ITV

Category: Special Report

  • AIB roast controversy exposes holes in Indian democracy

    AIB roast controversy exposes holes in Indian democracy

    W H Davis started his poem ‘Leisure’ by saying, “What is life if full of care, we have no time to stand and stare.” Is India today becoming too careful? Is satire losing its relevance in the nuclear dominated world? A caricature of a religious figure results in brutal decimation of creative journalists and an innocuous comical piece gets scrutinized by the entire law making fraternity. What’s next?        

     

    All India Bakchod (AIB), India’s online comedy producers’ recent piece called ‘Knockout’ has irked the sentiments of many lawmakers and resulted in legal investigations. The entire performance was staged for a gathering of 4000 people in Mumbai, which included Bollywood celebrities like Soni Razdan, Deepika Padukone, Alia Bhatt, Sonakshi Sinha and Anurag Kashyap amongst others. All was well till the group uploaded the video on YouTube. In a span of hours the video went viral garnering millions of hits and started trending on social media.

     

    The video starts with a statutory warning, where it clearly defines itself to be an adult product, Karan Johar starts the video by saying, “It is going to be filthier and if you get easily offended or even hardly offended you should leave right now.” The content of the comedy orchestrated by the group was indeed derogatory; they were making fun of whoever they wanted to, irrespective of their status and position, cast and creed.

     

    Soon after the video went viral an unusual scenario developed on Twitter, wherein two hash tags started trending – ‘We stand for AIB’ and ‘AIB National Shame.’ Various dignitaries from different profession started tweeting their opinion.

     

    Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis ensured an enquiry into the same even as series of FIRs were filed against filmmaker Karan Johar, actors Arjun Kapoor and Ranveer Singh, who participated in the show. Eventually the video was taken off YouTube by AIB. “Have taken down AIB Knockout for now. We will speak soon” is what AIB uploaded on its Twitter handle.

     

    Tweets and opinions from respectable public voices made the issue a substantial debate, supportive gesture came from journalist Barkha Dutt as she tweeted, “Show of AIB Roast (I am yet to see) pulled down. Shireen Dalvi hounded. Perumal silenced. Wah India. World’s largest democracy.”

     

    Film maker Pritish Nandy was also supportive of the comical presentation as he tweeted, “I support the AllIndiaBakchod roast. We need more such. Those who disapprove need not watch them.”

     

    Balaji creative director Nivedita Basu threw light on the issue of freedom crisis of a writer. Speaking to Indiantelevision.com, Basu said, “The freedom of a writer has gone for a toss in India. It was very sporting of Ranveer and Arjun to volunteer in something like this and also whoever they were digging at and making fun of were present in the audience. We keep comparing Indian comedy with the western roast where they make fun of one and all and at the end of the day, it’s all satire. Though I think a few extra abusive words could have been avoided, the fact that legal investigation has been called for even though the show was not aired on television where one has to practise censorship, is a bit of an exaggeration.”  

     

    If we have freedom of expression, can we express whatever we want, if not, then who draws the line? Are we getting overdriven by the thrive for popularity? Is YouTube safe to be left uncensored? Is India ready for toilet humour? These are the relevant counter questions that made the debate interesting.

     

    Among the flurry of tweets, prominent filmmaker and Censor Board of Film Certification (CBFC) member Ashoke Pandit’s tweet got a lot of brick backs. He tweeted saying, “Karan Johar could have easily shown his position while performing sex to his mom at home instead of making it public.#AIB Porn Show.” The tweet resulted in huge controversy and was criticized by all throughout.

     

    When questioned about his tweet, Pandit didn’t deny his words. Justifying his tweet he told Indiantelevision.com, “Insulting or hurting someone’s emotion cannot be a freedom of expression. We have huge admirers of Karan Johar and I am among them. He is someone who has always portrayed family unity and family drama on the big screen and people love him for that. How can he show his sex position in public? What if tomorrow all his followers start doing that on the middle of the road? I would have been least bothered if Karan, Ranveer or Arjun were not there, the fact that they were present the episode became a matter of public discussion.”

     

    He added, “I am against banning of things but abusing Farida Jalal or Reema Lagoo is not satire… satire is R K Laxman, satire is Sharad Joshi. And Maharashtra Government is equally responsible for what has happened. Before giving the auditorium they should have enquired what is going to happen there. Why are they proposing a probe now, when they didn’t do anything while it was happening?”

     

    Award winning writer Gajra Kottary opined, “We as a country are still not ready for such content. During award shows, we see hosts making fun of the audience present in the auditorium, they are humorous and they are understandable. But involving veterans like Farida Jalal, who gave a huge part of her life to the industry is highly derogatory and cannot be tolerated. And frankly speaking I am not a very big fan of toilet humour and we need to understand there is a big world beyond sex.”

     

    When raised the point of the content being available only on internet, she stated, “That’s the worst part, it’s not censorable and easily accessible. Youth admire Karan as a film maker and many idolize Ranveer and Arjun, hence the youth will repeat what they are doing.”

     

    “I won’t be surprised if actions are taken against them, they must not be jailed but a lesson needs to be taught, and intervention to the freedom of expression in these circumstances cannot be termed as a violation to Article 19 of Indian Constitution,” added Kottary.

     

    Celebrity writer Chetan Bhagat was found on a contradictory ground. While his first tweet read, “Frankly the potholes on Mumbai roads offend me more than the AIB roast.” This was followed by, “I don’t support hounding of people who make dirty jokes. But that doesn’t mean I find making dirty jokes cool. Clean humour is always greater than dirty humour.”

     

    Others on social media, came out in full support of AIB. Ship of Theseus director Anand Gandhi tweeted, “I hope our humour gets sharper, our dissent more rigorous, our satire more offensive — and till we arrive there, we stand by AIB Knockout!”

     

    Alia Bhatt, who was the butt of some of the jokes on the AIB Knockout roast, tweeted, “Some ‘not taking life so seriously’ lessons are needed. DESPERATELY!!!!”

     

    There were speculations if AIB removed the video by getting scared of the situation and if they did they should not have uploaded it on a public platform in the first place. But AIB in one of its official statement denied the speculation of being pressured. The statement read, “First things first; no one person or force forced us to take this video down. This is not something that’s happened because of a 3 am phone call or a morcha at our front door or a gunman on a grassy knoll. Under the circumstances, this is us being pragmatic.”

     

    AIB went on to say that their attempt to push the envelop of comedy in India backfired. “Things got to a point where people who have supported us, people who work hard to make what we do come to life, were put in a position where things could get deeply unpleasant for them. And that’s a problem. We can live with abuse, hate, anger, fury, rage, ignorance, bigotry and perhaps even bullying. But we don’t want anybody to get hurt because of us. And we do mean anybody,” AIB said.

     

    While one can understand these sentiments, the removal of the videos, however does announce the defeat of ‘We Stand by AIB Knockout’ supporters. Also a point to be noted here is that AIB’s decision to remove the videos came without any verdict or pressure from the judiciary. It seems as if moral policing has once again reared its ugly head in the country and this time round a bunch of celebrities and comedians have been the targets. In a way, it does mark the defeat of democracy and the victory of gunda raaj.

     

    Responding to the outrage over the AIB roast, Karan Johar tweeted, “Not your cup of tea…don’t drink it!!!” And that just about sums it all up.

     

  • “We know we have to work on awareness level,” says Epic’s Mahesh Samat

    “We know we have to work on awareness level,” says Epic’s Mahesh Samat

    One of the newest entrant in the Hindi general entertainment channel (GEC) space, Mahesh Samat’s Epic, which was launched on 19 November, 2014 has been gaining momentum on the rating chart ever since.

    “I would want my kid to watch Epic,” says a media planner when contacted to know how the channel has been performing.

    The news of the former Disney executive launching Epic Television Network had first broken in 2012. Labeled as India’s first genre-specific Hindi entertainment channel, it was supposed  to be launched by August 2013. However, due to the delay in getting the licence from the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, the venture backed by Anand Mahindra, Mukesh Ambani and Rohit Khattar, focusing on Indian history, folklore and mythology, had to wait a long time to entertain the audiences.

    Nonetheless, Samat is happy with the progress and the pace in which the channel is moving. “Ratings wise we are somewhat on track. And there is market for segmented content,” he says.

    The channel, which shows finite weeklies, aims to change the way “entertainment” is categorised today. Samat believes that there are enough people in urban India who want to watch mythology and know about the historical aspects of the country. The channel, though slightly male skewed, while conventional GECs are heavily female skewed, aims to entertain the whole family.

    With an array of fiction and non-fiction shows, all enlightening the viewer of the history gone by, the channel has got on board a new breed of producers and changed the way a story is told. Face Entertainment’s Monia Pinto, who has worked on numerous lifestyle shows, is producing non-fiction shows like Sanrachna and Lost Recipes for the channel.

    Unlike the other shows she has worked on, the series on Epic intellectually stimulates her and her team, thanks to the research which goes into creating them. “We invest a lot of time in research so basically we have to study the subject thoroughly. The team at Epic also does its homework well on a subject so when we go back to them, we merge the ideas and studies to come up with a brilliant piece of work,” she says.

    Speaking on Ekaant, which takes one through abandoned roads, alleys of some of India’s historic locations, Pinto highlights that two researchers work on a project and visit the place, speak to historians to get the facts and story right. “Sometimes it takes us even a month to just study about 2 or 3 monuments,” she says while adding that things have fasten as they are more adjusted with the work as compared to when the production house started off work for the channel. The most difficult part is to get the right people to talk about on the subject as everything has to be very authentic.

    Happy with most production houses working with the channel, Samat believes the work which has been produced is better than what is already out there. Considering the shows are finite, Samat believes it is very difficult to tell a tale in limited episodes as the genre is vast. “There has to be passion for the work and the story else we won’t be able to differentiate from the rest,” he opines.

    Shot on sets as well as on locations, the channel is not worried about the cost which has gone in producing the shows. “Both fiction and non-fiction have worked for us and for us the channel is a long term project as we have invested anything from six months to two years on the programmes,” states Samat.

    Siyaasat which is based on Indu Sundaresan’s novel, ‘The Twentieth Wife,’ is the story of a pawn that charted Mehrunissa’s way to power to become Nur Jahan, the Mallikaa of Hindustan and was shot in Bikaner as well as sets in Mumbai. “Adoptions need research too; but for us the main approach lies in telling the story without being melodramatic,” says Green Light Productions Rishabh Sheth on what differentiates historical shows on Epic from the rest of the channels.

    “Unlike other dailies, we are weekly which gives us enough time to work on pre and post production of an episode,” states Sheth who believes sometimes in a historical show liberties can be taken to make a character glossy to become more liked by the audience.

    At the launch of Chakravartin Ashoka Samrat, Colors CEO Raj Nayak had said that historical and mythology as a genre has great potential. “One can tell a story from various perspectives and still not lose the essence of it if treated well,” he had said on the growth in the genre. For instance, Dharmakshetra, a courtroom drama, unearths the buried questions and allows the legendary characters of Mahabharata to justify their actions for the very first time.

    Though all the blocks are fitting well for the channel, there is still a few missing links. “The content is good, but how many know of it is the question,” points out a media planner and adds, “The channel is not for family viewing as they prefer to watch dramas. It caters to a niche audience, which is interested in the content.”

    Samat too agrees with the fact and says, “Yes, for us the fundamental issue is awareness as it is lower than what we would expect it to be.” With new shows coming up, the channel will start a massive second phase of marketing.

    “Content is conventional and has created a lot of buzz for the channel on the social media, hence, again the focus of marketing will be digital,” says Samat and adds that unconventional route will also be taken. It is planning to launch school programmes across the country soon.

    As for the inventory, the channel is still taking it slow. “The industry has given us positive response but we still want to give them a little more time. Another six months and I guess we should be able to talk on the subject,” answers Samat when asked about the response from the advertisers. The channel currently has Aquaguard, HP, Tata Motors and Foodpanda on board.

    He, just like the others, is waiting for Broadcast Audience Research Council India (BARC) to start releasing data. “Things will change once BARC comes into play,” he opines.
    Nonetheless, it will follow the two minute ad-cap. On Information and Broadcast Minister Arun Jailtey comment of not being in favour of ad cap, Samat says that which way the regulations go, the channel will follow them. However, for him, the audience will be the judge as he doesn’t want to spoil the television viewing for them.

    Monetising through digital is also on Samat’s plan of action. “Our content is for the future and whenever we are ready for it, we will opt for digital subscription model,” says Samat, who is optimistic about the growth of the medium in the country with 4G coming in soon. That’s not all; he also believes that the content will be so rich and unique that it can be sold to the world.

    With a reach of 35 million+ homes, the HD pay channel, also available in down-scaled SD version comes with a subscription rate of Rs 55 while SD is available at Rs 10.5. For planners, the cost is too much especially when audience is used to getting a number of channels at a very minimal rate. “In a country where one TV home still outdoes homes where there are more screens and popular GECs available on nominal cost, why would one pay that much?” asks a media analyst.

    The analyst isn’t convinced that the channel will be able to monetise well on the digital platform.  

    Listening to all the suggestions and working on the same, Samat believes that the channel has a long way to go and things will alter depending on the future.  The channel with the primetime slot of 8:30 pm to 11 pm, currently is focusing on the awareness of it in the Hindi speaking market (HSM).

  • Obamania: The biggest blockbuster of 2015

    Obamania: The biggest blockbuster of 2015

    For India weekend means late mornings, set of movies in theatres and relaxation. Subsequently Indian news media shifts the focus from hard news to Bollywood gossips and cupids. ’Twas a similar weekend but in the National Capital, the excitement was almost palpable on a sodden morning of fog and rain. The Eagle had indeed landed at the Palam Airport carrying POTUS and FLOTUS!

    Yes, it was the Air Force One carrying President of the United States Barack Obama and his wife and First Lady of the United States Michele Obama.

    Obamania had begun!

    The media spotlights were aimed on the door of that aircraft and journalists were on the edge of their seats in the studios. The moment the door opened, breaking news and flash tickers started rolling in each and every news channel. Every news channel began its claim of being distinguished and unabated. If one channel was emphasizing on economics, the other was showing exclusive footages of the hotel. Creative juices were flowing freely as far as headlines and programme names go on various news channels!

    NDTV named its coverage ‘Namo’ste Obama’, with anchoring responsibility majorly rotating amongst its senior brass of journalists namely Vishnu Som, Sreenivasan Jain, Vikram Chandra and Barkha Dutt. They ensured cameras were present everywhere and whatever penetrated through the lenses was discussed in detail with a panel of experts. Shekhar Gupta and Vivek Katju were among them.

    Times Now kept it simple by calling its coverage – “Obama’s India Visit.” CNN-IBN named it “Namaste Obama” and Headlines Today called it “Rolling Coverage Obama.”

    Speaking to Indiantelevision.com on the entire three days’ coverage, NDTV CEO Vikram Chandra said, “We had a distinguished panel that had expertise in various fields and we were determined to have a comprehensive coverage. We were the only channel to have presence in the Taj Palace, where the CEOs met President Obama and Prime Minister Modi. We were also present in DAVOS where global economics was debated in presence of Finance Minister Arun Jaitley and economist Nouriel Roubini.”

    The US President’s visit to attend the 66th Republic Day Celebration of India was indeed an event of historical importance. That aside, a lot of economic and strategic modifications were also expected from the visit. India now has a stable Government with absolute majority in the Lower House and economic growth is one of the prime need of the country at this point. The current Government has made its position clear on developing an open, business friendly market scenario. Not long back, India was one of the fragile five economies of the world and now the country aspires to be in the fantastic five.

    All news channels were exclusively covering the developments in Hyderabad House where Obama met Modi for a bilateral dialogue. After hours of speculations of what was happening inside, the deadlock was broken in a joint press conference where channels got the second big breaking news, which they termed as ‘Nuke Deal.’ Soon after, all news broadcasters began discussions on the positives and negatives of the Indo – US nuclear deal. That was the major talking point of Day 1 of President Obama’s India visit.

    Day 2 was India’s Republic Day. It was bitterly cold weather with overcast sky accompanied by a slight drizzle and the focal point was ‘Rajpath.’ The coverage responsibility was on India’s public broadcaster Doordarshan. A three hour long extravaganza was put forward by valiant soldiers of respective battalions. And it concluded with an Air Show by the Indian Air Force.

    When queried about the entire coverage, Doordarshan India deputy director general (IR) C K Jain said, “We employed the best of infrastructure and technicians to cover the parade. There was absolutely no commercialisation and the parade was covered uninterrupted. We did not accept any commercial advertisement, we showed some government ads before and after.”

    All other private channels were relaying DD’s coverage.

    On a national holiday, when executives separate themselves from work and corporate meetings, 26 January would see them preparing for one of the biggest meetings of their lives. From Ratan Tata to Anil Ambani, they all queued up to meet POTUS. This was the second major talking point of Day 2 – the CEO meet. The focal point this time was ‘Taj Palace’ and the breaking news was the $4 billion investment promise made by Obama. The detailed discussion on the deal summed up Day 2 coverage of Obama’s Visit.

    Speaking about the commercial impact of the coverage, Maxus South Asia MD Kartik Sharma said, “We have to wait for the ratings to see which news channel performed better. As per my opinion, the English news channels were more specific and slightly better than the Hindi ones but Hindi news channels also catered well to their viewers. In news channels there was a marginal hike in ad rate due to Obama’s visit.”

    On Day 3, Obama left for Riyadh but before taking off he gave an amazing speech to the Indian media that could be discussed for days. Addressing a gathering of 2000 students, Obama started his speech by saying ‘Namaste’ and concluded it with ‘Jai Hind’. During his speech he paid gratitude to Mahatma Gandhi and Swami Vivekananda, warned India against communalism and domestic fragmentation. To add to the delight of the students and journalists present, he recited the famous dialogue from the iconic Bollywood film, which completed 1000 weeks at the box office recently – Dilwale Dulhaniya Le Jayennge (DDLJ). “Senorita, bade bade deshon mein…you know what I mean,” said Obama. Not surprisingly, soon after DDLJ started trending on social media and became an important part of the round up.

    Though Obama’s visit was not a Bollywood movie, it turned out to be one of the biggest blockbuster event followed by one and all for various reasons.

  • TV channels line up special programming for 66th Republic Day

    TV channels line up special programming for 66th Republic Day

    MUMBAI: The broadcast industry is all set to awaken the masses with ample dose of patriotism coupled with entertainment. An array of special programs have been lined up across channels to celebrate the spirit of India’s 66th Republic Day.

     

    This time round, Hindi general entertainment channel Colors is gearing up to simulcast the historic event with nationalistic zeal and fervour. The channel will telecast live the much awaited parade and Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s message for Indian and international audiences.

     

    This is the first time Colors and Rishtey will simulcast the celebrations along with the national television channel Doordarshan. The telecast will also reach out to the international markets i.e. MENA, US (Aapka Colors) and UK. Colors CEO Raj Nayak believes that the iconic Republic Day parade and the PM’s message to the nation is the content that drives cohesive viewing in families.

     

    “Being able to bring to our audience the much awaited parade and message from our Prime Minister Narendra Modi LIVE is a privilege and a source of pride for the team at Colors and Rishtey. This is our way to celebrate our 66th Republic Day, by bringing it closer to our audiences, in India and the world. Telecasting this event in markets other than India – and to the US MENA and UK is also a milestone for the network as a whole,” Nayak said.

     

    On the other hand, Zee TV is taking a different route. The channel will be premiering the Shah Rukh Khan starrer – Happy New Year – from 1 pm onwards.

     

    Sony Entertainment Television’s (SET) longest running show – CID completed a milestone of 17 glorious years on 21 January, 2015 and celebrating the landmark this year, CID is all set to entertain its fans with a daylong CID special feature on 26 January.

     

    From 8 am to 10 pm, viewers will get to see the most exciting episodes of CID over the years. In fact, the first episode of the show will also be aired on 26 January. What’s more, the CID team will also spend the day with children and share their experience and memories. These interactions will be showcased in between episodes throughout the day.

     

    SET chief creative director Ajay Bhalwankar said, “Our flagship show CID has over the years responsibly entertained generations of young viewers to recognize and act upon the incidence of crime around them. This Republic Day we want to commemorate this memorable journey with our daylong celebration through a special programming initiative called Jashn-e-CID.”

     

    Big Magic, which is positioned as the one stop destination for humour,  is geared up to celebrate the day with actor Ayushmann Khurrana, as he engages the audience from 7 to 10 pm. The channel has partnered with his upcoming movie – Hawaizaada to celebrate the spirit of ‘Made in India’. The movie releases on 30 January, 2015.

     

    Pumped with fun, humor and patriotism, all the shows on Big Magic will celebrate Republic Day with the special episodes wherein Khurrana will be the anchor link. The actor will also share anecdotes about his movie and will be imparting a distinctive message of believing in oneself.

     

    Reliance Broadcast Network COO Lavneesh Gupta said, “To salute Republic Day, a momentous occasion for Indians, the Big Magic family will come together to entertain our audience with fun-filled episodes. We’re glad to be sharing this special day with Ayushmann Khurrana , lead actor of Hawaizaada, where the film salutes Indianness and will together impart an inspiring message to our viewers.”

     

    History TV18 will host a line-up of shows from 12 to 7 pm. From 12 to 3 pm, the channel will air Gandhi, a series that charts Mahatma Gandhi’s establishment beginnings, his move into politics and his campaign to bring independence to India. Hosted by journalist Mishal Husain, this first definitive series on the life of Gandhi examines his relationship with his wife and his role on the path to Indian independence.

     

    From 3 to 5 pm, the channel will showcase a series called – India on Four Wheels. As the Indian economy booms, the latest must-have accessory is the car. With increasingly affordable models on the market, and growing demand for cars as a status symbol and sign of social development, people’s lives are becoming intertwined with car ownership. Justin Rowlett and Anita Rani join the chaos of India’s roads on a madcap road trip across the country, to find out the truth behind the dream. Whether it’s breaking down by the side of the road, facing suicidal peacocks or tasting luxury in a Maharaja’s vintage Rolls Royce, this is a surprising look at a country on the move.

     

    Last but not the least, from 5 to 7 pm, the channel will air The Birth of Empire: East India Co, a series that reveals how the behemoth that was the East India Company grew into an imperial power and became the hotbed of corruption and greed that led to its downfall.

     

    Comedy Central will commemorate Republic Day by showcasing a one hour special episode of the news spoof The Other Week That Wasn’t at 8 pm. Viewers will get a chance to enjoy more of Cyrus Broach’s tongue-in-cheek spoofs and mouthful of puns.

     

    Kids genre is also leaving no stone unturned to celebrate the spirit of nationality. A puppet show, relevant to the day’s theme and an explorative session with Dora the Explorer will be aired on the channel from 5.30 to 7 pm.

     

    Vh1 celebrates yet another moment of patriotism with a countdown to the top Indian videos that have emerged in recent times from 10 am to 5 pm. On the other hand, 9X Jalwa will play a special playlist of all patriotic songs between 7 to 10 am on the band Hits Forever. The repeat telecast be aired on the same day from 7 to 10 pm.

     

    #fame, a multi channel network, will dedicate the day to womanhood. Orville Richard Burrell CD, best known by his stage name Shaggy, once chanted, “So amazing how this world was made I wonder if GOD is a woman; the gift of life astounds me till this day; I give it up for the woman.” Taking cue from the song, singer Abhiruchi Singh has penned down and sung an awe inspiring song ‘Ud Chali’ to celebrate womanhood, which will be aired on #fame.

  • 2014: The roller-coaster year for West Bengal media

    2014: The roller-coaster year for West Bengal media

    A trip down memory lane in 2014 has seldom been a tempest in a teapot; but, a year fraught with a bumpy roller-coaster ride, at least for the media in West Bengal… almost as unpredictable and enigmatic as its leader. West Bengal, centre staged and witnessed many ups and downs on the news channels. Many bled during the year, with a slowdown in the second half, but only one channel triumphed and reigned supreme. It was none other than ABP Ananda, which was rated highest week after week.

    City-based ABP Ananda emerged as a great opinion maker, backed by concrete facts and figures, and powerful, impact reporting. “In fact, its viewership increased after West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee’s diktat not to watch the channel,” quoted a media analyst.

    The channel has built a strong presence in the Bengal and Maharashtra markets and has firmed up plans in Punjab as well. ABP Group, in the year 2014, said that it aims to launch 3 – 4 regional news channels in the next 2 – 3 years in the western region, followed by northern India.

    Worthy of note, Zee Entertainment Enterprises Limited (ZEEL), which has a major stake in the news share in the north and western India, gained control in the east through its 24×7 Bengali news channel – 24 Ghanta. The channel inducted veteran journalist and Hindustan Times deputy resident editor Anirban Choudhury as the new face on its board and saw a turn for the better in the programme content and style.

    TV18 Broadcast too launched a 24-hour Bengali news channel called ETV News Bangla in March 2014, in the presence of West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee. The channel aims to redefine regional channels in Bengal. ETV News Bangla has caught the attention of various localities in Kolkata.

    Star India too hinted that it plans to start a Bengali sports channel. The Indian unit of Rupert Murdoch’s News Corp empire, Star India aims to expand beyond cricket coverage into sports such as hockey, football and even, kabaddi.

    There was excitement in the air! News of non-operational Mahua Bangla, a Bengali general entertainment channel and Mahua Khabor, a 24-hour Bengali news channel, spread like wild fire that they were to go live again in the year 2014! This sparked renewed vigour among job seekers as the parent company, Mahuaa Media Private Limited (MMPL), which closed down the two channels in 2013 in Kolkata, was “exploring all possibilities” to arrange funds in the range of Rs 150 – Rs 200 crore to breathe life into the sick channels.

    The most interesting development was that production company Channel Eight, which was earlier compelled to disassociate itself from the Bengali GEC Aakash Aath, after it didn’t get the 51 per cent stake in the channel as promised, within a month joined the channel again after it got its stake. The GEC said that though the focus of the channel has changed, it intends to keep news in the mixed bag. It also launched a couple of new shows such as comedy serial – Ghhente Gha directed by Manish Ghosh and scripted by Padmanabha Dasgupta.

    Focus Bangla, a 24×7 Bengali news channel, is bullish about its growth in the regional market. It had introduced many new slots for programmes featuring one-to-one interviews with experts from various fields.

    Narsingha Broadcasting also aimed to foray into television media business. The company was to launch a Bengali satellite news channel in 2014 but its plans were deferred to the early part of next year!

    On the whole, West Bengal, has a small market size with a few 24-hour satellite channels owned by big corporates, which makes it difficult for others to survive in the market place. In the past one and half years, the advertising pie in Bengal has also gone down. On top of that, the money market companies made their exit, further putting a severe fund crunch in the media market. The Saradha chit fund scam was a golden egg for most news channels.

    Bengali GECs, news, and other television channels which generated around 35 – 40 per cent of the advertisement revenue from Non-Banking Financial Institutions (NBFCs) till last fiscal year were all bleeding as the NBFC players understood that even after spending a huge amount, they were not being able to make an impression on the minds of people to invest in deceptive schemes, thanks to the Saradha Group’s chit fund business, which went bust in the beginning of the financial year 2013-14.

    Many other companies, which are engaged in money marketing have reduced their ad spend, firstly to stay away from the authorities’ watchful eye and secondly, they seem to think that even after spending a huge amount on ads, investors are not gullible enough to put in their hard-earned money into the chit fund schemes.

    In 2014, Bengal saw careful media coverage of Lok Sabha elections by the regional television channels. These included 24×7 Bengali news channels like ABP Ananda, 24 Ghanta, ETV News Bangla, Focus TV, Kolkata TV, Tara Newz, and infotainment channels like Aakash Bangla, which had three news slots for all the election coverage. 

    The 2014 elections were notable for the vast array of outlets that an interested consumer could avail to create his own media experience on multiple screens. However, a continuous simmering political situation called for more political debates, phone-in shows in 2014.

    On the other hand, the entertainment channels saw phenomenal growth as the regional market is growing. The advertising market is also growing day by day. The viewer bouquet is fast growing too.  Changes in programme structure have been incorporated in 2014. Serials, reality shows, films are given extra weightage.

    Each channel has grown in terms of viewership. The viewers just want consistent performances and channels, which can give them quality content and programmes; and hence, no one gets to lose their market share.

    Bengali viewers are natural lovers of football. Many of them have been losing interest; but, with the advent of Indian Super League (ISL), with daily exciting coverage, celebrity owners and great sponsors, it ensured more new viewers from all demographics. Not to mention that Sourav Ganguly’s Atlético de Kolkata, finally won the coveted Cup.

    The GECs continue to dominate the Kolkata advertisement market, with high production values and a robust content bank based on local programming.

    Overall, the Bengali media is surging ahead in leaps and bounds with more channels in the foray, new programmes on view and a bunch of creative minds behind them!

    With this change in tide, which is nothing but technology-driven, the media groups had taken the route of social networking sites and web as tools for promoting their programmes and started getting live viewership ratings and responses.

    The face of media is fast changing, where the media once uni-directional in its approach is now becoming bi-directional in communication and the future looks bright!

  • Hindi GECs 2014: The year of experimentation

    Hindi GECs 2014: The year of experimentation

    MUMBAI:  Experimentation, experimentation and experimentation. 2014 was the year when India’s Hindi general entertainment channels (GECs) went to the lab and tested out many new programming concoctions for the Indian viewer.

    Whether it was in the form of new channels or new programmes or new time slots or episode budgets, channel and creative heads played the quintessential scientist.

    Three new channels emerged in the specialised Hindi GEC space: Sony Pal, Zindagi and Epic TV. They had yet to make a mark on Indian viewing habits, though Zindagi was the only one that got the thumbs up from TV critics. 

    Star Plus continued to lord it over all in the ratings space for most of the year, but the second, third, and fourth spots witnessed a see-saw battle between Zee TV, Life OK and Colors. Sony, which once ranked second amongst GECs sank to a lowly sixth position during 2014 even as it’s flanking laughter channel Sab, stayed steady through 2014 at the fifth spot.  The year also saw the near demise of what was once the No. 4 GEC – Sahara from the troubled Subrata Roy-run Sahara Group.

    Star Plus: The year started on a good note for Hindi GEC market leader, Star Plus.  An extra dose of fiction entertainment was on offer to the audiences. It made a strategic move of extending its prime-time (6 pm – 11.30 pm) weekday fiction band to Saturdays too. The move worked wonders for the channel and helped further to maintain its Numero Uno position on the ratings chart.

    Taking a cue from the runaway success that Colors’ Comedy Nights with Kapil had raked in, the channel launched Mad in India, placing it head to head with it. But sadly, Gutthi (Sunil Grover) failed to connect with the audiences. 

    In a bid to attract the younger Indian demographic to the channel, it decided to focus on real urban stories, rather than melodrama based on the heartlands. It took the big budget, limited episode route, streamlined its programming and made the channel look peppy.

    On offer for traditional Star Plus viewers was the YoYo Honey Singh- backed India’s Raw Star (IRS), the more current and urban-based Airlines and film-maker Ashutosh Gowariker’s Everest – a story about a girl wanting to clamber on to the world’s largest peak and the city-focused Nisha Aur Uske Cousins.

    Just as 2014 was ending, it unveiled, the spell-binding Private Investigator (PI) and Tu Mera Hero.

    Aamir Khan’s much talked-about Satyamev Jayate (SMJ) made a comeback in two seasonal parts in keeping with CEO Uday Shankar’s commitment to do socially-relevant programming. Estimates are that while IRS entailed an investment of Rs 55 – 60 crore, SMJ cost Rs 4 crore an episode and Everest about Rs 50 lakh an episode. These are the budgets that TV producers have been dreaming of.                                                                                                                                                                                       The heavy investment was worth it as the network’s sales folks managed to make advertisers fork out Rs 3.5 – 4 lakh per 10 seconds spot and Rs 6 – 12 crore per sponsor for SMJ (Airtel was the presenting sponsor with Aquaguard being the co-sponsor and Coca-Cola, Johnson & Johnson, Skoda Auto, Axis Bank, Berger Paints and Dixcy Scott, the associate sponsors) and Rs 3.3 – 4 lakh per 10 second spot for IRS. Almost all the inventory for the shows was sold out, making it a win-win year for Star Plus.

    With many launches to its kitty, the channel executives had to bring the curtains down on some earlier shows: finite mythological series Mahabharat and drama Saraswatrichandra.  The former helped Star Plus get a tremendous connect with mythological show lovers, and its producer Swastik Productions walked away with many awards.

    The Sanjay Leela Bhansali produced Saraswatrichandra, which was handed over to the Sanjoy Wadhwa run Sphere Origins, too ran its course and was shut down in 2014.

    On the other hand, existing fiction shows have always been great contributors to Star Plus’ ratings. To connect with the youth a lot more, storylines changed to have a progressive outlook. Diya Aur Baati Hum continued to grab eyeballs as it turned out to be the highest-rated No. 1 fiction show across all channels, followed by series like Yeh Hai Mohabbatein and Yeh Rishta Kya Kehlata Hai. Shows like Veera and Saath Nibhana Saathiya too continued to win over audiences this year.

    Colors: The year saw a tug of war between Colors and Zee TV for the second position. Colors finally won the battle and stood steadfast at No. 2. What created the magic for the Channel in 2014?

    Colors this year created a league of its own with its strong non-fiction portfolio. From the fifth edition of Fear Factor: Khatron Ke Khiladi with the tagline ‘Dar Ka Blockbuster’ to India’s Got Talent, from Jhalak Dikhlaja to Bigg Boss 8, it has kept viewers on the edge of their seats and given them a dose of entertainment 365 days of the year. Comedy Nights with Kapil too contiued to make people laugh and stood strong at the ratings chart.

    The fact of the matter is that advertisers have never shied away from investing in these brand properties. For Jhalak, the channel had increased its ad rates by 15 – 18 per cent over last year whereas for Bigg Boss it hiked them by a whopping 30 per cent.

    Apart from a different theme, the 2014 season of Bigg Boss observed a lot of brand integrations on the show. To go beyond the 10 sec to 30 sec TVC, it had brands from TVS Scooty Zest to Britannia; from Garnier Men’s Products posters to using Oppo Smartphones for any task.

    Another highlight was that after five long years, the channel changed its title sponsor with Vodafone dropping out and Snapdeal coming in.

    Further strengthening its non-fiction band, for the very first time the channel launched a celebrity talk show – The Anupam Kher Show – Kuchch Bhi Ho Sakta Hai. The finite series was hosted by actor-producer Anupam Kher.

    On the fiction front, with new shows failing to deliver good numbers, old programmes continued to shine and the longest-running series Balika Vadhu is a case in point. Madhubala too won the hearts of many until mid-year and sadly had to end its three-year sojourn with the channel.

    To encourage appointment viewing, it got on-board new and riveting shows like Udaan, Shastri Sisters and Meri Aashiqui Tumse Hi.

    Star Plus’ loss was Colors gain as it went about cherry picking most of the prime events:  Sansui Colors Stardust Awards; from the sixth edition of Mirchi Music Awards to Indian Television Academy Awards, to the 13th Indian Telly Awards.

    It also announced its association with RFS Entertainment to captivate Indian audiences with Got Talent World Stage Live. Hosted by the badshaah of Bollywood, Shah Rukh Khan, it is a first-of-its-kind global on-ground extension of Simon Cowell’s Got Talent franchise.

    Zee TV: It was a year of back-to-back launches for Zee TV. The channel which takes pride in creating original non-fiction formats has had many firsts to its name.  Be it Sa Re Ga Ma Pa, Dance India Dance (DID) or Antakshari, it has consistently tasted success with its non-fiction originals in a market dominated by internationally-acquired formats like Bigg Boss and Kaun Banega Crorepati (KBC).

    Zee’s first attempt with Cinestars ki Khoj, an acting-based reality show in 2004, did not work out. After almost a decade, this year it was miraculously brought back which in its first edition gave recognition to actors like Ankita Lokhande (Archana Deshmukh on Zee TV’s Pavitra Rishta). But once again it did not really set the ratings chart on fire.

    After a year of non-fiction shows on weekends, Zee TV decided to give DID a break. With an aim to strengthen its weekend slot with fresh content, the channel got on-board for the first time a superhero trilogy called Maharakshak Aryan simply to engage with the family a lot more. 

    The channel felt that an original superhero series was a fresh theme. From its slick production values to innovative visual effects and ingenious cinematography, the show has definitely raised the bar for action thrillers and the fantasy genre on Indian television. To further strengthen its weekend slot, it also launched a light-hearted show titled – Neeli Chhatri Wale.

    For Zee TV, India’s first private Hindi GEC channel, launching a number of new shows in a year is nothing new. What is noteworthy is the fact that the channel has produced the top four weekday fiction launches of 2014. That’s quite an achievement.

    If one takes a look at the opening week averages of all the fiction launches across GECs for the year, it is very clear from the numbers as to who has ruled the ratings charts.

    Jamai Raja leads the pack with 5,488 TVTs, Satrangi Sasural that opened in week 49 with 4,970 TVTs, stands at number two,  Bandhan with 4,366 TVTs and Aur Pyar Ho Gaya with 4,044 TVTs followed at number three and four respectively.

    Its other prize property, Kumkum Bhagya, too has done well. After a six-year stint, the channel’s longest running and most popular series – Pavitra Rishta sadly had wound up.

    On 23 June, the Zee TV network launched Zindagi to break free from the stereotype framework and melodrama with shows never before seen on the Indian small screen. True to its philosophy and tagline Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam, shows like Humsafar, Maat, Kitni Gir hain Baaki Hain were handpicked from across the border.

    Life OK: The channel, which is not your run-of-the-mill type catering to the entire family, has played a different game in 2014. This year’s highlights include its first big-ticket Bollywood event, The 20th Annual Life OK Screen Awards. The show registered a whopping 9 million TVTs, three per cent more than the 6.9 million TVTs (ratings provided by Life OK itself) garnered by Colors from its last year’s edition.

    Riding high on the success of Screen Awards, the channel decided to get more Bollywood stars on-board and launched Life OK Now Awards which celebrates excellence in the field of film, television and music every month.  The popcorn generation was its target over a successful three-months run.

    Its belief was in narrating a variety of stories from different walks of life. It thus launched an action-packed serial – Pukaar – Call for the Hero. With a different perspective, Pukaar had men as the main protagonists. Based on a story with an army background, it saw well-known film producer-director Vipul A Shah making his debut on television. Close to Rs 13 lakh has been spent per episode on production.

    Life OK too took the comedy route with Comedy Classes – but the show quickly fizzled out.

    Not only did big film producers make their way to the network, but the channel attracted a lot of film celebrities too. To make the content line-up bolder and stronger, it got an action reality series – Dare 2 Dance with celebrity Akshay Kumar as its host.

    On the fiction front, viewers saw gorgeous actress Sonali Bendre making her debut on television with the series christened – Ajeeb Daastan Hai Yeh. Actress Bhagyashree too made her debut on television with a gutsy series – Laut Aao Trisha.

    Moreover, after a successful three-year run, the channel’s flagship property Mahadev saw its shutters come down and this paved the way for a new show Mahakumbh- Ek Rahasya, EkKahani. The channel’s crime properties – Savdhaan India and Shapath continued to fly high on the ratings chart.

    Sab TV: This family channel from the Multi Screen Media (MSM) stable, can be credited for the rise in the comedy genre with its popular shows Tarak Mehta Ka Ooltah Chashmah, Lapataganj and Chidiya Ghar, by experimenting with a new format based on live audience participation titled Tu Mere Agal Bagal Hai.

    The sitcom was like no other. The cast acted in front of a live audience which the channel believed was the USP of the show. Launched as a daily soap, it was penned as a finite one. Again, a first of its kind, the channel launched India’s only alien comedy TV serial – Badi Door Se Aaye Hai.

    Tarak Mehta Ka Ooltah Chashmah continues to win the hearts of many and is the chart leader. Not only that, but the team was also invited by our country’s PM Narendra Modi to help him with Swachh Bharat Abhiyan campaign.

    F.I.R continued to be very gripping. In between for a month (July – August), the show tried a stint of stand-up comedy with live audience but failed to capture viewers.

    Sony Entertainment Television (SET): It was a year of struggle for Sony and it ended the year at the bottom rung of the TAM TV ratings ladder. This despite the fact that it experimented with concepts, shows, formats and even programme and marketing spends.

    The channel’s hopes were riding high on Amitabh Bachchan’s fiction debut Yudh, but the dark content was unpalatable. The 20-episode drama launched in July dashed all hopes as it only made around 1,199 TVTs in its opening week. The buzz generated around Big B failed to translate into ratings.

    What clicked this year was its only famous property – Kaun Banega Crorepati 8, giving some respectable numbers to the channel to barely survive. This time around, it moved out of its comfort zone, set in Film City with the launch and mid-season episode being shot like events in Surat and Raipur with live audiences. It also went on a big bang 360 degree promotional exercise with 100 on-ground events. The channel spent an outrageous 30 per cent of the total budget on marketing.

    Sony is pinning its hopes high on yet another launch, another high-investment property – Box Cricket League (BCL), a sports reality show. Played with a soft ball and filmed in a studio it will have 19 matches with around 120 celebrities playing the game.

    Fiction turned out to be a near disaster for the channel. Its biggest fiction launch of the year – Itna Karo Na Mujhe Pyaar with Ronit Roy, did not do as well as it was expected. But both, Balaji Telefilms, the producer and the channel’s management think it will build on its viewers over time.

    Other fiction series like Humsafars, Hum Hai Na and Tum Aise Hi Rehna have only a glimmer of hope. The only silver linings are the channel’s crime and investigation properties – CID, Crime Patrol and Adalat and the historical Maharana Pratap.

    MSM launched a new channel – Sony Pal on 1 September aimed at women and housewives with stories about the fairer sex and family. With the ‘Yeh Pal Hamara Hai’ tagline, it was meant to compliment its sister channels Sony Entertainment and Sab. It launched with nine new shows and Juhi Chawla as its face. Pal like the network’s other GEC initiatives did not make much headway with viewers.

    As the year came to a close, another big experiment saw the light of day with the launch of Epic TV. After a wait of almost a year or more. Headed by former Disney executive Mahesh Samat, Epic is India’s first genre-specific Hindi entertainment channel.

    Covering genres ranging from action, drama, comedy to narrative non-fiction, it seeks to celebrate India’s heritage by creating unique and original content within Indian history, folklore and mythology, using a contemporary story-telling format.

    Discovery Communications India too entered the Hindi enertianment space, with the launch of its Investigation Discovery (ID) channel.

    Hopefully, India’s demanding TV viewers will lap it up. And hopefully, India’s GEC executives will continue to experiment in 2015 and possibly continue with their efforts to redefine India TV audience’s entertainment tastes.

  • The movers and shakers of 2014

    The movers and shakers of 2014

    To achieve something, one needs to let go of something, 2014 saw many stalwarts of the media and entertainment sector taking that leap.

    From being bitten by the entrepreneur bug to grabbing on to better opportunities, the industry saw a number of movements. Some of these created a stir while others went down as “regular” developments. Nonetheless, Indiantelevision.com lists down some of the major movers and shakers of the years…

     

    Ajay Bhalwankar: He is a man who can be credited to providing valuable programming inputs across content on various channels. The year 2014 was like a shuffling battle for Bhalwankar. After spending almost 19 years with Zee Entertainment Group, with his last stint as programming head at Zee TV for six years, he joined Sony Entertainment Television (SET) on 7 April, 2014 as chief creative officer. Now in SET, he provides creative leadership and direction for the channel, and leads the programming and OAP (on-air-promotions) teams. Spanning various roles of creating, writing, programming, producing and directing entertainment content, he is an industry veteran with over 20 years of experience.

    Ajay Trigunayat: TTN English entertainment channels, Romedy Now and Movies Now CEO Ajay Trigunayat quit the network this year. With M K Anand taking over as TTN CEO and business functions being centralised, Trigunayat moved out. Before joining TTN, he was in the Middle East in an entrepreneurial capacity, and had been the business head of the Zee English Channels bouquet, and put in stints at Lintas, Contract and Rediffusion and at Pepsi in a sales role.

    Ajit Thakur: In a shocking development, the man credited for Life OK’s success story, Ajit Thakur decided to call it quits from the network. It was in July this year that he was given an additional charge of managing the network’s youth entertainment channel, Channel V. Currently he is serving his notice period and his last day in the organisation will be February, 2015.

    Abhijit Avasthi: An engineer by education, Abhijit Avasthi was the right-hand man of India’s ad guru Piyush Pandey. After spending more than 10 years at Ogilvy, he finally decided to hang his boots to pursue what he loves the most.

    However, according to reports, Avasthi is likely to set up his own creative agency, a move that he has been contemplating for a while.

    Alok Agarwal: Zee Media CEO Alok Agarwal ended his one and a half years stint at the network to take charge as Network18 group COO.

     

    Bharat Ranga: Since 1998, he had been an invaluable member of the Zee Entertainment Enterprises Ltd (Zeel) family. After a 16-year stint with the network, he bid adieu in the month of October to explore new avenues. While at Zeel, he moved across functions and domains seamlessly, from sales to business head to being the international business head and then, the chief content and creative head for the organisation, he has been instrumental in making Zee’s content an unforgettable one for the audiences. His last project – Zindagi is getting critical acclaim from the masses.

    Dilip Venkatraman and Savvy Venkatraman: ITV Network, which owns and operates news channels NewsX and India News, appointed former CNN IBN and IBN7 CEO Dilip Venkatraman as group COO of strategy and business development. Meanwhile, Savvy joined the network as group chief marketing officer.

     

    KV Sridhar: After 17 long years Leo Burnett India chief creative officer, Pops, moved on to join SapientNitro, an interactive marketing, creative design and technology services agency. The movement did create a stir in the industry with many questions being raised on who can fill his shoes. Rajdeepak Das joined the agency as chief creative officer, soon afterwards.

    MK Anand: The former Disney UTV Media Networks MD MK Anand took over as the new MD and CEO of Times Television Network (TTN), stepping into Sunil Lulla’s shoes.  Anand had previously worked at The Times of India group for nearly 19 years, beginning first with the print business for 14 years and later on with the television business at Zoom from 2004 to 2009. He was the managing director for Disney UTV Media Networks till December 2013. The move saw functions like HR, finance, distribution being centralised and direct reportage to Anand.   

    N P Singh: The industry was treated with a good surprise at the beginning of 2014, when in a major development Multi Screen Media (MSM) promoted its COO N P Singh as the new CEO. He replaced Man Jit Singh who was designated as non-executive chairman and moved to Los Angeles (LA).

     

    Namit Sharma: From a creative background to a broadcast space, it was a challenge for former Wizcraft head for television business Namit Sharma. It was in early February when the news of former programming head Ajay Bhalwankar quitting and Sharma stepping into his shoes came to light. From directing fiction shows at Cinevistaas to film production and script writing at Yash Raj and handling events and non-fiction properties at Wizcraft International Entertainment, Sharma has done it all. As the programming head of the channel, he has brought some best creative ideas to the table.

    Nagesh Chhabria: IndusInd Media Communications Limited (IMCL) CEO Nagesh Chhabria too was seen hanging his boot this year. Chhabria later bought 50 per cent stake in Mumbai-based Bhawani Rajesh Cable & Digitech Services through his company Bhima Riddhi Digital Services (BRDS). He also signed an agreement with Atlas Consolidated LLC – a joint venture between Greenwich Equity Partners and Jagran Infra-Projects led by Sanjiv Mohan Gupta – to create a national MSO with about $200 million being pumped into it.

    Prem Kamath: The industry was shaken after former Channel V head and Star Pravah general manager decided to quit from Star for better opportunities at A+E Networks as deputy managing director, Asia Pacific. Associated with Star Network since 2007, Kamath had been heading Channel V for more than four years. Seeing his capability, he was given an additional responsibility at Star Network to head Star Pravah in 2013.

    Pradeep Hejmadi: With more than 18 years of well-rounded experience in the Indian media industry spanning media sales, media planning and buying, consumer research, business planning and product development, he is the man with multi-dimensional understanding of the media business. Former TAM Media Research senior vice-president Pradeep Hejmadi quit the organisation to join Zee Entertainment Enterprises Ltd (Zeel) as business head in the month of June. At TAM, he was responsible for revenue generation, client management, new business development and new product development and changed the working dynamics of the TV industry.

    Pratap Bose: Omnicom-owned DDB Mudra witnessed a sudden churn at the top, early this year when DDB Mudra Group COO Pratap Bose resigned from the agency after a six-year stint.

    The exit, who was looking to take over the top job, came after group chief executive officer and managing director Madhukar Kamath was given a four-year extension.

    Raghav Bahl: Network18 founder and chairman Raghav Bahl, sold his baby to RIL chairman and MD Mukesh Ambani for a whopping Rs 4000 crore. What followed this was an upheaval of sorts, as one by one, the main pillars of the company began to fall. As soon as the meeting concluded between Bahl and the management of Network18, departures began which included group CEO B Sai Kumar, COO Ajay Chacko, CNN-IBN deputy editor Sagarika Ghose, IBN Network editor in chief Rajdeep Sardesai, Network18 Media CEO Sanjay Dua, Network18 digital CEO Durga Raghunath, Network 18 CFO RDS Binni Bawa and deputy foreign affairs editor Suhasini Haidar.

    Rajdeep Sardesai: It was in July this year that after nine long years, the face of IBN18 and editor-in-chief Rajdeep Sardesai decided to move on from the network. He later on joined the India Today group as consulting editor. Further, penning his expertise of writing, in November he launched his book – ‘2014: The Election That Changed India’. The book tracks the story of the 16th Lok Sabha elections with a media insider’s view. It was in the same month when deputy editor at CNN-IBN Sagarika Ghose too bid adieu to the Network18 group and joined Times of India as consulting editor. 

    Rajesh Iyer: Associated with the channel since its inception, Colors marketing head Rajesh Iyer has been one of the many behind the success of popular shows like Khatron Ke Khiladi, India’s Got Talent, Jhalak Dikhhla Jaa and Bigg Boss. Iyer quit Colors in March to join Zee Entertainment Enterprises Ltd (Zeel) as its business head, new initiatives, Hindi broadcast. With more than 13 years of experience in marketing and business segment, he aims to create some thrilling benchmarks in the industry.

    Ravi Mansukhani: The year 2014 saw the ending of the seven year innings from IndusInd Media & Communications Ltd. (IMCL) managing director Ravi Mansukhani, who decided to step down from his position. It was said that Mansukhani had expressed the desire to relinquish his services, which was accepted by the board of directors in the board meeting held on 31 January. His next move is yet unknown.

    Sameer Nair: He has donned numerous hats. From selling space in Yellow pages to being a member of a political party, Sameer Nair has had a volatile career. It was in July this year when the former Star India CEO joined Ekta Kapoor’s Balaji Telefilms as Group CEO.

     

    S N Sharma: In what can be described as the biggest setback was the resignation of DEN Networks CEO SN Sharma, who was one of the founding members of the multi system operator. Sharma’s vision of growth through consolidation and digitisation had laid the foundation for the company. He has also spearheaded DEN’s rapid growth with his visionary leadership and unparalleled execution abilities. He has also been the driving force behind taking the company into the digital era.

    Suhasni Haider: In a major development, CNN-IBN deputy foreign affairs editor and prime time anchor Suhasini Haidar bid adieu to the organisation in May this year. To focus on long-format journalism, she joined The Hindu as its diplomatic editor. 

     

    Sunil Lulla: A 30-year media and communication veteran, Sunil Lulla made headlines in July when he decided to move on from Bennett Coleman & Co. Ltd. After almost 10 years with BCCL, Lulla, joined WPP-owned Grey Group as chairman and MD for Grey Group India.
    His joining the advertising industry was homecoming as he had started his career in one.
    However, his appointment led to Grey Group India president and CEO Jishnu Sen moving on from the network.

    Tony D’silva: With Ravi Mansukhani stepping down, IMCL saw a new MD and CEO in Tony D’silva, who was earlier the president of Hinduja Ventures Limited (HVL) and was overlooking its upcoming Headend InThe Sky (HITS) project. D’silva was given additional responsibilities as Group CEO-Media of HVL, and MD and CEO of IMCL.  

    TS Panesar: Star India EVP for distribution TS Panesar, who was entrusted with the responsibility of handling distribution for national DTH and digital addressable systems (DAS) earlier in 2014 when the JV between Star and Zee- MediaPro was broken, quit.  He later joined MSO Hathway Cable & Datacom as head-video business.  

    Vikram Mehra: After spending close to 10 long years at one of the leading DTH companies in India, Vikram Mehra, the chief commercial officer of Tata Sky moved on to Saregama, this year. While at Tata Sky, he was responsible for subscription revenue management, churn management, brand marketing, new product development, consumer analytics, interactive service operations, consumer research and PR, he is handling the digital platform for Saregama.

    Vikram Sakhuja: It was in October that GroupM announced the appointment of Lindsay Pattison as global CEO of Maxus, the post held by Vikram Sakhuja. Till date his next move in the group hasn’t been decided, but he is expected to take up a global role at parent firm GroupM.

     

    Vivek Srivastava: It came as a surprise when the news of former Colors commercial and digital head Vivek Srivastava quitting, shot the mailers. His extensive background in research, awareness of new media and over a decade in the broadcast industry contributed to maintaining the robust presence of all Colors brands in the digital space and managing the overall costs for the brand.  He headed to Times Television Network (TTN) in the month of October as senior vice-president and head of the English Entertainment Cluster, which includes premium channels like Movies Now and Romedy Now.

    (The names are in alphabetical order)

     

  • Broadcasters’ New Year gift to its viewers

    Broadcasters’ New Year gift to its viewers

    MUMBAI: If you haven’t decided on your New Year plan, don’t fret. Your all time source of entertainment, ‘the Idiot Box’ will be your medium of happiness. With so many stories in the television basket, broadcasters are gearing to encapsulate them all through a slew of special programmes for the New Year’s Eve.

    Star Plus brings in the New Year with its fifth edition of Big Star Entertainment Awards, a TV and Bollywood awards show on 31 December, 8 pm onwards till 12 midnight. It honours personalities from the field of entertainment across movies, music, television, sports, theatre and dance.

    Audiences will get to witness B’town celebs right from Salman-Jacqueline Fernandez to Sonakshi Sinha-Arjun Kapoor setting up the stage on-fire with their spectacular performances. The awards function will be hosted by personalities of different nationalities – Gutthi aka Sunil Grover from India and Pakistani actor Imran Abbas.

    Rival channel Colors has a special treat planned for its viewers. Got Talent World Stage Live, hosted by the charming Shah Rukh Khan and suave Manish Paul, will entertain viewers as they prepare for the final goodbye to 2014 and welcome 2015 with open arms.

    The ‘Got Talent’ franchise owned by Simon Cowell’s Syco Entertainment, takes entertainment a notch higher as the event brings together outstanding talent not only from India but also impactful global ones. The stage, designed by Omung Kumar, will look stunning as the performances compliment his work of art.

    The talent from across the world will captivate the audience with their special demonstrations involving magic, stunts, dance and acrobatics. Amongst superlative and bright Indian talent whose brilliant and inspiring performances will awe the audience will be of the Prince Dance Group, chhota packet bada dhamaka Akshat Singh, Hip hop sensations Suresh and Vernon Group, aerial performers – Mukesh and Tanya, painter extraordinaire Vilas Naik and many more.

    From the International talent circuit, troupes like Aerosphere will present an aerial Balloon Show, Crystal and Ring Dancer Hu Qi Zhi from China who will fascinate people with her skill, Russian Brothers and Kalutskih Danila and Kirill Brothers will showcase Acrobats and the Craz_E_Crew will perform some incredible stunts. The cherry on the cake, however, will be Magician Aldo Nicolini and Illusionist James Mores who will hypnotize the audience with shocking tricks which will further create an aura of excitement and intrigue.

    Also joining the celebration will be Bollywood bigwigs Priyanka Chopra, Varun Dhawan and Jacqueline Fernandes who will perform with much vigour to popular numbers while creating jaw-dropping and wondrous moments. The choreographer extraordinaire who will add zing to the evening is dancing legend Shiamak Davar. The event will be aired at 10 pm on Colors.
    Stringing together loads of fun and excitement for its viewers this New Year’s eve, Zee TV is planning a two-hour special telefilm – New Year Dhamaka on 31 January at 11 pm. It will star Riddhi Dogra, Raqesh Vashisth, Anurag Sharma, Ravi Dubey, Pooja Bose and various other actors who will be seen playing key roles.

    The two-hour film will take the audience through the world of glitz and glamour and the secrets that lie shielded between the buzz of parties and the dazzle of the flashbulbs. It is set against a glamorous backdrop of a calendar girl pageant.

    The channel has roped in Cadbury Oreo as its presenting sponsor and Vaseline Total moisture and Maggi as the powered-by sponsors.

    With most channels airing stage shows, Life OK has something different to offer. The channel is ready to bring in the New Year with a fun-filled joyous ride with Comedy Classes. It aims to make it a memorable one this year as Bharti Singh, Krushna Abhishek, Siddharth Sagar, Bruna Abdullah, Madhura Naik and all other Comedy Classes actors get set to entertain viewers with their own talent.  

    Actors will turn their ‘Achhe Din Institute’ into a News channel making it a unique concept on the show, as they talk about this year’s biggest news headlines.

    Bharti and Krushna will play the news anchors and take the audience through the big headlines related to Bollywood, politics, TV, sports and more playing on ‘The Year that was’. Television viewers will also get to see a dhamakaa performance by the girls of Comedy Classes.

    Last but not the least, Sony Entertainment Television (SET) will air the repeat telecast of Umang Police Awards from 11 pm to 2.00 am.

    Media analysts believe that television viewing is high on the New Year’s eve. Channels showcase special programmes which not only cater to the existing base but also helps to draw some additional numbers. “Events like these bring Bollywood closer to the television audiences and are also highly rated in the entertainment space,” says a media analyst.

     

  • More than just an ad…

    More than just an ad…

    MUMBAI: To tell a brand’s philosophy in just 30 seconds isn’t an easy task. But everyday creative minds oil their machines to do just the same. While some click with the viewers, others are muted by them or flipped through without a second glance.

    While the year began with the political parties going all out to woo the voters – there were television commercials, digital films as well as hoardings pasted all across the country, Airtel’s Boss film led the charge with the Twitterati going crazy over it. 

    With the e-commerce sector war heating up, the companies too launched TVCs throughout the year to cash in the most, especially during the big sales offered by them. Digital as a medium to connect with the correct audience was optimised well. For instance, Honda for Mobilio released a 2.5-minute ad on YouTube featuring stand-up comedian Kapil Sharma as a salesman.  

    Promos of Indian Premium League (IPL), Pro Kabbadi League, Indian Super League (ISL) as well as Kaun Banega Crorepati (KBC) were able to catch people’s fantasy and created enough buzz before the game started. The right mix of sentiments and music made the films popular especially on the social media.

    2014 saw many ads which were more than being just a promotional feature and as the year comes to an end, Indiantelevision.com lists down some of the best ads of 2014.

    BJP election campaign

    Creative agency: Soho Square

    Purpose of the ad: After the Delhi gang rape case and many more that followed it, the campaign highlights the fact that the government has failed to provide safety to the women of the country and worse, hasn’t been able to punish the culprits.

    Storyboard: The black and white advert highlights how even though the country has progressed and people have sent there girls for higher education and work in other cities, they are not at ease. The woman/mother in the ad, stresses on the fact that the country isn’t safe in current government’s hands as women aren’t safe.

    Airtel Boss film

    Creative agency: Taproot

    Purpose of the ad: To strengthen Airtel’s legacy of identifying fresh and relevant insights around relationships.

    Storyboard: Relationships often get strained due to professional demands. At such times, smartphones transcend their role of being a mere communicating device, and play cupid.

    The TVC shows a woman boss ordering her subordinates to finish an assigned job no matter what. It turns out that the woman boss is the wife who goes back home to cook for her husband who happens to be the junior she had ordered.

    Fortune oil, ‘Ghar Ka Khana’

    Creative agency: Ogilvy & Mather

    Purpose of the ad: Adani Wilmar’s campaign for its Fortune Oil brand, shifting from ‘The joy of eating’ to a more personal ‘Ghar ka khana, ghar ka khana hota hai’ (Home cooked food is home cooked food after all).

    Storyboard: When you are away from the comfort of your space, braving the rigours of everyday life, all you need is two morsels of tasty home food cooked with a lot of love and affection. The gush of emotion that you feel when you have the first bite, only makes you thank your good ‘Fortune’!

    Idea, ‘No Ullu Banaoing’

     

    Creative agency: Lowe Lintas and Partners

    Purpose of the ad: To educate the masses about how some people cash on the other’s unawareness.

    Storyboard: A common phenomenon in almost every part of India, is how some people in order to make money or gain benefits, tend to take advantage of the ill-informed by coloring the truth or concealing the facts.

    In the TVC, a guide lies to tourists who then search on the web and the truth is exposed.

    Nescafe stammering standup comedian

    Creative agency: McCann Erickson

    Purpose of the ad: While perfection is what people chase these days, this ad feeds on a different meaning.

    Storyboard: The TVC shows a stammering stand-up comedian who faces rejection, but doesn’t give up and turns the same weakness into his strength.

    Fevicol Crazy chairs

    Creative agency: Ogilvy & Mather

    Purpose of the ad: Takes a humorous take on the current election scenario.

    Storyboard: A chai-wallah enters the shop of a carpenter who is making the next Prime Minister’s chair. He points out to three variations – one with BJP’s lotus, another with Congress’s hand, and a group of chairs joined unevenly symbolic of the Third Front.

    OLX Kapil

    Creative agency: Lowe Lintas and Partners

    Purpose of the ad: To promote selling off ‘unused or under-used’ products.

    Stoaryboard: Kapil Sharma stars in the film and plays a ‘juicer’. In the kitchen, he addresses the lady of the house urging her to use him (the juicer), or sell him. The lady notes that no one would buy him, telling him he’s useless. He corrects her, saying he has been ‘used less’. He proceeds to tell her how things are sold on Olx.in, and finds buyers in no time.

    Imperial Blue Men will be men

    Creative agency: Ogilvy & Mather

    Purpose of the ad: To carry forward the 17-year-old catchy tagline and philosophy.

    Storyboard: The campaign opens with a ghazal, “Pyar ki raah mein”, playing in the background as a beautiful young woman is seen talking on a phone in a lift. The camera reveals the torso of two men standing with her. The minute the woman exits both the men heave a sigh of relief and exhale, letting their stomachs hang out again. The film ends with both of them sharing a friendly high-five.

    Tata Docomo Bhalai ki Supply

    Creative agency: Contract Advertising

    Purpose of the ad: To encourage its subscribers to ‘Open Up’ and share happiness using their customised data offers.

    Storyboard: The advertisement features a ‘social media queen’ who appears to have lost her loyal online following. She pouts and preens in order to post the perfect profile picture that could restore her lost glory, but is continually disappointed, till one virtual ‘Like’ makes her day.

    Cadbury Snow Fight

    Creative agency: Ogilvy & Mather

    Purpose of the ad: To make the consumer aware of the fact that life lies in the ‘now’; that joy resides in the act of letting go, and that one should live like no one’s watching.

    Storyboard: The TVC shows a couple walking on a snowy mountain. While the man is busy oh his phone, the woman decides to change the situation by throwing a snowball on the man. The man too throws a snowball at her. The fight continues as they enjoy it.

    Titan Raga #HerLifeHerChoices

    Creative agency: Ogilvy & Mather

    Purpose of the ad: To tell that Raga is an evolved watch for the evolved woman of today – a woman who’s self-respecting and confident. 

    Storyboard: The film begins with Nimrat Kaur sitting at an airport reading a book. She is interrupted by an ex-lover who asks her if he could join her. When Kaur asks him how he has been, he makes a reference to Kaur leaving him. As they talk and catch up, it is revealed that Kaur is still single. On being asked why it is so, Kaur tells the man that she never gets time from work. This being something he knew all too well, he makes a passing comment about how their relationship would have worked had Kaur stopped working. Kaur retorts by saying that he could have also quit. Offended, he tells her that he could not have quit, seeing how he is a man.

  • Content differentiation has been the clear winner for Zindagi: Punit Goenka

    Content differentiation has been the clear winner for Zindagi: Punit Goenka

    MUMBAI: A result of ZEEL MD and CEO Punit Goenka’s gut feeling, Zindagi, the premium mass Hindi entertainment channel from the network, was meant to be a breath of fresh air in the cluttered market space.

    Launched six months ago on 23 June, the channel promised to break out of the usual set framework and melodrama with the shows never seen on Indian small screens. Keeping true to its philosophy and tagline Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam, shows from across the border were handpicked to meet the Indian sensibilities.

    With 32 GVTs in week 51 of TAM TV ratings, the channel targeting at the CS4+ AB in Hindi speaking markets (HSM) is happy with its performance, so far. “Extremely delighted with the launch and the subsequent response we are getting from the viewers. The channel has been received very well and has a rapidly growing loyal base,” says Goenka who believes that Zindagi has managed to create a new category in the Hindi entertainment space and is the only premium Hindi channel in India.

    The stories, when compared to the over-the-top (OTT) Hindi melodrama, have a realistic outlook. The natural settings and pragmatic acting make the shows like Humsafar, Maat, Kitni Girhain Baaki Hain stand true to its tagline ‘jodey dilon ko’. To top it all, it has made Pakistani actors household names so much so that many have entered Bollywood after the popularity gained here. “Zindagi has introduced many firsts on Indian televisions in the Hindi entertainment space today, be it finite nature of dramas or original soundtrack in every drama and many more,” pinpoints Goenka.

    “Content is king and since launch, all that has been shown on Zindagi has appealed to audiences (males and females) of all ages,” adds the channel business head Priyanka Datta.

    “The way we wanted to establish our channel, we have been able to achieve so,” says Zeel chief sales officer Ashish Sehgal. Butting the critics, who say that for a channel which wants to compete with the GECs hasn’t achieved the numbers needed to survive in the highly volatile market, Sehgal says, “TAM doesn’t have the ample sample size and most niche channels – English as well as infotainment – face the same number wrath.”

    He goes on to explain that in the country, when it comes to compartmentalisation of genres, English means niche and Hindi means mass, which doesn’t stand correct for a channel like Zindagi. Catering to the “evolved” viewers who have the disposable income, the channel wants to tell the brands that it is a perfect platform to cater to the premium TG.

    Started with only 20-25 clients, the channel now boasts of 100 clients. “We haven’t compromised on our pricing and are still getting new clients as well as repeat ones, which is a very good signal,” says Sehgal. The channel has jewellery brands, premium FMCG brands like P&G, Nestle amongst many others as its clientele. A 10 second ad rate at the core primetime demands from Rs 20,000 to Rs 25,000 while non primetime varies from Rs 8,000 to Rs 10,000.

    “The market is slowly accepting the channel as well as understanding its TG,” says Sehgal and adds, “One must understand that the channel was launched midyear and by then most media agencies had formed their key performance indicators (KPI) for their clients. Therefore, they either advised clients to come to us on their own or asked them to keep out. We are optimistic that things will change next year as agencies will support us and help us take our business higher.”

    With marketing budget being 25 per cent of the entire pie, the channel aims to double its clientele as well as make it more acceptable to brands in the coming year. “The year 2015, will see us escalating our charge as we will build on marketing campaigns and continue to get newer faces and stories,” highlights Sehgal.

    The channel isn’t affected by the two more channels, Sony Pal and Epic, which were launched after it. “Pal caters to SEC CD and Epic still has a long way to get people’s acceptance,” opines Sehgal while adding that Zindagi on the other hand has been able to tap into the audience’s mindset. “Unlike other established GECs also we have a very high, almost 90 per cent, engagement level with the fans on social media.” At the time of writing the article, the channel has 10.5k followers on Twitter while 314,971 likes on Facebook.

    With storyline as its hero and an agenda of generating beyond Rs 100 crore revenue in 2015, the channel hopes to breakeven by 2016.  “Clearly and most definitely content and the content differentiation from what has been seen on television in the Indian sub continent till Zindagi was launched, has proved to be the clear winner,” opines Goenka on what makes the channel stand out.

    On plans for the channel in the coming year, Datta says, “In the coming year, we will also start producing original content for Zindagi.”

    “After the phenomenally encouraging response to the channel, we will definitely stay the course where Zindagi is concerned and will create and source stories from different demographics that will appeal to the sensibilities of discerning audience and bring freshness to storytelling style in India,” concludes Goenka.