ITV

Category: GECs

  • Star India mobilises disaster relief for Kerala; Star network rallies public support #AllForKerala

    Star India mobilises disaster relief for Kerala; Star network rallies public support #AllForKerala

    MUMBAI: As Kerala struggles with the devastation of massive floods, Star India, and its employees have stepped up to donate to and mobilise disaster relief for the flood-ravaged state #AllForKerala

    Star India will donate Rs 2 Crores to the Chief Minister’s Distress Relief Fund (CMDRF) of Kerala. Additionally, Asianet employees have pledged Rs 25 lacs and all Star India employees are being encouraged to donate at least one day’s salary, and on its part, Star India will match the total contribution of its employees. The donations will be directed to the CMDRF to expedite post-emergency recovery and rehabilitation work in the flood-ravaged areas and districts across Kerala. Furthermore, Star India has also partnered with the NGO ‘Goonj’ to aid with the supply of material contributions to the flood victims. 

    Star India network will rally support from the public through an #AllForKerala campaign aired across the network of over 50 channels in 8 languages, along with Hotstar featuring renowned artists such as Mohanlal, Kamal Haasan, Nani and a host of Star network show icons urging its viewers to step forward to help Kerala. 

    Uday Shankar, President of 21st Century Fox Asia, and Chairman & CEO of Star India said, “The rains have wreaked havoc in Kerala, which is facing its worst floods in a century. 

    We believe we must do everything in our power to help. In an endeavour to support the on-going relief and rehabilitation efforts in Kerala, we are mobilizing funds and creating public awareness through the reach of our network. We hope these efforts act as a catalyst of proactive action in this hour of need.”

    “The floods in Kerala are a tragedy of truly epic proportions,” said K Madhavan, Managing Director, Star South India business. He added, “At this time we must do everything possible to help the State administration in undertaking the difficult task of flood relief and rehabilitating lives. We would like to tell the people of Kerala, we are with you in this hour of need.”

  • Zee Anmol leads Hindi GEC (U+R) in BARC week 32

    Zee Anmol leads Hindi GEC (U+R) in BARC week 32

    MUMBAI: Dangal TV emerged as the new entrant in Broadcast Audience Research Council (BARC) data for week 32 of 2018 in the Hindi GEC (U+R) market. Star Bharat and Rishtey swapped their fourth and fifth positions in the rural market while &TV emerged as the new entrant by dethroning Rishtey from the tenth position as compared to the previous week in the urban segment.

    Hindi GEC (U+R)

    Zee Anmol emerged as the leader this week with 747862 impressions (000s) sum. Star Plus, Star Utsav and Zee TV stood at second, third and fourth positions respectively with 682867 impressions (000s) sum, 665087 impressions (000s) sum and 621587 impressions (000s) sum.

    Sony Pal, Star Bharat and Colors stood at fifth, sixth and seventh positions with 614763 impressions (000s) sum, 613191 impressions (000s) sum and 596396 impressions (000s) sum respectively.

    Rishtey and Sony Entertainment Television retained their eighth and ninth positions respectively with 550026 impressions (000s) sum and 491619 impressions (000s) sum.

    Dangal TV emerged as the new entrant by replacing Sony Sab this week as compared to the previous week with 436147 impressions (000s) sum.

    Hindi Rural GEC

    Zee Anmol, Star Utsav and Sony Pal retained their first, second and third positions respectively with 591769 impressions (000s) sum, 469911 impressions (000s) sum, and 441686 impressions (000s) sum.

    Rishtey, Dangal TV, Star Bharat, Zee TV, Big Magic, Star Plus and Colors stood at fourth, fifth, sixth, seventh, eighth, ninth and tenth positions with 415929 impressions (000s) sum, 339143 impressions (000s) sum, 309811 impressions (000s) sum, 239188 impressions (000s) sum, 220708 impressions (000s) sum, 196213 impressions (000s) sum and 190748 impressions (000s) sum respectively.

    Hindi Urban GEC

    In urban GEC, Star Plus and Colors retained their first and second positions with 486654 impressions (000s) sum and 405648 impressions (000s) sum.

    Zee TV, Sony Entertainment Television, Sony Sab, Star Bharat, Star Utsav, Sony Pal and Zee Anmol retained their third, fourth, fifth, sixth, seventh, eighth and ninth positions with 382400 impressions (000s) sum, 361707 impressions (000s) sum, 314940 impressions (000s) sum, 303380 impressions (000s) sum, 195176 impressions (000s) sum, 173077 impressions (000s) sum and 156093 impressions (000s) sum respectively.

    &TV emerged as the new entrant by dethroning Rishtey from the tenth position with 137557 impressions (000s) sum.

  • Sab’s Aladdin to be relevant to the new generation

    Sab’s Aladdin to be relevant to the new generation

    MUMBAI: Sony Sab is all set to transport viewers to an age-old story with a modern twist. After giving three new launches this month, it is close to launching the fourth one Aladdin: Naam Toh Suna Hoga, produced by Peninsula Pictures, which will be aired on 21 August, Monday to Friday at 9 pm. Its recent launches were India Ke Mast Kalandar, Namune and Super Sisters.

    Aladdin took almost a year to execute the whole story in a show, that too with the aspect of making it a family entertainment show. Peninsula Pictures co-founder Nisser Parvej said that everyone must have heard about ‘Aladdin’ but very few must have seen it. “The idea was to bring to the new audience because this generation has changed and keeping that in mind, we have made Aladdin with full masala of emotions, thrill and a complete family entertainer,” he said.

    The show took a lot of research to fit it into today’s generation’s requirement. Peninsula Pictures director Alind Srivastava said, “We saw all the versions of Aladdin because we wanted to make it relevant to this generation, we just didn’t want it as a kids’ show.”

    He added that the only challenges that they faced while producing the show was to get the cast correct and also to set design, costumes and the look in a contemporary style was quite difficult, which took a lot of planning and research.

    Since the past one year, its attempt was to bring out compelling characters and stories as well which would help in growth. Programs like Jijaji Chhat Per Hein, Tenali Rama, Sajan Re Jhoot Mat Bolo and Tarak Mehta ka Ooltah Chashmah are the shows that are working well with the audiences.  

    Sony Sab Hindi movies and music business head Neeraj Vyas said, “It’s just all about ideas that you select, it is not just about launching a show. It is actually the basic philosophy that derives from your thinking and strategy. The move towards more compelling content, more engaging content and more engaging characters is the way forward for the new segment,” he added. According to him, the cluster wasn’t much known for the genres other than comedy and now the channel is experimenting.

    In the process of the making of the show, the only thing to keep in mind about the story was to portray it in a manner that was relevant to the viewers and also keeping in mind that today is 2018 and not 2008. Vyas said that the show’s episode run isn’t decided yet. It will depend on the performance of the show.  

    Vyas said that Sony Sab has observed a 20 per cent growth in viewership and advertisers. “We have also seen a good growth in terms of advertisers. A lot of people have now started realising the fact that we have moved the arc dramatically in terms of our shows and its production values. The way we have created the characters, the way we have marketed our shows, so that the arc has moved dramatically and I am happy that for the last one year, we have been able to at very conscious level become a lot more relevant in TV space than what we used to be.”

    When asked about Peninsula Pictures retaining its IP rights in the near future, Parvej said, “With the onset of digital, we have certain subjects to only produce for our self and for the platform where we can retain our IPs. But sadly on TV it hasn’t started yet. We are preaching the good shows and we are trying to negotiate on those lines and we hope for the best.” The next fantasy show that will be produced by the company will be for Zee Networks as Vikram and Betal which is expected to be launched during the end of September.  

    Sab’s flagship show Taarak Mehta Ka Ooltah Chashmah, the channel seems to have had a sudden downfall in terms of viewership due to the absence of the two main characters, to which Vyas disagreed and said that the characters will always be missed. “But there are certain shows that are a lot more iconic, we still have a long hold on this show. The show’s viewership hasn’t been affected yet.”

  • Viacom18’s Soumen Ray joins Bajaj Auto as CFO

    Viacom18’s Soumen Ray joins Bajaj Auto as CFO

    MUMBAI: Viacom18 CFO Soumen Ray who joined the organisation as the deputy CFO in 2013 has recently joined Bajaj Auto as the president finance and CFO designate in August 2018.

    Ray commenced his journey with Viacom18 during the year 2013 and donned the hat as the deputy CFO, CFO and chief finance and strategy officer. Coming from the B Com background from Kolkata’s St. Xavier’s college, he initiated his career by joining Eveready Industries India Ltd in 1998 as manager-finance.

    He also has other laurels to boast of. He qualified as a chartered accountant, made a move at ITC as the commercial manager after a successful stint for about five years at Eveready Industries. Ray then joined Hindustan Unilever Ltd (HUL) as the general manager finance after serving the company for about three years in his previous company. He served for about five years at HUL and then joined Viacom18 as the deputy CFO in 2013.

    As per the reports, he will work closely with Kevin Pius D’Sa and is expected to succeed as the president (finance) after D’Sa’s retirement. He will also be a part of Bajaj Auto’s senior leadership team.

  • ZEEL appoints Animesh Kumar as chief people officer

    ZEEL appoints Animesh Kumar as chief people officer

    MUMBAI: Zee Entertainment Enterprises Ltd (ZEEL) has appointed Animesh Kumar as the chief people officer (CPO). He will report to ZEEL MD and CEO Punit Goenka.

    In his new role, Kumar will be spearheading the human resources function to build a dynamic workplace that attracts the best talent and enables innovative people practices, supporting the growing workforce needs.

    The new CPO has also worked with the IDFC Group for nine years engaging in various roles like head of human resources, marketing head of IDFC Bank and CEO of IDFC Foundation. Prior to joining ZEE, he was associated with the Future Group as the chief people & transformation officer wherein he was responsible for driving the internal transformation.

    Having over 25 years of experience, Kumar has led the HR function at large scale Indian and MNCs for over 15 years. He has served on boards of various companies and has worked closely with non-profit organisations helping them enhance internal capacity to increase their social impact.

    Kumar started his career with Marico as the HR manager and served the organisation for more than five years from June 1993 to December 1998. He has done BA in Economics from Shri Ram College of Commerce and holds a post graduate diploma degree on PM&IR (Personnel Management and Industrial Relations) in Human Resources from XLRI College, Jamshedpur.

  • ‘Kasautii Zindagii Kay 2’ to launch on 10 September

    ‘Kasautii Zindagii Kay 2’ to launch on 10 September

    MUMBAI: A show that stormed TV channel Star Plus 17 years ago is making its comeback. Ekta Kapoor’s famed Kasautii Zindagii Kay is relaunching with a new cast and story from 10 September weekdays at 8pm.

    The Balaji Telefilms produced show released its first promo in July featuring Erica Fernandes as Prerna in the show, while the male lead will be played by Parth Samthaan. Ekta Kapoor had used social media to convey that “Love never dies!!! When you think it’s over, it returns! Here it is Kasauti Zindagi Kay!”

    Kasauti was one of the most successful shows, not just for Balaji Telefilms but also Star Plus. The channel has been revamping its lineup frequently in the recent past as it grapples with low ratings. Shweta Tiwari and Cezanne Khan have played iconic characters and it may be difficult for the audience to imagine new faces. However, the gap would mean there are newer audiences who may not have watched the earlier version and Kapoor’s hint that the rebooted version will also be an emotional drive is likely to mean that the storyline will be suited to modern times.

    Currently, the political satire Har Shaakh Pe Ullu Baithaa Hai is being aired at the 8pm slot but it will go off air. Earlier, newly launched Nazar was supposed to take over but it has been given the late night slot of 11pm.

  • Sony SAB to launch new show ‘Super Sisters’

    Sony SAB to launch new show ‘Super Sisters’

    MUMBAI: Sony SAB is all set to launch a new show named Super Sisters. The show will premiere on 6 August and will air every Monday to Friday at 7:30 pm. The show tells an extraordinary story of the undying love between two sisters and their secret enchanted life.

    Talking about the show Sony SAB, PAL, Hindi movies and music business Head Neeraj Vyas said, “We strive to provide our viewers with fresh, innovative content across genres and formats. Strengthening our core brand belief of Haste Raho India, with Super Sisters, Sony SAB is venturing into the realm of super powers and the enchanted.  This show will appeal to all age groups with its heart-rending nuance of sibling relationships, forbidden love and ironically, also the urge to be good and do well.”

    Super Sisters highlights a very resilient relationship between two sisters, Shivani and Siddhi. Shivani, played by Vaishali Takkar, is a kind hearted, innocent yet brave girl. Being the elder sister, she is the more responsible one and protective of her younger sister, Siddhi, played by Muskaan Bamne. Siddhi, on the other hand, is feisty and tom boy like in her mannerisms. Having lost their parents early in life, both sisters stand by and support each other in everything they do. Love walks into Shivani’s life in the form of Ashmit Oberoi, portrayed by Gaurav Wadhwa, a young business tycoon. While both fall in love with each other, Shivani runs away from any opportunity of them being together due to a secret that she has guarded, which restricts her from falling in love.

    Optimystix Entertainment Media Ltd founding chairman & MD Vipul D Shah said, “Once in a while, there comes a show that allows us, as creators, to put on our creative hats and present a no-holds-barred spectacle that will entertain viewers like never before. Super Sisters is one such show. We are glad to be its creators, partnering with Sony SAB on yet another exciting project.”

  • The resurgence of horror shows on GECs

    The resurgence of horror shows on GECs

    MUMBAI: The horror genre has formed an important part of TV entertainment since the 1990s when Zee Horror Show, Aahat and Ssshhh…Koi Hai were anticipated shows. A resurgence of horror shows on TV has been noticed in the past one month. Ekta Kapoor’s Qayamat Ki Raat, which airs on Star Plus, and Colors TV’s Kaun Hai, both opened to incredible ratings in their first week. Vivek Dahiya and Karishma Tanna starrer Qayamat Ki Raat bagged the seventh spot with 5.6 million impressions while Kaun Hai received 3.89 million impressions and was at the 11th spot.

    Bodhi Tree Multimedia has produced quite a few horror shows like Rooh and Fear Files for Zee TV. “Horror has always been a genre that has worked in the Indian market. It is also been an underserved genre with only our show Fear Files running for the past one year. So more horror shows coming was always anticipated,” says Bodhi Tree Multimedia founder Mautik Tolia. 

    Endemol Shine CEO Abhishek Rege holds a different opinion. He feels that the Indian audiences are dedicated to all sorts of genres and horror was possibly an underserved one. “Although many shows are launching, how many does the market need will only be known after the ratings or the consumption pattern comes out.”

    If horror shows want to create a mark today, they have to come up with good content. Earlier horror shows used to have just one story in an episode. Now horror shows have long term stories with a supernatural background. 

    Earlier, late prime time was the slot given to the horror shows assuming that the kids are asleep by then. But now things are changing. The horror shows have got promoted to earlier time slots (7-9 pm). According to Rege, any time after 8-8.30 pm is a good time slot for a horror show. Shows like Aahat, Fear Files or X-Zone were hard core horror shows. Nowadays there are many shows which have different approaches and if they are not hardcore horror they can be broadcasted at early prime time slot.

    Tolia thinks that the increase in the number of horror shows in India could be due to exposure to international content releasing in India. “A lot of good international horror has been produced over the past few years. Films from the Conjuring universe, Quiet Place, Lights Out, It, Mama and now Hereditary have breathed new life into the genre. So the rub off effect is surely being seen.”

    Advertisers tend to stay away from horror shows due to their low viewership. The earlier shows couldn’t get advertisers due to the late time band. The sudden surge in horror seems to be the channels’ attempts at expanding its offering before festive season kicks in. They could then be replaced with reality format shows.

    Madison Media Sigma CEO Vanita Keshwani feels differently. She says, “According to me, the crime/thriller genre works most for the Indian audience than the horror genre. Shows like Savdhaan India  and Crime Patrol garner more viewership than Aahat and Fear Files. Since shows like Qayamat Ki Raat, Laal Ishq and Kaun Hai have just launched it’s too early to give a judgment on those shows. According to me the horror as a genre is not doing well. But I think they are betting on it.”

    Indian makers have even been plagued by budget issues and a very narrow approach towards the depiction of horror inspired by Indian imagery. However Indian horror is also seeing a paradigm shift in terms of quality of content over past few years. A new breed of filmmakers is churning out a spate of horror films and shows that are able to blend Indian imagery with great storytelling.

    Even though the shows in this genre may or may not gain good TRP, the experimentation continues for adding variety to a channel’s offering.

  • Viacom acquires Awesomeness TV

    Viacom acquires Awesomeness TV

    MUMBAI: Viacom is acquiring Awesomeness TV Holdings, a media company and digital-first destination for original programming which will go live under Viacom Digital Studios (VDS) and play an important role in Viacom’s premium content production ecosystem, drive additional growth at VDS, and strengthen digital and social relationships in youth culture.

    Viacom already has strong audience connections with kids via Nickelodeon and young adults via MTV. While VDS has been growing briskly – more than tripling digital streams since 2016 and doubling YouTube subscribers over the past year, as total social views and watch time soared by 112 and 104 per cent, respectively. Awesomeness’ dedicated sales force, branded content studio, and existing relationships with brands such as Hollister, Gatorade and Invisalign will further drive VDS’ growth and profitability.

    VDS president and chief business officer of Awesomeness Kelly Day said, “Awesomeness has done an incredible job building their brand into a digital media powerhouse for todays most sought-after and hard-to-reach youth audiences. The team brings strong digital expertise, deep connections with top talent and influencers, and a robust branded content studio and creative agency that will accelerate the growth and scale of VDS.”

    With distribution deals with major SVOD players and its own Emmy-winning, youth-focused studios that have produced 200 hours of long-form television and feature film content, Awesomeness’ proven content development and production abilities are good fit for Viacom, which has moved deliberately to ramp up its capabilities in this area recently: consolidating several operations across the Americas into Viacom International Studios to service global markets; moving to a studio model under which Nickelodeon, MTV and other brands will licence and produce shows based on intellectual property for third-party platforms; and building paramount pictures’ paramount television production arm from scratch into a $400-million-and-growing annual business.

  • ‘Bigg Boss’ 12 to hit the small screen on 16 September

    ‘Bigg Boss’ 12 to hit the small screen on 16 September

    MUMBAI: Colors TV is all set to launch its flagship show Bigg Boss on 16 September this year. Hosted by Salman Khan, this show will air on weekdays at 9 pm. Bigg Boss 12 will replace Dev 2 and Dance Deewane on Colors. As per sources, Salman will shoot for the promo in the first week of August.

    This reality show will once again have a mix of celebrities and commoners as contestants. While the audition to rope in commoners is underway, the makers are having meetings with popular celebrities. The twelfth season could prove to be far more interesting than the previous seasons because not individuals but ‘jodis’ will take part as a unit. The makers have already clarified that not just spouses but parents, siblings, co-workers and even friends would be seen as contestants.

    As of now, the tentative contestants list includes, Rithvik Dhanjani and Asha, Srishty Rode and Manish Naggdev, Gurmeet Chaudhary and Debina Bonnerjee and Danny D and Mahika Sharma, Shafaq and Falak Naaz, Dipika Kakar and Shoaib Ibrahim, Siddharth Sagar and Subuhi Joshi, Milind Soman and Ankita Konwar and mother-son duo Vibha and Puru Chibber.

    Bigg Boss, an Indian version of a Dutch reality show Big Brother has successfully completed 11 seasons. The first season of the show was hosted by Arshad Warsi, followed by Shilpa Shetty and Amitabh Bachchan in the second and third editions respectively. From fourth season till now Salman Khan has been hosting the show and while every year, there’s a speculation that Salman might not host Bigg Boss, he comes back with an enhanced paycheck.