Category: GECs

26.1 per cent downturn in filmed entertainment dampens Viacom Inc Q3 results 7.4 per cent

BENGALURU: Viacom Inc. (Viacom) reported 7.4 per cent lower revenue in the quarter ended 30 June 2014 (Q3 for Viacom, or the ‘current quarter’) to USD 3421 million from USD 3693 million in the year ago quarter ended 30 June 2013. The company’s operating income dropped 5.6 per cent to USD 611 million in Q3 of 2014 as compared to the USD 647 million in Q3 of the previous year. Adjusted net earnings from continuing operations attributable to Viacom decreased to USD 618 million.

Viacom’s filmed entertainment division reported 26.1 per cent drop in revenue to USD 856 million in the current quarter as compared to the USD 1158 million reported for corresponding quarter of the previous fiscal, driven by a 43 per cent decrease in theatrical revenues due to the number and timing of releases, says the company.

The impact of this downturn was softened to some extent by Viacom’s media networks segment, which reported a 0.9 per cent increase in revenue in Q3 or the current year to USD 2591 million from USD 2569 million in the corresponding year ago quarter, driven by higher advertising revenues, which rose 1 per cent domestically and 2 per cent on a worldwide basis reveals Viacom. The company’s press release says that its worldwide affiliate fee revenues were flat in the quarter, as rate increases were more than offset by lower revenues from certain distribution arrangements which are affected by the timing of available programming. Excluding the impact of these distribution arrangements, the domestic affiliate revenue growth rate in the quarter was in the low double-digits.

Viacom executive chairman Sumner M. Redstone said, “Viacom continues its mission to develop the world’s most exciting media brands and compelling entertainment. As the industry landscape continues to evolve, our business is very well positioned.”

Viacom president and chief executive officer Philippe Dauman said, “It was a solid quarter for Viacom. We delivered nearly USD 1 billion to shareholders through buybacks and dividends and continued to build on our success in creating outstanding content and focused brands that connect deeply with audiences across all platforms. Our Media Networks distribution relationships continue to expand, providing broader opportunities for fans to enjoy Viacom’s content. Successful series and high-profile event programming on our networks create powerful experiences for audiences and valuable opportunities for advertisers, while driving industry-leading social engagement. We announced our agreement to acquire major British broadcaster Channel 5 in the quarter, which will increase our presence in an important global market. Paramount is poised for an outstanding summer, kicked off by Transformers: Age of Extinction which is already a record-setting global hit and the number one film of all time in China. In addition, the highly-anticipated Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles premieres Friday for fans around the world.”

Click here to read Trending Schedules

Click here to read Earning Results

Click here to read Results

August 6, 2014
Zee TV’s ‘Kumkum Bhagya’ gives tough fight at 9 pm slot

MUMBAI: Zee TV, the channel that enjoys a steady second place on the TAM TV ratings chart is riding high on success and all thanks to its properties which have seen remarkable rise in viewership. But this week, what caught attention was Balaji Telefilms’- Kumkum Bhagya.

It has seen a distinct spike in viewership ever since its protagonists Pragya and rockstar Abhi tied the knot clocking in 7,405 TVTs. The episodes from pre-wedding till the two tied the knot has seen a gradual rise in viewership.

According to TAM data provided by the channel, while a four-week average for the pre-wedding period (starting week 21’14 to week 24’14) stood at 3,263 TVTs, the show has seen a 127 per cent increase in viewership in the last six weeks.

So what has caught the attention of the viewers? Zee TV business head Pradeep Hejmadi believes that the ‘wedding track’ was a very important inflection point for people to gravitate to the series. He believes it is growing in terms of interest in all parameters.

“The focus was on how fate can sometimes bring two very dissimilar individuals together. Then it is about how the relationship will take form and how they will conform to the institution of marriage as per our culture.”

Kumkum Bhagya saw a surge in audience interest during the rather unlikely marriage of its protagonists – the flamboyant rockstar Abhi and the shy, serious girl-next door Pragya. The channel feels that due to its engrossing storyline coupled with believable performances, the show has been on a steady ascent, despite stiff competition at its time slot across GECs.

Aired at 9 pm it picked a fight with slot leader Diya Aur Baati Hum (Star Plus) across Hindi GECs and has managed to grow exponentially. As per TAM, the show’s viewership has dropped by 22 per cent since week 16, when Kumkum Bhagya was launched. In the week 30, Diya Aur Baati Hum garnered 10,379 TVTs, down from 10,488 TVTs.

Hejmadi believes that research forms an integral part during such competitive slots. Each show goes through a development process on how one would want to deal with a plot or the character.

“Each story has its own promise and people who tune in are people who are bought into those promises or are keen to explore the relationships or the characters that stand out speaking to them. We concentrated on bringing out the key inflection points for the show and it was important because it is the core promise of KumKum Bhagya,” he says.

At the marketing front, Hejmadi said that for any channel, marketing is the mix of two things – the on-air promotion on the network as well as promotion on other networks as additional activation.

The show was heavily promoted through an aggressive 360 degree marketing campaign by the channel from the launch to the wedding highpoint to ensure traction kept growing week on week.

Zee TV’s approach was one of sustained character building in all its communication across print, on-air and digital media. A judicious mix of mediums including high impact outdoors, print and innovatively crafted, personalised invites shared through social media on the day of the wedding created high visibility.

The streamlined promotional strategy not only attracted eyeballs but also garnered a lot of word- of-mouth publicity, thereby creating an enormous buzz around the much touted wedding sequence.

Hejmadi is confident that the series will continue to have the same kind of engagement level with the audiences. He goes on to say that in the fiction genre there are key points which mark the opportunity for an audience to start engagement. The channel has identified those key engagement points and will continue to focus on its other offerings as well.

He believes that the ratings game is like running a marathon. But, with robust properties such as Kumkum Bhagya, Jodha Akbar and Qubool Hai ruling the roost, Zee TV is the only channel that has seen a 30 per cent increase in its weekday primetime viewership in the last six weeks.

August 6, 2014
KBC 8: Stays true to its message, wins hearts at Surat

MUMBAI: It was a night to remember for people in Surat who were entertained by none other than Amitabh Bachchan and Kapil Sharma.

Sony Entertainment Television took its property, ‘Kaun Banega Crorepati’, out of its sets for the first time and created magic at the Surat Stadium for the 7000 plus audience. The live event held on 2 August saw Big B open the season in his inimitable style along with a bevy of dancers with whom he grooved to songs sung especially by him for KBC.

The event was hosted by Kapil Sharma, who left the audience in splits with his impeccable comic timing. He also experienced the tension contestants go through as he sat on the hot seat for the first time. Sharma expressed his happiness of working with Sony again and sharing the KBC stage with Bachchan. “It is always a pleasure to work with him,” he said.

SET senior EVP and business head Nachiket Pantvaidya added that getting Sharma on-board was a good move, considering his popularity among the masses. “He has added a lot of value to the show. Plus, he has worked with Bachchan before so there is a certain chemistry between the two which was an advantage for us,” he informed.

Adding to the excitement were the iconic cops, Dayanand Shetty and Abhijeet from Sony’s popular crime show, ‘CID’, who interacted with the audience.

If that wasn’t enough to leave the audience spellbound, then the valiant warrior and Rajput hero, Faisal Khan from ‘Maharana Pratap’ surely did that with his stellar dance performance. The trio of Neeti Mohan, Meiyang Chang and Anirudh Dave also added to the entertainment quotient of the evening keeping the audience engaged in a musical banter. The charming Shillong Choir gave a heart- warming performance.

This year, the channel wanted to target the cities which usually are ignored. Pantvaidya believes that it is either the state capitals or the metros that get their share of entertainment. “Thus, there was a need to target the smaller cities which are otherwise ignored and not paid much attention to,” he said.

“If we connect across these smaller cities, we will be able to fulfill all those aspirations and we did that with Surat,” added Pantvaidya.

According to SET SVP head marketing Gaurav Seth, it is also a good way to test how both, the brand and the channel, is doing in these cities.

The channel is quite happy to take the show outside the sets for the first time. “I am quite happy that everything went as per plan,” opined Seth.

So what is new this season? Though the prize amount remains the same, Rs 7 crore, to make the show more interesting, two additional features have been added.

The expert advice lifeline has been converted into a panel of three wise men who will sit amongst the audience called ‘Triguni’. Upon being called, these three wise men will give the correct answer along with interesting trivia around the question.

Another interesting lifeline called ‘Code Red’ will let the family of the participants tell them to quit, if needed, by pressing a buzzer placed in front of them. According to Pantvaidya, “This will also increase the number of factors in the game theory. This is not just a knowledge game but it is also about uncertainty in people’s mind.”

At the marketing front, the channel is leaving no stone unturned to create the buzz.

After Surat, it will be travelling to three other cities which have not yet been finalised. However, the aim is to keep the buzz alive at the same scale.

Seth believes that this season’s core message ‘Yahan Sirf Paise Nahi, Dil Bhi Jeete Jaate Hain’ will be the constant catchphrase for the show.

“Keeping in with the promise of our brand, we are happy that we are able to integrate our thought into the content,” added Pantvaidya.

To increase the level of engagement with the consumers, the channel has created a KBC app. For the first time, this year, wherein people sitting at homes can experience in real time and play by answering questions and win prizes.

Apart from this, social media is going to play a major role to drive the point. The channel has rolled on a 100 ground events, where people will share their experience of sitting on the hot seat on Facebook.

Though both the officials refused to disclose any financial details, sources from the industry estimate that around 30 per cent of the entire budget is being spent on marketing.

Four episodes have already been canned and are at the edit phase right now.

Though the channel is betting big and spending loads and loads of cash, media planners believe that like last year, this season will also not add value to the ratings and give the channel those numbers as expected.

Produced by Big Synergy, it will hit the television screens from 17 August, five days a week at 8.30 pm.

August 4, 2014
Colors takes centre stage with ‘Got Talent’

MUMBAI: From the time Colors’ biggest reality show, Bigg Boss ended, speculation has been if Salman Khan will return for the eighth season of the show. And when the news of Shah Rukh Khan coming on the channel broke, rumours about SRK hosting the show intensified.

However, these rumours have now been put to rest as the channel made formal announcement of its new property ‘Got Talent World Stage Live’ which will be hosted by Shah Rukh Khan.

The channel is set to present a first-of-its-kind global on ground extension of the ‘Got Talent’ franchise in India. It has associated with RFS Entertainment, an entertainment company that has partnered with Simon Cowell’s Syco Entertainment, to bring the best of acrobats, dancers, stunt artists and many more to the country.

The live event is an extension of the channel’s marquee talent show, ‘India’s Got Talent’, which is created and owned by Syco Entertainment and is co-produced by FremantleMedia India and is executed by Cineyug.

A ticketed event will feature performances by 10 Indian and 10 International talents.

Colors CEO Raj Nayak asserts, “With every show, we believe we are just reinventing ourselves. As a broadcaster, the property holds immense potential for us because the discerning audience harbours great appreciation for outstanding talent.”

He further adds that it took them time to put everything into place. “When we were ready with the idea, the artists were not available. So, it took two years for us to get all of them together on-board.”

According to RFS Entertainment owner Ravinderjit Singh, the promising new talent across genres proving their mettle on every platform makes India the perfect backdrop for a showcase of this magnitude. He believes it will be a delight for Indian audiences when the caliber of national and international talent will join hands.

Talking about advertisers’ traction, Nayak says it is at a pre mature level. “We have just made an announcement on this. But I am never worried about advertisers,” he laughs.

The tickets for the event will go on sale next week on www.bookmyshow.com which will be held at Mumbai’s Andheri Sports Complex on 6 December 2014. The channel will air it later for which the date hasn’t been finalised yet.

August 2, 2014
What’s in store for Life OK in the coming months?

MUMBAI: It was in late 2011 when viewers were introduced to one more general entrainment channel (GEC) and who had thought that in a short span of three years, Star Network’s Life OK would challenge the established ones.

After climbing to the third spot in the TAM TV ratings chart and staying there for long now, the channel has proved its might. It created a niche for itself because of its path breaking content like ‘Saubhagyavati Bhava’, ‘Savdhaan India’ and ‘Devon Ke Dev…Mahadev’.

The man behind the success, the channel’s general manager Ajit Thakur is a humble man who believes in delivering results rather than talking about it.

Thakur who took the path less taken, in an earlier interview to indiantelevision.com, had said that before 2014 ends the channel will have new offerings for its viewers.

And keeping to his words of giving viewers a never-before-seen experience, the channel has announced its newest property. A dance reality show, ‘Dance to Dance’ will see Akshay Kumar mentoring the contestants as well as hosting it.

Thakur had earlier said in a statement expressed that he has no aversions in doing what other channels are already doing, be it dancing, singing or saas-bahu soaps, but his focus will be on how to do it differently.

The reality programme will see the dancers perform in challenging venues rather than on a stage or a set. One would dance on a narrow wall or even under water. Kumar will first demonstrate the format to each contestant in the dance format with a commitment of a ‘first of its kind’ show.

Produced by SOL Productions, it is open to trained dancers from across the globe rather than just celebrities. Thakur informed that around 30 per cent of the budget of the series will be spent on marketing. Since, there will be several foreign participants, apart from advertising on channels, newspaper, hoardings and radio announcements, social media will be used heavily to reach the viewers overseas.

Apart from this, there are two more new fiction shows that will grace the small screen, soon. The channel is open to work with new producers and agencies and take the channel to the next level.

It has already joined hands with Rajshri Productions, Balaji Telefilms and producer Vipul Amrutlal Shah. Sources close to the development reveal that all the shows are currently at the planning stage and will have clarity in the next two months.

“The series will be on-air post Diwali,” adds the source.

Thakur intends to maintain the momentum by continuing with non-traditional content on the channel. Ekta Kapoor’s programme tentatively titled – Bade Dhoke Hai Is Raah Mein Pyaar Ke marks the fiction debut of Sonali Bendre on television.

Reported to be a story with a political backdrop, Bendre is supposed to play the protagonist, who will be forced to develop a career of her own after her husband would get caught in charges of corruption.

Talking about the channel’s second upcoming property, Shah needs no introduction. The man who started off his career with the soap opera Ek Mahal Ho Sapno Ka has given the industry many successful movies in Aankhen, Namastey London, Singh Is Kingg, and many more. After the success of the game-changer show 24 on Colors, Shah’s show is touted to be another big success story.

Tentatively titled Force, it will be an action-thriller series. It has also roped former Roadie Rannvijay Singh as the lead.

Last but not the least, Rajshri Productions, which currently has ‘Pyaar Ka Dard Hai…’ on Star Plus, is set to narrate one more love story but in a different manner. The show that was tentatively titled Khel Khel Mein has got its final title in Mere Rang Mein Rangnewali.

The serial stating true to Rajshri’s taste will see a joint family with three generations staying together. The show is touted to be a complete family drama with a ‘slice of life’ story about young love.

“We have set a benchmark for new genres. We want to find more new stories and that as time goes by, will become the next level for Life OK. We have always taken pride in working with new people, both inside Life OK and the people we work with outside, our producers and agencies,” Thakur had said in an earlier statement.

August 2, 2014
Big Magic brings back ‘Raavi’ & ‘Nadaniyaan’

MUMBAI: To take the entertainment quotient a notch higher, Big Magic is set to introduce all new second season of its famous offerings – Raavi and Nadaniyaan. Armed with interesting new storylines and engaging characters, the shows are set to enthrall the wide audience base of the channel.

Based on the story of a witty girl who grows up disguised as a boy in a Punjabi household, outwitting everyone and challenging society norms, Raavi will be returning with an interesting new twist as she is now accompanied by a magical mobile gadget that helps her through sticky situations. On the other hand, Nadaniyaan, the tale of three innocent simpletons will be bringing in a fresh perspective with a six year leap.

Raavi and Nadaniyaan are all set to hit the television screens on 28 July and 4 August respectively. Big Magic programming head Uditanshu Meta believes that the primary objective is to not only provide viewers with content that is high on humour but also forge a connection with them.

“Both the shows have emerged as steady favourites and are much loved by the Big Magic’s viewers. And now, with new storylines, a magical intervention in the case of Raavi and an exciting six year leap in Nadaniyaan, we are offering a lot more to the audience in terms of innovative content and interesting programming. Hence with the arrival of the new seasons, we are certain that the shows will hold on to the attention and past loyalty of the viewers and pave the way for future seasons.”

The new leg of the shows will be effectively promoted through Reliance Broadcast Network Limited’s robust marketing arm. Ensuring deeper reach across markets, the launch of the show is supported with an extensive multi-media campaign across television, radio, print, out-of-home and on-ground.

The channel is available across key DTH players ranging Airtel, Videocon, DD Free Dish, Dish TV, Reliance Digital TV along with Hathway, Incable, Digicable, DEN, 7 Star, ABS, Siticable, Star Broadband and GTPL amongst others.

July 26, 2014
Akshay Kumar to host and mentor on Life OK’s ‘Dare 2 Dance’

NEW DELHI: After getting celebrities to do stunts in Khatron ke Khiladi, Bollywood’s daredevil actor Akshay Kumar is now going to find trained and famed dancers who will struggle to manage and survive on the dance floor.

Kumar will be the anchor and the mentor on the new dance show, ‘Dare 2 Dance’, which will air on Life OK from September, every weekend.

The reality programme will see the dancer perform in challenging venues rather than on a stage or a set. One would dance on a narrow wall or even under water. Kumar will first demonstrate the format to each contestant in the dance format with a commitment of a ‘first of its kind’ show.

Produced by SOL Productions, it is open to trained dancers from across the globe rather than just celebrities. There will no audience votes, and the elimination will be done in a unique form. He and two other personalities will form the jury. “Taking a cue from my son’s Sports Day function, I have decided that no participant will be eliminated after just one failure, but will be given another chance,” says Kumar.

Life OK general manager Ajit Thakur informs that around 30 per cent of the budget of the series will be spent on marketing. Since there will be several foreign participants, apart from advertising on channels, newspaper, hoardings and radio announcements, the social media will be used heavily to reach the viewers overseas.

The contestants will be challenged to prove their mettle as ‘Extreme Dance Ke Heroes’ in a hope to rise above all odds. Thakur reveals that many had walked out of the show after being told of the challenges.

He adds, “Kumar has successfully managed to challenge the status quo with his constant need to push the envelope and move beyond the common. It was this need to challenge the norms and do something different that brought us together. ”

To provide the right kind of setting, the entire series of sixteen episodes will be shot in and around Cape Town in South Africa.

July 26, 2014
Zindagi: A bet that worked

MUMBAI: “I have always gone by my gut feeling and that is the most important for me,” is what Zeel MD & CEO Punit Goenka had said when he first announced the launch of a new GEC, Zindagi, from the network’s cadre.

And seems like, Goenka’s gut feeling has once again hit the bulls eye.

Zindagi, the mass premium channel, was launched on 23 June with just four shows – Zindagi Gulzar Hai, Aunn Zara, Kash Mein Teri Beti Na Hoti and Kitni Girhain Baqi Hain – from Pakistan with a promise of ‘Jodey Dilon Ko.’

The shows were an instant hit amongst viewers especially the urbanites who went gaga over them on the social media. They struck a chord with viewers and the word of mouth had the social networking sites abuzz with tweets, wall posts and blog posts. The impact was such that the channel in a short span already has more than 4500 followers on Twitter and approximately 2.2 lakh likes on Facebook.

The same was reflected in the TAM TV ratings, which were finally released after several weeks of waiting, as the newbie took over even the 14 year old channel, Sahara One. The channel witnessed 28,700 GVTs in week 29 and 27,013 in week 28.

It has received an overwhelming response from viewers across all age groups as it broke away from the stereotypes of ‘traditional TV viewing in India’. The media analysts believe that the numbers received by the channel are decent for a new entrant in the already cluttered and highly competitive market of Hindi general entertainment channels (GECs).

“If we look at the highly marketed show of megastar Amitabh Bachchan on Sony, Yudh, it was able to generate 1,199 TVTs. Going by this for a niche channel like Zindagi, there is nothing to worry about,” says Havas Media Group India and south Asia CEO Anita Nayyar.

The planners weren’t even expecting big numbers from the channel in the initial weeks, since according to them it is still in the nascent period wherein both the channel and the audience are sampling the content.

Zindagi Gulzar Hai, that generated a lot of buzz on social media, reported 346 TVTs, down from 415 TVTs, Noorpur Ki Rani scored 197 TVTs (week 29), Kaash Main Teri Beti Na Hoti stood at 262 TVTs, up from 252 TVTs and Kitni Girhain Baqi Hai noticed 209 TVTs, up from 167 TVTs.

Like the current shows on Zindagi, even in the 80s, Pakistani series Dhoop Kinare, Tanhaiyaan, Ankahi had caught Indian viewers’ fancy. “The content from across the border is very different from the one showcased here, thus it has always made people notice it,” points out Nayyar.

The shows’ timings too are different from the pattern the Indian shows follow. The first show starts at 8pm, followed by the next at 8:55 pm, then 9:45 pm and last, at 10:15 pm. However, media observers believe that it will take viewers some time to get used to the new pattern and over time, will become a part of everyone’s routine. In return, adding more GVTs to its kitty.

On the other hand, a planner from down south says that though the channel was launched pan-India, the distribution needs to improve in the region which will give a push to the ratings. “A lot of money has been spent in marketing and slowly the numbers will show as well. But a little more push is needed in the area,” he says while agreeing on the fact that it’s too early to judge the channel’s performance by these numbers alone. “It takes time to form a trend,” he adds.

While media analysts agree that the ratings are very low as compared to the big players in the genre, they also feel that it’s a good start. The early report card will not impact the deals the channel has with its current main sponsors: Fogg, Askme.com and Fortune- Edible Oils and Foods. And with the festive season just around the corner, the channel will have reasons to rejoice.

While others (media reports) have already jumped the gun and declared the fate of the channel, we at indiantelevision.com feel that the channel’s content has won many hearts and will continue to do so. ‘Zindagi’ Gulzar Hai…

July 26, 2014
Kaun Banega Crorepati to shoot an episode in Surat!

MUMBAI: The years’ most awaited television quiz show ‘Kaun Banega Crorepati’ is here and this time the game show will commence in great style and grandeur in the city of Surat with mega star and phenomenal host, Mr. Amitabh Bachchan. The knowledge based show aimed at touching lives of millions across the country for the first time ever will be uniquely shot LIVE amidst citizens of Surat and telecast on Sony Entertainment Television.

Like every year the launch of the KBC is one of the most celebrated events of the television industry and this year it is the fans of Surat who will not only get the opportunity to experience the show first hand but also participate in it LIVE. The event is scheduled for Saturday, 2^nd August at Surat International Exhibition & Convention Centre, Althan-Sarsana Road, Surat.

The registrations have commenced from July 22^nd 2014.The selection of contestants to qualify will be done in two rounds and the shortlisted participants will get a chance to play the fastest finger round. The person who answers the question correct in the quickest time will get an opportunity to be on the much celebrated KBC hot seat and play with Mr. Bachchan.

The hospitality partner for this event is Amaazia Group.

July 25, 2014
Star India gets a bomb threat

MUMBAI: The biggest media house in the country, Star India, got a threat call in its south Mumbai office located in Mahalaxmi.

“Yes, we did receive a threat call and hence evacuated the offices as a precautionary measure,” says Star India’s executive vice president marketing & communications Gayatri Yadav.

The media group has two offices in Mumbai, one in Mahalaxmi and the other in Lower Parel. While the threat call was for one of the offices, employees in both the offices were asked to leave early in the evening (at around 4:30 pm.)

“We were asked to leave without any notice. We were told that there was a bomb scare,” informs an employee.

As per media reports, an anti-bomb squad with sniffer dogs had reached the building and a search was conducted for the bomb. Soon after, Twitter too was buzzing with the news about the bomb scare.

The company, which runs 33 channels, is headquartered in Mumbai and has offices in Delhi and Chennai as well.

July 24, 2014