ITV

Tag: Fear Factor

  • Promos & Programming are heart & soul of television channels: Raj Nayak

    Promos & Programming are heart & soul of television channels: Raj Nayak

    MUMBAI: Colors CEO Raj Nayak opened the PromaxBDA India 2016 Conference highlighting the ever growing importance of promos for shows on channels.

    Starting on a lighter note, Nayak said, “I have noticed a few changes compared to last year and biggest change that I have seen in the industry is that the time is fleeting. It feels like it was just like just yesterday when I spoke at the last PromaxBDA.

    Giving insights into how the industry had changed over the years, Nayak said, “Today you have to create promos that tell a story within 20 to 60 seconds. With every passing day the competition is getting more aggressive, more and more channels are launching, more and more shows are being launched. Therefore, there are so many promos to run in lesser time, which makes the job even more challenging.”

    Nayak said that earlier even promos were creatively brilliant. The amount of exposure they got on TV made sure that they stuck in the consumers mind, but today that luxury no longer existed. “In fact the biggest problem that we face in Colors is we don’t have enough promo time on our own channel and we go and spend millions of dollars buying promo time outside the network for that’s the kind of money we spent to promote our shows,” while stressing the importance of promos.

    Nayak shared that at one point of time in the television industry, though the promo department was an important department for the channel, in terms of hierarchy, it always came after the programming department. He said, “It was always seen as the support function but that concept has changed now. Programming and promo departments could be defined as the heart and soul of a television channel. One doesn’t know which one to call the heart and which one to call the soul. At Colors we believe that both of them are equally important in today’s time.”    

    Nayak said that in the past unless it was big ticket shows like Fear Factor, India’s Got Talent, Kaun Banega Crorepati and Indian Idol, channels never spent money on producing or shooting promos separately for their other shows. He observed that that thinking had changed now. “I think now even for fiction shows channels shoot promos, sometimes before the channel has even started casting for them. At Colors, we shot the promos for our show Ashoka Chakravartin Samrat six month before launching it. Also, for Naagin, we shoot the promo with dummy actors before finalizing the cast,” Nayak shared.

    This was the fourth consecutive year that Nayak had donned the role of chairperson for PromaxBDA India 2016. The PromaxBDA India 2016 conference programme ran over two days. The first day or ‘Boot Camp’ schedule comprised of workshops’ on promos, branding, marketing including news marketing and animation.

    The second day of the conference or ‘Master Class’ schedule comprised of speakers  sharing their knowledge and a panel discussion. The day culminated with an awards function.

    Lee Hunt LLC founder Lee Hunt who made two keynote addresses. Lee’s opening keynote was ‘Dynamic Branding’, while his second keynote scheduled for the post lunch session as a closing keynote was titled ‘Death of the Channel Brand’. Other sessions included ‘The next generation of Viewer Connection’ by 602 Communications president Graeme Newell and ‘Creativity is An Option: Fake It Till You Make It’ by SBS Belgium creative director Steve Brouwers.

    Lunch was followed a panel discussion – ‘Panel Session: State of Our Art’ moderated by creative director and co-founder of Dynamite Design Sheetal Sudhir. The panellists were The 120 Media Collective & Sooperfly founder and CEO Roopak Saluja and Studio Eeksaurus founder and creative director Suresh Eriyat.

    Like every year, PromaxBDA India 2016 has encouraged marketing professionals to send in their best work for the opportunity of being recognized at the PromaxBDA Awards in the midst of the best in the business. PromaxBDA represents more than 10,000 companies and promotion and marketing professionals at every major media organization.

     

  • Promos & Programming are heart & soul of television channels: Raj Nayak

    Promos & Programming are heart & soul of television channels: Raj Nayak

    MUMBAI: Colors CEO Raj Nayak opened the PromaxBDA India 2016 Conference highlighting the ever growing importance of promos for shows on channels.

    Starting on a lighter note, Nayak said, “I have noticed a few changes compared to last year and biggest change that I have seen in the industry is that the time is fleeting. It feels like it was just like just yesterday when I spoke at the last PromaxBDA.

    Giving insights into how the industry had changed over the years, Nayak said, “Today you have to create promos that tell a story within 20 to 60 seconds. With every passing day the competition is getting more aggressive, more and more channels are launching, more and more shows are being launched. Therefore, there are so many promos to run in lesser time, which makes the job even more challenging.”

    Nayak said that earlier even promos were creatively brilliant. The amount of exposure they got on TV made sure that they stuck in the consumers mind, but today that luxury no longer existed. “In fact the biggest problem that we face in Colors is we don’t have enough promo time on our own channel and we go and spend millions of dollars buying promo time outside the network for that’s the kind of money we spent to promote our shows,” while stressing the importance of promos.

    Nayak shared that at one point of time in the television industry, though the promo department was an important department for the channel, in terms of hierarchy, it always came after the programming department. He said, “It was always seen as the support function but that concept has changed now. Programming and promo departments could be defined as the heart and soul of a television channel. One doesn’t know which one to call the heart and which one to call the soul. At Colors we believe that both of them are equally important in today’s time.”    

    Nayak said that in the past unless it was big ticket shows like Fear Factor, India’s Got Talent, Kaun Banega Crorepati and Indian Idol, channels never spent money on producing or shooting promos separately for their other shows. He observed that that thinking had changed now. “I think now even for fiction shows channels shoot promos, sometimes before the channel has even started casting for them. At Colors, we shot the promos for our show Ashoka Chakravartin Samrat six month before launching it. Also, for Naagin, we shoot the promo with dummy actors before finalizing the cast,” Nayak shared.

    This was the fourth consecutive year that Nayak had donned the role of chairperson for PromaxBDA India 2016. The PromaxBDA India 2016 conference programme ran over two days. The first day or ‘Boot Camp’ schedule comprised of workshops’ on promos, branding, marketing including news marketing and animation.

    The second day of the conference or ‘Master Class’ schedule comprised of speakers  sharing their knowledge and a panel discussion. The day culminated with an awards function.

    Lee Hunt LLC founder Lee Hunt who made two keynote addresses. Lee’s opening keynote was ‘Dynamic Branding’, while his second keynote scheduled for the post lunch session as a closing keynote was titled ‘Death of the Channel Brand’. Other sessions included ‘The next generation of Viewer Connection’ by 602 Communications president Graeme Newell and ‘Creativity is An Option: Fake It Till You Make It’ by SBS Belgium creative director Steve Brouwers.

    Lunch was followed a panel discussion – ‘Panel Session: State of Our Art’ moderated by creative director and co-founder of Dynamite Design Sheetal Sudhir. The panellists were The 120 Media Collective & Sooperfly founder and CEO Roopak Saluja and Studio Eeksaurus founder and creative director Suresh Eriyat.

    Like every year, PromaxBDA India 2016 has encouraged marketing professionals to send in their best work for the opportunity of being recognized at the PromaxBDA Awards in the midst of the best in the business. PromaxBDA represents more than 10,000 companies and promotion and marketing professionals at every major media organization.

     

  • “You call ‘Bigg Boss’ scripted or non-scripted you will end up watching it”- Abhishek Rege

    “You call ‘Bigg Boss’ scripted or non-scripted you will end up watching it”- Abhishek Rege

    MUMBAI: “It’s been ten years for Endemol in India and we proudly say that we are the first International production house that has not wrapped up and gone back. Today, at this point, we are poised to be the leaders in the non-scripted format,” says Endemol Shine India TV business COO Abhishek Rege.

    The production house which has brought some major international formats to India, Endemol Shine India doesn’t require any introduction. The popularity and fan following of its shows like Bigg Boss, Fear Factor: Khatron Ke Khiladi, Deal or No Deal and Voice say it all!

    In 2006, Endemol started production in India and first enthralled Indian audiences with the Indian adaptation of Big Brother . The production house has had a successful run in  the fiction and non-fiction space since then.

    In conversation with Indiantelevision.com’s team, Rege speaks about his journey with Endemol Shine India, shares his views on BARC rural data, digital space and responds to rumours about Bigg Boss being a scripted format. Excerpts of the interaction:

    How challenging has your stint with Endemol been? What have the major highlights been?

    It’s been a great roller-coaster ride. We have seen really tough times between 2011 and 2012. There was a large amount of fragmentation that we went through in the market as well, but overall, the journey starting from Laughter Challenge and Chhote Miyan to doing Bigg Boss, the Voice and “So You Think You Can Dance” today has been fantastic. It has been a rich and wonderful experience and not to mention – a great learning. We had some great partnerships with international players and also locally. It has been a great run.

    For me, the major highlights in the journey were when Viacom launched its Hindi entertainment channel Colors and we went in with Bigg Boss, Fear Factor and created a new franchise of Chhote Miyan. Our attempt to bring in professional wrestling into the GEC space with partnerships with TNA too was a fulfilling experience.

    Investments into our Endemol Indian entity by CA Media and our foray into the movie business were also the high points.

    Until now, only English entertainment channels aired international content. Now Comedy Central is rolling out the home-grown Indian show Challenge Accepted. Do you see more of that happening in the near future? And do you think these shows have the scope to be licensed globally?

    Absolutely! The English entertainment sector is going through a lot of growth. Until now, the competition was between who acquired the best of the shows from various catalogues. Doing a show like Challenge Accepted is a big step, if it works, you will see others trying to emulate it. But at the end of the day, the economics will drive any such foray.

    You need something locally developed, because if you buy formats then cost will be a big roadblock for producing a show. The budgets for such shows may not be too high and hence one may not be able to do big ticket shows in this space as yet. The monetization potential for such adapted shows will be lower because they are likely to cater to Indian audiences only.

    After the rural data roll out do you see content becoming a bit conservative?

    Not really. From the advertisers’ perspective, it’s more about what content they are picking up, which in turn depends on their target group. We need to understand if those rural pockets attract national advertisers or local. The market which clients look for are towns and cities which have access to national brands or are self-distribution points. So in reality, broadcasters are not catering to a hard-core rural group. Hard-core rural audiences don’t have the same affiliation to buy national brands as they are prized very high as compared to what they can afford. That is the market segmentation wherein the advertisers decide who their consumers are, and that will make the difference. Therefore, rural data should not be affecting content strategies too much.

    Bigg Boss is one of Endemol’s marquee shows. However, it’s often rumoured of being scripted to some extent. What is your response to that?

    It’s not scripted, is all that I can say. Bigg Boss is one of those shows where the PR is not limited to any positive or negative buzz.  It’s one of those shows which feed on anything about it. Whether they love it or hate it, whether it’s scripted or not, people will end up watching the show. They want to know when the next fight will happen and they will come back to watch it.

    How is the interest in the regional Bigg Boss versions growing?

    We did three seasons of Bigg Boss Kannada and now will be doing a second season in Bangla soon. Though Bigg Boss season one in Bangla didn’t hit the top as compared to the Kannada market, we had 50 per cent of the channels’ GRPs at that point of time. While in Kannada, the first season of Bigg Boss which aired on Colors Kannada did extremely well, the second season didn’t go all as planned. But the third season that aired on Colors Kannada again broke all the records.  The success of Bigg Boss season 3 in Kannada proves that we have a great potential in the Tamil & Telugu markets.

    Endemol has produced a few sports shows like 100% De Dana Dan, Stumped etc. What kind of scope is there in the sports content space and can we expect anything new on that front this year?

    We don’t have anything that is specifically targeted at sports. But yes, we have a lot of scope in the sports genre. Our focus right now is films. We did a show called IPL Rockstars where singers performed in the stadium while the crowd gathered before a match was about to start. We haven’t delved further in this genre yet except something like Stumped which is more Call TV, but right now we are focusing more films.

    Do you think India has truly woken up to branded entertainment? Is there anything lined up from Endemol in that space?

    The potential on branded entertainment for the producer is always questionable because of the structure that we follow here. The broadcaster gets all the rights and product placements. Therefore, it’s not that easy for a producer to garner a share in the branded space. I think digital will be the door which will be a lot more open for branded content. Right now we don’t have anything in that space but the future looks promising.

    How different is it producing content for OTT players and television? Can an OTT production be more expensive than TV?

    It’s quite different producing content for OTT as compared to television because you need someone to understand the sensitivity and the attention span of the consumer when it comes to OTT.  There will also be comparisons on scripted and non-scripted content from both the sides. You need to have power packed content for digital. Edits will play a major role. You just can’t run a drama or a soap on it – that is more for catch-up. Digital is a place where you can have creative freedom as well. It is where your lifestyle, youth & niche segments will come in, and as far as production costs are concerned, it can be cheaper than regional and it can be more expensive than GEC, for making something premium like the Game Of Thrones.

    On what basis do you decide on the international formats that can be brought to India and how much are they modified to suit Indian sensibilities?

    We look at two things while adapting international formats, one is the cultural adaptability and the other is how economically feasible will it be? The format should be relevant to the Indian audience and to our culture. We can’t bring shows which have cultural differences or something which our audiences might not relate to. Also we have to see if the format is financially feasible or not. In the UK, production houses spend around US$ 10 million on a pilot, and here we don’t have that budget even for an entire series.

    We modify the format to an extent where the rules of the key game play are not affected. There are always some Dos’ and Don’ts of every format that have to be protected.

    What other formats of Endemol do you plan to get to India in the near future?

    That’s tough to answer because we keeping pitching and we don’t decide what comes in, the broadcasters decide that. I think the line-up for most of the broadcasters is pretty much tied up, so we are waiting to see what will come out from this year’s MIPTV/ MIPCOM.

    What are Endemol’s plans going forward? What’s in store from Endemol India in 2016 in terms of fiction and non-fiction?

    Our focus will be a lot on films, that’s going to be our key acceleration area while our TV focus will continue as usual. But films’ are something which will help us to take next the step to diversify and grow. Digital is another area we are looking closely at. In the non-fiction space we will be coming up with season 3 of Bigg Boss in Bangla soon, and then we will be doing the subsequent seasons for Kannada and Hindi at the end of the year. Also looking forward to the subsequent seasons of other franchises we have set up to come in this year.

     

  • “You call ‘Bigg Boss’ scripted or non-scripted you will end up watching it”- Abhishek Rege

    “You call ‘Bigg Boss’ scripted or non-scripted you will end up watching it”- Abhishek Rege

    MUMBAI: “It’s been ten years for Endemol in India and we proudly say that we are the first International production house that has not wrapped up and gone back. Today, at this point, we are poised to be the leaders in the non-scripted format,” says Endemol Shine India TV business COO Abhishek Rege.

    The production house which has brought some major international formats to India, Endemol Shine India doesn’t require any introduction. The popularity and fan following of its shows like Bigg Boss, Fear Factor: Khatron Ke Khiladi, Deal or No Deal and Voice say it all!

    In 2006, Endemol started production in India and first enthralled Indian audiences with the Indian adaptation of Big Brother . The production house has had a successful run in  the fiction and non-fiction space since then.

    In conversation with Indiantelevision.com’s team, Rege speaks about his journey with Endemol Shine India, shares his views on BARC rural data, digital space and responds to rumours about Bigg Boss being a scripted format. Excerpts of the interaction:

    How challenging has your stint with Endemol been? What have the major highlights been?

    It’s been a great roller-coaster ride. We have seen really tough times between 2011 and 2012. There was a large amount of fragmentation that we went through in the market as well, but overall, the journey starting from Laughter Challenge and Chhote Miyan to doing Bigg Boss, the Voice and “So You Think You Can Dance” today has been fantastic. It has been a rich and wonderful experience and not to mention – a great learning. We had some great partnerships with international players and also locally. It has been a great run.

    For me, the major highlights in the journey were when Viacom launched its Hindi entertainment channel Colors and we went in with Bigg Boss, Fear Factor and created a new franchise of Chhote Miyan. Our attempt to bring in professional wrestling into the GEC space with partnerships with TNA too was a fulfilling experience.

    Investments into our Endemol Indian entity by CA Media and our foray into the movie business were also the high points.

    Until now, only English entertainment channels aired international content. Now Comedy Central is rolling out the home-grown Indian show Challenge Accepted. Do you see more of that happening in the near future? And do you think these shows have the scope to be licensed globally?

    Absolutely! The English entertainment sector is going through a lot of growth. Until now, the competition was between who acquired the best of the shows from various catalogues. Doing a show like Challenge Accepted is a big step, if it works, you will see others trying to emulate it. But at the end of the day, the economics will drive any such foray.

    You need something locally developed, because if you buy formats then cost will be a big roadblock for producing a show. The budgets for such shows may not be too high and hence one may not be able to do big ticket shows in this space as yet. The monetization potential for such adapted shows will be lower because they are likely to cater to Indian audiences only.

    After the rural data roll out do you see content becoming a bit conservative?

    Not really. From the advertisers’ perspective, it’s more about what content they are picking up, which in turn depends on their target group. We need to understand if those rural pockets attract national advertisers or local. The market which clients look for are towns and cities which have access to national brands or are self-distribution points. So in reality, broadcasters are not catering to a hard-core rural group. Hard-core rural audiences don’t have the same affiliation to buy national brands as they are prized very high as compared to what they can afford. That is the market segmentation wherein the advertisers decide who their consumers are, and that will make the difference. Therefore, rural data should not be affecting content strategies too much.

    Bigg Boss is one of Endemol’s marquee shows. However, it’s often rumoured of being scripted to some extent. What is your response to that?

    It’s not scripted, is all that I can say. Bigg Boss is one of those shows where the PR is not limited to any positive or negative buzz.  It’s one of those shows which feed on anything about it. Whether they love it or hate it, whether it’s scripted or not, people will end up watching the show. They want to know when the next fight will happen and they will come back to watch it.

    How is the interest in the regional Bigg Boss versions growing?

    We did three seasons of Bigg Boss Kannada and now will be doing a second season in Bangla soon. Though Bigg Boss season one in Bangla didn’t hit the top as compared to the Kannada market, we had 50 per cent of the channels’ GRPs at that point of time. While in Kannada, the first season of Bigg Boss which aired on Colors Kannada did extremely well, the second season didn’t go all as planned. But the third season that aired on Colors Kannada again broke all the records.  The success of Bigg Boss season 3 in Kannada proves that we have a great potential in the Tamil & Telugu markets.

    Endemol has produced a few sports shows like 100% De Dana Dan, Stumped etc. What kind of scope is there in the sports content space and can we expect anything new on that front this year?

    We don’t have anything that is specifically targeted at sports. But yes, we have a lot of scope in the sports genre. Our focus right now is films. We did a show called IPL Rockstars where singers performed in the stadium while the crowd gathered before a match was about to start. We haven’t delved further in this genre yet except something like Stumped which is more Call TV, but right now we are focusing more films.

    Do you think India has truly woken up to branded entertainment? Is there anything lined up from Endemol in that space?

    The potential on branded entertainment for the producer is always questionable because of the structure that we follow here. The broadcaster gets all the rights and product placements. Therefore, it’s not that easy for a producer to garner a share in the branded space. I think digital will be the door which will be a lot more open for branded content. Right now we don’t have anything in that space but the future looks promising.

    How different is it producing content for OTT players and television? Can an OTT production be more expensive than TV?

    It’s quite different producing content for OTT as compared to television because you need someone to understand the sensitivity and the attention span of the consumer when it comes to OTT.  There will also be comparisons on scripted and non-scripted content from both the sides. You need to have power packed content for digital. Edits will play a major role. You just can’t run a drama or a soap on it – that is more for catch-up. Digital is a place where you can have creative freedom as well. It is where your lifestyle, youth & niche segments will come in, and as far as production costs are concerned, it can be cheaper than regional and it can be more expensive than GEC, for making something premium like the Game Of Thrones.

    On what basis do you decide on the international formats that can be brought to India and how much are they modified to suit Indian sensibilities?

    We look at two things while adapting international formats, one is the cultural adaptability and the other is how economically feasible will it be? The format should be relevant to the Indian audience and to our culture. We can’t bring shows which have cultural differences or something which our audiences might not relate to. Also we have to see if the format is financially feasible or not. In the UK, production houses spend around US$ 10 million on a pilot, and here we don’t have that budget even for an entire series.

    We modify the format to an extent where the rules of the key game play are not affected. There are always some Dos’ and Don’ts of every format that have to be protected.

    What other formats of Endemol do you plan to get to India in the near future?

    That’s tough to answer because we keeping pitching and we don’t decide what comes in, the broadcasters decide that. I think the line-up for most of the broadcasters is pretty much tied up, so we are waiting to see what will come out from this year’s MIPTV/ MIPCOM.

    What are Endemol’s plans going forward? What’s in store from Endemol India in 2016 in terms of fiction and non-fiction?

    Our focus will be a lot on films, that’s going to be our key acceleration area while our TV focus will continue as usual. But films’ are something which will help us to take next the step to diversify and grow. Digital is another area we are looking closely at. In the non-fiction space we will be coming up with season 3 of Bigg Boss in Bangla soon, and then we will be doing the subsequent seasons for Kannada and Hindi at the end of the year. Also looking forward to the subsequent seasons of other franchises we have set up to come in this year.

     

  • Only two cases of vulgarity and indecency on reality TV shows reported to Government in last two years

    Only two cases of vulgarity and indecency on reality TV shows reported to Government in last two years

    NEW DELHI: Only two instances have come to the government over the past two years of vulgarity and indecency in reality shows on television, and both relate to Colors.

    Answering a question in Parliament today, Information and Broadcasting Minister Arun Jaitley however ruled out any guideline to check such trends as he said “the existing provisions contained in the Programme and Advertising codes and the existing mechanism are considered adequate to regulate content including reality shows on TV channels”.

    In the first case relating to Bigg Boss Season-7, Colors had been issued an advisory on 26 March 2014 and a warning was issued on 8 January last year on the second case relating to “Fear Factor Khatron Ke Khiladi-Dan Ka Blockbuster” when the channel was asked to run an apology scroll.

    The Minister said in reply to a question that the content telecast on private satellite TV channels including reality shows of different genres is regulated under the cable Television Networks (Regulation) Act, 1995 and cable Television Network Rules, 1994 framed there under. The Act does not provide for pre-censorship of any programmes and advertisements telecast on such TV channels.

    However, it prescribes that all programmes and advertisements on such TV channels should be in conformity with the prescribed programme code and Advertising code enshrined in the Act and the rules framed there under, which contains a whole range of principles to be followed by these  channels including the reality shows carried thereon.

    He said the Government has set up Electronic Media Monitoring centre (EMMC) to review the content of private TV channels in the contest of violation(s) of programme and Advertising Codes.

    An Inter-Ministerial committee (IMC) has also been set up in the Ministry to look into the specific complaints or suo-motu take cognizance against the violation of programme and Advertising codes and appropriate action is taken as per cable Television Networks (Regulation) Act’ 1995, if any violation if established.

    This Ministry also issues advisories to TV channels from time to time on various issues, which are also relevant to reality shows. These are available at Ministry’s website www.mib.nic.in.

    In addition,the  National Commission for Protection of Child Rights (NCPCR) has formulated the ‘Guidelines for Media Reporting on children, which have been circulated by this Ministry among ail TV channels/NBA,/IBF on 23 November 2012. The guidelines lay down provisions to be followed by broadcasters/producers in case child participants are taken in their shows.

    Besides, as part of its self-regulating mechanism, Indian Broadcasting Foundation which is a representative body of non-news & current affairs TV channels, has set up the Broadcasting content Complaints Council (BCCC) headed by retired High Court judge Mukul Mudgal to examine complaints about television programmes. BCCC has also issued some Advisories on various issues related to reality shows to their member channels, which are available at their website i.e. www.ibfindia.com.

    The Programme code, inter-alia, provides that no programme should be carried in the cable service which (i) offends against good taste or decency; (ii) contains anything obscene, defamatory, deliberate, false and suggestive innuendos and half truths; and (iii) denigrates women through the depiction in any manner of the figure of a women, her form or body or any part thereof in such a way as to have the effect of being indecent, or derogatory to women, or is likely to deprave, corrupt or injure the public morality or morals.

    Action is taken against defaulting channels whenever any violation of the said codes is noticed or brought to the notice of the Ministry.

  • Only two cases of vulgarity and indecency on reality TV shows reported to Government in last two years

    Only two cases of vulgarity and indecency on reality TV shows reported to Government in last two years

    NEW DELHI: Only two instances have come to the government over the past two years of vulgarity and indecency in reality shows on television, and both relate to Colors.

    Answering a question in Parliament today, Information and Broadcasting Minister Arun Jaitley however ruled out any guideline to check such trends as he said “the existing provisions contained in the Programme and Advertising codes and the existing mechanism are considered adequate to regulate content including reality shows on TV channels”.

    In the first case relating to Bigg Boss Season-7, Colors had been issued an advisory on 26 March 2014 and a warning was issued on 8 January last year on the second case relating to “Fear Factor Khatron Ke Khiladi-Dan Ka Blockbuster” when the channel was asked to run an apology scroll.

    The Minister said in reply to a question that the content telecast on private satellite TV channels including reality shows of different genres is regulated under the cable Television Networks (Regulation) Act, 1995 and cable Television Network Rules, 1994 framed there under. The Act does not provide for pre-censorship of any programmes and advertisements telecast on such TV channels.

    However, it prescribes that all programmes and advertisements on such TV channels should be in conformity with the prescribed programme code and Advertising code enshrined in the Act and the rules framed there under, which contains a whole range of principles to be followed by these  channels including the reality shows carried thereon.

    He said the Government has set up Electronic Media Monitoring centre (EMMC) to review the content of private TV channels in the contest of violation(s) of programme and Advertising Codes.

    An Inter-Ministerial committee (IMC) has also been set up in the Ministry to look into the specific complaints or suo-motu take cognizance against the violation of programme and Advertising codes and appropriate action is taken as per cable Television Networks (Regulation) Act’ 1995, if any violation if established.

    This Ministry also issues advisories to TV channels from time to time on various issues, which are also relevant to reality shows. These are available at Ministry’s website www.mib.nic.in.

    In addition,the  National Commission for Protection of Child Rights (NCPCR) has formulated the ‘Guidelines for Media Reporting on children, which have been circulated by this Ministry among ail TV channels/NBA,/IBF on 23 November 2012. The guidelines lay down provisions to be followed by broadcasters/producers in case child participants are taken in their shows.

    Besides, as part of its self-regulating mechanism, Indian Broadcasting Foundation which is a representative body of non-news & current affairs TV channels, has set up the Broadcasting content Complaints Council (BCCC) headed by retired High Court judge Mukul Mudgal to examine complaints about television programmes. BCCC has also issued some Advisories on various issues related to reality shows to their member channels, which are available at their website i.e. www.ibfindia.com.

    The Programme code, inter-alia, provides that no programme should be carried in the cable service which (i) offends against good taste or decency; (ii) contains anything obscene, defamatory, deliberate, false and suggestive innuendos and half truths; and (iii) denigrates women through the depiction in any manner of the figure of a women, her form or body or any part thereof in such a way as to have the effect of being indecent, or derogatory to women, or is likely to deprave, corrupt or injure the public morality or morals.

    Action is taken against defaulting channels whenever any violation of the said codes is noticed or brought to the notice of the Ministry.

  • NexGTv & Fluence to create India’s first mobi-serial

    NexGTv & Fluence to create India’s first mobi-serial

    NEW DELHI: NexGTv from Digivive Services has entered into a strategic tie-up with CA Media Digital’s first venture Fluence to create celebrity led ‘mobi-serials.’

     

    Taking the next step in digital entertainment, Fluence will create and produce for the first time in India clutter breaking, original content for nexGTv.

     

    Elaborating on the tie-up, Digivive Director and CEO GD Singh said, “Mobile is increasingly becoming the preferred platform of consumption for Indian consumers and reports indicate that this consumption is further poised to grow significantly, as the average person is expected to watch TV and video content (at least once a month) on 2.13 devices, up from 1.53 last year. Our intention is to articulate and address the needs of this rapidly growing and discerning mobile audience with mobile-first content.”

     

    Singh added, “We are very excited about our collaboration with Fluence and the CA Media Group as they not only are the experts in digital engagement but it also opens up possibilities to bring on board industry-leading production expertise of the Group via Endemol, which has been credited with several well-known hits on Indian television including Bigg Boss and Fear Factor etc.”

     

    Fluence vice president digital and business head Ashish Joshi said, “Fluence is in the business of creating unique and differentiated digital experiences with India’s top talents from the fields of entertainment, music and sports. Creating premium digital shows with our portfolio of celebrities for nexGTv is another step towards our growing focus on digital content development. This collaboration will draw audience subscriptions and views to the content and platform through our well thought out amplification programme on social media thereby engaging the fans and followers of our celebrities in a new and highly compelling way.”

     

    This first bigstep towards creation of unique content designed especially for mobile viewers marks an inflection point in the mobile entertainment domain and is expected to resonate very well with the audience who until now, have had to contend themselves with content produced for alternate formats including the big screens and home screens and adapted/ curated subsequently for the mobile. To help create the mobi-series, Fluence has partnered with Endemol Shine India, a CA Media investee company, to co-produce the shows and utilize their expertise in the field of production.

     

    Known for producing creative and clutter breaking content for TV broadcasters and film entertainment, Endemol Shine India will help elevate the level of programming in the digital space which iscurrently inundated with amateur productions.

  • AXN bets big on 2015; launches new shows

    AXN bets big on 2015; launches new shows

    MUMBAI: Come April and English entertainment channel AXN from the Multi Screen Media (MSM) stable is all set to redefine itself. The channel will be extending its content offering and has lined up a slew of new shows for this year. Moreover, April will also see the launch of the channel’s high definition offering – AXN HD.

     

    Speaking on the launch of the HD channel, Sony Pix and AXN EVP and business head Saurabh Yagnik says, “Due to digitisation, issues relating to distribution and availability have been addressed. The category has now become more amenable to appointment based viewing and audiences are seeking two kinds of shows – iconic and fresh shows from the US.”

     

    As part of its revised strategy, the channel will do away with telecasting movies.

     

    Brand New FPC

     

    Keeping consumer insights in mind, the channel has increased its programming line up. For instance, the weekday programming slot from Monday to Thursday has been re-jigged to Monday to Friday. The 8 pm slot will have signature shows like Guiness, Ripley’s, American Ninja Warrior and Wipeout.

     

    This will be followed by reality shows at 9 pm like Fear Factor, So You Think You Can Dance, Top Chef, Survivor and The Amazing Race. 

     

    The 10 pm slot will have famous crime shows like 24, Elementary, NCIS and CSI amongst others.

     

    Finally, the 11 pm slot will have edgier content with shows like Sex and the City, Dexter, Ray Donovan and Californification.

     

    Weekend Slot Strengthened

     

    In August 2014, AXN introduced a new weekend slot, ‘Not So Ordinary Weekend,’ which aired on Friday and Saturday. Since the weekday slot will now be extended from Monday to Friday, the ‘Not So Ordinary Weekend’ slot has been moved to Saturday and Sunday. During this slot, the channel will air fresh content airing closer to US dates. Shows that air in this slot are: Sherlock (season four), Supernatural (season eleven), Orphan Black (season three), Hannibal (season three), Elementary (season four), Voice (season nine and 10), Madam Secretary (season two), Extant (season two), and Scorpion (season three).

     

    New Shows:

     

    Beginning 6 April, fresh seasons of shows like 24 and Dexter will be telecast at 10 pm and 11 pm respectively on weekdays. Top Chef Masters season five will begin from 9 April at 8 pm during the weekdays. Another long running reality show Survivor is back in its season 27 from 21 April from Monday to Friday at 9 pm.

     

    The channel has partnerships with 20 global studios like CBS, Sony Pictures, BBC, WB, MGM, NBC Universal, Buena Vista International, Fremantle Media, Endemol, and FOX for content deals. The channel also has 2000 plus hours of content supply every year.

     

    AXN HD Launch

     

    On 6 May, 2014 MSM received two licences from the Information and Broadcasting Ministry (I&B). The aim was to increase its high definition (HD) offering to its viewers. The licences obtained were for AXN HD and SET HD. The network today announced that AXN HD will be launched on 6 April, 2015. It will have 1080i HD picture clarity and 5.1 sharp surround sound. The network is currently in talks with various platforms for its distribution. It is currently priced at Rs 30.

     

    “While the shows will be same on the two channels, we will be tweaking some of the content for the HD feed. We could also have certain exclusive content for the HD feed in the future,” informs Yagnick.

     

    Social Engagement

     

    Providing some inputs from digital agency Social Bakers for the period December 2014 to February 2015, the channel claims to have an engagement rate on social media of 5.80 per cent versus its closest rival Zee cafe at 2.90 per cent. For the same period, FX, Comedy Central and Star World had an engagement rate of 1.70 per cent, 1.36 per cent and 0.76 per cent respectively. A third of the channel’s marketing budget is dedicated for digital activations that are handled both by AXN and digital agency Tonic Media. Through this, AXN targets to reach an additional five million fans on social media. 

     

    The target audience for the channels is the 15-34 age group.

     

    Marketing

     

    AXN has also put in place an aggressive TV plan where promotions will run across the MSM network channels. A print plan targeted in four cities on 6 April is on the anvil besides robust social media promotions. However, radio and OOH will not feature for the promotions.

     

    Sharing an insight about the genre’s growth, Yagnick says that the average weekly viewing (time spent) of 10 minutes on the genre has increased by approximately 50 per cent. While the metros have been performing well for the channel, the U.P. market has grown substantially as distribution has helped increase availability.

     

    Pix and AXN vice president and head programming and acquisitions Amogh Dusad informs that drama is the biggest performing genre on the channel. “Comedy is well being explored and reality shows too have performed well for the channel,” Dusad adds.

     

    With a robust line up and a focus ahead on retaining its leadership position, AXN is aiming at making it big this year.

     

  • Dubbed ‘Fear Factor’ will sell: SJ Clement

    Dubbed ‘Fear Factor’ will sell: SJ Clement

    MUMBAI: The land which sleeps, eats and breathes action has another reason to jump with joy.

     

    Sun Network has decided to treat its viewers to high octane visuals in the form of the popular Hindi show Fear Factor: Khatron Ke Khiladi.

     

    The show will be dubbed in Tamil, Telugu and Malayalam; the one hour episodes will be aired on its general entertainment channels (GECs). Dhil Dhil Dhil- Fear Factor will air on Sundays at 12 pm on Sun TV starting 29 June, Fear factor: Sahasa Veerulu- Veelu Denikaina Ready will be telecast on Gemini TV, Monday to Thursday at 9:30 pm from 23 June and Sahasigam- Fear Factor can be caught on Surya TV, Thursday and Friday at 8 pm.

     

    Sun TV Network programming head for GEC channels SJ Clement says that the network is confident on garnering audiences from the show. “Immaterial of being dubbed content, it is the gut-wrenching action/adventure that the viewer wants and through the show we are giving them that entertainment,” he says dismissing any concerns related to the content being dubbed.

     

    The only channel excluded from the dubbed version is the Kannada channel, Udaya TV. As a rule in the state, no dubbed content can be aired on any channel.

     

    Agreeing on it, says DDB MudraMax AVP and head of south Anil Sathiraju, “Just as how dubbed south Indian movies work well on Hindi channels, the same can be said about the reverse. People have accepted dubbed content because of the novelty factor in it. Advertisers will also be keen on the show.”

     

    Seasons 1, 2, 4 and 5 will be shown continuously till the entire stock is exhausted. Season 3 has been excluded since it had Priyanka Chopra as host and to keep the continuity of Akshay Kumar as anchor the decision was taken. However, it will slowly move on to the season 5 which had Rohit Shetty as the host.

     

    “However, the effect Akshay and Rohit will have on the audiences will surely vary as Rohit is more popular down south,” adds Sathiraju.

     

    The network however is not looking at recreating the show for the southern market anytime soon. The reason behind so is the high budget that needs to be pumped into creating one. Says Clement, “It is an expensive show. If this works, we shall certainly go in for producing the show in the respective languages.”

     

    A cross channel promotional activity is planned along with radio spots and selected outdoor campaign. Digital activity through Facebook, Youtube, Twitter and Google+ is also in the pipeline.

     

    Talks are currently on with sponsors and advertisers for the adventure show.

  • Endemol bets on gaming, backs social casino site

    Endemol bets on gaming, backs social casino site

    MUMBAI: Endemol, the production house that is known to have produced internationally popular formats like Big Brother, Deal or No Deal, Fear Factor is now set to enter the online gaming business. The company has announced that it would be investing $ 13 million in social casino start-up Plumbee as it wants to go beyond the traditional video production.

    Till now, the company has been building its digital gaming business internally, mostly by launching gaming apps based on popular shows. Earlier in the year, it had even announced a $40 million investment in Endemol Beyond, an online video network, backed by investor Idinvest Partners. Even in the new initiative, the investor is backing the company.

    Endemol and Plumbee together will create premium social casino games. The deal is going to benefit both the companies. Endemol will leverage Plumbee’s international network and will boost the growth of its worldwide user base.

    Plumbee that was launched in October 2011, already boasts of games like Mirrorball Slots that is among the top 10 highest grossing social casino games on Facebook. It has more than one million monthly active users and other popular games like Playfish. With a new focus on a mix of free-to-play and real-money games, it wants to tap into both areas. And now, Endemol also plans to cash in on the popularity.

    Endemol’s current digital gaming projects include a new initiative to move into app publishing, launching with gaming apps based on shows Pointless and Deal or No Deal.