MUMBAI: Every region has its own favorite channel and its denizens like to consume content in their own vernacular language. Hence all major broadcasters invest on a regional offering. Reliance Broadcast Networks Limited (RBNL) has a Bhojpuri channel under the Big banner -Big Ganga. “Since the last 26 weeks we have been number one” says RBNL CEO Tarun Katial.
In Broadcast Audience Research Council BARC India ratings, Big Ganga with 27086 Impressions (000’s) stands tall at number one position over Bhojpuri Cinema which secured a rating of 15875 Impressions (000s).
“From the very beginning we were committed on one factor and that is local consumers. Each and every step of ours is based on consumer insights. We are committed to our consumer and we will offer them original content, not overlapping content which is just dubbed or remade,” asserts Katial.
Soon after BARC India started rolling out its rural data, RBNL made Big Ganga available on DD Freedish. Katial believes this is a factor which enhanced the channel’s reach but says that is not the primary reason behind Big Ganga being number one in its genre. “We were number one before BARC started rolling out its rural data and we are number one now too. Freedish did a reach jump for us, but it is the secondary element, the primary reason behind our leadership is our home grown content,” explains Katial.
Shows like Big Memsaab, Rasoi Ki Rani and Bhakti Samrat are the homegrown assets of the channel which rope in maximum viewership for the channel. The content is well recognised by advertisers and the network has witnessed a significant growth in its ad rates. “The rates have gone up by 100 per cent and we see them going up further. It is because of the people we are catering to, and the kind of content we are producing,” reveals Katial.
“In the Bhojpuri market print continues to be the dominant medium as far as advertising is concerned. But Big Ganga over the years has created a place of its own. As per my estimates, the cost of a 10 second slot now would be close to Rs 5000 – 6000. It saw serious increment after the rural data roll-out,” says a media planning expert on condition of anonymity.
Big Ganga is not only a channel for Bihar and Jharkand as per Katial, “We are a pan India channel catering to the entire community. A significant amount of our viewership comes from places other than Jharkhand and Bihar,” he says.
“Now we are looking towards putting serious investment behind consumer insights and coming up with significant original content,” he concludes with a smile.
