Category: GECs

&TV is all set to add a new dimension to the singing reality shows with The Voice India Kids

MUMBAI: Powerful voices will now come out of small packages as &TV presents the biggest platform for kids to showcase their vocal talent to the nation! The channel is all set to redefine weekends with the most dynamic singing reality show Patanjali Herbal Powervita presents The Voice India Kids powered by Surf Excel, starting July 23, every Saturday and Sunday at 9.00 pm. Taking on the mantle of mentoring this battalion of aspiring young singers are ace music composer-singer Shekhar Ravjiani; the most charming and effervescent singer Shaan and the versatile singer and performer Neeti Mohan. It will be interesting to watch these little wonders, however little in size, make heads turn with the power of their Voice! Popular actor Jay Bhanushali and singer-comedian Sugandha Mishra will be seen as hosts of the show.

From the house of Talpa Media and produced by Endemol Shine India, the kids format will see participants from across the country in the age group of 6 – 14 years serenade one and all throughout Blinds, Battles and LIVE. ‘The Voice’ is the purest form of singing reality show where the contestants are chosen solely on the basis of their voice and not appearance.
Speaking on the launch of The Voice India Kids, &TV business head Rajesh Iyer said, “The Voice India last year raised the bar with the best singing talent and this year the kids franchise will only further outdo it. These young vocalists are like powerful dynamites waiting to explode on television. The unique format of The Voice, inspiring stories coupled with superlative singing will make it an unforgettable and enjoyable viewing experience for audiences over the weekend.”

The excitement among the three judges is palpable and the response overwhelming. An excited Shaan shared, “I am very thrilled to be back as the coach on the show and I am looking forward to a brand new season of ‘The Voice India Kids’. ‘The Voice’ is the most sought after singing reality show on television and this will be a huge platform for these ‘young guns’ to showcase their talent.”

Being the only female coach on the show, Neeti Mohan expressed, “Kids these days are extremely passionate about music and its overwhelming to see them perform at such a young age without any fear. I am happy that I am a part of such a platform that motivates kids and provides them a direction to pursue their talent. My role as a mentor or a coach will be to teach them the importance of treating this platform as a learning ground.”

Added singer-composer Shekhar Ravjiani, “The Voice India Kids is an ideal platform for discovering young talent and a great opportunity for them to hone their vocal skills. Its amazing to see some exceptionally talented kids with superior voice quality participating from across the country. Im sure my musical journey with these contestants is going to be truly a memorable one.”

With its unconventional approach and slick set-up, The Voice India Kids will find favour with the audience who are always yearning to be thrilled with an exclusive and never-seen-before experience. In this show, one will actually experience, “Size kam hai par dum nahi” as the kids will be seen impressing the judges with their vocal talent. It will really interesting to see how the judges woo their favourite contestants and form their teams. After the mentoring and grooming, the final power lies in the hands of the audiences to choose their favorite voice.

So get ready to embark on a musical journey – a journey with the kids who will strike a chord with every viewer, move them, inspire them and entertain them!

July 20, 2016
Balaji Telefilms hires new creative director, Chloe Ferns

MUMBAI: Today, folks at Balaji Telefilms are popping champagne as they welcome back senior resource and old friend Chloe Ferns as the new creative director of the company. This top change in Balaji Telefilms comes after the news that Creative director Tanusri Dasgupta has stepped down after being at the company for nearly 12 years.

It’s her first day at the job and Chloe already feels at home. “Balaji has always been home to me, and my first day at work gives me that feeling of homecoming. I am excited to work with some of the greatest creative minds in the business, and churn out compelling content,” says Ferns.

Ferns has had 13 years experience in television working with Balaji Telefilms in an earlier stint initially, followed by Chasing Ganesha Films, Nautanki Films, KeyLight, Seventy, among others.

Ferns will be reporting to joint managing director Ekta Kapoor and will be responsible for all the content being created under the production house.
Amongst the shows that are doing well for Balaji Telefilms are Ye Hai Mohabattein, Kavach, Kalash, KumKum Bhagya, Pavitra Bandhan and Yeh Kahaan Aa Gaye Hum. This apart, the production house is also churning out regional TV productions.

Meanwhile, if sources at Balaji Telefilms are to be believed, Dasgupta is leaving Balaji Telefilms to study in the US. Over the years, she has worked very closely with Ekta Kapoor.

July 15, 2016
Balaji Telefilms hires new creative director, Chloe Ferns

MUMBAI: Today, folks at Balaji Telefilms are popping champagne as they welcome back senior resource and old friend Chloe Ferns as the new creative director of the company. This top change in Balaji Telefilms comes after the news that Creative director Tanusri Dasgupta has stepped down after being at the company for nearly 12 years.

It’s her first day at the job and Chloe already feels at home. “Balaji has always been home to me, and my first day at work gives me that feeling of homecoming. I am excited to work with some of the greatest creative minds in the business, and churn out compelling content,” says Ferns.

Ferns has had 13 years experience in television working with Balaji Telefilms in an earlier stint initially, followed by Chasing Ganesha Films, Nautanki Films, KeyLight, Seventy, among others.

Ferns will be reporting to joint managing director Ekta Kapoor and will be responsible for all the content being created under the production house.
Amongst the shows that are doing well for Balaji Telefilms are Ye Hai Mohabattein, Kavach, Kalash, KumKum Bhagya, Pavitra Bandhan and Yeh Kahaan Aa Gaye Hum. This apart, the production house is also churning out regional TV productions.

Meanwhile, if sources at Balaji Telefilms are to be believed, Dasgupta is leaving Balaji Telefilms to study in the US. Over the years, she has worked very closely with Ekta Kapoor.

July 15, 2016
SAB TV extends original programming, launches 7:30 pm show

MUMBAI: For years, SAB TV has been the standout, lean, fit, channel from the Sony Pictures Networks India (SPN) stable. However, the Hindi GEC space has being seen competition hotting up with new launches over the past year or so and existing leaders such as Star and Zee extending original fictional programming to seven days a week.

The SPN management has been taking corrective action to help SAB TV retain its edge. Among the tacks it has been taking is improving distribution and increasing the hours of original programming it airs. Two weeks back it unveiled a new show Khidki, which has begun getting some traction from its viewrs. Come 26 July and another fiction series is slated to make its debut at the 7:30 pm slot on weekdays.

The show is produced by Dheeraj Kumar’s Creative Eye and has Anirudh Dave in the lead with Rakesh Kapoor and Malini Kapoor essaying pivotal roles. It will track the journey of Y.A.R.O, (Your Aptitude Remote Operator) a humanoid, who is on the path of self-discovery. Created by super genius scientist Govardhan Aggarwal (Rakesh Bedi), who considers it his own son and has programmed the robot – with a human heart – to feel and behave like a 22 year old human. The story takes an interesting turn when Y.A.R.O starts interacting with people around him and how he eventually forges a strong bond with them. He learns the essence of life, love and above all humanity and he soon embarks on an adventurous journey with his family and friends.

“We have added Y.A.R.O at the 7:30 pm slot for two reasons: most channels are doing well at that timing, and second we are increasing the original programming hours we air to gain parity with others in the Hindi GEC space,” explains SAB TV executive vice-president and business head Anooj Kapoor. “There are two ways to extend our prime time. Go late prime time or early prime time. Since we have a core family audience watching our shows, we felt the 11 pm slot was too late, and chose early prime.”

Kapoor believes the show’s concept is young and refreshing and is in keeping with the channel’s strategy to differentiate through innovation. “It has a light hearted feel but Y.A.R.O Ka Tashan will help us see relationships with our family, friends, in a new light. Since Y.A.R.O is blissfully unaware of the rules of human society, he would experience the essence of love and humanity and in turn we would learn virtues of selflessness and generosity through his innocence,” he adds.

SAB’s new show is pitched against Colors’ Sasural Simar Ka, Star Plus’ Saath Nibhana Saathiya, Zee TV’s Meri Saasu Ma and Life Ok’s Rishto Ka Saudagar Bazigar.

“Even as everyone was relying on dancing and reality shows on weekends, we launched two silent comedies, GuturGu and Rumm Pumm Po back to back on Saturdays and Sundays,” details Kapoor. “Extending the same logic Y.A.R.O is completely differentiated from other shows that are well established and some of them are running for a long time and some fatigue may have set in. ”

“The subject seems different definitely,” says a media observer. “How the audiences will react to Y.A.R.O will be decided by the treatment and execution by Creative Eye and SAB of the robot with a human heart. Watching the promos of Y.A.R.O Ka Tasha one feels that while the comedy is in the right direction, the visual effects could definitely be improved. However, the comedy could overshadow the VFX and engage viewers. Let us wait and watch.”

Kapoor is playing a wait and watch game himself and says he is not willing to speculate how the show will do and what ad rates it could attract. “The factors that decide the ad rates are the TRP and audience composition,” he explains. “If the audience is attractive to advertisers and even if the ratings are less, the channel may get a good rate. Some times if the rating is more but the audience is not that attractive the channel may get less. Hence, a decision can be taken once the show is live. This exposes not only the ratings but the composition of the audience.”

Two weeks back SAB TV had launched a first of its kind show Khidki which revolves around stories sent in by TV viewers.. Some of these select stories are being adapted into mini-series of episodes for the small screen.

“Not only did the show open well but, in its second week, the ratings have gone up. In the first week, on Friday, ratings were 0.4 and this week from Monday it’s 0.6. It has grown and it’s a good sign for us,” says the ever optimistic Kapoor

July 15, 2016
SAB TV extends original programming, launches 7:30 pm show

MUMBAI: For years, SAB TV has been the standout, lean, fit, channel from the Sony Pictures Networks India (SPN) stable. However, the Hindi GEC space has being seen competition hotting up with new launches over the past year or so and existing leaders such as Star and Zee extending original fictional programming to seven days a week.

The SPN management has been taking corrective action to help SAB TV retain its edge. Among the tacks it has been taking is improving distribution and increasing the hours of original programming it airs. Two weeks back it unveiled a new show Khidki, which has begun getting some traction from its viewrs. Come 26 July and another fiction series is slated to make its debut at the 7:30 pm slot on weekdays.

The show is produced by Dheeraj Kumar’s Creative Eye and has Anirudh Dave in the lead with Rakesh Kapoor and Malini Kapoor essaying pivotal roles. It will track the journey of Y.A.R.O, (Your Aptitude Remote Operator) a humanoid, who is on the path of self-discovery. Created by super genius scientist Govardhan Aggarwal (Rakesh Bedi), who considers it his own son and has programmed the robot – with a human heart – to feel and behave like a 22 year old human. The story takes an interesting turn when Y.A.R.O starts interacting with people around him and how he eventually forges a strong bond with them. He learns the essence of life, love and above all humanity and he soon embarks on an adventurous journey with his family and friends.

“We have added Y.A.R.O at the 7:30 pm slot for two reasons: most channels are doing well at that timing, and second we are increasing the original programming hours we air to gain parity with others in the Hindi GEC space,” explains SAB TV executive vice-president and business head Anooj Kapoor. “There are two ways to extend our prime time. Go late prime time or early prime time. Since we have a core family audience watching our shows, we felt the 11 pm slot was too late, and chose early prime.”

Kapoor believes the show’s concept is young and refreshing and is in keeping with the channel’s strategy to differentiate through innovation. “It has a light hearted feel but Y.A.R.O Ka Tashan will help us see relationships with our family, friends, in a new light. Since Y.A.R.O is blissfully unaware of the rules of human society, he would experience the essence of love and humanity and in turn we would learn virtues of selflessness and generosity through his innocence,” he adds.

SAB’s new show is pitched against Colors’ Sasural Simar Ka, Star Plus’ Saath Nibhana Saathiya, Zee TV’s Meri Saasu Ma and Life Ok’s Rishto Ka Saudagar Bazigar.

“Even as everyone was relying on dancing and reality shows on weekends, we launched two silent comedies, GuturGu and Rumm Pumm Po back to back on Saturdays and Sundays,” details Kapoor. “Extending the same logic Y.A.R.O is completely differentiated from other shows that are well established and some of them are running for a long time and some fatigue may have set in. ”

“The subject seems different definitely,” says a media observer. “How the audiences will react to Y.A.R.O will be decided by the treatment and execution by Creative Eye and SAB of the robot with a human heart. Watching the promos of Y.A.R.O Ka Tasha one feels that while the comedy is in the right direction, the visual effects could definitely be improved. However, the comedy could overshadow the VFX and engage viewers. Let us wait and watch.”

Kapoor is playing a wait and watch game himself and says he is not willing to speculate how the show will do and what ad rates it could attract. “The factors that decide the ad rates are the TRP and audience composition,” he explains. “If the audience is attractive to advertisers and even if the ratings are less, the channel may get a good rate. Some times if the rating is more but the audience is not that attractive the channel may get less. Hence, a decision can be taken once the show is live. This exposes not only the ratings but the composition of the audience.”

Two weeks back SAB TV had launched a first of its kind show Khidki which revolves around stories sent in by TV viewers.. Some of these select stories are being adapted into mini-series of episodes for the small screen.

“Not only did the show open well but, in its second week, the ratings have gone up. In the first week, on Friday, ratings were 0.4 and this week from Monday it’s 0.6. It has grown and it’s a good sign for us,” says the ever optimistic Kapoor

July 15, 2016
MPA: APAC pay TV growth to slowdown 2016-2025

MUMBAI: Slowdown. After years of dizzying speedy growth, the Asia-Pacific pay-TV industry is expected to grow at a very sedate average 5.8 per cent annually between 2016 and 2021, says leading industry analyst Media Partners Asia (MPA in its new report Asia Pacific Pay-TV & Broadband Markets, published today.

MPA projects pay-TV industry sales across 18 major markets in APAC to climb from $54 billion in 2016 to US$72 billion by 2021, rising thereafter to US $81 billion by 2025. The pace of pay-TV subscriber and revenue growth is slowing however, weakened by an economic slowdown and increasing competition from both legal and illegal alternatives. Pay-TV subscriber growth has declined or substantially decelerated in Hong Kong, Indonesia, Malaysia and Singapore in particular.

At the same time however, India and Korea remain two of the region’s largest and most scalable pay-TV opportunities. Revenue growth will also accelerate in Australia and the Philippines, largely thanks to subscriber growth.

However, MPA analysts have lowered subscriber growth forecasts across much of Southeast Asia, especially for Indonesia, Malaysia and Singapore, although ARPU (average revenue per user) should remain resilient in both Malaysia and Singapore.

The pay-TV industry in China, meanwhile, remains the largest in the region and is becoming increasingly digitalized. Pay-TV growth opportunities for broadcasters are limited however, due to increasing regulation as well as competition from free and paid online video services.

Elsewhere in the region, subscription-based video-on-demand (SVOD) services have had a negligible impact on pay-TV so far, despite the global launch of Netflix earlier this year, in addition to increasing competition among lower-priced regional and local SVOD services.

Most pay-TV subscribers downgrading or canceling pay-TV services are moving instead to illegal services, as well as to free, ad-supported options across both TV and online video.

At the same time, more pay-TV operators are rolling out connected set-top boxes that can incorporate OTT video services. In addition, some operators (telcos in particular) are aggressively hard-bundling video content, including pay-TV channels, with high-speed broadband. This is helping drive subscriber growth, especially in a number of Southeast Asian markets.

Commenting on the report, MPA executive director Vivek Couto said:

“Pay-TV providers are increasingly focused on repackaging and re-pricing both linear and on-demand services. Local and regional Asian programming is also becoming increasingly important. At the same time, sports, kids, infotainment and Hollywood movies will remain mainstays of the pay-TV bundle, although channels offering Hollywood TV series are being disrupted by both legal and illegal OTT. Few pay-TV operators have been able to capture or monetize large-scale online video viewing so far, although early results in Hong Kong and Korea are encouraging. The goal is driving the next cycle of customer growth and consumer spend. Pay-TV user interfaces and data analytics are improving, although often too slowly to effectively compete with legal and illegal OTT rivals. Increasingly, viable pay-TV operators will become drivers and targets for M&A and consolidation, as the worlds of pay-TV, broadband and OTT collide and converge in the wider context of media and telecoms.”

Ex-China, which remains a utility-oriented and highly regulated pay-TV market, Asia Pacific added 9.6 million net new pay-TV customers last year, the slowest pace of growth since 1997-98. MPA analysts project a spike to 10.4 million net additions ex-China this year, driven by government-mandated cable digitalization in India. Subscriber growth should decelerate again from next year onwards, moderating to between 4 million to 8 million net adds per annum between 2018 and 2022.

Including China, MPA sees total pay-TV subscribers in Asia Pacific growing from 567 million in 2016 to 764 million by 2025. Adjusted for multiple connections in a household, pay-TV penetration in Asia Pacific will grow from 55 per cent of TV households in 2016 to 61 per cent by 2025.

Digital pay-TV penetration in Asia Pacific will increase from 80 per cent of pay-TV subs in 2016 to 91 per cent by 2025, as pay-TV networks in most markets go 90-100 per cent digital, with the exception of India (70 per cent) and Pakistan (32 per cent) in the 18 markets covered in the report. HD penetration of digital pay-TV subs in Asia Pacific will grow from 30 per cent in 2016 to 46 per cent in 2025.

The fastest growing segment within the Asia Pacific pay-TV industry over 2016-21 will be value-added services (VAS), driven by VOD, as revenues climb at an 11 per cent CAGR over the next five years. Australia, China, Japan and Korea will be the biggest markets for VOD revenue growth. Malaysia will lead amongst smaller markets.

In standout pay-TV markets such as India and Korea, pay-TV subscription revenue growth will be driven by high volumes and a level of ARPU upside (partially offset by price competition). Higher yields will also boost subscription revenue growth in Hong Kong, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore and Vietnam.

Pay-TV advertising will expand from US$11.6 billion in spend in 2016 to US$16.2 billion by 2021, with growth driven by markets with high levels of pay-TV penetration such as India and Korea, along with China. Meanwhile, pay-TV ad spend in Australia, Japan and Taiwan will remain material, although growth in each of these markets will soften. Malaysia and the Philippines will remain the standout markets for pay-TV advertising in Southeast Asia.

July 14, 2016
MPA: APAC pay TV growth to slowdown 2016-2025

MUMBAI: Slowdown. After years of dizzying speedy growth, the Asia-Pacific pay-TV industry is expected to grow at a very sedate average 5.8 per cent annually between 2016 and 2021, says leading industry analyst Media Partners Asia (MPA in its new report Asia Pacific Pay-TV & Broadband Markets, published today.

MPA projects pay-TV industry sales across 18 major markets in APAC to climb from $54 billion in 2016 to US$72 billion by 2021, rising thereafter to US $81 billion by 2025. The pace of pay-TV subscriber and revenue growth is slowing however, weakened by an economic slowdown and increasing competition from both legal and illegal alternatives. Pay-TV subscriber growth has declined or substantially decelerated in Hong Kong, Indonesia, Malaysia and Singapore in particular.

At the same time however, India and Korea remain two of the region’s largest and most scalable pay-TV opportunities. Revenue growth will also accelerate in Australia and the Philippines, largely thanks to subscriber growth.

However, MPA analysts have lowered subscriber growth forecasts across much of Southeast Asia, especially for Indonesia, Malaysia and Singapore, although ARPU (average revenue per user) should remain resilient in both Malaysia and Singapore.

The pay-TV industry in China, meanwhile, remains the largest in the region and is becoming increasingly digitalized. Pay-TV growth opportunities for broadcasters are limited however, due to increasing regulation as well as competition from free and paid online video services.

Elsewhere in the region, subscription-based video-on-demand (SVOD) services have had a negligible impact on pay-TV so far, despite the global launch of Netflix earlier this year, in addition to increasing competition among lower-priced regional and local SVOD services.

Most pay-TV subscribers downgrading or canceling pay-TV services are moving instead to illegal services, as well as to free, ad-supported options across both TV and online video.

At the same time, more pay-TV operators are rolling out connected set-top boxes that can incorporate OTT video services. In addition, some operators (telcos in particular) are aggressively hard-bundling video content, including pay-TV channels, with high-speed broadband. This is helping drive subscriber growth, especially in a number of Southeast Asian markets.

Commenting on the report, MPA executive director Vivek Couto said:

“Pay-TV providers are increasingly focused on repackaging and re-pricing both linear and on-demand services. Local and regional Asian programming is also becoming increasingly important. At the same time, sports, kids, infotainment and Hollywood movies will remain mainstays of the pay-TV bundle, although channels offering Hollywood TV series are being disrupted by both legal and illegal OTT. Few pay-TV operators have been able to capture or monetize large-scale online video viewing so far, although early results in Hong Kong and Korea are encouraging. The goal is driving the next cycle of customer growth and consumer spend. Pay-TV user interfaces and data analytics are improving, although often too slowly to effectively compete with legal and illegal OTT rivals. Increasingly, viable pay-TV operators will become drivers and targets for M&A and consolidation, as the worlds of pay-TV, broadband and OTT collide and converge in the wider context of media and telecoms.”

Ex-China, which remains a utility-oriented and highly regulated pay-TV market, Asia Pacific added 9.6 million net new pay-TV customers last year, the slowest pace of growth since 1997-98. MPA analysts project a spike to 10.4 million net additions ex-China this year, driven by government-mandated cable digitalization in India. Subscriber growth should decelerate again from next year onwards, moderating to between 4 million to 8 million net adds per annum between 2018 and 2022.

Including China, MPA sees total pay-TV subscribers in Asia Pacific growing from 567 million in 2016 to 764 million by 2025. Adjusted for multiple connections in a household, pay-TV penetration in Asia Pacific will grow from 55 per cent of TV households in 2016 to 61 per cent by 2025.

Digital pay-TV penetration in Asia Pacific will increase from 80 per cent of pay-TV subs in 2016 to 91 per cent by 2025, as pay-TV networks in most markets go 90-100 per cent digital, with the exception of India (70 per cent) and Pakistan (32 per cent) in the 18 markets covered in the report. HD penetration of digital pay-TV subs in Asia Pacific will grow from 30 per cent in 2016 to 46 per cent in 2025.

The fastest growing segment within the Asia Pacific pay-TV industry over 2016-21 will be value-added services (VAS), driven by VOD, as revenues climb at an 11 per cent CAGR over the next five years. Australia, China, Japan and Korea will be the biggest markets for VOD revenue growth. Malaysia will lead amongst smaller markets.

In standout pay-TV markets such as India and Korea, pay-TV subscription revenue growth will be driven by high volumes and a level of ARPU upside (partially offset by price competition). Higher yields will also boost subscription revenue growth in Hong Kong, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore and Vietnam.

Pay-TV advertising will expand from US$11.6 billion in spend in 2016 to US$16.2 billion by 2021, with growth driven by markets with high levels of pay-TV penetration such as India and Korea, along with China. Meanwhile, pay-TV ad spend in Australia, Japan and Taiwan will remain material, although growth in each of these markets will soften. Malaysia and the Philippines will remain the standout markets for pay-TV advertising in Southeast Asia.

July 14, 2016
WorldWide Media pushes into TV content creation

MUMBAI: In August 2011, Bennett, Coleman & Co Ltd (BCCL) aka The Times of India group bought out the remaining 50 per cent of World Wide Media (WWM) from BBC Worldwide, making it a wholly owned subsidiary of arguably India’s largest media company.

WWM had started off as a joint venture between the two firms to publish speciality niche magazines. Titles such such as Femina and Filmfare and licensed titles like Lonely Planet, Top Gear, Grazia, Hello! and Good Homes came under its umbrella. Most of them these have grown courtesy a loyal reader base and are adding substantial revenues to WWM’s topline.

Deepak Lamba – who was earlier the president of Bennett Coleman – was roped in to spearhead it in January 2015 and fine tune its strategy. The idea: take it beyond traditional print publishing. And Lamba’s focus has been to transform it into a complete lifestyle and entertainment outfit. A special internal projects team has been created, which works on providing holistic branding and marketing solutions to clients, including content for the TV and digital space. Amongst the brands it is looking to extend onto digital and TV include: Top Gear, Good Homes, Lonely Planet, Hello, and Femina.

“Digital is seen as the medium of the future but television is already here. Therefore, we are looking at that how our brands can be put across television platforms,” says WWM CEO Deepak Lamba. “We have signed a deal with Maruti Suzuki for the travel show where five celebrities from different walks of life and their biggest fan will take a fanatistic journey in the auto maker’s vehicles from India to Bangkok on the Asian expressway. The seven part series is slated to launch in November. Hello has an upcoming luxury show on ET Now and Romedy Now which is slated to go live two months from now. Good Homes will talk about how you can beautify your home on a finite budget. We also want to do the GEC version of our Filmfare talk show which is in the pipeline.”

It is also expanding the Filmfare Awards franchise in August 2016 to cover north Indian cinema with the Britannia Filmfare Awards Punjab.

“It’s been 63 years now for the Filmfare Awards. The Hindi cinema awards are telecast on Sony Entertainment Television,” explains Lamba. “The South India awards are in their sixtieth year and are telecast on Star channels; the East Indian awards on Star Jalsa, even as the Marathi awards are on Colors Marathi. We are also launching three music awards with regional GECs in the South and with local partners in Punjab.”

Short filmmakers will also be eligible to take a stab at winning the lovely black Filmfare statuette with the launch of an award for digital movies, discloses Lamba. “The short films have to be of 15 minutes and we will have a prominent jury just like we have for our main awards and the main gratification is that winners will receive the award on the same stage.”

WWM is likely to reach out to other production houses to partner it on some of its brand extensions into video, especially those targeting broadcasters. For its digital initiatives, it has put together a full-fledged in-house team which is working closely with its editorial team to roll out its properties. On the anvil is a fun-filled 15 minute celebrity chat show with Filmfare editor in chief Jitesh Pillai as its host. The pilot is being shot with the official launch expected to happen in the next two to three months. Lamba says the move into digital has come because advertisers have been asking for it. “There was also an internal need as being a part of BCCL, scale does matter a lot. In the magazine space we are already the number one. Also if you listen to your consumers and advertisers you will not go wrong.”

OTT and VOD players have come knocking on WWM’s doors and conversations are on with them too.

A foray into fiction is planned under the Femina brand. “The show is about a fantastic girl who is a little plump. A Gujju girl whose boyfriend dumps her for a skinny girl,” points out Lamba. “The show will track what she decides to do with her life and how she comes out on top of the world. ”

Will the strategy of stretching existing print titles to video work? Media observers believe it will.

“Titles such as Top Gear, Filmfare, Good Homes have a pretty loyal following both from advertisers and consumers,” says a media expert. “The WWM team will have to do something really wrong or screw up to fail at this extension strategy. I am betting that they will do well.”

And that is something Lamba is banking on too.

July 11, 2016
WorldWide Media pushes into TV content creation

MUMBAI: In August 2011, Bennett, Coleman & Co Ltd (BCCL) aka The Times of India group bought out the remaining 50 per cent of World Wide Media (WWM) from BBC Worldwide, making it a wholly owned subsidiary of arguably India’s largest media company.

WWM had started off as a joint venture between the two firms to publish speciality niche magazines. Titles such such as Femina and Filmfare and licensed titles like Lonely Planet, Top Gear, Grazia, Hello! and Good Homes came under its umbrella. Most of them these have grown courtesy a loyal reader base and are adding substantial revenues to WWM’s topline.

Deepak Lamba – who was earlier the president of Bennett Coleman – was roped in to spearhead it in January 2015 and fine tune its strategy. The idea: take it beyond traditional print publishing. And Lamba’s focus has been to transform it into a complete lifestyle and entertainment outfit. A special internal projects team has been created, which works on providing holistic branding and marketing solutions to clients, including content for the TV and digital space. Amongst the brands it is looking to extend onto digital and TV include: Top Gear, Good Homes, Lonely Planet, Hello, and Femina.

“Digital is seen as the medium of the future but television is already here. Therefore, we are looking at that how our brands can be put across television platforms,” says WWM CEO Deepak Lamba. “We have signed a deal with Maruti Suzuki for the travel show where five celebrities from different walks of life and their biggest fan will take a fanatistic journey in the auto maker’s vehicles from India to Bangkok on the Asian expressway. The seven part series is slated to launch in November. Hello has an upcoming luxury show on ET Now and Romedy Now which is slated to go live two months from now. Good Homes will talk about how you can beautify your home on a finite budget. We also want to do the GEC version of our Filmfare talk show which is in the pipeline.”

It is also expanding the Filmfare Awards franchise in August 2016 to cover north Indian cinema with the Britannia Filmfare Awards Punjab.

“It’s been 63 years now for the Filmfare Awards. The Hindi cinema awards are telecast on Sony Entertainment Television,” explains Lamba. “The South India awards are in their sixtieth year and are telecast on Star channels; the East Indian awards on Star Jalsa, even as the Marathi awards are on Colors Marathi. We are also launching three music awards with regional GECs in the South and with local partners in Punjab.”

Short filmmakers will also be eligible to take a stab at winning the lovely black Filmfare statuette with the launch of an award for digital movies, discloses Lamba. “The short films have to be of 15 minutes and we will have a prominent jury just like we have for our main awards and the main gratification is that winners will receive the award on the same stage.”

WWM is likely to reach out to other production houses to partner it on some of its brand extensions into video, especially those targeting broadcasters. For its digital initiatives, it has put together a full-fledged in-house team which is working closely with its editorial team to roll out its properties. On the anvil is a fun-filled 15 minute celebrity chat show with Filmfare editor in chief Jitesh Pillai as its host. The pilot is being shot with the official launch expected to happen in the next two to three months. Lamba says the move into digital has come because advertisers have been asking for it. “There was also an internal need as being a part of BCCL, scale does matter a lot. In the magazine space we are already the number one. Also if you listen to your consumers and advertisers you will not go wrong.”

OTT and VOD players have come knocking on WWM’s doors and conversations are on with them too.

A foray into fiction is planned under the Femina brand. “The show is about a fantastic girl who is a little plump. A Gujju girl whose boyfriend dumps her for a skinny girl,” points out Lamba. “The show will track what she decides to do with her life and how she comes out on top of the world. ”

Will the strategy of stretching existing print titles to video work? Media observers believe it will.

“Titles such as Top Gear, Filmfare, Good Homes have a pretty loyal following both from advertisers and consumers,” says a media expert. “The WWM team will have to do something really wrong or screw up to fail at this extension strategy. I am betting that they will do well.”

And that is something Lamba is banking on too.

July 11, 2016
Consistency &Change in ZEEL’s topline FY ’15-16 growth

MUMBAI: Consistency and change are the buzzword in Zee Entertainment Enterprises Ltd (Zeel)’s new swanky office, spread over several floors, in India’s financial capital. And these two words also are also the guiding factors for the company as it continues to spread its wings globally even while consolidating its position at home.

While company chairman and promoter of India’s first private satellite TV channel(s) Subhash Chandra feels digital is the way forward, taking a macro view, the team at ZEEL, led by Chandra’s elder son, Punit Goenka, peg away at initiatives to make the company bottomline blacker and live up to the visions of the visionary chairman.

That’s why even in the international market, the group has successfully taken ZEEL’s popular domestic content in the original as well as repurposed form to focus not just on the South Asian diaspora, but on a wider cross section of global audiences in 171 countries.

Media mogul Subhash Chandra led Zee Entertainment Enterprises Ltd (Zeel) has registered the net profit for the year 2015-16 Rs 10, 267 million representing a margin of 17.5 percent. This paper is based on Zeel’s Annual report for FY-2015- 16.

“We are a local player in the markets we enter, identifying content The lines between global and local are getting increasingly blurred. ZEEL is focused on enhancing reach and emerging as a truly world-scale player in the M&E segment,” ZEEL said in its annual report for FY 2015-16 ending March 31, 2016.

Sample some consolidated facts put out in the annual report: net profit of Rs 10, 267 million representing a margin of 17.5 percent; consolidated revenues of Rs 58,515 million representing a growth of 19.8 percent over previous year; operating profit (EBITDA) of Rs 15,095 million registering a 20.4 percent growth and resulting in a margin of 25.8 percent; Rs 34,297 million in ad revenue; Rs 20,579 million subscription revenue; 33 domestic channels and 38 international channels; Facebook fanbase of 5,10,000 plus and a 1,98,000 plus Twitter family.

“Zeel has grown steadily since inception establishing itself as a dependable brand and organisation that is efficiently managed, well-governed and forward thinking. Our performance in FY 2015-16 is a further testimony to these practices. Our growth has been ahead of the market growth trajectory, duly reflected in the growing viewership share of our network (17.9 percent),” company MD and CEO Punit Goenka said in his director’s report in the annual report.

To further strengthening the viewership share in the domestic market through a right-fit content strategy, Zee’s new Hindi GEC, &TV, built onto its successful launch and increased its popularity with the urban audience.

Noting that the new audience measurement system rolled out by BARC is a welcome change especially as rural audiences are also been counted, Chandra observes, “This (rural audience measurement) is an important reset for all players as strategies are being revisited or drawn afresh. For Zee this is a welcome step given the depth and breadth of our content offerings and the reach of our channels.”

The Zee network in India has four Hindi general entertainment channels, including Zee TV, Zee Anmol, Zindagi and &TV. While in the regional category, the brand has six channel under its umbrella and four channels under the Hindi movie cluster. The group has two channels under music genre and two in its English entertainment section even as Zee Q is categorised under special and niche genre.

We list here some highlights of the Zee family as enumerated in the annual report.

Hindi GEC highlights

Zee’s first Hindi GEC Zee TV has ranked third amongst the HGEC in the FY 2015-16. The channel delivered a weekly average of 10 shows among top 50 shows, led by the highly- rated shows like Kumkum Bhagya, Jamai Raja, Tashan E Ishq and Ek Tha Raja Ek Thi Rani.

The free to air channel Zee Anmol continued to maintain its number 1 position in the FTA GEC category. Shows like Jodha Akbar, Choti Bahu and Bandini were the top performing shows on the channel as per BARC rural data.

Zindagi, a channel showcasing a mix of content of various hues, including some sourced from Pakistan, introduced original productions in FY 2015-16 starting with the first non-fiction show Shukriya. The channel also introduced Turkish content with the show Feriha, aimed at attracting younger audiences.

The youngest member of the Zee family, &TV, which completed a year of operations in March 2016 continued to grow in popularity with urban audiences. It achieved 50 percent viewership growth since its launch month and 64 percent viewership growth in weekday primetime.

Regional GEC

As per the Annual Report, Zee Telugu increased its market share to become the number two channel in the Telugu GEC genre and number one channel in the urban Telugu market with 27.5 percent relative share in urban markets. The channel dominated the fiction genre with 35.4 percent relative share and the non-film viewership with 32.2 percent relative share in urban market.

ZEEL’s other regional channel, Zee Kannada, maintained the number two ranking in the urban Kannada GEC genre during the financial year under review.

Zee Tamil’s growth is steady in the urban market with 6 percent relative share among Tamil GECs, whereas Zee Marathi maintained dominant leadership in Marathi general entertainment space with 50 percent market share.

Zee Bangla grew to a stronger number two player with a 40 percent share in urban market, while Sarthak TV maintained its no. 1 position in the Oriya market with over 50 percent market share.

Hindi Movie Cluster

The Hindi movies cluster was the market leader in its genre where it increased its viewership share to 34 percent despite a competitive environment with a significant increase in share of Zee Action and Zee Classic.

Music Genre

ZETC gained a 14 percent increase in urban and rural viewership since the inclusion of rural markets. Relative share of ZETC increased to 6percent in the music genre.

Another music channel, Zing, witnessed a 28 percent increase in urban and rural viewership since the inclusion of rural markets in audience measurement. Relative share of Zing increased to 36 percent in the Youth GEC genre.

English GEC

Zee Café maintained its position as the most watched English GEC with a 24 percent market share. The channel boasts of an extensive library of some top US shows like House of Cards, Gotham, The Big Bang Theory, Grey’s Anatomy, Scandal, Two and A Half Men, The Vampire Diaries and Pretty Little Liars.

Zee Studio had a packed year with Indian television premieres to woo audience. The channel has grown from a 9 percent share to a 13 percent share in FY 2015-16.

Niche & Special Interest Genre

Zee Q achieved a stable and consistent rating during a volatile period of market fluctuations. It is the default destination for all things ‘DIY’ or do-it- yourself.

Sports Channels

Ten Sports in FY 2015-16 focused on content acquisitions to increase revenue streams and expanding existing ones. Ten Sports concentrated on acquiring/ creating content that created long-term strategic value, a strong programming backbone and also strengthened production as a function.

New initiatives

In FY 2015-16, the brand created a new entertainment vertical – Zee Theatre. Zee Theatre created over 30 unique theatre productions during 2015-16 that are ready for showcasing, ZEEL said in its annual report. Of this, nearly 12 will be available as live performances while the entire catalogue will be available for screenings and broadcast. This initiative’s aim is introduce theatre to a larger audience, making it accessible to viewers at their convenience and position theatre as a viable career opportunity for talent.

Zeal for Unity is another unique endeavour that aims to bring people of India and Pakistan together by creating a cultural bridge. Launched at the historic Wagah-Atari border, Zeal for Unity brought together 12 accomplished filmmakers from India and Pakistan. Their task: to collaborate and make films that change the way citizens of the two countries think about each other.

It would be quite apt to summarise ZEEL’s journey in the words of company chairman, quoted in the annual report, Chandra as saying, “Just as consistency has been a hallmark of our journey, so has change!”

July 6, 2016