Discovery Channel and Discovery Plus To Capture Live Splashdown Return of SpaceX Crew Dragon on Aug 2

Discovery and Science Channel announced today it will capture the incredible live splashdown return of the NASA launch of SpaceX’s Crew Dragon spacecraft after docking the past two months at the International Space Station (ISS). SPACE LAUNCH LIVE: SPLASHDOWN a multiplatform event, will air live on Sunday, August 2 at 22:30 hrs. on Discovery. Viewers can stream the HD version of the LIVE feed starting 23:00 hrs. on Discovery Plus.

This past May, Discovery and Science Channel worked with The Washington Post to document the first crewed mission from the United States since the end of the shuttle program in 2011. This successful NASA launch from Kennedy Space Center was a partnership between NASA and SpaceX, marking the first U.S. crewed mission to orbit on a privately built spacecraft. Astronauts Bob Behnken and Doug Hurley traveled to the ISS in the SpaceX Crew Dragon spacecraft, propelled by the SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket. 

Scott Lewers, Executive Vice President of Multiplatform Programming, Factual & Head of Content, Science, said, “With the incredible access of The Washington Post, we spent over a year documenting SpaceX’s journey to become the first private company to launch American astronauts into space and we’re excited to see their safe return back to Earth. Our live coverage will take viewers inside their incredible journey home.”

This live event, capturing the first landing at sea for U.S. astronauts since 1975, is also made in partnership with The Washington Post and staff writer Christian Davenport, whose depth of experience allowed him to gain inside access to key players. Davenport is one of the country’s leading chroniclers of the space industry. His background and experience will add keen insight to the day’s event, as a co-host of the live broadcast. Davenport joined The Post in 2000 and was on a team that won a Peabody Award in 2010 for its work on veterans with traumatic brain injuries and has been on reporting teams that were finalists for the Pulitzer Prize three times. He is the author of two books, “The Space Barons: Jeff Bezos, Elon Musk and the Quest to Colonize the Cosmos” (2018) and “As You Were: To War and Back with the Black Hawk Battalion of the Virginia National Guard” (2009). He has also served as a Public Policy Scholar at the Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars and a fellow at the Alicia Patterson Foundation. 

“The Post has long covered this industry and continues to bring readers in-depth reporting on the new space endeavors with unparalleled access and compelling storytelling,” said Emilio Garcia-Ruiz, managing editor for The Washington Post.  “We are excited to once again partner with Discovery to deliver coverage of this historic event and bring our journalism to a live TV audience.” 

“We are honored to continue our partnership with Discovery and The Washington Post, to share this exhilarating new era in space exploration,” said Aaron Fishman, President of Unscripted at Storied Media Group. "The extraordinary cooperation we have received from NASA and SpaceX are reigniting enthusiasm in space among young and old audiences alike." 

The spacecraft is scheduled to splashdown in the Atlantic Ocean and would successfully conclude NASA and SpaceX’s Demo-2 mission. Temperatures on the return can spike up to 3,500 degrees Fahrenheit on the exterior of the spacecraft due to the friction caused during re-entry. Regarding the spaceship’s return, SpaceX Founder and Chief Engineer Elon Musk noted, “I think there’s an argument that the return is more dangerous in some ways than the ascent.”

Discovery and Discovery Plus’ live coverage will have unprecedented coverage of the spacecraft’s return as well as expert commentary from current and former astronauts, including Mike Massimino and Garrett Reisman, top engineers and other special guests, including adventurer and avid explorer Josh Gates.

TV personality Chris Jacobs will pick up where he left off as host of the live return. Jacobs has a long history with Discovery network live events, reporting live on-the-ground for EXPEDITION UNKNOWN: EGYPT LIVE as well as serving as the digital host during Nik Wallenda’s tightrope walk over the Grand Canyon in SKYWIRE LIVE and in Chicago for SKYSCRAPER LIVE. Jacobs was host for DISCOVERY LIVE: INTO THE BLUE HOLE, CHOPPER LIVE, GOLD RUSH LIVE and the live broadcast of the Barrett-Jackson Auto Auction for Velocity (now MotorTrend). In addition, he is the regular host for TLC’s LONG LOST FAMILY and serves as host of the popular automotive makeover show OVERHAULIN’ on MotorTrend.

Emmy Award-winning journalist David Kerley will also return as part of the reporting team. Kerley reported on aviation, railroads, the automobile industry and space for all ABC News broadcast and digital properties, including World News Tonight, Good Morning America, Nightline, ABC News Radio and ABCNews.com. His work has been recognized with Peabody and Edward R. Murrow awards as well as the prestigious Joan Barone award from the Capitol Hill Radio and Television Correspondents Association.

In addition to watching the return on Discovery at 22:30 hrs, Viewers can stream the HD version of the LIVE feed starting 23:00 hrs on Discovery Plus.Fans can also create photos and videos of themselves in space wearing life-like SpaceX helmets using Discovery’s Space Filter on Facebook or Instagram. Follow Discovery on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok and Twitter for the latest updates and join the conversation on social media by using the hashtag #Splashdown. 

SPACE LAUNCH LIVE: SPLASHDOWN is produced for Discovery Channel by Storied Media Group. Executive producers for Storied Media Group are Aaron Fishman, Todd Hoffman and Michael J. Miller. For Discovery and Science Channel, Executive Producers are Gretchen Eisele, Scott Lewers and Caroline Perez. To learn more, go to www.discovery.com, on Facebook at Facebook.com/discovery and on Twitter @Discovery.

About Discovery Channel

Discovery Channel is dedicated to creating the highest quality non-fiction content that informs and entertains its consumers about the world in all its wonder, diversity and amazement. The network, which is distributed to 100.8 million U.S. homes, can be seen in 224 countries and territories, offering a signature mix of compelling, high-end production values and vivid cinematography across genres including, science and technology, exploration, adventure, history and in-depth, behind-the-scenes glimpses at the people, places and organizations that shape and share our world. 

The Chennai Angels Fund uFony a Interactive Platform on Smartphones - School Diary

uFony Services Pvt. Ltd., the Pune-based Ed-Tech company, has raised funding from The Chennai Angels & other independent investors for School Diary®, an interactive platform that brings education to smartphones. School Diary® is a user-friendly platform that caters to K12 schools, helping them engage students and conduct classes virtually without compromising on privacy.

It is an integrated virtual classroom with online teaching, virtual PTMs, instant academic and non-academic updates, and even an online store where parents can shop for school products. The platform also has an administrator interface to collect online payments, automate accounting, manage transport, track live busses, monitor driver/staff behavior, manage payroll, inventory & accounts, and much more.

Running profitably for the last 3 (three) years, uFony is a leading player in the K12 Education space. The company provides SAAS solutions to 1000+ educational institutes including colleges, schools, coaching, pre-schools, and daycares across 10+ countries. Post-COVID, uFony aims to bring about a change in traditional teaching methods and make them more compatible for the future.

“School Diary® is being leveraged by Schools across Asia, Africa, Europe, and South America. It is generating interest from a lot of School Districts in the USA,” said Ashish Chaturvedi, Founder of uFony Services Pvt. Ltd. “With smartphone penetration on the rise and digital learning to gain acceptance, we expect more and more schools in the USA and other countries to sign up for School Diary®. Our recent raise is to enhance our digital presence and enroll business partners to scale up quickly in the international market.”

The education industry is rapidly changing to adapt to an unstable situation. “The great thing about Ufony is its constant efforts to rediscover themselves and to provide greater value to their existing customers. By providing new features constantly, Ufony unfolds new ways of using its services at little or no extra cost and certainly with minimal efforts,” said R. Narayanan (Naru), the Investment Director. “Take for example its latest feature of video. With the mere addition of a tripod on which the cellphone can be perched, the teacher is able to instantly include an ailing child who is unable to attend class. Just at the press of two or three buttons on a phone, the sick child is transported right into the class where they can view their teachers and friends as well. Great application to a video conferencing function. Even greater addition to School Diary®’s functionality.” 

Chandran Krishnan, CEO of The Chennai Angels says, “The traditional education system that schools followed pre-COVID has led to a disruption in studies for students across the globe. Platforms like School Diary® have paved the way for education to be advanced, accessible, and most of all fun. Students seem to enjoy the idea of online classes, a trend that might become essential in the near future. We are excited to see the growth of School Diary®, which brings school to students’ smartphones.”

Established in November 2007, The Chennai Angels (TCA) is one of the leading angel networks in India. TCA is sector and geography agnostic, and has made 52 investments till date, with a 20% exit track record, in enterprise solutions, consumer products, education, healthcare, automotive, gaming and other sectors. TCA is a member-driven network with 100+ successful industry leaders, technocrats, and business professionals in its network. 

ZEE Says #BanegiBaatSaathSaath in Partnership with Marquee CPG Brands to Announce its Fresh Content Comeback

Summary 

* #13thkiTaiyyari poori with Zee TV’s ‘Naye Kisse, Naye Episodes’ of viewers' favourite shows starting 13th, July 8 PM.

* 4 other ZEE network channels, & TV, Zee Marathi, Zee Punjabi and Zee Yuva also re-start daily new episodes on the 13th, prime time.

* Over 5000 people & partners at ZEE come together to bring 100+ fresh stories every day in 11 languages

Celebrating the spirit of solidarity and the joy of being back, Media & Entertainment powerhouse Zee Entertainment Enterprises Ltd. (ZEEL) has announced its content comeback via an innovative partnership with leading CPG brands. ZEE collaborated with leading brands - Nestle Maggi, Amul Lassi, PepsiCo, Red Label, Cadbury Dairy Milk, ITC Dark Fantasy to gear up the nation for the 13th of July, the date of its daily content comeback on Zee TV. 4 other HSM channels, & TV(HGEC), Zee Marathi, Zee Yuva (MGEC) and Zee Punjabi (PGEC) are also making their daily content comeback on the same day.

With a massive outdoor teaser campaign, people took to social media channels wondering what the #13thkitTaiyyari was about. The banter between the brands on Twitter left people even more curious on why they should be stocking up for the 13th with many more brands and companies jumping into the fray building up the excitement for the D-Day. TV has always been the Greatest Common Unifier and with this teaser campaign, ZEE has again brought together some of India’s most loved brands in an extraordinary partnership celebrating the coming together of viewers, partners and our fresh episodes with the promise, #BanegiBaatSaathSaath.

The #BanegiBaatSaathSaath promise has been rolled out across media and to all of ZEE’s partners along with a film, which is an ode to the entire TV industry coming together to entertain its viewers. ZEE strongly believes that the challenges we all faced in the first half of 2020 are just like a twist in the tale before the interval and when we all rally together we can achieve the impossible and create an extraordinary second half. 

“Prathyusha Agarwal, Chief Consumer Officer, ZEE Entertainment Enterprises Limited said, “With the resumption of production, we are excited to bring fresh content for our consumers. The last three months have caused a significant stir amongst the mood of the nation. People are increasingly investing time in entertainment to cope with the uncertainty prevailing around. TV has been the greatest common unifier and respite in this lockdown and as content creators, we acknowledge that it is a huge responsibility we carry. For us, understanding the pulse of our consumers and customers and delivering delight is an obsession, which is what we are attempting to do both with this campaign and in crafting all our stories for the second half 2020. The stories we bring will aim to uplift the mood of the nation and provide our viewers respite through all that they are going through. Zee has and will always stand by its viewers and all its partners and is looking forward to holding hands and turning on the light at the end of this tunnel and are confident that we will once again provide valuable experiences to our partners and viewers.”

Expressing his views Ashish Sehgal, Chief Growth Officer, Advertisement Revenue, ZEE Entertainment Enterprises Ltd (ZEEL) said, “With the resurgence of fresh dose of content, we would like to celebrate the spirit of camaraderie with all our stakeholders – cherished viewers & advertisers - to brighten and cheer up with engaging content. Brands will once again have the opportunity to resonate and pave their way into the minds of their consumers in this new environment. At ZEE, we have not only seamlessly weaved stories for brands with relevant influencers & have been at the forefront in creating an integrated platform agnostic solution for our advertisers/brands but ensured that they are part of our communication as well. This has led us to partner with our brands in unique ways and create value for them and #13kitaiyyari is another testimony to the power of partnerships, more importantly brand partners are integral part of the communication when we are reconnecting with our consumer.” 

With a three-month long wait, viewers have been eager to see some of their cherished stories and characters coming back with their daily dose of fresh episodes. A lot of the storylines will come back to induce a sense of positivity and bring back strong heroes that people turn to for companionship. A collective force of 5000+ people have come together to bring 100+ fresh stories, every day in 11 languages, which take inspiration from the consumer sentiment and echo their anticipations. While channels like Zee Bangla, Zee Kannada, Zee Sarthak, Zee Keralam, Zee Telugu have already started and are entertaining viewers in regional markets delivering around 100+ hours of content per week, the 4 HSM channels – Zee TV, &TV, Zee Marathi and Zee Punjabi go live on 13th July. With a strong understanding of the entertainment preferences of the consumer and keeping their evolving needs at the fore, the channels are returning with a diverse mix of content which caters to the entire family.

Through the power of storytelling, the strength of the characters, the depth of emotions, and the delight of the plots, ZEE has aligned its content strategy to instil a fresh sense of positivity as the country slowly unlocks its operations. ‘Cos this is just an interval and the story is far from over!

Arabic portal Maktoob acquired by Yahoo!

Internet major Yahoo! Inc. today announced that it has entered into a definitive agreement to acquire Maktoob.com, an online community in the Arab world, with more than 16.5 million users. Though the transaction is expected to be completed in the fourth quarter of 2009, the financial details of the deal is not yet known.

"This acquisition will accelerate Yahoo!'s strategy of expanding in high-growth in emerging markets where we believe Yahoo! has unparalleled opportunity to become the destination of choice for consumers," said Yahoo! chief executive officer Carol Bartz in a statement.

According to Yahoo!, this acquisition will extend its current offerings by adding capabilities to deliver relevant Arabic-language content and services, as well as Arabic versions of Yahoo!'s popular Yahoo! Messenger and Yahoo! Mail services.

"Yahoo! and Maktoob are natural partners and this combination should help energize the Internet market in the region as a whole. We are excited about Yahoo! building a stronger presence in the Middle East and bringing its compelling suite of services to Arab users in Arabic," said Samih Toukan, founder of Maktoob.

While Internet usage in the Middle East has grown more than tenfold since 2000, most markets are still in the early stages of adoption. According to the World Bank, there are more than 320 million Arabic speakers worldwide, while less than one per cent of all online content is in Arabic, said the Yahoo press release.

Maktoob.com was founded in 2000 by Samih Toukan and Hussam Khoury as the world's first free Arabic/English Web-based email service, and since then has grown to be the leading Arab online community in the region.

Keith Nilsson, senior vice president, Emerging Markets, Yahoo!, said, "We see great growth potential in both audience and advertising in the Arab world and combining with Maktoob.com will allow us to quickly build our presence there with high quality products. This is a big win for publishers, advertisers, and consumers in the region."

Yahoo said this acquisition is part of its larger strategy to grow its business throughout the world's emerging markets by connecting consumers with the content and services that matter most to them in their local language.

Following the acquisition, Maktoob.com will become a wholly-owned subsidiary of Yahoo!. Ahmed Nassef, the current general manager of Maktoob.com, will continue to lead the Maktoob.com teams and will report to Keith Nilsson, said the release.

Agencies

India publishing BPO industry to cross $ 1.2 billion, says ValueNotes

A recently released report by ValueNotes estimates that the Indian publishing BPO industry is expected to grow to a value of $ 1.2 billion by 2012.

This growth is expected to come from rise in the number of publishing companies that will outsource - which include traditional segments such as STM/Academic, Educational & Legal Publishing, as well as new segments such as magazines, corporate and B2B publishing.

India continues to remain the favored publishing BPO hub - with 35,550 people in direct employment, and revenues worth $ 660 million as of end-2008. While revenues are expected to cross $ 1.2 billion by 2012, the total employee strength is estimated to cross 55,000 by 2012.

Publishing outsourcing includes a wide range of services. The four broad heads include content, design, technology and 'other' services.

Content continues to drive the industry and contributes to 72 per cent of the total industry revenues.

Over the last couple of years, services offshored have undergone a transition - from low value services such as tagging, editing existing designs, copy editing to high value services such as original designs, testing and assessment and e-learning tools.

There has been an influx of technology in the industry that has enhanced productivity, workflow management and most importantly reduced costs and turnaround time.

According to Arun Jethmalani, CEO, ValueNotes, "Most providers have access to similar technology, however the differentiator has really been the capabilities developed around workflow and innovation. Today's technology will become tomorrow's standard and constant innovation will differentiate the winners."

Aradhana Kolhatkar, lead analyst, Publishing Services, ValueNotes, said: "Indian players are shifting focus from the matured STM segment to the more lucrative segments in the publishing market. We believe that educational, magazines, corporate/B2B, trade and e-books will be attractive segments over the next 3-4 years. Indian service providers can extend their current capabilities to service these upcoming opportunities."

Based on exhaustive primary research and analysis of this sector, ValueNotes has identified and established that there are over 140 vendors in the publishing offshoring industry. Of these we have identified SPi, Aptara, Integra and Laserwords as frontrunners in the industry.

ValueNotes Database is a leading provider of business intelligence and research, with expertise across selected domains and types of customer needs. Working with clients across the globe, we have significant understanding of international markets.

Agencies

Motorola to bring live 'News on the Mobile' to India

Motorola, Inc's Indian subsidiary, Motorola India Private Limited, and digital publisher, Pressmart Media Limited, on Tuesday announced the live news-on-the-mobile service on MOTO VE66, MOTOSURF A3000 and MOTOROKR EM35 phones slated for distribution in India.

News on the mobile provides consumers access to branded news content powered by Pressmart. By selecting the WAP link "Daily News" on their Motorola phones, consumers can receive free news content and access to their favourite newspapers while on the go.

Newspapers offered on the service include Indian Express, The Financial Express, The Asian Age and Deccan Chronicle.

News-on-the-mobile is designed specifically for the mobile phone screen for optimum viewing experience.

A GPRS connection is required to access the free news content, a Motorola press release said here.


Agencies