ITV

Category: GECs

  • Zee Tele’s stock soars on ratings upswing, future prospects

    Subhash Chandra touts his plans to disassemble Zee Telefilms Ltd (ZTL) into four separate entities as a necessary move to unlock value. As he stands on the eve of the digital age, he feels he can size up each line of his media business spreading across cable TV, direct-to-home (DTH), content and broadcasting with independent focus and management care.

    What this means is that the core ZTL, after the trimming, would have all the network channels except in the news and regional genres which raked in Rs 2.01 for the 2005-06 fiscal. Operating revenues of Rs 1.54 billion from cable TV would also be transferred out, further eroding the company‘s consolidated turnover.

    Even after cropping the topline, there is a mandate for robust growth. Riding on the wave of Zee Cinema and a resurgent Zee TV, the company expects to clock a 10 per cent rise from last year‘s turnover of Rs 10.51 billion.

    Says Essel Group CEO of corporate strategy and finance Rajiv Garg, “We expect an advertising revenue growth of 12-15 per cent this fiscal. While international business will sustain its 10-12 per cent growth (adding of channels and gain from Middle East operations), domestic subscription will stay steady.”

    Zee‘s road to recovery came last year as the flagship Hindi general entertainment channel bounced back big time on the ratings scale with simple storyline soaps like Saat Phere and Kasamh Se. Zee TV smelt the first scent of success since its continuous slide for over six years, with Sa Re Ga Ma Pe Challenge, a singing talent show.

    “It is not that we came out with any magic potion in programming. We just stuck to the basic rules. What made the difference this time is that we jelled as a team and came out with a winning mindset. The external environment also played a role as Sony lost audiences and Star Plus was still lighted up by the three long-running flagship soaps,” says Zee Network senior vice president Ashish Kaul, explaining the turnaround story.

    Zee‘s resurrection was born out of a long sequence of internal discussions and, in a reshuffle, Chandra‘s elder son Punit Goenka was made business head of Zee TV. In an interview with Indiantelevision.com, Goenka had then said that his induction would bring stability to the channel. “You can expect one change. We want a planned execution of what we do. We won‘t resort to any knee-jerk reactions… Here, internal palpitations happen whenever crucial projects come up. There have been instances when we started a project and left it midway… It is more like using someone who can handle pressure and bring in stability. I consider myself as one of the Zee professionals, not as a family hand. But, being a family man, I think I can bring in stability.”

    The duo of ZTL CEO Pradeep Guha and Goenka clicked and the strategy to build an entire programming wall with focus on a time band approach was chalked out. Programmes were jazzed up and a marketing buzz was created around them. The investments on Zee TV‘s content and marketing rose almost 20 per cent to Rs 2.2 billion in FY06. “There is usually a lag of 4-6 months between improvement in TRPs and ad revenue growth. So with an improvement in ratings, we are predicting a recovery in ad revenues going ahead this year with a return in pricing power,” says an analyst.

    Meanwhile, Zee Cinema, ZTL‘s second major revenue earner, continued as the numero uno in its space and posted an almost 20 per cent rise in turnover to end FY06 with Rs 1.45 billion in earnings. The channel banked on Amitabh Bachchan‘s films and a mix of new and old movies to fend off competition from Max and a revamped Star Gold.

    The change was reflected in the financial health of the company. Facing rough weather, Zee had reported a CAGR (compounded annual growth rate) of 7 per cent in revenues for the period FY02-05. This was contributed by a 28 per cent CAGR in subscription revenues and an annual decline of 8 per cent in ad revenues. The picture changed last fiscal and Zee posted a 13 per cent ad revenue growth, fueled by the ratings ramp up.

    International revenues, which account for one-fourth of Zee‘s earnings, will continue its good run, though operations from UK and US have matured. The Middle East and South Eastern region would ride on a growth wave and Zee is also planning to launch a dubbed movie channel in Russia.

    The worry, though, is the losses from new businesses which remain large at Rs 1.65 billion. But Zee Telugu, which suffered a loss of Rs 460 million last fiscal, now forms a part of Zee News Ltd. Operational expenses will continue to rise as several businesses will be in investment mode.

    The positioning of Zee Smile, a humour-based light entertainment channel, will be up for change. “We are considering whether we should turn it into a flanking second general entertainment channel or design it as a full fledged comedy channel. We have not taken any decision yet,” says Kaul. Zee is also planning to beef up content on its English channels, particularly Zee Cafe which would get a facelift.

    Some analysts have projected a high growth for the whole of Zee. “We model ad revenues to grow to Rs 8.24 billion in FY07, compared to Rs 6.44 billion in FY06 as the non ICC cricket matches pick up. We model subscription revenues to grow to Rs 13.1 billion in FY11 from Rs 7 billion in FY06. The bulk of our expected growth comes from domestic pay TV revenues which we model to grow to Rs 6.45 billion against Rs 2.95 billion in FY06,” writes an analyst in a research report.

    Several analysts, however, play these figures down, saying a lot will depend on how Zee shapes up its content businesses against intense competitive pressure.

    But what will the demerged ZTL look like? “The topline would be lower than what one would see today but bottomline would be healthier,” Chandra said in a recent interview to a business news channel.

    Zee‘s stock price has almost doubled in the last one year and is currently trading at Rs 260. The sum-of-the-parts value is what is driving the scrip up. It will further balloon when the demerger implementation is closer to date,” an analyst at a brokering firm says.

    So what are the potential downsides? There is of course Zee Sports, by virtue of its being a start-up proposition at the present. We do feel though that the new sports channel kid in the Zee family feel has the potential to contribute to ZTL‘s topline growth.

    Zee Sports

    Zee Sports is ready to play the high-cost game of sports broadcasting. After losing the four-year India cricket telecast rights to Harish Thawani-promoted Nimbus Communications, Chandra bowled just about everybody with his googly: a whopping $219.15 million bid to grab cricket rights for 25 one-dayers played by India in offshore non-ICC venues over five years.

    Even Thawani‘s humungous $612 million bid for BCCI (Board of Control for Cricket in India) cricket in India pales in comparison. With 115 days of Test cricket and 54-56 ODIs for four years, Thawani‘s payout for each match works out to around $3.57 million against Chandra‘s $8.77 million.

    Analysts are not enthused by such a high-cost bid. “We do not expect Zee to be able to recover its costs unless there is substantial rub-off effect on its distribution business. The positive aspect is that costs are back-ended, which will mitigate cash flow and balance sheet risks partially and allow Zee sufficient time to scale up its distribution business. The pace of adoption of addressability in India remains the key to Zee‘s future earnings and valuations,” an analyst at an institutional equity firm writes in a research report.

    For the first two ODIs in Abu Dhabi between India and arch rival Pakistan, Zee Sports suffered a loss. On a paying price of $10 million (Rs 450 million), sources say gross revenues from India stood at Rs 240 million (Rs 130 million on Doordarshan and Rs 110 million on Zee Sports channel). If you cut out a 15 per cent commission as media agency fee and a 25 per cent revenue share to DD (Rs 27.6 million), Zee‘s trimmed earnings would be Rs 176.4 million.

    Zee Sports business head Himanshu Mody does not agree that the offshore properties are a big hole in the company‘s pocket. The commercial exploitation from overseas markets fetched as much as was generated from ad revenues in India, he says. “Incremental subscription revenues from Zee TV‘s global channels, ad sales and earnings from content syndication were healthy. Besides, it increased the reach and visibility of Zee Sports in India.”

    Chandra is optimistic about his big bet on cricket. “We got only four days to sell the two ODIs and incurred a small loss of Rs 20-30 million. We have a staggered payment schedule which increases towards the end of the five-year period. We believe we will make money on this because of broadband and pay-per-view opportunities which are emerging. This will establish Zee Sports as a channel and boost our international subscription and domestic growth,” he told analysts.

    Chandra also believes he is paying only for the ODIs which are high-value properties. Besides, these are all India matches and will involve strong teams including Pakistan, Australia and England.

    Still, there is no getting away from the fact that Zee‘s cricket gamble needs to be backed up with good properties. Chandra will get just five matches on an average every year (the final calendar of matches hasn‘t yet been finalized), which is a spread too thin for any sports channel to command distribution clout and revenues. “A sports channel needs at least a long drawn cricket series to ramp up its subscription revenues,” says the distribution head of a leading network.”

    Having paid dearly for these spike properties, Chandra will have to build up a breadth of live mass-watched programming which will have a longer enduring value. If he is not able to manage a stream of supply that is more widespread, the property that he has acquired will lack bite and value. The youngest channel in the Zee bouquet will have to be fed with more days of live cricket or bankable international football.

    Even if Chandra loosens his purse strings, where is the cricket or football of value available to fill up the plate?

    Some options will open up for Zee like the Octagen-CSI cricket telecast rights (with ESPN Star Sports now) and the Pakistan and Sri Lanka domestic cricket (with Ten Sports), but the content will not be available before 2008. Even the ICC World Cup will be up for grabs after SET India‘s rights expire in with the 2007 World Cup in the West Indies.

    So, what does Zee do till 2008? The challenge is to develop Zee Sports as a platform for second-tier sports like football and wait till it can snap up bigger properties. Having acquired 10-year rights to AIFF (All India Football Federation) football, the task is to build this as a long term property.

    Zee Sports will focus on cricket, football and tennis, says Mody. “We hope to reap profits from football where our cost will be up by 5-7 per cent year-on-year while revenues can leapfrog. We have also got Mumbai and Delhi marathons as long term properties.”

    Working on collaboration with other sports channels is also a route Mody is going to push for. “Competition has to be more collaborative as acquisition prices of sporting events shoot up. The French Open is an example of how this can be achieved with Ten Sports allowing us to telecast the event as they had cricket on their channel,” he says.

    Zee Sports is at an incubation stage and will require long term investments for the development of the channel. For the fiscal ended March 2006, Zee Sports posted a loss of Rs 600 million. “Obviously, in the initial period there will be losses. We are not going to stop at the 25 ODIs. We will bid for the World Cup and the other boards as well. Sports as a business would grow for us,” Chandra told analysts.

    The decision to bring Zee Sports under the ZTL umbrella was something Chandra had not originally planned for. “We had created it as a separate entity because we were thinking of bringing a strategic partner in the business. But some developments took place and we decided it should become a division of ZTL,” he replied to analysts.

    The losses of Zee Sports, in fact, had a beneficial impact on ZTL‘s bottomline in FY06 as it acted as a tax shield. “It had a positive impact. Our tax liability has been reduced by at least Rs 180-200 million,” Chandra admitted.

    But by kicking in losses for a longer period, will Zee Sports be a drag on the profitability of ZTL? Making calculations based on the existing properties, Mody believes Zee Sports‘ losses would reduce this fiscal and the entity would be profitable by FY08. “We realise sports broadcasting is a long term play. As it was the only genre where Zee was not present in, we launched it with the idea of now or never. But we are in a special position by being part of a larger bouquet for both distribution and ad sales revenue exploitation. Since we also have a large global presence, we can also leverage it better,” he says.

    Zee Sports will spruce up ZTL‘s topline which has under its umbrella channels like Zee TV, Zee Cinema, Zee Café, Zee Studio and Zee Sports. Among all the horses within ZTL, it is Zee Sports which, as a startup, can provide faster growth for the company if properly incubated.

    Perhaps, it is with this logic that Chandra is putting big money behind the sports channel. Perhaps, it is also the ego of a media baron who wants to prove that he can win in sports broadcasting (after being deprived of ICC World Cup and BCCI cricket despite bidding higher on both the occasions) as well. Or is it a mix of both?

    Whatever it is, Chandra will have his task cut out for him to make money from a bid that, at the surface, seems ridiculously so high that it made Sony stay out and ESPN Star Sports come out with an offer lower than the floor price of $5 million per match.

    But it is exactly this quality which separates Chandra from the other Indian media entrepreneurs. Where others see risk, he sees an opportunity to make money.

  • Zoom attempts comedy with Santa & Banta Unlimited; to air 10 July

    Zoom attempts comedy with Santa & Banta Unlimited; to air 10 July

    MUMBAI: The original Indian rap king Baba Saigal and popular RJ Siddharth Kannan team up to entertain viewers with Zoom’s first comic bonanza, Santa & Banta Unlimited. This new show aims to redefine ‘time pass viewing’, with it’s two hosts Siddharth Kannan aka Santa and Baba Saigal aka Banta.

    The one thing that the duo is confident about is that they just come on sets to have a whole load of fun to create a zara hatke comical show that will deliver everything from topical news, lifestyle issues, film reviews, TV gags of other shows, parties, call ins for “love” problems and other Gyaan, in true Santa Banta style, which is a comical rhapsody, witty repartees and award winning one liners.

    Joking about his rapport with Baba, Kannan remarks with his trademark tongue-in-cheek twist, “We are like a husband and wife team. But we haven’t figured who is the husband and who is the wife. We are two contrasting people with a zest for life. As people in Mumbai would say, we are truly bindaas.”

    “Anchoring is a part of me. It has a different kick, different popularity and a different feedback,” says Baba about his experience. “I have known Siddharth since the past 12 years. We’ve developed a great chemistry and that will be evident on-screen.”

  • MTV to celebrate anniversary of Live8 concert globally

    MTV to celebrate anniversary of Live8 concert globally

    MUMBAI: One year on from the historic Live8 concert, MTV Networks International is celebrating the first anniversary of the momentous music event by airing a new special this month called Live8: What A Difference A Day Made. This is being done through a partnership with Network Live. An estimated three billion people all from all over the world watched Live8, billed as the greatest show on earth, where the crème of the world’s music artists came together to perform with one message – make poverty history.

    MTV will premiere the 90-minute special reaching 480 million households around the world in major markets including US, Japan, UK, France, Germany and Latin America. In addition to providing viewers the chance to relive the music spectacular of Live8, Bob Geldof will introduce the programme by giving a retrospective on how far we have travelled since the historic event and why it’s important to remember one year later.

    The programme is a selection of highlights from most inspirational performances and presentations that took place across 10 cities including London, Paris, Berlin, Rome, Ontario, Toyko, Johannesburg, Philadelphia, Moscow and Edinburgh. Live8: What A Difference A Day Made relives the moments when U2, Coldplay, Black Eyed Peas, Green Day, Madonna, Youssou N’Dour and Dido, Robbie Williams, Pink Floyd, R.E.M., Paul McCartney and others captured the hope and optimism of the world and rallied the crowds to fight against poverty in Africa and to lobby the G8 leaders to makes promises on debt relief, Aids drugs, trade tariffs and education.

    The special will air on MTV’s channels in the lead up the G8 Summit 2006 on 15 July in St Petersburg, Russia where G8 leaders are expected to discuss international issues such as global energy security, infectious diseases and education. Live8 was executive produced by Network Live CEO Kevin Wall.

    In 2005 in the week leading to the G8 Summit and Live8 concerts, UK Prime Minister and chair of the G8 summit Tony Blair and Live8’s leading force Bob Geldof took tough questions on African poverty, debt relief and US President George Bush’s policies on climate control from MTV viewers representing 24 countries around the world – including seven African nations.

  • Fresh take on ‘Head Honchos’ on Janmat

    Mumbai 27th June 2006: Head Honchos, a new show on Janmat hosted by Anish Trivedi in his impeccable style is creating waves in the television duniya. Every week at 7.30p.m. on Saturday, Anish interviews a corporate honcho selected from a panel from Janmat.

    Warm and intimate, this is a no frills show, with the predominant mood being two people talking at leisure, about not only success at business but the person who has made it possible. The show is not shot in the corporate’s company office, but rather in an informal setting. The venue of the interview is often decided by the corporate head, usually at a place where he/she likes to relax and unwind. The place can range from a favorite golf course, his house, farmhouse, club etc. In the case of a female corporate, it could also be her favorite beauty parlor, her gymkhana, her jogging track or even the comforts of her house that displays her home settings.

    The theme and objective behind the interview is to uncover different aspects of a corporate head’s life ranging from his / her personal family life, to their favorite movie, dressing, hobbies, and professional life, to their opinion on current events, vision for their company, innermost desires and the goals still not reached.

    Hosted by Anish in his inimitable style, the show is in English and targeted to attract people from the corporate and allied fields. For young minds yearning to find their place in the world, Head Honchos will show the way to dream big and perform bigger!

    Head Honchos has been receiving recognition and support from industrialists, executives from across the corporate world and viewers who get a thrill from learning from successful people.

     

    With two episodes to their credit, Head Honcho has so far got Adi Godrej (CMD, Godrej Consumer Products Ltd. and Niranjan Hirandani (MD, Hiranandani Group of Companies) on their shows. More top line CEOs are all set to let you in on their most personal lives and their rise to the top.

    Some of the big names in the industry that will soon be featured on Head Honchos future episodes are Piyush Pandey (National Creative Director, O & M, Ashwini Kakkar CEO & MD, Thomas Cook ( India ) Ltd, Sanjeev Agrawal MD, World Gold Council. Anil Khera COO, Sansui and Dr. Dewan Nanda, CMD Topsgrup.

    In the space of 6 months, Janmat has forged ahead of channels like Times Now, NDTV Profit, Zee Business and Headlines Today. Janmat bombards the viewers with news, brought out in a synchronized manner that enables assimilation. Wherever Janmat has gone, it has made sure that the issues were addressed BY the people, FOR the people and THROUGH the people. This has helped the ordinary voter to gain clout and power to fight against the system.

     

    Positioned as India’s first Views Channel, JANMAT has brought a fresh breeze in the country’s TV viewing landscape. JANMAT is a 24-hour current affairs channel targeted towards the discerning Indian audience. JANMAT has an ear to the ground, and allows the common man to express his grievances for swift redressal.

  • Zee News regains number 2 position

    Zee News regains number 2 position

    New Delhi – 3rd July’06: Zee News, the leading Hindi news channel regains the number 2 position according to the TAM Data for the week 25th. Zee news has always being doing a lot of innovations to give its viewers the right and accurate picture in the news segment.

    According to TAM wk 25 in the channel share Zee news is No.2 (Data enclosed) SEC ABC M 15+;HSM. This is primarily due to the new set, look, presentation and graphics. Also at the 10 PM slot the new program Badi Khabar is delivering and has become an instant choice for the viewers of Zee News.

    Commenting on this achievement Shri Laxmi Narain Goel, Director – Zee News Ltd., said, “Zee News, in its endeavor to update its viewers about the current trend of politics, is now presenting this unique show with a big difference called Badi Khabar which tells you about the big news of the day, highlights the Top Story of the day that concerns and affects the man on the street. Badi Khabar was launched along with the new ‘bold’ look of the channel using the latest technology in presenting news. It has been our constant effort to show the viewers of Zee News not just news but something more than that by constantly creating new shows.

    About Zee News

    Zee News, the news and current affairs channel of the Zee group, has taken giant strides ever since its inception in 1992. Reaching millions of viewers in five continents, the channel revolutionized the way news was brought home to the viewers and absorbed by them.

    Zee News is a pioneer not just because it was the first private broadcaster news in South Asia but also because it created history in 1999 when it became the first 24 hours news channel of the country.

    Media Contacts:
    Chetan Saxena
    9811323282

  • HBO presents ‘Troy’– a classic tale of triumph and tragedy this April

    Mumbai, March 31, 2006: HBO, the world’s leading movie channel welcomes the summer with a cool and captivating line-up all through April. The eventful month with Blockbuster of the Month, HBO Saturday Nights, Sunday Super Hits, will also feature the all new HBO Cruise Control, premiere of HBO Original Movie along with HBO original series and a collection of comedy, action, drama and romance.

     

    Watch Brad Pitt in one of his finest performances ever as Achilles, the great warrior, go to war for power, honor and love in the griping classic TROY in the HBO Blockbuster of the Month on Friday 21st April at 9:00 pm.

     

    All time favorite movies lined up on HBO Saturday Nights at 9:00 pm every Saturday. The breezy, fun-filled “Looney Tunes: Back In Action”, on 1st April, will have both kids and adults rolling with laughter. In the suspense thriller on 8th April, “The Forgotten” starring Julianne Moore as a single mother, who after losing her 8-year-old son, seeks psychiatric help and is told that her son is merely a figment of her imagination – or is this all a mysterious conspiracy! Tim Burton brings an enchanting, fantasy-filled adventure on 15th April, “Big Fish” that garnered an Oscar and 4 Golden Globe nominations including Best Picture. Enjoy the family adventure “Second Hand Lions”, described as a “comedic fantasy with a big heart” on 22nd April. Will Ferrell stars as the big and clumsy elf in “ELF”, who journeys to New York City in search of his father, played by the legendary James Caan, and stepmother, Mary Steenburgen on 27th April.

     

    HBO Sunday Super Hits on Sundays 8:00 pm brings “Anger Management”, on 2nd April, which might just be the movie to blow your blues away. In “The River Wild”, on 9th April, a troubled couple, on a vacation face a nightmare as they run into two escaped convicts. “Lethal Weapon 3” sees sparks fly as the unforgettable duo, Mel Gibson and Danny Glover, team up in the dynamic, action-packed movie on 16th April. “Romeo Must Die”, on 23rd April, is an electrifying new version of the Romeo and Juliet tale set in the backdrop of a gangster between the American Mob Boss. “The Chambers”, on 30th April, based on Grisham’s bestseller, is a griping film on the compelling tale of an idealistic lawyer who’s forced to confront the secrets of his family’s dark past.

     

    HBO Original Movie “American Splendor”, to be showcased on Tuesday, April 4th at 9:00 pm, is the true saga of a working-class Everyman who pursues self-expression without self-censorship – and finds a grateful audience, critical admiration and that most remarkable of happy endings, a loving family.

     

    He’s cool, he’s good looking and the most sought after actor in Hollywood. He’s also making a big presence in the highly anticipated “Mission: Impossible 3” coming to your theaters next month. Catch him this month first when we bring you a selection of his top box office hits including the hit that started it all – “Mission Impossible” on April 17th. Also catch “The Last Samurai”, on April 24th, the all time favourite “Top Gun” on 3rd April & the latest release “Collateral”, on April 10th, in HBO’s ‘Cruise Control’, every Monday night at 9:00 pm.

     

    HBO brings the best of Hollywood by premiering the top blockbuster movies on television first in South Asia through exclusive licensing deals with four major Hollywood studios – Paramount, Sony Pictures Entertainment (Columbia/ TriStar), Universal and Warner Bros.

     

    Prime time viewing on HBO includes HBO Blockbuster Of The Month, a special television event that premieres a mega blockbuster movie every month, HBO Saturday Nights, which premieres a new box office hit each week throughout the year; HBO Superstar Sunday, which showcases outstanding performances by Hollywood’s hottest stars in their most memorable roles. In addition, HBO features at least 3- 4 new movie showcases every month to offer viewers an interesting mix of Hollywood movies based on exciting themes.

     

     

    For further information, please contact:
    Aparna Arora, Communications HBO Asia
    Tel: 011 – 51668405
    E-mail: arora_aparna@hboasia.com.sg

    Nimisha Bhargava, CMCG India
    Tel-fax: 022– 24450991-6
    Email: nimisha.bhargava@cmcgindia.com

  • Zee to launch Zee Sports despite all odds

    Zee to launch Zee Sports despite all odds

    Zee Telefilms will be launching its sports channel on October 1. The channel is temporarily christened Zee Sports. Zee was counting on the bagging of the telecast rights of all the ICC organised cricket matches. But it lost out to Rupert Murdoch who walked home with the telecast rights.

    This was seen as a major blow for the launch of the Zee Sports channel. But the channel executives announced that they would go ahead with the launch of Zee Sports channel. The executives claimed that they have enough software for the channel to keep it going and to make it successful.

    Zee has recently taken a 60% stake in the Goa-based soccer club Churchill Brothers. The channel is also looking out for similar tie-ups with other such sports bodies. Besides this, officials have confirmed that they will have cricket, soccer, tennis, athletics and other sports software for their new channel.

    On the recent controversy of the awarding of ICC cricket telecast rights, the channel is up in arms against the ICC for awarding the rights to its rival group backed by Rupert Murdoch. Zee executives have claimed that this decision smells of racism and that they would not sit back and except his decision and that they are consulting various legal experts to take appropriate action against the ICC. Zee had bid $666 million for the rights where as News Corp/WSG bid $550 million, which is $1 million lower than Zee’s bid.

  • A ‘Rendezvous’ with the ‘Khan’daan

    Mumbai, February 22, 2006… The name ‘Khan’ evokes a certain charisma in Bollywood. This Khan Khandaan lives big, dreams big, their lifestyle, everything about them is grand. Meet Sanjay & Zarine Khan along with their son and Bollywood’s hottest new sensation Zayed Khan on ‘Rendezvous with Simi Garewal’. Amidst all the bigness and grandeur, Sanjay Khan speaks his heart out of the near-fatal accident he experienced on the sets of Tipu Sultan, the mid-life crisis the couple faced, Zayed’s notorious pranks and his road to stardom this Sunday, February 26th at 9: 30 p.m. only on Star World.

    Excerpts from the interview:

    Simi: Could you both have done without each other?
    Zarine: No
    Sanjay: No, I don’t think I would have been the man I am, if she was not the woman she is.

    Simi: But then came the trials, the crisis that crescent your marriage, did you realize that your marriage was under stress?
    Sanjay: I don’t think it was under stress.
    Zarine: My marriage seemed to be in a lot of stress… especially to a lot of other people … but not to me
    Sanjay: I was taken for granted by somebody else… there was no such thing from my side… there was no betrayal of trust.

    Simi: But, you did get temporarily involved with your leading lady?
    Sanjay: I would say, it could have happened.
    Zarine: I knew my husband, may be he did falter, a little bit, but again being an actor’s wife you got to have that much of patience and at the same time the conviction that he will come back to you.

    Simi: Sanjay, you have been literally, physically been through hell when the fire took place on the sets of Tipu Sultan?
    Sanjay: That was the biggest challenge of my life… I was in debt… I owed money to people… and this happened… Tipu sultan was my biggest gamble… 13 months I was in hospital… first 2 months I was in coma… the 3rd, 4th and 5th month I was sleeping on a plastic sheet of blood.

    Simi: Pain must have been …
    Sanjay: It was excruciating pain…

    Simi: You went through 65% burns.
    Sanjay: And I had 72 surgeries!
    Zarine: It was terrifying, the doctor had given only 10% chances of survival and when I walked in the hospital I couldn’t believe this was my handsome husband.

    Simi: Sanjay, do you see yourself in Zayed?
    Sanjay: Very much, my mirror image. From the head to toe, but his eyes are his mother’s eyes
    Zayed: I think I am mix of both

    Simi: After these 3 girls who were like dolls, were you ready for the firecracker that arrived?
    Zarine: He was an absolute firecracker from the day he was born…

    Simi: What did you do Zayed?
    Zayed: Oh my god! Everything from dropping ink on her Persian carpets to breaking her very expensive things at home.

    Simi: So Sanjay, when he told you that he seriously wanted to become an actor, what did you tell him?
    Sanjay: He used to smoke so much; he was skinny, looking gawky. I told him, look at yourself in the mirror first, build your muscles, go to a gym, stop smoking, put some discipline, when you walk into a room you should look like a gladiator… heads should turn.

    So this Sunday don’t miss Sanjay, Zarine and Zayed Khan on Rendezvous with Simi Garewal on Star World, Feb 26th at 9.30 p.m.

    About Star
    STAR is a leading media and entertainment company in Asia. STAR broadcasts over 50 television services in nine languages to more than 300 million viewers across 53 Asian countries. STAR channels cover all genres including general entertainment (Star Plus, Xing Kong, Star Chinese Channel, Star One, Star Utsav, Star World, Vijay, Phoenix Chinese), sports (ESPN, Star Sports), movies (Star Chinese Movies, Star Gold, Star Movies), music (Channel [V]), and news and current affairs (Star News, Star Ananda, Phoenix InfoNews Channel). STAR controls over 20,000 hours of Indian and Chinese programming and also owns the world’s largest contemporary Chinese film library, with more than 600 titles, featuring superstars including Jackie Chan, Chow Yun Fat and Bruce Lee. In partnership with leading companies in Asia, STAR businesses extend to filmed entertainment, television production, cable systems, direct-to-home services, terrestrial TV broadcasting, wireless and digital services. STAR is a wholly owned subsidiary of News Corporation. www.startv.com

    For further information please contact:
    In Mumbai
    Zeenat Khan Shiraz Bhavnani / Aditi Chada
    Communications Department Vaishnavi Corporate Communications
    STAR (India) Ltd. Tel: 91-22-5656 8787
    Tel No. 91-22-56305555 Fax: 91-22-5656 8788
    Email:sbhavnani@vccpl.com / achada@vccpl.com

  • ‘With cricket action coming up, Sony has initiatives lined up in the digital space’ : Kaushal Modi – Sony Entertainment Television India head licensing & telephony

    ‘With cricket action coming up, Sony has initiatives lined up in the digital space’ : Kaushal Modi – Sony Entertainment Television India head licensing & telephony

    After establishing its digital platform 2525 with a slew of activities in 2004, Sony India’s 2005 plan was to take it to the next level to turn it into a substantial revenue generating model. To drive the strategies, it needed an experienced hand in this space to head the division. The search ended in Kaushal Modi, who was then a key player in arch rival Star India’s digital strategies. Thus, in February 2005, Modi switched to Sony India in the capacity of head, licensing and telephony.

    Going into the second half 2006, Sony’s game plan now mainly revolves around the game of cricket and Modi is banking on the bonanza to contribute significantly to the growth of his digital activities. “With cricket action coming up, Sony has got lots of initiatives lined up in this space. The action will start ticking from October 2006 onwards. We are still working on our plans,” he says.

    On the licensing front, Modi is exploring new markets and under his leadership, Sony has even entered the arena of format sales. “Sony used to sell its shows in the international markets and was never into selling formats. This year, for the first time, we have tried exploring this space with soaps ‘Kaisa Yeh Pyaar Hai’ and ‘Yeh Meri Life Hai’ and the experiment has generated an encouraging response,” says Modi. And he is betting big on new content platforms such as Video on Demand (VoD) and IPTV to drive the growth in this sphere.

    In an interview with Indiantelevision.com’s Bijoy A K, Modi explains the market scenario, the strategies and the game plan for the year.

    Excerpts:

    This year’s MipTV witnessed the trend of TV producers investing in buying formats as against just broadcasters doing so. Would it make a negative impact on the syndication strategies of broadcasters?
    Yes. Earlier, broadcasters used to drive these activities at MipTV. But, now, the scenario has undergone a change. There are many international format companies, which are very keen on the Indian market. While bigger companies such as Endemol and Fremantle do have direct access to the Indian market through their offices in the country, some of their smaller counterparts — who don’t have direct access to India — depend on markets such as MipTV and Mipcom. This is the international scenario right now.

    Coming to the second part of your question, this trend doesn’t make a difference to our business strategies. We are content aggregators and not content creators. The format owners are never in a position to squeeze money out of their clients. It is up to the broadcaster (buyer) to pick up a format or not.

    Sony has taken its two shows – Kaisa Yeh Pyaar Hai and Yeh Meri Life Hai, which are not game shows – to MipTV in Cannes this year for the purpose of syndication and formatting. How was the experience? Have you struck deals with international companies?
    Earlier, Sony used to sell its shows in the international markets and was never into selling formats. Now, this year, we have kicked off our format syndication activities. We tried exploring this space with soaps Kaisa Yeh Pyaar Hai and Yeh Meri Life Hai and the experiment has generated an encouraging response. We haven’t signed any buyer yet, but there are enquiries from various foreign broadcasters. Some of the Asian and European (Germany and Poland) have expressed interest in the format. They want to recreate the content, giving it a local treatment. The talks are still going on.

    Please comment on the demand for our homegrown properties abroad? Do you keep the international market also in mind, while developing original formats?
    The advent of new technologies is changing the face of the international content syndication market. In the international market, new content platforms including Video on Demand (VOD) and IPTV have been boosting this business segment. The new technology helps the content aggregator to target niche consumer segments, however small in size they are.

    For example, if you have 5000 Indians living in a certain area in Japan and you want to target them with your content, you can do that with the help of these new technologies. Thus, you have a viable business model in hand. This has opened up new markets across the globe.

    Speaking about the potential of Indian properties in the international markets, there is a significant Indian diaspora – though not critical enough to drive the business — supporting the trade. Genre-wise, I would say there is a stress on movies.

    South East Asia has always been the strong traditional market for Indian content. But now, with the advent of new content platforms, Europe and Africa have also started showing interest in our content. European channels such as RTL2 (Germany) have been showing a lot of interest in Indian content. As I mentioned earlier, there is a demand for movies. But, at the same time, some of these European channels now want to try shorter series as well.

    Hence, developing homegrown properties, which can be saleable in the international markets also, sounds a lucrative idea. But, our main focus continues to be India and the strategy has always been to leverage on the original Indian content. For us, the Indian viewer always comes first while conceptualising ideas.

    What will be the size of the content syndication market with regard to Indian television? Please speak on the market dynamics including growth potential and competition.
    It is a highly fragmented market in India and it will be very difficult to put any number to it. Apart from the three or four big players, there are several medium-sized companies and then hundreds of smaller players including sub-brokers. The traditional syndication market is stagnant. New content platforms will drive the business. This will be driving almost 50 per cent of the revenues in the near future.

    Competition is there in all forms, whether it is producers or broadcasters. Speaking about Sony’s content syndication plan, I would say we haven’t yet exploited the segment to the full extent. We have just started. Healthy competition definitely helps. With competition, you have new markets opening up across the globe. Players keep moving, looking for greener pastures.
    ‘The advent of new technologies is changing the face of the international content syndication market‘

    How much does the content syndication business contributes to Sony India’s kitty?
    It is definitely not a topline driver for Sony. It is more of a bottomline driver. Though it contributes a miniscule compared to other revenue streams, it plays a significant role in the total scheme of things. It creates a market value for the channel. It creates added revenue opportunities through an existing property. We have to keep in mind that, here the channel is not making any new investments.

    Speaking about the future potential, content syndication & licensing will contribute well to drive exponential growth.

    Star India recently revamped its short code 7827 and looks very aggressive on its interactive and digital plans. What can we expect from Sony this year in this space?
    With cricket action coming up, Sony has got lots of initiatives lined up in this space. The action will start ticking from October 2006 onwards. We are still working on our plans.

    Speaking about our digital presence, Sony already has a Wap site. But we haven’t been promoting it much since the Wap technology is still in its nascent stage of growth in India. Hence, we haven’t been banking on the Wap site much to drive user downloads. A good percentage of our content download happens through the telecom operator sites. We are also weighing options to launch a mobile voice platform.

    Please elaborate on your digital and wireless strategy
    The entire department has been created to leverage the opportunities this space offers. Sony envisages that, the future is going to be digital. New technologies driven by mobile phones, iPods and other handheld devices will spearhead an exponential growth. The atmosphere is very encouraging since mobile connectivity in the country has really picked up. Keeping the changes in mind, we are closely working to build a digital content bank and making our programming and content available across all the available platforms. The thrust will be on creating a dedicated mobile and internet community.

    Convergence of television and portals appears to be the latest mantra for entertainment. Please elaborate on Sony’s plans and the progress in this segment.
    We have our online presence in setindia.com. To offer content through broadband, we have tied up with SifyMax. This association helps us to offer some of our popular shows such as Fame Gurukul and Indian Idol through broadband. This way, we are able to capitalise on the significance of SifyMax as a popular destination for online content. This is a win-win situation for both of us. We also have content associations with Indiatimes and Tata VSNL.

    How do you plan to leverage Set India’s programming portfolio with the mobile initiatives? Are there plans to make mobisodes out of your popular soaps?
    I would say, the Indian market is yet to see a proper mobisode. The mobisode revolution is still bit away in the horizon as the technology is not yet ready to accommodate it. What we all have been doing is, repurposing our content for mobile phone. And the advantage: you can target different audience segments with various niche products made out of a single programme.

    Globally, most of the mobile companies are getting out of the content sector to focus on their main areas of strength. In India also, should mobile operators have to move out of the content space? Please offer your take on this.
    The international market has been witnessing lots of alignments between content providers and the technology companies. Internationally, we have entertainment companies sticking on to content operations, while technology companies concentrating on the technical aspects. Obviously, you can’t lay your hands on both the businesses because it is difficult to focus on these diverse segments. The same applies to the Indian market as well.

    Are you looking to partner international companies in the digital space? What is your take on the global scenario?
    Sony in talks with some of the players for digital distribution of content and we have already got Jump TV on board in this space. We are in advanced stages of talks with some of the European and US players and an announcement in this regard will be made soon.
    What are the issues that will foster an even faster mobile market growth in India?
    What is critical is creating best practices and formula for the industry. Industry practices should be standardised so that, it will encourage the players to roll out a variety of services. There should be flexibility in pricing. There is huge potential in areas such as voice offerings and subscription services. By working together as a team, we can capitalise on the huge growth potential the space offers.
    Will web streaming as a concept catch up in India?
    Web streaming is yet to catch up in the country because of the bandwidth issues. But, with falling broadband prices, it has got a huge potential to deliver, especially in the area of interactivity. If the government’s bandwidth targets for the fiscal are met, the market would undergo a tremendous change.
  • Sony firms up 10 pm slot with new thriller ‘Akela’, 2 more shows to follow

    Sony firms up 10 pm slot with new thriller ‘Akela’, 2 more shows to follow

    MUMBAI: After launching the one-hour weekly drama Vaidehi in the 10 pm slot on Mondays, Sony Entertainment Television (SET) India will now launch a thriller cum drama – Akela – on Tuesday at 10 pm.Akela, which will launch on 4 July as an hourly show, will soon be followed by two new shows at 10 pm slotted for Wednesday and Thursday. With these, the new programme launches at Sony, which began with the Friday lineup revamp, will culminate.

    SET India COO NP Singh said, “We have always taken pride in giving our viewers very distinctive and innovative programming that makes for wholesome family entertainment. With Akela, we are dealing with supernatural along with drama, an entire new genre that will throw new insights on the topic that has never been dealt with on television. The show comes from Fireworks and BP Singh, who have given successful thrillers like CID and Aahat, only reiterates our faith and confidence in the project. With Akela, we plan to take suspense dramas and thrillers to a different level.”

    Producer director BP Singh added, “Akela will be a soap with a difference. We are trying to break new grounds with a combination of soap and supernatural element. We have done popular thrillers in the past, but with Akela we are attempting to move into other areas.”

    Sony has tied up with cinema halls where Akela trailers will run along with movie trailers like Krissh. The channel has unleashed a 360 degree multimedia campaign comprising print, television, outdoor and internet. “The print campaign for Akela will begin on 4 July. The campaign will also have an extensive outdoor presence via railway stations, bus backs, bus shelters and malls. We have also tied up with radio and cable channels for cross promotion,” said SET India senior vice president and programming head Anupama Mondloi.

    Akela stars Sudhanshu Pandey, Sumeet Raghvan, Ashka Goradia, Pankaj Dheer, Mihir Misra, MAhii Vij, Nandita Puri, Navni Parihar and Viju Khote amongst others.