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Tag: Discovery HD World

  • Discovery Channel to air special program ‘Ganga: Himalayan Descent’

    Discovery Channel to air special program ‘Ganga: Himalayan Descent’

    MUMBAI: One of the world’s greatest and India’s holiest rivers, The Ganga is believed to be a Goddess and the source of spirituality for millions of people. Descending from the Himalayas, Discovery Channel will capture many facets of the Mother Ganga; from spiritual, cultural, geological and adventure in its one-hour special program Ganga: Himalayan Descent.

    Premiering on 15 April 2016 at 9 pm on Discovery Channel, Discovry Tamil and Discovery HD World, the program through incredible footage and gripping narrativewill reveal the story of the Hindu’s holy pilgrimage and its tributaries that support India’s thriving ecosystem.

    The film opens at the source, where River Ganga emerges from the glacial peaks of Shivling and Bhagirathi.  From Badrinath Temple, one of the four most important pilgrimage sites in India to Ramganga and how it supports the massive ecotourism industry at Jim Corbett National Park to Rishikesh, the world’s Yoga Capital and ultimately land at Har Ki Pouri in Haridwar where the visitors congregate for the Aarti ceremony, the program will bring forth the story of people and their experiences living on the edges of the Ganga.

     

  • Discovery Channel to air special program ‘Ganga: Himalayan Descent’

    Discovery Channel to air special program ‘Ganga: Himalayan Descent’

    MUMBAI: One of the world’s greatest and India’s holiest rivers, The Ganga is believed to be a Goddess and the source of spirituality for millions of people. Descending from the Himalayas, Discovery Channel will capture many facets of the Mother Ganga; from spiritual, cultural, geological and adventure in its one-hour special program Ganga: Himalayan Descent.

    Premiering on 15 April 2016 at 9 pm on Discovery Channel, Discovry Tamil and Discovery HD World, the program through incredible footage and gripping narrativewill reveal the story of the Hindu’s holy pilgrimage and its tributaries that support India’s thriving ecosystem.

    The film opens at the source, where River Ganga emerges from the glacial peaks of Shivling and Bhagirathi.  From Badrinath Temple, one of the four most important pilgrimage sites in India to Ramganga and how it supports the massive ecotourism industry at Jim Corbett National Park to Rishikesh, the world’s Yoga Capital and ultimately land at Har Ki Pouri in Haridwar where the visitors congregate for the Aarti ceremony, the program will bring forth the story of people and their experiences living on the edges of the Ganga.

     

  • Discovery to showcase Indian content across the world, to further strengthen local programming

    Discovery to showcase Indian content across the world, to further strengthen local programming

    MUMBAI: The flagship Discovery Network is all set to optimise the content programming and channels under its stable, even as the network foresees a growth in India’s GDP in the year 2016 and plans to broaden its portfolio in the nation.

    The network is re-focusing on expanding its scale in India by coming up with better programming line-up, catering to the regional market and by going local using the local talent available in India.

    Discovery Communications, which launched in India back in 1995 with only one channel, has now grown into a conglomerate with as many as 11 channels in five languages. The leader in the factual entertainment genre, Discovery roughly has 550 advertisers on board with approximately 275 million cumulative households across India.

    The company’s portfolio in South Asia comprises Discovery Channel, Animal Planet, TLC, Discovery Science, Discovery Turbo, Discovery Tamil, Discovery Kids, Investigation Discovery, and three high-definition channels namely Discovery HD World, Animal Planet HD World and TLC HD World.

    “No other market in the entire world has shown a growth like India. We want to become a multi-genre platform and want to grow as a media company. With the fresh content line-up, we are broadening our portfolio from what it looks like and are targeting the local audience”, said Discovery Networks International president J B Perrette.

    The network believes that the strong brands under them are extremely powerful and are doing economically well for them.

    Discovery Networks is also considering launch of its over-the-top (OTT) platform in India soon once the bandwidth stabilizes and once 4G gets in place in the country. The network is dependent on the response from the market rather than following one particular model.

    The network already has two direct-to-customer OTT products offering in Europe – Dplay and Eurosport – which are doing exceptionally well for them. “The consumption of video content is rapidly increasing in Norway. The country has proved to be a beneficiary market for us”, added Perrette.

    Known for providing high quality content to its viewers across the nation, Discovery is embarking on a very ambitious content production programme with $2 billion global investment. “We are seeing enormous traffic in India. This year, we have invested $2½ billion on our content programming globally to provide good quality shows on our flagship channels”, added Perrette.

    As it is not a platform only for documentaries, the network will bring new non-fiction genres like sports, kids, non-organic fiction, etc to India. For the first time, the network will broadcast shows produced in India to the rest of the world.

    “Over the years we have increased our local productions in India, and will continue to invest in content to better serve our viewers and clients. Some of the local programmes also find resonance around the world, just like the global content which is viewed in India,” Perrette said.

    Targeting the younger generation at large, the network plans to providing content across all its platforms in an easy, simple, accessible way providing various options of entertainment.

     

  • Discovery to showcase Indian content across the world, to further strengthen local programming

    Discovery to showcase Indian content across the world, to further strengthen local programming

    MUMBAI: The flagship Discovery Network is all set to optimise the content programming and channels under its stable, even as the network foresees a growth in India’s GDP in the year 2016 and plans to broaden its portfolio in the nation.

    The network is re-focusing on expanding its scale in India by coming up with better programming line-up, catering to the regional market and by going local using the local talent available in India.

    Discovery Communications, which launched in India back in 1995 with only one channel, has now grown into a conglomerate with as many as 11 channels in five languages. The leader in the factual entertainment genre, Discovery roughly has 550 advertisers on board with approximately 275 million cumulative households across India.

    The company’s portfolio in South Asia comprises Discovery Channel, Animal Planet, TLC, Discovery Science, Discovery Turbo, Discovery Tamil, Discovery Kids, Investigation Discovery, and three high-definition channels namely Discovery HD World, Animal Planet HD World and TLC HD World.

    “No other market in the entire world has shown a growth like India. We want to become a multi-genre platform and want to grow as a media company. With the fresh content line-up, we are broadening our portfolio from what it looks like and are targeting the local audience”, said Discovery Networks International president J B Perrette.

    The network believes that the strong brands under them are extremely powerful and are doing economically well for them.

    Discovery Networks is also considering launch of its over-the-top (OTT) platform in India soon once the bandwidth stabilizes and once 4G gets in place in the country. The network is dependent on the response from the market rather than following one particular model.

    The network already has two direct-to-customer OTT products offering in Europe – Dplay and Eurosport – which are doing exceptionally well for them. “The consumption of video content is rapidly increasing in Norway. The country has proved to be a beneficiary market for us”, added Perrette.

    Known for providing high quality content to its viewers across the nation, Discovery is embarking on a very ambitious content production programme with $2 billion global investment. “We are seeing enormous traffic in India. This year, we have invested $2½ billion on our content programming globally to provide good quality shows on our flagship channels”, added Perrette.

    As it is not a platform only for documentaries, the network will bring new non-fiction genres like sports, kids, non-organic fiction, etc to India. For the first time, the network will broadcast shows produced in India to the rest of the world.

    “Over the years we have increased our local productions in India, and will continue to invest in content to better serve our viewers and clients. Some of the local programmes also find resonance around the world, just like the global content which is viewed in India,” Perrette said.

    Targeting the younger generation at large, the network plans to providing content across all its platforms in an easy, simple, accessible way providing various options of entertainment.

     

  • Discovery Channel to air ‘Inside the Vatican Vault’

    Discovery Channel to air ‘Inside the Vatican Vault’

    MUMBAI: Discovery Channel, Discovery HD World and Discovery Tamil is all set to air an hour long special programme titled as Inside the Vatican Vault on 24 December 2015 at 9 pm. The show will take the viewers on an unprecedented journey into the Vatican City of Rome.

     

    The programme will showcase the use of one of the church’s oldest rites in a ceremony known as a canonization. It will also see a huge mass in St. Peter’s Square marking the canonization of two previous Popes namely John XXIII and John Paul II. The show will be seen going behind the scenes as security teams are briefed and Vatican insiders share their memories of these two saints to be. 

     

    The show will also unravel several intriguing facts about the holy city, the ancient mysteries of Sainthood, the catholic belief and faith in the power of the holy trinity, and some of the magical instances that billions of Catholics around the world believe are proof of the existence of God working through the hands of man.

  • “India programming is the key growth pillar of our content strategy:” Rahul Johri

    “India programming is the key growth pillar of our content strategy:” Rahul Johri

    Completing twenty years of operations in India this year is Discovery Channel and it can be safely said that since its launch in 1995, the network has not only grown in terms of the number of channels but also in terms of producing original content.

     

    Helming it for the past 13 years is Discovery Networks Asia-Pacific South Asia senior vice president & general manager Rahul Johri. In his decade plus stint, Johri built a robust portfolio of 11 brands in the South Asia region including Discovery Channel, Animal Planet, TLC, ID-Investigation Discovery, Discovery Kids, Discovery Science, Discovery Turbo, Discovery HD World, TLC HD World, Animal Planet HD World and Discovery Tamil. Moreover, he is also credited with generating revenue, affiliate partnerships, viewership growth, content creation, government relations and talent management.

     

    In conversation with Indiantelevision.com’s Seema Singh, Johri throws light on the network’s journey in India so far and more.

     

    Excerpts:

     

    How has the network’s 20 years journey been in India? From setting up operations to getting in viewership, what were the challenges that the network faced?

     

    It’s been a fantastic journey for Discovery in India. We have presented and engaged the viewers with new brands and compelling content over the years. We expanded penetration in the country with our localisation strategy.

     

    We have brought in an eclectic programming mix across networks that have the right blend of Indian and international content. We have consistently presented India themes that can travel the world and international themes relevant to India.

     

    Throughout the last 20 years in India, Discovery Channel has demonstrated its commitment to satiate the curiosity of viewers by showcasing them some of the most fascinating stories from the past, current and future; breathtaking locations across geographies, continents and universe; and astonishing and most passionate personalities from across the world.

     

    What have been the high points of this 20 year journey?

     

    The last 20 years have been quite a fascinating journey for us. Discovery pioneered factual entertainment in India with the launch of Discovery Channel in 1995 and introduced a refreshing new wave of programming and completely changed the viewer’s expectations from television. 

     

    One of the high points has been the encouraging feedback from the viewers on our content. The success of our languaging strategy was immensely satisfying as it brought the viewer in every corner of the country closer to the Discovery world.

     

    Having unmatched access to produce shows of remarkable stature like Rashtrapati Bhavan, National Defence Academy in India and present them to Indian audience and around the world is extremely gratifying.

     

    And of course the expansion of our portfolio into 11 unique content channels catering to distinct viewer segments is a testimony of the value our brand offers and the trust it enjoys among its core audience.

     

    What was the thought behind launching these 11 different channels? Are there any new channel launches in the pipeline?

     

    We have expanded our portfolio three times over the last five years. Each channel launch was aimed to offer new and distinct entertainment experience to the Indian viewers. We expanded the definition of factual entertainment by launching Animal Planet in 1998, which presented wildlife programming.

     

    When we launched India’s first international lifestyle channel – TLC, viewers announced their liking for it almost overnight. It was a strong inflection point for the burgeoning Indian television market. The entire industry, including the advertisers and affiliate, took note of the refreshing content and what it meant to viewers.

     

    The aspirational, well-travelled and globally active Indian viewer demanded more unique content, 24-hours 365 days a year. Therefore, we launched two successful media brands from our global portfolio– Discovery Turbo and Discovery Science in 2010.

     

    We brought in premium viewing experience with the finest HD portfolio in the country with the launch of three HD channels – Discovery HD World, Animal Planet HD World and TLC HD World.

     

    We entered the Hindi entertainment genre with the launch of India’s first Hindi entertainment channel dedicated to true stories of mystery, investigation and suspense – ID.

     

    Filling in the gap for meaningful entertainment we launched Discovery Kids delivering smart fun programming to millions of kids in India.

     

    We are committed to the Indian market and will continue to present the best brands, content and finest viewing experience to India.

     

    What is the current viewership of the network in general and Discovery Channel in particular? What are the steps being taken to improve these numbers?

     

    The network has grown to a total of 11 channels, reaching 267 million cumulative households. We will continue to invest in content, communication and availability across all our networks. 

     

    The JV with MSM to distribute its channels has now ended. What is the plan now? Has the distribution team started working on the deals?

     

    Discovery has the finest team and with the addition of the affiliate team, we are a formidable strength and fully geared to capitalise existing opportunities and create new growth avenues.

     

    Our success depends on the power of our brands and we continue to offer maximum value to our partners.

     

    What is the content strategy for the network going forward? How many hours of content would we see getting added to the network by this year end and how many of these would be Indian productions? Can you elaborate on the content strategy for each of the channel in the network?

     

    The content strategy of the network is to deliver high-quality and differentiated programming that satiates the curiosity of the viewers. We will continue to make a difference, ignite minds and entertain viewers.

     

    Discovery globally spends over a billion dollars on content every year and Indian audience, similar to other markets around the world, get access to this content through the various networks present in the country.

     

    In India, Discovery Networks launches the maximum variety of programmes in the industry. India programming is the key growth pillar of our content strategy. We started with Indian Rendezvous as the first India series back in 2002. We went on to present path-breaking India shows ranging from exclusive accesses such as Revealed: World’s Biggest Elections, Line of Control, Humayun’s Tomb, Living with KKRand many more.

     

    Continuing to offer the widest repertoire of programmes, we launch more than 300 high-quality programmes every quarter catering to the interests, passions and demands of children, youth, women, men and families. We strengthened our India content slate with an unprecedented 100 original hours in the last two years bringing unique stories, pristine subjects, and exclusive accesses.

     

    How has advertisers’ interest grown towards the network’s properties?

     

    We are fortunate that advertisers find value on our platforms. We continue to enjoy advertisers’ confidence and respect. We have strived very hard to offer distinct audience segments for different product categories. We have one of the largest client portfolios on our network. As the leader of factual entertainment in India, we believe we are in a good space.

     

    From when the network entered the market to this day, what’s your take on subscription revenues in the country for a network like DNAP? With digitisation in Phase I and II cities, has the condition improved? Do you see the subscription revenues going up with phase III and IV getting digitised by 2016?

     

    Digitisation is a change agent in this country. We are absolutely delighted that it is bringing positive results for the viewer and for other stakeholders including the broadcasters.  

     

    We believe that the networks that are investing in their content and differentiating their brands will continue to reap benefits.

     

    After 20 years… how do you now plan to take the journey forward? What are the future plans?

     

    Our vision moving forward is based on a few key principles. They are:

    – Maintaining leadership across genres

    – Maximising viewership

    – Building on the strength of Discovery kids and establish ID as a “must watch” channel

    – Continue to produce path-breaking India content

    – Continue to innovate and deliver value to advertisers

    – Relentlessly explore new opportunities of growth

     

    How do you plan to stay ahead of competition in the genre?

     

    Our network of channels enjoys strong brand equity and viewership across the country amongst viewers, affiliate and advertisers alike. What differentiates Discovery is its ability to respond to change and innovate in line with the current and emerging viewer trends. From early adoption of new technologies, creating viewer-delighting content and building winning partnerships; we have set multiple industry benchmarks.

     

    If you reflect on Discovery’s track record of last 20 years, we have been ahead of the curve in anticipating trends that match the needs of the viewer. Be it launching the lifestyle channel TLC to being the first high-definition channel available in the country with Discovery HD World. We have offered viewers remarkable and never-seen-before content in innovative formats, delightful themes and finest personalities.

  • Discovery to launch 100 premiere series in India

    Discovery to launch 100 premiere series in India

    NEW DELHI: In a country where general entertainment channels (GECs) rule the roost; Discovery Network is a blueprint of how to succeed for the numerous niche channels.

    Discovery Channel, the flagship network of Discovery Communications, was launched in 1985 in United States and since then has offered viewers an engaging line-up of high-quality non-fiction entertainment from blue-chip nature, science and technology, ancient and contemporary history, adventure, cultural and topical documentaries.

    Today, Discovery Channel reaches to more than 612 million subscribers in Asia Pacific.

    In India, it is the biggest non-fiction network. Discovery Channel in the country is beamed in English, Hindi, Telugu, Tamil and Bangla as against the US, which has feeds in English and Spanish. 

    Discovery’s current portfolio in India includes 11 channels – Discovery Channel, Animal Planet, Investigation Discovery, TLC, Discovery Kids, Discovery Science, Discovery Tamil, Discovery Turbo, Discovery HD World, TLC HD World and Animal Planet HD World – apart from a Discovery Channel Magazine.

    Apart from the three High Definition channels – Discovery World, TLC World and Animal Planet World – Investigation Discovery (ID) was launched early this month and airs true stories of crime and their investigation.

    Discovery executive vice president and general manager – south Asia Rahul Johri boasts that Discovery has upped its ante on its Indian channels by producing over 100 hours original content in the past two years. He highlights that Discovery has two billion subscribers worldwide through 196 networks in 45 languages, of these, India accounts for 600 million subscribers and reaches 300,000 cities and villages in the country.

    However, what is worth noting is that the network isn’t breathing easy.

    Three new Indian productions will soon be launched on Discovery Channel. Gujarat’s Rann will come alive in one of a kind programme Revealed: Rann Of Kutch, which will showcase the region’s geology, history, culture, people and wildlife. Apart from that, a first ever, start-to-finish account of the staggering logistical feat of putting together the world’s largest election will be presented in Revealed: World’s Biggest Election; and lesser known facets of India’s vibrant cultural practices, fascinating living traditions, unique art forms and amazing natural phenomena will be captured in India Living Traditions. The programmes being unveiled also include Medical Miracles India, which will have exclusive footage from all parts of the country.

    In 2012, Discovery forayed into fiction through Discovery Kids. The channel along with leading filmmaker Ketan Mehta will see its first animation-based Indian series Kisna in October.

    Johri reveals that the network is investing $1.5 billion in the original programming globally.

    For dubbed content, Johri says that the network takes meticulous care as it goes through two layers of checking and re-checking before being approved. The dubbing team had around 500 professionals.

    The latest entry, ID, too might see an addition of Indian content in the near future.

    Johri underscores the company’s expansion drive through wide-ranging premiere content.

    The network is planning to launch more than 100 high quality multi-genre series catering to the interests, passions and demands of children, youth, women, men and families.  This will capture a wide-spectrum of categories ranging from adventure, survival, cuisine, travel, space, gadgets, natural history, fashion, pets, auto, engineering and reality amongst others.

    Johri claims that the channel has the highest number of programming per day with 12 to 15 shows per day. He adds that shows like Rashtrapati Bhavan saw the highest channel share, while the programme on the Uttarakhand floods – Himalayan Tsunami – was the highest rated in 20 years, and the programme on National Defence Academy had a viewership that was 325 per cent more than Rahul Gandhi’s interview on Times Now.

    Johri says, “We have tripled our networks in India in the last five years. Today, we operate in six unique genres through our robust portfolio of 11 networks reaching a cumulative 240 million homes in five languages.  We will continue to strengthen our leadership and make investments in content, communication and availability across all our networks and deliver an unmatched experience to millions of viewers across urban and rural India.”

    The channel survives as a pay channel and on advertisements and has never crossed the limit of 12 minutes of advertising and two minutes of promotions in an hour. “We have more than 200 local and national advertisers for the Tamil channel,” he claims.

    India today has 1.5 million HD sets, and continues to increase. Johri believes that the addition of the HD channel will help Discovery to dominate the market since the future is in HD. All the programmes were being shot in HD much before the launch of the channels in India.

    Johri adds that though it is the only channel to has a licence for 3-D television, it has not launched any channel, so far, as a very few people have 3-D television receiving sets.

    The network has seen tremendous growth from the time he joined it, 13 years ago. Johri feels that he is fortunate enough to contribute to this growth and bringing the channel to the third position. He recalls that 2010 was the turning point for the channel as it saw the launch of Turbo, Science and the first HD channel apart from the Tamil and Telugu feeds.

    He is optimistic about the future of the niche channels and content generated for it. He says, “People want specialised content and so every channel is trying to go niche in its own way. India is the fast growing market in terms of television in the world.”

    When asked if there were any plans for a sports channel since Discovery had acquired Eurosport International, without revealing much Johri says that it is too early to predict anything and any action in this will be taken after thorough study.

     

  • Rahul Johri honoured at World Brand Congress

    MUMBAI: Discovery South Asia senior VP, GM Rahul Johri has been awarded the ‘Media Professional of the Year‘ award at the Global Awards for Brand Excellence 2012.

    This accolade is a reflection of Discovery‘s performance and growth in South Asia region under Rahul Johri‘s leadership and his contribution in building a robust and varied portfolio of eight unique channels, led by the leading non-fiction network Discovery Channel.

    Having joined the broadcaster in 2001, he currently leads its South Asia operations. He is responsible for the overall growth strategy of India‘s highest quality factual and lifestyle portfolio including Discovery Channel, Animal Planet, TLC, Discovery Science, Discovery Turbo, Discovery HD World, Discovery Tamil and Discovery Kids. He has also been the driving force behind networks‘ pioneering localisation strategy and the launch of multiple language feeds across brands and expanding their nationwide penetration. His recent initiative, the launch of the game changing channel in the kids genre Discovery Kids, has received industry wide applaud, according to the World Brand Congress.

    He is also credited with commissioning a range of acclaimed series including – ‘Living with a Superstar: Shah Rukh Khan‘, ‘What Not to Wear: India‘, ‘Oh My Gold!‘ and ‘Be Blunt with Adhuna Akhtar‘. He also spearheaded Discovery‘s association with Yash Raj Films for the latest release ‘Jab Tak Hai Jaan‘ and with the Indian Army for its women officers‘ expedition to Mount Everest in 2012.

    Johri said, “I am grateful to the jury of the World Brand Congress for honouring me with this prestigious distinction. This award is a recognition of the excellence of my team who have contributed significantly in my journey to build Discovery as one of the most respected networks in South Asia.”

    World Brand Congress project director Dr. R.L.Bhatia said, “World Brand Congress is pleased to confer to Rahul Johri ‘Media Professional of the Year‘ award for his outstanding contribution to the industry. Rahul‘s strategic thinking to translate the vision into action has contributed to the jury decision. Rahul has the positive spirit and tenacity to make change in a hyperactive business environment”

    Johri is a board member and Indian Broadcasting Foundation (IBF) treasurer. He is also a member of the media and entertainment committee of CII and member of the Media & Entertainment Division of Ficci.