Tag: Cartoon Network

‘Challenge in the digital world is to make content that lasts longer’ : Turner Entertainment Interactive Media executive director Benjamin Grubbs

As new media usage grows, broadcasters are trying to find ways to leverage it. Turner is no exception and has been creating tools like games for kids. The idea is to use new media as a brand extension for Cartoon Network and Pogo.

New media is not just a marketing tool but a place where kids spend a serious amount of time engaging with their favourite characters and shows mainly through gaming. The challenge in the digital world is to make content that becomes stronger and lasts longer.

As Turner has worked aggressively on new media to ensure that it co-exists strongly with the traditional media, it has kept a firm eye on maintaining scale for such products across markets.

Turner has also created facilities that develop local content for new media in places like Japan, Korea, China and Southeast Asia. The R&D team in Mumbai, for instance, creates products for the Indian platforms. The aim is to develop the local market and also make product innovations that can be exported.

In an interview with Indiantelevision.com’s Ashwin Pinto, Turner Entertainment Interactive Media executive director Benjamin Grubbs talks about how the media conglomerate has used new media to hook kids and build their content brands.

Excerpts:

How does Turner approach new media?

New media and traditional media complement one another; they co-exist in the market. The consumption of TV content increases as digital media usage increases. Consumers have an affinity for those brands that we create and they consume them across platforms. They watch an episode of a TV show; online they play a game involving a character from that show. Then at retail they buy a toy or a T-shirt.

There is a three-pronged approach of the Turner interactive business – Create, Play and Edu-tain

-Create: Games like Toon Creator let kids create their own cartoons. Toon Creator has over 469,000 animations developed by kids and 5.6 million views. Another example is Game Creator where kids can create their own games. It has 402,000 kids making games, there are 1.6 million games developed by kids and 429 million games have been
played.

– Play: Cricket Club is an excellent example. There are estimated 10 million game plays in 2011

– Edu-tain: Cartoon Network partnered with Prudential Asia to launch Cha-Ching, an initiative that encouraged kids to learn money management skills by a simple four-part process – ‘Earn, Save, Spend and Donate’. An interactive website hosting games, music videos, applications, etc. was created.

How does the business model work?

For broadcasters, there could be different business models. At Turner we package content on channels and sell them to cable companies who pay us a fee. We sell advertising on our channel and websites. We have consumer products and also do live events.

In the pay-TV market, there is more demand for compelling content that continues to do well. In the digital economy, new revenue streams are emerging. It has only been in the last couple of years where we have seen smart phone usage. The method of monetisation is not just advertising but also buying products like a game. You can buy a game on the phone or buy items within a game. It is not transferring one business model to another. You open up business models that are complementary to your core business.

How much revenue do you get from new media?

We don’t break down the percentage of revenue that comes from different business segments. But the digital business growth rates are high.

Which are your top properties that have been monetised through new media?

The Ben 10 franchise is a good example. This is content that started with television. Then it became a successful global consumer product IP. We license it out. Then in the digital space we have developed online games and mobile products. There is also video content available online. We have monetised it in different ways.

‘We have a R&D team in Mumbai that develops products for the Indian platforms. The aim is to develop the local market and also make product innovations that can be exported’

You have done online gaming for properties like Ben 10. How effective has it been as a brand extension tool?

What we are seeing in some markets is that people who do not have cable television at home just consume our content through digital media. In some markets across the Asia Pacific, the cable market penetration may not be as high as what it is in India. We see a percentage of people who only consume content on digital. Digital has been a positive development for Turner over the last five to 10 years.

Have you done research to show how kids in India and Asia perceive and use new media?

There is similarity in terms of how Indian kids and other kids use new media. They look for games first when they go online. We launched Cricket Club here on Pogo. We then took it to Australia. We will take it to every cricket nation.

For the last 10 years, we have been running a New Generation study. Many kids become more active consumers of technology than their parents; they get initiated at a very young age. The time spent on our site is 25-30 minutes per visit. It is a very engaged audience and they come back quite often. This results in high affinity for the brand. It is not a matter of them spending a couple of minutes online.

They spend as much time in an online visit as they do on a TV episode.

How is new media impacting the way kids consume traditional television?

Like I said, it is complementary. It is not a zero sum game where because you grow digitally, the traditional media consumption goes down. The data we are seeing is that both grow in parallel.

Interestingly, girls are heavier gamers than boys.

An estimated 25-30 million kids are online. There were approximately 12.1 million users in 2011 across www.cartoonnetworkindia.com and pogo.tv. 79 per cent of kids (ages 4-14 years) are mobile phone users.

The number of Indian kids who own their own mobile phone is growing.

Are costs rising in creating content for digital media?

Yes! On television you make content by spending a year to two years developing a series. In the digital world you could spend the same amount of time developing a game. The investments going into doing some of the larger online games are rising and is almost the same as making a TV show.

The challenge lies in extracting the right returns. In the digital space when we put content out we immediately get feedback. So the team makes conscious decisions about adapting and evolving content. For us it has been a big learning as you have larger investments around digital content. A game has people registering profiles and creating profiles. They have an online identity. Friends come into this environment and they communicate and share content.

What is the challenge in making digital content?

The challenge is to make an offering that will stick with the consumer. The challenge in the digital world has become more apparent over the past couple of years – as you put out games and get active users, there is an immense amount of data that you start collecting. You need to look at what data is relevant and use it to optimise and enhance the platform.

The big effort is not making the content but what happens after you launch it. This is how it becomes better, stronger and lasts for a longer period of time. The online and mobile games that we make now we expect to be in the market for several years. Our aim is not for the product to be in the market for two weeks. These are not campaigns which go away after a couple of months. We want the products to last for two years and we want to see continual growth in that product over a period of time. This is the guideline.

How does the process of creating new media applications work?

This starts with consumer insights. It is about conversations we have with consumers and through our focus groups or through a survey. We blend that data with what we see on our own platform. Then we see trends and try to predict where things are going. If it takes a year to develop a game, we have to think about what is going to resonate with consumers a year down the line.

You have tablets and smart phones. We don’t just make content for the PC or Internet. The consumer has to be able to access the content across multiple devices and platforms. This informs the decisions that we make and the technologies that we invest in. When things become multiplatform, you have an extension of the brand experience. Then you look at genres, the market in terms of if there is wide open space that we can go and play into. We also look at how a product can get scale across markets.

Could you give me an example of an innovative project recently done?

We worked on something last year. It started with deep consumer insights. We looked at the market and found that there was nothing that addressed an insight that we stumbled upon. So we decided to develop a product.

A guy in my team wrote a 16-page background story and dreamed up characters and plotline. This was for an online game. It was similar to someone writing a treatment and background explaining what a film is all about. He had visualised the game platform and how it would grow over time. We looked at it in order to visualise the creative

concept. We had to then step back and make a calculated bet as there is no guarantee of success.

We also recently came out with an online racing game. What we are seeing is that there is great adoption of multiplayer racing games among youth. While there were compelling games already present, they were larger console titles or larger massive multiplayer online games that target an older segment. There was an open space for a younger age segment. We developed it for Asia at a studio in China. We talked it out with our counterparts in Europe, Latin America and the US.

They were excited and wanted to co invest. We got scale from our investment and the product will launch this quarter in the US first. Then it will go all over. It started in Asia and found it resonating everywhere. We want to do more of this. If you boil it down to some of the building blocks and basics, products are not so different from one market to another. We also allow for some scope to localise but the main core of it should be similar across regions. It allows for better ROI.

Ben 10 is huge among boys. Storylines for digital products are evolving. We made a storyline for Ben 10 that was not told on TV. We hired the writers from L.A. to give us a story arc. The crux of this story is coming out in a movie that premieres in March. Things have come full circle.

How much R&D goes into creating new media services?

We have a team in Mumbai that develops products for the Indian platforms. Cricket Club was developed here. The aim is to develop the local market and also make product innovations that can be exported.

We do research all the time. A lot of data is collected that informs our decisions. We have facilities that develop local content for new media in Japan, Korea, China and Southeast Asia.

Is allowing kids to create their own content becoming more important?

Yes! The platforms we develop have been successful. This has surpassed all expectations. Game Creator has been the biggest one. Kids can create their own games. We have different versions of Game Creator. It is about brand engagement.

What are the ways in which content owners can work with advertisers online to produce results?

In some cases we sit down and have a conversation. The advertiser can show a business challenge and we find an addressable opportunity. On the other end of the spectrum, we talk about complete custom creation of a new product or service that is done with an advertiser. We have found that 63 per cent of car purchases in India are influenced by kids. Half of the shampoo purchases are also influenced by kids.

Is the lack of an effective measurement system a challenge?

There are third party research tools from parties like Nielsen and comscore that advertisers, agencies and publishers like ourselves subscribe to. Turner also has its own research systems and tools. We develop content that we market to the market. We also want transparency in data. We can see what the response rate is from consumers. ROI comes from things like registration, an online purchase and filling out an online form. We can track this user funnel so that we can better optimise it.

There is a continuous dialogue that happens. The digital space moves fast. A couple of years ago we weren’t talking about smart phones. We want to have dialogue with other marketers so that we can evolve.

What role do social networks play in reaching kids?

The reality is that people are on social networks. Facebook is a way for us to distribute content. When people are on Facebook, that is where their experience lives. But for us leveraging Facebook means staying on the platform; it is not about providing marketing messages that take users off Facebook. It is about providing content within that platform. This is where our investments have been going. Among social networks that kids use Facebook dominates.

Is the economic slowdown having an impact on broadcasters pursuing aggressively their new media plans?

No! It is accelerating growth. What I mean by this is that during a fiscal crunch you might want to look at ways to do things that are more effective and efficient. In the digital world things change at a very fast pace. There is a need for constant dialogue to stay on top of changes. In new media with barriers falling, it might make more financial sense to do something now compared to earlier.

January 23, 2012
Brand building needs to reflect goings on in consumers’ lives: Harrington

MUMBAI: With more entrants coming into the television space including the kids genre brand building is becoming more important. As Turner Broadcasting System Asia Pacific VP, branding and communications Lucien Harrington notes, “If you don‘t‘ build a brand you are really just a commodity, shelf space. To be successful you must build a brand that reflects what is going on in your consumers‘ lives and reflect their interests and passions.”

The challenge in the kids space according to him is that if you look at viewing habits – they are comfortable with viewing content on multiple platforms – on-air, online, mobile, social. A great brand must therefore have executions that make sense and work in all of these spaces. “Cartoon Network has become in essence a lifestyle brand that kids can interact with anytime and anyplace.”

Cartoon Network recently underwent a re-branding exercise across the Asia Pacific including India. The brand reface launched across the Asia Pacific region on 1 October 2011. He has called it the beginning of a new era for the kids broadcaster and a proud moment.

When asked about the factors that were kept in mind when Cartoon Network underwent the refresh he said, “Kids! Pure and simple! We just focussed on kids and their lifestyle. No matter where you are in the world or what you are doing – kids are on a quest to have fun. We wanted to capture this quest and reflect it in all of our content. We had a lot of fun creating and executing the refresh – and we have more kids on air than ever before – which all adds to the sense of excitement and energy that is propelling our brand forward in India.”

He goes on to explain that the channel‘s aim is to convey a reality that blurs the line between what‘s seen on screen, and what happens in real life. “It‘s about believing that the impossible is possible and that you could, for example, take a hole out of your pocket and disappear into it.”

This is a total Cartoon Network makeover complete with an accompanying theme song, ‘It‘s a Fun Thing‘ sung by up-and-coming teen star Jeronimo. “We produced interstitials, bumpers and a series of spots all themed around fun. It was our biggest ever casting call – well over 70 kids with almost 35 making it into the spots. These include a series of spots made specifically for the Indian market, featuring Indian kids. It‘s all part of our investment to make Cartoon Network the brand that kids relate to more than any other.”

Talking about the effort involved he says that it was a lot of work as the broadcaster had to revamp not only on-air, but online including cartoonnetworkindia.com, the Facebook page, all of its marketing collaterals and merchandise – a huge effort by everyone involved and based on early, positive feedback from viewers, well worth the effort.

Asked about why the refresh happened now he notes that trends change over time particularly in the kids‘ space. So it‘s important to stay fresh and reflect what‘s important in their lives. “Kids today are really “screenagers” and Cartoon Network‘s new look reflects this outlook with its depth, pace, vibrant colour and ability to promote an overall brand experience, not just a television programme.

“The process, including the planning, took about 10 months and was a huge effort by all departments, especially the creative services team.”

The tagline of the channel is ‘It‘s fun thing‘. “At its heart, Cartoon Network is about animating kids‘ lives be it on air, online, via mobile or in the playground. Our content is fun and funny and created to make kids laugh out loud so the Cartoon Network: It‘s a Fun Thing! tagline was a natural extension of our brand promise.”

As it is important for content to have a ‘home‘ therefore a channel‘s brand identity remains as important as ever. He gives the example of ‘Ben 10‘. “Everyone knows this alien-morphing boy hero and they also know that the series‘ home is on Cartoon Network. Strong brand identity for broadcasters provides powerful context for their shows and characters. If a viewer likes and trusts your channel and the way it‘s presented, they‘re more likely to want to tune in to new content. The new brand look has been extended to all of our screens and the feedback to the vibrant contemporary look has been really positive.”

Stressing on the importance of the look and feel of Cartoon Network or Pogo he notes that this is what makes the channels different and drives emotional connections that will promote loyalty and viewing preference. “The alternative is that you are just scheduling programmes and you become shelf space with little viewer affinity for what your brand or channel represents.

“Cartoon Network is all about the fun and energy of the playground and this is illustrated in our “fun spots” featuring kids – the Scooby Slurp, Pop Eyes and Hole in Your Pocket! are a few great examples. This kind of packaging and short form define our brand – I‘ve seen them countless times but they still make me laugh and I doubt you would find anything similar on any other kids‘ channel.”

Cartoon Network he adds will launch in HD in India within the next 12 months. Therefore the fact that the refresh has aimed at making the channel be as vibrant and as colourful as possible will be an added bonus.

“We hope to roll out the Cartoon Network HD in India next 12 months. We‘ll be HD ready in Asia by early 2012 and will be the first regional kids‘ broadcaster to launch such a premium offering. Once you‘ve experienced animation in HD, it will be tough to go back!”

In terms of the expectations of kids from the channel he points out that TV is still king when it comes to kids and their media consumption habits, but with the advent of technology there are more and more mobile screens. So kids tend to multitask and ‘snack‘ on various types of content. “Our reface reflects their expectation of a 360 degree brand experience and combines it with the energy of the playground – the place where dreams and fantasies can be acted out.”

He adds that as per recent research Turner has the number one and number two kids‘ brands in India. “There may be some short term volatility and the marketplace is undoubtedly competitive, but we believe that we have the best brands and the best variety of content to maintain our leadership over time.”

The key to succeeding is to not be reliant on just one show. “We have several top performing shows such as Ben 10 and Tom and Jerry and we also invest significantly in local seminal series like M.A.D and ChhotaBheem.”
Local content will continue to be important. “We were the trail blazers for original production in India in both animation and live action – Roll No. 21 is a great example – and we will continue this strategy going forward as we believe it is only by bringing the very best in kids‘ entertainment with the right balance between local and international titles that we will maintain our success.”

In terms of digital media he says that kids make little differentiation between how and where they consume their media – they just want to be able to access it conveniently when they want to. “Our philosophy is to encourage this choice – if a kid loves watching an episode of Ben 10 then Cartoon Network can expand and extend their brand experience by giving them more choices: play a game online, chat about the latest episode, enter a competition or attend an event. In this respect digital opportunities are increasingly important as this space complements what‘s happening on TV and opens up a different kind of interactive brand experience.”

November 19, 2011
Cartoon Network US teams up with Threadless for design challenge

MUMBAI: US kids broadcaster Cartoon Network Enterprises (CNE) and Threadless, a design company, have unveiled plans for a first-ever Adventure Time design challenge.

a Up and running now, artists and fans of the animated series created by Pendleton Ward can log on to atrium.threadless.com/adventuretime to submit designs inspired by Finn, Jake, Lumpy Space Princess – heck, even the Ice King – and the rest of the cast of characters and designs featured in the Land of Ooo.

The theme of the programme around which artists are asked to create their designs is “adventuring.”

To participate in this month-long design challenge, artists submit their designs and have members of the Threadless community vote on them.

The top-rated and most impressive designs will be selected by CNE and Ward, and they will be offered as T-shirts sold exclusively at Threadless.com. A winning artist will also be selected and will receive a bunch of prizes, including a signed piece of original art from the show, $2,000 in cash and a $250 Threadless gift certificate.

Artists have until 4 July to submit their design and the winner will be announced on 25 July.

CNE VP US consumer products Pete Yoder said, “The Adventure Time fanbase has been incredibly active, loyal and passionate since the launch of the brand. This partnership with Threadless gives us a highly-creative and organic way to tap in to that rich fan community and give them the chance to design some exclusively-inspired merchandise.”

Threadless founder Jake Nickell said, “Threadless strives to give our global community of more than 100,000 artists new opportunities to design cool things for meaningful organisations and businesses. Through Threadless Atrium, CNE has the opportunity to discover how powerful and fun it is to work with their own communities to dream-up and create products through community-based design and voting. Adventure Time is a perfect fit with the passions and interests of our community and we‘re excited to offer this cool challenge to them.”

Adventure Time’s first season was watched by more than 37 million people, according to Nielsen Media Research. New fans have been watching new episodes from the second season.

From the mind of Ward, the show is produced in partnership with Frederator Studios with Fred Seibert serving as an executive producer. Teeming with imposing mountains, lush green plains, accessible forests, ubiquitous prairies and winding rivers, the Land of Ooo is filled with bizarre characters in need of unique assistance. Whether it‘s saving Princess Bubblegum, defeating zombie candy, mocking the “oxy-moronic” Ice King, or rocking out with undead music wiz Marceline the Vampire Queen, with Finn and Jake it‘s always Adventure Time.

June 28, 2011
Lilliput launches a new campaign

MUMBAI: Lilliput, the kidswear brand, has launched a new campaign created by Focus Circle Brands.

According to the ad agency, the campaign is about understanding kids and the mother‘s personal life. The commercial will run nationally on leading GEC and Cartoon Network and aims to increase the equity of the brand.

Focus Circle Brands national creative director Rahool Talukdar says, “Lilliput is one of the brands that we have built from scratch, so we have known the audience for long now. Understanding the mother has taken time but the experience has been enriching.”

The commercial, which is directed by Prahlad Kakkar, starts with a kid narrating a speech about his mother at his annual day function. As he proceeds with the speech, he uncovers a secret which, at first, seems like an extra-marital affair. He goes on to the extent of making up stories about his friends‘ parents as well.

This encourages other children at the function to prompt their parents‘ secrets. Finally, the audience heaves a sigh of relief when they discover that the ‘another man/woman‘ is actually the kid. The commercial ends with a song.

Lilliput Marketing GM Kahkashan Afreen added, “Here was a plot that uniquely connected women and mothers. We gave complete freedom to our agency to execute the way they had conceived it. We are even making merchandise themed on the film‘s core concept.”

June 9, 2011
Cartoon Network Enterprises partners with Random House

MUMBAI: Cartoon Network Enterprises (CNE), the global licensing and merchandising arm of the US television network, has announced a partnership with Random House Children‘s Books to create a full line of books based on the top-rated action-adventure series, Generator Rex.

The deal between the two companies builds on a long-standing partnership with Random House, Inc. that includes other popular Cartoon Network brands including Ben 10 and Bakugan (Del Ray Manga).

The Random House Children‘s Books programme will bring to market content-rich titles centered around Rex, a 15-year-old typical teenager with abnormal powers – including the ability to make his fists the size of boulders, sprout a jet pack out of his back and turn his legs into a lightning-fast motorcycle, among other talents.

Random House will launch their book programme in Summer 2011 with a Step into Reading levelled reader and a deluxe 3-D storybook. Additional readers, storybooks, and activity books will follow.

CNE senior VP Christina Miller says, “Generator Rex is driven by action-packed storytelling and strong characters that excite fans and leave them wanting more. Random House, and the publishing category as a whole, are key components to further expanding the Generator Rex universe into an immersive world that tells Rex‘s story off screen in a fun and engaging way.”

Random House/Golden Books Young Readers Group editorial director Dennis Shealy said, “Cartoon Network is a favorite among families, and Generator Rex is a powerhouse TV show with everything kids like: fast-paced action, sarcastic humor, creepy villains and monsters?and my personal favorite: Rex‘s talking monkey sidekick. Combine that with some of Random House Children‘s Books‘ strongest formats, and you‘ve got a recipe for retail success.”

Random House joins other partners for the consumer products launch of Generator Rex that currently includes Mattel as the brand‘s global master toy partner, Activision, for interactive, Hallmark for party goods and social expression, Hybrid Apparel and DC Comics.

Additionally, CNE will release the first title in the Generator Rex home entertainment franchise on October 19 with Warner Home Video distributing. Additional partners for the brand will continue to be announced in the coming weeks.

Cartoon Network has committed to at least 40 episodes of the series, and has also created an online game, Generator Rex: Nanite Master, featured at CartoonNetwork.com that has had more than 6.9 million game plays since its launch in March, as well as a show page and a Facebook fan page.

October 29, 2010

‘We will be the No. 1 distribution company this fiscal’ : Zee Turner chief executive officer Dinesh Jain

Zee Turner Ltd, the joint venture distribution company between Zee and Turner, is eyeing a revenue of Rs 10 billion this fiscal on the back of a faster growth from DTH while pay-TV income from cable TV stays strong.

In the earlier fiscal, Zee Turner had clocked Rs 7.5 billion after adding Ten Sports into the bouquet.

Regionalisation will be a big growth driver for Zee Turner. With Zee Telugu and Zee Kannada turning around, the contribution from the southern region is also set to improve.

Adding channels in the bouquet, which has a strong mix of general entertainment, movies and kids content, would form a part of Zee Turner‘s growth strategy. The plan is to have 50 channels within two years.

In an interview with Indiantelevision.com‘s Sibabrata Das, Zee Turner Ltd. chief executive officer Dinesh Jain talks about the company‘s bouquet strength across 16 genres, the efforts to fill in the gaps and the next wave of pay-TV revenue growth in a digital environment.

Excerpts:

Zee Turner has set an ambitious revenue target of Rs 10 billion this fiscal. Has this growth momentum since the last fiscal been led by the addition of Ten Sports?

Yes, Ten Sports has contributed but our organic growth has also been significant. I can‘t, though, comment on what our target is. But we expect to get a little under 20 per cent growth from cable TV while revenue from DTH will be at a faster pace. We, after all, have the widest bouquet with 35 channels.

But isn’t the weight of the bouquet a weakness in today’s environment where cable TV networks have no bandwidth and charge hefty carriage fees?

Providing such a wide choice is, in fact, our biggest strength. We have presence across 16 genres and have the maximum number of movie and regional language channels. In the Hindi general entertainment channel space, Zee TV is very powerful. And we have the strongest kids content in Cartoon Network and Pogo. We are a top-of-the-mind bouquet.

Our plan, in fact, is to have 50 channels within the next two years. We may not release all the channels to all parts of the country. But they can be driver channels for the relevant market. We will increase the width and depth of our portfolio.

But Zee Turner is still not the largest broadcasting distribution company in terms of revenue?

Yes, our revenues are not in line with the strength of the bouquet. But we are the fastest growing company today. We will be the No. 1 distribution company this fiscal.

Will the new wave of pay-TV revenue growth come from the regional markets?

Regionalisation is a big thing for us. We have the largest bouquet of regional channels. We have, for instance, big drivers in Zee Marathi and Zee Bangla. News is also becoming regional and in local language. Zee has launched several regional news channels.

We have set up task forces to cater to these regional portfolios. We are connecting the interiors for the regional packages and doing local trade marketing. We see big growth coming from our regional channels.

Even in the South, which was a weak link, Zee Turner would be on a stronger wicket with the turnaround of Zee Telugu and Zee Kannada?

The contribution from the South has increased as our Telugu (Zee Telugu) and Kannada (Zee Kannada) language channels started delivering. But we also had a strong base there due to our English content, led by HBO, Zee Studios and Zee Cafe. We have added WB, the English movie and entertainment channel, this year.

We expect the pay-TV revenues from regional channels to look up, including the South. Zee Marathi, Zee Telugu and Zee Kannada will give us faster growth. We will also be taking our Zee News Uttar Pradesh and Zee Tamil (which will transition increasingly to a news channel) channels pay in the next 6-12 months. This will mean that all the 35 channels in our bouquet will be pay.

Do you still miss the English news genre in the bouquet after CNBC TV18 moved out?

We do not have channels in genres such as infotainment, travel, English general news and English business news. There are some regional languages where we are also absent. For completing our portfolio, we would be looking at filling such gaps.

‘Regionalisation is a big thing for us. We have the largest bouquet of regional channels. We have big drivers in Zee Marathi and Zee Bangla. Zee has also launched several regional news channels‘

The government has recently come out with a Headend-In-The-Sky (HITS) policy. How do you see this impacting Zee Turner?

HITS offers another great opportunity for digitisation and addressability. We expect the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (Trai) to come out with a pricing policy for HITS. As long as the delivery platforms and addressability are similar, the pricing policy should be same.

Do you strongly feel that Trai needs to lift the freeze on pricing?

The freeze in pricing has led to anomalies. Different channels in the same genre are priced differently because they were launched in different dates. The price freeze will not, thus, impact the channels equally.

A case in point is Zee Sports. If Zee Sports is to acquire a cricketing property paying as much as Star Cricket does, it will be at a disadvantage because of the price freeze. Launched later, Star Cricket is priced higher.

Trai, in fact, is looking at revisiting the price freeze issue. Today there is enough competition in the market for channels not to start profiteering from high prices.

Is Zee Sports turning out to be a liability as it is devoid of cricket after failing to bag the BCCI rights?

No, but then there is definitely an opportunity loss. However, it is overcome by the strength of the bouquet.

How is Zee Turner gearing up for the digital environment?

We are building capabilities for the digital environment – be it IPTV, DTH, cable TV or 3G devices. India will have all models successful because it is such a huge market. We have created vertical heads separately for digital, analogue cable and commercial business 18 months back to bring more focus into these business segments.

Do broadcasters see faster growth coming from DTH?

Cable TV currently accounts for 70 per cent of the broadcasters’ pay-TV revenues. We see the industry settling at an equal ratio between analogue cable and digital platforms within two years.

Broadcasting distribution companies have entered into joint ventures like Zee Turner, MSM Discovery and Star Den. Is there scope for further consolidation?

There are still many splinter groups such as Sahara and UTV. At some stage, they may decide to align. We are looking at such opportunities and alliances.

Cable networks have been consolidating over the last few years. How do you see this impact broadcasting companies?

The market is getting matured and organised. Though we are seeing the emergence of bigger MSOs (multi system operators), this will mean that the business is getting more rationalised. Bigger cable companies will look at improving bandwidth. There will be huge upsides – much like the coming together of organised retail helping FMCG companies.

, Zee Studios and Zee Cafe. We have added WB, the English movie and entertainment channel, this year.

Do you still miss the English news genre in the bouquet after CNBC TV18 moved out?
We do not have channels in genres such as infotainment, travel, English general news and English business news. There are some regional languages where we are also absent. For completing our portfolio, we would be looking at filling such gaps.

November 16, 2009

CN, Pogo lay out festive goodies for kids

MUMBAI: With the onset of the festive season, Turner‘s kids entertainment channels Cartoon Network and Pogo have lined up special programming blocks for their young viewers.

Starting 14 October, Cartoon Network will present a special block called ‘Maximum Pataka‘ showcasing Indian animation-movies such as Prahlad, Bal Ganesha, Dashavatar, Eklavya – The Invincible and Ghatotkach.

Meanwhile, Pogo will launch the themed franchises – Lights Camera Pogo! Di Wah Wah Li and Lights Camera Pogo! Chhoti Diwali & Badi Diwali.

While under the former block, the channel will feature movies such as Return of Hanuman, Immortal Hanuman and Hanuman, the latter will include movies like Balkhand, Ravan: The Demon King, Ramayana: The Legend of Prince Rama and Ravan Mahayodhya.

The season will also see the network launch new shows to up its viewership rate.

Says Turner International India director – programming South Asia Krishna Desai, “Festive months are high viewership months and we always schedule and launch some of our best programming during these time-periods. Thus, Cartoon Network will see new shows such as Jhakaas Zorori and the animated adventures series Batman: The Brave and The Bold.”

Jhakaas Zorori, showcasing the adventures of a scheming fox named Zorori, will premiere on 19 October and air Monday-Thursday. Batman: The Brave and The Bold will roll out on 24 October and will be telecast every Saturday at 11:30 am.

Adds Desai , “Pogo will present the brand new season 7 of the critically acclaimed show M.A.D, starting 11 October, on Sundays at 9 am. Additionally, it will host the world premiere of the animation series – The Adventures Of Hanuman – on 25 October, Sundays at 10 am.”

To further heighten the festive spirit, Cartoon Network will be hosting a special Diwali contest called ‘Cartoon Network Popcorn Maximum Pataka.‘ As part of the contest, crackers will appear as bugs on TV screens during the movies aired under the Diwali special block ‘Maximum Pataka.‘ Each bug will have a unique code attached to it, every time it appears.

Elaborates Desai, “Kids will have to call or SMS the code when they see it which will keep adding points to their numbers. Prizes will be given out on a daily basis as well as at the end of the contest. The kid who scores the maximum for all five movies will stand a chance to win the grand prize.”

Post this, extending the festive celebrations, Pogo will organise a fun contest to promote its popular movie franchise ‘Lights Camera Pogo‘ in December.

October 10, 2009

Kids channels gain viewership; Nick cracks HSM

Surely the biggies of the Hindi general entertainment space have been channelising their efforts to attract the kids segment. If Colors has been trying to capture the small pops through its top-rated shows Balika Vadhu and Uttaran, Zee TV is gearing up to use this arsenal in its new property Aap Ki Antara.

But has this effort anyhow eaten into the viewership pie of the discerning bunch of little champs, the kids‘ channels as a category? Not really!!! If 2008 saw the kids genre close at a 13.78 per cent share (period Jan-May 2008, All India C&S 4-14), the same period in 2009 (period Jan-May 2009, All India C&S 4-14) saw the genre grow by 1.08 per cent.

Kids Genre Share % in 2009
Month	ALL INDIA 09
Jan	13.9
Feb	13.6
Mar	14.5
Apr	15.6
May	16.6
Source: TAM, C&S 4-14, All India

Within the category, again, there are a few transitions. While Cartoon Network still continues to hold the fort, the channel has seen a slight dip of 0.4 per cent in its market share for the period between January to May in 2009 as compared to the same period last year.

Sibling channel Pogo too has surely managed to remain number two in the space. The channel has also seen a rise in its market share from 20 per cent in 2008 to 22.8 per cent in 2009.

All India Market
Channel	Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May
Cartoon Network	29	26	27	24	23
Pogo	23	24	24	22	21
Nick	17	16	15	21	20
Hungama	14	15	17	14	18
Jetix	10	11	10	9	9
Disney	7	7	7	9	8
Spacetoon Kids TV	0	0	0	0	0
Source: TAM, C&S 4-14, All India

HSM Story

Nevertheless, when it comes to slicing the market further to concentrate on the HSM space, the view is visibly different and new. While CN has seen a slight dip here too for the same period over last (Jan – May 2008), it has been ousted for the first time ever by new market leader Nick for the last two consecutive months. Nick has also seen a 4.4 per cent upward swing in its market share, compared to 2008.

So what helped Nick emerge as the number one kids channel in the Hindi speaking market?

“There are a couple of factors that helped us attain this position. First, the Nicktoons – characters that have helped Nick establish space and engagement with the kids leading to an increase in the stickiness of the channel,” says Nick India SVP and GM Nina Elavia Jaipuria.

“Second, we have managed to take Nick beyond television, thus making it more tangible. And I think we did that very successfully with our experimental 360 degree marketing philosophy – we wanted to be in every place where children are,” she adds.

In 2009, CN, however, continues to remain above Nick at 23.4 per cent (Jan – May 2009). Pogo hasm meanwhile, climbed 4.6 per cent up over last year to garner 22 per cent market share.

HSM Market
Channel	Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May
Nick	22	20	18	25	25
Hungama	17	19	21	17	22
Cartoon Network	27	25	25	21	20
Pogo	22	24	24	21	19
Disney	8	8	8	10	10
Jetix	4	4	4	5	5
Spacetoon Kids TV	0	0	0	0	0
Source: TAM, C&S 4-14, All India

While there is definitely a Cartoon Network vs Nick tale here, there seems to be a new contender creeping up the ladder to challenge the old bee.

Latest Tam data shows that Hungama TV, the kids channel for 4-14-year-olds which saw a 8.8 per cent fall in its market share over last, has relocated to the number two spot to push CN down the ladder for the month of May, 2009.

Recently, as part of its revamping strategy, the channel had introduced three new bands during summer and infused new shows into the bands. And its quite evident that the channel shored up its ratings post the change.

The channel had acquired two live action shows, Hatim from Star and Dharam Veer from NDTV Imagine to put them under the action band, Dum Powder. The Trouble Soda band features shows such as Doraemon and Ninjaboy Rantaro while Fun Gas showcases Shinchan and Asari Chan.

Disney channel, meanwhile, has also exhibited an upward growth in its market share.

Well, indications are on that while competition is really getting fierce, competitors are also putting their acts together to displace the winning feather from CN‘s hat.

So, does CN foresee any collision ahead?

Says Turner International India vice president and deputy general manager – entertainment networks, South Asia Monica Tata, “Cartoon Network and Pogo‘s relative shares in HSM have grown this January-May 2009 to 45 per cent from 41 per cent in the same period in 2008. These numbers are also a reflection of Turner‘s long term vision and strategy for India that has paid rich dividends making Cartoon Network and Pogo the most viewed and loved brands amongst kids in India. Not only kids, but parents too give the highest endorsement to these two networks as their choice for kids (per New Generations 2008).”

“Besides, we also enjoy the lion‘s share of the advertising pie. Increased competition has not outstayed us from our leadership position in the last 13 years and that‘s a merit/result of our focus on the long-term rather than short-term measures and gains and a proof that we know and service our consumers best amongst all,” Tata adds.

South Story

Treading the Southern path, CN indisputably continues to rule the region exhibiting its leadership crown. Placing itself at the second spot, however, is not CN‘s sibling channel Pogo, the second in command in the All India market, but Disney‘s Jetix that is fed on action adventure content and targeted at only boys between the age-group of 6-10.

“Of the two global channels (read Disney and Jetix), Jetix is a more defined channel. We have made it available in four languages – English, Hindi, Tamil and Telugu,” said Walt Disney Television International (India) senior vice president and managing director Antoine Villeneuve earlier in an interview with Indiantelevision.com.

South Market
Channel	Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May
Cartoon Network	36	32	35	34	32
Jetix	27	32	30	26	30
Pogo	26	26	25	27	26
Nikelodeon	3	4	4	5	5
Disney	4	3	4	4	3
Hungama	3	3	3	3	3
Spacetoon Kidss TV	0	0	0	0	0
Source: TAM, C&S 4-14, All India

Advertising and the kids‘ genre

Advertising growth came under pressure amid recession and clients and advertisers became cautious about their ad spend. As a result kids channels were stressed to move to quarterly deals with big advertisers, slash their ad rates and see some brands do a walk out. Yet, in spite of all, the category saw its ad volume grow by 36.87 per cent for the period from January to May 2009 over the same period last year.

Period	Jan-May 08	Jan-May 09
AD Volumes (Secs ‘000s)	7726	10575
Source: TAM

So does this increase indicate that existing advertisers had increased their spots across the kids channels while channels were unable to attracting new advertisers during the recessionary period?

“Not really. Television is the cheapest medium to reach out to the masses. For every other medium, there is an extra amount to be paid. Manufacturers understand this and they have also recognised our growth. And, thus, even during recession we have doubled our rates,” says Nick‘s Nina Elavia Jaipuria.

While Nick claims that despite challenging times the channel quadrupled its sales revenue as advertisers found value in what they offered, Cartoon Network was on course to achieve its yearly targets.

“We‘ve added more value for the advertisers with innovative and customised solutions. For example, ‘The Winning Secret‘ a contest specially created to build Boost‘s association as the energy partner for the Rajasthan Royals that received over 84000 entries! And, ‘Morning Shines‘, a customised pre-school programming block specially packaged for Johnsons Baby Top-to-Toe Wash,” says Tata.

Apart from traditional advertisers, broadcasters state that a lot of non-traditional advertisers across sectors like FMCG, investment banks and durable products are also eyeing this space. The rationale behind this, they feel, are an increase in the co-viewing pattern and also the mere pester power of kids who have the ability today to influence parent‘s decisions.

“In order to spend time with their kids, parents end up spending a lot of time on the kids channels. Also, animation as a category is today appealing to adults. Thus, a lot of co-viewing is taking place,” explains Jaipuria.

Cartoon Network, meanwhile, claims that over 30 per cent of the channel‘s advertisers reach out to its secondary audience (that is 15+) such as Procter & Gamble, Gillette, Johnson & Johnson, Colgate Palmolive, Hindustan Unilevers, Reckitt Benckiser, SC Johnson, Marico, Vodafone, Bharti Airtel, BSNL, LG Electronics, Voltas, Whirlpool, Hitachi, Tata Tea and L‘Oreal, amongst others.

Says Tata, “We have a robust portfolio of clients comprising both traditional and non-traditional kids‘ marketers with over 165 clients between Cartoon Network and Pogo. We are confident of further upping our non-traditional clientele, as 47 per cent of all viewership for the channels comes from CS 15+ audiences.”

Broadcasters feel that the main factors that have led to the growth of the genre are localisation of content, co-viewing pattern, pester power of kids and taking the medium beyond the television space through licensing and merchandising, on-ground activities, constant promotions, polls, votes and contests.

Local content adds a lot of local flavour to the content and therefore helps in increasing the channels‘ stickiness. CN believes that the 20 Indian animation shows/features playing on the channel have worked well for the channel. And its 2009 plan, therefore, is to expand on Indian animation content. For Pogo too the focal point will be to expand its original production.

Similarly, while Disney has managed to establish its brand connect with audiences through its franchises, the ratings have been coming in from locally acquired live action content.

“There has been an effect on ratings, but when it comes to a brand connect with the kids it is with our franchise properties. The best example of this is Hanna Montana. Our endeavour is to build a localised experience through Hanna Montana and our other properties,” says Villeneuve.

All said and done, industry believes that even though the category‘s viewership continues to grow, even today it remains hugely under indexed. “As a result, in spite of contributing 7 per cent to the total television viewership, it commands only two per cent of the entire television ad revenue pie. This is because of the baggage that the space has been carrying over the years where advertisers are used to paying to the GECs,” avers Jaipuria.

June 9, 2009

‘The kids market remains hugely under indexed’ : Nina Elavia Jaipuria – Nick India VP and GM

It has been a phenomenal journey for Nick in India. From being a channel that was residing at the bottom of the heap, the nine-year-old player has finally emerged as the leader on top in the Hindi speaking market, edging out long-standing market leader Cartoon Network.

And now, having captured the HSM space, the channel is readying to spread its wings across the southern-language market by 2009-end. The next in step is to challenge Cartoon Network which rules the all-India market.

Nick has also made its foray into local content for the Indian market with Little Krishna, acquiring the show’s TV rights for two years for the South Asian territory.

In an interview with Indiantelevision.com’s Anindita Sarkar, Nick India SVP and GM Nina Elavia Jaipuria reveals the strategies that have worked for the channel and how she plans to grow in a fiercely competitive marketplace.

Excerpts:

Nick has emerged as the number one kids channel in the Hindi speaking market. What contributed most towards this growth?
There are a couple of differentiators and unique activities that the channel has done very consistently over a period of time. The biggest differentiator for the channel has been Nicktoons – characters that have helped Nick establish space and engagement with the kids leading to an increase in the stickiness of the channel.

Secondly, we have managed to take Nick beyond television, thus making it more tangible. And I think we did that very successfully with our experimental 360 degree marketing philosophy – we wanted to be in every place where children are. So we were there promoting ourselves right from schools, cinema houses, malls, cable television to comic books, van activation and general entertainment channels.

We also increased our consumer products activities – be it in the form of storyboards, storybooks, activity books, toys with Mattel, clothes with Weekender, linen with Portico, etc. And now that schools are opening, we will be soon coming out with stationary and back-to-school items.

We also intensified our engagement and connection with children through constant promotions, polls, votes, contests and festivals including father’s day, mother’s day, Raksha Bandhan, Holi and so on. We celebrated every festival that was important to kids.

Why did you choose GECs as a promotional platform?
In a one-television household, it is but natural that kids are watching Hindi GECs along with their families. So, we know that today’s kids watch a Balika Vadhu or a Star Plus or Zee TV for that matter. So we decided on this medium as we would be able to capture the entire gambit of captive audience.

But don’t you think that GECs today have actually emerged as contenders to the kids channels?
If you see, even with the emergence of so many GECs, the kids’ category remained almost unaffected. This is because eventually kids come back to watch what is tailormade for them. And, no matter how hard a GEC tries, it cannot attract any child’s absolute attention. He/she at most will continue to remain only a passive viewer. GECs cater to the family as a whole and their content is not custom-made for kids unlike a kid’s category which targets only the kids.

With Little Krishna you finally forayed into local animation. What took you so long to take this decision?
Well, we had been looking for something that was built on a very strong narrative so that it carried not one single hint of boredom. This is because a kid’s attention span is very limited and you have to engage them within the first ten seconds. So, our hunt went real long. And then, finally we came up with Little Krishna, in both English and Hindi, which not only has a very compelling narrative, but is also supported by seven years of extensive authentic research (without any distortion) conducted by Iscon. The show has captured Krishna in various facets and every episode is a standalone. So, you don’t have to know what has happened before or after. Also, the script is extremely strong and tight and with the quality of animation that it has, the show is sure to make it to the overseas market.

What was the need for localisation?
Well, there was not really a need for localisation because as a broadcaster I want content that entertains children and also gets rid of two things – boredom and stress. Yes, I do agree that some amount of local character would surely add some local flavour. But in content, that is not at all a necessity to have. Its more about the localisation of the channel which comes with how you dub, the language you speak, and the promos that the channel lines up.

‘Even though the kids segment contributes 7 per cent to the total television viewership, our revenue share is less than 2 per cent‘

How has the co-viewing pattern helped the channel to grow?
Today as a channel, we have the gatekeeper’s (parents) trust. We do not carry any form of content that could be harmful to the kids. We are responsible broadcasters and because of this parents allow their kids to watch our channel. In order to spend time with their kids, they also end up spending a lot of time on the channel. Also, animation as a category is today appealing to adults. Thus, a lot of co-viewing is taking place.

Are advertisers taking advantage of this trend?
Definitely! In fact, in the last one year, we have more than quadrupled our sales revenue as advertisers have found value in what Nick has to offer. We have done a lot of value addition and brand integration with all the categories that have come on board through sampling and on-ground activations. As a result, from 17 brands that we began with, we have now extended to over 75-80.

Are brands confined to the kids’ category alone or is the base expanding?
Absolutely! Two years ago, our reach was 13 per cent and today it is 32 per cent. With a lot of co-viewing happening, advertisers today understand that kids’ channels are also an effective medium to reach out to their target buyers. Also, the mere pressure of pester power that kids have on their parents decisions have pulled a lot of FMCG, insurance and telecom brands on board.

With recession hitting hard, what kind of impact did it have on your advertising revenues?
Look, television is the cheapest medium to reach out to the masses. For every other medium, there is an extra amount to be paid. Manufacturers understand this and they have also recognised our growth. And, thus, even during recession we have doubled our rates. Nick has performed all through and I did not want to succumb to this economic slowdown. Yes, instead of annual deals a lot of quarter deals were being cracked, but this could always be reviewed. As a broadcaster Nick did well and we surely deserved the revenues we generated.

How has the backing from Viacom and Network18 helped in Nick’s growth in India?
The network has been an absolute might. If you go through our tent pole projects in the last quarter, you will see that a lot of awareness and sampling has been created through Colors, IBN7, CNBC Awaaz and MTV amongst family and children outside of the kids’ category. All of them are passive viewers and, therefore, the network has only helped us promote ourselves.

How well are you distributed across the country?
We have got approximately 70-75 per cent all band connectivity wherein we are available in almost 26 million households. We are very well distributed all over the country in various town sizes. While 30 per cent of our ratings come in from metros, 35-40 per cent of the contribution comes in from the 1 million-plus cities and the remaining balance is attracted from the 1-10 million.

So what are your plans going ahead?
Well, until now our focus was to get a foothold in the Hindi speaking market. And now that we have done it, our first plan is surely to continue our growth and sustain our leadership position in this space. Our next plan now is to look South, which is certain to happen by the end of this year. We will head for all the southern markets – Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh. We will cater to them with the same content. We will initially begin with English and then move on to the regional languages with dubbed content as we get a foothold.

However, the major challenge there is going to be distribution because unlike the HSM market, we are not distributed there at all.

Is there any change in the ratio between advertising and subscription revenues?
Advertising still remains the predominant one, contributing over 60 per cent to our revenues. Distribution, meanwhile, is a constant revenue stream that you get year after year, but it’s the biggest payout as well. We have also taken baby steps in consumer products. When we started off with 2-3 products in the consumer product business, it was only a marketing tool. But now I think its time that it will start paying off. We are already available across 17 categories and will soon be launching in stationary, plush and home DVD with Excel. This year, therefore, we will see revenues flowing in from this stream as well.

Why do you think that even after witnessing a growth in viewership, the kids category has not grown in terms of revenue share?
The kids market remains hugely under indexed. Even though the kids segment contributes 7 per cent to the total television viewership, our revenue share is less than 2 per cent. This is because of the baggage that the space has been carrying over the years where advertisers are used to paying to the GECs.

But with a lot of co-viewing happening now along with integrated value addition to brands and the pester power of kids, I think we are ready to shed that baggage.

How has the interactive media contributed towards Nick’s growth?
Our website has about 10 per cent penetration with kids today – and this is growing. But I have to say that at the end of the day, everything feeds into one another. Therefore, it’s very essential for us to go multiplatform.

May 31, 2009

‘We will build on our global franchises and get other local content to create an environment for ratings’ : Antoine Villeneuve- Walt Disney TV International (India) SVP & MD

The Walt Disney Company acquired Hungama TV in 2006 for $30.5 million, a sign that two of its global channels needed a local muscle to fight the might of Turner International in the kids TV turf in India.

The Cartoon Network-Pogo duo still lead the space as the mouse house is busy finding the right content mix for its three channels. Disney Channel is positioned as a kids-driven family channel while Hungama TV is eyeing kids in the 4-14 years age group. Jetix is for the 6-10-year-old boys.

The challenge for Disney is not just to gain more audiences but also to drive up revenues in a genre that is seeing slow growth.

In an interview with Indiantelevision.com’s Anindita Sarkar, Walt Disney Television International (India) senior vice president and managing director Antoine Villeneuve talks about the need to build on Disney’s global franchises while filling in the other pieces of content without disturbing the brand values.

Excerpts:

Disney Channel has failed to make a mark in India, as is evident from the ratings. What are the corrective steps you are taking?
Our task is to build on our global franchises and get other local content to create an environment for ratings. But all this has to fit into the ‘Disney’ brand values.

Being a kids-driven family channel, we have had to add other pieces of content. For the first time ever, we have moved ahead to acquire Bollywood content to draw in more eyeballs. We have bought two Aamir Khan movies, Hum Hai Rahi Pyaar Ke and Jo Jeeta Wohi Sikander, which will be showcased on 12 April and 3 May.

The core focus of the channel, however, is the tween segment (8-12 age group) and to increase penetration we have made the channel available in Hindi as well. We are building all the necessary bricks, but staying within the essence of the brand and the positioning of the channel.

Which are the franchises you are maximising your investments on?
Hanna Montana is appearing as a marketing phenomenon in India. She is on the path of a big success and we are taking her to the next level. We are increasing the ‘touch points’ with her so that kids can get more engaged. She appears in season 3 on 10 April and we are organising the ‘Big Pop Star’ event in India wherein the winning star will get a chance to meet Hanna. We also have a few more on ground marketing plans for Hanna to bring the character closer to the Indian kids.

The Hanna Montana movie releases in May which is sure to have a great impact on building the brand value of this franchise in India.

The other big property we are building is High School Musical. We are giving it a bigger dimension as season 4 kicks off soon.

Why are ratings coming only from the locally acquired live action content?
There has been an effect on ratings, but when it comes to a brand connect with the kids it is with our franchise properties. The best example of this is Hanna Montana. Our endeavour is to build a localised experience through Hanna Montana and our other properties. We have succeeded in this.

How have you positioned Hungama TV after acquiring it from UTV?
The three channels that we have are positioned separately and do not cannibalise audiences from each other. Hungama TV is transmitted only in Hindi and is positioned as a mad-comedy and fun channel devoted to the 4-14-year-olds. Also, its content is mainly driven by Japanese animation.

The channel has slipped from its top position. How do you plan to revamp it?
We are creating three new bands from 13 April. We have acquired two live action shows, Hatim from Star and Dharam Veer from NDTV Imagine. We will be introducing them under the action band, Dum Powder.

The Trouble Soda band will feature shows such as Doraemon and Ninjaboy Rantaro while Fun Gas will showcase Shinchan and Asari Chan.

Hungama TV will have all new shows this summer and the three bands will play on the theme ‘Mad fun with Adventure.’ We will also launch the mega summer contest – the Indian Pyjama League – on the channel, starting 11 May.

On the movie front, we will be showing titles such as Andaz Apna Apna and Fantiastic 4 this summer.

‘kids GRPs are undervalued in other markets as well. More marketing solutions have to be offered and advertisers have to realise the real worth of the kids segment‘

Jetix has been more successful in the south. What are you doing to elevate its status in the north?
Of the two global channels, Jetix is a more defined channel as it has only action adventure content and is targeted at only boys between the age-group of 6-10. We have made it available in four languages – English, Hindi, Tamil and Telugu. We are happy that it is faring well in the south and have no plans to make special efforts to push it in the north as we have our other two channels to address the Hindi speaking markets.

How do you plan to beef up your summer lineup this year?
Apart from showing Bolywood films, we will be exploiting our own classics from the Disney library. The channel will feature titles such as Return to Neverland, Atlantis: Milo’s return, Mulan, 101 Dalmations 2 and Secret of the Magic Gourd. All these will be featured on the Disney channel. Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man’s chest will premiere for the first time in Hindi on 5 April.

We will also be launching brand new shows on Disney such as Wizards of Waverly Place, Sony with a chance, Imagination Movers and Aaron Stone. Aaron Stone will launch on 15 May and will be the story of Aaron, a master in video gaming. Summers will also see the second season of Mickey Mouse Club House (MMCH).

For Jetix, we are launching the ‘Spectacular Superhero Summer Operation’. Under this brand, we will have all new superhero shows ( Zoran/ World of Quest/Ratman/ Power Rangers RPM).

We will also carry new episodes of Hero, Detective Conan and Inspector Gadgets. Furthermore, we will show various martial arts and action adventure movies such as George of the Jungle 2, Hulk and X men.

Why is the revenue from kids TV not proportionate to its audience share?
The kids GRPs are undervalued in other markets as well. More marketing solutions have to be offered and advertisers have to realise the real worth of the kids segment. In India this is evolving and we are already seeing new categories such as financial services, FMCG and digital stepping in as advertisers.

March 31, 2009