GECs
Canal+, NDS battle comes to a close
MUMBAI: The creation of an Italian pay television platform Sky Italia through the acquisition of Telepiu has meant one less headache for Rupert Murdoch.
One of the conditions that was put forth by Murdoch in his acquisition of Vivendi Universal’s Telepiu satellite pay TV platform was that the litigation between the two parties would end. This includes Stream’s litigation against Telepiu and Vivendi Universal subsidiary Canal+’s litigation against NDS. A couple of days ago Vivendi sold Telepiu to News Corp and Telecom Italia for 871 million euros in debt and cash. News Corp will own 80.1 per cent of Sky Italia and the rest by Telecom Italia.
A year ago in March Canal Plus had filed a suit against NDS for a billion dollars. It claimed that NDS engineers had hacked its security system and then made the relevant codes available for hackers on the Internet. NDS makes similar TV security systems. Canal Plus claims that its smartcard technology allows encryption of signals by broadcasters. So the process of revenue collection from subscribers is smooth. It claimed that security measures were running fine until March 1999 when its software code was copied and published on the website DR7.com. It claims to have spent more than $US35 million on the technology. It had accused NDS of getting its smartcards and sending them to an NDS laboratory in Israel for analysis.
Murdoch now will concentrate on fighting rampant piracy in Italy’s pay TV market. He also have to contend with the free to air channels. Earlier Vivendi’s Telepiu and Murdoch’s Stream were suffering huge losses. In 2001 Telepiu lost $300mn and Stream $200mn as a result of football deals
GECs
Vikram and Ajinkya Gandhe win Masterchef India season finale
Chef Sanjeev Kapoor joins judges for emotional MasterChef finale
MUMBAI: The latest season of MasterChef India concluded on a high note, with brothers Vikram Gandhe and Ajinkya Gandhe crowned winners in the grand finale aired on Sony Entertainment Television.
The duo from Nagpur lifted the coveted trophy and donned the show’s signature golden apron after a season that celebrated India’s diverse culinary traditions under the theme “Pride of India”.
This edition of the popular cooking reality show introduced a new jodi format, with 50 pairs from across the country competing in the Masterchef kitchen. Contestants brought personal stories, regional flavours and family bonds to the competition.
The grand finale featured the final three pairs: Vikram and Ajinkya Gandhe (brothers), Saisree and Chanda (mother and daughter), and Anju and Manju (sisters).
The finale was attended by celebrity chef Sanjeev Kapoor, who joined the show’s judging panel comprising Vikas Khanna, Ranveer Brar and Kunal Kapur.
Kapoor said the show has long served as a platform to celebrate India’s rich culinary heritage and provide passionate home cooks with a national stage. He noted that the current season reflected a confident India that takes pride in its roots while embracing new culinary ideas.
Judge Vikas Khanna said the contestants’ journeys and the memories created during the season would remain with the team long after the show’s conclusion. Ranveer Brar described the show as a family that continues to grow with every season, while Kunal Kapur praised the contestants’ creativity and determination.
With the finale now concluded, the latest season of MasterChef India once again highlighted how food can reflect identity, heritage and storytelling, inspiring home cooks across the country to pursue their culinary ambitions.
