ITV

Tag: Endemol

  • Endemol ropes in Sekhar Kammula for Kahaani remake in Tamil, Telugu

    Endemol ropes in Sekhar Kammula for Kahaani remake in Tamil, Telugu

    MUMBAI: Endemol India acquired the remake rights of Sujoy Ghosh’s Kahaani in Tamil and Telugu about six months ago.

    Endemol India and Select Media Holdings Pvt. Ltd have roped in critically acclaimed filmmaker Sekhar Kammula to direct the remake of Kahaani in the two south Indian languages.

    Sekhar is widely known for his cinematic excellence that culminates into path breaking films. A rare combination of aesthetic values and commercial success, his films capture the essence of the subject beautifully. From his debut film Dollar Dreams to his latest movie Life is Beautiful, this maverick director has been a recipient of awards and accolades that range from the National Film Awards to the Nandi Awards.

    Said Sekhar, “Kahaani is a brilliant work of cinema and I am delighted to be a part of this recreation along with Endemol India and Moving Pictures. It is a character driven script and the characterization will have local appeal. Our adaptation will retain the thrill and essence of the original, but will also add a unique dimension to the film.”

    Producers of popular shows like Bigg Boss, Fear Factor, Savdhaan India and The Great Indian Laughter Challenge, Endemol India has tied up with Moving Pictures – the film production arm of Select Media Holdings Pvt. Ltd. to take things forward.

    Elaborating further, Deepak Dhar, CEO – Endemol India said, "We feel that Kahaani is a great film to commence our film operations in the South. We are confident that Sekhar will deliver to our audiences’ expectations. He is popularly known for his coming-of-age brand of cinema and we are certain that this movie will add yet another feather to his hat.”

    Currently both the production houses are in talks with a couple of renowned actors from South to essay the powerful characters in the film.

  • Endemol in licensing deal for Lillebi

    Endemol in licensing deal for Lillebi

    MUMBAI: Television format creator and dstributor, Endemol, has secured a international licensing deal for the leading German kids brand Lillebi.

    Created by German artist Steinbeck and his team from Creativ Entwicklungs GmbH, Lillebi is a print-led property based on drawings and stories of a loveable young mouse and his friends.

    The brand, which is targeted at girls up to eight years old, launched in 2004 in Germany and today has more than 40 partners covering an impressive and varied portfolio of products from clothing to gifting and publishing.
     
    Global division Endemol Worldwide Brands (EWB) aims to build on this success by securing strategic deals to grow Lillebi into a multi faceted kid‘s licensing property with mass market appeal.

    EWB will pursue a multi-platform licensing programme with brand extensions targeting numerous core categories including toys and games, gifting & merchandising, stationery, publishing, mobile & smartphones and promotions.
     
    In the UK, EWB is looking to further promote Lillebi by securing a major high-street retailer for a direct to retail license. Similar strategies will be adopted in the CEE markets.
     
    EWB CEO Olivier Gers said, “Lillebi offers a variety of delightful characters and engaging narratives, whilst also promoting positive values for children and adults. It is an extremely strong property that can easily replicate its success in Germany across the major markets around the world. We believe it has the potential to become a major worldwide kids brand. This is a good example of Endemol‘s global network that allows us to spot a major property in one market and help roll it out internationally.”

    CREATIV-Entwicklungs MD Peter Steinbeck said, “We are very happy to have found an international partner like Endemol, who are able to roll out our brand pan-European and across many categories and media platforms.”
     

  • ‘Regional language content has a huge scope in volume biz’ : UTV Television COO Santosh Nair

    ‘Regional language content has a huge scope in volume biz’ : UTV Television COO Santosh Nair

    UTV Television, one of the foremost television production studios in India, has seen many ups and down in the past. At one stage it was one of the premier TV production houses in the country. Then a clutch of upstarts – Balaji Telefilms, BAG Films, Big Synergy, Sphere Origin, Director‘s Kut, Shakuntalam, and Endemol – came and swept business from under its feet.

     

    But over the past couple of years, the division of UTV – promoted by Ronnie Screwvala – has been piecing together its story show by show. It began by venturing into the production of Marathi and southern Indian language shows. Then it focused on putting together a slate of Hindi non-fiction shows. The fact that the quantum of fiction shows on its genre sheet all but disappeared did not perturb the pioneer of TV in this country.

     

    The man helming the division is Santosh Nair, who was earlier in UTV‘s air time sales division. Nair spoke to Indiantelevision.com‘s Gaurav Laghate about the developments so far and the roadmap ahead.

     

    Excerpts:
     

     
    What are the changes you introduced in UTV‘s television content business after taking over as head a year back?
    I joined UTV in May 2005 but was taking care of the airtime sales division down south. Since last year, I have taken over the overall television business.

     

    We have really worked towards putting together the best creative team. We got back Indrajit Ray as chief creative officer. And we have put the right people at the right place.

     

    Now we are concentrating on developing show formats. Two major and much talked about formats that our team has developed are – Dance India Dance (season one) and Emotional Atyaachaar.

     

    Apart from this, I can say a lot of thought has gone into setting the roadmap for the future.

     
     
    Was there a need to change the team structure?
    We have different teams looking after fiction and non-fiction content. Both the verticals have their development teams also, which develop home grown ideas. Dance India Dance was part of that, and recently Emotional Atyaachaar was internally homegrown.

     

    All these separate teams are driven by different individuals.
     
     
    We are seeing a greater focus on non-fiction shows rather than fiction. Why?
    Yes, in the last couple of years, our strategy had been to focus on an area, which was very wide open, that is non-fiction. And now we are the only content company that produces shows in Hindi, Marathi, Tamil, Kannada, Malayalam and Telugu.

     
     
    But why was the focus greater on non-fiction shows?
    We wanted to fill the vacuum that was sitting over there in terms of a content delivery vehicle for non-fiction content. I think we have been fairly successful in doing that because in that span of two years, we did only non-fiction.

     

    We had non-fiction shows like Chhota Packet Bada Dhamaka, Dance India Dance first season (on Zee TV), Ek Haseena Ek Khiladi (Colors) and Cash Cab (Bindass).

     

    Apart from one long running saga Bhabhi (on Star Plus), we didn‘t have any other fiction to look at.

     
     
    But don‘t you think the fiction quotient, what generally is termed as the staple diet, has come down?
    These shows clearly established us as a non-fiction brand. But yes, having said so, people started looking at us as a pure non-fiction content provider. They forgot that we started as a company which delivered great fiction content.
     

     
     ‘People started looking at us as a pure non-fiction content provider. They forgot that we started as a company which delivered great fiction content‘

     
     
    So how are you positioning yourself now?
    We are focused on growth. 2009-10 has been to cement this entire platform in terms of being looked as both a fiction as well as a non-fiction provider.

     
     
    Talking about projects, how many new shows do you have in the pipeline ?
    The second quarter is when we will go all guns blazing. We have many shows in the pipeline; we are starting with a primetime show on ETV Marathi.

     

    We also have four fiction shows for Hindi GECs including one (Rakt Sambandh, a remake of a Telugu show) for Imagine TV. For the other three shows, I can‘t share the details as we are in the process of signing the LoI. But I can tell you that we are working with the top channels.

     

    There are also two non-fiction shows, out of which one is the mother of all reality shows. But again I cannot give details right now.

     
     
    Are these standalone initiatives or are they being done in partnership with others?
    We have a partnership with UTV Tele Talkies Ltd (UTTL), wherein we have on board Prashant Jadhav, the man behind Kasauti Zindagi… We are working on a fiction show for Imagine TV. It will be on air by end of this quarter.

     

    We have also been producing Sonu Sweety with Rajesh Berry Entertainment Ltd for Sab.

     
     
    And about your recent entry in the regional space…
    In Marathi yes, but for Southern languages our association with Sun has been since the time of the network‘s inception.

     
     
    But you were not producing shows for the Sun Network. You were primarily doing airtime sales…
    In the last couple of years, we have moved from being purely an airtime sales outfit to a more of a mix and match of own productions and marketing the same.

     
     
    How do you see the growth in regional markets like Marathi?
    In the last couple of years, regional markets have been systematically growing. And if you look at pan-India or Hindi GEC, you will see shows catering to the Marathi audience, like Pavitra Rishta.

     

    There is huge scope, but only if you do volume business as margins are very less. But yes, it is a growing market and we are looking at it in a serious manner. The Bengal market is also where we are looking to expand, but only after establishing ourself in the Marathi space.

     

     
    Coming to your content, you are producing Emotional Atyachaar, which is a bit edgy in nature. How is the response for the show? You are planning a second season also?
    Emotional Atyachaar has really cut the ice with audiences as far as Bindass is concerned. The audiences actually liked it. It has got the channel to a GRP level where it had never reached before. It had also beaten cult shows on competitive channels.

     

    And talking about Bindass, it is a youth channel, so it is okay to have edgy content. Anyway there is a very thin line. And yes, the second season of Emotional Atyachaar is coming in very soon.
     

     
    So you see a change in viewership trends?
    Viewership patterns are definitely changing. People are ready to experiment; they are looking at some kind of differentiation of content and that‘s where you see successes like Sach Ka Saamna and Emotional Atyachaar.

     

    For example, in the midst of a huge crowd of Hindi GECs, Colors came in. Everyone thought what is this? But they took their punt and it worked. See it is the small differentiator, which will drive the content. Otherwise it is going to be one mundane thing where daily sagas are coming in. So for the daily soaps also that we are working on, we are trying to do something different. The story might remain the same, but it is all about the treatment, how you take it forward. 

     
    You said DID was your format, but the IPR remains with Zee?

    With Hindi broadcasters, what happens is that the IPR remains with the channel. And historically it has been happening this way. But we took a bold stand when we decided to retain the IPR of Shararat.

     

    But that was a long time back, now all the IP is vested with the broadcaster. It is as simple as that. Emotional Atyaachaar‘s IPR is with Bindass, although it‘s a group company. 

     
    So if you don‘t have IPR, how are you intending to grow? If you see international production houses like Endemol and Frementle, they all retains their IPRs.
    We have already started working on some projects where we can retain IPR as it is going to be the future. We are working on certain finite series, where we will retain the IPR. We will produce it first, before even going to the channel and pitching it.

     
    And how do you intend to fund it?
    We will opt for internal funding. And we will de-risk it by producing four episodes and sampling it to broadcasters.

     

    In case we have a very solid finite – 13 or 22 – episodic series, then we can think of producing it in full. 

     
    Internationally, we see the syndication model in the television business. It allows producers to take on the risk of production and getting the reward by selling it to various outlets globally. Why can‘t we have such a model here?
    See, in India since we don‘t retain IPRs we cannot have the syndication model. And channels that run repeat content, are mostly low cost in operations.

     

    And even if some demand comes from international markets, the broadcaster, with the IPR, makes most of the money. 

     
    But with shows on Sun Network you can guard the IP.
    The benefit any company that works with Sun has, is that they can retain their IPR. The model there is completely different – you produce, you market, you pay slot fees. That‘s the benefit with Sun. So you have shows which are running there, which you can remake in other languages. We have a long standing relationship with Sun Network.

     

    And at the same time you can not produce content for competitors. That‘s the condition Sun has?

    Well, in terms of revenue and feasibility it makes sense to work with Sun as it is the biggest network down south. 

     

     
     So apart from the IPR issue, what other challenges are there for a production house?

    We have already seen one big challenge when recession happened. Channels were looking at cutting down expenses including production costs. They want the same product at a lesser cost. So that was the biggest challenge and learning that we got in the last so many years.

     

    We really had to sit back and think on how to strategise and minimise the cost. Not only in terms of our business but on a macro level also. 

  • ‘Though reality shows are expensive, the yields are also high’ : Deepak Dhar – Endemol India country head

    ‘Though reality shows are expensive, the yields are also high’ : Deepak Dhar – Endemol India country head

     Riding the reality format boom, Endemol is stepping up efforts to grab a slice of the fiction content market in India. The company is also planning to foray into regional language content and is in talks with broadcasters like Sun TV, Raj TV and Maa TV.

     

    In an interview with Indiantelevision’s Nasrin Sultana, Endemol India country head Deepak Dhar also talks about the company’s venture into gaming and Call TV format shows.

     

    Excerpts:

    Most of the shows that Endemol introduces in India are based on international format. What kind of research and creative inputs do you work on to add local flavour to it?
    Whenever we get an international show format to India, we always try to adapt it to the local market. There is certain amount of local creativity that is allowed on the format shows. We try to draw and pull in expertise from other countries and learn from how they are doing the show there.

     

     

    We follow certain standards and practices while adapting an international format. Our in-house Indian teams make sure that the format is tailored to suit Indian sensibilities so that audiences can watch the content with their families around.

     

     

    For example our international property Fear Factor, which has done so well in other countries, was spiced up in India according to the need. Unlike its international version, Khatron Ke Khiladi had 13 female celebrity contestants.

     

     

    With the 13 female contestants in such difficult situations, we delivered nail biting thrill and competition. This was the first time that these female models were making public appearance without make-up. Besides, the Akshay Kumar-factor gave us an upper edge this time in the show.

    Does the India division of Endemol own any original format? Are you selling your format show to other foreign broadcasters?
    Endemol India owns the rights for the musical show Mission Ustad on 9X. The show was produced in association with United Nations. The show featured AR Rehman along with various singers who performed to achieve eight millenium development goals set by the UN. In the show, the contestants also composed and performed original tracks.

     

     

    We are in talks with an UK broadcaster to sell the rights of the show. We hope to seal the deal in two to three months.

    What about your most popular show The Great Indian Laughter Challenge?
    We do not hold any rights of The Great Indian Laughter Challenge. Star India holds rights for the format and the show. Endemol India only produces it.

    Besides Fear Factor and Big Boss, what are the other format shows that Endemol India is launching in the local market?
    We are in talks with a couple of Indian broadcasters to launch some of the format shows that we had brought rights to in Mipcom last year. Right now we are looking to launch format shows like Divided, Set For Life. Wipe Out, Divided and 1 vs 100.

    At the last Mipcom, Endemol had bought rights of shows like Kids are Alright and 11 Cameras for the Indian market. What is the reason that you have not yet launched them?
    These shows are very advanced in its nature to fit with the Indian viewers. They would not have accepted it then. We are launching them in India soon.
    ‘Although Indian broadcasters and producers have tasted success with reality, it is still fictions that work well with all kinds of viewers in India‘

    What went wrong in your not-so-good experience with fictions like Jamegi Jodi for 9X and Full Masti 88.2 for Sab TV?
    Although Indian broadcasters and producers have tasted success with reality, it is still fictions that work well with all kinds of viewers in India. Our weekly sitcoms have drawn good response. We are building up on that front.

    How aggressive are you on the fiction front and will it be in the same comedy space?
    We have a full fledged fiction division in Endemol India. This time we are trying to get away from the comedy genre. Currently we are working on two fiction-based shows in different genres. We are launching a fiction show, Miley Jab Hum Tum, on Star One.

    What steps are you taking to tap the rapidly growing regional space?
    We will be foraying into regional language markets very soon. We have already firmed up our team. Starting with the South, we will get into producing shows for Marathi and Bengali channels. In the South, we are talking to Sun TV, Raj TV and Maa TV.

    With reality shows being so expensive, do you think regional channels can afford them?
    Why Not? Though reality shows are expensive, the yields are also high. Regional players are ready to fork out money for such shows and reap the returns.

    What are the other areas that you are stepping into?
    Endemol is expanding its business in India. Besides producing shows, we are getting into other areas like gaming and call TV format shows.

    What are the shows that you are looking at to develop into the game software?
    We will develop gaming software on the format shows. We are planning a strategic alliance with a gaming company. We will hold the gaming rights for all these shows.

     

    Some of the format shows that we are looking to develop into gaming software include Deal or No Deal, Set for Life and 1 vs 100, among others.

     

    We are also planning to release DVDs with respective broadcasters on various shows.

    Could you elaborate on Call TV shows?
    Call TV is a show wherein viewers can interact with the TV programme host through a mobile. The theme for Call TV shows may vary from astrology to cooking recipe. These shows will be mostly in the non-prime time band.

     

    As of now, Call TV initiative is at the initial stage of formation. We will be introducing th Call TV shows by the year-end.
    For Call TV shows, are you talking to any Hindi news channels?
    We are in talks with some of the Hindi news channels.
  • ‘We’re not going in with a pistol, we’re going with a cannon’ : Rajesh Kamat – Colors CEO

    ‘We’re not going in with a pistol, we’re going with a cannon’ : Rajesh Kamat – Colors CEO

     Rajesh Kamat, CEO of Viacom18’s Hindi GEC Colors, has a clear mandate – to ensure his upcoming channel a position amongst the top 3 players in the category within a year of launch.

     

    In a genre where Colors is the 10th entrant, Kamat has his task cut out and will have to bring to bear all the experience he garnered in earlier stints as MD of Endemol India and senior VP commercial & business planning at Star India.

     

    Speaking to Indiantelevision.com, Kamat gives his take on the whys and wherefores of the most expensive channel launch activity ever undertaken by a Hindi GEC.

     

    Excerpts:

    What would you term as the core TG for Colors?
    While we propagate programming that appeals across, if I have to specify a core TG, 15 to 34 is a number I would peg ourselves on.

     

    In a GEC, the 15 to 34 is what gets you your first one third. The 25 + is where the loyal audience starts. What we’re doing is, we’re getting the early adaptors and the initiators in the first phase. Once we get that, we’ve made our entry into the single TV households. That’s when you start consolidating. And the consolidation phase is actually your 25+ female. Though males would come in, that consolidation phase would focus on the female.

    That aspect of your programming focus is not reflected in either Fear Factor or in Mohe Rang De, the two shows that have been showcased thus far?
    Not right now. What happens is, with these differentiated and disruptive programmes is that you lock in your first eyeballs. With big movies as well.

    So you will have a big band for movies?
    Absolutely.

    But where will they come from? Isn’t the market more or less locked in as far as movie titles are concerned?
    These will be new ones. Now the market is moving towards syndicated movies – first airing, second airing, third airing… So there are quite a few lots floating around.

    Your entry into viewer mind space will therefore be with these tent pole shows and movies?
    I would not say entry into mind space. But the invitation card to viewers, if I can put it this way, would possibly have highlights on these. Because these are the ones that will actually draw the attention of the early adaptors and initiators.

     

    But while doing this, we will have the conventional shows that we believe will compete in the long running rating game.
    ‘Audience flow at an earlier point used to be from a Kasautti… to a Kahaani… and then on to a Kyunki. Because they (the majority) liked the same kind of shows. Those days are gone‘

    Will you be putting out your big movie titles in this six month window?
    Absolutely. Be it big ticket reality shows, be it events, be it movies; that’s where you’ll get the sampling. As for differentiated content, it would be a Mohe Rang De, typically.

     

    We see it that 300 GRPs is the target. But it is all this activity in the initial six months that will give us the 100 GRPs (base to build on).

    How will you crack the balance 200?
    Once you cross 100, it is all about adding 3, 5, 10 GRPs week on week That is what will take time. This is not a T20 game.

    Isn’t that something that all the channels in the chasing pack (to Star Plus and Zee TV) have failed to crack? How to cross the 100 GRP barrier?
    Imagine is three-four months old. I take it as a compliment (to them) when somebody tells them that they can’t go beyond a 90 or a 100. To get to a 90 was not simple. A Star One with all the clout of the Star network behind it opened with a 19 GRP, 9X was 20. Imagine opened at 55, and went to 89 in a short time. But from now on, the growth will be slow.

    Which raises the question for you? These past three months has seen Imagine make a fast take-off and 9X slowly and surely build its story. That means among the new entrants two have already succeeded and are fighting it out for the third position. And way above them we have the strong number 1 and 2. Is that how you’re looking at it in terms of the distance you have to cover?
    Not quite. It is not necessarily going to be a 2 + 2. It could well be a 1 + 3. If that becomes the game, the difference between a 300 and a 150 might grow larger. And Star might gain back whatever its premium was, if at all. That remains to be seen.

     

    But if we have such a scenario, the balance three, 150 and 300, or 150 and 100 or 150 and 120 there’s a game. Two players at 120 each and one player at 80, is better than one player at 150.

     

    Again, this whole game is about sustenance. It’s financial investors versus strategic investors. What is the mindset? Are you looking at ‘first year I have to extract this much money’?

    You’ve identified six months as the time frame to embed yourself in viewer mind space. That all three new entrants might succeed is not a scenario that most experts have even considered, let alone thought possible?
    If you take the US as an example, three networks used to account for 90 per cent eyeballs. Today the same three networks get 35 per cent eyeballs.

     

    Even in India, where people used to talk about 70 per cent of the audiences flowing from one show to another, is a thing of the past. Now, there is nothing like saying I go from this show to this show on the same channel. It doesn’t go vertical. You actually migrate between channels based on the shows you like. That’s how the viewership pattern is going.

     

    And it’s not also as if the same person in the same household is watching. You’re aggregating different types of eyeballs. There is no linearity in terms of audience flow.

     

    Audience flow at an earlier point used to be from a Kasautti… to a Kahaani… and then on to a Kyunki. Because they (the majority) liked the same kind of shows. Those days are gone.

    So if we were to draw a one liner on why players like yourself believe you are not too late getting into this game, it would be because linearity in terms of watching schedules are a thing of the past?
    Absolutely. People will watch shows and come in and go out. That’s what it is and that’s what we’re moving into as a market.
  • Endemol COO Tom Barnicoat resigns

    Endemol COO Tom Barnicoat resigns

    MUMBAI: Tom Barnicoat, chief operating officer of television format owner and distributor Endemol, has resigned, the company announced today.

    Endemol, best known as the creator of the Big Brother format, offered no explanations as to the reasons for Barnicoat’s departure except to state that he would be stepping down with immediate effect.

    The responsibilities of Barnicoat will be taken over by other members of the Endemol management board until further notice.

    Barnicoat was previously Endemol UK CEO. He was appointed Endemol COO in January 2005.

    Barnicoat will receive a severance and pension payout of ?2.79 million (? 2,599,999 and ? 191,042 respectively).

  • Endemol posts 24% growth in turnover

    Endemol posts 24% growth in turnover

    MUMBAI: Televison format creator and distributor Endemol has announced its results for 2006.

    It recorded a turnover of 1,117.4 million euros. This was a 24.1 per cent growth compared to 2005. Organic growth was 20.9 per cent.

    Net income attributable to the shareholders was 96.8 million euros which is 8.7 per cent of the turnover. This marks a 17.2 per cent growth compared to 2005.

    Earnings per share was 0.77 euros compared to 0.66 euros in 2005. The company says that there was growth in all genres. There was a 22.2 per cent gain in non-scripted, 8.5 per cent growth in scripted and 65.3 per cent rise in digital media. Growth, it says, took place in almost all territories. The standout performers were the UK, US, Italy and Spain.

    Endemol CEO Elías Rodríguez-Viña said, “In the last year we have managed to grow in all areas of our business activities, as well as in almost every territory. We are especially pleased with the performance of Deal or No Deal, which has climbed to second place in our Top 10 formats, and which we believe has a very promising future.

    ” We are also confident about the future prospects of other game shows launched following the success of Dond. For example, 1vs100, a revamped game show from our library, is now being produced in eight countries, and continues to roll out worldwide following successful launches in the US and the U.K.

    “Our creative strength and worldwide distribution network are key assets for creating local and global hits, expanding our business and adding value to our company. The acquisition of Endemol France is expected to be earnings enhancing, before acquisition-related amortization, for Endemol from the first year. With Endemol France back into the Group we are looking forward to another year of strong growth in 2007.”

    Under expected market circumstances, we forecast to grow organically by 5-7 per cent. Including the reintegration of Endemol France turnover is expected to grow by more than 20 per cent in total in 2007.

  • Telefonica puts Endemol up for sale

    Telefonica puts Endemol up for sale

    MUMBAI: Telefonica, which has a majority stake in global television format creator and distributor Endemol is looking to sell the firm.

    In India Endemol recently completed one year of existence.

    Telefonica has a 75 per cent stake in the firm. However US media conglomerate News Corp has said that it has no interest in buying Endemol. There was a report that had said that News Corp was circling around the firm.

    A News Corp spokesman described speculation of interest in Endemol as being nonsense. Executives from the Spanish telecommunications firm Telefonica are believed to be arranging a deal with Merrill Lynch to sell its majority stake in Endemol. Disney has also said that it is not interested in buying the firm. Endemol, reports indicate, has a market value of around $3.4 billion.

    The acquisition of Endemol makes sense for global media firms. It allows them to put new formats and existing endemol formats into their channels. Reports also state that Endemol’s chief creative content officer Peter Bazalgette has been touted as someone who might lead a management buyout of the company.

    But a move to lead a buyout would require him to leave Endemol’s board, something he has not indicated any desire to do.

  • Endemol looks at more formats; eyes fiction

    Endemol looks at more formats; eyes fiction

    MUMBAI: A year has passed since global television format creator and distributor Endemol set up shop in India. Buoyed by success the company is looking to bring in more formats in India.

    As far as the fiction side is concerned India head Rajesh Kamath says that Endemol is evaluating the scene. By May it will have decided whether it wants to buy a stake in a production house or go on its own. In fact, before coming into India it had weighed the possibility of acquiring a production house in the fiction space. However it decided to enter the country as a production outfit rather than simply sell formats. It will kick off its fiction slate towards the end of the year.

    Says Kamath, “We are delighted at the success of Bigg Boss, Fame X on Sony and The Great Indian Laughter Challenge on Star One. We produce all three shows and it has been a learning experience.

    “Certainly shooting Bigg Boss day in and day out has been a challenge in terms of keeping the 100+ crew members motivated. They become like one family as the show becomes their life as it were for the shooting period. Earlier there were doubts as to whether the show would work as it was seen to be niche. However the success shows that if the format is unique, the participants are broad based and the audience understands the concept it will work. The Metro viewers were the early adopters as data from the Tam Elite Panel shows. Bigg Boss and Fame X get over next month.

    “We might bring one or both of them towards the end of the year. The temptation might be to do Bigg Boss immediately seeing that it has fared so well. However in the format business you have to create a sense of anticipation on the part of the viewer. So we wait for at least nine months before bringing a format back on air. I am confident that the second season of Bigg Boss will se more people particularity from the small towns jumping on the bandwagon. On the flip side Deal Or No Deal did not work but it is to be expected that not everything will work. Fame X is on an upward curve. As the number of participants goes down the involvement of the viewers goes up.”

    The question arises – what is next? There are two formats that Endemol is looking to sell and produce in India. Right now discussions are on with different broadcasters including Star and Sony. One format is called 1 vs 100. This is already airing in the US on NBC. Here you see one contestant pitting his knowledge against 100 others. It works like this. One contestant is in the hot seat answering a question. The 100 others are the audience members who also answer questions. The studio in fact has 100 screens and one answers by pressing one of three buttons.

    Each of the 100 contestants has a value say Rs 1000 in addition to the value of the question. If the contestant gets it right and say 30 of the audience members get it wrong then he gets that much money. For the next question the value of each audience member goes up depending on how many are remaining. If the person in the hot seat answers incorrectly he goes out and one of the audience members is randomly chosen to replace him. The catch is that if the person in the hot seat answers correctly and so do all the audience members then he gets no money for that question as nobody got eliminated.

    So it is a question of judging whether one should ask for an easy question or a difficult one. There are different genres one can choose from. A difficult question increases the chances of audience members and the person in the hot seat getting it wrong. The viewer at home can also participate through SMS. In some countries the person in the hot seat can choose to discontinue playing and walk off with what he has won. In other countries he must keep playing. The audience members in the US come from different walks of life and are segmented. So you could have five sports people, five businessmen etc.

    The other format is called Set For Life. This was recently introduced by Endemol globally. Here there are 15 buttons half of which are red and the other half are white. If one presses a white button one wins money and goes to the next stage. If one presses a red button one goes back a level. The logic is the same as the Snakes and Ladders board game explains Kamath. The prize money keeps increasing. Four red buttons and one is out.

    However there is a family member in an enclosed room who can see what is happening. This member can choose at any time to stop the game though the contestant keeps playing. So the contestant can win Rs one million when in actual fact the family member pressed the stop button when he had won half a million. It is a question of trusting the participant’s ability and also luck. So a contestant can press four red buttons and feel that he has lost when in actual fact the family member had pressed the stop button earlier.

    The firm is hoping to have at least one if not both these shows on air sometime in August- September. Kamath hints that 1 vs 100 has a better chance of making it first. It is also going to produce the second season of Fear Factor for Sony which it is is hoping to put on air sometime in June. This will be shot in South Africa or Malaysia. The production house is looking to increase the level of stunts involved. It is examining the possibility of having a boot camp where participants are put through a series of tests. It is thinking in terms of categorising the show as Extreme Fear Factor.

    Before all this though it is looking at a participation television show. This is where viewers call in to answer questions on a show. They pay for this privilege. Endemol is working on the business model of a show like this in terms of the technology platform, how the revenues are split, where does it come from? To what extent does it come from advertising? It will be aired either in early primetime that is at 7 pm or in the afternoon that is at around 1:30 pm or at midnight.

    It is hoping to put in a participation call TV show on air within a couple of months time either on Star or Sony. BrainTeaser is a possible format here. This is a word based show and has different variants. For instance one might be given the letter H as the start of a word and then clues. One has to guess the word. Then there is the scramble variant where words of eight or more letters are partitioned into four or five pieces, rearranged and presented. One has to unscramble them.

    It is also talking to kids channels about a kids format. However Kamath was loathe to discuss further details. He is also further down the line looking at a sports based format The Match which is a celebrity based football match. In the UK proceeds went charity and aired on Sky. Interestingly Endemol is looking to produce all formats that it sells in India. That is because of the success of Bigg Boss, Fame X and The Great Indian Laughter Challenge.

  • Big Bro loses sponsor over racist bullying row

    Big Bro loses sponsor over racist bullying row

    MUMBAI: It has become the ‘big brother’ of all controversies, with accusations of racism, the parliaments of two country’s wading in, and the show’s producers Endemol and UK broadcaster Channel 4 on a fast ride to ratings nirvana.

    And it doesn’t stop there. The latest twist to the story comes with one of the major sponsors pulling the plug on Celebrity Big Brother, the low brow reality show that is at the centre of a storm over the treatment meted out to Bollywood starlet Shilpa Shetty by her fellow “housemates”.

    Carphone Warehouse, the biggest mobile phone retailer in Europe, has pulled out its sponsorship of the current series saying that it did not want its name associated with claims of racist bullying. “We had already made it clear to Channel 4 that were this to continue, we would have to consider our position. Nothing we saw last night gave us any comfort. Accordingly we have instructed Channel 4 to remove our sponsorship name and branding with immediate effect,” Carphone Warehouse said in a statement.

    The statement added, “Nothing we saw last night gave us any comfort. Accordingly we have instructed Channel 4 to remove our sponsorship name and branding with immediate effect.”

    Carphone Warehouse has sponsored the show since 2004. The deal with Channel 4 and programme makers Endemol is understood to be in the region of £3million, Britain’s Sun tabloid reported.

    What would come as no surprise to most media watchers is that the controversy has also fuelled the ratings for the show. Tuesday’s telecast of the show was watched by over 4.5 million viewers almost 1 million more than the previous day. Interest in the show has skyrocketed both within UK’s Asian and white communities.

    UK’s broadcasting watchdog Ofcom has received a record 27,000 complaints, while Channel 4 has received 3,000 about alleged racism by the house mates towards Shetty. The show has also become a hot topic amongst bloggers making sure the interest in the show is kept alive.

    Ratings and voting revenues are likely to soar further after Goody and Shetty are now pitted against one another and depending on the most nominations received, one will be evicted from the house.

    Meanwhile Channel 4 released a statement insisting that there had been no overt racism, and claiming that the clashes were based on class and cultural differences.

    Ofcom chief executive Ed Richards has made it clear that he would not conduct a “kangaroo court” over the row. Richards was responding to questions over what action his organisation would be taking following accusations of racism in the show after his keynote speech at the Oxford Media Convention.

    One of the more ridiculous ofshoots of the controversy that everyone and their big brother is trying to cash in on came from online community Gottabet.com which is offering £10,000 to anyone “who can get a custard pie in the face of any one of the trio of girls” – Jade Goody, Danielle Lloyd and Jo O’Meara – who have been at the centre of allegations of bullying in the house.

    Celebrity Big Brother is now in its fifth season on UK’s Channel 4. Netherlands based Endemol is the series producer and had adapted the format to Indian television under the title Big Boss, currently running on Sony Television.