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World Rally Championship looks to exploit opportunities in the New Media arena
MUMBAI: The UK based broadband and mobile sports and entertainment content business company Premium TV has signed a deal with International Sportsworld Communicators (ISC).
The aim is to co-exploit the new media rights for FIA World Rally Championship (WRC). The deal will focus on maximising the new media platform for WRC and its users through the creation of new WRC broadband, mobile and commercial website products.
In India viewers can catch WRC action on AXN. The deal enables Premium TV to expand its horizons as it accelerates its business beyond UK football to the global sports and entertainment stage. Together Premium TV and ISC will develop a global distribution strategy to enable the delivery of a content-rich multimedia WRC showcase including the creation of broadband and mobile products.
As part of the partnership, Premium TV will revamp the existing WRC.com website, build a new broadband subscription website and develop new mobile phone products aimed at WRC’s global core audience of 800 million TV viewers and its millions of event spectators. The website and products will launch in January 2005 in English and French, with further international language versions set to roll out throughout the year.
The new broadband subscription service, called WRC+, will feature video stage highlights, driver interviews, exclusive in-car footage, virtual spectator coverage, real-time results, live streamed audio of all rallies, plus a searchable video archive of classic rally action.
The WRC+ mobile content offering features video footage of stage highlights and exclusive tailor-made driver interviews to be sold territory-by-territory. Other mobile products under development include a news and results SMS service, wallpapers and subscription service for GPRS / 3G-enabled handsets.
Additionally, Premium TV will create a number of exclusive advertising opportunities that will sit across WRC.com offering brands the opportunity to partner with a major global franchise. WRC claims that its website already attracts more than 10 million page views per month.
Premium TV CEO Rod Henwood said, “This deal marks the first step in Premium TV’s post-turnaround expansion strategy. WRC is a global sports entertainment franchise that rightly has its eye on broadband as a key future broadcast delivery system to millions of fans. Motorsport is perfect for broadband and mobile platforms thanks to its passionate international following.”
NEW DELHI: Hamdard Laboratories gathered a cross-section of India’s achievers in New Delhi on Friday, handing out the Hakeem Abdul Hameed Excellence Awards to figures who have left their mark across healthcare, education, sport, public service and the arts.
The ceremony, attended by minister of state for defence Sanjay Seth and senior officials from the ministry of Ayush, celebrated individuals whose work blends professional success with a sense of public purpose. It was as much a roll call of achievement as it was a reminder that influence is not measured only in profits or podiums, but in people reached and lives improved.
Among the headline awardees was Alakh Pandey, founder and chief executive of PhysicsWallah, recognised for turning affordable digital learning into a mass movement. On the sporting front, Arjuna Awardee and kabaddi player Sakshi Puniya was honoured for her contribution to the game and for pushing women’s participation onto bigger stages.
The cultural spotlight fell on veteran lyricist and poet Santosh Anand, whose songs have echoed across generations of Hindi cinema. At 97, Anand accepted the honour with characteristic humility, reflecting on a life shaped by perseverance and hope.
Healthcare honours spanned both modern and traditional systems. Manoj N. Nesari was recognised for strengthening Ayurveda’s place in national and global health frameworks. Padma shri Mohammed Abdul Waheed was honoured for his research-backed work in Unani medicine, while padma shri Mohsin Wali received recognition for his long-standing contribution to patient-centred care.
Education and social development also featured prominently. Padma shri Zahir Ishaq Kazi was honoured for decades of work in education, while former Meghalaya superintendent of Police T. C. Chacko was recognised for public service. Goonj founder Anshu Gupta received an award for his dignity-centred rural development initiatives, and the Hunar Shakti Foundation was honoured for empowering women and young girls through skill development.
The Lifetime Achievement Award went to former IAS officer Shailaja Chandra for her long career in public healthcare and governance, particularly in the traditional systems under Ayush.
Speaking at the event, Hamdard chairman Abdul Majeed said the awards were a tribute to those who combine excellence with empathy. “These awardees reflect Hakeem Sahib’s belief that healthcare, education and public service must ultimately serve humanity,” he said.
Minister Seth struck a forward-looking note, saying India’s young population gives the country a unique opportunity to become a global destination for learning, health and wellness by 2047.
The ceremony also featured the trailer launch of Unani Ki Kahaani, an upcoming documentary starring actor Jim Sarbh, set to premiere on Discovery on 11 February.
Instituted in memory of Unani scholar and educationist Hakeem Abdul Hameed, the awards have grown into a national platform that celebrates those building a more inclusive and resilient India. For one evening at least, the spotlight was not just on success, but on service with substance.
