ITV

Category: GECs

  • ZEE successfully unlocks the biggest content innovation during lockdown with SaReGaMaPa – Ek Desh Ek Raag

    ZEE successfully unlocks the biggest content innovation during lockdown with SaReGaMaPa – Ek Desh Ek Raag

    At a time when the COVID-19 pandemic has had an unprecedented impact on our collective human experience, music has the power to unite, heal and uplift the mood of the nation. Ever since its inception 25 years ago, India’s longest-running non-fiction franchise – SaReGaMaPa has consistently leveraged the power of music in uplifting the common man – giving him the country’s most definitive platform to showcase his singing talent. It was only befitting, then, that with Sa Re Ga Ma Pa crossing its 25-year milestone in 2020, ZEE leveraged its network strength by way of a truly unique initiative aimed at helping humanity rise above the gloom through the power of music. This industry-first phenomenon ‘Ek Desh Ek Raag’ started on 23rd May with a 25-hour Music Marathon on digital with back-to-back, round-the-clock performances by popular singers across 10 ZEE Facebook pages that captured the vibrancy of the sur, taal and spirit of every Indian sub-culture. The 25-year milestone culminated in a grand televised, shot-from-home fund-raising concert on 24th May across 23 channels of ZEE & Zee Media with performances by the most iconic faces of the show. The LIVE-athon on digital and the concert on TV combined saw 45+ Hours of fresh unique content shot from home, including 600+ performances by 200+ singers in 10 different languages. The invincible power of music has touched multiple hearts with ‘Ek Desh, Ek Raag’, receiving an overwhelming global response, garnering a cumulative reach of 63.1 million viewers across TV in India, and 165 million cumulative reach worldwide for its 10 day campaign on social media platforms.

    Zee TV’s Facebook page alone clocked in a cumulative reach of 58 million users. The resounding success of Ek Desh, Ek Raag can be attributed to the musical franchise's legacy and the collaborative effort of bringing together stalwarts of music from across geographies; from Pandit Jasraj and Jazzy B who performed from USA and Canada respectively to Haricharan and Himesh Reshammiya to Rajesh Krishnan Vijayaprakash and Durnibar Saha representing the many Bharats in India. ‘Ek Desh Ek Raag’ catered to every member of the family with performers ranging from the youngest Li’l champ all of 6 years of age, to the most seasoned veterans like Ronu Majumdar, Vishwa Mohan Bhatt, Kumar Sanu, Alka Yagnik, Shaan and Kavita Krishnamurthy amongst others.

    Unlocking Tech innovations

    ZEE successfully embraced content and technology solutions, seamlessly executing the music marathon from digital to TV even amidst the lockdown. The beauty of the whole exercise was the collaborative effort that ensured not a single person needed to step out of their homes.

    Over 160 team members across regions worked from home utilizing innovative tech solutions to weave in artist performances not only from across the nation but across the globe, elevating the national collaboration effort to a truly global one.

    An SOP on the Audio & Video production solutions guided the artists and broadcast teams to optimally utilize the ubiquitous mobile, giving the viewers an opportunity to enjoy a live-concert experience within the safety of their homes.

    Work from home setups for the edit systems with state-of-the-art remote access applications further helped the teams in transferring the footage from mobiles to various remote locations without generation loss to be converted to broadcast compatible formats.

    Talking about the success of the Ek Desh Ek Raag initiative, Prathyusha Agarwal, Chief Consumer Officer, Zee Entertainment Enterprises Limited said, “In curating ‘Ek Desh, Ek Raag,’ the idea was to harness the power of music in transcending regional boundaries, uniting people to uplift the collective mood of the nation, thereby unlocking humanity. The mammoth effort of pulling off the 25-hour music marathon on TV & Digital was a perfect blend of maximising technology, creativity and collaboration. As India’s longest running singing reality show – SaReGaMaPa celebrated this power of music in making a difference to the life of our viewers across the country, supporting COVID-relief initiatives. The phenomenal response received has been deeply gratifying, standing testament to the legacy of our franchise and the strong equity it continues to hold with audiences across the globe. The success of the concert across TV & digital platforms is a true representation of our philosophy of being extraordinary together, and most importantly standing with our viewers in this time of need.”  

    “We are happy that SaReGaMaPa celebrated its milestone year with a special show on Facebook. It’s great to see they brought together artists to leverage the power of Facebook to not only engage people with the music they like, but also raised funds to help those who have been affected by the pandemic,” said Manish Chopra, Director and Head of Partnerships, Facebook India

  • ZEEOdisha.tv Reaches New Milestone, Breaks into Top 3 Odia News sites within 6 months of launch

    ZEEOdisha.tv Reaches New Milestone, Breaks into Top 3 Odia News sites within 6 months of launch

    ZeeOdisha.tv, the digital arm of Odia news channel ZEE Odisha, has broken into the top 3 Odia sites in India by reaching 2 million users in May 2020. The fact that this feat was achieved in mere 6 months of its launch makes it even more laudable. ZEE Odisha is ZEE Media Corporation’s Odia offering and caters to almost 6 million tv viewers.

    ZeeOdisha.tv is a part of Zee Digital, the online arm of ZEE Group, and was launched with an aim to provide niche content in the Odia language. The genres covered range from News, Politics, Crime, Religion and Odia Heritage. The content focus is to go beyond just breaking news and provide in-depth analysis for each story ahead of our competitors. The digital wing resonates perfectly with the brand message of “One Step Ahead”

    Speaking on the occasion, Mr Purushottam Vaishnav, Cluster-2 CEO, ZMCL, said,” With India being a vast potpourri of diverse cultures and traditions, it was necessary to cater to each region in its native language. We recognized this early on and focused extensively on each regional channel, both on Linear television and on the digital front. This feat strengthens our belief that regional is the way for growth in India.”

    Mr Rohit Chadda, CEO – Digital Publishing, Zee Group said, “It is overwhelming to see the trust and acceptance amongst the users towards our younger digital platforms. Odia is among the top vernacular markets with respect to digital news. Our digital first approach has led us to emerge as market leaders in the Odia market leaving behind our competitors who have been around much longer than us. Backed by our data and technology driven newsrooms, we are confident to reach new heights and further our growth.”

    For ZEE Digital, this is another achievement in a span of few days. Recently ZeeHindustan.in, the digital news platform of the national news channel ZEE Hindustan crossed 10 million monthly active users within only 6 months of its commercial launch. These are a testament to the success of ZEE Digital as it adds new set of audiences daily from different demographics.

    Having breached the top 3 category, the next milestone for ZeeOdisha.tv would be to become the top ranked and the most trusted Odia website in India. 

  • Star Utsav goes live on DD FreeDish today

    Star Utsav goes live on DD FreeDish today

    MUMBAI: To entertain television buffs, Star Utsav has lined up variety-packed content as the channel goes live on DD FreeDish today.

    The channel's entertainment content will transport the viewers into engaging worlds of mythology, romance, thriller, fantasy, and much more, allowing them to watch these shows with family, especially during these testing times.

    “We at Star Utsav believe in delivering the best of entertainment to our audiences. Beautifully woven stories from stunning worlds of mythology, romance, and fantasy drama, will ensure that viewers are transported through enigmatic visuals and gripping characters. Most importantly, these are stories that a family can sit and watch together,” said a Star Utsav spokesperson.

    “Our association with DD FreeDish is a testimony to this promise where together we will be delivering top-notch entertainment to viewers from 10 June 2020,” the spokesperson added.

    Celebrating the best stories and heroic characters, Star Utsav aims to entertain viewers with a variety of shows like, Kasautii Zindagii Kay at 7 pm – a soul-stirring romance of star-crossed lovers, Anurag and Prerna, who are made for each other yet thrown apart by destiny, Mahabharat at 8 pm – an epic saga that encapsulates all the tales in the world, the eternal fight of good vs evil, and Nazar at 11 pm – a contemporary narrative of deep-rooted beliefs and folklore from our culture.
     

  • COLORS to telecast classic mytho ‘Om Namah Shivay’

    COLORS to telecast classic mytho ‘Om Namah Shivay’

    Mumbai: After re-introducing some of the viewers' favourite mytho shows, COLORS is all set to add another classic to its slew of offerings. The channel will soon telecast Om Namah Shivay, an epic saga that celebrates the glorious and eternal life of Lord Shiva (played by Samar Jai Singh).

    Produced by Dheeraj Kumar, the show depicts the spirituality, divinity, and the moving power with which Lord Shiva governs the destiny of the universe.

    Starring Samar Jai Singh, Yashodhan Rana, Gayatri Shastri, Manjeet Kullar, and Sandeep Mehta, Om Namah Shivay first aired between 1997-99. The mega mythological series captured the audience’s attention nationwide with the fascinating way it depicts devotional acts, demonic battles, the famous Shiva-Tandav, and other important religious events of our past.

    Viacom18 chief content officer, Hindi mass entertainment, Manisha Sharma says: “In these unprecedented times, viewers are watching more and more mythological shows, as they have a very positive effect on them. Our offering of mythological shows viz., Jai Shri Krishna, Mahabharat and Karamphal Data Shani are being consumed by our viewers which is reflected in the BARC ratings. By adding Om Namah Shivay to the mix, we will further enhance the viewers' experience. With a mega-mythological series like Om Namah Shivay, we truly believe that it’s a great opportunity to re-introduce the life-affirming story of Lord Shiva to millions across the country. This is also a great chance for a new generation to get acquainted with enriching storytelling and live one of the biggest hits from the yesteryears.”

    On popular demand, the channel will also be bringing back two of its popular fiction shows Na Aana Is Des Laado and Uttaran.

  • Marathi GECs improvise to engage viewers during lockdown

    Marathi GECs improvise to engage viewers during lockdown

    MUMBAI: Given the dearth of fresh content, Marathi GECs had to come up with ways to fill airtime. Some are running dubbed versions of Hindi hit shows during the Covid2019 lockdown while others have fresh content such as those shot by actors. However, the most common trend in all of these channels is comedy shows.

    Fakt Marathi, a sister channel of Enterr10 and Dangal, relied on humour and spirituality to create engagement with the audience. The channel has grown 30-35 per cent in terms of viewership in the last six weeks of lockdown on average in the urban market.

    Explaining its content strategy, Fakt Marathi co-promoter Shirish Pattanshetty says, “We are re-running archived content and a repeat of Marathi dubbed version of Hindi hit show, Taarak Mehta Ka Ooltah Chashmah, along with other certain shows that the market has not seen so far.” The show has been running on the channel for 100-plus days now, and the process of dubbing for new content will begin from 1 June with producers likely to submit it to the channel when lockdown opens up.

    "We have certain shows in the bank that were never exploited and these traditional shows have the power to connect with the audience and were acquired from a Marathi broadcaster, who shut shop a few years back," says Pattanshetty. He adds, "Shows like Khel Savalyancha, Krupa Sindhu Brahmand Nayak, Madam Sasu help us change our sampling size and with other channels burning their niche properties, they tend to lose their loyal viewers who try to find an alternative in the same sphere.”

    At this juncture, the broadcasters' only focus is to create stickiness, keep viewers engaged, as due to economic crunch the overall advertising revenue across the Marathi GEC market has shrunk by 70 per cent, says Pattanshetty. “Our advertising revenue in the last two months has fallen to the tune of 65-70 per cent, because shops and establishments are not open and except for essential services brands are not promoting anything else.”

    Sony Marathi became the first channel to come up with a remotely produced comedy show called, Aatshe Khidkya Naushe Daara, despite being under lockdown. The show features 16 actors playing various characters; these artists themselves have shot their bit and later have been given flow at the editing table. The show’s plot was how residents of a typical housing society gossip about each other.

    “Considering this tough time as an opportunity to innovate and set higher benchmarks for the Marathi GEC space and rather acquiring content library inorganically, we thought of creating a new show which helps stick to our standards to keep viewers engaged with fresh content,” says Sony Marathi business head Ajay Bhalwankar.

    “The logistical constraints of creating this show were huge,” explains Bhalwankar. “This show helped us understand that limitation on resources is actually conducive for innovation and we will continue to do so in the future also.”

    The channel believes that the content shown on the platform should create an impact on viewers’ lives rather than just evaluating it on the basis of viewership.

    From popular fiction shows such as Sukhachya Sarini He Mann Baware, Raja Rani Chi Ga Jodi, Jeev Zala Yedapisa and Balumamachya Navana Changbhala to exciting non-fiction reality shows like Sur Nava Dhyas Nava and Big Boss Marathi to comedy shows like Comedy Chi Bullet Train, Colors Marathi has kept viewers entertained with content they love and resonate with.

    Says Viacom18 business head – Marathi entertainment Nikhil Sane: “Despite working remotely, we are brainstorming on our comeback strategy with fresh and original content, once permissions to shoot are granted and the situation stabilises.” The channel is currently dependent on its prime properties such as Bigg Boss Marathi and Comedy Chi Bullet Train to drive the viewership growth.

    On the contrary, Pattanshetty says, “All production houses are excited to come back and start creating fresh content, but I personally believe that it’s not going to be easy; producers might not be able to shoot good content with limited resources. Also, a fear of Covid2019 can put any show on and off. If anybody at a particular shooting location is infected then the show could go for a toss.”

    He believes that broadcasters will look at creating a bank of at least two-three weeks before going live.

    Days DigitalKites senior vice-president Amit Lall, “Currently, no brand is looking at show sponsorship. Rather, they are doing run-on networks, wherein they seek certain impressions to be burned on their advertisement shown on a channel.”

    According to Lall, brands are only looking for inventory buying rather being show sponsoring due to the absence of fresh content.

  • This world no tobacco day, MTV and MTV Beats say: It’s time to quit!

    This world no tobacco day, MTV and MTV Beats say: It’s time to quit!

    MUMBAI: This World No Tobacco Day, MTV and MTV Beats bring a hard-hitting yet a quirky message for all the tobacco users echoing loud and clear – It’s time to quit!

    “Smoking and consumption of tobacco is injurious to health”. From cigarette packs to movie screens to social media, no statutory warning has been nailed into our psyche more than this one. But despite the deluge of advisories and cautionary messages, the rise in tobacco usage continues to be a grave concern world over, especially amongst the youth. The upshots of this addiction is unnerving, with dhue ka challa bringing us close to ashes within a snap of our fingers! If it isn’t too late already, this menace should stop now.

    https://www.facebook.com/mtvindia/videos/2913704145417723/

    https://twitter.com/MTVIndia/status/1266266016436252681?s=19

    https://www.instagram.com/p/CAw0uJihqcQ/?igshid=zr1ysi8b66yx

    MTV’s brand film shows a guy who is trying to quit and is having the last cigarette of his life. In this special moment, he has his friend’s support who motivates to get through this hurdle. Not only that, his last cigarette joins him in this overwhelming moment and says, “Dhuaa mein yaad rakhna”. Not able to hold his emotions any longer, the guy keeps up to the promise and burns out his last cigarette. With a tinge of comedy, MTV puts it out, spot-on that, “Cigarettes are Lame. Quit.”

    Based on the conversations on social media, MTV Beats will create innovative beats around the same and add a voice to the messages that will be released on World No Tobacco Day. The campaign will musically package people’s emotions towards the consumption of Tobacco, in partnership with rap-sensation Shloka to spread a common cautionary message in an uncommon way. The video will address the danger smokers are putting theirs and other’s life through.

    So, wake up before it is too late and say, Tobacco is Lame, with MTV and MTV Beats!

  • Mythological shows continue their magic, grow by 75.7 bn viewing minutes

    Mythological shows continue their magic, grow by 75.7 bn viewing minutes

    MUMBAI: The magic of mythological programming continues to grow by 1671 hours across Hindi and regional languages in the week 20, according to a ninth edition of a joint report by Broadcast Audience Research Council (BARC) India and Nielsen on crisis consumption.

    With many broadcasters opting to telecast the mythological shows, the last seven weeks have shown growth of over 1000 plus hours, the report states.

    In terms of viewership, mythological programming has increased by 75.7 billion viewing minutes in week 20. Despite being high on viewing minutes in the current week, it has been falling on a week-on-week basis for the last five weeks.

    After Ramayan, the rerun of Sri Krishan on DD National has become the highest watched show in the urban market in week 20, the report mentions.

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  • ZEE Rajasthan Organizes Rajasthan E-Vimarsh: Direct with Ministers, an e-Conclave with Cabinet & State Minsters

    ZEE Rajasthan Organizes Rajasthan E-Vimarsh: Direct with Ministers, an e-Conclave with Cabinet & State Minsters

    Zee Media Corporation Ltd’s regional channel ZEE Rajasthan which is also Rajasthan’s No. 1 news channel, conducted an E Conclave with 12 Ministers including Cabinet Ministers and State Ministers on 27th May 2020. Rajasthan E-Vimarsh, Direct with Ministers, was a continuous 6-hour session with ministers participating from various departments of Indian and Rajasthan Government.

    Corona positive cases are continuously increasing in Rajasthan and have crossed 7500 mark on 27th May 2020. After 2 months into the lockdown, Rajasthan has faced many challenges like protecting its people from Covid-19, protecting its crops and farmers and reviving the economy so that the livelihoods can be restored. As the people of Rajasthan are coping with this situation and trying to find answers to their future, ZEE Rajasthan took the initiative to organize an E Conclave with Cabinet Ministers and Minister of States so that our viewers may get a clear picture of the road to recovery. 

    Each session lasted for half an hour where the leaders put forward their strategy for the coming days in their respective departments and encouraged our viewers to stay strong. Ministers who graced the session were: Gajendra Singh Shekhawat, Arjun Ram Meghwal, Shanti Kumar Dhariwal, Bulaki Das Kalla, Vishvendra Singh, Kailash Choudhary, Parsadi Lal Meena, Ramesh Meena, Govind Singh Dotasara, Tikaram Jully, Pratap Singh Khachariyawas, and Raghu Sharma. The conclave covered various government ministries so that viewers can understand the revival plan in different sectors.

    Speaking on the occasion, ZMCL Cluster 2 CEO, Mr. Purushottam Vaishnava said, “After recently conducting the e-conclave with CMs of different states, we realized that it is equally important to narrow down the Government’s revival plan to state level. ZEE Rajasthan conceptualized this event to bring authorities of Rajasthan on one platform and to clarify numerous questions that our viewers had.”

    After the successful completion of Rajasthan e-Vimarsh, in the coming days, similar state level conclaves are planned for Gujarat, West Bengal, Bihar & Jharkhand and Odisha on ZEE 24 Kalak, ZEE 24 Ghanta & ZEE Bihar Jharkhand and ZEE Odisha respectively.

  • Star Jalsha brings ‘Ramayan’ to Bengali audience

    Star Jalsha brings ‘Ramayan’ to Bengali audience

    MUMBAI: Ramanand Sagar's timeless classic Ramayana is all set to recreate its magic on Bengali television. The iconic show, which brought the country to a standstill every Sunday in the 1980’s, will now be seen on Star Jalsha. June onwards, the mythological series will be shown in Bengali every Monday to Sunday at 8 PM.

    Based on saint Valmiki’s “Ramayan” and “Ramcharitmanas” by saint Tulsidas, Ramayana shows viewers a way of life through its ideals and principles that form the crux of Indian culture and upbringing. It narrates the story of Lord Rama’s banishment from his kingdom, the abduction of his wife Sita by Ravana and her rescue, and Rama’s eventual restoration to the throne.

    The beloved mythological show continues to garner viewers’ love even today with its powerful narrative and spectacular performances. It features Arun Govil as Lord Rama, Dipika Chikhlia Topiwala as Goddess Sita, and Sunil Lahri as Lakshman- who had become household names and enjoyed cult status for years to come. It also stars veteran actors Lalita Pawar as Manthara, Arvind Trivedi as Ravana, and Dara Singh as Hanuman.

    With the entire family staying home, Ramayana is bound to resonate with the kids as well the older generation due to its timeless and universal appeal.

  • COLORS’ new brand film #InsaanHuaUnlock urges people to reflect on their true selves

    COLORS’ new brand film #InsaanHuaUnlock urges people to reflect on their true selves

    We all are conditioned to be a part of the ‘hustle culture’ that leaves us with a handful of time to experience the real pleasures of our lives, to spend time with our loved ones or to pursue our passions. But the recent pandemic has taught us to slow down and find simpler ways to live life while putting our vanities on the back burner. It has made us more conscious, compassionate, and empathetic towards others as we embrace the disruptive daily patterns. With a similar grain of thought in mind, COLORS has released its new brand film #InsaanHuaUnllock that asks people to find their missing selves and become more aware of the things that matter the most. 

    Launched on the heels of its previous film, #JitneDurUtnePass that sent out a message of social distancing, the new brand film takes ahead the conversation and opens with a diary visual revealing human sketches interspersed with a voice-over narrating their pre and post lockdown stories. It elaborates how we have found solace in adversities, unlocked our human side, and are being more appreciative of the essential workers who are tirelessly serving us.  It depicts how people who used to be inseparable from their mobile phones are spending quality time with their family, how we are keeping our financial worries aside to help others in the time of need. On the whole, the new daunting reality has turned us into better human beings and that we should continue to do even after we attain normalcy. 

    Speaking about the campaign, Sapangeet Rajwant, Head- Marketing, and Digital, Hindi Mass Entertainment & Head of Brand Solutions, Viacom 18, said, “It takes a lifetime for people to realise what they have been missing out on and this difficult period has been a blessing in disguise to make us aware of what that matters the most.  As a socially conscious brand, COLORS has been effectively putting across the message of safety and solidarity through innovative campaigns and our new brand film #InsaanHuaUnlock is the next step in this direction. With this film, we intend to foster our connection with the viewers by urging them to make the most of the present moment and discover their real selves while being compassionate towards others. It has received a heartening response and we are glad to be able to spread positivity with the new initiative.” 

    The film so far has clocked 750k+ impressions across COLORS social media platforms.