English Entertainment
Infinity-On-Demand launched wherein viewers get complete control on the shows
MUMBAI: It is said that life is all about choices that we make – some easy, some defining. This June, Colors Infinity is set to bring a whole new perspective to English language Television, yet again! Starting 11th June, the channel launches its newest, first of its kind offering, ‘Infinity-on-Demand’, where audiences get a chance to handpick 12 seasons of Indian Television Premieres, from an array of exciting international shows that can be binge-watched all weekend!
Set to launch on 11 June, Colors Infinity launches its latest, disruptive offering that gives its viewers complete control on the shows premiering every weekend for 12 weeks on the channel. The choices will be made available on all digital platforms of Colors Infinity where audience can simply log on to the channel’s website and click on their choice that they would like to watch. Viewers will receive a weekly option to select from a choice of three shows on the following link: www.colorsinfinity.com/iod
The winning show of the week will be announced every Wednesday on the channel as well as across its social media platforms.
Commenting on this new development, Colors Infinity vice president programming head of English entertainment Hashim D’Souza said, “Colors Infinity has always pushed boundaries in an endeavour to provide unmatched fresh content to our audiences. At a time when people have control over viewing their choice of shows at their convenience. Infinity-On-Demand is our way of keeping the audience engaged by taking their selection as the final word. With, ‘Infinity-On-Demand’, we’re taking our relationship with our viewers one step forward, giving them the right to call the shots. The shows on the list of voting have been carefully handpicked by the best to fit our programming.”
Since its inception, Colors Infinity has consistently surprised its viewers with a series of disruptive offering and blockbuster premieres. After successful initiatives such as 3 back-to-back shows, Instant Premieres, launch of India’s first home-grown English Singing Talent Hunt and much more, the channel introduces yet another path-breaking concept with Infinity-On-Demand.
The channel has selected a plethora of 14 new shows from across diverse genres. Each series has been hand-picked for its great content and global popularity, including highly-acclaimed titles such as Mozart in the Jungle, Bates Motel, Lucifer, Legends, Peaky Blinders, to name a few.
Come June, Colors Infinity will transform its digital media pages into more interactive fun spaces, and give the audience the chance to sample the shows before voting for it. The shows with maximum votes will ultimately air on Colors Infinity and Colors Infinity HD, back to back over the weekend.
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.
