Mumbai: AXN is all set to launch the 21st season of its popular reality show ?The Amazing Race?.

It is premiering on AXN on 7 January at 8 pm.

The series features eleven teams of two, each with a pre-existing relationship, in a race around the world.

The season spans a little over 40,000 kilometers of travel to three continents and nine countries which include China, Indonesia, Bangladesh, Turkey and Netherlands.

The new season comes with a twist with a ?Double Your Money? prize for the team which comes first in the first leg, making them eligible to win a total of $2 million dollars if they also win the season.

MUMBAI: AXN kicks off the third season of ?Top Chef Masters? tonight. The season starts with the award winning chefs competing against each other in weekly challenges with Floyd Cardoz adding the Indian tadka to the top chef kitchen.

Also unlike previous seasons, the new season has a tangy twist to it. The chefs will not be judged on a five-star rating system, elimination-style challenges similar to the format of the original ?Top Chef? series.

The masters are still playing for charity but, by design, they?ll feel more of the intensity felt by those who compete on the flagship series. 12 chefs compete against each other to see how well they fare in fierce culinary competition. Each week will whittle down the chefs until the finale where one winner is crowned Top Chef Master and receive the prize of $100,000 for the charity of their choice. The judges include Saveur editor-in chief James Oseland, Aussie chef Curtis Stone and food critic and author Ruth Reichl.

With so much money at stake, the chefs are bringing more than their knives to the table; they?re bringing their egos and stirring up the drama. Surprise performances have always added a flavour to the show. This season is no different with Mad Men?s Christina Hendricks, rock group Maroon 5, and ?pop sensation? Kelis. Chef Floyd Cardoz will be making Uppma in the finale.

MUMBAI: Sony Pictures Television (SPT)?s Sony Movie Channel and AXN Movies have launched exclusively in Canada on Hollywood Suite as part of Hollywood Suite?s four HD movie channels.

Effective today, Hollywood Suite?s Hollywood Festival channel is now Sony Movie Channel and Hollywood Storm is now AXN Movies. Sony Movie Channel is SPT?s movie network created specifically for the Hollywood movie fan, while AXN Movies delivers high octane movies.

Sony Movie Channel will feature such award-winning films as A Few Good Men, Stand By Me, From Here To Eternity, Gandhi, Five Easy Pieces, This is Spinal Tap, and The Big Chill.

With access to Sony Pictures? vast library of feature films, Sony Movie Channel offers a variety of programming selected from more than 3,500 Sony Pictures movies. Sony Movie Channel is also available in the US and UK.

AXN Movies, the first all-movie network from AXN, will feature films such as Taxi Driver, Predator, Blade, From Dusk Till Dawn, Aliens, The Punisher, Shaun Of The Dead and The Silence of the Lambs.

Already the exclusive home of WarnerFilms and MGM Channel in Canada, Hollywood Suite broadcasts four channels with over 450 commercial-free HD movies per month, uncut and unedited, and offers over 250 movies per month on demand, on-line and on mobile - all for one low monthly price. Hollywood Suite is available across Canada exclusively through Canadian television service providers Bell SatelliteTV, Bell Fibe TV, EastLink, TELUS Optik TV, SaskTel, MTS, Westman Communications and Access Communications and NorthwesTel.

NEW DELHI: Sony Pictures has been permitted by the Competition Commission of India (CCI) to buy out the Indian promoters in Multi Screen Media as it feels that the "proposed combination is not likely to have an appreciable adverse effect on competition in India".

The Commission gave its approval under Section 31 (1) of the Competition Act, noting that the approval is without prejudice to any other legal/statutory obligations and will stand revoked if the information provided by the parties is found to be incorrect.

The Commission said: "Upon consummation of the proposed combination, the shareholding of Sony In MSM will increase from 62 to 94.39 per cent and thereafter, the acquirers will make MSM India undertaken any action including those mentioned in the Shareholders Agreement for which currently the consent/approval of the sellers - Atlas Equifin and Grandway Global Holdings would be required."

Thus, the combination will result in transfer from joint to sole control for the purposes of the Combination Regulations.

Sony Pictures Television (SPT), a wholly owned subsidiary of the US-based Sony Pictures Entertainment, had in June inked a deal with these shareholders to acquire 32 per cent stake for $271 million.

The seven Indian promoters, including Singapore-based investment banker Rakesh Agarwal, Shemaroo Films managing director Raman Maroo, World Media Group‘s Sudesh Iyer, actor Jackie Shroff and businessman Sadanand Sule, together own 32 per cent in the broadcaster via their consortium company Atlas Equifin and Grandway Global Holdings.

After the acquisition, the remaining six per cent will be held by international fund Capital International Group.

The deal is subject to government approval and the transaction will be completed by the end of December.

According to MSM CEO Manjit Singh, acquisition of the shares will be made in stages, with $145 million (about Rs 8.09 billion) expected to be paid by SPT by the end of December. The remaining $126 million will be paid in three equal annual installments starting from the fiscal year ending March 2014.

MSM runs eight channels: Sony TV, Max, Sab, Sony Pix, AXN, Animax and the recently launched music channel Mix and sports channel Six.

MUMBAI: Sony Pictures Television Networks, Asia has named James Dumlao as head of its operations in the Philippines.

Designated as director business operations, Dumlao will be based in the company?s Manila office to lead its local team across all strategic operations and brand-building aspects of the business.

Dumlao comes with 13 years of experience in the Filipino pay-TV industry and in his new role, will drive distribution, marketing strategies, and advertising sales for SPT?s networks in the Philippines including AXN, Animax and beTV.

Dumlao is also charged with developing new business opportunities for the company and will report to Sony Pictures Television Networks, Asia Sr VP, business operations and head of Asian content Hui Keng Ang.

"We are delighted to welcome James on board to spearhead the growth of our business in the Philippines. His in-depth local knowledge and experience will prove invaluable in leading the team in an exciting marketplace where we continue to focus and invest significantly in," said Sony Pictures Television Networks, Asia EVP and GM Ricky Ow.

Dumlao was earlier with Pilipino Cable Corp (PCC) where he served as director of marketing and program acquisitions as well as director of advertising sales from 2000 to 2007. Before that, he was manager of PCC?s business in the region of Visayas, and he was with cable network start-up, Telemondial Holdings, Inc. prior to joining PCC.

Following his PCC tenure, Dumlao joined as managing director of the Asiaphil group of companies which is engaged in manufacturing, trading, project management, project financing and energy efficiency solutions. From 2010, Dumlao became an independent management consultant providing consultancy to clients from trading, manufacturing and energy industries including Macondray & Co. Inc. and Asiaphil Management Resources, Inc.