profit contribution reflected continued pressure on volumes and margins, and timing effects.

Reported EBITA margin remained at a healthy level of 18 per cent. EBITA margin of RTL Group?s broadcasting businesses stood at 22.8 per cent.

In the first half of 2012, the European TV advertising markets clearly reflected local macro-economic developments: while the German TV advertising market grew slightly, the French, Dutch and Belgian markets were estimated to be down year-on-year; in Spain, Hungary and Croatia the markets continued to see a more pronounced softening.

In France, RTL‘s Groupe M6 reported EBITA fall to ?126 million as a result of lower advertising revenue and programming investment related to the European football championship.

For RTL Nederland, EBITA decreased to ?38 million due to a weaker TV advertising market and the scope exit of the Dutch radio stations.

FremantleMedia?s EBITA decreased significantly to ?40 million due to pressure from broadcasters on volumes and margins, and the timing effects of several productions that shall take place during the second half of the year.

On 27 March 2012, the Groupe M6 project ?6ter? was selected as part of the CSA?s call for tender for six new HD channels on digital terrestrial television (DTT). The new channel, to be launched in December 2012, will be a general entertainment channel for the whole family On 1 April, Mediengruppe RTL Deutschland launched a new free-TV channel, RTL Nitro, mainly targeted at male viewers.

On 25 July, FremantleMedia Enterprises and Random House announced a creative and strategic partnership to develop scripted TV programming for the United States and international markets, based on the fiction and non-fiction titles published by Random House imprints in North Amrica and internationally On 3 September, RTL Nederland will launch its third digital pay-TV channel, RTL Telekids.

On the digital front in total, RTL Group companies have launched more than 220 mobile applications, registering 65 million downloads to date. In June 2012, Mediengruppe RTL Deutschland and cable operator Kabel Deutschland signed a deal to distribute RTL?s German family of channels in high definition. The cable operator will also offer a broad range of programmes on-demand, based on RTL?s ?Now? family of catch-up TV services

In May 2012, FremantleMedia launched ?The Pet Collective?, its first channel funded by Youtube. The move is part of the company?s strategy to produce original, quality programming for multiple media platforms. In July, Radical Media launched its first Youtube channel, THNKR, and in Germany, UFA will also launch two Youtube channels

Since taking over as joint Group CEOs of RTL Group in mid-April, Anke Sch?ferkordt, Guillaume de Posch has conducted a comprehensive review of the corporate strategy. RTL has defined three main investment areas:

- Core: to optimise and develop the existing broadcasting business and invest for growth in new territories. This includes launching new channels such as RTL Nitro and 6ter, and increasing distribution revenue from platform operators.

- Content: to further develop and acquire intellectual property and exploitation capabilities, in particular in areas such as general entertainment, US drama, kids entertainment, gaming and online video networks. FremantleMedia will be key for this strategic goal.

- Digital: to build sustainable new business models with strong cross-platform presence on all devices and screens, with internet properties and new on-demand services.

MUMBAI: FremantleMedia Enterprises (FME), the brand extension arm of FremantleMedia, has announced its first international sale of the Australian TV wildlife game show Bindi‘s Bootcamp, to the Asian feeds of children‘s entertainment and education channel Discovery Kids.

Produced by FremantleMedia Australia in association with Sydney-based Sticky Pictures, under commission from Australian national broadcaster ABC, the series made its debut in July this year on ABC3, and became an instant hit with young Aussie viewers.

Hosted by Bindi Irwin and filmed at Australia Zoo in Queensland, Bindi‘s Bootcamp offers young adventurers the chance to experience close-up wildlife encounters, endure physical and mental challenges, and have lots of messy fun along the way. The contestants start as animal lovers and, if they have what it takes to pass Bindi‘s challenges, leave as ‘Wildlife Warriors‘.

Bindi‘s Bootcamp was the first new property to come from FME‘s partnership with Terri, Bindi and Robert Irwin, and Australia Zoo. The partnership sees FME handle all brand licensing and distribution rights to Bindi‘s Bootcamp.

Discovery Networks Asia-Pacific VP Programming Charmaine Kwan said, "Discovery has a long-standing relationship with the Irwin family. We are extremely pleased to have Bindi back on Discovery Kids, our new channel which ignites the natural curiosity of kids through programmes that explore adventure, nature, science, wildlife, history and technology."

FME Asia Pacific CEO Jon Penn said: "We have been thrilled with the quality of this uniquely Australian format and its engaging and talented young star Bindi Irwin, not to mention its ratings success on ABC3.

"This new deal with Discovery Kids in Asia shows that there is strong demand in markets outside Australia for original live-action kids‘ entertainment, and that Bindi‘s Bootcamp is a unique and exciting Australian leader in this genre."

MUMBAI: With India as one of its priority markets in Asia, FremantleMedia, a leading creator and producer of television content, has opened a new regional office in Chennai to focus on creating content for India?s large non-Hindi speaking markets.

This is FremantleMedia Asia?s second office in the country, and will join the existing Mumbai operations to further the company?s on-ground production business and provide entertainment content to a wider audience in India.

FremantleMedia Asia MD Paul O?Hanlon said, ?The Asian market place is thriving and this new office represents a great opportunity for FremantleMedia to improve its already strong foothold in the region. FremantleMedia Asia has produced a number of prime time formats in India in recent years, including Indian Idol, India?s Got Talent and X Factor India. The new Chennai office will target and forge proactive partnerships with top broadcasters, enabling us to effectively roll out popular television shows for the non-Hindi speaking population, and deliver outstanding entertainment content across the country.?

The Mumbai office will continue to focus on the Hindi speaking market while the new production hub in Chennai will focus on non-Hindi speakers, which account for over half of India?s population.

FremantleMedia Asia Pacific CEO Ian Hogg said, ?This is a fantastic opportunity for FremantleMedia Asia. India is the second most populous country in the world and this expansion will allow us to access new markets, work with new broadcasters and reach a greater audience with the world-class entertainment for which we are known."