ITV

Tag: Business Head

  • ABP News Network appoints Zulfia Waris as business head of ANN Content Studio

    ABP News Network appoints Zulfia Waris as business head of ANN Content Studio

    MUMBAI: ABP News Network has appointed Zulfia Waris as the business head of ABP News Network Content Studio. Waris will be responsible for the organisation’s new subsidiary, ANN Content Studio, to produce path-breaking content for all platforms.

    ABP News Network chief executive officer Avinash Pandey says, “We are pleased to infuse Zulfia’s expertise and vision into ABP News Network’s Content Studio, especially since it is in a period of rapid digital growth. I can say with confidence that her approach and values align with our culture, and her knowledge and creativity will add to the organisation’s success, over the next few years.”

    Waris comes with an immense experience of over 20 years. She was the vice-president – product head, premium head & digital networks at Discovery India. She has also worked with several companies, including TV18 India Ltd, MTV India, Channel V India, Star TV Network and Zee Entertainment Ltd.

    Since 2007, Waris has held numerous leadership roles in the media and entertainment industry. She was at the helm of content & creative strategy, marketing, on-air promotions, production, acquisition, programming, budgets, social media innovations, content partnerships, and community building.  

    Waris is an English Literature graduate from Sophia College, Mumbai followed by a post-graduate diploma in social communications & media from Sophia Polytechnic Mumbai in 1999.

  • Colors Bangla’s new show to highlight societal issues

    Colors Bangla’s new show to highlight societal issues

    MUMBAI: Viacom 18’s Bengali channel Colors Bangla, which mirrors cultural ethos and progressive values, is coming up with a new show based on some societal issues. Being a family entertainment channel, it has brought about a revolution in Bengali television and matches the distinctiveness of the state’s culture with qualitative and contemporary programming.

    Produced by Surinder Films, this new show of Colors Bangla, Aloy Bhubon Bhora, will focus on the much-needed attention to one such grave concern of acid attacks.

    With Roshni Bhattacharya in the lead, the show is about Shruti, a charming and bubbly girl who becomes the victim of an acid attack by an unknown assailant. After the incident, the girl’s life changes over night. Like any other real-life victim, she has to face social stigma due to the scars but Shruti begins to pick up the pieces of her life and starts her journey of rediscovering herself despite all the adversities.

    Colors Bangla and Colors Odia business head Rahul Chakravarti said, “As a society, we are at a very delicate juncture with more and more sinister crimes are being committed, and the public attention to these acts being short-lived. At Colors Bangla, we have decided to get the blinders off and focus the spotlight on one such grave misdeed, that needs to be dealt with swiftly and rightly. Through Shruti, our protagonist in Aloy Bhubon Bhora, we narrate a story that needs to be heard by all, of an innocent girl that becomes victim to an unchecked crime, yet finds a way to survive and thrive. We are certain that the show will not only engage with viewers but also rouse consciousness in them.”

    Aloy Bhubon Bhora will premiere 14 May and will air every day at 8pm.

    Also Read:

    COLORS Bangla launches new period drama ‘Prothom Protisruti’

    COLORS Bangla prepares to kindle a laughter riot with its latest sitcom – SATYAMEVA JAYATI- Shinghi Shasurir Baaghini Bouma

    Colors Bangla plans three shows in May – Mahaprabhu, Roopkatha & Jhumur

  • Brightcove powers SonyLIV

    Brightcove powers SonyLIV

    MUMBAI: Cloud services provider for video Brightcove Inc has announced that it powers, Sony Pictures Networks India’s over-the-top (OTT) service SonyLIV. With several of the country’s top-tier media companies as customers, Brightcove has partnered a wide range of broadcasters, publishers and OTT services as they seek to launch and monetise their online video experiences.

    Brightcove has been a long-term partner of SonyLIV, powering OTT video delivery for various national and international sporting events such as La Liga, Serie A, WWE, NBA and the Australian Open.

    Monetised with a combination of advertising, subscription payments, and pay per view offerings, SonyLIV offers an array of movies, TV shows, sports, music and original content to more than 30 million viewers. The Brightcove video platform underpins the on-demand video experience on SonyLIV, ensuring a high-quality viewing experience for Indian audiences across devices including web, mobile, and connected TV screens, a release issued by the cloud services provider stated.

    Sony Pictures Networks India EVP and head (digital business) Uday Sodhi said, “The launch of a low-cost, high-speed mobile internet service in 2016 saw online video consumption surge up to five times in India, transforming the OTT landscape. For SonyLIV, the cornerstone of our strategy has always been to seamlessly deliver the best video streaming experience to our audience, and Brightcove is one of the key technology pillars in this strategy. Brightcove has not only provided a robust and highly scalable video platform to manage our OTT services, but has also brought deep video industry expertise to help us evolve our offering in a highly competitive Indian market.”

    “Internet users in India are predicted to cross the half a billion mark by mid-2018. With more users coming online, long and short form video consumption is likely to skyrocket, and force a shift in how media companies package, deliver, and monetise their content,” Brightcove’s Asia general manager Ben Morrell said.

    Also Read:

    SonyLIV and Republic World announce a strategic tie-up to expand digital presence

    SonyLIV aims to provide comprehensive CWG coverage

    The Quint India Selects Brightcove For Its Digital-First News Platform

  • DittoTV names Archana Anand as business head

    DittoTV names Archana Anand as business head

    MUMBAI: Zee Entertainment Enterprises Ltd’s (ZEEL) OTT platform DittoTV has appointed Archana Anand as business head.

    Anand steps into the shoes of erstwhile head Manoj Padmanabhan, who put in his papers at the company last month.

    The appointment comes at a time when the OTT industry is at an influx point with competition from the likes of Netflix, Hotstar, Sony Liv, ErosNow et al hotting up. In such a scenario, Zee is looking to focus on DittoTV with renewed strategy in order to have a substantial global offering in the space. 

    Anand comes with close to 20 years of experience across domains. 

    In her previous role as Zee Digital Convergence vice president and head of global business development, Anand had under her gamut responsibilities such as business development, client relationship, product ideation and execution and all of the allied marketing campaigns.

    Prior to Zee, Anand was with OnMobile Global as director and head of information and entertainment services.

  • DittoTV names Archana Anand as business head

    DittoTV names Archana Anand as business head

    MUMBAI: Zee Entertainment Enterprises Ltd’s (ZEEL) OTT platform DittoTV has appointed Archana Anand as business head.

    Anand steps into the shoes of erstwhile head Manoj Padmanabhan, who put in his papers at the company last month.

    The appointment comes at a time when the OTT industry is at an influx point with competition from the likes of Netflix, Hotstar, Sony Liv, ErosNow et al hotting up. In such a scenario, Zee is looking to focus on DittoTV with renewed strategy in order to have a substantial global offering in the space. 

    Anand comes with close to 20 years of experience across domains. 

    In her previous role as Zee Digital Convergence vice president and head of global business development, Anand had under her gamut responsibilities such as business development, client relationship, product ideation and execution and all of the allied marketing campaigns.

    Prior to Zee, Anand was with OnMobile Global as director and head of information and entertainment services.

  • Big B fans are in for a bonanza treat on the occasion of his birthday

    Big B fans are in for a bonanza treat on the occasion of his birthday

    Mumbai, 6th October, 2014:  Commemorating the star’s 72nd birthday, SONY MAX & MAX2, India’s leading movie channels present Amitabh Bachchan fans with a movie extravaganza starting from 5th October to 11th October. MAX will premiere the supernatural comedy blockbuster, ‘Bhoothnath Returns,’ on Thursday 11th October at 8pm and MAX2 will run the a special film festival ‘Ab Tak Bachchan’ from 5th -11th October during the evening prime time.

     

    The MAX premier of ‘Bhoothnath Returns’, a sequel to the 2008 film, tells the fascinating tale of a ghost (Bhoothnath – Amitabh Bachchan) who returns to earth in his quest to scare children. Upon befriending Akhrot, a street smart boy, they form a formidable team set out to help people which sees the ghost contest elections. The film stars Amitabh Bachchan, Parth Bhalerao (Child actor) and Boman Irani in lead roles.

    The evergreen actor, who has enthralled audiences with unforgettable roles in his 45 year old career, will also be seen on television screens through carefully handpicked films showcasing him in unforgettable roles. The ‘Ab Tak Bachchan’ movie festival on MAX2 will showcase the movie icon at his versatile best portraying roles ranging from a bumbling simpleton in Yaraana to the shrewd Natwar in Mr Natwarlal, to a hardened criminal in Kaalia.

     

    Commenting on the Big B movie bonanza, Neeraj Vyas, EVP & Business Head, MAX & MAX2 stated, “Indians across all age groups and segments of society, admire and love Bachchanji. He is an iconic movie star who has left an indelible mark on the Indian movie industry.  We couldn’t have thought of honoring a more fitting actor through our movie channels which aim to provide enriching and memorable movie experience for our viewers.”

    Tune-in to catch Big B in action on MAX & MAX2 from 5th -11th October during the prime time movie slots

  • Sony Six appoints Neo’s Prasana Krishnan as Business Head

    Sony Six appoints Neo’s Prasana Krishnan as Business Head

    MUMBAI: In an early morning announcement, former COO of Neo Sports Broadcast Prasana Krishnan has been brought into MSM’s sports channel Sony Six as their new Business Head. Krishnan was also previously associated with Nimbus Media, Times of India and Arthur Andersen.

    Talking about this new development MSM India COO N P Singh says, “We are optimistic that Prasana’s appointment will further strengthen and grow Sony Six’s position in what can be called as one of the most competitive broadcasting markets in the world. We look forward to a long and fruitful working association with him.”
    Prasanna Krishnan is confident that the channel will grow consistently to the leadership position in this space

    Prasana, who is delighted about his new role with Sony Six, says “I look forward to take up this challenging role and work towards ensuring that the channel grows consistently to the leadership position in this space.” Krishnan has over 17 years of experience in the media and consulting sectors.

    In 2006, Krishnan joined Neo Sports and in 2009 was elevated to chief operating officer.

  • “Sab will be among the Top Three Hindi GECs”:EVP and business head of Sab Anooj Kapoor

    “Sab will be among the Top Three Hindi GECs”:EVP and business head of Sab Anooj Kapoor

     From being a copywriter, director to business head, the soft-spoken Anooj Kapoor has worn various hats. But what makes him different from others is the way he manages the work-life balance. He proudly claims that in his more than 20 years of career there has rarely been a day when he has been in office later than 6 pm. Even today, he leaves office at six in the evening and on weekends he switches off from work, unless required. Someone who believes in working hard hasn‘t forgotten to live to the fullest too…

    Indiantelevision.com’s Meghna Sharma spoke to the executive EVP and business head of Sab Anooj Kapoor about the channel‘s current plans,the reason for there being no other channel like Sab and the channel‘s future plan.

    Excerpts:

    The channel underwent a revamp recently, was it really needed? 

    Nothing we do here is what everybody else does, starting from our programming which is totally differentiated from the rest in the GEC space. So, this revamp is not because others have done it too. All we have done is revamped the packaging of the channel. The last revamp was done almost six years ago, and we thought we have had a wonderful growth in the past five years. So we wanted the packaging to be more colourful. We have retained the old colours and added more colours to our package to convey freshness, more audience on the channel as well as more people sitting together to watch our shows. It can convey a lot of things, but essentially, we wanted a fresh look.

    You said you are adding more people who are watching your channel. So through the revamp and apps are you targeting youth now? 

    Asli maaza sab ke saath aata hai… has stood true for us. The entire family comes together and watches TV. We have a mix of audience, from males, females to kids. We also have a healthy mix of Sec A, B and C. So we are not trying to broad base our TG, it is already 4+.

    However, we cannot deny that new things always appeals to people. In the age-group of 4-14, we are the number one channel. In the last TAM rating, we were ahead of Star Plus. In the higher age-group, 15-24, we are fairly strong but we realised there is a need to engage audience on fresher platforms – facebook, comics, SABurbia and other apps. And the age-group after that, we keep appealing through our ads where the whole family comes together.

    Our other initiative ‘Sab ki Saafari‘, is also first of its kind. The idea was to get people from smaller towns meet their favourite characters or watch a shoot. Through this initiative we get our loyal audiences to meet their favourite characters and also show them what goes on behind the camera. We have another loyalty program called SABprise wherein the more you watch the channel the more you get rewarded for it. We feel that today it has to be a two-way communication. If they have given us so much and helped us grow 600 per cent in five years then we should also give them something in return.
     

    With the awards season on, when can we get to see Sab ke anokhe awards? 

    We are coming back with Sab ke anokhe awards in August. The first round did well for us as we got a rating of 2.8 which I‘m not going to compare with other award shows, but for a channel like ours which has a limited reach it is a very healthy rating. It was purely because of the uniqueness of the show. We came up with categories which went beyond the clichéd categories. This time we are going to add even more categories and try to be as anokha as possible. We will be sticking to our strategy of being different and innovative.
     

    What kind of weekend programming does the channel currently have? Any plans to introduce new shows?

    Currently, we have two silent comedies on Saturday –Guttur Gu and Malegoan ka Chintu. Guttur Gu has been recognised as the longest running silent show in the world by the Limca Books of Records, and then we have Waah Waah Kya Baat Hai which consistently rates among the top five shows in the non-fictional category on the weekend. So, we have fresh weekend programming. We might add new programs in the future wherein we will look at reality or mix of unique concepts like silent comedy but nothing is crystallised yet.
     

     

     

    “We touched our highest rating of 159 in February this year and now with digitisation when we are far better placed”
     

    SAB is the only comedy-centric Hindi GEC, wherein other networks have second GEC channels, why do you think there aren‘t many players in this genre? 

    We are the number one comedy channel in the world. We are the only channel in the world which does daily comedy shows. If you will look at channels like Zee Café or Star World, the sitcoms they have are weekly and have seasons. We have Tarak Mehta Ka Ooltah Chashmah which has done 1200 episodes now, Lapataganj in its first avatar had done 850 episodes and FIR will be touching 1000 soon (in September). So while we have been able to be innovative, we have also done successful programming. All this while we know that there is a limited pool of comedy actors, writer, directors and producers.

    Also, before SAB, comedy wasn‘t seen as an important genre by GECs. We have been able to reign in that limited talent and try to cultivate a few more. With the limited pool I don‘t think there is enough talent for more than one channel to survive. And secondly, we have a DNA which has gotten us consistent success. There is no doubt that other channels have dabbled into comedy especially after seeing SAB‘s success, but all the top three or four GECs have not been able to succeed. And, therefore they are apprehensive.
     

    Do you work with a certain set of production houses or open to others as well? 

    We have always encouraged new producers, but at the same time we have certain set of producers that have consistently worked for us. We also have people who have never done comedy before and doing it successfully for us. For instance, Malegaon ka Chintu is produced by Deepti Bhatnagar Production which hasn‘t done comedy in the past,Gutur Gu is done by Fireworks who have in the past doneCID and Aahat. And of course, we have Asit Modi, JD Majathia, Vipul Shah and Ashwini Dheer. So, we have been able to mix both.
     

    You are also available in the US, UK and Europe, what has been the response there? 

    We are extremely popular abroad. In the UK we are the fastest growing channel.

    It is a fact that we have created almost 7,000 hours of original programming and when we compare data with other channels dedicated to comedy we are miles ahead of them. From the 70s, since DD started, no channel has claimed or can claim to be the number one channel based out of India but we can!
     

    It‘s going to be a year now since digitisation took place. How has it helped the channel? 

    We have a business model which by definition doesn‘t afford us very high rates and because we also have to keep our profits in mind, we couldn‘t place ourselves where top three or four GECs could. This meant, we could not be well placed in the analog. However, with digitisation, we now fall in the GEC cluster. Now our sampling will soar up. We also strongly feel that our trial retention rate is high.
     

    Currently, which are the weak slots that you would like to strengthen?

    The difference between manufacturing and television is – that in manufacturing you can perfect a formula whereas in our industry, the same raw material will go to the same factory but the end product sometime works and sometime fails.
     

    Lastly, when do you see Sab among the top three? 

    We are well on our way. We have never stopped growing. We touched our highest rating of 159 in February, this year and now with digitisation when we are far better placed, I hope we will one day be among the top three.
  • ‘We can monetise more in a digitised environment’ : Business Head of Sab Anooj Kapoor

    ‘We can monetise more in a digitised environment’ : Business Head of Sab Anooj Kapoor

    A product manager at Colgate Palmolive, a copywriter at JWT, an ad producer, a sitcom writer and director, and finally a television channel head. Anooj Kapoor has successfully worn different hats in his career spread over two decades. And why not? He follows what is dear to his heart, so much so that he quit Colgate to join JWT at half the salary that he used to earn at the FMCG major. Reason: he could pursue his creative instincts.

     

    His urge to write and direct ads made him launch his own production house called Creative Compass in 1999, which he ran successfully for three years.

     

    Kapoor joined UTV to head its comedy cell in 2004 and made shows like Sharaarat for Star Plus. He went on to write many shows for Indian television. In 2007, he moved to Sab and what followed was a change in positioning to a family entertainment channel. Since then, Sab has shown remarkable growth. 

     

    In an interview with Indiantelevision.com‘s Prachi Srivastava, the business head of Sab talks about the channel‘s growth and how it can benefit from digitisation.

     

    Excerpts:

    How has Sab performed after the first phase of digitisation?

    Sab has grown from 130 GRPs pre-digitisation to around the 150 GRP mark on a consistent basis. Two factors have contributed to this growth. The shows that we had launched in the digitisation phase have been received well, be it Balveer, Jennie Juju or Waah Waah Kya Baat Hai. We had set a target of 151 GRPs for March 2014 which we have achieved in January. So we are more than a year ahead in achieving our targets.

     

    Apart from content, what has also worked for us is the fact that we are now placed in the Hindi GEC cluster on the Electronic Programming Guide (EPG) in Mumbai and Delhi market because of which the sampling of the channel has gone up. With increased sampling, the time spent on the channel has also increased and, therefore, the growth in viewership.

    Do you see any change in viewership patterns?

    There is no such change. Our channel is for the entire family and is fairly divided between Males, Females and Kids. The representation of viewership has remained unaltered. It’s just that more families have sampled the channel; the composition remains the same.

    The 6-8 pm slot is generally for youth TV viewers. Are you looking at cracking this time slot?

    Our focus remains the family, and not just youth. Previously, we were a youth entertainment channel with shows like Left Right Left and Love Story. At that time we could collect only 20-22 GRPs. So we realised that the youth positioning is not really helping us. We, thus, changed the positioning to a family-led comedy channel.

    There was a time when Hindi GECs were having original programming on the afternoon slot. Do you have any plans to revive this slot?

    Despite our budgetary limits, we have extended our prime time programming to seven days now. We don’t have the bandwidth or interest to revive the afternoon slot as our primary TG is family and not just the female audience. Our channel has a male skew and 51 per cent of this segment constitute our audience profile.
    ‘Comedy is a very nascent genre but is bound to grow. If there are five channels that are showing the same kind of shows and there is just one channel which is showing comedy, it is obvious that people will watch us‘

    Max has a vast library. Do you plan to air movies from their library?

    Over the last four years, we have been able to build the slot of classic titles on our channel because these are the films that people are not able to watch on regular basis and there is a definite audience that we have managed to create over the last four years. They don’t get to see those titles on any other Hindi GEC. So we get undiluted audience coming to watch the classic films.

    Which are the weak slots that you would like to strengthen?

    We recently launched two shows, Hum Aapke Hain in Laws (HAHIL) and Tota Aur Maina at the 10-11 pm slot. Tota Aur Maina, which airs at 10.30 pm, is struggling a bit. We would like to strengthen that slot.

    Are there any new shows that you are planning to launch?

    We have nothing pre-IPL. We have just launched Safar Filmy Comedy Ka, which is a tribute to 100 years of cinema in India.

    How do you plan to expand geographically?

    We don’t make shows for a particular market. However, characterisation can be from a certain state. For example, HAHIL and Tota Aur Maina are both based in UP.

    Was 2012 a forgettable year for Hindi GECs as few of the new shows worked with audiences?

    The industry is indulging and over-indulging in permutations and combinations of the Saas-Bahu formula. Either the people have run out of formulas or the audience has run out of patience. The year 2012 was no different. They have the same Saas-Bahu drama and the same reality shows.

    The digital media has been growing in leaps and bounds. Any plans there?

    We are launching an app- Sab Ke Comics for iOS and Android with over a 100 Comic Strips of six shows to entertain fans on the go (on smartphones and Tablets) with short jokes from Sab shows and characters. This app is an adaptation of the successful print ads in comic strip formats in leading newspapers. These are for shows like Jeannie aur Juju, Chidiya Ghar, FIR, Lapataganj, R.K. Laxman and Golmaal.

     

    We have also launched Sab’s popular characters: Gadha, Gopi, Mama, and Gulgule as 3D animated talking character which repeats whatever the user speaks. The characters also react to gestures like tickling and punches.

     

    There is also an augmented reality app where one can scan images on a Sab TV Dairy or Calendar and see the character coming to life in a video format. Besides, one can also have their pictures clicked with popular Sab characters.

     

    We recently launched SABurbia which has been extended to apps. Here players can visit and interact with different show worlds and characters in a quest to help the Sab characters and become the mayor of SABurbia.

    Will Sab be able to monetise more in the digitised environment?

    Yes, the point is that we have moved into the EPG and we are in the vicinity of the other Hindi GECs, which was not the case earlier. Earlier, it was difficult for consumers to come across our channel on a consistent basis in various areas. Now the availability of Sab will be easier and, hence, there will be more trial and sampling for the channel. We believe that once the sampling increases, the retention of the audience will also increase. If there is more retention, there is more ratings. This increases the monetization scope.

    What is the future of comedy as a genre on Indian television?

    It is a very nascent genre but is bound to grow. If there are five channels that are showing the same kind of shows and there is just one channel which is showing comedy, it is obvious that people will watch us.
  • ‘We are looking at a break-even in five years’ : ZeeQ Business Head Subhadarshi Tripathy

    ‘We are looking at a break-even in five years’ : ZeeQ Business Head Subhadarshi Tripathy

     The year 2012 saw the entry of Indian media conglomerate Zeel in the kids TV broadcasting with the launch of ZeeQ. The channel with bi-lingual content in English and Hindi has been positioned as India‘s first edutainment channel.

    The pay-driven channel priced at Rs 82 has been launched with the intention of filling in the gap in the market. Its USP is the content that it believes will help in developing life skills amongst 4-14 kids at the same time fulfilling their entertainment needs through a mix of animation and live action content.

    Subhadarshi Tripathy, the Business Head of ZeeQ, is driving Zeel‘s efforts as it seeks to establish foothold in a genre dominated by foreign networks like Disney, Nickelodeon and Turner. Tripathy is responsible for developing brand strategy, programming and content acquisition strategy.

    In a conversation with Indiantelevision.com‘s Javed Farooqui, Tripathy shares his views about the opportunities in the kid‘s genre, ZeeQ‘s content strategy and how it plans to drive the pay-TV business in a market where business model is still loaded heavily in favour of ad sales.

    Excerpts:

    Q. Why couldn‘t ZeeQ fully be owned and managed by Zee Entertainment Enterprises Ltd (Zeel)? Who has the management of the channel?

    The channel is owned by Zeel because it is the home for all the entertainment broadcast business of Zee. The operations of the channel are managed by Zee Learn as this company specifically runs the education business of children. We have an in-house ad sales team while distribution is being managed by Media Pro. So in that sense ZeeQ is a completely different set-up.

    Q. Since multinational companies dominate the kids broadcasting business, what has been the initial feedback you have got about the channel since its launch?

    The content strategy has been designed in such a way that we get more and more participative content. We believe that people who participate are eventually going to subscribe to the channel.

     

    The content strategy has been designed in such a way that we get more and more participative content. We are already getting good response since the letters that we have received have been very engaging and have gone to the extent of even suggesting us to tweak particular elements of some shows. Teenovation, for example, is a show which has got fantastic response.

     

    But since this is a ‘free view period‘ (till March), we wouldn‘t know how many people would subscribe to us. ZeeQ is a pay channel. We are not chasing TAM ratings because how many people subscribe to the channel will define how many people like it.

    Q. Has the distribution of the channel been settled on the digital platforms?

    We are currently available on Dish TV and Videocon d2h. Tata Sky should happen soon. We are also on digital cable TV.

     

    We have planned out our distribution strategy. As there are 38 cities that are coming up for digitisation in the second phase (by 31 March according to government mandate), we have selected 20 cities out of them where we run our schools. We see synergy develop between our schools and our television business. So we do this filtering process. We are on about 16 digital headends.

    Q. What are your immediate priorities for the channel?

    Our priority is to impress the parents. So the programme mix is designed in such a way that they like the channel because they are the ones who will decide whether or not to subscribe the channel. Once they decide, our task is to continuously keep them engaged so that they don‘t keep going back to the Japanese animation that is currently being aired.
    ‘The channel is priced at Rs 82 on a la carte and I don‘t think it will be a deterrent. If you want a safe environment, if you want content that is developed and tested by childhood experts, you will be willing to pay a price‘

    Q. Tell us about your content offering?

    The core of the channel is that we provide content which is right for children and which does not provide any incidental learning which will spoil the child. There are academicians in the panel who decide what content goes on the channel.

    Q. How do you decide on the content?

    Content is broadly divided into categories. For the 4-8-year-olds, we have animated content and for those who are in the 4-9 age group, we have live-action content purely based on the research that we did with IMRB and Taalim. The live-action content is something that we produce over here while animated content is something that we have so far acquired globally.

     

    The international edutainment content is very engaging while the Indian academic content is very instructional. The content that we take pains to produce is the live action content. After the concept comes in, the panel of academicians and programme team look into it before it goes into production. The animated content also goes through the academicians; the filtering is done on the basis of knowledge, life skills and core values. So if the content does not have knowledge, life skills and core values, it becomes kid‘s general entertainment stuff which we are interested in.

    Q. Since you have clear distinction for the content that you will offer to the two age-groups, how do you decide on the scheduling?

    The scheduling is designed around their school timings and what time they watch what. However India being that vast, school timings are also that different. If you look at preschoolers, there are two times that they tend to watching TV. One is when parents are getting the kids ready and they have to feed them to get them to school; they just plunk the kid in front of the TV and the TV works as a nanny. Second is when the kids come back and have to eat again. These are the times when most channels across the globe use them as prime-time.

     

    The 9-14-year-olds are people who are more of weekend viewers; and during weekday‘s it‘s mostly post school and early evenings till about 7 pm.

    Q. Will your content offering undergo change after the freeview period?

    Not much. Because when the freeview period ends, what I am telling viewers is that they will be getting the same experience and they better pay for it. So I cannot change the mix drastically there. We are, however, going to keep a very close watch on the geographical skew like who all are watching me, subscribing to the channel, and what they are wanting. So our strategy is going to be based on that.

    Q. But kids at the end of the day also want to be entertained?

    The fun part is that you have to make it knowledgeable content where they learn something but are also kept engaged. So for a kid, ‘Sid the Science Kid‘ is as engaging as any other animated content. But what goes subtly into it is pure educational or ‘life skill‘ kind of content. They are very smartly made programs where kids actually respond to the questions and do it.

    Q. Do you think the pay model will work?

    Firstly, I think parents wouldn‘t mind paying for a channel that will help in the holistic development of their child and which is not like a coaching class. Secondly, I am not an ad-free channel, so I will have some money coming from there as well. We are an a la carte channel and carriage is not something that will be an issue for us.

    Q. Will you be selective in picking up ads?

    We will have ads but the ones which we think are right for the child. The ads will go through a nutritionist if it‘s in the food category. If it is something else, it will go through a child expert. Ad will form a small component of the total revenues. I would rather need subscriber funded programmes wherein they come in as partners and do brand integration. In a fitness programme, I wouldn‘t mind if a Nike comes and works with me. The biggest thing I can give brands is touch points in 330 cities through brick and mortar structures – which no other channel can give.

    Q. Don’t you think the pricing of the channel will be a deterrent?

    The channel is priced at Rs 82 on a la carte and I don‘t think it will be a deterrent. If you want a safe environment, if you want content that is developed and tested by childhood experts, you will be willing to pay a price. ZeeQ is a premium content provider in this space (edutainment); it will deliver what it promises – and we have been doing it for 17-18 years on-ground (through our schools).

    Q. How much will the channel invest?

    We will be investing Rs 1 billion over a period of three to three and a half years. We are looking at a break-even in five years.

    Q. Digital consumption among kids is increasing. What is the plan there?

    For the online medium, we have a completely different vertical. ZeeQ for us is not a broadcast channel only; it was conceived as a content platform for a holistic development of the child. We have big online plans and are going to come up with an app and games as well. So we are trying complete 360 degree touch points for content which will be on television.