ITV

Tag: Bindass

  • Music channels face uncertainty

    Music channels face uncertainty

    Year 2010 saw major changes in the music and youth TV channel genre. Firstly, the space got further cluttered with the launch of a new player – Mastiii. Secondly, at least three channels – MTV, UTV Bindass and 9XM – were fighting week-on-week to know who is first among the equals. And thirdly, the focus of the channels shifted – some went for pure music and others for pure youth.

    The 13-odd channels in the genre (as per Tam) are locked in a rat race. From January –December 2010, in the C&S 15+ age group of Hindi speaking Market (HSM), MTV and 9XM were leading the pack with a 14 per cent average market share. UTV Bindass was, however, in hot pursuit with 13.9 per cent.

    To add on to the fierce competition, Sri Adhikari Brothers’ Mastiii, which launched in July, quickly climbed and captured a good 12.6 per cent average share.

    Meanwhile, Channel [V], Zoom (Bollywood and lifestyle channel), B4U Music, ETC and E24 (Bollywood news channel), which Tam puts in the same genre, followed with 9.1 per cent, 8.8 per cent, 7.7 per cent, 6.5 per cent and 6.3 per cent respectively of the overall pie.

    The also rans include Zing, Imagine Showbiz and Vh1.

    The question remains: How the music and youth channels will survive with such competition? Industry pundits peg the whole pie between Rs 2.5–3 billion yearly and believe the market is small while the players are too many. Some say that the music space has undergone tremendous transformation and today they all have the more or less same generic content – be it music or reality shows.

    But how true is it? Answers Channel [V] EVP and GM Prem Kamath, “TV is not the primary medium for music anymore as it is available everywhere. More importantly, the greatest monetisation in television comes from differentiation. The biggest limitation of the music television model has been that there is no scope whatsoever in differentiating the content of one channel from another. Every channel has access to the same pool of music and, hence, very little differentiates one channel from another.”

    And to counter this situation, Channel [V] has cut down its reliance on music drastically. The channel airs music only between 7-10 am band, which is a prime slot for music channels.

    However, at the same time, pure play music channels – 9XM and Mastiii – are doing great so far as ratings go. What is their success mantra?

    9XM programming head Amar Tidke says, “It’s all about how you package your content. Yes, you have to break through the clutter and for that we have animated characters.”

    Tidke believes that other “youth channels” have diluted the music proposition. And on the point that music is skewed towards Bollywood only, Tidke strongly replies that it is wholesome music. “Bollywood music contains all the forms of music including romantic, sad, sufi, bhajans, etc. So it is wrong to say that we are neglecting other forms of music,” he says.

    And while Channel [V] and Bindass are youth channels, through and through, MTV, the long standing undisputed leader of the genre, changed its positioning twice in the year.

    While MTV continued cutting down its music content to 20 per cent, in the later part of the year it backtracked and increased it to 50 per cent. Some rival channels executives believe the step taken by MTV is rather unfortunate. “The channel has lost its positioning. It had a head start with cult shows like Roadies. But they have spent a lot and the latest seasons of the shows did not perform well. The high cost may have been a reason behind going back,” one senior executive on condition of anonymity said.

    However, MTV India channel head Aditya Swamy said that the channel has adopted a new “Raw” identity. “MTV as a brand is much bigger than a TV channel,” Swamy said. “We felt that a good combination of music and reality is necessary, so we have increased the music content.”

    However, experts believe that pure music channels 9XM and Mastiii are forcing the older music channels to relook on their music content. “MTV and Channel [V] had taken steps to reduce their music content as they repositioned themselves as youth brand channels. MTV could now be trying to play a fine balance between their reality and music content,” says a media tracker.

    Meanwhile, on the reality content front, MTV’s reign is shaking as UTV Bindass has succeeded with bold homegrown reality shows like Emotional Attyachaar and Dadagiri. And Channel [V] also is upping the ante with new reality shows.

    Also, as per ad sales executives, a pure play music channel can have a revenue upside of Rs 600-650 million, if it leads the genre and buying music is not expensive. And that precisely is the opportunity Sri Adhikari Brothers’ saw while launching Mastiii.

    As might be the case with MTV, the reality content doesn’t come cheap. It increases your cost significantly, while results are not always that great. So is it not safe to play pure music? Kamath disagrees. “Music is very easy form of content to put on a channel, but then there is a limit to grow. Moreover, many pure play music channels are getting good ratings from retro songs, which are not sampled by youth,” he says. Channel [V] claims of targeting youth in the 15-34 year segment.

    Meanwhile, the year 2010 saw a slight increase in the whole genre, presumably because of the launch of a new channel and the combined effort of other channels to market their shows.

    However, 2011 will be a tougher year for the players. There is one more new player in Sony Entertainment waiting for licence to launch its music channel – Sony Mix. Imagine Showbiz has also changed ownership and is now in the hands of Anil Ambani. So wait for more uncertainty in the genre.
     

  • ‘We are completely format and genre agnostic’ : Channel [V] GM Prem Kamat

    ‘We are completely format and genre agnostic’ : Channel [V] GM Prem Kamat

    Badly bruised by MTV. Not really. Not really. Channel [V] has turned around to the same formula – cut down on music content while adding reality format shows.

     

    The overhaul to fit into the garb of a youth channel is beginning to pay rich dividends. Channel [V] has shored up its ratings and, more importantly, the brand is being polished to cater to an expanded audience base.

     

    Channel [V]‘s focus is on the seven metros. That is where its grip on audiences is strengthening as it tries to catch up on market leader MTV.

     

    In an interview with Indiantelevision.com‘s Gaurav Laghate, Channel [V] GM Prem Kamat talks about the drive to expand the brand across TV, internet, mobile and on-ground platforms.

     

    Excerpts:

     
     
    It‘s been more than three months since the relaunch of the channel. How has the response been so far?

    It‘s been fantastic. Actually, it has surpassed all our expectations…both from a market share point of view as well as the revenue standpoint. The kind of upswing that we are seeing is absolutely phenomenal. When we started out- even before the revamp when we began changing things around the channel and getting some basic things in place, transforming the kind of music we play, all of it – we were having a 0.2 – 0.3 per cent share. And as per the latest data, our share now has increased to 0.81.

     

    That‘s actually a fourfold increase. We were expecting to be at this stage probably in the next five to six months down the line, but we have reached that point already.

     

    Also, shows like Dare 2 Date have become hugely popular. There are websites dedicated to it. There are fan pages on Facebook and popularity is huge.

     
     
    But how do you see competition with MTV and Bindass who are much ahead in viewership and targeting the same youth audience?

    The case is pertinent to the time when we started out. However today, MTV‘s share is 1-1.2 per cent while we stand at 0.8. Thus, our gap with MTV has significantly narrowed.

     

    Talking about focused markets, we have been always ahead of Bindass. So for the slice that we take amongst the youth, we have been consistently ahead of Bindass. Specially, post the relaunch.
     
     

    But the Tam data does not show the kind of growth that you are boasting of. You talked about your focused markets…
    As you know, slicing the audiences is a game that people play to suit themselves. We always maintain that we are a youth channel; we focus on the seven metros. So we are an upscale urban youth portal, channel, medium… whatever you call it. And 15-24 is really the age group that we define.

     

    So that‘s really the set of people we talk to.

     
     
    But just the seven metros. Don‘t you think youth is scattered across?

    It is. But I think it is very important for us to define what our focus areas are and which are the places we wish to operate. When you say seven metros, it still counts to about 55 per cent of the Tam markets. So it is a significantly large percentage of the population.

     

    In terms of consumption, for most brands these seven markets will contribute to over 60-70 per cent of their volumes. In terms of television viewership, these again contribute about 60 per cent of the total viewership. So it‘s really about saying that, of course Channel [V] is consumed outside these seven metros, but every time we create something when we use audiences as a guiding force for the kind of stuff that we should be doing, these are the markets that we talk about. And hence, everything that we measure revolves around these markets. These are the set of people we are catering to.
     

     
    Coming to shows, music channels are shrinking their music content while upping their format shows. Is this the inevitable model?

    No, not necessarily. I really believe it depends on how you define your own programming philosophy. I think there are two ways to approach this. One is by staying faithful to the genre, second is by staying faithful to your audience.

     

    At Channel [V] we always say that we are going be faithful to our audience and not the genre. So, if a 15-24-year-old wants to consume a certain kind of content, that‘s the kind of content Channel [V] will put up.

     

    We do not believe that we are a channel which stays faithful to the genre. This particular audience has a wide variety of interests. It is our endeavour to try and reflect every aspect of that in the edgiest, the most interesting and most entertaining form possible. That is what you will see happening on our channel as well.

     

    It‘s not that Channel [V] has stopped playing or showcasing music. A large part of our content is still music, but we have taken a conscious call to move beyond music and get into a whole series of different things.

     
     
    ‘We are seeing Channel [V] as not just a television channel but as a brand with legs like TV, internet and mobile. In short, an all round engagement platform‘

     
     
    MTV had started the transition in 2007 when it shed its music content from 80 to 60 per cent. Now it is just 20 per cent of their programming. Is Channel [V] taking the same route?

    Like I said, it‘s not a decision that is driven by the genre at all. While I cannot comment on MTV‘s stand on this and how they are approaching it, our take is very simple. We pride ourselves on having a very strong pulse on what the consumer needs and what our target group enjoys. Our endeavour is constantly to be on the ball as far as this consumer pulse is concerned. Our content mix will always be a reflection of this.

     

    If the genre shifts in a completely new direction tomorrow, and the trends indicate that the youth choices are changing, that will be the direction we will take.

     
     
    Currently, your music content share is 60 per cent. Are you planning to cut it further?

    Currently, the kind of yield that we are getting from our shows is very good. But that doesn‘t mean that we are going to abandon music and populate the whole channel with shows. There are a variety of other constraints and considerations to take into account.

     

    This is the content mix that we decided on at the beginning of the year in July (as per News Corp‘s financial calendar) and we intend to continue this till at least June-end. Then, we will take a call on our content again.

     
     
    So with your revamped programming, you mean that youth is more interested in reality?

    Absolutely. I think it is fairly clear for everybody to see that. And it is not just reality. Reality is just a format, a form of programming. We are not constrained by that at all; we are completely format-agnostic and genre-agnostic. So it does not matter to us if the show is reality or fiction or documentary. What matters is whether it interests our target audience. And we have ample evidence all around us to say that their interests go far beyond just mere music.

     

    For example, our show Campus Buzz can‘t be put under any genre. Here students make video blogs and submit it to us. It is user-generated-content on television, but the engagement is also online.

     

    These are things that are representative of how we can push beyond the boundaries of genre and reality and fiction or non-fiction content.
     

     
    Also the cost of content for these kind of shows is very small?

    Absolutely, because a large part of it is user generated. We do guide them to some extent. But you are right in saying that the cost of producing something like this is very very small.
     
     

    But isn‘t the cost higher for other reality shows like Exhausted, Kidnap, or [V] The Player?

    Different shows have different cost structures, depending on what you are doing with it, where the shoot is, who you are getting and length of the shoot. But yes, on a ‘per half hour‘ basis, creating your own custom programming is more expensive than playing music. But it also offers you the advantages of creating something that is unique, something that is differentiated and something that is much more of a fit with your brand personality. And most importantly, creating something that the audience will find engaging and interesting.

     
     
    But is the revenue also looking up?

    Yes, because what these shows also do is provide you with customised solutions for clients. When someone (client) comes to Channel [V], it‘s not merely for the reach or for the conventional matrix of reach and frequency. They select a channel like us for the kind of engagement that we provide with the audiences. I think it is fair to say that a consumer of Channel [V] is far more involved with the brand than let‘s say the consumer of a regular conventional GEC (general entertainment channel) or a movie channel for that matter. That is really the advantage we can offer to the advertisers.

     

    What we bring to the table is a far higher degree of engagement with the viewers and far greater avenues of engaging with these people than just playing a 30-second commercial.

     

     
    Coming to promo properties, Channel [V] has created characters like Quick Gun Murugan, Lola Kutty and Sampoo Singh. Has the focus shifted now?

    Not really. Probably there has been a lull in the last two years for various reasons. But it is not that we have stopped. For example the ‘Bai‘ on Channel [V] that says Itne Paise me itna hi milega. It‘s something that the Bai said on Channel [V] and has become a very popular lingo.

     

    We are also creating more characters. Bai has been joined in by Bhai, her brother who is on-air right now. Things like these catch on with the audiences on their own…we can never promote these. Our best bet is to create these characters and put them out to see what happens. It will be very arrogant to believe or to say that we can create these characters at will.

     
    Do you see the no-appointment viewing pattern as a problem for youth channels like yours?

    For certain shows yes, for certain shows – no. Channels like ours don‘t have the kind of appointment viewing that a GEC has. Therefore, all of us follow an alternative model of airing a high number of repeats. If on a GEC a show repeats once or twice, on a channel like ours it will repeat 11-12 times. It gives us an opportunity to far more sample that show.

     

    The business model for us is a combination of attempting the scheduling in a different manner and finding new avenues for more consumption, whether it‘s online or mobile.

     
    So that is why you are more bullish on internet?

    Exactly. If you see our revamped website, only 10 per cent is about the content that we put on TV. It is our firm and unshakable believe that people don‘t go online just to see what is on TV. Hence, even if the website caters to the same kind of audiences and the same areas of interest, it does so in a manner that is suitable much more for the internet.

     

    You will find a lot more articles and advises on youth-centric issues, love and relationships. It is created exclusively for the internet, though it is for the same set of audiences.

     

    How does the strength of a network like Star help Channel [V]?

    It gives us a very strong platform to promote our shows. It is also a very strong source for driving in efficiencies, weathering cost efficiencies, and learning. Because of the network, we have far more channels from where we can learn or cross pollinate ideas. Also, we can source content on a much larger scale, which gives us a cost advantage. 

     

     
    What is the way going forward?

    You will find that we will continue to do shows. Internet as well as mobile and digital will become important for us. On-ground is also another important proposition. We are planning to take our brand on-ground on a grand scale.

     

    We are seeing Channel [V] as not just a television channel but as a brand with legs like TV, internet, mobile and on-ground. In short, an all round engagement platform. 

  • ‘Star One is repositioned to become suitable for youth audiences’ : Ravi Menon – Star One EVP and GM

    ‘Star One is repositioned to become suitable for youth audiences’ : Ravi Menon – Star One EVP and GM

    Star One was launched as an upmarket Hindi general entertainment channel, second to Star Plus. Pioneer of big ticket shows like Nach Baliye and The Great Indian Laughter Challenge (TGILC), the channel is now on the path of repositioning.

     

    In an interview with Indiantelevision.com’s Richa Dubey, Star One executive vice president and general manager Ravi Menon talks about Star One’s road ahead as the channel takes up a new positioning to address the youth while tapping family audiences.

     

    Excerpts:

    Star One has deviated a lot from its earlier positioning of an upmarket channel. What made you to shift from your earlier positioning?
    You can’t target the urban market with less money. And when you put in huge amounts, there has to be good returns. So we wanted to expand the market – for viewers as well as revenues.

     

    Upmarket audiences are also not very sticky in nature. We found this in some of our popular shows like Sarabhai vs Sarabhai.

    Is Star One on its way of getting revamped?
    I would not call it a revamp. But from the time it was launched, Star One’s positioning and programming has changed.

     

    Our programming has now become suitable for youth. Our fictions are focussed towards youth, though families can still watch. In reality shows like Zara Nach Ke Dikha, we have roped in young participants and included family elements in it.

     

    Our channel is primarily for youngsters. But we also respect family viewing.

    What would you identify as your target group (TG)?
    Star One targets the 10-30-year-olds. The core TG, though, is 18 to 22 years. But we are definitely not addressing the kind of TG that channels like Bindass or Channel [V] have. Our content is for the homogeneous market. We produce shows for youngsters wherein the entire family can sit and watch. We get family audiences, but on the back of these youngsters. People from all age groups can connect with all our shows like Annu Ki Ho Gayi Wah bhai Wah, Dil Mil Gayi, Pari Hoon Main and Choona Hai Aasmaan.

    How have the advertisers responded to your current repositioning?
    We have become a platform for the brands that want to address the youth. We foresee more brands that will come in. Advertisers are ready to pay money for new kind of shows.

    Don’t you think that the youth positioning is risky as we have seen in the case of Zee Next which has a mere 1-2 per cent of market share in the GEC space?
    When you are addressing such a TG, there has to be a habit formation. We have been very successful in keeping consistency in viewership.

     

    As I said earlier, we get the entire family to watch our channel on the back of youngsters. This strategy will lift Star One above the rest of the other new comers.
    ‘We have been a trend setter in the stand up comedy front. Other channels have started cloning us soon after the success of The Great Indian Laughter Challenge‘

    Though Star One became the number three GEC for a week in January, since then there has been a constant dip and presently it ranks number 6. How do you explain this?
    The important thing is that we are continuously reaching out to our TG. We are a GEC focussing on youth. But the new entrants in the market are targeting to compete with Star and Zee. So though we have become number 6 from number 3, in our target audience we are still the leader.

    Overall, the GEC market share has got segmented because of new entrants. Do you see that affecting Star One?
    The GEC market is segmented but brands are still willing to pay money. Presently if Kyunki Saas Bhi Bahu Thi gives a rating of 4 TVR, that is good enough in a fragmented market for media buyers and advertisers to put money behind them.

    What kind of money is being pumped in for programming?
    The programming budget depends on the requirements of the channel. We rework on it every quarter.

     

    But GECs today roughly spend around Rs 7-8 billion. That is because the reality shows are very costly, – jury, studio, star costs have surged.

    With such high money being pumped in, does it become to protect profitability of channels?
    A good thing about reality shows are that they come with 10 to 12 sponsors and become popular – and they are for a short period. Although fictions do not come with so many sponsors, they are for long term and become popular gradually. So every show has a break even. Although the market is cluttered, that does not affect the bottomline because there are many brands ready to advertise.

    Your weekday prime time fresh programming is of two hours. In the other day parts you show repeats of your present as well as older shows like India Calling and The Special Squad. Are you going to expand original content on the channel?
    We sell advertisers our original programmes. Putting fresh shows on every time slot is expensive; we, thus, run repeats of the older shows. We have bulk deals with advertisers.

    For Star One, reality shows like Bol baby Bol and Funjaabi did not become as popular as Laughter Challenge?
    Bol Baby Bol did fairly well, delivering a rating of 1+ TVR in some weeks. We experimented with Funjaabi and Kisko Milega Cash. While announcing the launch, we had said that the show will run for a month and if it does well, then we would continue it further.

     

    Doling out prize money daily was a mistake that we did. Probably if we were to bring another series of the show, we would give money only once a week.

     

    But we have been a trend setter in the stand up comedy front. We hunt the talents and raise the stars. Other channels have started cloning us soon after the success of The Great Indian Laughter Challenge.

    How will you create an equally big property like Nach Baliye?
    Now our aim is to create equally clutter breaking shows like Zara Nach ke Dikha.
    What big shows are coming up?
    We have Zara Nach Ke Dikha which is a celebrity dance competition between boys and girls. It will go on air somewhere in mid July. The slot and day has not been decided yet. There are a few more shows which will be unveiled soon.
    Can we expect this show to be slotted for weekend prime time while other shows will fill up the weekday primetime band?
    Currently the slotting of shows has become very crucial, especially for the prime time. After IPL, many channels have launched shows at the prime time; they were all waiting for IPL to get over. Colors will launch in July and we will monitor everything closely before we fix the timing of our shows.

  • Dubbing to ride on ‘Firangi’ content

    West is best,” said Edward Said. It seems Indian broadcasters have taken a cue from Said and are ready to experiment heavily with international content in 2008.

    Sahara One Media and Entertainment Ltd, for instance, is taking the bold step of launching an entertainment channel that will fill entirely with dubbed international content. Its logic: “40 per cent of the TV viewing population continuously watch dubbed content”.

    Firangi is set to launch on 25 February, importing content from across the world -Germany, France, Spain, Argentina, Mexico and Israel.

    Firangi is not alone in this experimentation. UTV has also put a high dose of dubbed content on its youth-centric Hindi entertainment channel Bindass.

    Says Bindass GM acqusition Manasi Sapre, “Dubbed entertainment has emerged as a strong alternative to live action productions in the past few years. It allows audience to sample international content of great quality in language they understand and enjoy.”

    Sapre has research to back this up. A recent research “Understanding the Psyche of Hindi Serial Viewers,” done by Starcom India and Hansa Research, reveals that 2/5th of viewers of Star Plus and Zee TV find Hindi soaps repetitive and boring.

    What‘s more, 64 per cent of TV viewing audience prefer dubbed content as it provides a diverse palette of soaps and dramas.

    A whopping 69 per cent think that dubbed shows are very entertaining, while 70 per cent think that it is an opportunity to watch more actors. And 72 per cent watch it because it teaches a lot about the cultures of other countries.

    Though Indians still lap up localised content, some observers believe that a viewership is surfacing for pure global content dubbed in Hindi.

    Another reason for the mushrooming of international dubbed content in the TV space is its easy and low-cost model as compared to full-fledged production of shows.

    Sugar Mediaz director Darrpan Mehta, who himself is a voiceover and dubbing artist, says, “It is a wonderful low-cost model. For example, acquiring a show from various parts of the world and putting it up as a dubbed content is very cheap vis-?-vis producing the entire show. Production of a show costs lakhs, but a 30-minute dubbed content will cost around Rs 50,000.”

    Sample this: UTV‘s Bindass has four original shows – Hassley India, Shakira, Sun Yaar Chill Maar and Third Degree, while it has around six international contents which include The Benny Hill Show, Japanese Pro Wrestling Show, Gotcha, Motorrad Cops, Whacked Out Sports and Challenges of Fire.

    Even flanking Hindi GECs Zee Next and Sab TV have a portion, however small, of international dubbed content.

    Zee Next has two dubbed shows Fresh Prince of Bel-air and Different Strokes while Sab TV has a slot called International Chaska that features its internationally acquired shows dubbed in Hindi. The channel is currently showing America‘s Funniest Home Videos and will be airing Desperate Housewives, Extreme Makeover, Lost and Alias in Hindi.

    With new channel launches and more such channels in the wings, there is a huge dearth and a consequent need of good content which can work in India. With the floodgates opening for the dubbing industry, there is a rush for these post-production houses, dubbing artists and script-writers.

    Market:

    Though the dubbing industry is still at its nascent stage, it is a growing market.

    Says Sapre, “For television, the dubbing content market is pecked at Rs 150 to 200 million. But it is growing, considering the tremendous potential of this form of entertainment.”

    Over the last 5 years, the dubbed content market has grown 10 to 15 per cent per annum, and is expected to grow further. Entertainment (TV and film) has reached new territories and all this has been due to dubbing. For example, without being dubbed in Bhojpuri, Spiderman would have never reached that part of India.”

    Outside of the US, India is one of the largest markets Disney has invested in for local production. In addition, Disney Channel and Jetix have over 6,000 episodes of dubbed content (three languages included). Disney Channel India has close to 25 per cent local content on-air today.

    Disney-ABC International Television works closely with Indian broadcasters to provide dubbed content in local languages that appeal to local audiences.

    Firangi has inked deals with major content providers like Mexico-based Tellewise, Germany-based Seven One and France-based Marathon. Other providers include Dou Media and Telemundo, which is a US company that will offer content in Spanish. In addition, the channel has tied up with Brazil-based Globosat for Pages of Life and America.

    For the dubbing and the post-production work, the channel has roped in Mumbai-based Clastem Productions.

    UTV‘s dubbing department has long-term exclusive associations with channels like Hungama, National Geographic Channel, History Channel, Bindass, Bindass Movies, Nick and Disney. It does more than 1,000 hours of dubbing every year.

    Content

    A general perception percolating through the popular psyche is that dubbed content is nothing but “Angrezi Hindi” or “Anglicized Hindi.” Viewers identify dubbed content only with the tele-brands that sell peculiar products in a peculiar language.

    Says Mehta, “We are on the way to becoming a mega industry. It is a dichotomy actually; it is a booming period for volumes, but there is no focus yet on quality. If I see from an entrepreneur‘s point of view, it is a big business opportunity for a huge market coming up.”

    Agrees Sapre: “Dubbed content is no longer looked down upon. It is important not to just translate but to localise fully, using the nuances of the local language and get the soul of the content correct. Not only viewers but also international licencors are extremely happy with the treatment we have accorded to their classic shows and blockbusters on Bindass.”

    Adds Mehta: “Earlier, there used to be a verbatim translation, which really took its toll on the quality of the content. But now it is transcreated so as to do justice to the ethos of the language, culture and sensibility.”

    Cost-cutting from TV production houses is a big obstacle. Says Mehta, “Since the production houses which do dubbing always go for cost cutting, they do not place high value on a premium artist. As a whole, they compromise on the voice quality.

    A lead dubbing artist in a full-length film can earn anywhere between Rs 30-35,000 to Rs 3,00,000, depending on the amount of work he gets to do. For animated series on kids‘ channels, a character gets around Rs 3,000 to Rs 4,000 per episode.

    “Even for a theatrical release, the dubbing production houses use a premium voice but for the home video and satellite screening, a low-cost dubbing artist is used to cut costs.
    All the films are re-dubbed for TV release and the home video release.”

     

     

    Does dubbed content work only for thrill and action genre shows?

    Says Clapstem Productions promoter Girish Malik, who is also a creative consultant of Firangi: “Not really. It used to be. Actually nobody has tried drama. Shows of countries which have the same sensibility like ours have not been dubbed in India. Firangi will bring diverse stories from different countries like Israel, Latin America, Germany and Argentina to India.”

    He believes Firangi‘s model will succeed. “It is Indian mentality to be curious to know what is happening outside one‘s house. This very interest will drive viewers to see Firangi‘s dubbed content. On the subconscious level, it is a voyeuristic pleasure that many Indians have.”

    But what about the “sex and nudity” scenes immensely found in international content?

    Defends Firangi business head Rajeev Chakrabarti: “We are completely aware of the sensibility and ethos of India. We at Firangi do not just translate and lip-sync for the characters. With the exception of shooting, we do the entire post-production work, which involves scrutinising sex and nudity.”

    Licencing

    Dubbing artists in India believe that though dubbed content is cheap in India, the scene will change once broadcasters give them licencing rights.

    “If an artist lends his voice for any show in India, the broadcaster can use the voice for infinite number of times. But it is not so in countries abroad. Even India Copy Right Act 1952 guarantees copy right to any individual voice artist. Voice artists do not get any royalty in India unlike other countries,” says Mehta.

    It is only in the advertising industry that voice artists get royalty each time the voice is used. Dubbing artists are paid a flat fee and get no access to royalty.

  • ‘We want to become the GEC for young India’ : Zarina Metha – Bindass CEO

    ‘We want to become the GEC for young India’ : Zarina Metha – Bindass CEO

     She waits with baited breath, jittery to unlock her next treasure. Bindass CEO Zarina Mehta is bubbling with energy as she talks about her second baby Bindass. This time round, Mehta is casting her magic wand over the Indian youth segment, but with a mammoth approach as she navigates across multiple media platforms to capture her target audience. Some question whether she will rewrite the Hungama TV story and the impact it had on the Indian kid’s space. However, in this case she looking to unveil a quartette of four Bindass television channels by April 2008.

    With the backing of Malaysia based media company Astro, she seems geared up to take on competition with other broadcasters also foraying into the youth general entertainment segment. As this television space is heating up, Mehta is leaving no stone unturned to capture what she calls the “sweet spot.” In an exclusive t?te-?-t?te with Indiantelevision.com’s Renelle Snelleksz, Zarina Mehta exudes the excitement and the anxiety before she breathes life into her next creation.

    Excerpts:

    Why have you decided to change your TG positioning by extending the demographic beyond the 15-24 year olds even before launching Bindass?
    When we initally conceived the channnel, we were looking at the 15 – 24 year olds, but further research urged us to redefine our target audience as 15-34 year olds. The median age for India has dropped by two years to 24 years since the 2001 census.

    But how do you manage to make one brand appeal to this wide audience? It is all about targeting what we call our “sweet spot” or the 17 -21 year olds. We realized that if we target our sweet spot, then we will automatically attract the larger segment of 15 – 34. This is because the 15 year olds long to belong, while the 34 year olds just do not want to grow up. This ‘down aging’ phenomena is a sensational find because if I get my 17 – 21 year olds correct (which I pray I do, she laughs), then I will capture this larger segment as well.

    What opportunities does this segment offer?
    Between the 15 – 34 age group we have got 379 million Indians (All India) and in the C&S homes 95 million Indians. But who is currently engaging this audience? Star One did it in its old avatar, Sab is making a good attempt, there are also one off shows from GECs and some niche channels. But there is definitely a gap.

    The 15 -34 year olds comprise 42 per cent of all TV viewing. This is a fantastic opportunity for us. The viewership patterns from 2005 till now are also changing, which shows the decline of the GECs as viewers are moving away from their traditional consumption and trying new things. There is thus a gap in the general entertainment space on television and we want to cater to this segment. We want to become the GEC for young India.

    The concept behind Bindass has largely been supported by research. Are there any significant findings that have helped give shape to your upcoming channel?
    We did three and a half months of solid research, we have a proprietary name test which we had done for Hungama TV, Ceria and for Bindass. Secondly, we did an ethnographic qualitative study, followed by a quantitative study based on attitudes conducted by Synovate across six Indian cities and 2500 samples. Our research is invaluable and the key finding stated that our sweet spot (core TG 17- 21 year olds) have a ‘duality’ but are very comfortable with having a traditional heart with a cool exterior. This forms the core brand value of Bindass.

    The ‘Bindass’ name is imbued with certain brand properties that resonate with factors like chilled out, edgy, sexy and young. But as the creators of brand Bindass these values were not sufficient to create a 360 degree long term brand. So we added values that will further energize the brand and came up with the following propositions. If you are not “yo dude” and you are not “saas bahu” then you are Bindass. We are the reality of young India that consists of the four F’s – Fun, Frank, Fearless and Freedom.

    Our logo has been designed by BDA and is exactly what we represent, completely Indian with a cool exterior, that is what we believe will work.

    On the programming front, what’s your strategy?
    The channel will have no music, no soaps, no gadget shows, no lifestyle shows and no VJ’s. So what are we left with? It is going to have a lot of comedy. We will have action thrillers, Hollywood blockbusters and the best of local and International shows, accompanied by late night horror, International movies and extreme sports.

    Our daily driver primetime shows include a stand up comedy Lagegi that is shot 24 to 48 hours prior to telecast from Monday to Thursday. We will have seven BIA’s – Bindass Intellegent Agents from the top cities giving us reports on what is happening across India. Then there is Shakira, a dark angel fighting for justice, every man’s fantasy, while another daily comedy is Sun Yaar Chill Maar. We also have a street magician show by Ugesh Sarcar.

    Our programming is tailored to fit our research findings which show that the 15 -24 age group watches two and half hours of TV a week and movie channels are consumed for six hours a week by this TG.

    In the highly cluttered TV environment, have you identified what your primetime is going to be?
    Our primetime is definitely going to be the normal primetime 7.30 – 11.30 pm. But what is interesting is that this audience will be consuming TV across the day, so we will be discovering new primetimes. There will probably be the regular primetime and two other primetimes, which we have also identified and we are pushing your programmes at that time as well. This will be a learning curve for us.

    But won’t this interfere with GEC primetime, especially in the reality of a single TV household?
    Yes, we will, thus, be discovering our own primetime. Is our TG going to be able to snatch the remote or not? We believe that within this primetime they will snatch the remote. But basically there are two time slots within primetime that we are gunning for. Apart from that, we do believe there will emerge other primetimes which will be a morning and afternoon one. We are looking to garner ratings right through the day.
    ‘We will be discovering our own primetime, but there are two slots within 7.30 – 11.30 pm that we are gunning for‘

    You are also looking to have a strong movie line up on Bindass?
    We have top of the line Hollywood blockbusters that we will dub, along with Japanese and Chinese films as well. It is important that the movie is ‘bindass.’ Even if I know a movie will rate well but if it does not qualify as a bindass film, then I won’t put it on the channel.

    We are not going to have Hindi movies on our channel, for the same reason that we are not having music, because it is ‘undifferentiated viewing.’ The way Hindi movies are bought in bulk, you are not allowed to pick and choose, thus you cannot build your brand, but in case of international films you can do this.

    Will this mean that you will not have any films from the UTV stable?
    We may have them eventually, but only if it’s a Bindass movie. It also depends on whether we can afford it. At the moment, I am only looking at international movies from Asia and the West.

    What is your movie strategy for the channel?
    Primetime movies will be for the weekends, but we will also showcase two movies a day largely off primetime.

    What about animated content on the channel?
    I personally love animation but unfortunately in India animation is perceived as being for kids. I can’t afford to have that on Bindass when we launch. Maybe after the brand has settled and people have realized that it’s a 15+ brand, then I can put it on. But this will definitely not happen in the first year.

    Are all the Bindass shows produced in-house?
    Two have been produced in house i.e. Shakira and Sun Yaar Chill Maar but Lagegi has been done by the production house Encompass. However, all the concept ideas have come from us.

    How many locally produced shows will be on the channel?
    At the moment we have three shows. But we will have six original hours of content per day which includes a mix of locally produced shows, dubbed acquired content and movies.

    Will the mix be largely skewed towards local content? What is the proportion of local versus acquired content?
    We will just have to wait and watch although I believe local content is very vital. Our primetime will be completely local. But we have also learnt from our experience with the kid’s channel Hungama TV that acquired content can also do very well.

    Local programming will consist of 45 per cent and acquired 55 per cent. But we have to first see what works and then decide eventually.

    What are the plans to introduce other Bindass channels in India?
    By April 2008 we will have four channels which will be variations of Bindass. We are currently exploring what those will be and are even exploring whether it will be a regional channel or maybe even another genre within this youth audience space. We have, however, decided to launch a movie channel called Bindass Movies by early October. We have acquired a huge library consisting of about 150 movies to start with.
    ‘By April 2008 we will have 4 channels which will be variations of Bindass‘

    Will this new channel also have only international movies dubbed in Hindi or are you also looking to infuse some Bollywood content?
    Not when we launch, but eventually we may consider infusing some Hindi movies into the channel. What was an eye opener for us was that our analysis of over a year’s ratings indicated that a dubbed Hollywood movie gets three times the ratings of the non-dubbed version of the same movie, while a Bollywood film gets only double of that. So as a cost benefit analysis, this is the way to go.

    Will this also be a pay channel like Bindass?
    Yes, I only believe in the pay channel model. All our channels will be pay from day one.

    What will Bindass across the mobile and online platform be like?
    For our mobile platform we have tied up with all the telecom operators in India and our own short code is 5995 to showcase both Bindass and acquired content. There are two kinds of content we are working on. One is popular content which accounts for 95 per cent of revenues. The other five per cent is high-end content which people rarely use but is the future. Popular content consists of wallpapers, ring tones, gaming and contests. We are going to prepare ourselves for what we believe is going to come on mobile, the high technology stuff which includes mobisodes, television clippings, online chat and blogs for which we are talking to people.

    All this is an opportunity to get the content of my brand across all touch points. We don’t see it as competition to TV, we see online and mobile as fantastic opportunities to communicate with our audience. So by taking our content across platforms we will kick off with Lagegi.com an online comedy portal having Lagegi content and other content including user generated content and clips not aired on the show. We will also have Bindass.com which will showcase the brand and the shows.

    Are the retail and merchandising plans for Bindass already underway?
    I am going to start focusing on our retail ventures post the launch of the channel. I have given myself 12 months before I launch two cafés in Mumbai and Delhi. These will be brand extensions of Bindass to create a touch and feel of our brand. We are still in the process of conducting research to arrive at the right representations of the brand. But we have zeroed in on gaming consoles, web zones and merchandising counters that will be a part of the ambience along with some other big ideas. These café’s will be unique to an entertainment brand.

    With the first two café’s, I would like to see how these concepts click with our TG and then we will roll out completely. I don’t want to push it.

    Are you considering roping in a partner for this initiative? The investments for this are outside the Rs two billion that was declared earlier. So what are the investments for this?
    No, not at the moment I am not considering a partner. Maybe I will kick off on my own and get a partner later.

    Yes, the investments are outside the JV and are very high. The investments from the JV alone are Rs 2.7 billion which will be largely dedicated to the four channels.

    What is the marketing push that you have planned to get Bindass off the ground?
    For the media plan, we will start with a big push for Lagegi on TV and with the website in August. This will be followed by Space Yatra which is a contest that will kick off in September giving seven Bindass people across the country the opportunity to go into space.

    With several players now eyeing the youth demographic, how do you see the television space shaping up this year?
    We love competition, without competition we are dead. I am so happy that many people have announced their plans to enter this space. You don’t want to be alone, you want competition to grow the space, to come up with better ideas, you keep going one up and the space grows. I know this sector is going to hot up, in fact it already has. In the Rs 65 billion market there is Rs 18 billion targeting our “sweet spot” – the college going kids. The opportunity is huge as 72 per cent of India is below the age of 34 years.

    What about your plans to take a prototype of the channel overseas (Southeast Asia) like you did with Hungama TV in Malaysia?
    Absolutely, but first it is important to make the mother brand successful at home and then duplicate it. We are looking to extend the brand not only to Southeast Asia but also to take it to the Middle East and East Asia by late 2008 or early 2009.

  • UTV woos ‘Bindass’ youth

    After carving out a separate space for Hungama TV in the kids genre, Zarina Mehta is at work again. Her challenge this time is to hook the youth onto a general entertainment channel.

    Finding a target group that wasn‘t specifically tapped by the other channels was her first task. She commissioned research firm PQR to help her discover what she calls “our zone.”

    Four months on, she has decided to tap the 15-24-year-olds. And within this segment, she has identified college-goers in the age group between 17-21 years as the core constituency of her channel.

    “There is a common characteristic that runs in the blood of this age group. They reflect the brand values of fun, frolic, fearlessness and freedom. They want to do things, are optimistic and find joy in being young,” says Mehta.

    Arriving at Bindass as the name of the channel was a natural extension. “We were clear that the channel would reflect the spirit of the movie Rang De Basanti. Synovate conducted a survey with 1,000 respondents and came up with the name Bindass,” she says.

    As UTV Youth venture COO, Mehta is geared up with a three phase plan and a piggy bank of Rs 1 billion (drawn from Rs 2 billion outlay over three years) devoted to the first year alone. In GENX, the joint venture company that will roll out the channel and other youth-related initiatives, Malaysia-based Astro will be a 50 per cent equity partner.

    “We will have broadcast operations but also have an extended web (communities and entertainment), mobile, gaming, events and retail play,” says Mehta.

    The age group that Mehta is targeting occupies 23 per cent of total TV viewing in India. As they constitute a large part of GEC viewing, her task will be to migrate them to a content format that is unique.

    “We have to discover our prime time. The 9-11 pm band clearly belongs to Star Plus, Zee TV and Sony.”

    Set for launch in June-July, the channel‘s content recipe is still a mystery. But there will be no music, no soap operas and no lifestyle. “There is plenty of opportunity to get this target segment. Since it is very competitive, I can‘t reveal what kind of content we are going to have in the channel,” says Mehta.

    Movies will be an essential ingredient but the channel drivers will still be shows. “We will need to have a library of 50-60 feature films aimed at this segment. The acquisition process is on,” Mehta says.

    Though the channel will also source international content, the focus will be to create “India‘s first local youth entertainment brand.” Mehta hasn‘t frozen on the full content of the channel yet, but animation may be included. “We need to be fearless and experiment. We have to take risks,” she says.

    As part of its approach, UTV seems to be adopting a multiple revenue model that old timer music channels MTV and Channel [V] have tried and tested in the market. MTV VP creative and content Ashish Patel calls this form as ‘multi-platformication’ which includes online, mobile, events, retail and merchandise.

    In order to trap this highly elusive segment of the populace, a diverse offering would be the key. What it also symbolizes is a brand building exercise that connects on multiple levels with the core TG.

    The first phase of rollout will include revenue from web play, mobile games and on-ground events. Having a spread out portfolio in areas of movies, TV content, gaming, animation and airtime sales, UTV will hope to leverage from its existing operations.

    “We have acquired a majority stake in Indiagames and will use this to extend our channel presence in terms of brand and revenues. We will also tie up with mobile operators. And to reinforce the brand, we plan to have three big events in a year,” says Mehta.

    In the second phase, Bindass will foray into the retail segment (probably with an outlet such as a coffee shop or cyber café, a highly frequented venue for youth) and simultaneously roll out merchandising activities. “Retail will be a separate investment outside Rs 1 billion. We will go with a partner for this venture and should have a presence by December. The effort is to have an integrated approach and create a holistic youth brand experience,” says Mehta.

    Though not a direct threat, music channels have been targeting a similar demographic segment. “UTV, however, seems to be having a sharper focus within that TG by eyeing programming at the 17-21-year-olds. But we are essentially music channels and having been in existence for so long, are not really worried,” says Channel [V] head honcho Amar Deb.

    Mehta is looking at a co-existential approach to the genre. “I think both MTV and Channel [V] are great brands. But they are music channels. We don’t have music, we can totally co-exist with these two channels. Even tie up with them perhaps.”

    Bindass, however, will be different from the MTV and Channel [V] brands. “At its core Bindass is Indian, no micro-miniskirts, no fleshy videos, we need to reach deeper into the core needs of the viewer and hopefully become their preferred choice,” avers Mehta.

    What do the general entertainment channels think of the core TG Bindass is targeting? “It is too narrow a segment and there will be hard pressure on scaling up revenues. The space is too niche and in any case all local GECs are tapping it in their 15-34 TG,” says SET India COO NP Singh.

    Surely, Mehta has a tough task cut out for her. Building a youth brand will require all the right ingredients and big money needs to be continuously pumped in. Deriving strong revenues from merchandising to support the youth brand has also failed against a dominant pirated market in India.

    But not many had predicted the success of Hungama TV which was pitched against multinational brands like Cartoon Network and Walt Disney. If Bindass succeeds, it will hit MTV and Channel [V] hard even as they are planning to be more than just music channels.