English Entertainment
Bomanbridge Media signs multi-title factual deal with Vietnam’s VTV
MUMBAI: Singapore-based content distribution and production agency Bomanbridge Media is signing a volume agreement with VTV from Vietnam for nature and scientific factual titles coming from producers such as SkyVision, Secuoya, Earth Touch and Peacepoint.
“Bomanbridge is pleased to announce our multi-program deal with partner VTV, the largest free TV broadcaster in Vietnam. These high quality factual shows will certainly educate, enthrall and enlighten their audiences and also bring high viewership to VTV,” said Bomanbridge Media CEO Sonia Fleck.
Some of the titles included in this deal are:
Alert in Deep: Oceans occupy 75% of the surface of our planet and provide us half of our oxygen, much of our food and regulate climate. But something is happening in this blue planet: climate change and human action have altered the game rules. Tour the most significant places on the planet in search of invasive species that colonize habitats that are not theirs and also abusive practices of human beings that are threatening the marine ecosystem. Fisherman in Papua New Guinea still use dynamite as extraction method, razing entire reefs. In the Bahamas, live one of the most devastating colonies of a fish in history: lionfish. But not all are negative symptoms, there is also room for hope. The creation of marine national parks worldwide is achieving satisfactory results in terms of conservation.
Black Mamba: Black mambas are among the most feared creatures in Africa, with a single bite capable of killing 25 adults. Snake expert Simon Keys travels to the humid east coast of South Africa to reveal the secret lives of these formidable reptiles, exploring the myths and providing a unique insight into their behaviour.
Speed Kills (S1 & 2): This series takes dramatic, everyday actions in the animal kingdom, and looks at them at 600 frames a second. On land and sea we uncover the complex physiology of the animals which makes these extraordinary bursts of speed possible.
Untangling Alzheimer’s: In spite of exhaustive studies, no one knows what exactly causes Alzheimer’s – the most deadly form of dementia. But possible new evidence pointing to the roots of Alzheimer’s may now be untangling the mystery. The latest theories and science behind the disease are examined, together with interviews with some of the world’s leading experts on the subject.
In Space: 50 Years of Space Exploration: An in-depth analysis chronicling 50 years of unique achievements in space and exciting developments for the future. “In Space: 50 Years of Space Exploration” will feature the sensational Rosetta Mission, which landed on November 12, 2014 in the first-ever attempt at a soft touchdown on a comet, the 2014 ISS Crew and the upcoming Mercury and planned Mars missions. In 2014 the European Space Agency (ESA) and the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) are celebrating their 50-year collaboration for space exploration and technology development with the Rosetta project, a 10-year journey of some seven billion kilometres. With the support of ESA and others, “In Space: 50 Years of Space Exploration” will trace the journey of human spaceflight and space exploration of the last 50 years, as well as private projects like Google’s Lunar X Project and private space travel projects such as Richard Branson’s Virgin Galactic and also take a glimpse into BepiColombo spacecraft – Europe’s first future mission to Mercury, as well as the return to the Moon and human space travel to Mars. This documentary will define how space travel has enhanced our knowledge of the universe and the ground-breaking future ahead where the secrets of its origins will be revealed.
English Entertainment
Warner Bros. Discovery shareholders approve Paramount deal
Investors wave through a $111 billion megamerger but deliver a stinging, if toothless, rebuke over half-a-billion-dollar goodbye packages
NEW YORK: The shareholders said yes to the deal. They said no to the cheque. At a virtual special meeting on Thursday that lasted barely ten minutes, Warner Bros. Discovery investors voted overwhelmingly to approve Paramount Skydance’s $111 billion acquisition of the company — and then turned around and voted against the lavish exit pay packages lined up for chief executive David Zaslav and his fellow outgoing executives.
Not that it will make much difference. The compensation vote is purely advisory and non-binding. The Warner Bros. Discovery board can, and almost certainly will, pay out as planned.
But the symbolism stings. It is the second consecutive year that WBD shareholders have voted against the executive compensation packages, and this time they had good reason. Zaslav’s exit deal is, by any measure, extraordinary. Under the terms filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission, he is set to receive $34.2 million in cash severance, $517.2 million in equity in the combined company, and $44,195 in continued health coverage — a total of at least $550 million. On top of that, Warner Bros. Discovery has agreed to reimburse Zaslav up to $335 million for taxes assessed by the Internal Revenue Service on his accelerated stock vesting, though the company says that figure will decline depending on when the deal closes. As of March 11, Zaslav also held $115.85 million in vested WBD stock awards — and last month sold a further $114 million worth of WBD shares.
Shareholder advisory firm ISS recommended voting against the compensation measure, citing “problematic” tax reimbursements to Zaslav and the full vesting of his stock awards.
Zaslav will be bound by a two-year non-competition covenant and a two-year non-solicitation of customers and employees after the deal closes.
His lieutenants are not walking away empty-handed either. J.B. Perrette, chief executive and president of global streaming and games, is in line for $142 million, comprising $18.2 million in cash severance and $123.9 million in equity. Bruce Campbell, chief revenue and strategy officer, will receive an estimated $121.5 million, including $18.8 million in severance and $102.7 million in equity. Chief financial officer Gunnar Wiedenfels is set for $120 million, made up of $6.6 million in cash severance and $113.1 million in equity. Gerhard Zeiler, president of international, will get $82.6 million, including $11.9 million in severance and $70.7 million in equity.
The deal itself, clinched in February after Netflix declined to raise its bid for Warner Bros., still needs regulatory clearance from the Justice Department and European authorities. Several state attorneys general are also weighing legal action to block it.
Senator Elizabeth Warren, Democrat of Massachusetts, was unsparing. “The Paramount-Warner Bros. merger isn’t a done deal,” she said after the shareholder vote. “State attorneys general across the country are stepping up to stop this antitrust disaster. We need to keep up this fight.”
If it does go through, the combined entity would be a formidable beast, bringing together Paramount Skydance’s stable — CBS, CBS News, Paramount Pictures, Paramount+, BET, MTV and Nickelodeon — with WBD’s portfolio of HBO, Max, Warner Bros. film and TV studios, DC, CNN, TBS, TNT, HGTV and Discovery+. Paramount has said it expects $6 billion in cost savings from the merger, which is Wall Street shorthand for mass layoffs on a significant scale.
The ten-minute meeting was presided over by chairman Samuel Di Piazza Jr., with Zaslav, Campbell, Wiedenfels and chief communications officer Robert Gibbs in virtual attendance. Di Piazza was bullish. “We appreciate the support and confidence our stockholders have placed in us to unlock the full value of our world-class entertainment portfolio,” he said. “With Paramount, we look forward to creating an exceptional combined company that will expand consumer choice and benefit the global creative talent community.”
Zaslav echoed the sentiment. “Over the past four years, our teams have transformed Warner Bros. Discovery and returned the company to industry leadership,” he said. “Today’s stockholder approval is another key milestone toward completing this historic transaction that will deliver exceptional value to our stockholders.”
Paramount Skydance struck a similar note. “Shareholder approval marks another important milestone towards completing our acquisition of Warner Bros. Discovery,” it said in a statement, adding that it looked forward to “closing the transaction in the coming months.”
The shareholders have spoken on the merger. On the pay, they were ignored before the vote was even counted.
