Mumbai: Comedy Central has announced an array of programmers for its viewers.

A poll on Comedy Central‘s Facebook page decided the top shows as fans voted for the ones they wanted to watch once again and the two shows that emerged as winners were -‘Seinfeld‘ and ‘That 70‘S Show‘

Starting 17 September, the two shows will air 9 pm onwards.

The fans of Seinfeld also stand a chance to win merchandise that‘s signed by Seinfeld himself. The lucky winners will be picked through a Facebook contest.

Also, just introduced on the channel is a ‘Teen Block‘ with shows like ‘World Palooza‘ and ‘Pranked‘ and will soon also air ‘Jackass‘, catering "exclusively" to the teen audience.

Viacom 18 Media SVP and GM - English entertainment Ferzad Palia said, "We are bringing two of the most popular comedy shows back on Comedy Central. The shows have done well for us and we are sure our viewers would love to have them back. We‘re confident that the impressive programming line-up coming up will keep the laughter quotient high as always."

Apart from the return of the two popular shows, Comedy Central will also reload fresh seasons of ‘The Exes‘ and ‘30 Rock‘, amongst others.

Seinfeld is an American television sitcom. Set predominantly in an apartment block in New York City‘s Manhattan‘s Upper West Side, the show features a host of Jerry‘s friends and acquaintances, in particular best friend George Costanza, former girlfriend Elaine Benes, and neighbor across the hall Cosmo Kramer.

That ‘70s Show is an American television period sitcom that centers on the lives of a group of teenage friends living in the fictional suburban town of Point Place, Wisconsin, from May 17, 1976, to December 31, 1979.

The Exes is an American comedy television series. Divorce attorney Holly (Kristen Johnston) introduces her client, Stuart (David Alan Basche), to his new roommates: two other divorced men who share an apartment that Holly owns. At first Phil (Donald Faison) and Haskell (Wayne Knight) have reservations about Stuart moving in, but Holly is right across the hall to help when things start to go downhill. The series is created by Mark Reisman.

30 Rock is an American television comedy series created by Tina Fey. The series, which is loosely based on Tina Fey‘s experiences as head writer for Saturday Night Live, takes place behind the scenes of a fictional live sketch comedy series depicted. The series‘ name refers to 30 Rockefeller Plaza in New York City, the address of the GE Building, in which the NBC Studios are located.

MUMBAI: The International Academy of Television Arts & Sciences has announced the nominees for the 2012 Current Affairs and News categories.

The Academy will present the nominees with their medals and certificates, at a breakfast event on October 1, in New York City, featuring guest speaker David Westin, who was ABC News president of and author of ‘Exit Interview‘. Winners will be announced that night at a Ceremony at the Frederick P. Rose Hall of Jazz at Lincoln Center.

The international winners will be honored alongside their American news and documentary counterparts. The eight nominees span seven countries: Brazil (two), Canada, China, Germany, Japan, Qatar and Russia.

IATAS president & CEO Bruce L. Paisner said, "The 2012 nominees present a powerful showcase of the human, political and socio-economic drama unfolding daily around the world. The Academy congratulates the men and women behind these programs for their outstanding journalism."

The 2012 International Emmy Awards Current Affairs & News Nominees:

Current Affairs:

Profession: Reporter - Children and Drugs: A Childhood Overtaken by Addiction
TV Globo
Brazil
‘Profession: Reporter‘ explores the reality of childhood drug addiction in urban areas of Brazil. In the city of Rio de Janeiro local authorities have created mandatory treatment programs to help underage crack addicts.

Haiti‘s Orphans: One Year After the Earthquake
CBC Television
Canada
After the earthquake in Haiti, thousands of children were orphaned and left behind to unknown fates. The special follow the hope and heartache of three of those children and the caring adults in Canada and Haiti determined to help them.

China Dolls - Fragile Bodies, Strong Minds
Phoenix Satellite Television Co. Ltd.
Hong Kong, China
In May 2011 reporter Ren Ren spent a month filming two families affected by Brittle Bone Disease in China. The survival rates of children with the rare disease and their daily struggles are revealed.

Extra: The RTL Magazine - The Merciless Traffic in the Flight From Africa infoNetwork GmbH
Germany
There are an estimated 180,000 refugees crowded into the areas between Tunisia and Egypt, attempting to reach Europe by sea.

RTL ‘Extra‘ reporter Jenke von Wilmsdorff has become the first TV journalist to accompany hundreds of refugees aboard a smuggler‘s boat to Lampedusa.

News:
Jornal Nacional - Rains in the Mountain Region of Rio
TV Globo
Brazil
In January 2011 heavy rains in the mountain region of Rio de Janeiro state caused the worst natural disaster in Brazilian history. TV Globo‘s crews took to the road soon after the first landslides began. The crews followed rescue teams as they struggled to reach families stranded in extreme conditions.

Great East Japan Earthquake Emergency News
NHK (Japan Broadcasting Corp.)
Japan
On 11 March, 2011 the largest earthquake in the country‘s history struck Japan, generating a devastatingly destructive tsunami. NHK was immediately on the scene, covering the first moments of the disaster as it happened and providing continuous coverage to keep the public informed.

Newshour - Fall of Tripoli
Al Jazeera Network / Al Jazeera English
Qatar
Al Jazeera journalists provide extensive coverage of the uprising in Libya. As fighters advanced towards Tripoli from Zlitan to the Western mountains, Al Jazeera tells the stories of the people of Libya and the battle to free them from years of tyranny.

Occupy Wall Street - Occupy Movement
RT Channel
Russia
On October 15, 2011 the Occupy movement went global. It started in New York City when protesters, unhappy with the way their government was handling the economy, pitched tents outside the stock exchange. RT brings the protesters‘ message worldwide.

MUMBAI: Film and television star Michael J. Fox is making his long-awaited return to series television on NBC, the network where it all began for him 30 years ago with ?Family Ties?.

The untitled comedy series, from Sony Pictures Television and Olive Bridge Entertainment, was given a 22-episode commitment and is loosely inspired by people and elements in Fox?s life.

NBC Entertainment chairman Robert Greenblatt said, ?To bring Michael J. Fox back to NBC is a supreme honour and we are thrilled that one of the great comedic television stars is Coming Home again. From the moment we met with Michael to hear his unique point of view about this new show, we were completely captivated and on board. He is utterly relatable, optimistic, and in a class by himself, and I have no doubt that the character he will create ? and the vivid family characters surrounding him ? will be both instantly recognisable and hilarious. Being in business with him is a supreme pleasure.?

NBC Entertainment president Jennifer Salke said, "We have all been such huge fans of Michaels and hoped one day he would return to television with his own show. He had us at hello with his warmth, humor and incredible charisma. The fact that he pitched us a show that was funny, heartwarming and personal was the icing on the cake! We are over the moon and thankful Michael, Will (Gluck) and Sam (Laybourne) will be a cornerstone of our NBC comedy brand."

Fox said, ?I?m extremely pleased to be back at NBC with a great creative team and a great show. Bob Greenblatt and all the folks at the network have given me a warm welcome home, and I?m excited to get to work.?

The series will begin filming this year and will air next year. It features Fox as a husband and father of three from New York City dealing with family, career, and challenges -- including Parkinson?s -- all loosely drawn from Fox?s real life.

MUMBAI: Infotainment broadcaster Discovery will kick off a new season of the show ‘Swamp Brothers‘ from 1 August.

The show will air Monday to Friday at 10 pm with a repeat next day at 10:30 am.

The show is about Robbie and Stephen Keszey who run their family business that is uniquely suited for the swamp ? where wild animals rule.

The Keszeys risk their lives on a daily basis working with wild and dangerous animals deep in the swamps of Florida. Robbie is a veteran of the ‘80s metal scene who is passionate about all things scaly, and Stephen is a former New York City bartender who is more comfortable hailing a cab than handling a snake. They encounter everything from pythons and gators to bobcats and black bears

They run Glades Herp Farms, Florida?s largest reptile sanctuary and exotic reptile dealership. Their farm also houses Florida?s International Teaching Zoo, which is full of rare species from around the globe and brings in a constant stream of new and different animals each month.

In each episode, the brothers put themselves on the line to protect the most unusual of creatures ? from venomous snakes to aggressive crocodilians.

Each episode takes viewers to the wet and wild world of Florida swamps, forests and waterways where dangerous animals breed out of control and are increasingly finding their way into the backyards, cul-de-sacs, and neighbourhood ponds of suburban Florida. When this happens, Robbie and Stephen are just about the only two guys in the entire state with the expertise to deal with the problem.

From pythons to exotic gators, the brothers make it their business to track these beasts down, capture them and return them to a safe environment ? without losing life or limb in the process.

MUMBAI: Viacom?s channel Comedy Central has created Comedy Central Enterprises, a new business division that will focus on building the brand through consumer products, home video, CDs and digital downloads, publishing, and live touring.

The announcement was made by Comedy Central president Michele Ganeless. Mitch Fried has been promoted to the newly formed position of Comedy Central Enterprises executive VP and will head up the new business division, reporting to Ganeless. Fried was formerly Comedy Central Live Entertainment senior VP.

Ganeless said, "In the increasingly fractured world of content distribution, success today means reaching fans everywhere. The formation of Comedy Central Enterprises strengthens our relationship with our fans. It?s another example of the kind of extension that keeps Comedy Central the number one brand in comedy. Mitch Fried is an experienced and innovative executive with a long history at Comedy Central. Respected and well-liked throughout the industry, he knows the brand intimately and is the perfect person to spearhead our efforts under the new Enterprises banner."

Comedy Central Enterprises will bring together a number of brand extensions under Fried?s oversight, including the previously independent Consumer Products, Home Entertainment, Records, Live Entertainment and Publishing divisions.

Under Fried?s leadership, Comedy Central Enterprises will incorporate everything from negotiating with talent representation to execution, distribution, production and marketing support of these ancillary businesses. He will seek to expand the network?s business partnerships with the talent community through omni-platform deals, which will encompass any combination of the division?s brand extensions.

Fried said, "By consolidating these brand extensions into a single business division with a common goal, we are in a better position to grow and strengthen the brand and provide our fans with what they want most, easily-accessible, high-quality comedy, both on screens and off. Forming the Enterprises division also provides benefits to our talent partners by offering them massive exposure to our fans and a multitude of opportunities and points of distribution to increase their own following and generate revenue by getting their content in front of an ever-widening consumer base."

Reporting to Fried are vice presidents Steve Raizes and Jack Vaughn, who will be charged with developing and maximising the synergistic elements of the new Enterprises division.

 
The businesses now reporting to Fried under the Enterprises banner include:

• Comedy Central Consumer Products - generating $2 billion at retail since its inception, the Consumer Products division negotiates with third parties to translate Comedy Central shows, personalities and characters into consumer goods including apparel, social expressions, toys, games, electronics and consumables. Recent highlights include a partnership with Frito Lay and Wal-Mart to introduce "Cheesy Poofs" to the market in celebration of the 15th anniversary of ?South Park?, as well as a licensing programme surrounding ?The Daily Show with Jon Stewart?, ?The Colbert Report? and the brand?s own ?Indecision? political coverage. Additional programs launching in 2012/2013 include efforts around ?Tosh.0?, ?Workaholics? and stand-up comedy.
• Comedy Central Home Entertainment - responsible for over $500 million in sales since its creation, the Home Entertainment division includes DVD and digital on demand releases of the Comedy Central series and stand-up specials distributed through Paramount Home Entertainment, including four of the top five stand-up DVD releases of 2011. Recent releases from Jeff Dunham and Gabriel Iglesias have sold a combined one million units in only six months. The upcoming slate includes artists such as Demetri Martin, Chris Hardwick and Patton Oswalt.
• Comedy Central Live Entertainment - with over $100 million in box office receipts and over 2.7 million tickets sold, Comedy Central Live Entertainment is one of the dominant players in live stand-up touring. In 2012 alone, Comedy Central partnered with Daniel Tosh, Gabriel Iglesias and Jim Gaffigan on their respective tours, generating 375,000 tickets sold and $15 million in box office receipts. In addition to bringing major headliners to the masses, Comedy Central Live has a college touring program that brings younger comedians to campuses across the country and produces a free, annual event in New York City, ?Comedy Central Park?, which this year featured correspondents, contributors and producers from ?The Daily Show with Jon Stewart?. Comedy Central is also in its seventh year partnering with Live Nation in the South Beach Comedy Festival and will continue its partnership in the eight Annual New York Comedy Festival with Caroline?s Comedy Club, taking over New York City each November.
• Comedy Central Records - the world?s largest comedy label as well as one of the largest independent labels in the country, Comedy Central Records? catalog includes both spoken word and music from top comedic talent including Comedy Central series and standup specials. Released via traditional CD and via digital download-to-own, the label has received eight Grammy Award nominations since its launch in 2002, winning "Best Comedy Album" for the last three years. Along with critical acclaim, the Records division has produced numerous Gold, Platinum and Double-Platinum albums.
• Publishing - Comedy Central recently announced a new publishing relationship with Running Press, a member of the Perseus Books Group, and will release its first title, a holiday-themed novelty book from Denis Leary, later this year.

MUMBAI: The film and television industry has spent $60 billion in New York City over the past decade and television production is now at an all-time high, city Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg said while announcing the results of an economic study conducted by the Boston Consulting Group that details the growth and economic impact of New York City?s media and entertainment industries.

According to the BCG report, over the last ten years filmed entertainment in New York City has seen remarkable growth and is currently the strongest in its history, generating direct spending of $7.1 billion in 2011, an increase of over $2 billion dollars annually since 2002. Film and television production now employs 130,000 people, an increase of 30,000 jobs since 2004.

New York City has also maintained leadership in the broader media sector which supports over 275,000 direct full-time equivalent jobs and generates more than $80 billion in direct revenues annually, the report said.

From 2002 to 2011, while nationwide media employment shrunk and the industry rapidly evolved, New York was able to drive significant job and revenue growth, continuing to attract new companies in all sectors and increased its importance as the major media hub and growing its share of nationwide media employment from 9.4 per cent to 10.8 per cent. Since 2002, New York has created 40,000 media sector jobs while the U.S. has shed 40,000 jobs.

?This report confirms what I?ve been seeing on sets and sound stages around the city ? the film and television industry in New York City has never been bigger,? said Mayor Bloomberg. ?In fact, our entire media landscape ? from digital media to advertising ? has shown strong growth throughout the economic downturn. The strength of these industries is a key reason we?ve weathered the recession better than the rest of the country ? and it is confirmation that our strategy to diversify our economy is working.?

Additionally, the Partnership for New York City?s investment fund has established a $2 million revolving loan facility to assist special effects and post-production companies that are expanding their operations in New York City. The first loan will be made to Look Effects, whose New York offices are located in Brooklyn, for $200,000.

BCG?s report aims to analyse the development and growth of the City?s media by examining different subsectors and identifying the main trends that have shaped and will continue to shape local media and digital media sectors.

Filmed Entertainment

According to the report, despite a nationwide industry decline, 30,000 jobs were created in New York City?s filmed entertainment industry since 2004, and the sector?s spend has grown by 70 per cent since 2002. The industry today accounts for $7.1 billion in spend and employs 130,000 people.

This growth was been accompanied by private infrastructure investment, expanding studio and post-production capacity. Television and film studio space has nearly doubled, and the post-production industry has also grown significantly. TV productions grew by nearly 82 per cent, driving most of the sector growth with an increase in dramas, reality and talk shows. TV production also supports an increase of 14,000 jobs.

Digital Media

Since 2002, the local digital media sector has surged in the City to now account for revenue of over $8 billion and full-time employment of 25,000 people. The City?s share of national media and entertainment venture capital investment has gone from 10 percent in 2002 to over 26 percent in 2011, funneling $500 million to local media start-ups in 2011 and making Silicon Alley the second largest market for digital media investments nationally, after the Silicon Valley.

Hundreds of local digital start-ups have been founded in the last few years with a significant proportion in media and entertainment. In recent years, large companies have opened and increased their New York presence. Google opened its engineering office in 2007, Twitter opened an office in 2011, and Facebook announced the opening of its first engineering office outside the West Coast in 2012. New York City?s unique combination of financial, advertising, creative, technical and cultural resources positions the City as major center for digital media.

Advertising and Publishing

New York City?s advertising industry has shown strong growth both in terms of jobs and revenues over the past ten years. Local advertising jobs increased 18 per cent since 2002, while nationwide jobs have decreased significantly. Many traditional agencies acquired digital capabilities and are now leaders in producing multi-media campaigns.

Publishing, faced with increased competition from Internet advertising, social media and proliferation of content distribution platforms, has experienced a nationwide decline with lower advertising and newsstand revenues. However, in New York City, publishing companies have shed jobs at a lower rate than nationwide. Many publishers have been able to offset the decrease in newsstand revenues with growth in digital publications for tablet devices and e-readers. Overall, publishing continues to be an important source of jobs and revenues to the City.