ITV

Tag: Discovery HD

  • UCN to offer Dolby Digital Plus on its HD STBs

    UCN to offer Dolby Digital Plus on its HD STBs

    MUMBAI: Dolby Laboratories has announced that UCN, one of Maharashtra’s leading multi-system operators (MSOs), has selected Dolby Digital Plus as the audio codec for its HD set-top boxes. With Dolby Digital Plus, UCN HD subscribers will experience the capability of up to 7.1 channels of surround sound, designed to transform the way people experience their favorite sports, movies, and television programs.

    “With the onset of the digitization in India, the broadcast industry is evolving with a promise to deliver enhanced quality services to the end consumer. This association with Dolby is an excellent opportunity for us to combine a great HD picture with superior Dolby surround sound. We have always aimed to deliver the best cinematic entertainment experiences for our subscribers,” said UCN director Ajay Khamankar.

    With UCN’s HD set-top boxes featuring Dolby Digital Plus, consumers will be able to enjoy Dolby surround sound by connecting their home theater to their HD set-top box and the HDTV, giving them the best TV viewing experience at home. UCN will offer a complete entertainment experience across a bouquet of channels including the Star HD network, Colors HD, Movies Now HD, Discovery HD, NGC HD, and many more.

    “Our collaboration with UCN marks an important milestone in the adoption of Dolby Digital Plus in India’s Cable TV services, which is undergoing a massive transformation with the ongoing digitization. At Dolby, we strive to bring to life superior entertainment experiences for audiences using innovative technology. With Dolby Digital Plus, UCN will bring an exceptional entertainment experience to their consumers —from sports, drama, reality TV, and movies—right into their living rooms,” said Dolby Laboratories India country manager Pankaj Kedia.

  • ‘Japan, India & Australia are our biggest markets in the Asia Pacific region’ : Discovery Networks Asia Pacific executive VP, MD Tom Keaveny

    ‘Japan, India & Australia are our biggest markets in the Asia Pacific region’ : Discovery Networks Asia Pacific executive VP, MD Tom Keaveny

    Discovery is upping the ante in India. Leading the infotainment genre, the company has crafted three channel launches in India this year: Discovery Science, Discovery Turbo and Discovery HD. It has also introduced regional feeds for its flagship channel, Discovery.

     

    While media companies across the world cut down on their costs due to a global economic downturn, Discovery continued with its annual expense of $1 billion on content. The idea: Discovery drives on premium content.

     

    Japan, India and Australia are Discovery‘s top markets in the Asia Pacific region.

     

    For expanding in India, Discovery is taking the organic route. Acquisitions are not on the agenda.

     

    In an interview with Indiantelevision.com‘s Ashwin Pinto, Discovery Networks Asia Pacific executive VP, MD Tom Keaveny talks about the company‘s growth plans in the region.

     

    Excerpts:
     
     
    Could you give us an overview of the strategy that Discovery has followed to grow the business across the Asia Pacific region over the past couple of years?
    Having local people run local markets is the first thing. I know that this sounds obvious but it is important to have Indians run the business in India. They know what people want, when they watch it and why they do not watch things.

     

    Secondly, the local people schedule programming on channels according to viewer tastes and feedback; they also do localisation. In India, for instance, we launched feeds for Discovery in Tamil and Telugu this year.

     

    Then there is content creation. It started a few years ago with The Great Indian Wedding on Discovery Travel and Living (now known as TLC). We also had Shah Rukh Khan Living With A Superstar, which also was a success in Malaysia. We do local content on the basis that it can be used in other markets.
     

     
    In the US, there was a certain amount of re-organisation with a clear focus on being more cost efficient. What shape has this taken in the Asia Pacific region?
    We have always been cost efficient. In a recession, you are forced to look at costs but the areas where we carried on investing was content and branding of channels. We spend $1 billion a year on content.

     

    In India, the recession meant slower growth. Australia was having a mineral boom, and so there was ad sales growth. China grew. Japan has had inherent problems, but so much of our business here is based on distribution revenues that we were less affected.

     
     
    What impact did the economic downturn have on your growth trajectory?
    I won‘t say that we were not affected. However, other companies probably cut back more than us. We are seeing the benefits of continuing to invest in content.
     

     
    For the second quarter Discovery reported increased ad revenue growth of 38 per cent for its international networks. Does this mean that the difficult economic climate is behind international broadcasters like Discovery or do challenges and difficulties remain?
    Sales is a difficult job. But we have had ratings growth. Some of this ad revenue growth you mentioned has to do with the fact that last year was a lower base.

     

    Do I think that we have seen the end of the downturn? Well, whatever happens economically, our audiences have grown. We have had a 27 per cent audience growth in India. This has been replicated across other Asian markets.

     
     
    How much revenue comes from the Asia Pacific? Which are your top three markets?
    Japan, India, Australia are our biggest markets. Malaysia and Taiwan come next. India is growing at a good rate. However, I cannot tell you how much revenue comes from the Asia Pacific.

     
     
    ‘With new channels coming in, you would expect to see cannibalisation. But that has not happened for us. With competition, the profile of the genre has got an uplift‘
     
     

    To what extent has Discovery increased the number of feeds over the past year across Asia?
    We have launched more feeds in Australia, Malaysia, Philippines. We are going into more languages. Demand is significant. The assumption is that if you launch more networks, audiences will go down. For us it has been the reverse. The more networks there are, the higher is our viewership.
     
     

    Is fragmentation a worry for Discovery with international broadcasters launching channels in the movie, entertainment and infotainment space?
    With new channels coming in, you would expect to see cannibalisation. But that has not happened for us. When we launched Discovery Science and Turbo around the world, we did not see Discovery Channel‘s audience dip. Instead it grew. With competition, the profile of the genre gets an uplift.
     

     
    What impact do you see the three new channels having on the Indian infotainment landscape?
    I can‘t think of a market in the world where Discovery Science will be better received. India is a technology hub. It is a young nation and there is a thirst for knowledge. So having a channel dedicated to science makes sense.

     

    And Discovery Turbo can take encouragement from the fact that the automobile sector is seeing robust growth in India. But I also see it being important as a male lifestyle channel.
     

     
    Recent research showed that there is still a degree of uncertainty about the benefits of HD for television viewing. How do you see HD as a value add?
    Our content which includes natural history and wildlife fits into HD very well. We launched Discovery HD in Japan in 2005. It has only been in the past two to three years that other channels started investing in this technology. For us investing in technology is in our DNA. It is part of our psychological profile because it is a brand promise as well.

     

    We have a future proof library. For example, Shah Rukh Khan Living With A Superstar was filmed in HD. Once viewers see HD, going back is a difficult proposition. But everybody has to work towards it. It cannot be just one or two networks that are doing the heavy lifting.
     

     
    Have you done any research among the creme de la creme viewers to find out what they expect from a network like yours?
    There is congruity in terms what viewers to want to watch. Travel and cooking are key genres. Shows that combine these genres like Anthony Bourdain also work well. Grooming shows also work. Shows like Man vs Wild, Deadliest Catch, Mythbusters work globally. At the same time, you do have to take into account local tastes.

     
     
    A lot of focus has been given to Animal Planet over the past 18 months. The aim was to make the programming sharper, more edgy. Is this increased investment starting to pay dividends?
    In the digital environment, it has been one of the fastest growing channels. There is a lot of co-viewing happening. We constantly look at the schedule, find out what works and attempt to be contemporary.

     

     
    Are you satisfied with the joint venture relationship Discovery has with Multi Screen Media?
    It was the right deal to do at the right time. We have developed and grown our networks. The deal was a gamechanger and formed a template for others to follow.
     

     
    How do you get a revenue uplift from India quite in line with the success you have had with the audiences here?
    We have a two-pronged strategy in India. We launch new networks that will rate and grow audiences for us in this market. This is how ad revenue will grow. On the distribution side, there is a tipping point where analogue shuts down. Australia went quickly from analogue to digital. In India, how quick will the transition be? At what point do addressability, cable, DTH, number of channels and package costs come into play? That is something we all are trying to grapple with.

     
    Global media companies are setting up JVs with local companies in India. Is Discovery looking at something like this to grow its business in India?
    JVs are being done now by companies that were maybe 10-15 years late in getting into India. The question is whether they are doing a JV because they want to do it or because they have to. Companies that came into India early like Discovery have done it on their own terms.

    Having said that, there are times when a strategic alliance makes sense. In Japan, for instance, we have a JV with JCom. The Hub, our new channel that is set for launch, is another good fit as it brings together two strong brands in production and distribution.

  • ‘Discovery identifies India as a growth market’ : Discovery Communications India SVP Rahul Johri

    ‘Discovery identifies India as a growth market’ : Discovery Communications India SVP Rahul Johri

    Discovery Communications India is readying for a major expansion to ride on India’s rapidly growing digital pay-TV environment. The roadmap includes the launch of three channels – Discovery Science, Discovery HD and Discovery Turbo.

    The existing three channels – Discovery Channel, Animal Planet and Discovery Travel and Living – have built distinct brand propositions. And as the viewership pattern is shifting particularly in the non-fiction genre, Discovery hopes to capitalise.

    In an interview with Indiantelevision.com’s Ashwin Pinto, Discovery Communications India senior vice president Rahul Johri talks about the company’s growth plans.

    Excerpts:

    Having got the government nod, when are you planning to launch the three new channels?
    We are finalising the launch plans. Discovery Turbo will be India‘s first male lifestyle channel. Discovery Science will be dedicated to make science programming accessible, relevant and entertaining. Discovery HD, on the other hand, offers programming in 1080i with 5.1 surround sound, far superior to both NTSC and PAL. It lends itself perfectly to the type of rich and spectacular images that Discovery is renowned for.

    How are you going to tackle distribution?
    We have planned to launch Discovery Science and Discovery Turbo on both analogue and digital platforms. Discovery HD will be launched on the digital platform.

    Do you see niche channels gain as the digital environment grows?
    We currently have three distinct networks in India, each with immense brand equity. Digital platform, besides offering an enhanced viewing experience and an increased choice to viewers, demonstrates the real value of the brands and their unique propositions. Companies with strong bouquet of channels, be it mass or niche, will certainly stand to gain as the digital penetration goes up in India.

    Do you see the new channels broadening the audience base for infotainment?
    Viewers today are looking for distinct and credible content. We are witnessing a dramatic shift in the viewing patterns in India, especially in the non-fiction genre where our channels dominate.

    Considering that 60 per cent of India‘s population is under 30 years of age, this trend should only get amplified in the coming years. Each of our channels, existing and planned, has a distinct brand proposition and will resonate with viewers, advertisers and affiliates alike.

    There has been a lot of talk about how HD is changing the television viewing experience globally. But at the moment the infrastructure is not there to support this in India. How does this impact the launch plans for Discovery HD?
    India is witnessing a substantial increase in the sale of HD-technology TV sets. With the growth of digital delivery platforms, HD would emerge as a premium offering.

    Besides, we like to be ahead of the curve, be it in our programme offerings or production technologies.
    ‘Viewers today are looking for distinct and credible content. We are witnessing a dramatic shift in the viewing patterns in India, especially in the non-fiction genre where our channels dominate‘

    In terms of revenue where does India stack up vis-a-vis other Asian markets like Singapore, Hong Kong and South Korea?
    India has a considerable viewer and advertiser base and has been identified as a growth market for Discovery.

    Do you expect revenue growth this year given the economic downturn?
    It is my belief that leaders in respective categories will be least affected. Going by the current environment, we would be able to achieve our targets.

    What are the challenges that Discovery and other players in the infotainment space face this year?
    The challenge is to continuously refresh the programming to suit the viewers‘ changing demands. At the same time you have to maintain the brand‘s core propositions.

    Last year Animal Planet re-branded itself globally with a more adult-centric focus. How has this been reflected in India?
    Animal Planet revealed its fresh brand identity last year. Its new show line-up reflects intense drama, rich humour, unexpected choices and wonders of the animal kingdom.

    In order to strengthen its prime time slots, the channel introduced two new programme bands. Masters Of The Jungle at 9 pm takes viewers to meet the most celebrated wildlife experts from around the world who have dedicated their lives to animals.

    The Hunt at 8 pm presents nature‘s predators in their raw and merciless form every night. There has been a ratings increase.

    Has the look and feel been changed to reflect the channel‘s aggression?
    The new logo, communication and content allow viewers an immersive experience. Introducing new time bands, Masters of the Jungle, The Hunt and multiple new titles like Jockeys and Animal Gladiator; the channel today offers a close-up encounter with wildlife.

    What are the major programming properties coming up on the channel?
    From this month, Animal Planet‘s new series, Stranger Among Bears, will reveal the isolated life of a teacher who has received national attention for his unique but controversial relationship with the black grizzly bears for last 20 years.

    We will launch a new series in the Master of the Jungle band – Into The Pride in which the host Dave Salmoni will land himself in the middle of a ride of lions with just a walking stick. In a remarkable story of the bond between man and animal, we will present a reunion between two young men and a 500 pound pet lion in A Lion called Christian.

    Discovery Travel and Living has completed five years in India. What progress has it made in boosting lifestyle programming in the country and serving the SEC A+ demographic?
    Discovery Travel and Living has emerged as the definitive lifestyle channel in India. Surpassing all lifestyle television benchmarks, it has continuously added new genres, bringing the finest experience to its discerning audience. Even this year, it added three new genres – music, dance and relationship.

    On the Indian programming front, it explored unique Indian lifestyle themes – wedding, travel, food, fashion and hotels. It recently premiered a new series with one of India‘s leading columnists and food writer Vir Sanghvi. And in the biggest of all shows, we will present a series on India‘s biggest superstar Shah Rukh Khan, where for the first time ever viewers will be taken into his private and exclusive world.

    Has there been any change in strategy compared to previous years?
    Our focus has been to expand the existing genres like food, travel, fashion and makeover while at the same time adding new genres like music, fitness and relationship. We strengthened our prime time offerings with two strong bands – What A Life at 9 pm and Turn It On at 10 pm. Our efforts to up the weekend offerings with Brunch on Sundays and day time properties like Chew at 1 pm presented good results.

    On the advertising front, are clients more cautious in terms of committing spends?
    We value our advertisers and believe in long term associations. Just like in the past, we will continue to offer higher values to our advertisers.
     

    On the advertising front, are clients more cautious in terms of committing spends?
    We value our advertisers and believe in long term associations. Just like in the past, we will continue to offer higher values to our advertisers.

    Has there been any change in strategy compared to previous years?
    Our focus has been to expand the existing genres like food, travel, fashion and makeover while at the same time adding new genres like music, fitness and relationship. We strengthened our prime time offerings with two strong bands – What A Life at 9 pm and Turn It On at 10 pm. Our efforts to up the weekend offerings with Brunch on Sundays and day time properties like Chew at 1 pm presented good results.

    On the advertising front, are clients more cautious in terms of committing spends?
    We value our advertisers and believe in long term associations. Just like in the past, we will continue to offer higher values to our advertisers.

  • ‘It is a good time to launch specialised channels as they help break through the clutter’ : Rahul Johri – Discovery India senior VP

    ‘It is a good time to launch specialised channels as they help break through the clutter’ : Rahul Johri – Discovery India senior VP

     Discovery is in restructuring mode. Earlier this year, it announced a reshuffle at the top to handle India operations. And the India office, which was reporting directly in to the Discovery headquarters at Silver Spring, Washington DC, will now come under Singapore as part of the integration strategy.

     

    On the content front, Animal Planet introduced a Hindi feed in April to increase penetration. Discovery Travel and Living is eyeing to put its personality-driven shows at the 10 pm slot.

     

    The company is also adding new channels like Discovery HD to grow the market in India.

     

    Indiantelevision.com’s Ashwin Pinto caught up with Discovery India senior VP, GM Rahul Johri to find out more about the company’s aggressive plans in India.

     

    Excerpts:

    What is the main reason behind the restructuring that took place in Discovery recently?
    Discovery went into local markets in Europe a few years back, and this yielded very good results. Applying the same model, the Asia Pacific region has been broken up into six – the Saarc countries which include India, China, Japan, North Asia, Australia/New Zealand and South East Asia (Thailand, Malaysia, Indonesia, Singapore).

     

    In India, people have moved up a level. I have management responsibility for India while Rajiv Bakshi looks after marketing. Then there is a regional managing director who sits in Singapore.

     

    We now work and coordinate with Singapore. The response time is much quicker.

     

    Earlier when we reported to Washington, the time zones were different. Also, what is a priority for us may not be as important for them. Now operations are easier in terms of taking decisions and getting clearances.

    How does the new operational structure help Discovery India?
    Discovery Asia has a strong infrastructure. This will now be more accessible to us. We can approach opportunities on an Asia wide basis as opposed to simply focussing on one country. For instance if a local production is being done out of India or Singapore, it can then be expanded to include other Asian countries. Solutions can be provided to enable this. On the client side also, we can provide solutions more easily so that they get visibility across the region and not just in one country.

    What are the key focus areas for India?
    Collaborating with the other regions in Asia to drive growth will be important. Sharing of content and resources will be key. We will also strengthen the branding of our channels by making the content more definitive. We will keep refreshing content across all the channels so that audiences get what they want to watch.

    Are you looking at growth through launch of more channels?
    Yes! As the Indian television market matures, it is a good time for specialised channels to launch as they help break through the clutter.

     

    We have 14 channels and we will bring what we feel will click the best. Discovery HD is definitely a channel we are keen on bringing to India. Discovery Science is another channel that we feel would work well here. Of course, it is also important for cable to go digital. Otherwise getting carried gets difficult.

    Discovery has launched Planet Green, a new channel for environment, in the US. Do Are there plans to launch in India?
    The channel has just launched in the US. A band of the channel will launch in Southeast Asia. We will see how viewers respond to it. We will test the programming in India and then decide on whether or not to launch the channel here.
    ‘Starting Hindi feed worked for our two channels as there is a lot of commentary. This won’t work in Discovery Travel and Living‘

    In terms of revenue, how important is India within Asia?
    India is one of the top markets along with Japan, Australia and New Zealand. Subscription plays a key role everywhere. In India there has been strong growth in ad sales.

    How is Animal Planet faring after going Hindi?
    The most important thing was the Hindi feed being introduced in April. Now we are able to compete better with National Geographic. Going Hindi was, thus, a progressive step. We play to the core strength of the channel which is focussing on the animal kingdom. We also have hosted shows.

    Will you be doing a Hindi feed for Discovery Travel and Living?
    No! It worked for our other two channels as there is a lot of commentary. In Discovery Travel and Living, though, it will not be natural to see, for instance, two Chinese people speaking in Hindi.

    How has Discovery Travel and Living evolved as a brand since launching four years back?
    DTL is perceived as being a distinctive lifestyle channel for upmarket viewers. People are now familiar with our anchors like Nigella Lawson. They also identify with individual shows like our biker content. We keep refreshing our programming. We bring new shows regularly.

    What have been the programming highlights for the channel this year?
    We did a show with Manish Arora. We are doing two more India productions which will premiere later this year. Our big show now is Cheese Slices. Food is a popular genre for us. So we will kick off a show, Indian Food Made Easy, which will be hosted by Anjum Anand.

     

    We will be launching a multimedia campaign to push our 10 pm slot. This is because our viewers tune in a little later. Personality-based shows will air at this time, seven days a week. The message of the campaign is that at this time you will see hosts like Nigella Lawson, Ian Wright and Anthony Bourdain; the campaign theme will focus on the most recognisable faces on the channel. This will be the largest campaign ever done for the channel.

    Is the aim to bring in appointment viewing?
    This is one of the goals. The campaign will showcase our biggest properties. We are hoping that it will help expand the reach of the channel and drive in new viewership. It is important that our campaign not focus on just one show. By pushing a band, the recall will be high among viewers.

    In what way is the programming strategy being fine tuned for local audiences?
    When we started, we had very little India content. We now produce shows from India. Every global show that is being produced, has a segment on India. So if Anthony Bourdain does a new season, he will visit India as well. This is how the relevance of India is growing. Ian Wright used to just host Globetrekker which is about backpack travel. Most of our viewers do not do that. So we tweaked it and now Wright does VIP Weekends. He visits the best hotels globally.
    Has the thematic weekend concept worked?
    It has done well and the thematic weekends are continuing. But over time our aim is to build a theme across a day – rather than having one theme continuing everyday. Our aim is to strengthen the genres. For instance if you take shows like Anthony Bourdain and Cheese Slices, it is not just about food. It is also about travel, visiting new places. Different genres get intertwined.

    What do you look for in a local show?
    We always look out for good local concepts. Our aim is to have a definitive show in a certain genre. Once we have decided on this, then we go with the best talent. So we roped in Manish Arora to do a fashion show. He is suited for television as he is so colourful.

     

    Our shows have to have an individual and distinctive personality. They need to be of the same class and quality as the other shows that we air. There can’t be any compromise as the same shows travel abroad and showcase India to the world.
    What are the other time bands that DTL is developing outside the 10 pm slot?
    We are also looking at the midnight to 1 am time slot. People watch us at that hour. I think that some channels are missing out on viewership by not concentrating on this audience. They simply run repeats at this hour. Many people work till late and then watch television.
    Is it difficult to get clients to commit serious monies for Discovery Travel and Living with the economy in a downturn?
    Our market is on an upswing. Our TG has not been impacted by the downturn. We have over 600 brands with us including L’Oreal and the car companies. Volkswagen is starting a marketing campaign and they are using our channel as a vehicle. Packaged good companies also advertise with us. Companies that want to target the premium audience cut out wastage completely when they come to us.

    What are the tentpole properties coming up for Discovery?
    Ultimate Olympics is a show that we will air. It looks at the work that has gone behind putting the Olympic Games together. The show gets over a day before the Games start. Another show that will air is Download. This focusses on stories from the internet like the competition between EBay and Amazon.

     

    We will also celebrate Nasa’s 50th anniversary with a show When We Left Earth. Nasa has given us footage of the Apollo Missions. This is the first time that Nasa has done this.
    What is Discovery’s new media strategy?
    We already have our website. For the mobile, 3G has to happen; the phones have to support rich media content. Right now one is still with ring tones and music tones.