GECs

Epic to celebrate one year mark with better programming

Published

10 years ago

October 10, 2015

MUMBAI: In the entertainment world abound with clutter, niche television channels have to fight an uphill battle in order to get the necessary traction from viewers. As the Indian cable and satellite industry slowly but surely moves towards digital addressable systems (DAS), more and more niche channels will be viable with digitisation cutting distribution costs.

One such niche channel that’s in it for the long haul, is The Epic Channel, which is on the brink of completing a year on air. Launched on 19 November, 2014, The Epic Channel will be celebrating its first anniversary by offering two news shows to its viewers. What’s more the channel also went High Definition (HD) on the Tata Sky DTH platform recently.

The first new finite show, which will go on air from 19 October is titled Khwaabon Ka Safar with Mahesh Bhatt and will be aired on Mondays at 10 pm.

The second show is titled Devlok by popular Indian author Devdutt Pattanaik and will be an exploration of gods, demons, curses. Set to premiere on 21 October, this will be aired on Wednesdays and Thursdays at 10 pm.

Speaking exclusively to Indiantelevision.com, The Epic Channel founder and MD Mahesh Samat said, “We have a rich film history and with Khwaabon Ka Safar, we are looking at the big film studios in the industry, which have some history attached to it. And I think Mahesh Bhatt is the best person to narrate these stories. He has been in the industry for a long time now and knows the industry inside out. Another show that we have in the pipeline is Devdutt Pattanaik’s show Devlok in which he will talk about mythology.”

Claiming its hold over the 10 pm slot is the channel’s campaign with the tagline – ‘Maaf Kijiye Abhi Dus Nahin Baje.’ “The campaign is doing quite well to claim the 10 pm TV viewing time to establish the association between the Epic Channel and the time slot,” Samat says.

In a span of one year, the channel has enthralled audiences with epic mythological and historical series. Showcasing the mythology and history in a contemporary form has been the channel’s agenda.

Stories by Rabindranath Tagore showcasing ‘epic’ tales like Choker Bali, Charulata, Atithi andKabuliwala amongst others brought etched characters created by Tagore to the small screen. Also the channel was seen recollecting old Bollywood stars in a nostalgic show set up with Javed Akhtar.

With increasing penetration of HD television sets, more and more channels are now adding the HD feed to offer better consumer experience. Talking about the same, Samat says, “We have always been an HD channel. The idea was to launch the stories around Indian history and mythology in HD. All our shows have been produced and shot in HD. Our channel is uplinked and downlinked in HD. For various technical reasons, some MSOs transfer the channel differently, but from our end the strategy is to be one feed HD channel. The HD experience is necessary for the kind of shows we produce.”

Stressing on how HD shows will change the way television is viewed in the country, Samat says, “The technology has evolved to meet consumers’ expectations. HD is definitely a better viewing experience and HD shows will change the way we watch television in India. We are likely to see an upsurge of HD in the coming year. From a consumer stand point, it is a far better experience so there is really no reason not to have HD.”

With The Epic Channel HD feed, Samat is also hoping that the channel will see an increase in the number of viewers due to the addressability factor.

“I think the experience of mythological and all the great fiction and non-fiction viewing would be much better, which will result into more and more viewers coming in. I believe we are going to see increase in numbers of viewers as Epic is assessable in HD. A hike in advertising rates will eventually follow with a rise in viewership,” he informs.

The Epic Channel has seen a lot of advertising interest from the automobiles sector amongst others. “More than viewership, we are a channel that reaches across the country and hence we have that reach. With HD, we are moving one step ahead in our target group, so we expect to see ad rates following the same,” asserts Samat.

On the eve of the channel’s one year of operations, Samat shares the journey so far as well as the company’s future vision. “The overall journey has been pretty good. It’s a channel that delivered all the promises that were made in the beginning of the year in terms of stories and content. There is a new range of programming coming up from 19 October. We are pretty optimistic that in the next few months, higher viewership and ad sales will follow,” he says.

The value of niche television channels is derived from the quality of viewers and not the size. Phase I & II of DAS is what enabled a niche like The Epic Channel to launch in the country. “The success of the first two phases of digitisation is what enabled a large number of channels to pull in viewers. Without it we would not have been able to launch Epic. So digitisation has played a vital role in the launch of the channel. Also, as digitisation continues, consumers will become more and more demanding and we will see a lot more content differentiation,” he says.

Samat is of the opinion that with Phase III & IV of DAS, the industry is looking for transparency as well as having a better understanding of revenue stream and visibility. “All the good things associated with digitisation are exciting for the entire industry and not only for the broadcaster,” he adds.

Not wanting to comment on the specifics of ratings and viewership, Samat says that overall The Epic Channel has received a good response from the industry as well as from viewers. “The channel has established a position in the mind of the consumers and eventually we have added a brand to the television ecosystem in India,” he signs off.

Up Next

Titan marketing campaign wins at World Watch Awards

Don't Miss

MVP Entertainment to release ‘Baahubali’ in seven countries

Click to comment

GECs

Sun TV posts steady revenue, profit dips amid rising costs

Published

1 day ago

February 7, 2026

indiantelevision.com Team

CHENNAI: It appears there is still plenty of Sun to go around in the Indian broadcasting landscape, even if a few clouds have drifted across the financial horizon. Sun TV Network Limited, the Chennai-based behemoth that dominates airwaves across seven languages, has tuned into a steady frequency for the quarter ending 31 December 2025. While the numbers show a resilient revenue stream, the company’s latest broadcast reveals a few static-filled spots in its profit margins.

For the quarter in question, Sun TV’s total income climbed by approximately 3.31 per cent, reaching Rs 958.39 crores compared to Rs 927.66 crores in the same period last year. Revenue from operations also saw a healthy bump, rising 4.32 per cent to Rs 827.87 crores.

The real star of the show, however, was domestic subscription revenue, which surged by 8.86 per cent to Rs 472.99 crores. This growth highlights the enduring appetite for Sun’s diverse content, which spans everything from daily soaps in Tamil and Telugu to its burgeoning OTT platform, Sun NXT.

Despite the revenue growth, the picture quality of the profits was slightly blurred by rising costs. Eitda for the quarter stood at Rs 409.79 crores, a dip from the Rs 432.14 crores recorded in the corresponding 2024 quarter.

The profit after tax followed a similar downward trend, settling at Rs 316.44 crores against the previous year’s Rs 347.17 crores. Advertisers also seemed to have switched channels slightly, with advertisement revenues sliding to Rs 291.94 crores from Rs 332.17 crores.

Sun TV isn’t just playing on home turf; its sporting ambitions are becoming increasingly global. The network now owns three major cricket franchises: SunRisers Hyderabad in the IPL, SunRisers Eastern Cape in SA20, and SunRisers Leeds Limited in The Hundred (UK).

The foray into British cricket saw the company acquire a 100 per cent stake in Northern Superchargers Limited (now SunRisers Leeds) for approximately £100 million. While these franchises brought in Rs 14.61 crores this quarter, they also incurred corresponding costs of Rs 19.89 crores. Over the nine-month period, however, the cricket business is a major player, contributing Rs 487.64 crores in income.

The company’s bottom line took a minor hit from exceptional items, including a Rs 4.23 crore charge related to India’s new Labour Codes, which consolidated 29 existing labour laws. Additionally, the consolidated results reflect the amalgamation of Kal Radio Limited with Udaya FM, a move that became effective in May 2025 and required a restatement of previous figures.

To keep investors from reaching for the remote, the Board has declared an interim dividend of 50 per cent, that’s Rs 2.50 per equity share. This comes on top of earlier dividends of 100 per cent (Rs 5.00) and 75 per cent (Rs 3.75) declared in August and November 2025, respectively.

With a massive cash reserve and a dominant position in the South Indian market, Sun TV continues to shine, even if the current quarter required a bit of fine-tuning. For now, shareholders can sit back, relax, and enjoy the show.

GECs

SPNI hires Pradeep M with responsibility for standards and practices in the south

Published

5 days ago

February 3, 2026

indiantelevision.com Team

MUMBAI: Sony Pictures Networks India has hired Pradeep M to handle standards and practices for its southern market, bolstering its compliance bench as content rules tighten across platforms.

Pradeep, who has nearly 13 years in the entertainment media industry, takes on responsibility for content standards in a region that is both linguistically diverse and regulatorily sensitive. His brief spans television, OTT, sports and digital platforms.

He specialises in content review and compliance across shows, commercials, on-air promotions and international feeds, ensuring alignment with broadcast, OTT and advertising codes. He has also handled brand approvals and sponsorship integrations for heavily regulated categories—including online gaming, cryptocurrency, NFTs and lottery brands—offering guidance shaped by fast-evolving rules.

Before Sony, Pradeep worked at Jiostar as assistant manager for content regulation from November 2024 to January 2026. Earlier, he spent nearly seven years at Viacom18 Media, rising from senior executive to assistant manager in content regulation between 2018 and 2024. There he served as a key compliance touchpoint for the network.

His career began on the creative side. Between 2013 and 2018, he worked as executive producer on feature films and television shows, gaining hands-on exposure to production. He also had a stint as a non-fiction show director at Star TV Network in 2017. That mix of creative and regulatory experience gives him a dual lens—how content is made and how it must be managed.

As regulators, platforms and advertisers all tighten the screws, broadcasters are investing more in gatekeepers who can keep creativity within the lines. Sony’s latest hire shows where the industry is heading: in the streaming age, compliance is content’s quiet co-star.

GECs

Colors Gujarati rolls out two new shows from 2nd February

Published

6 days ago

February 2, 2026

indiantelevision.com Team

MUMBAI: Colors Gujarati has unveiled two new prime-time shows as part of its push to strengthen culturally rooted storytelling for regional audiences. The channel will premiere the devotional saga Gangasati–Paanbai at 7.30 pm, followed by the romantic family drama Manmelo at 9.30 pm from February 2.

Inspired by Gujarat’s spiritual and literary heritage, Gangasati–Paanbai: Shyam Dhun No Navo Adhyay draws from the timeless bhajans and poetry of saint-poetesses Gangasati and Paanbai, weaving devotion and human values into a contemporary narrative aimed at younger viewers.

In contrast, Manmelo explores love and responsibility across social divides, tracing the lives of three middle-class sisters whose relationships with three affluent brothers reshape their futures. The show delves into ambition, emotional conflict and the realities of married life, offering a layered family drama.

A Colors Gujarati spokesperson said the new launches reflect the channel’s commitment to authentic Gujarati entertainment that blends cultural values with modern storytelling.