Mumbai: Having premiered on April 28 with a stupendous opening of 5.8 TVR (as per TAM figures), Zee TV?s Knorr Soupy Noodles DID Li?l Masters powered by Lotus Refineries has emerged as the undisputed winner in the TRP race, beating the launch day ratings of all other non-fiction launches including Sony TV?s Kaun Banega Crorepati (5.2 TVR), Sony TV?s Jhalak Dikhla Ja- 4 (4.1 TVR), Just Dance (3.7 TVR) on Star Plus in the last 1 year. The grand opening of the second season of Zee TV?s dance reality show for kids follows the record-breaking opening of 6.7 TVR to which the first season of the show had premiered in April 2010. The handsome ratings of both the seasons of DID L?il Masters prove that it is spectacular talent and not the lure of celebrities that scores on the tube!

"We are overwhelmed by the roaring response our viewers have given to the very first episode of ‘DID L‘il Masters‘. We had full conviction in the show format and the young talent on this platform. This season will again be all about the magic of the kids! Their innocence and sheer talent are bound to win over the hearts of the audience," said Zee TV Non Fiction Head, Ashish Golwalkar.

Following the phenomenal success of the first season of DID Li?l Masters, Zee TV premiered the second season of the show that established, once and for all, that it is the children of this country who are the real ?Dance ke Baap?! And this season, the L?il Masters have vowed to perform with such unbridled energy, flair and flamboyance that the audience will gulp and say, ?yeh badon ke bass ki baat nahin!?

Master Geeta Kapur and Marzi Pestonji are the judges and the talented children who make it to the ?Top 16? kids this year will be mentored, groomed and choreographed by popular contestants from the previous seasons of Dance India Dance who will step in as ?Skippers? on the show. The skippers include the current rage ? the king of Slow Motion dance - Raghav aka Crockroaz, the ?Prince? of Locking and Popping from Season 1 of Dance India Dance, Neerav Bavlecha, the quintessential chocolate boy of DID Season 3 and Kruti Mahesh, the exceptionally gifted classical dancer from Season 2. The Grandmaster of the DID family Mithun Da will make surprise appearances on the show.

The initial episodes showcase the auditions that Master Marzi and Geeta Kapur along with Master Terence Lewis have done across major cities including Mumbai, Kolkata and Delhi in search of fresh talent. The upcoming episode of DID L?il Masters features the ravishing Karisma Kapoor as she graces the mega auditions aimed at selecting the top 16 children.

Zee TV also unleashed a highly interactive online marketing campaign in the wake of the show?s launch. The best video clips from the auditions have already gone viral on Youtube. A separate channel invites young children to upload their clips of dance, the best amongst which will be featured as a part of the title montage of the show that will change every week, giving every talented child in the country a chance to see himself dancing on national television. The launch campaign was extremely aggressive on television with promos running at a high frequency across all channels of the ZEE bouquet, movie channels, kids? channels, news channels and regional channels. The aggressive approach in the audio visual media showcasing the spanking new talent of the show ensured maximum pre-launch buzz.

DID L?il Masters is produced by Frames Production Company. Knorr Soupy Noodles DID Li?l Masters powered by Lotus Refineries airs every Saturday & Sunday at 9 PM, only on Zee TV.

New Delhi: With the T-20 cricketing season in full swing, India?s first global online lifestyle brand Sher Singh today unveiled the first of many official merchandise collections for the Indian Premier League (IPL) with a collection for the Kings XI Punjab (KXIP) team.

The tie-up between Sher Singh and Kings XI Punjab was created by Miroma Sport, part of Miroma Ventures the UK-based media and leisure investment business. Last month Miroma Sport secured the global licensing and merchandising rights to Kings XI Punjab.

Sher Singh has updated its cricket-inspired collection to now include the official Leisurewear gear for the KXIP team offering a great stylish and affordable range for KXIP fans to proudly support their team wherever they may be around the globe.

The vibrant collection comprises of exclusive edition of KXIP official polos, graphic t-shirts and more such KXIP products will soon be launched and developed throughout the year. The colours used in the KXIP merchandise collection stand very symbolic reflecting the true cricketing spirit and the sensibilities attached with the KXIP fans and the cricket lovers at large. The price range for the products will be Rs 599 to Rs 999.

Speaking at the launch Sunjay Guleria, Co-Founder and CEO, Sher Singh said ?We are extremely excited both about our relationship with Miroma Sport and to be launching the merchandise for Kings XI Punjab. It makes sense that the brand that pioneered the CRICKET lifestyle label associated itself with an IPL team such as Kings XI Punjab. This partnership reflects the true cricketing spirit and shared core values of pride and glory, both on and off the pitch.

Shyam Sukhramani, CMO, Sher Singh added ?It is yet another example of our effort to bring stylish cricket-inspired lifestyle leisurewear to the globe. Our online platform can help IPL franchises like KXIP reach their passionate fans wherever they may be and our global design teams add style to the world?s cricket-loving fan base.?

Sean Morris, CEO of Miroma Sport said: ?The association between Kings XI Punjab and Sher Singh is the perfect partnership linking Kings XI Punjab?s popularity and sporting prowess with leading edge fashion design. Sher Singh?s stylish CRICKET collection brings quality, great design and superb value to all Kings XI Punjab fans across India and around the world. Miroma Sport is privileged to have brought the two together ? it is an important first step to developing Kings XI Punjab?s potential as a global brand.?

Mumbai: FMCG / CPG brands struggle to get the shoppers? attention in the last mile where a lot of brand decisions get made. The problem is more acute in the neighborhood grocery or pharmacy as the store sizes are small and the environment very cluttered. Brands use multiple point-of-sales strategies like posters, stickers, danglers etc to standout.

AaramShop has now introduced AaramTVs, which will do a long way in easing this challenge for the FMCG brands, and it takes the in-store communication to the next level. AaramTVs are a last mile media option to help FMCG brands influence the consumers when they are shopping. High footfalls

AaramTVs are intelligent AV screens that enable narrowcasting of infomercials or advertisements, targeted at grocery shoppers, in the last mile in India. AaramTVs are especially designed for placement within the traditional grocery channel / the kirana stores / the neighborhood mom & pop stores. This is the very 1st time that such a solution has been introduced at the point of purchase to create top of the mind recall for the customers. Aaramshop will be targeting locations with high footfalls and aim to associate as many vendors as listed with them by the end of this year.

The brand advertisers can use AaramTV to engage with their audience at the right time and right place - the moment of truth, when a consumer is taking a decision on her/his brand purchase in the neighborhood retail shops.

?AaramTVs are a last mile media option to influence the consumers of AaramShops (AaramShops are independent neighborhood grocery stores which can also be accessed online by consumers). AaramTVs engages the shoppers with the brands while they are shopping and influences their purchase decisions. This in-store media brings to life brands and their messages in an otherwise cluttered environment. It puts a brand‘s merchandising efforts on steroids.?, says Mr. Vijay Singh, CEO & MD, Aaramshop.

AaramTVs are strategically placed only within neighborhood stores that sell FMCG / CPG brands, thus ensuring a very qualified reach-out to shoppers at the moment when they are most likely to make the brand choice.

AaramTVs are supported by seamless cloud technology at the back-end, which enables real-time selection and targeting of stores and extreme flexibility in choosing the right messages for the right shoppers.

MUMBAI: Reliance Home Video & Games has released the Blu-rays and DVDs of New Year?s Eve.

New Year?s Eve celebrates love, hope, forgiveness, second chances and fresh starts with intertwining stories told amidst the pulse and promise of New York City on the most dazzling night of the year.

Ingrid (Pfeiffer) is a woman looking for her purpose in life, helped along the way by Paul (Efron). Tess (Biel) and Griffin (Meyers) are in a race against the clock to have the first baby of the New Year. Randy (Kutcher) and Elise (Michele) are trapped in an elevator, one desperate to get out and one not eager to leave. Claire (Swank) is the in-charge of making sure the Times Square ball drops at midnight but she runs into a major problem.

Following the converging stories of dozens of characters, "New Year?s Eve" tells these stories and more, showcasing love, hope, excitement, sadness, joy, laughter and sorrow on the most exciting night of the year.

Produced and directed by Garry Marshall, the film stars Halle Berry; Jessica Biel; Jon Bon Jovi; Abigail Breslin; Chris "Ludacris" Bridges; along with Robert De Niro, Josh Duhamel; Zac Efron; Hector Elizondo; Katherine Heigl; Ashton Kutcher; Seth Meyers; Lea Michele; Sarah Jessica Parker; Michelle Pfeiffer; Til Schweiger; Hilary Swank and Sofia Vergara.

New Year?s Eve is available on Blu-ray at Rs.1299 each, DVD at Rs.599 each and VCD at Rs.299 each.

Mumbai: Network recognized in the Cultural Issues Category for Trapped by Tradition: a CNN Freedom Project Documentary
In recognition of CNN‘s exceptional and courageous reporting, the network has been honored with the ‘Gold World Medal‘ in the Cultural Issues category at New York Festival‘s International TV and Film Awards 2012 for ‘Trapped by Tradition: a CNN Freedom Project documentary.‘

"We are delighted that ‘Trapped by Tradition‘ has been recognized with this prestigious award," said Tony Maddox, executive vice president and managing director of CNN International. "The award reflects the CNN Freedom Project‘s continued commitment to help bring an end to modern day slavery and is testament to the uncompromising dedication of our newsgathering teams as they seek to shine a light on this horrific practice and provide a voice for victims who cannot speak for themselves."

"I am very pleased that Trapped by Tradition has been awarded this distinguished award," said Indian film luminary Anil Kapoor who was a special contributor to the CNN Freedom Project for ‘Trapped by Tradition‘. "Human slavery is unacceptable and we must all work towards ending it. The awareness generated through documentaries like Trapped by Tradition is very important for combating this serious global issue."

In ‘Trapped by Tradition‘, Anil Kapoor visited the Bharatpur district of North India to highlight how many young girls and women are sold into the sex trade, often by members of their own family. The documentary followed Kapoor as he spent time with young girls and women who had been forced into joining the sex trade. The documentary also highlighted the on-ground changes which are coming out via better education and the efforts of organizations like Plan India as young girls and women learn about lifestyle choices outside Bharatpur and India‘s sex trade.

Excerpts from the documentary can be viewed at
http://cnn.com/video/?/video/international/2011/10/07/kapoor-trapped-in-tradition-1.cnn
http://cnn.com/video/?/video/international/2011/10/07/kapoor-trapped-in-tradition-2.cnn
http://cnn.com/video/?/video/international/2011/10/07/kapoor-trapped-in-tradition-3.cnn

Mumbai: They say, in Punjab every second born is a singer. Blessed with amazing voice, many talented Punjabi singers aspire to reach the pinnacle of vocal recognition. Through Voice of Punjab, every year PTC Punjabi provides a unique platform to aspirants to compete and show their mettle to the entire world. The best of Punjabi Music Industry judges these contestants and hones their aptitude towards mainstream career making in singing.

Voice of Punjab Talent Hunt is a high decibel exercise and invites entries from nook & corners of Punjab and Haryana with centralized auditions in 9 major cities of Amritsar, Jalandhar, Ludhiana, Faridkot, Bathinda, Sangrur, Patiala, Karnal and Chandigarh.

The winners (1 Boy & 1 Girl) will get a chance to record a Music Album.

The channel has invited entries for Voice of Punjab Auditions held across various cities of Punjab/Haryana through on air promotions on PTC Network Channels, Posters in colleges, Dedicated IVR and Registration Forms kept across various Music Academies and Retail outlets in Punjab & Haryana. The contest is open for contestants between the age group of 18 to 27 years as on 1st May 2012. All entries received will be screened for Voice talent and knowledge of Music in the city Auditions by an esteemed panel of judges. The successful candidates will be called for a Mega Audition in Chandigarh.

After an extensive Audition exercise, a few selected contestants will battle it out in Studio Rounds in Delhi.

"These contestants will be mentored, groomed and in many ways, prepared for a lifetime of challenges as they surge ahead on their Musical Journey. Their journey will be encapsulated across Reality Show Episodes on PTC Punjabi. Renowned Bollywood Singer Saleem and Music Director Sachin Ahuja are the judges for the Studio episodes. ", said Rajiee M Shinde, COO - PTC Network.

A total of 8 to 10 contestants will contend for the Voice of Punjab Title in the Grand Finale to be held in Punjab later this year. The Grand Finale will be telecast LIVE on PTC Punjabi.

Audition will be conducted in Amritsar (7 May), Jallandhar (9 May), Ludhiana (11 May), Faridkot (14 May), Bathinda (16 May), Sangrur (18 May), Patiala (21 May), Karnal (23 May), and Chandigarh (25 May).