Cartoon Network aims to create growth in Arabic

In Oct 2010, the American children's channel Cartoon Network launched a Cartoon Network Arabic channel- a free-to-air children's channel hoping to reach 35 million homes in the Middle East and North Africa. The free alternative to the subscription based Cartoon-Network is operated by the Turner Broadcasting offices in Dubai.

The world's first Cartoon Network Academy(CNA) in Abu Dhabi has now rolled out its inaugral batch of 12 graduates. The Academy is central to the development of local talent needed for the animation industry. The animation and gaming industry still in its nascent stage is one of the fastest growing industry in the region.


Turner’s ambition to expand the network in the Middle East and invest in local talent is necessary in order to grow the business. The diversity of the spoken Arabic dilects across the region poses challenges and creates opportunities for the animation industry.


According to a statement from Turner, Cartoon Network is available in 22 languages, across 27 separate feeds, in 166 countries and in 248 million homes worldwide.

This is not the first time that an American children' s TV show has been traslated to Arabic. Thirty years ago a local version of Sesame Street was braodcasted.

Yeh honsla- A Classical Melody from film Dor

Korean drama's country romance- The Vineyard Man

End of the Era of Pop's Great Icons- Michael Jackson

michael buble's home in lakeshore singapore

Happy New Year

Its time for a "Celebration"

Hollywood's Drew Barrymore advocates it's time for change

Barrymore recently directed a documentary, “The Best Place To Start,” which advocates voter registration.

“Does anyone really want to hear from me?" she asks. "But I think people know I’m not just a party girl. I’m a producer, a director, an actor; I believe in philanthropy.”


Source: link

Roman Abramovich spends £17million on a big fat naked lady

He is better known for investing in footballers than paintings, but Roman Abramovich is believed to have become a new art collector.

Multi-billionaire Abramovich is believed to be the mystery collector who bought two paintings last week for figures which smashed previous world records, and set him back £61.4million during 48 hours



Link: thisisland.co.uk

How much is pop culture affecting us?

The American party girl, model,actress and singer Lindsay Lohan, 21 has been in the news in the last few years more for news of her escapades from drug rehabilitaion centres.

Now she is in the news for posing nude recreating America's most famous Star Marilyn Monroe whose life was cut short when she died of a drug overdose in 1962. Many may find Lindsay's photos tasteless, but these type of gimmicks sells magazines as New York fashion magazine found out.

The pictures have been so popular that the magazine's Web site crashed, receiving around 20 million daily page views on Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday.

The New York Times has joined a raging debate on the merit of this photo shoot calling the images of Lohan-as-Monroe "macabre".

Here's Lindsay singing one of her songs.

Bollywood goes global

Here's globalisation in action making the popular Bollywood film industry a major entertainment brand worldwide.

Mumbai film crews are increasingly filming in Australia, Canada, New Zealand, the United Kingdom, the United States, continental Europe and elsewhere. Nowadays, Indian producers are winning more and more funding for big-budget films shot within India as well, such as Lagaan, Devdas and the just released film Saawariya starring the deutants Ranbir Kapoor, Sonam Kapoor directed by Sanjay Leela Bhansali. As the first Bollywood film to be co-produced and financed by a Hollywood studio, Saawariya is an example of globalization reaching across far distances and cultures. The movie is the first product of a recent wave of alliances between Indian producers and the likes of Disney, Warner and Sony which backed Saawariya, released worldwide on Friday.

When Shah Rukh Khan, Bollywood’s most popular star, arrived on the red carpet launch of his film Om Shanti Om in London, he spelled out his ambition: “I want to make the first Indian film that the whole world will watch.”

The night before the Om Shanti Om bandwagon rolled into London, rival 'Saawariya' had its world premiere in New York. Saawariya is the first Bollywood film produced by a leading Hollywood studio, Sony, and the two films have been vying for publicity in the Indian media before their release on Diwali, 9th November, traditionally a peak box-office slot.

Wynona searching for love

Wynona Judd's 'I want to know what love is' is an emotionally charged gut-wrenching song. It is a poignant song that carries a very powerful message.

In November 2003, Wynonna appeared on The Oprah Winfrey Show discussing what she described as a "severe" dependency to food and her obesity.

Wynona partnered with her famous country singer mother Naomi Judd to form the 'Judd's' which became the most popular mother/daughter team. The duo won five Grammy Awards and a vast array of other awards and honors. Wynona has a half-sister Ashley Judd, who is a film star and stage actress.

Wynona went through a traumatic childhood, separated from her biological father when she was very young.

Wynona (below) sings 'I want to know what is love' after completing the Opera interview. Her song moves many in the audience to tears, including her mother Naomi seen wiping a tear, sitting on the right of Opera. Sitting to Naomi's right is her sister Ashley struggling to control her tears.