Tag: America

Zee Cafe launches America’s suspense thriller show Criminal Minds

MUMBAI: America’s suspense-thriller show Criminal Minds is all set to get you to #ThinkLikeACriminalstarting on 14 October at 10pm on Zee Cafe.

Led by special agent Aaron “Hotch” Hotchner, each member of the BAU (Behavioral Analysis Unit) brings in their– unique art of profiling to track – the predators’ motivations and identify their emotional triggers in –an attempt to stop them.

Based in Quantico, Virginia, the BAU is a subsection of the FBI and are called in by the local police departments to assist with crimes that are of an extremely violent nature where the perpetrator is unknown.

The highlight of the show is the fact that, viewers not only get to watch the profilers solve the crime, but also get to understand the criminal’s psychological intention while he commits it. The BAU uses evidence from the case and matches that information to historic precedents and psychological analyses as a means to solve the case.

Get hooked to the series as you watch Derek Morgan, Dr. Spencer Reid, Jennifer Jareau and the team solve some unusual thrilling cases

October 13, 2015
MTV’s ‘India’s Next Top Model’ experiment pays off with good ratings

MUMBAI: The Indian adaptation of Tyra Banks’ reality show America’s Next Top Model, called India’s Next Top Model has entered in its eighth week and the show has been doing well on the ratings front for MTV. In last week’s ratings, India’s Next Top Model was the second most popular youth show.

The show is produced by Bulldog Media & Entertainment and the makers couldn’t be happier.

Bulldog Media & Entertainment co-founder and executive producer Akash Sharma said, “We are very happy with the ratings. The show is number one in its time slot. We are a way ahead of competition and right now we rank number two among the youth shows, only trailing behind Splitsvilla. Episodic ratings consistently reach 70+ TVTs and weekly episodes are peaking with 120+ TVTs range, which is in line with other well established franchises. We are very happy about the phenomenal ratings.”

America’s Next Top Model is one of the most successful international formats and is currently running in 20 countries as a local version. “So it’s natural to bring a show of this format in India. We have so many fashion weeks happening here besides other fashion events. We acquired the rights of America’s Next Top Model and then put the things together,” he informed.

India’s Next Top Model is being touted as an inspirational show, wherein the audience will see a lot of transformation in the participants, who hail from different backgrounds. Already popular in Asian countries like Thailand and China, Sharma is of the opinion that the Indian audience can relate to the content. “There are several copied shows that are coming to India but we knew that there is room for the original format. So when we bought the show there was big amount of interest.” he said.

Throwing light on the research done before launching the show, Sharma informed, “We observed other channels and the shows that they have launched. We studied the industry, talked to experts and the right people for this format and then started planning. We also studied the show formats of other countries including Germany’s Next Top Model and Australia’s Next Top Model. The whole process took a lot of time to figure out the right formula of India’s Next Top Model.”

MTV has carried out multiple brand integrations on the show with the likes of Tresemme, Lakme and Amazon. Highlighting the role of brands in the show, Sharma said, “The show is centred on fashion and beauty so it is relatable content for FMCG brands. The hair transformation episode received a great response from Tresemme. They actually transformed the way girls looked and made them feel like aspiring models. We did another episode called the ‘Make Up challenge with Lakme.’ Amazon is our wardrobe partner, which helps us in their styling.”

Primarily known for its youth centric shows, MTV burnt the mid-night oil to ensure that the show was promoted and presented well to the audience.

The proof is in the pudding as the debut season’s runaway success only goes on to show that MTV has tapped right into the heart of an insight.

MTV India EVP and business head Aditya Swamy said, “Fashion and style is a huge part of every young person’s individuality. We believe there is a model hidden in every young girl and all it takes is the right platform to make her a Top Model. It’s been a dream run working with these young girls, our judges and mentors and the entire production team at CBS, Bulldog and Face TV. We look forward to making this into a multi season landmark franchise.”

When a show of international format is brought to India it gets moulded to local tastes, while keeping the target audience in mind. While Bulldog Media & Entertainment didn’t tamper with the original format, a few tweaks were made keeping in mind the Indian viewers. “We didn’t try to change the format but we have tried to add some spice to the show. We showed what others girls think, who should stay and who should go. We played with the extra drama, which we don’t get to see internationally. So these are the small things that add spark and zing, which Indian viewers like to see,” Sharma said.

Following the trend of multiple seasons, he said, “We are still in our eighth week of the first season, while America’s Next Top Model is in its 22nd season. So yes, definitely we will come up with more seasons. We are looking at a long term franchise with India’s Next Top Model. The next season should be the summer of 2016.”

India’s Next Top Model airs on Sunday nights at 7 pm on MTV.

September 9, 2015
America’s Gen Z represents $44+ bn in annual purchasing power: JWT

MUMBAI: J. Walter Thompson Intelligence’s newly launched innovation and futurism unit The Innovation Group has unveiled a new report on Generation Z (those born in the mid-1990s and early 2000s). The report, which features original quantitative studies and consumer data, examines this emerging generation’s key behaviors and attitudes, as well as the brands and influencers engaging them.

Eclipsing the Millennials, who have dominated the news and pop culture agenda in recent years, this new, younger generation identifies as a distinctly different group in both behavior and mindset. In the UK and US, Gen Z comprises a quarter of the population, and in the US alone the group represents over $44 billion in annual purchasing power.

More inspired by Malala than Beyoncé, Gen Zers are characterized by ethical consumption habits, native digital technology use, entrepreneurial ambition and progressive views on topics ranging from education to gender, according to the report.

“We’re excited to showcase this rich study of a dynamic new generation. Generation Zers are a complex mixture of sophistication and wide-eyed optimism. They are intelligent, confident and — importantly for brands — they question the prescribed norms of everything from formal education to gender politics. For brands to reach this group, they will need to understand what makes them tick and come to grips with these nuances,” said Innovation Group worldwide director Lucie Greene.

The report features analysis and brand examples across sectors including beauty, retail, media, technology, education and more.

Generation Z by the numbers:

• 82 per cent of Gen Zers say they don’t care about sexual orientation

• 86 per cent use the their smartphones multiple times a day

• 70 per cent watch more than two hours of YouTube content each day

• 88 per cent say people are exploring their sexuality more than in the past

• 67 per cent would rather shop in stores than online

• 83 per cent say saving for the future is important

For this report, the Innovation Group conducted quantitative studies using SONAR, J. Walter Thompson’s proprietary research unit that develops and exploits new research techniques to understand cultures, brands and consumer motivation.

A total of 1,000 individuals aged 12-19 were surveyed in the US and the UK in February 2015. Insights are also underpinned by original interviews and photography documenting the lives and preferences of Gen Z case studies in London, Los Angeles, San Francisco and New York.

May 19, 2015
Angelina Jolie was married to Brad Pitt even before wedding in France

MUMBAI: Last year in August, Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt married in an intimate and low-key ceremony in France, attended by only close family members. The wedding was planned by the couple’s six children – Pax, Zahara, Vivienne, Shiloh, Knox and Maddox. The kids wrote the marital vows and their drawings even adorned Jolie’s Versace wedding gown.

Interestingly in a recent interview to the Italian magazine Io Donna, Jolie confessed that she had actually been married to Pitt even before the summer wedding.

She said, “Before the wedding in France with the kids, Brad and I were already married in California because as Americans, we couldn’t marry legally in France.”

Jolie told the magazine that it was probably not the most romantic wedding but a rather spontaneous decision.

She added, “One day I told Brad to meet up at 4:30pm. I then called a justice of the peace and we signed the documents.”

The Pitts said ‘I Do’ at their French estate, Chateau Mirval, in a ceremony presided over by a judge from California after they obtained their license in California. This confirmation comes after many had suspected they were already married before the ceremony due to U.S. laws which require citizens to obtain a license within the states.

January 10, 2015
After dominating TV and digital, ZEE Americas to enter radio and event management

MUMBAI: In 1998, Zee TV incubated the South Asian TV market in North America. Over the next 17 years the brand has not only become synonymous with entertainment but also an ambassador of Indian culture, abroad. As per Nielsen US, a typical South Asian viewer spends an average of 2 hours 13 minutes per day watching Zee TV, making it one of the most loved channels in the US, including the mainstream ones.

After being the consistent #1 TV network – ZEE US successfully ventured into the digital space in 2012 with Zee Dil Se, a video-based social media, that allows people to record a ‘Broadcast quality’ personalized video message and push it on TV at a click! The Dil Se platform was later on used to solve the local auditions problem thus allowing thousands of NRIs to participate in reality shows like DID and SRGMP.

Later in the fall of 2013, ZEE US launched a localized version of www.india.com with a positioning of ‘Proudly Indian’. In a short span of one year the site delivers 7 million unique visitors per month, just from US and Canada alone, thus making it one of the top sites for NRIs in North America. The site already has all the leading advertisers from TV with annual spend commitments. India.com serves as a one-stop destination for news from India, Community News from US and Canada, Bollywood, Cricket, blogs, event ticketing and classifieds.

Now ZEE is all geared up to get into the Radio and Event management space. Initially the services will be started in the top 5 south Asian DMAs. A respective business head supported by the operations team will head each of these verticals.

“As a market leader we have to constantly reinvent and redefine our value proposition to our consumers. We have been looking at need gaps and the two most visible opportunities sprung up that matched our strengths. A strong 55% of South Asians use personal transport 5 times a week for an average of 28 minutes per day, either for work or leisure and a strong 27% of South Asian woman are non-working (Stay at home) at any given point in time but do not have access to good Indian RJs. Of the 600 plus, small & large South Asian events that take place in USA, only a handful manage to put up a good show and attract a couple of blue chip sponsors. The rest all struggle or depend on individual donations/sponsors to make ends meet. The most worrying sign at these events is the declining footfalls of the youth. The mainstream brands completely recognize the arrival of the Indian community in USA but are hesitant to invest their dollars given the unorganized nature. These opportunities will allow us not only to bring companion like RJs or entertain the South Asian community with exciting and enriching events (like an Indian Rock concert or an Asian Indian corporate leadership summit) but also bring bigger and better sponsors to the market thus expanding the total market” states Sameer Targe, Business Head – Zee Americas.

December 1, 2014
MipJunior 2014: Revolution Studios names Miramax as global TV and digital distributor

CANNES: The ongoing MipJunior at Palm Beach in Cannes, France is the hotspot for major announcements from world over. In one such development, Revolution Studios has announced its association with Miramax which will now manage the Studios’ global television and digital distribution licensing titles, including all titles from the recently acquired Morgan Creek international film library.

While the terms of the agreement have not been disclosed, the agreement expands the current alliance, under which Miramax has represented Revolution in the US since June 2012. Miramax will begin representing Revolution’s titles internationally as rights begin to revert back to Revolution, while Morgan Creek titles are immediately available internationally from Miramax.

“We are excited to take this next step in our relationship with Miramax, which has proven to be a formula for success on the domestic front,” announced Revolution chief executive officer Vince Totino.

Revolution COO Scott Hemming said, “The Miramax global sales team is among the most respected and creative in the industry and we look forward to working with them to broaden our diverse library worldwide. Miramax representing Revolution globally is the next natural step in continuing our collaboration of our already established and strong domestic foundation.”

Revolution titles represented by Miramax include more than 40 top tier Hollywood films such as: Black Hawk Down, America’s Sweethearts, 13 Going on 30, Maid in Manhattan, XXX and Daddy Day Care.

The Morgan Creek titles acquired by Revolution and now represented by Miramax include: Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves, Ace Ventura: Pet Detective, True Romance, The Last of the Mohicans and Major League.

“Miramax is proud to expand its partnership with Revolution and we are excited to now represent the Revolution and Morgan Creek titles internationally. This fantastic collection of content is highly complementary to the Miramax catalog, providing us unique positioning within the international TV and digital landscape,” said Miramax executive VP worldwide TV sales Joe Patrick.

The Miramax global sales team has successfully brought hundreds of titles to existing and emerging platforms in nearly every country in the world, including free and premium linear TV, subscription video-on-demand and ad-supported video-on-demand. Miramax will now include the Revolution and Morgan Creek titles in their international offering, maximising distribution of these film catalogs around the world.

October 12, 2014
TLC presents Bizarre foods America with Andrew Zimmern

MUMBAI: TLC brings an exciting new series BIZARRE FOODS AMERICA WITH ANDREW ZIMMERN. The series will follow Zimmern travelling to various parts of America and his home state of Minnesota in search of oddest and strange cuisines.

In each episode Zimmern will go on the quest to taste the wacky and oddest delicacy found in US. Whether, it is baked muskrat in Baltimore, deep fried piglet testicles on a hog farm in Iowa, or fermented fish eggs with Native Americans on an island in Alaska, Andrew is ready to tempt and test his palate on TLC.

BIZARRE FOODS AMERICA WITH ANDREW ZIMMERNwill premiere on August 2, every Saturday and Sunday at 9PM and 10PM.

Zimmern goes deep into the lane and cities to find a dish which will set apart from the rest. He goes on to try snakehead to cow’s feet, tongue to every part of the pig which has been turned it to mouthwatering delicacy.

Bizarre Foods focuses on regional cuisine from around the world, this time mainly for America, which is typically perceived as being disgusting, exotic, and bizarre. In each episode, Zimmern focuses on the cuisine of a particular country or region. He typically shows how the food is procured, where it is served, and, usually without hesitation, eats it.

July 23, 2014
American Court issues injunction in case relating to re-transmission of broadcast signals over internet

NEW DELHI: Insisting that it was not striking a blow against new communications technology, the American Supreme Court has ruled that the engineers at the new firm of Aereo had — so far — not found a way to avoid violating television networks’ copyright privileges by delivering their programmes to Aereo’s customers for a small monthly fee.

In what is clearly a landmark decision, the SC reversed a lower court decision denying an injunction to broadcasters in a case in which the court considered “whether a company ‘publicly performs’ a copyrighted television programme when it retransmits a broadcast of that program to thousands of paid subscribers over the Internet.”

The petition was filed by American Broadcasting Companies against Aereo.

The case arose from a broadcaster petition to reverse a lower court ruling that denied an injunction against Aereo.

The injunction was sought to shut down the service while the question of copyright was determined.

Broadcasters claim Aereo is violating their copyright by reselling TV signals—like a cable operator—without permission. Aereo says it is not reselling signals, but “renting” individual antennas to monthly subscribers who pay $8 to $12 monthly for the multichannel service targeting second-screen devices.

However, senior Supreme Court lawyer Amy Howe who is an expert on copyright and edits the SCOTUS Blog wrote: “Aereo performs petitioner’s works publicly within the meaning of the transmit clause of the Copyright Act.”

Analysing the order, the blog said the analytical technique the Court used in finding a likely copyright violation by Aereo was to compare its streaming of internet-based TV programmes to cable TV systems’ snatching of TV broadcasts out of the airwaves for re-delivery to customers. Congress had meant to bar that kind of programming in a major 1976 revision of the Copyright Act, the Court said, and it applied that change directly to Aereo’s clever new business model.

The over-the-air TV broadcast industry had taken the case to the Supreme Court, claiming that its very survival was at stake. Aereo’s system, the industry contended, was offering a very cheap version of TV programming to its customers while paying not a cent in royalties to the TV networks and their program developers. This was threatening to draw the networks’ own paying customers away, depriving it of revenues that have been replacing their declining take from advertising, the TV firms said.

The Court, in its six-to-three ruling, said nothing about rescuing the TV broadcasters, basing its ruling on a fairly simple application of what it means to “perform” a copyrighted program through distribution to “the public.”   Aereo’s system, Justice Stephen G. Breyer wrote for the majority, both performs the copyrighted programs and does so through delivery to the public.

Aereo has developed a system in which it uses thousands of tiny antennas, each tuned to respond to an individual customer’s internet demand for a particular TV programme, and through those antennas it delivers to each customer only their own personal copy.   Aereo contended that it simply was supplying the technology hardware — like a DVD recorder — to enable its customers to get access to TV programmes that were broadcast over the air.

The Court rejected that claim, concluding that Aereo was not simply an equipment provider. It was putting on the TV shows for its customers, the public.

However the Court said it was issuing only a narrow ruling. It said it was dealing, at this point, only with Aereo’s system so far as it enabled its viewers to view copyrighted TV programmes “live,” or after only a brief delay. Justice Breyer stressed that the decision said nothing about downloading a TV programme in order to recover it and keep it on hand for somewhat later viewing. Justice Breyer also said the new decision was not dealing with other potential time-shifting download technologies.

Aereo’s case will now return to lower courts, and it appears that Aereo may have some opportunity there to salvage some of what its offers to its customers.

June 26, 2014
America gears up for the 15th IIFA Weekend and Awards 2014 in Tampa Bay

MUMBAI: As we draw closer to the 15th International Indian Film Academy (IIFA) Weekend & Awards in Tampa Bay, Florida, the Academy held a press conference on the lawns of the U.S. Consulate in Mumbai, today. Friends of IIFA, members from the film fraternity were present today along with U.S. Ambassador Peter Haas, and the Tampa Bay delegation to show their support for the upcoming celebrations in the United States of America. The 15th Videocon D2H IIFA Weekend and the Tata Motors IIFA Awards will be held from the 23rd – 26th of April.

Actors Anil Kapoor, Madhuri Dixit Nene, Saif Ali Khan, Kareena Kapoor Khan, Bipasha Basu and music director Pritam were on hand to announce the details of the Videocon D2H IIFA Weekend. Leading the delegation from Tampa were Mayor of Tampa Bay – Bob Buckhorn, Hillsborough County Commissioner – Al Higginbotham and Santiago Corrada, President and Chief Executive Officer of Visit Tampa Bay and the IIFA hosts from Tampa Bay, Dr. Kiran Patel and Dr. (Mrs.) Pallavi Patel.

Peter Haas, U.S. Consul General in Mumbai said, “I’m excited by IIFA’s decision to hold this year’s awards ceremony in Tampa, Florida. Bollywood fans across the United States will be thrilled that India’s biggest film stars are coming. We look forward to other Indian companies choosing the United States as their travel destination and stand ready to assist.”

The 15th edition of the Videocon D2H IIFA Weekend in April 2014 is set to include multiple star-studded events including the IIFA Rocks (a fashion and music spectacular), the IIFA Magic of the Movies & Technical Awards, and the crown jewel Tata Motors IIFA Awards.

The Tata Motors IIFA Awards will be hosted by Shahid Kapoor and Farhan Akhtar. The first set of star performers at the Videocon D2H IIFA Weekend include Hrithik Roshan, Priyanka Chopra, Madhuri Dixit Nene, Saif Ali Khan, Kareena Kapoor Khan, Ranveer Singh, Sonakshi Sinha, Bipasha Basu, Pritam and Vir Das among others. The performances would be choreographed by the internationally-renowned Shiamak Davar. More stars would be announced in the next few weeks.

The sale of tickets for the Tata Motors IIFA Awards has been brisk with more than 15000 tickets being already sold without any announcement of performing stars. The response from the audience is phenomenal and the Indian contingent is looking forward to the first-ever IIFA Celebrations in America.

Business events include the FICCI-IIFA Global Business Forum which focuses on business opportunities across the two geographies, the Global Leadership Honours and a Media and Entertainment Strategy Summit led by Ernst & Young and FICCI’s Entertainment division.

The FICCI IIFA Global Business Forum will take place over two days (24th & 25th April) at the Tampa Convention Center. Hosted by the University of South Florida College of Business, the business forum will be addressed by several leading visionaries and business leaders including Indian IT visionary, founder and Executive Chairman of Infosys, Mr. Narayan Murthy and FICCI President Siddharth Birla. The business forum’s verticals will focus on renewable energy, pharma, healthcare & life sciences, tourism, IT and cyber security, infrastructure, education and higher education.

For the first time this year, the IIFA EXPO comprising a B2C showcase of businesses from India and US would be on view. The focus areas are property, wellness and tranquility, jewelry, banking, tourism, bridal wear, clothing, handicrafts and artifacts.

Additional unique events include an IIFA Masterclass with an international actor and IIFA Stomp which is a celebration by the Tampa Bay community to welcome IIFA on April 23rd – a unique celebration of Indian music, dance and cuisine in the Curtis Hixon Waterfont Park in Tampa. This open for general public event, will feature popular DJs led by Ravi Drums and Akbar Sami.

Long time friend & supporter of IIFA, International Actor, Anil Kapoor said “There is nothing as unique as Bollywood, and Tampa is in for a treat this year! The IIFAs are a great platform for us to showcase our work to the world. This April, IIFA will bring the magic of Indian Cinema to America.”

Speaking on her years in the US, Madhuri Dixit Nene said, “Very few know that I lived in Florida for a while. I have been to Tampa Bay and I can tell you honestly it is a beautiful city and the people there are warm and welcoming. Thank you for hosting us. We are gonna rock.”

Saif Ali Khan commented saying, “It’s always amazing to give our Indian and international audience a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to witness one of the finest celebrations of Indian culture and cinema. IIFA is really going to rock this year!”

Mr. Ranjit Yadav, President, Passenger Vehicles, Tata Motors said, “After an exciting debut last year, Tata Motors is again joining hands with IIFA to delight their global audiences. With our newly showcased, next-generation cars – the Zest and the Bolt, at the recent Auto Expo 2014, we also have some new emerging superstars to add to the excitement. Engineered for global markets, through global teams across India, UK and Korea, these cars will set new standards in their respective segments just like the IIFA Awards. These cars are a true representation of our Horizonext philosophy, with best-in-class offerings and will showcase the Next in Design, Performance and Infotainment. We will bring many more such exciting best-in-class offerings and we hope to receive your support in our journey, in the Future”.

Kareena Kapoor Khan said, “There is a great pride when representing your country and the Indian film industry, and IIFA makes that possible for all us. I am excited to reach out to our fans and Indian Cinema aficionados in the USA and across the world. I’m sure IIFA 2014 is going to be a phenomenal success as it ventures into USA.”

Mr. Sabbas Joseph, Director, Wizcraft International & IIFA said, “In our 15th year, IIFA continues to build bridges through cinema across communities throughout the world. We are determined to bring the magic and magnitude of Indian culture as Tampa Bay is set to witness the spectacle that is Indian cinema, when IIFA comes to the US, this April.”

Bipasha Basu said, “Over the years, I have been privileged to have been a part of and performed at several IIFAs and have watched them grow from strength to strength. It is commendable that IIFA continues to be a magnificent celebration of Indian Cinema and IIFA’s efforts to promote Indian Cinema on a global scale are really praiseworthy. As an ambassador of Cinema, I whole-heartedly support this noble endeavor and will continue to do so. It would be fun to be in North America this year, because with a huge number of Bollywood fans in the country, it will only be a remarkable celebration.”

At the onset of IIFA 2014, Videocon announced the launch of Videocon 4K 4 IIFA Facebook contest where the users can participate, play and win a chance to experience IIFA in Tampa Bay, US. Mr. Anirudh Dhoot – Director, Videocon Group stated, “In our 6th year of successful association, Videocon d2h along with IIFA, shares a similar outlook of promoting excellence in entertainment. The focus of both IIFA and Videocon d2h is adding variety and value in its entertainment quotient. Videocon d2h which is now Asia’s Most Promising DTH brand strives to provide the best viewing experience in Asli HD through its DTH services and now reaches more than 10 million homes. We provide a very good platform for IIFA as well to reach out to this discerning audience.”

Gaurav Banerjee, General Manager, Star Plus said, “We are proud to partner Wizcraft for over the last ten years in the biggest celebration of Indian Cinema with the IIFA weekend. This year with Tampa Bay as the host, a fantastic line up of talent and support from the industry, we promise to create a blockbuster evening reaching IIFA to millions of households worldwide through Star Plus.”

Having travelled to some phenomenal destinations across the globe over the last 15 years, IIFA has graced the shores of the UK, Europe, Middle East, South East Asia, South Africa, Sri Lanka Amsterdam and Canada. Fans and enthusiasts of Indian Cinema from around the world can expect to see their favorite stars descend into Tampa, Florida during the weekend and witness Indian Cinema’s most glorious event unfold for the first time in America. With world-class infrastructure and facilities and having hosted a myriad of international concerts, events and the Super Bowl four times, Tampa Bay is the ideal choice for the 15th IIFA celebrations.

The Videocon D2H IIFA Weekend is presented by Videocon D2H and the Tata Motors IIFA Awards is presented by Tata Motors. The IIFA Weekend &Awards will be broadcast globally on Star Plus, for the 10th year running.

February 19, 2014
Zee Cafe brings 3 of America’s biggest reality shows

MUMBAI: The viewers of Zee Café will become a witness to three of America’s highest rated reality series. The channel has signed an exclusive deal with Freemantle Media to bring the latest and multiple seasons of American Idol, America’s Got Talent and The X Factor to India.

Come 19 March, Zee Café will air the 13th season of American Idol that starts in the US from 15 January with a revamped judging panel. While Keith Urban will return for the second time on the judging panel; Mariah Carey, Nicki Minaj and Randy Jackson have been replaced by Harry Connick Jr. and Jennifer Lopez. Ryan Seacrest will return as the host. The last edition of the show was often in the midst of controversies because of the constant cold war between Mariah Carey and Nicki Minaj.

Interestingly, the finale of the show will be aired live on the channel along with US (Zee Café plans to catch up with US by airing the show on weekdays regularly) and soon after that the channel will air the 8th season of America’s Got Talent. Joining actor Howie Mendel and radio personality Howard Stern at the judges panel this year would be supermodel and host of Project Runway, Heidi Klum, along with former Spice Girls member Melanie Brown (aka Mel B), replacing Sharon Osbourne.

And that’s not all! Following America’s Got Talent would be airing of The X Factor towards the end of the year. The X Factor judges panel will include Simon Cowell, singer and actress Paulina Rubio, former Destiny’s Child member Kelly Rowland and songstress Demi Lovato.

Zee Café EVP and business head Anurag Bedi, said, “We believe in bringing the best and the latest content to our viewers. These shows are synonymous with entertainment and unarguably amongst the biggest reality shows on television. Having seen the affinity the audience here has for reality shows, we are confident that these shows will be amongst the biggest shows of 2014 and will strengthen Zee Cafe’s leadership position in the English entertainment genre”.

Bedi thinks that these shows already have a huge fan following in India, considering the local adaptations on Hindi GECs have worked really well. However, it’s the channel’s marketing initiatives that would work in its favour, says Bedi, who is undeterred by the fact that the previous seasons of these shows were aired on different networks. While American Idol previously aired on two different channels in India – Star World (2004-2011) and Big CBS channels (2012-2013), X Factor aired on the Big CBS channels and America’s Got Talent was aired on VH1. Bedi said, “How a show does on one platform may be very different from how it will perform on another. The content itself is of par excellence and the buzz that we create will definitely bring in viewership. We will bring in appointment viewing with these shows.”

Fremantle Media EVP of sales & distribution Asia Ganesh Rajaram, said: “These shows have become a global phenomenon, engaging audiences all over the world because of its ability to attract amazingly talented hopefuls with brilliant stories to tell. We’re delighted that Indian audiences will get to enjoy these shows on Zee Café.”

Given the magnanimous reach of these shows already all around the world, the marketing strategies have been decisively planned. “Considering that these shows will be amongst our tent pole properties for this year, we will take an aggressive 360 degree marketing approach to promote them,” says Bedi, also adding that the shows will be aired in the prime-time slot and will target the young urban youth. “9 pm has a very high PUT among the TG 15-24 who is the viewer of this content. We are confident it will do well at this time band,” he remarks.

While Bedi didn’t divulge any details about the sponsors on board for the shows, considering the popularity of the shows some interesting deals are to be finalised.

The fans of these English reality shows have seriously something interesting to look forward to!

January 9, 2014