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Tag: Big Magic

  • ‘Hawaizaada’ actor Ayushmann Khurrana to anchor Republic Day special on Big Magic

    ‘Hawaizaada’ actor Ayushmann Khurrana to anchor Republic Day special on Big Magic

    MUMBAI: Big Magic, the flagship national Hindi general entertainment channel from Reliance Broadcast Network is positioned as the one stop destination for humour. The channel is all geared up to celebrate Republic Day with the dashing young actor, Ayushmann Khurrana – a TV presenter turned actor as he engages the audience on Monday, 26th January, 7pm- 10pm only on Big Magic. Big Magic partners with Hawaizaada to celebrate the spirit of ‘Made in India’. Hawaizaada releases on Jan 30 2015.

     

    Pumped with fun, humor and patriotism all the shows on Big Magic will celebrate Republic Day with the special episodes wherein Ayushmann Khurrana will be the anchor link. Honoring this day with the entire country, Big Magic will add spark to this occasion with the presence of Ayushmann Khurrana who will also share anecdotes about his upcoming movie. He will be imparting a distinctive message of believing in oneself to the viewers of Big Magic. Ayushmann’s character in his upcoming movie Hawaizaada is based on a 19th century scientist and inventor who flew the 1st aircraft. He is believed to have invented the aeroplane before the Wright Brothers.

     

    Speaking on the three hour special on Big Magic, the dashing actor Ayushmann Khurrana said, “This Republic Day, I am happy to celebrate the essence of my upcoming movie – Hawaizaada which salutes the spirit of being Indian. I am happy to deliver this message to Big Magic viewers through its chatpata comedy content – If you dream, have the courage to accomplish it. My upcoming movie, Hawaizaada, celebrates the fulfilment of an unsung hero who brought forth the brilliance of an Indian talent and intelligence because he dared to dream and fulfil the same fearlessly.”

     

    Commenting on the same, Lavneesh Gupta, COO, Reliance Broadcast Network said, “To salute Republic Day, a momentous occasion for Indians, the BIG MAGIC family will come together to entertain our audience with fun-filled episodes. We’re glad to be sharing this special day with Ayushmann Khurrana , lead actor of Hawaizaada, where the film salutes Indianness and will together impart an inspiring message to our viewers.”

     

    The Republic Day special will be marketed heavily across television, radio and digital, ensuring excellent promotions and reach.

     

    Big Magic is available across key DTH players ranging Airtel, Videocon, DD Free Dish, Dish TV, Reliance Digital TV along with Hathway, Incable, Digicable, DEN, 7 Star, ABS, Siticable, Star Broadband and GTPL amongst others.

  • Zee TV and Life OK are the only gainers: TAM TV ratings week 2

    Zee TV and Life OK are the only gainers: TAM TV ratings week 2

    MUMBAI: In the week 1 of TAM TV ratings where all the Hindi general entertainment channels (GECs) made some gains during the week, week 2 of the ratings has a different story to tell. Almost all the GECs saw a decline in their numbers in week 2 of 2015. The only channels, which grew are Zee TV and Life OK at number three and fourth spot respectively.

     

    Zee TV, this week, posted gains with a rise in its ratings to 432,946 GVTs from 429,663 GVTs. Kumkum Bhagya turned out to be the most watched show this week as it garnered 9,260 TVTs, up from 8,508 TVTs followed by Jamai Raja occupied 7,194 TVTs, up from 6,636 TVTs.

     

    Life OK delivered a marginal growth from 337,915 GVTs to 339,134 GVTs. The comedy genre has worked wonders for the channel as Comedy Classes turned out to be its highlight. It clocked 3,062 TVTs, up from 2,716 TVTs followed by its crime property – Savdhan India, which registered 2,930 TVTs, up from 2,636 TVTs.

     

    Talking about the losers, Star Plus lost from 654,356 GVTs to 612,762 GVTs but still maintained its numero uno position. Its popular shows like Ye Hai Mohababtein and Diya Aur Baati Hum saw a decrease in the ratings. Yeh Hai.. scored 8,841 TVTs, down from 9,078 TVTs and Diya Aur Baati… reported 10,241 TVTs, down from 10,641 TVTs.

     

    Colors at number two settled with 510,208 GVTs, down from 519,544 GVTs. Meri Ashiqui Tumse Hi witnessed a fall from 6,703 TVTs to 6,298 TVTs and Balika Vadhu observed 5,085 TVTs, down from 5,428 TVTs.

     

    At the fifth position stood Sab with 328,467 GVTs, down from 335,130 GVTs. Though its hot property – Taarak Mehta Ka Ooltah Chashmah continued to shine with 8,940 TVTs, up from 8,006 TVTs, but its non-fiction offerings failed to grab eyeballs. Thus, The Great India Family Drama spotted 1,828 TVTs, down from 2,068 TVTs.

     

    Sony Entertainment Television (SET) occupied the sixth spot with 235,415 GVTs, down from 264,461 GVTs. The new series – Bhanwar saw a good start as it delivered 2,160 TVTs. The channel’s crime property – CID saw a decline in the numbers as it noticed 3,791 TVTs, down from 4,542 TVTs.

     

    Additionally, other smaller channels have recorded a rise in viewership. While Big Magic clocked 61,688 GVTs, up from 61,055 GVTs; Zindagi reported 30,340 GVTs, up from 28,232 GVTs; Sony Pal garnered 28,473 GVTs, up from 26,254 GVTs and Epic observed 7,637 GVTs, up from 6,330 GVTs.

     

  • Life OK and Sab gain in week 52

    Life OK and Sab gain in week 52

    MUMBAI: It was a bad end to the year for most of the Hindi general entertainment channels (GECs) as they witnessed a significant drop in the viewership at the ratings chart. In the week 52 of TAM TV ratings, only Life OK and Sab emerged to be winners.

    Life OK stood at number four with 329,200 GVTs, up from 327,014 GVTs. The channel’s crime properties – Savdhaan India and Shapath performed well in the week. Savdhaan India garnered 2,689 TVTs, up from 2,308 TVTs and Shapath recorded 2,477 TVTs, up from 1,812 TVTs.

    Sab at number five tracked 319,608 GVTs, up from 310,462 GVTs. Its flagship property – Taarak Mehta Ka Ooltah Chashmah stood out as a clear winner as it observed a rise from 7,060 TVTs to 8,002 TVTs.

    Coming back to the losers this week, despite a significant drop, Star Plus continued its strong hold at number one with 596,014 GVTs, down from 636,952 GVTs. Most of the channels’ offerings have lost eyeballs. Thus, Diya Aur Baati Hum registered 10,743 TVTs, down from 11,823 TVTs, Yeh Rishta Kya Kehlata Hai clocked around 8,162 TVTs, down from 9,292 TVTs and Ye Hai Mohabbatein reported 9,425 TVTs, down from 10,209 TVTs.

    Colors at number three delivered 492,307 GVTs, down from 500,016 GVTs. Its chart topper Sasural Simar Ka lost numbers and registered 6,769 TVTs, down from 7,040 TVTs. On the non-fiction front, Comedy Nights with Kapil too observed a fall and noted 5,489 TVTs, down from 6,429 TVTs.

    Zee TV continued to occupy the number three spot with 427,256 GVTs, down from 473,977 GVTs. The channel’s popular shows like Kumkum Bhagya and Jamai Raja have witnessed a drop in the ratings. Thus, Kumkum Bhagya recorded 8,998 TVTs, down from 9,936 TVTs and Jamai Raja dropped from 6,879 TVTs to 6,676 TVTs.

    Last but not the least, Sony Entertainment Television (SET) delivered a marginal drop at the ratings chart. It saw a fall from 240,008 GVTs to 236,682 GVTs. On the viewership front, crime offerings have seen a drop. Thus, CID garnered 3,428 TVTs, down from 3,739 TVTs, Crime Patrol scored 2,381 TVTs, down from 2,488 TVTs and Adaalat clocked around 2,399 TVTs, down from 2,528 TVTs.

    Big Magic saw a rise and reported 63,489 GVTs, up from 59,613 GVTs.  Channels like Sony Pal and Zindagi too lost eyeballs as it dropped from 25,158 GVTs to 23,007 GVTs and from 31,545 GVTs to 28,541 GVTs respectively. Epic continued its upward trend and noted 5,281 GVTs, up from 4,534 GVTs.

     

  • Our aim has always been to diversify humour genre: Tarun Katial

    Our aim has always been to diversify humour genre: Tarun Katial

    2014 was a fantastic year for Big Magic as we expanded reach and launched as a national entertainment channel positioned as the one stop destination for humour. Our journey has been excellent; we have not only performed in terms of numbers but have also won the affinity of our viewers. We ranked ninth within the leading channels which is a commendable start in spite of the clutter in the entertainment market

    After receiving phenomenal success in the regional belt, it was a logical step for us to go national. It was the perfect time as digitisation was getting implemented in key markets, which has helped us to reach out to a larger spectrum of audiences. With strong presence in HSM and PHCHP markets, our main focus was to create brand equity for the channel and newly launched shows. Each show has been conceptualised on the basis of market insights, derived from in-depth research amongst our core TG. The current offering on the channel has been a concoction of traditional celebrations peppered with comedy which has resonated excellently with the entire family. Our shows like Akbar Birbal, Ajab Gazab Ghar Jamai and Uff Yeh Nadaniyaan have been a huge hit amongst all age groups.

    Our aim has always been to diversify humour genre and explore the untapped opportunities. In the new year – the promise is to deliver more chatpata content living up to the expectations of our viewers with season wise programming focus across our popular shows.

    Hits and Misses

    One of the catalysts for our success has been the channel’s proposition of serving clutter breaking and fresh content in the humor space e.g. India’s first historical comedy – Har Mushkil ka Hal Akbar Birbal. In terms of the overall performance, Big Magic demonstrated an impressive 48 per cent growth in its viewership along with a staggering reach in 85 million Indian households. At present the channel delivers a 10 per cent unduplicated incremental reach across the markets of UP, MP and Rajasthan, when compared to the top six GECs. The exuberant performance of Big Magic has also garnered interest amongst leading advertisers and marketers, resulting 100 per cent ad inventory.

    Apart from HSM and having focused on distribution and marketing, we are experiencing new viewers from Maharashtra, Gujarat and other parts of the country. A major milestone for us was the launch of Big Magic International in US, Canada and Australia to tap Indian diasporas.

    As we know the route less travelled is always difficult, and it was no exception for us. One of the major challenges we faced was the stiff competition from the leading broadcasters. When we entered the market, it was already cluttered, but with our innovative programming strategy and robust distribution in place, we emerged as a leading contender. Another obstacle we faced was establishing the brand lineage in the markets where our competition has been the leader, but with steady performance we see positive reaction across these markets as well.

    In a nutshell

    We have seen positive synergises between radio and television which has further consolidated our position as the leading media network. With successful implementation of digitisation, the television network witnessed further boost.

    With the new government, the corporate world is optimistic, instilling positive sentiments amongst national and international investors. This year also saw e-commerce industry emerging as one of the highest spenders across advertising platforms especially on television. These factors will further help to boost industry.

    We also saw the launch of many general entertainment channels, but future will belong to the segmented channels offering niche content. Overall, Big Magic saw a promising year with new show launches – Har Mushkil Ka Hal Akbar Birbal and Bal Gopal Kare Dhamaal.

    92.7 Big FM has maintained leadership in share and some shows as Suhana Safar and Breakfast shows continue to rank as number one in the Mumbai and Delhi market. New properties as Big Green Ganesha, Big Green Durga that raised concern for the environment is our focus area, going ahead. New show launches as Seher with Anup Jalota has started rating well too.

    In 2015 broadcasters will focus on newer formats, as content will drive engagement and growth. Comedy as a genre will further see diversification and will continue to move north on the rating charts.

    (These are purely personal views of RBNL CEO Tarun Katial and indiantelevision.com does not necessarily subscribe to these views.)

  • Big Magic goes seasonal

    Big Magic goes seasonal

    MUMBAI: In a country where daily soaps rule, Big Magic, the flagship general entertainment channel of Reliance Broadcast Network, is all set to adopt a new seasonal format.

    Starting 29 December, the channel with its core positioning of being chatpata har pal, will introduce seasonal formats across its popular shows like Har Mushkil Ka Hal Akbar Birbal, Uff Yeh Nadaniyaan, Ajab Ghajab Ghar Jamai and MahiSagar. With this format, the channel aims to emphasise on freshness in characters, more comedy twists in plots, new themes in a four week long season format.

    New seasons for the shows kicks off as below:

    Uff Yeh Nadaniyan – 29 Dec

    Har Mushkil ka Hal Akbar Birbal – 15 Jan

    Ajab Ghajab Ghar Jamai – 12 Jan

    Mahisaagar – 19 Jan

    With the seasonal format kicking in, the channel will see transformation in existing characters, new character introductions new high points – with an unpredictable climax at the end. It will continue its episodic formats but will bring in more comedy, quirky and over the top elements to garner a higher space in the comedy genre. The season will be divided into – premieres, mid-season and season finale.

    Talking about the new season format, Reliance Broadcast Network creative director Uditanshu Mehta said, “At Big Magic, we regularly aim to bring in innovation and newness across our shows. Our regular innovation and programming spikes have ensured time spent on our channel has increased excellently over the past few months, and alongside has audience expectations. This move is part of our endeavor to ensure we deliver to our discerning viewers a truly chatpata experience through our programming.”

    The channel emphasises that the move will also allow marketers an effective window which can be perfectly timed to their campaigns, since they can now partner seasons, which are shorter and ensure high audience engagement.

    As a part of the larger programming strategy, Big Magic will be incorporating interesting storylines in their leading shows.

    The spikes will be marketed heavily across television, radio and digital, ensuring excellent promotions and reach with a 360 degree marketing plan.

  • Star Plus and MSM channels gain in TAM TV ratings

    Star Plus and MSM channels gain in TAM TV ratings

    MUMBAI: The week 50 of TAM TV ratings observed no change in the ranking order. Talking about the big win, Star Plus saw a significant rise in the viewership as it reported 660,929 GVTs, up from 642,101 GVTs. The channel’s chart topper Diya Aur Baati Hum gained a few numbers and registered 14,010 TVTs, up from 13,109 TVTs followed by Yeh Rishta Kya Kehlata Hai that spotted 9,149 TVTs, up from 8,400 TVTs at number two and Ye Hai Mohababtein at number three observed a drop as it scored 8,931 TVTs, down from 9,359 TVTs.

    Sab was the second highest gainer this week with 287,585 GVTs, up from 281,028 GVTs. Despite a hike, it continued to be at the fifth position of the ratings chart. Family Antakshari observed a rise in the viewership as it registered 1,519 TVTs, up from 1,302 TVTs and Taarek Mehta.. continued to lead the chart with 7,603 TVTs, down from 8,380 TVTs.

    Sony Entertainment Television (SET) too saw some numbers growing this week. It garnered 228,958 GVTs, up from 226,307 GVTs. Most of its offerings have seen a growth. Thus, CID topped the chart with 3,642 TVTs, up from 3,322 TVTs, Itna Karo Na Mujhe Pyaar noted 2,121 TVTs, up from 1,734 TVTs and Adaalat delivered 1,955 TVTs, up from 1,590 TVTs.

    On the other hand, Colors, Zee TV and Life OK observed a drop in week 50. Thus, at number two Colors registered 449,580 GVTs, down from 475,969 GVTs. The channel’s oldest series – Balika Vadhu observed a drop as it scored 4,675 TVTs, down from 4,882 TVTs and Udaan tracked 6,308 TVTs, down from 6,396. The channel’s comedy series – Comedy Nights with Kapil recorded 6,172 TVTs, up from 5,956 TVTs.

    Zee TV, which has been dislodged from its second position for a while now, dropped to 397,607 GVTs, down from 418,920 GVTs. Kumkum Bhagya tops the chart with 6,750 TVTs, down from 7,701 TVTs followed by Jodha Akbar with 6,316 TVTs, down from 6,915 TVTs and at number three stood Jamai Raja that reported 6,274 TVTs, down from 6,427 TVTs.

    Life OK, at number four, witnessed 289,099 GVTs a drop from last week’s 296,175 GVTs. Comedy Classes topped the chart with 2,449 TVTs, down from 2,527 TVTs and Savdhan India scored 2,242 TVTs, down from 2,393 TVTs.

    Big Magic dropped to 59,972 GVTs from 60,843 GVTs; Sony Pal witnessed 31,024 GVTs down from 32,834 GVTs. Zindagi gained and noted 32,917 GVTs, up from 30,630 GVTs. Epic too continued its upward trend as it gained 5,684 GVTs up from 3,693 GVTs.

     

  • Star Plus and Colors only two to gain in week 49

    Star Plus and Colors only two to gain in week 49

    MUMBAI: The week 49 of TAM TV ratings saw Star Plus and Colors gain while other channels saw a downward trend.

     

    Star Plus, continued to reign the ratings charts with 642101 GVTs, up from 625440 GVTs.

     

    The channel’s chart topper Diya Aur Baati Hum gained a few numbers and registered 13109 TVTs, up from 12858 TVTs, Saathiya Saath too saw a jump and scored 9216 TVTs, up from 8170 TVTs and Nisha Aur Uske Cousins reported 4631 TVTs, down from 4865 TVTs.

     

    At the second place stood Colors with 475969 GVTs up from 466969 GVTs. Udaan leads the chart with 6396 TVTs, up from 6123 TVTs followed by Sasural Simar Ka at 6372 TVTs, down from 6512 TVTs and Balika Vadhu with 4882 TVTs, up from 4692 TVTs.

     

    Zee TV, which has been dislodged from its second position for a while now, dropped to 418920 GVTs from 434988 GVTs, it registered last week. Kumkum Bhagya tops the chart with 7701 TVTs, down from 8326 TVTs, Jodha Akbar at number two garnered 6915 TVTs, down from 7422 TVTs and Qubool Hai notched up and stood at 6800 TVTs, up from 6721 TVTs.

     

    Life OK, at number four, witnessed 296175 GVTs a drop from last week’s 324376 GVTs. Comedy Classes stood at 2527 TVTs, up from 2417 TVTs and Savdhan India scored 2392 TVTs, down from 2556 TVTs.

     

    MSM’s Sab and Sony too witnessed a drop. The comedy channel scored 281028 GVTs down from 298804 GVTs while Sony fell from last week’s 230238 GVTs to 226307 GVTs, this week.

     

    Sab’s chart leader Taarek Mehta Ka Ooltah Chashmah continued getting eyeballs and reported 8380 TVTs, up from 8255 TVTs. Chidiya Ghar lost some numbers and registered 2904 TVTs, down from 3151 TVTs and Family Antakshari observed 1302 TVTs, down from 1535 TVTs.

     

    Sony’s crime property Crime Patrol saw a drop in the viewership and recorded 2112 TVTs, down from 2386 TVTs, Adaalat too saw a drop in the ratings with 1590 TVTs, down from 2124 TVTs and Maharana Veer Pratap grew with 2718 TVTs, up from 2630 TVTs.

     

    Big Magic dropped to 60843 GVTs from 61809 GVTs; Zindagi to 30630 GVTs from 31344 GVTs and Sony Pal witnessed 32834 GVTs down from 32914 GVTs.

     

    Epic continued its upward trend as it gained 3693 GVTs up from 2926 GVTs.

  • Epic leaves its mark at TAM TV ratings

    Epic leaves its mark at TAM TV ratings

    MUMBAI: After a long time, it is time to rejoice for MSM as week 48 of TAM TV ratings saw the network channels observing a growth in the viewership.

    Sab at number five witnessed 298,804 GVTs, up from 275,600 GVTs. Its chart leader Taarek Mehta Ka Ooltah Chashmah continued getting eyeballs and reported 8,255 TVTs, up from 7,175 TVTs. Chidiya Ghar too added some numbers and registered 3,151 TVTs, up from 2,785 TVTs and Family Antakshari observed 1,536 TVTs, up from 1,190 TVTs.

    Despite a rise, Sony Entertainment Television (SET) stood at number six with 230,238 GVTs, up from 206,513 GVTs. The channel’s crime property Crime Patrol saw a significant rise in the viewership and recorded 2,386 TVTs, up from 1,521 TVTs, Adaalat too saw a hike in the ratings with 2,124 TVTs, up from 1,567 TVTs and Maharan Veer Pratap remained almost stable with 2,630 TVTs, up from 2,628 TVTs.

    Talking about the rest, the ranking order remained unchanged. Despite a drop, Star Plus continued to be the leader with 625,440 GVTs, down from 630,817 GVTs. The channel’s chart topper Diya Aur Baati Hum lost some numbers and registered 12,858 TVTs, down from 13,400 TVTs, Saathiya Saath too saw a drop and scored 8,170 TVTs, down from 8,763 TVTs and Nisha Aur Uske Cousins reported 4,865 TVTs, down from 4,904 TVTs.

    Colors stayed happy at number two with 466,969 GVTs, down from 481,802 GVTs. Sasural Simar Ka leads the chart with 6,512 TVTs, down from 7,260 TVTs followed by Udaan at 6,123 TVTs, down from 6,797 TVTs and Balika Vadhu delivered 4,692 TVTs, down from 4,804 TVTs.

    At number three, Zee TV was the gainer and scored 434,988 GVTs, up from 433,251 GVTs. Kumkum Bhagya tops the chart with 8,326 TVTs, up from 8,021 TVTs, Jodha Akbar at number two garnered 7,422 TVTs, up from 7,336 TVTs and Qubool Hai notched up and stood at 6,722 TVTs, up from 6,457 TVTs.

    Life OK remained at number four with 324,376 GVTs, down from 325,953 GVTs. Its new offering Pukar saw a decent start with 1,382 TVTs. Comedy Classes stood at 2,418 TVTs, up from 2,234 TVTs and Savdhan India scored 2,557 TVTs, up from 2,577 TVTs.

    On the other hand, Big Magic saw a dip in the viewership and recorded 61,809 GVTs, down from 68,667 GVTs. Sony Pal witnessed a rise in the ratings and observed 32,914 GVTs, up from 30,457 GVTs and Zindagi tracked 31,344 GVTs, up from 30,125 GVTs. The newest entrant, Epic observed a significant rise and noted 2,926 GVTs, up from 1,240 GVTs.

     

  • Big Magic: Carving a niche for itself

    Big Magic: Carving a niche for itself

    MUMBAI: From comical line up to festive specials and blockbuster films, it is a channel which tags itself as the one stop destination for humour. Big Magic, initially launched in Uttar Pradesh in 2011 but spread its wings as it gained popularity in the Hindi speaking belt, boasts of creating clutter breaking and fresh content for the viewers in the humour space.

     

    In the general entertainment channel (GEC) space, it might be a new entrant but has been able to make inroads through its popular shows like Har Mushkil ka Hal and Akbar Birbal. So much so, that in week 45 of TAM TV ratings, the channel recorded a growth of 22 per cent.

     

    So what has helped the channel achieve these heights? It is its wide variety of three hours of original programming. From India’s first historical comedy Akbar Birbal to Uff! Yeh Naadaniyaan, from Ajab Gajab Ghar Jamai to Mahi Sagar and Raavi, it fulfils the entertainment needs of the entire family.

     

    And to further strengthen its primetime band, the channel is set to launch Bal Gopal Kare Dhamaal, pegged on the unique equation between a common man and God in modern settings. It is slated to go on-air from 22 December, five days a week at 8.30 pm.

     

    The new show aims at re-creating the Arjun and Krishna equation from the Mahabharat. Says the channel’s creative director Uditanshu Mehta, “The HSM is skewed towards religion, devotion and festivities and with this show, we will cover all these, along with a dash of humour in it. It will offer audiences a truly engaging watch.”

     

    Mehta reveals that the channel does an extensive research on a regular basis as it is very critical in every business.  Two months ago, the channel head met to discuss the research insights on what the audience is thinking.  The research is either done by the channel itself or by the creative agency, Grey Worldwide India, and the media agency MEC.

     

    “Faith is a sure shot way of attracting audiences like festivals are. We research through CHV’s, focused group discussions and extensive market visits to understand the pulse of the audience and their entertainment preferences,” elaborates Mehta.

     

    With Baal Gopal… the channel feels its entire primetime band will be complete. Mehta states that the story is based in Allahabad and teaches life’s simple lessons like karma. The show will be marketed through a 360 degree multi-media engagement plan, which will cover television, print, radio, cinemas, retail touch-points, outdoor and digital. Also extensive on-ground connect in the HSM will be made. “We will focus spends in our core markets of UP, MP, Rajasthan and Punjab,” says Mehta.

     

    Mehta feels that comedy as a genre has really picked up in the recent past because of various innovations across channels. “Overall contribution to GRP’s is coming from genres beyond soaps and reality. Comedy is an opportunity, which sees lesser clutter and hence an opportunity in this segment is challenging. For us, we want to offer audiences a destination for rejuvenation,” he says.

     

    In recent months, the channel has fortified its position across the HSM spreading laughter to over 85 million Indian households. It delivers a 10 per cent unduplicated incremental reach across the market, when compared to the top six Hindi GECs.

     

    Moreover, the channel has demonstrated a 122 per cent viewership growth over the past six months.  The channel’s Time Spent per Viewing (TSV) averages at around 70 minutes. Mehta says, “We want to take this up gradually. We are growing block by block and looking at increasing our original content too.”

     

    He recalls the moment when the channel went to comedy from generic in April, this year. The challenge according to Mehta was to turn the existing shows also into comedy. The other challenge was putting up shows and making sure that they are successful.

     

    It is slowly concentrating and building its weekend slot. With ‘Shahi Shanivar’ of Akbar Birbal specials every Saturday from 9pm to 10 pm, plus one-hour special on Mahisagar and one-hour story-of-the-week on Raavi, it aims to achieve it soon.

     

    The channel plans to add original hours of programming in the coming year. At present, the prime time starts at 7 pm and ends at 10 pm and it plans to extend it beyond 10 pm. It already has two-three shows in the ideation stage. Along with growth in terms of viewership, Mehta reveals that the channel has made great progress on the distribution front. “Initially, there were a couple of distributors, who were not carrying the channel. But now it’s sorted and we should be on Tata Sky, soon.”

     

    It is available across all major distribution platforms including Reliance Digital, Videocon d2h, Airtel Digital TV, DEN, Hathway, Siti Cable and InCable. To ensure wider reach into the HSM, it is also available on DD Freedish.

     

    He believes digitisation has clearly made distribution democratised and while placement is still expensive, distribution is not. “If the content is differentiated then placement is not a key challenge. In fact, we have had a reduction in our carriage fees dramatically over the years,” he reveals.

  • Dabur Honitus Big Junior RJ announces the winner of its second season

    Dabur Honitus Big Junior RJ announces the winner of its second season

    MUMBAI: Dabur Honitus along with India’s No. 1 FM Network – 92.7 BIG FM have come together to culminate the exciting, all new second successful season of Dabur Honitus BIG Junior RJ – Radio’s only talent hunt show that recognises talent among children and helps them hone their skills. With over thousands of participants from across the country competing to reach the finale, the grand finale of the massive talent hunt initiative for kids comes down to one finalist from each of the 45 cities battling it out to win the ambitious title of Dabur Honitus BIG Junior RJ.

     

    The month-long talent hunt campaign not only gave kids a platform to discover their hidden talent and showcase their skills but also gave parents the unique opportunity to actively participate in grooming them and encourage them in their endeavour to win the coveted title.  While winners from across 45 cities earned the opportunity to co-host the evening show in their respective cities, 92.7 BIG FM also announced the name of the grand-finale winner of Dabur Honitus BIG Junior RJ Season 2 who will get yet another exciting opportunity to showcase his/her skills on a platform other than radio.

     

    Judged by popular celebrity and comic genius, Kiku Sharda aka Palak aka Akbar, 92.7 BIG FM and Dabur Honitus announced Vaibhav Kanaad from Mumbai as the grand finale winner, the Dabur Honitus BIG Junior RJ of India.

     

    Speaking of his win, an excited Vaibhav said, “I am really happy to get the chance to be an RJ as well as win my debut on television. The entire journey has been fun and I consider myself lucky to have received this chance to participate. I would like to thank 92.7 BIG FM to give me this opportunity and believe in me.”

     

    Only 11 years old, Vaibhav exhibited extra-ordinary vocal skills perfectly combined with spontaneity, wit and a sense of humour that was beyond compare that enabled him to bag the much sought-after title of Dabur Honitus BIG Junior RJ.

     

    Speaking of the nation-wide talent hunt initiative by 92.7 BIG FM and Dabur Honitus, Celebrity Judge, Kiku Sharda commented, “I’m astounded to see the talent pool that exists among kids today. It was particularly difficult to judge the kids at the finale stage because they were all so brilliant, spontaneous, funny and quick-witted that I honestly had a tough time doing what I was there to do. Seeing the kind of talent that these kids possess has opened me to up to an all-new world and I’m extremely delighted to see 92.7 BIG FM and Dabur Honitus collaborate to give support to such a unique cause.”

     

     As the BIG Junior RJ, Vaibhav did not only win the opportunity to co-host Mumbai’s No. 1 evening drive-time show with RJ Dilip but has also won the golden chance to debut on national television with BIG Magic’s historical comedy show, Akbar Birbal, starring actors – Kiku Sharda and Vishal Kotiyan. The series that presents the popular folklore of Akbar Birbal tales which represent a combination of wit and wisdom are a perfect fit for the Dabur Honitus BIG Junior RJ who through the representation of his own wit and wisdom beat over 1000 participants to win the grand finale title of the Dabur Honitus BIG Junior RJ.