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International Entertainment News

Thursday, July 24, 2008

Metropolitan Home Magazine and Showtime Networks Partner to Develop a One-of-a-Kind Luxury Showhouse in New York

Metropolitan Home Magazine and Showtime Networks Partner to Develop a One-of-a-Kind Luxury Showhouse in New York

Talented Team of Interior Designers Tapped to Bring Showtime Original Hit Series to Life in a Unique, Modern Setting

NEW YORK, July 24 /PRNewswire/ -- Metropolitan Home, the definitive guide to modern design, is thrilled to announce its collaboration with Showtime Networks to create Metropolitan Home's Showtime House, the ultimate multimedia showhouse. Located in New York's exclusive Gramercy Park neighborhood, the $20 million, 8,800-square-foot Greek revival town house will be transformed into a chic, upscale residence by seven of the world's most talented designers - Vicente Wolf, Jamie Drake, White Webb, Laura Kirar, Amy Lau, Tori Golub and Johnny Grey.

Each will use a different Showtime hit show - Dexter(TM), Californication, The Tudors, Weeds, The L-Word(R) and United States of Tara - for inspiration as they transform each room into a modernist masterpiece.

Metropolitan Home has also invited Luca Andrisani, Kirsten Brant, Jim Zivic and Enea to lend their incredible talent and creativity to integrate these Showtime series into the media room, lounge, stairwells and front and backyards respectively. Opening to the public for tours September 13 - October 26, 2008, proceeds from the showhouse will benefit the non-profit, Happy Hearts Fund.

"Metropolitan Home's consistent focus on smart, high-end, modern design and a desire to break out of the ordinary has allowed us to partner with a great company like Showtime Networks and take the showhome concept to a whole new level. Metropolitan Home's Showtime House is a unique, multi-media integration that we've never seen before and we are very excited about the unique cross promotional opportunities available to both Metropolitan Home and Showtime," says Metropolitan Home VP/Publisher, Deborah Burns.

"The Metropolitan Home Showtime House is a perfect example of the innovative and groundbreaking ways we market our shows," says Showtime Executive Vice President, Creative & Marketing Len Fogge. "We must find new and creative ways to generate consumer awareness and to continually distinguish ourselves in an increasingly crowded marketplace. Our programming is the best that premium television can offer and our approach to marketing must reach the same level of excellence."

Metropolitan Home's Showtime House will launch Tuesday, September 9th with a VIP gala featuring the magazine's editors, showhouse designers and celebrities. The showhouse will also serve as a dazzling showcase for some of today's top brands, including premier sponsor Time Warner Cable, Benjamin Moore, Thermador, CaesarStone, Hunter Douglas, Just Terraces, The Container Store, Artistic Tile, Toto, Dedar, Warp & Weft, Ann Sacks, Baker, Carini Lang, Robert Allen, LG, Beacon Hill, Blanco, Jacuzzi, Ideal Tile, Bo Concept, Ronson's Reserve, Portmeirion, Harris Wood, Certified of NY and State of the Art Flooring.

The Metropolitan Home Showtime House, 23 Gramercy Park South, will be open to the public for tours from September 13 to October 26, 2008. Proceeds from tour ticket sales will benefit the non-profit organization, Happy Hearts Fund. For more information about tickets, tours and events at the showhouse, visit www.methome.com/showtime.

Owned by Michael Hirtenstein, the showhouse is located on Gramercy Park, one of the city's most beautiful and exclusive parks. The space will welcome visitors from around the country, who will tour the magnificent, four-story townhouse. Built in 1847, the residence boasts original architectural details such as pristine hardwood floors, marble mantelpieces, mahogany doors and cornice moldings. An eight-footwide, glass-oval dome above the original staircase and a lush outdoor garden complete the space, creating an exquisite contrast to the modern look and feel brought by the designers.

About Metropolitan Home

Metropolitan Home stands alone as the definitive guide to modern design and the unparalleled champion of contemporary style. The magazine's urban mindset speaks to readers everywhere and sets the standard for how to live well now. Every article and photograph connects with the magazine's affluent, intelligent, progressive readers. Each page informs and inspires consumers to decorate, renovate, garden and cook as they create a haven for themselves and their families. Metropolitan Home's distinctive voice elevates eclectic style and celebrates the impact that quality design has on today's modern world. www.methome.com

About Showtime

Showtime Networks Inc. (SNI), a wholly-owned subsidiary of CBS Corporation, owns and operates the premium television networks SHOWTIME(R), THE MOVIE CHANNEL(R) and FLIX(R), as well as the multiplex channels SHOWTIME 2(TM), SHOWTIME(R) SHOWCASE, SHOWTIME EXTREME(R), SHOWTIME BEYOND(R), SHOWTIME NEXT(R), SHOWTIME WOMEN(R), SHOWTIME FAMILY ZONE(R) and THE MOVIE CHANNEL(R) XTRA. SNI also offers SHOWTIME HD(R), THE MOVIE CHANNEL(R) HD, SHOWTIME ON DEMAND(R) and THE MOVIE CHANNEL(R) ON DEMAND. SNI also manages Smithsonian Networks, a joint venture between SNI and the Smithsonian Institution. All SNI feeds provide enhanced sound using Dolby Digital 5.1. SNI markets and distributes sports and entertainment events for exhibition to subscribers on a pay-per-view basis through SHOWTIME PPV(R). www.sho.com

About Happy Hearts Fund

A survivor of the Tsunami in Thailand, Petra Nemcova established the Happy Hearts Fund in 2005. HHF is a 501c3 charitable Foundation that was initially started to aid children affected by the Asian Tsunami that claimed almost 300,000 innocent lives. Today the mission of HHF is to improve children's lives through education, sustainability and technology.

Since its inception HHF has raised more then $6.0 million and has established successful programs in Thailand, Indonesia, Sri Lanka, Pakistan, Indonesia, Cambodia, Vietnam, Czech Republic, Peru and now the New Orleans. Programs in India and Haiti are under way and expansion across the globe is continuing. HHF aims to advocate and provide for disadvantaged children who have had to endure hardship and who are not receiving the essential and sustainable help they need for healthy childhood development. http://www.happyheartsfund.org/

First Call Analyst:
FCMN Contact:


Source: Metropolitan Home

CONTACT: Jolene Abbott, +1-323-966-4600, jolene.abbott@cbprusa.com, or
Kim Niadna, +1-212-358-0800, kim.niadna@cbprusa.com, both for Metropolitan
Home

Web site: http://www.methome.com/
http://www.sho.com/
http://www.happyheartsfund.org/


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Profile: intent

International Entertainment News

UK Leads European Mobile Music Market

UK Leads European Mobile Music Market

NEW YORK, July 24/PRNewswire/ --

- EU-5 mobile music retail revenues to exceed US$1.4 billion in 2012

Europe's mobile music scene is more advanced than that in the US. While
the UK is the biggest individual mobile music market in the EU-5, the other
countries -- France, Germany, Italy and Spain -- are reporting sharp growth
as well. eMarketer predicts that mobile music retail revenues in the EU-5
will reach over US$1.4 billion by 2012, up from US$267 million in 2007.
eMarketer expects ad-supported mobile music in the EU-5 to reach US$170
million in 2012, up from US$4.6 million in 2007.

To see chart, click here:


Mobile Music Spending in the EU-5, by Format, 2007-2012 (millions)
http://totalaccess.emarketer.com/images/chart_gifs/095001-096000/095967.gif

The US is the world's largest retail market for music. However, it lags
behind parts of Europe for mobile infrastructure, a justification for the
UK's more advanced mobile music market.

The joint venture service from Sky and Universal Music to enable
consumers to stream music on-demand or download onto MP3-playing devices,
including mobile phones and iPods, shows that companies are looking to meet
consumer demand for online and mobile music in the UK.

"Given consumers' reluctance to pay for music on their phones, marketers
are finding new opportunities to partner directly with carriers, labels and
even music artists themselves," says John du Pre Gauntt, eMarketer senior
analyst and author of the new report, "Mobile Music: Ads to the Rescue."
"Direct deals between brands and bands are no longer anomalies, but are part
of a growing trend by both parties to bypass intermediaries and go directly
to customers."

"Mobile works better as a marketing and customer relationship platform
than it does as a retail sales platform," Mr. Gauntt says. "Bands and artists
are increasingly using mobile to form direct relationships with their fans,
which are then monetized through other means, such as tickets to live shows,
merchandise and fan clubs."

Marketers will account for a greater proportion of that overall spending
as the ad-supported model for mobile music gathers steam.

About eMarketer


eMarketer is "The First Place to Look" for research and analysis on
digital marketing and media. eMarketer analyzes research from over 3,000
sources, and brings it together in analyst reports, daily articles and the
most comprehensive database of online marketing statistics in the world.

Web site: http://www.emarketer.com


Source: eMarketer

Kris Oser, Director of strategic communications, +1-212-763-6033, or Samson Adepoju, Communications coordinator, +1-212-763-6044, both of eMarketer


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Profile: intent