GECs
Banff World Television Festival, NHK announce partnership
MUMBAI: The Banff World Television Festival joins forces with NHK, Japan’s public broadcaster, to offer up the NHK Prize.
This is a new version of the NHK President’s Prize which has been awarded for the past six years. The new NHK Prize will be given for the best HD international co-production. NHK will sponsor it with a $20,000 (Cdn) cash award. The winner will be announced at the 2007 Awards ceremony during the event which takes place in Banff, Canada,from 10 -13 June 2007.
BWTVF CEO Robert Montgomery says, “We are delighted to have the opportunity to collaborate with NHK again. As leaders in HD technology, NHK’s support of this award will help to ensure that the best new HD productions are recognized.”
NHK head International programme acquisition and co-production Fumio Narashima says, “NHK always has a keen eye on quality programming and strives to explore the frontiers of innovation and creativity with international partners. Given our dedication to superior programming and the increasing global dominance of HDTV, we hope to further encourage excellent HD international co-productions with this new award”.
All internationally co-produced HD programmes submitted for the 2007 Banff Television Awards will be eligible for nomination. Producers are urged to submit as soon as possible as the deadline for submissions for the Awards is 23 February 23, 2007.
The Banff World Television Awards include 18 categories covering the major programme genres. New to the awards this year is the Best Telenovela/Drama Serial Program category. In addition to this, BWTVF’s 2007 programme competition will include several expanded categories for its Interactive Programme: Best Mobile Programme Enhancement Award, Best Internet Programme Enhancement Award and Best Internet Only Production Award.
MUMBAI: Lights, camera… connection because this time, the game isn’t just about winning, it’s about who’s with you. Sony Pictures Networks India is gearing up to launch a new reality game show, Tum Ho Naa, expanding its unscripted slate with a format that promises both emotion and engagement.
The show will premiere soon on Sony Entertainment Television and stream on Sony LIV, with Rajeev Khandelwal stepping in as host. Known for his measured screen presence and selective choices, Khandelwal’s return to television adds a layer of familiarity and credibility to the upcoming format.
While specific details of the gameplay remain under wraps, the positioning suggests a reality format that leans as much on emotional resonance as it does on competition, an increasingly popular blend in Indian television, where audiences are gravitating towards content that offers both stakes and storytelling.
Khandelwal, reflecting on his return, noted that his choices have often been guided by instinct rather than convention, describing Tum Ho Naa as a project that feels “close to the heart”. His association also signals Sony’s continued focus on anchoring new formats with recognisable faces who bring both relatability and depth.
The launch comes at a time when broadcasters are doubling down on original non-fiction formats to drive appointment viewing, even as digital platforms expand parallel reach. By placing the show across both linear television and OTT, Sony appears to be aiming for a dual-audience strategy capturing traditional viewers while engaging digital-first consumers.
As the countdown to premiere begins, Tum Ho Naa positions itself not just as another game show, but as a reminder that sometimes, the biggest prize on screen isn’t the jackpot, it’s the journey shared along the way.
