English Entertainment
COLORS INFINITY bolsters local productions with OPPO presents TOP MODEL INDIA powered by RENAULT CAPTUR
COLORS INFINITY, creator of some of the most beloved and successful homegrown English entertainment content in India is all set to foray into the world of Fashion and Lifestyle entertainment with TOP MODEL INDIA. OPPO presents TOP MODEL INDIA powered by Renault CAPTUR is all set to present a plush ramp, to showcase talent and break all the stereotypes starting this Sunday 4th February 2018 at 8 pm only on COLORS INFINITY. The show is poised to be a unique platform that will take viewers through the transformation of 12 aspiring models into supermodels under the expert guidance of judges Lisa Haydon, Atul Kasbekar, Anaita Shroff Adajania and mentor Shibani Dandekar.
The stakes will be high, as the country’s most influential fashion icons will choose the winner of TOP MODEL INDIA from amongst 12 ambitious models. While the ravishing supermodel Lisa Haydon will shed light on modeling techniques and walking the thin line between art and fashion, ace photographer Atul Kasbekar will explain the nuances required to grace the cover of a fashion magazine. Styling empress Anaita Shroff Adajania will helm the show with her impeccable fashion counsel. The gorgeous Shibani Dandekar will tie it all in, as she mentors the contestants on their emotionally charged journey down the most difficult runway. The crème de la crème of the fashion industry like Mickey Boardman, Manish Malhotra, Kunal Rawal and many more, will also grace the show to impart their styling and grooming wisdom.
Breaking barriers in the fashion industry, the show will witness male and female contestants battling it out amongst each other to grab the most coveted title, as the ultimate winner prepares to take over the world’s fashion runway. The winner will be bestowed with a contract with the prestigious Bling! Entertainment Solutions that has a rich legacy of working with some of the top celebrities in the Indian entertainment industry like Deepika Padukone, Vidya Balan, Jacqueline Fernandez, Shahid Kapoor, Sonam Kapoor and many more. In addition to launching their career, the contestants will also have a chance to shoot with the world-class fashion photographer Atul Kasbekar.
Elaborating on the show, Viacom18, Head – Youth, Music and English Entertainment, Ferzad Palia said “COLORS INFINITY has always been the thought-leader in creating content that viewers would enjoy, ranging from original productions to international programming. This platform will not only showcase the latest international fashion trends but also recognize Indian talent. Gauging the warm response from our sponsors and the wider fraternity, we are confident that TOP MODEL INDIA will be well received by our viewers too.”
“We are proud to be presenting sponsors for TOP MODEL INDIA. As a brand, OPPO has always been focusing on the youth, offering them unique experiences and being a part of their lives. Thus, TOP MODEL INDIA is the perfect platform for OPPO to connect with the youth, take them closer to their dreams and help them create memories via technologically advanced and innovative camera phones”, said Will Yang, Brand Director, OPPO India.
Renault India, Head Marketing, Virat Khullar added “We are extremely glad to associate with COLORS INFINITY for the premiere season of TOP MODEL INDIA. Renault CAPTUR and TOP MODEL INDIA’s synergies match perfectly as they are both focused on encouraging incredible style and great capability. Renault CAPTUR is a new age SUV with Global success. This collaboration has been an enriching experience and we look forward for an exuberant response from the audience.”
CBS Studios International has licensed the India format rights for the reality competition series AMERICA’S NEXT TOP MODEL to Mumbai-based Bulldog Media & Entertainment. The English language version of the franchise promises the same excitement and anticipation as the international format that continues to be a worldwide success.
“AMERICA’S NEXT TOP MODEL” has taken the world by storm, with the original show now in its 24th season and under license in over 100 markets and 20 international versions in production.
International Formats | CBS Studios International, Vice President, Roxanne Pompa said, “We are thrilled to be working with Bulldog and Colors Infinity to launch the first season of the English version of TOP MODEL INDIA. With the Hindi version of Top Model being so successful on MTV, producing this new English version is a natural extension of Top Model brand in India.”
Bulldog Media & Entertainment, Co-Founder & Executive Producer, Akash Sharma said, “I’m moved and inspired by the intensity of the ‘INTM’ fan base whose passion for the show triggered the launch of TOP MODEL INDIA for an international audience. The ‘America’s Next Top Model’ format continues to entertain audiences all around the world and we are excited to have the opportunity to see the English language version make its debut in India. It is a show that is all about transformation & competition with the customary ‘Top Model’ style, glamour, and entertainment for viewers to enjoy.”
To amplify the debut of this one-of-its-kind platform, COLORS INFINITY has mounted a multi-pronged pan-India campaign. Besides high-decibel traditional and digital media, the campaign boasts of disruptive partnerships with pioneering brands and fashion authorities. The channel has also partnered with JW Marriott Sahar as the venue partner and PETA to support their effort in preventing cruelty against animals in fashion.
Strut and Swish as OPPO presents TOP MODEL INDIA powered by Renault CAPTUR is all set to dazzle you on COLORS INFINITY on Sunday, 4th February 2018 at 8 PM.
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.
