MUMBAI: Discovery India has acquired the broadcast rights of ?Lost Treasure Hunters? from Cableready, an international television programme distribution and development company.

The six episode show follows a team of highly skilled prospectors on their attempt to rediscover the long lost source of the great diamonds of Golconda, India.

Cableready has closed a series of global sales agreements which collectively exceed 170 hours of programming.

Cableready president and CEO Gary Lico said, "Our new sales team led by Maurizio Tavares is a house-on-fire based on these pre-market results. This is a great way for Cableready to head into the 50th Anniversary of MipTV."

MUMBAI: Discovery will air a special showing the true story that inspired the Oscar winning film ?Argo?.

The special ?Argo: Inside Story? airs on 31 March at 8 pm.

The Oscar winning film had chronicled the Central Intelligent Agency?s (CIA) attempt to rescue six Americans during the 1978 Iran hostage crisis. The film, which won the Best Picture Award, is based on real-life events.

Discovery?s special gains access to the top players involved in the crisis to hear their side of the story, including the CIA?s "chief of disguise", Tony Mendez, who was called upon to devise the rescue plan. The one-hour special narrated by actor Bray Poor, gives an inside look at the dramatic escape and how Mendez forged identity documents and elaborate disguises to get past the security agents at the Tehran airport.

The CIA had to come up with a convincing reason for the six people being in Tehran in the first place, and devise a way for them to leave without arousing suspicion. The operation became an elaborate scheme involving fake identification cards, a phantom movie production and unprecedented cooperation between the United States and Canada.

Mendez, who had limited access to materials once inside Iran, recalls how he forged official documents in the office of the Canadian Ambassador. "One of the stamp pads had dried out and I had to mix the right ink color," Mendez recalls in the special. "So I went over to the Canadian Ambassador?s liquor cabinet and got a bottle of Scotch and poured some on [the pad]."

The special reveals how the Americans prepared for their departure, the true story about the agency?s involvement and their reasons for keeping it secret for nearly two decades.

MUMBAI: Television trade event MipTV has announced that Discovery president, CEO David Zaslav will present a keynote address on 9 April, as part of MipTV?s Media Mastermind keynotes series. Organised by Reed Midem, MipTV will take place in Cannes from 8-11 April, 2013.

Zaslav sets the strategy and oversees all operations of the non-fiction media company that reaches more than 1.8 billion cumulative subscribers in nearly 220 countries and territories. Discovery is dedicated to igniting curiosity and delivering the thrill of discovery through more than 150 worldwide television networks and a leading portfolio of digital media properties that attract approximately 25 million unique visitors per month.

At MipTV, Zaslav will discuss the global content environment, recent international M&A activity and his strategy for continued growth at the world?s largest pay-TV programmer.

Prior to Discovery, Zaslav had a career at NBC Universal. In 2007, he received a Trustees Award for Lifetime Achievement from the National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences (Natas).

Under Zaslav?s leadership, in September 2008 Discovery began trading as a public company on the Nasdaq stock exchange and has since delivered average double-digit profit growth over the past five years.

MUMBAI: Discovery Channel, a leading factual entertainment network, has refreshed the content lineup of its 9 pm prime time show with the launch of a new series during this time band.

Ultimate Discovery will during this time band launch series like The Magic of Science, Wild Asia, History Of The World, Grand Design: Stephen Hawking, and Bear Grylls.

The Magic of Science captures rising stars from the world of magic; Wildlife series Wild Asia gives the viewer chance to see one of the most beautiful and varied regions of the world; History Of The World lets onto a journey to unravel the mystery about our evolution; Grand Design: Stephen Hawking will introduce the viewers to the intriguing aspects and mysteries of our universe; and in the three special episodes, Bear Grylls shows how to survive in some of the new inhospitable and hostile surroundings.

Airing every night at 9 pm, Ultimate Discovery has successfully brought for its viewers the world of Science, Exploration, History, Adventure and Wildlife since its launch in 2008.

Discovery Networks Asia-Pacific SVP and GM - South Asia Rahul Johri said, ?Ultimate Discovery is our firm commitment to viewers to present the best of Discovery Channel at their preferred hour, every day of the week."