ITV

Category: Regional

  • Star Pravah chalks out marketing strategy to promote new look

    Star Pravah chalks out marketing strategy to promote new look

    MUMBAI: The blue has given away to silver with a red streak and that is how Star Pravah aims to align itself with its parent network Star India. Starting 3 February, the channel came up with a fresh look with a new logo, tagline and a completely different philosophy.

     

    The new tagline ‘Swapnanna Pankh Nave’ (dreams have new wings) is to indicate that the focus is shifting towards a younger female audience. Three new shows launched are also promoting its new philosophy that of encouraging modern young Maharashtrian women to channelise their dreams. “The fiction shows we are coming up with talk about individualism of women. They aren’t regular saas bahu shows. Our story characters will support the tagline,” says Star Pravah creative head Jayesh Patil. The current shows are also going to have tweaks introduced soon to suit the younger CS 15+ SEC A B C audiences as opposed to the earlier universal audience.

     

    The three new shows are Be Dune Daha (produced by Dashmi creations), Lagori Maitri (Endemol India) and The Supriya Sachin show- Jodi Tujhi Majhi (produced by Sachin Pilgaonkar). More shows are slated for a mid April launch. Lagori Maitri has replaced Swapnanchya Palikadle at 8:00 pm while the latter has been shifted to 6:30 pm due to stagnant ratings. Be Dune Daha at 9:00pm has replaced Ambat God which has been taken off air. “We are looking to target a slightly more upscale audience. We have also altered the broadcast design by bringing in different visual grammar and stay away from the traditional way of storytelling,” says Star Pravah channel head Prem Kamath.

     

    Promotions of the new look have already begun in its marketing campaign and will run till mid next week. The focus of the campaign, created majorly by an in-house team, is outdoor and TV and not the usual print medium. Both BTL and ATL activities have been used across Mumbai, Pune, Nashik and Nagpur for which sources say Rs 5 crore has been spent. “Given the exposure on TV, print wasn’t bringing additional reach,” says Kamath.

     

    ATL activities involve promoting it predominantly on Star Pravah and network channels as well as some other Marathi news channels like IBN Lokmat, ABP Majha and TV9 Maharashtra. Outdoor promotion is focussed in metros and 1 million plus towns in Marathi localities tipping more towards using stations than hoardings. An OBD service has been created inviting people to sample their new shows by making telephonic calls to them which will have recorded voices of the protagonists.

     

    The BTL campaign specifically involves a Mentorship Programme that will begin by 1 March for women who have dreams to achieve something in various fields. Five women from various cities will be selected after a round of entries. They will be brought to Mumbai for a day and given training by mentors from the profession they want to enter. The TG for this outdoor activity is women in the age group 18 to 34 years, both single as well as married. The first edition of this month long activity will be telecast somewhere in April. The radio medium will be used to call out entries for this event.

     

    Although the channel was aiming to refresh itself some time ago, it only took complete shape now. Soon, old shows will be giving way to new, modern and younger shows. Seems like even the regional channels are looking to tap the youth quotient of the country.

  • Zee Media launches Zee Kalinga in Odisha

    Zee Media launches Zee Kalinga in Odisha

    MUMBAI:  Zee News Media Corp (ZMCL) continues to expand its presence in the regional news space. As part of its new format of Terrestrial Entertainment Network (TEN), the television news group has launched Odia language Zee Kalinga to tap viewers in the state of Orissa.

     

    Zee Kalinga replaces Telugu language Zee 24 Gantalu which discontinued its operations in November 2013 as Zee News found the Andhra Pradesh market to be a highly competitive market. In January this year, ZMCL decided to move into Odisha with Zee Kalinga. The channel has been in preparation since six months and all it had to do was to apply to the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting (MIB) for converting its news licence from one channel to another. The approval from the MIB came through in January this year.

     

    ZMCL has hired around 100 employees for the Odia channel, with Amitava Bhattacharya as EVP, Satya Prakash Nayak as Resident Editor, Arjya Patnaik as Programming Head and Aryabhatta Dash as Marketing Manager. In the TEN format, the programming is equally divided between news and non-news shows.

     

    News will have several bulletins, chat shows and factual entertainment capsules, while non-news will have four fiction shows and two reality shows. “The key differentiator in the content strategy of the channel is to cut across audiences and serve them varied types of content on a platter. Zee Kalinga, through its unforgettable and powerful content, will bring to life a unique philosophy of ‘all in one’ entertainment,” says Bhattacharya.

     

    News is being created in-house while non-news shows have been outsourced to production houses. Half-an-hour bulletins will be spread across the day, while one hour news discussion will be telecast during prime time for five days a week. Special bulletins are also planned on sports, business and other special stories.

     

    Some of the non-news shows are Asha Ra Akash produced by Urmi Communications, Katha Ta Etiki by Shri Ganesh Telefilms, Abhinetri by Vidisha Kraft, Mo Jejemaa by Herald, Maa Raan Micha Kahuni by Asian Shopping Club and Mr. and Miss Kalinga by Prelude Novel Ventures. Three dubbed non-news shows are also to be aired – Bikram Betaal, Ramayana and Buddha.

     

    Zee Kalinga will have its main office at Bhubaneshwar and bureaus in Sambalpore, Behrampore and Balasore. It will cater to cable and satellite homes with people above four years of age falling under socio-economic classification of A, B and C.

     

    A marketing campaign, created by Sanket Communications, has been undertaken to proclaim the tagline ‘Mu Odia, Mo Odisha’. Print ads will begin tomorow in newspapers Samay, Samvad and Samaj while outdoor advertising is planned in Bhubaneshwar and other TAM towns. Sources say the marketing spend is to the tune of Rs 1 crore. BTL activities began last week while radio and outdoor began today. About 37 spots have been bought for outdoor hoardings.

     

    Advertisers are still being sought, some of them being from the retail, education, real estate and government sectors. The channel plans to have just 20 per cent advertisers from Bhubhaneshwar while the rest will be spread from across the country. It is looking to tap into a robust Rs 100 crore advertising market (news and regional entertainment put together).

     

    The channel will be available free-to-air till March after which it will be coverted into a pay TV channel. “We are covered on Ortel, Variety, Manthan and most other local LCOs. On DTH, we are live on Dish TV and Airtel Digital. This will give us 90 per cent plus reach in overall Orissa and 95 per cent in digital,” says Bhattacharya.

     

    As far as the name of the channel is concerned he adds, “Kalinga is its old name so we just felt like keeping it.”

  • Endemol India’s ‘Lagori – Maitri Returns’ captures women bonding

    Endemol India’s ‘Lagori – Maitri Returns’ captures women bonding

    MUMBAI: If the boys are ruling the celluloid with the bromance movies, the bonding of girls is set to rule the small screen. An inspiring tale of girls’ bonding will begin on Star Pravah from 3 February, Monday to Saturday at 9 pm. Lagori Maitri Returns, a show produced by Endemol India captures the story of four friends – Mukta, Poorva, Rujuta, Urmila and Dhanashree.

     

    Lagori is the journey of Dhanashree, and her four friends who are an integral part of her life all through school and college, but life takes its course and the four friends are separated due to circumstances and lose touch with each other and more importantly a friendship that defined them.

     

    The show is a fun filled emotional roller coaster ride of friends, a gang of girls, who reunite after eight years at a time when each of the girls, now women, feel the need for friendship to return in their lives. They meet again only to discover that the marriage, circumstances, have changed each of their personalities drastically. However, their lives get entangled once again as they reacquaint themselves.

     

    Endemol India COO – Television Abhishek Rege, says, “The show is a touching tale of an inseparable gang of girls who reunite after parting ways due to circumstances. This show by Endemol is sure to touch a cord with all women who have lost touch with their friends post marriage and whom they hope to catch up with once again.”

  • Big Magic bihar & jharkhand launches police files season 2

    Big Magic bihar & jharkhand launches police files season 2

    MUMBAI: Encouraged by the grand success of season 1, BIG MAGIC Bihar and Jharkhand is all set to launch the second season of Police Files. Highlighting the various stories of crime, retaliation, presence of mind and bravery from the Hindi heartland, the show is hosted by Bhojpuri actor Vinay Anand. This new season hinges on the core principle ‘Surakshit Samaaj, Ek Abhiyaan’ that encourages people to be more socially responsible for those around them. The show launches on 3rd February, every Monday to Friday at 7.30pm and 10pm only on BIG MAGIC Bihar & Jharkhand!

    In its newest season, the show strives to evoke ‘Suraksha’ for everyone with the campaign ‘Surakshit Samaj Ek Abhiyaan’, and urges people to stand against crime and take preventive measures against them. Through the show, host Vinay Anand will narrate to viewers, various stories of impending crime, bravery and quick wittedness. The new season will be slotted in themes – Rakshak (the stories of super-cops going beyond their call of duty), Viruddh (the stories of senior citizens fighting crime), Naari Suraksha (highlighting the brave women of the region), Zameen (stories of fightbacks against Bhumafias), Rishton ki Raksha (stories of brave families) and stories of crimes against indigenous tribes / adivasis in Jharkhand.

    The company said in a statement, “Continuing to offer audiences in the Hindi heartland locally relevant and insightful programming, we are excited to launch season 2 of Police Files. Vinay Anand is a great host and we are confident that he will resonate very well with our viewers and that our advertisers will find great value in associating with the show.”

    Police Files is not just another crime show, but one that features real life stories from incidents that have taken place in the Hindi Heartland that are used to empower audiences to protect themselves from such crimes. The Hindi Heartland is known for its high crime rate ranging from crime against women, drug trafficking, extortion, murder for hire, homicide, kidnapping, theft, land mafia and more. This new show brings to life, real high profile cases through recreation and also goes a step further by empowering audiences to be better equipped to deal with these criminal situations.

    The new season will be promoted through an aggressive multi media campaign, featuring TV, Radio, OOH, Print, and Digital across the Hindi Heartland. The channel will also promote the show through various locally relevant on-ground campaigns and associations.

     

  • Q3-2014: Raj TV reports 43 per cent growth in revenue; 54 per cent growth in PAT

    Q3-2014: Raj TV reports 43 per cent growth in revenue; 54 per cent growth in PAT

    BENGALURU: Raj Television Network (Raj TV) reported 42.75 per cent growth in total revenue to Rs 24.92 crore during Q3-2014 from the Rs 17.46 crore during the corresponding quarter of last fiscal and 35.82 per cent higher than the Rs 18.35 crore for Q2-2014.

     

    The company reported an equally stellar 53.98 per cent growth in PAT during Q3-2014 at Rs 4.99 crore (20.01 per cent of revenue of that quarter) as compared to the Rs 3.24 crore (18.55 per cent of revenue of that quarter) during Q3-2013, and 44.13 per cent more than the Rs 3.46 crore (18.86 per cent of revenue for that quarter) during the immediate trailing quarter.

     

    Let us look at the other results reported by Raj TV during Q3-2014

     

    Raj TV reported total expense at Rs 18.58 crore (74.58 per cent of revenue of that quarter) for Q3-2014 was 38.93 per cent more than the Rs 13.38 crore (76.62 per cent of revenue of that quarter) during Q3-2013 and 42 per cent more than the Rs 13.09 crore (71.33 per cent of revenue of that quarter) during Q2-2014.

     

    The company doesn’t report a breakup of various costs. It is being assumed that costs towards content are included under the heading Cost of Revenues, which is a major cost head. During Q3-2014, Raj TV’s Cost of Revenue at Rs 7.62 crore (41 per cent of total expense during that quarter) was 5.81 per cent higher than the Rs 7.20 crore (53.82 per cent of total expense for that quarter) during Q3-2013 and 47 per cent more than the Rs 5.18 crore (39.6 per cent of total expense for the quarter) during Q2-2014.

     

    Another major chunk of Raj TV’s expense is Employee Benefits. During Q3-2014, the company spent Rs 6.88 crore (37.03 per cent of total expense during that quarter) towards this head, more than double (2.24 times) the Rs 3.07 crore (22.96 per cent of total expense of that quarter) during Q3-2013, and almost double (1.91 times) the Rs 3.60 crore (27.50 per cent of total expense of that quarter) during the immediate trailing quarter.

     

    Administrative Cost at Rs 3.13 crore during Q3-2014 was 46.26 per cent more than the Rs 2.14 crore during Q3-2013 and 2.41 per cent more than the Rs 3.06 crore during Q2-2014.

     

    Finance cost during Q3-2014 was up 46.5 per cent to Rs 1.3878 crore as compared to the Rs 0.9474 crore during Q3-2013 and 42.85 per cent more than the Rs 0.9715 crore in Q2-2014.

     

    Click here for full report

  • ZMCL launches Zee Purvaiya in Bihar, Jharkhand

    ZMCL launches Zee Purvaiya in Bihar, Jharkhand

    MUMBAI: It was in October last year that Zee Media Corporation got the board approval to acquire up to 100 per cent stake in the regional infotainment channel – Maurya TV. Now, with the onset of the New Year, there are few new beginnings – Zee Media Corporation Ltd (ZMCL) has rebranded Maurya TV as Zee Purvaiya and launched it on 16 January in Bihar and Jharkhand.

     

     

    As of now, ZMCL has only snared a 37.87 per cent stake in Maurya TV but plans are to hoick that to 100 per cent in a phased manner. Zee Purvaiya operates on the terrestrial entertainment network (TEN) format that the network launched with Zee Marudhara (formerly called Zee Rajasthan Plus) with a balanced telecast of news and infotainment programmes. The big focus being on regional news, viewers will get to watch full-fledged bulletins during morning and evening primetime with a short news capsule being aired every hour.  The other programmes include:  current affairs, fiction, non-fiction and factual.

     

     

    “It will be of relevance to every viewer. The content will be focused towards Bihar and Jharkhand, capturing the culture, language, rituals of the states as well as showcasing the differences in the two states in certain sections,” says ZMCL CEO Alok Agrawal.

     

    Following the footsteps of its parent company that recently came up with a campaign to woo youngsters, even Zee Purvaiya is planning to cater largely to a young audience. Even its channel branding – a bright yellowish-golden logo with the tagline ‘nayi soch nayi umang’ is in keeping with that target audience’s taste.

     

    Led by EVP & business head Amitava Bhattacharya, the channel has a team of 90 professionals, some of whom have been retained from Maurya TV. While Shiv Pujan Jha is the resident editor, Indu Singh is the programming editor, Rakesh Tiwary the marketing head and Harsh Vardhan Dwivedi the sales head.

     

    The main office of the channel is located in Patna, with three bureaus being located in  Ranchi and Dhanbad in Jharkhand and Saharsa in Bihar .

     

    While the management was unwilling to disclose the names of the advertisers on board, apparently discussions are on with about 35 corporate, government and local advertisers. Channel sources say that they are targeting to generate revenues of almost Rs 20 crore per annum.

     

    The promotional campaign that began on 20 January across mediums such as – radio, print and outdoor – has been planned to run throughout February by Kolkata based Genesis Advertising with a spend of  approximately Rs 2 crore being pumped in. 

     

    A canter activity was undertaken in Patna and Ranchi to let audiences know about the channel. Moreover, 50 spots have been taken in the two states for outdoor promotions. For print advertisements, space has been bought in leading papers like Times of India (Bihar – Jharkhand), Hindustan and Prabhat Khabar.

     

    “It’s a channel that’s like a buffet. It will be a one stop place for entertainment, news and factual information as well. Apart from this we are also launching reality shows. We are already reaching about 70 per cent in terms of C&S penetration,” says Bhattacharya.

     

    The idea is to be keep it free-to-air (FTA) for six months, post which it will become a pay channel at approximately Rs 10 per month. As of now, Zee Purvaiya is only available on cable TV. However, discussions with DTH players are in progress. But because of the huge presence of cable TV in the two states, executives are confident that it will reach about 85 per cent of the population. It is being beamed off Insat 4a at 83 degrees east.         

     

    Zee Purvaiya is set to expand ZMCL’s presence in the ubercompetitive regional space. In fact, the network is looking to capture other regions as well. It will soon be launching Zee Kalinga in Odisha, following the winding up of  the now defunct Zee Gantalu.

  • Is ETV Bangla looking at a news foray?

    Is ETV Bangla looking at a news foray?

    Kolkata: Is Bengali infotainment channel ETV Bangla ready to shed its current avatar and spawn a 24 hour Bengali news channel? The buzz in Kolkata is that indeed it is. And this change will reportedly happen in the next two months, if sources are to be believed. More than 100 professionals – including journalists and techies – are expected to be recruited for the news foray. Apparently, the company has already got a news uplinking licence; and the new pay TV channel will be given a moniker which includes the words “ETV Bangla” in it. 

     

    An ETV Bangla executive  explains that it already has the set up to run a 24 hours news channel, and the deadline that has been drawn up for its launch is 15 March 2014. Says he: “ETV Bangla currently employs 135 people. So for the news channel some employees would be common and the rest we will hire.  We will also make further investments.” 

     

    He further adds that the news channel’s reporting stance will be to give updates and analyse developments in an objective and unbiased manner. Uplinking will take place from either Hyderabad or Noida where Network18 has uplinking facilities. 

     

    He points out that it is quite likely that ETV Bangla will be converted into a complete GEC, and the three news bulletins under the brand Aamar Bangla running on it will be dropped, once the news service becomes operational. Currently, ETV Bangla airs Aamar Bangla from 7 am to 7:30 am, 7:30 am to 8 am and from 4 pm to 4.30 pm. 

     

    Viacom18 executive vice-president Ravish Kumar refused to confirm or deny that any such moves were underway at ETV Bangla. 

     

    It should be noted that ETV Bangla, part of the ETV Network, was launched in Kolkata in 1999 and it currently takes a rice plate approach for airing a variety of programs – including cultural events, family dramas, movies, debates, children’s programs, tourism, and the occasional news bulletins.

     

    Some of the original programmes telecast on the channel include: Prathamar Rannaghar,  Jhalak Dikhlaja Bangla, Ranga Mathaye Chiruni, Bigg Boss Bangla and Sadhok Bamakhyapa among others.

     

    Only time will tell if ETV Bangla will be reincarnated once again. We will be watching the channel closely for further developments. 

     

  • 16th Asianet Film Awards 2014 to be aired on 25-26 January

    16th Asianet Film Awards 2014 to be aired on 25-26 January

    BENGALURU: The Star Network’s Malayalam offering, Asianet, will be airing the 16th Ujala Asianet Film Awards 2014 on 25 and 26 January at 6.30 pm.

     

    The event was held at Dubai a few days ago. Asianet claims that a 25,000 strong crowd witnessed the show along with several prominent personalities from the film industry and socio-cultural spheres.

     

    The title sponsor for the awards is Jyothy Laboratories flagship brand Ujala.  The event is presented by Samsung UHD TV and KKR Food Products brand Nirapara. The co-sponsors list includes Bhima, Malabar Gold, Preethi, Federal Bank, Dhatri, Kalyan Silks, Berger and Muthootu Mini.

     

    Amongst the awardees are Shahrukh Khan (International Icon of Indian Cinema), Innocent ( Asianet Life Time Achievement Award),  Kamal Haasan (Popular Tamil Actor), Mohan Lal (Actor of the Millennium), Manmootty (Best Actor), Dilip (20 years of Acting Excellence), Prithwi Raj (Most Popular Actor), Amla Paul (Best Actress). ‘Drisyam ‘won the award for the best film.

  • Bhauji No.1 season 6 – coming soon on Mahuaa TV

    Bhauji No.1 season 6 – coming soon on Mahuaa TV

    MUMBAI: Bhauji No.1 is a  reality talent hunt show to find the No 1 ‘Bhauji’ of the Bhojpuri heartland,through  various contests.This program provides a platform to humble housewives to display their confidence and hidden talent.Rising above their regular, mundane lives, these women set examples for several others to follow.

     

    After the grand success of five seasons,Mahuaa TV is back with “Bhauji No.1 “- season six which will be an extension of the earlier five  seasons of the
    hugely popular set based hunt show with all new fresh look & feel, to crown the number one Bhauji of  the Bhojpuri heartland.

     

    To add buzz to the show, the famous Bhojpuri Film and Television artist, Vinay Anand, will be hos ting the show once again.Gopal Rai,famous singer of Bhojpuri industry  & Vidha Lal, renowned Indian kathak dancer will be the judges of the show. According to Partha Dey, Vice President and Programming Head of Mahuaa Media Pvt. Ltd ,-“Bhuaji No.1 season six will be bigger than fore-running seasons & the channel’s desire to strengthen the relationship that it has formed with them.”

    The entire show will be packed with 52 episodes covering some interesting segments like  ‘Nach le yaara’ in which  Bhauji’s will groove on the floor and compete with each other .Another popular segment is ‘Sur Sangeet’  where Bhauji’s have to give solo singing performances.’Sabse Badh Khiladi’ will be a segment in which Bhauji’s are required to play various interesting games.

    The thrill and suspense surrounding the show will combine with many more fascinating segments including ‘Yaadon ke jharokhe se’  where Bhauji’s will share some unforgettable moment of their life.

    The All new Season 6 will be divided into various segments power packed with Dancing, Singing, refreshing Games & General aptitude Quiz.

  • Suvarna TV Launches New Fiction Show “Swathi Muthu”

    Suvarna TV Launches New Fiction Show “Swathi Muthu”

    MUMBAI: The Star Network`s Kannada General Entertainment Channel Suvarna announces the launch of their new fiction show “Swathi Muthu” from January 20th 2014

    Swathi Muthu will go on air from Monday to Saturday @ 07:30PM

    The story plot is, “Muthu” (Mruthyunjaya) is a rich and good looking innocent guy. He has a very special character which differentiates him from the rest. Rukmini is a teacher & Bhama is a mentally retarded girl, the story takes unexpected twists & turns when these 2 girls enter Muthu’s life.”

    The show is directed by Dinesh Baboo who is an ace Film Director, Cinematographer, Producer & Screenwriter.

    Anup Chandrashekaran, Business Head of Suvarna Channel says “Swathi Muthu has a unique storyline, each character of the show is well defined. The Hero has a special character which would be the USP of the show. For the first time on Kannada television such a character would be the lead protagonist. This show will appeal to the mass audiences and cater to the entire family. I am confident that this show will stand out among the current shows and will be a winner”.

    “Swathi Muthu” is a new addition to the many popular shows offered by Suvarna Channel – shows like Star Singer, Amruthavarshini, Priyadarshini, Milana, Aragini, Pancharangi Pom Pom,  Akashadeepa, Saraswathi,  Karpoorada Gombe & Meera Madhava have become household names in every part of Karnataka. Suvarna Channel has set a trend with its variety of shows covering various genres & offering a delight experience to the entire family.