ITV

Tag: indiantelevision.com

  • WC: ICC sticks to its footage guidelines for news channels

    WC: ICC sticks to its footage guidelines for news channels

    MUMBAI: The International Cricket Council (ICC) and the Indian television news broadcasters continue to be at loggerheads.

    The ICC has maintained that the footage guidelines that it issued for news coverage regarding the World Cup are fair, contrary to the common opinion running through news channels.

    Reacting to reports that Indian news channels have said that the terms of the footage made available for them are not acceptable, an ICC spokesperson told Indiantelevision.com that there was no reason to concede ground.

    “The guidelines we have put in place for the ICC Cricket World Cup 2011 are fair, reasonable and in line with the industry best practice. They are designed to allow non-rights-holders (NRH) the opportunity to offer quality news-access coverage for their viewers while also protecting the exclusive rights of our broadcast partner,” the spokesperson said.

    The spokesperson noted that in the past, some non-rights-holders (NRH) have flouted the rules and showed almost ball-by-ball coverage of events, in breach of the broadcast partner’s rights.
         
      “At a very early stage in this process (beginning in October 2010), we and our host broadcaster engaged the views and opinions of the News Broadcasters’ Association (NBA) and involved that organisation at every stage of this process. After lengthy discussions with the NBA, we sent the final version of the guidelines to the NBA to inform them that we were going to publish them on 19 January.”

    The spokesperson said that the cricket‘s governing body got no response from them. So the ICC extended the publication date and the guidelines were finally issued on 25 January.

    “To date we still haven‘t heard back from the NBA. We consider the guidelines to be very reasonable and lenient when it comes to the issue of news access rights. Through its purchase of the rights to televise our events, our broadcast partner, ESPN Star Sports, has poured a large amount of money into cricket while also providing a fantastic televisual experience to a billion viewers in more than 180 territories around the world,” the spokesperson said.

    The spokesperson said that this investment is used to develop the game in almost every corner of the globe and it is important that their investment is protected. “At the same time we also realise the importance of free news access to NRH and so these guidelines provide a workable balance between those two sides.”

    Meanwhile, the NBA today expressed confidence that it would be able to amicably sort out the issue relating to the news telecast of ICC Cricket World Cup footage.

    NBA president KVL Narayan Rao told Indiantelevision.com that the association had already written to the ICC that it wanted to discuss the issue and he expected that this dialogue would be held soon.

    The ICC, however, said that it has not received anything from the NBA.

    NBA sources said that the common expectation was that an early resolution would be found “as both needed each other”.

  • News channels heading for showdown with ICC on news access guidelines

    News channels heading for showdown with ICC on news access guidelines

    NEW DELHI: Although the News Broadcasters Association is expected to take a final stand on the issue of telecast of news clips of the ICC Cricket World Cup, most news channel heads said the news access guidelines were unfair since 5.5 minutes of fresh footage per day was too short for an event of this nature.

    Although none of the channel heads wanted to be named as they said this could compromise the stand of the NBA, it is learnt that the Association may meet as early as tomorrow to take a decision on the issue.

    One Hindi news channel head said some kind of compromise would have to be worked out, adding that perhaps permitting up to three minutes of fresh footage every two hours would be fairer.

    Another Hindi news channel head said the present guidelines were very unfair and viewer demand would force the channels to telecast news of longer duration and thus force them to pay penalty to the International Cricket Council.

    The head of a group with multi-lingual news channels said this appeared to becoming a habit year after year either with the World Cup or with the Indian Premier League, that news channels were forced to fight for footage that they could show to their viewers.

    He said that while there were complaints by the Information and Broadcasting Ministry as well as viewers that news channels were repetitive, it was unfortunate that no one chipped in to help the news channels in situations such as these.

    Indiantelevision.com was the first to report the ICC‘s guidelines to news channels on coverage of the cricket World Cup.
          
    According to an estimate, the penalty may go up to over Rs 200 million if the news channels numbering around 50 fail to follow the Access Guidelines of the 43-day ICC World Cup.

    IDI, the commercial arm of International Cricket Council (ICC), will charge $1,800 (Rs 83,000) for every extra minute a news channel airs its coverage of the World Cup over the permitted time-frame. ICC will charge $800 for up to 60 seconds of overuse for fresh footage, while the rates for an overuse of archival footage of the previous World Cups are $1,000 for up to 60 seconds.

    The recently issued ICC‘s media advisory stipulates only 5.5 minutes of fresh footage and six minutes of archival footage to be used by a news channel each day of the Cup.

    In comparison, the IPL has permitted seven minutes of footage by a news channel in a day.

    Interestingly, the ICC Guidelines will only be applicable to around 50 news channels which are members of the NBA, although there are around 240 news channels beaming in the country.

    A similar situation had arisen at the time of the IPL last year, with news channels threatening to boycott the games. However, a solution was found almost on the eve of the series.

  • Vivek Law to join Bloomberg UTV as editor

    Vivek Law to join Bloomberg UTV as editor

    MUMBAI: Bloomberg UTV has appointed CNBC-TV18 national editor Vivek Law as its editor.

    Law has resigned at CNBC-TV18 and will be joining Bloomberg UTV from 1 November.

    “Law is joining us as editor from 1 November,” Bloomberg UTV CEO MK Anand confirmed to Indiantelevision.com.

    Bloomberg UTV Editor-in-Chief Govindraj Ethiraj had earlier moved out to join Nandan Nilekani in the Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI) project being undertaken by the Government of India.  
    Law comes with over 15 years of experience in journalism and has worked with India Today, Economic Times, Business Standard and The Financial Express.

  • ‘2009 was our defining year’ : OMD India managing director Jasmin Sohrabji

    ‘2009 was our defining year’ : OMD India managing director Jasmin Sohrabji

    It was in 2007, when global marketing communications holding company, Omnicom, entered India with its media planning and buying network OMD.

     

    Jasmin Sohrabji, a double post-graduate in Economics and Business Management who had spent 16 years with MediaCom, was taken on board as managing director and the agency went on to make a fortunate start with clients like Ambuja, Parle Agro and J&J in its kitty.

     

    2009 was almost a defining year for OMD as it took up quite a few biggies under its banner, expanded footprints to Delhi and Chennai and set up new offerings in analytics and digital.

     

    And now it’s kicked off 2010 on a high note too. It has bagged businesses like Sony Network, Ferrero and Reliance.

     

    In an interview with Indiantelevision.com’s Anindita Sarkar, OMD India managing director Jasmin Sohrabji speaks about her company’s growth plans at large.

    Excerpts:

    In comparison to the other agencies, OMD is still a new player in the Indian market. Has it been a tough journey so far?

     

    OMD launched in India in early 2007, and the experience has been exciting, challenging and gratifying ever since! We kicked off with a very sound base (Ambuja, Parle Agro and J&J) and have built consistently and successfully since. 2009 was OMD India’s defining year where we established ourselves as a strong, top player at a national level.

    Being a new entrant, was facing up with the slowdown heat in the Indian market more challenging to gain clients?

     

    We were very fortunate to have our best year in 2009. We had a record number of wins (HP, Henkel, VISA, Danone, Nissan, etc); we set up two new offices (Delhi, Chennai); we launched our Analytics and Digital offer and we closed the year with global awards and recognition.

    Can you revisit the time when you started off in the Indian market and the transitions that you witnessed through time?

     

    Gosh, I have spent two decades in this industry and witnessed too many changes and transitions! One of the most striking of all has been in the area of availability of research and access to data; technology…both in the medium itself as well as in accessing and interacting with media and consumers; the other noteworthy change has been the shift in the role and definition of what media agencies provided as a service…we moved from a very simple ‘planners and ops executives’ managing client budgets to a much evolved, technologically sophisticated and consumer-centric thinking and creative solutions.

    What has remained consistent through the decades is ‘never having enough talent’!

    How has the first half of the year fared for the OMD in terms of revenues and clientele?

     

    Very well. We kicked off 2010 with the Sony Network win, and followed up with Unilever’s digital biz. More recently we won Ferrero and Reliance, among others. We hope to maintain the growth momentum we have been experiencing through the remainder of 2010.

    Has it been better than last year?

     

    Given the operation is just over three years old, the growth over last year has been extremely high.

    How is dealing with the Indian clients different from the others globally?

     

    Clients differ depending on their needs and experiences with agencies; they differ in the level of interaction and involvement with their agency partners, and on many such and other parameters. However, I really do not have a strong point of view of difference between Indian and global clients. Among our global clients, we have some who operate largely within the local environment and strategic needs; and there are those who are very much aligned to global strategies and/or processes. In fact, we recently won an award (The Internationalist, UK) for best local execution of an international campaign…so it really does not matter how different the client style is, what’s important is whether the teams at OMD India have a keen appreciation for individual working styles and are able to deliver standout strategies and solutions to the briefs we are given.
    ‘We moved from a very simple ‘planners and ops executives’ managing client budgets to a much evolved, technologically sophisticated and consumer-centric thinking and creative solutions. What has remained consistent through the decades is never having enough talent!‘

    How are your other divisions of OMD faring?

     

    Our most successful offer outside traditional is digital. In addition to existing full service clients, we added digital only clients (Unilever, ICICI, HCL, etc). Additionally, we set up Analytics, which has now started gaining momentum. We have two new offerings starting up later this year.

    CPRP is often the final clincher for a pitch and the sole aim for all to target and deliver. Do you see any new change in this methodology?

     

    Not sure why we are focusing on a change in methodology…we should be looking at value adding to the metric with more engaging qualifiers. If the job of the metric is to compare cost to cost, CPRP does its job. If we are looking to add new dimensions of effectiveness to the cost of contact, then let us evaluate other metric options, not just methodology.

    While above 50 per cent of investments for brand building is made towards above-the-line activities, advertisers are also making investments in below-the-line activities. How do you perceive this medium?

     

    Below the line activities have always been a relevant part of the recommended mix. The issues around these activities were largely to do with measurement and scalability. What began as ad-hoc and experimental, has now become a critical piece in the communication mix. One is, and will continue to see a lot more action in this space. The biggest advantage of BTL activation is it allows for flexibility and does not have to be templated. The scale, the message, the execution can be customised to the budget, the market and the core TG!

    Which advertising platform is expected to show the maximum growth?

     

    While digital and radio have the potential to scale up on their currently smaller bases, TV itself will offer newer platforms of addressability and technology through DTH, etc. Radio has never really seen its potential in this market, while digital has already made small dents in traditional media budgets! TV continues to hold out in its traditional avatar…and keeps re-inventing its offer – through content, scale and technology/addressability.
  • ‘India is among the top three markets for us in Asia’ : HBO South Asia country head Shruti Bajpai

    ‘India is among the top three markets for us in Asia’ : HBO South Asia country head Shruti Bajpai

    For 10 years, HBO has warmed up audiences with big movie titles, library content and branding as a premium English movie channel.

     

    The arrival of more players has not shaken up HBO‘s positioning. The channel has grown amid audience fragmentation and India surfaces today as the top three markets in Asia.

     

    In an interview with Indiantelevision.com‘s Ashwin Pinto, HBO South Asia country head Shruti Bajpai talks about the the channel‘s decade-old existence in India and the plans ahead.

     

    Excerpts:

     
    We are at a time when a lot of English channels are looking to come in. What is the reason for all this rush?
    There has been an influx of channels for some time now but it is not as though it is happening all of a sudden. Nevertheless, what is happening now is that with HD and DTH spreading their reach, a lot of specialised channels are looking at India. There is more interest as licences have been got and we are now hearing about more launches. Since Indian television has expanded, there has been a steady increase and there is more of an influx of English entertainment channels.

     
     
    For long-existing players like HBO what challenges does this present?
    The challenge is to retain existing viewership and get new viewers. And it is not just competition from the English entertainment channels, but also from theatrical releases and other forms of out-of-home entertainment. We have to be on our toes in terms of constantly refreshing content, delivering our promise of blockbusters and giving the extra value of entertainment that viewers don‘t get to watch anywhere in the form of HBO Originals.

     

    We will continue to do this as more and more channels come in. We have been successful as a brand and as a channel by increasing our offerings year on year.

     
     
    In the English film space, new entrants have caused fragmentation. Players including HBO have lost some share. What is HBO‘s overall game plan to counter this?
    I will answer this on two levels. All genres have fragmented with new players coming in and the English movie genre is no exception. Content has to be compelling for people to continue watching. On the other hand, maybe the way English entertainment viewership is tracked needs to change. Our measurement is still traditional. As more people enhance their TV watching experience through digitisation, channels get watched more. We need to look at the reporting of English entertainment space.

     

    I don‘t believe that the picture presented through traditional measurement is completely true. Why is there so much interest by companies to launch English entertainment channels if people were watching less of it? I am not sure if we feel that the measurement of digital homes has no scope for improvement. It has to capture the actual increase in the television viewing universe. Perhaps the measurement base has to be expanded. The measurement system has to keep pace with the pace of digitisation.

     
     
    How is HBO celebrating 10 years of operating in this space?
    From September on, we have 10 best films of the year. Our spots will celebrate the landmark.

     

    We are also refreshing our look and feel. This is being done in-house out of Singapore and comes into effect next month. The graphics, colours and fonts are being improved upon to give the channel a livelier and friendlier look.

     
     
    In terms of business generated and viewership, where does India stand versus other Asian markets like Singapore and Hong Kong?
    It is a priority market. India is in the top three. It has the potential to surprise you with viewership increases.

     
     
    ‘I can‘t give a timeframe as to when we will launch more channels. As I have said before, it has to make business sense. The timing has to be right and the market has to be large enough‘

     
     
    Has there been any difference in focus this year compared to the previous years?
    There has been more focus on HBO Originals. Our line-up has been better than in previous years in terms of the slate of movies like The Dark Knight, Star Trek, Terminator Salvation, Angels and Demons. Hollywood Premier League continues to grow for us. The aim is to balance the quality and quantity of content and to better ourselves at our own game.
     

    Has any research been done to find out how HBO is perceived?
    It is our mix of raters and differentiators that has led to a high perception among viewers. When you do a poll and research, viewers say that they like us for the kind of films we show. Even now we get talked about for movies like An Inconvenient Truth, Blood Diamond, A Mighty Heart, The Kite Runner. A lot of movies that will come to HBO like Invictus are doing well critically and theatrically.

     

    There is a high quality perception that viewers have of HBO. This helps us maintain our brand image. We are not known by the last title we show. What makes a viewer remember a channel more than the last title is the entire package and this is where we score.
     

     
    Has loyalty come into this genre or is it just a question of who has the better titles at primetime?
    It is a mix. You have the top two channels – HBO and Star Movies. Then there is a distinct number three. This has been happening for 10 years. There is a diverse selection on HBO ranging from romantic films to sci-fi. You cannot just have raters and one kind of film. Otherwise a dubbed English movie channel would be on top.

     

    We keep our ears to the ground and make the schedule as sharp as possible. It has evolved over a continuous basis. The number of movies shown is highest on HBO. You need to see how you hold the audience‘s interest. Make sure it is known as a brand not just for raters but also for things like True Blood. If somebody wants sci-fi, they can watch films in that genre. If they want blockbusters, it is there. The variety we offer is something nobody else has and this has led to the loyalty. It is not just about stitching films together and launching a channel.
     

     
    What are the steps that HBO has taken to grow the audience base over the years?
    Our primetime is not what has been traditionally defined. It is when people are watching it the most. Then you can grow it. Are there specific opportunities for genres like action and romance? When are women watching it the most? When do men come in? What about teens? It is the on-going job of the person in charge of programming and scheduling to look at ways and means to use this data to expand viewership.

     

    We were the first to come out with a block for women – HBO Time Out – years ago. We did a ‘HBO See It First on Sunday‘ block and now Star Movies has come out with something similar. We created a slot for kids, teens with Whazzup years back. If you remember, other channels did things like Action Mondays, Romantic Tuesdays. It was genre based and not viewer based. We were the ones who came out with a viewer based, profile targetted strategy.
     

     
    Has the way in which viewers consume HBO changed over the past three years?
    Three years back I would not have expected our series, True Blood, to have done so well. It is not all about creepy crawlies and a sinking ship. Thinking man‘s films are doing better now. I would give the example of Revolutionary Road which got positive feedback. Over the years due to more exposure, people have grown to appreciate films like this. But the basics do not change. Action continues to do well.

     
     
    Are you looking at dubbing?
    We do this as a one off. I don‘t think that it works to do it often as it can put viewers off. The channels that show dubbed movies are targetting viewers who do not understand English well. This is expanding the market for English films. For us, though, subtitles are enough. It helps with those films where accents are tough to understand.

     

     When do HBO‘s licensing deals with studios come up for renewal?
    These are multi-year deals. I cannot talk about the time frame.

     
     
    Pix has now gone into the blockbuster space as library content does not work that well. How do you see this impacting the other players?
    Every movie channel has some blockbusters. I don‘t understand the big deal. There is no comparison to the number of blockbusters HBO and Star Movies brings versus what the other channels can bring. The key is to compare how blockbusters rate among the channels.

     
    What role does library content play in getting viewers?
    You need to have good amount of blockbusters that rate. But library also delivers ratings. It is this mix that makes or breaks a channel. We make sure that library titles are something that Indians want to watch. We do not have a library for the sake of it. We do programming around franchises like Lord Of The Rings. We are running a Star Trek franchise. It has to be relevant. 
     

    How will HBO be celebrating the festive season? Which are the big properties coming up?
    Our festive season kicks in early due to our 10th anniversary which we celebrate next month. We have the 10 Best Movies Of The Year initiative. On the television series front, we will air True Blood followed by Number One Ladies Detective‘s Agency followed by Hung over the next couple of months. We will have films like Public Enemies, Gran Torino, Julie and Julia. We will have a big Diwali Festival. We will have the Diwali Blockbuster of the month and Blockbuster Of The Year coming up in November. There will also be India specific programming. We are looking at two shows in this regard.

     
    What unique initiatives have been lined up on the marketing front in a crowded marketplace?
    We don‘t spend a lot, but we spend smart. We will be doing a campaign next month to push films and the fact that we are celebrating 10 years. We will use social networks to talk about 10 years and the message will be Celebrating 10 Years.

    The digital platform is definitely important for us. The teenagers going into their 20s are absorbing media. Where are their touch points? We focus on social communities because we have to be there where the potential viewers are. Sometimes we do not have to spend a lot but focus on building communities where goodwill for our channel can be garnered. This cannot be one off for a title. The online conversation has to be about the HBO brand.
     

     
    With the new players coming into the English entertainment space as a whole, do you see the ad pie correspondingly growing?
    It will not de-grow. There is a high level of involvement that happens with the English movie genre compared to other genres like English news. So there are advertisers who will always want to reach out to this segment. You have FMCGs that have a luxury range. You have holiday destinations, insurance companies. Cola companies will come out with more offerings. They want to reach the viewer as you cannot take Hollywood out of the life of an Indian. I see a healthy ad revenue growth this year.

     
    How is the mood in the ad market this year compared to last year?
    It is more upbeat. We are back on track in terms of the interest levels among advertisers. Our primetime inventory is almost completely utilised for the year. It is about the brand image that we have cultivated over the years that has stood us in good stead. We make sure that there is not much clutter on-air.

     
    Could you give me examples of packages that HBO offers clients that go beyond the 30-second spot?
    We have been pioneers when it comes to brand integration. We once did a ‘Maruti Suzuki Live The Moment‘ initiative. The movies were about living the moment. For an initiative with HDFC Children‘s Plan, we showcased films like Pursuit Of Happyness. For the two wheeler Scooty, we did a Babelicious initiative. We also do things like HBO Scorecard that builds engagement. All this has solidified our relationship with advertisers.

     
    Do you feel that the English movie genre should compete better against other genres like English news for ad revenue?
    The involvement is different. We would be higher in the pecking order in terms of the kinds of ads shown. We have a disciplined niche quality when it comes to advertising and the viewer experience. The engagement that a viewer has with news would be much less compared to movies. The engagement is deeper with English movies. An English movie viewer might check out the news first when he gets home at around 8 pm or so. Then he will watch a movie at around 9 pm. To compare the two genres though is not fair.

     
    How is the deal with Zee Turner working out in terms of reaching the smaller towns and cities more effectively?
    The relationship with Zee Turner been working well. There is an opportunity to grow more in the smaller cities and towns. At the same time, our marketing budget is limited. There is only so much we can do. We have to focus, prioritise and take a call. But it makes sense to expand the market. It is part of our long term plan.

     
    Do you see 3G having a big impact on this genre?
    This is not something immediate, but it will definitely happen. We have to take a cautious approach initially to this. It will be slow and steady for us. 3G will happen at its own pace and time.

     
    HBO also has a women-centric channel abroad. When will this come in?
    I cannot give a timeframe as to when we will launch more channels. As I have said before, it has to make business sense. The timing has to be right and the market has to be large enough. The distribution scenario is changing as we speak. Cas is not spreading as had been expected earlier but digitisation is. 

  • ‘In a genre that has seen a drop, Star Movies holds over 40% share’ : Star Movies& Star World VP Jyotsna Viriyala

    ‘In a genre that has seen a drop, Star Movies holds over 40% share’ : Star Movies& Star World VP Jyotsna Viriyala

    It has not been an easy year for Star‘s English channels. In a nine-player nine scenario, Star Movies, however, has weathered the storm and held on to its leadership position. Fine-tuning its strategy this year, the channel supplement its library with locally acquired titles.

     

    Star World has created horizontal programming bands to suit the viewing habits. The channel, ranked second in the genre, has still to plug a few gaps in its programming.

     

    In an interview with Indiantelevision.com‘s Ashwin Pinto, Star Movies and Star World VP Jyotsna Viriyala elaborates on Star‘s plans for fortifying the position of the two channels.

     

    Excerpts:

     
    How has Star Movies fine-tuned its strategy this year?

    We are supplementing our library with locally acquired titles. We will also be more aggressive in our marketing.

     
    Is this being pushed due to audience fragmentation with new entrants coming in?
    Fragmentation ate into our nearest competitor‘s share, not ours. We managed to hold on to our share in a category that has seen a drop, thereby increasing market share. We currently hold over 40 per cent of the share in a nine-player scenario.

     
     
    Which properties have delivered?
    Our drivers are the ‘movie of the month,‘ the 9 pm and the 11 pm bands. Over the years we have ensured that the right mix of titles are acquired and made available on time. We have also focussed on creating appointment viewing.

     
     
    Is there a different strategy in acquiring big titles this year?
    The big releases include Alice In Wonderland, Percy Jackson, Australia and Avatar. The split between our library content and premieres remain largely unchanged in the coming year. Programming wise, the top three players are all playing the same combination of premieres and library content.

     

    Of course, the proportion would vary depending on the specifics of strategy and budget. Earlier, Star Movies and HBO played in this space. Pix joined the race effectively over the last one year with some big premieres.
     

     
    Have you created new blocks recently to cater to different TGs?
    Every title airs at a time relevant to the TG available. No new blocks have been created, but we continue to have our 11 pm festivals and movies of the month.

     
     
    ‘In case of Star World there are some missing pieces and we do have plans in place to fill them shortly. Our choice of drama and sitcoms is being fine tuned‘
     

     
    What strategy is being followed to reach viewers in the smaller towns and cities?
    Our key audience resides in the metros and we are reaching them effectively. At the same time, there is the potential to reach out better to people across 27 million + towns. It is clear where we need to focus currently.

     
     
    Last year you said that the focus would be on communicating to advertisers that they should spend more on this genre compared with English news channels…

     

    We met with clients and embarked upon a ‘myth busting‘ exercise. All clients were positively surprised at the findings and they were going to ask their agencies for more information and re-evaluation of plans.

     

    So that exercise did its job then. But it‘s a perception change exercise and when perceptions are so deep-rooted, it will take time for substantial results to start showing. But the good thing was that all clients were very receptive to the information.

     
     
    Have viewers‘ perception of Star Movies changed over the years?
    Research shows that Star Movies rates very high on perception and we believe that this has strengthened over the last one year.

     
     
    Is there a lot of innovation in terms of the packages that Star Movies and Star World offer advertisers beyond the 30-second spot?
    Yes. We invest resources, monies and time into providing solutions to our advertisers. For all substantial spenders, we extend huge value.

     
     
    What new acquisitions were made for the two channels?
    For Star World, we recently acquired the second season of Moment Of Truth and Masterchef Australia. We are in the process of reviewing content that was shown at other markets to make our selections.

     

    On the movies front, we signed a deal with Disney for films. It is a package of new releases and library content. We are in the process of closing the deal with another leading studio.
     
     

    Could you talk about the programme restructuring that Star World went through last year?
    The restructuring of the schedule was done with the objective of creating appointment viewing on the channel. We created horizontal programming bands to suit the viewing habits of the viewer better.

     

    We have seen a 24 per cent increase in viewership after this change over the previous quarter. If we replicated the scheduling pattern that is followed in the US, we would not be able to build viewing habit or attract newer audiences.
     

     
    Data shows that Star World‘s share has only grown marginally and it is still a clear number two. What is the missing piece in the game plan to catch up with competition?
    Data shows that the gap has reduced substantially. We have been number one twice in the last few weeks in digital homes. We have been number one now for the last 9 of 12 weeks, even amongst the SEC A,B audiences. There has been growth. Directionally therefore, we believe, we are on the right track.

     

    But you‘re right. There are some missing pieces and we do have plans in place to fill them shortly. Our choice of drama and sitcoms is being fine tuned. We have acquired popular shows like Moment Of Truth. It‘s no secret that we will have Koffee With Karan. This is just a sample of what will populate the year‘s calendar.

      
    Is Star World also creating time slots for different TGs?
    Well, not really. There is a core TG that we will cater to and all programming will necessarily appeal to this. What we will do is schedule in a manner that will best suit the audience present at any hour.
     

     
    Is Star World looking at any local initiatives?
    Yes we are. It is definitely a part of our programming mix.

     
    What is the criterion for selecting shows for Star World?
    Core audience appeal and fit with channel imagery are the foremost criteria. ‘Appeal‘ of course has many layers and is dictated by our understanding of the core audience and the role our channel plays in his/her life. 

     
    While action thriller remains the most watched content in this genre, the lifestyle quotient has picked up and has replaced comedies as second most popular. Have audience tastes changed recently?
    That‘s true. Lifestyle has indeed picked up. However, I would not go as far as saying that they have replaced comedies because it depends on the sitcom in question.
    Audience tastes have evolved as the environment around them changed. Spa and luxury holidays were not within reach earlier. A wine trail or Latin American dancing were even more niche earlier. Stand up comedy was not so big earlier.
     

     
    The two channels use digital marketing a lot. How effective is it compared to traditional media?
    We have been heavily using digital media. Television, though, will remain the primary vehicle in our media plans.

     
    New players like FX are coming in. Will this boost viewership share for the genre or simply cause fragmentation?
    If there is more of the same thing, then fragmentation is a given. Because nearly 80 per cent of the English general entertainment viewership comes from less than 20 per cent audience. Even if there are gains, they will be marginal.

    Unless you can get sampling from light viewers or maybe non-viewers, a viewership boost is difficult. We will be doing our bit to expand the genre.

  • ‘Our goal is to increase our audience share to 25 per cent’ : Pix business head Sunder Aaron

    ‘Our goal is to increase our audience share to 25 per cent’ : Pix business head Sunder Aaron

    When Pix launched four years back, it had to be content with library movies. Now the English movie channel has evolved into a stage where it can air current titles to draw in younger audiences and nurture ambitions of competing successfully with Star Movies and HBO.

    A focus area for Pix will be to aggressively get into the action genre.

     

    An important mix on the channel is also non-film content including football.

     

    In an interview with Indiantelevision.com‘s Ashwin Pinto, Pix business head Sunder Aaron talks about the channel‘s progress over four years.

     

    Excerpts:
     

     
    What factors prompted Pix to change its positioning to a blockbuster channel?

    Our positioning as a premium Hollywood movie channel has not changed. We are still about telling good stories. It is just that our programming strategy has evolved. Our game plan in 2006 was to transform Pix into a current film channel. We are following the path that we had laid out for ourselves when we launched the channel.

     
    What was the plan in 2006?

    When we launched the channel, we mainly had library movies from Sony and MGM. We also had all time favourites like Jerry Maguire. We still have those but they do not dominate our primetime as much as they used to. We knew that four years down the line we would add current movies and be as current as HBO and Star Movies.

     
    So new films have to be part of the recipe for a successful English movie channel?

    We have learnt that brand new current films are the prized assets in this genre. At the end of the day, that drives spikes in viewership. As long as there are enough spikes, the overall welfare of the channel and its profile will rise. You will see the movie channels that have current films – HBO and Star Movies – excel.

     

    You can have other kinds of films but it is these big, current films that will drive the channel. Within these current films, it is the action genre that is the most valuable and the most attractive. This is what our focus will rest on.
     

     
    Any other lessons that you learnt from the last four years of Pix‘s operations?

    Yes, subtitling. To widen the reach, this is an important tool. We avoided it for a while but our viewers asked us for it. This led to an increase in reach. Shadows of Time, for instance, did well in the six metros. It is a Bengali film with subtitles. Subtitles make it easier for viewers to understand the film.

     
    Is it fair to say that older movies do not have much traction due to the niche nature of this genre?

    You have raised two points. The English film genre is not niche anymore. If you look at it from a cable operator‘s point of view, they must have English movie channels. It is as essential as a sports channel.

     

    One reason why older films do not as work as well is that the audience likes films that are current and sexy. The newer films appeal to the younger generation. Library films have less action and special effects. The style of cutting and editing is different from the way it is now.
     

     
    ‘We will have more current films. Our audience will also be more youthful and we will have a wider reach across the country‘

     
     There are already two channels that showcase blockbusters and aim at becoming bigger and better. How will Pix differentiate itself?

    We operate from India. Star Movies is operated out of Hong Kong, while HBO is based out of Singapore. The fact that we operate out of Mumbai allows us to be more hands on.

     

    We actually do local programming like Chicks on Flicks. We also have sports properties like the FA Cup. Thanks to the World Cup, the soccer fans have grown.

     
     
    What goals have been set for the year?

    Our ultimate goal is to increase our share to 25 per cent and be on the same level as Star Movies and HBO. Right now our share is around 20 per cent. We want more youth tuning in. The current films are aimed at broad basing our reach.
     

     Pix went for a design and look makeover. What was the aim of this?

    We want to draw in younger audiences. It is not that older audiences are not useful but the fact is that the youth are the demographic that advertisers target.

     

    The channel looks slicker and is more attractive visually. Earlier the look we had was too static and flat, colour-wise. Now there is more dynamism.

     
    Is Pix going to create time slots that appeal to different TGs?

    We already have slots like Super Movie of the Month and programming tailored for the afternoon. Our share and time spent has grown though the category as a whole has fallen.

     
    Does the English film genre face fresh challenges this year?

    Scarcity of product is a natural issue. The increase in prices and fragmentation are other issues. We are clever about how we deal with suppliers and where we find our movies. We track viewer feedback regularly. If somebody sends us an email, we read it and even respond sometimes.

     

    Attention spans are changing. People are flipping channels a lot more. Luckily at Pix the time spent has been increasing. This shows that our films and promotions are better.

     
    How much library content is on the channel and what are the big properties coming up?

    Our ratio is the same as our competition. We are airing The Hurt Locker which is a big one. So for two years in a row, we will be airing the Oscar winner for best picture. The other movies include Hot Tub Time Machine, District 9 (science fiction) and New York I love You.

     

    The aim is to have at least one blockbuster each month. Then we have films that are not big blockbusters but are also premiers. If it is really good, it goes into the handpicked movie slot.
     

     
    Have you changed how the weekend is programmed?

    No! We still promote the 9 pm movie. We had the properties Cheap Thrills and Damn Good Drama, but we got rid of those.

     

    How tough will it be to get current films given the fact that major studios already have output deals?

    It is a challenge. We have to be resourceful in terms of finding films that make the channel look good and elevate our level of programming. 

     
    Do Sony‘s films come to Pix first now?

    No! Their films go to HBO first. That output deal is still on.

    Is local content like shows going to be more important going forward?

    It is a distinguishing factor. We have Chicks on Flicks. And we are looking at a couple of other concepts. Gateway (the show done with Ashok Amritraj) will return eventually. It is a complex series that takes planning and it will come back with a new judge. The celebrities on the show have to commit to four to six weeks of shooting.
    We are looking at Hollywood-based film shows. They are useful as interstitial programming.

     
     
    Are you looking at expanding your base into smaller towns?

    It is costly to do marketing there. The focus has to be on the primary target market – which is metros. Beyond that, we do tie ups to reduce costs in secondary and tertiary towns.
    This Is It was an interesting experiment. Since it is a musical and it transcends language barriers and has Michael Jackson, we did promotions in regional languages.

     
    What marketing activities will Pix do this year?

    We will do a brand campaign when we air The Hurt Locker. This will reinforce the new content on our channel. The Hurt Locker is the kind of film that will pull in a wider, more mass audience.

     
    Are out of home activities important?

    Yes! It is important for a channel that is local to behave in a local manner. The Pix Movie club was launched a couple of months back and the response has been strong in places like Mumbai. PVR is our partner and they are also happy with the outcome. You need events to connect with viewers directly on a regular basis.
    We had Hollywood Pix Your Brain last year. This was a trivia quiz. It will return. With This Is It, we did activities in malls like flash mobs. We also did a four-city legendary Michael Jackson tribute. Music groups paid tribute to the late pop star.

     
    What role does digital play?

    It is important given that this is where the youth spend a lot of time. On our site, you can get mobile reminders. We do online promotions. Certain films lend themselves to online promotions like This Is It and Slumdog Millionaire. The budgets are not big and so online is a better way to go about as it is a targeted promotional activity.

     

    Is Pix planning to launch more channels?

    Eventually, we will. We will start with digital platforms, but you will not see another Pix channel for a year. There are channels that launched but fell by the wayside. We do not want that to happen.
     

    Where do you see Pix a year from now?

    We will have more new, current films. Our audience will also be more youthful and we will have a wider reach across the country. The aim is to also have better viewership in secondary and tertiary towns.
  • ‘Ad sector will see a double digit growth this year’ : Havas Media India & South Asia CEO Anita Nayyar

    ‘Ad sector will see a double digit growth this year’ : Havas Media India & South Asia CEO Anita Nayyar

    As the advertising industry prepares to come out of the slowdown clutter, Havas Media has found proper representation in India‘s two high-growth sectors: telecom and automobiles.

     

    While Maxx Mobiles came into the fold in 2009, the big catch this year has been Hyundai.

     

    Havas has almost 50 per cent of its revenues coming from the top five clients – Reckitt Benckiser, Jockey, Bank of Baroda, Max Mobiles and MTS. With Hyundai falling into the net, the top six are in a position to power the media agency‘s growth story in India.

     

    Havas will stay Delhi and Mumbai focussed while posting slow growth from its three southern offices – Bangalore, Chennai and Hyderabad.

     

    The big push will come from its integrated funtions – sports, digital and out-of-home.

     

    In an interview with Indiantelevision.com‘s Anindita Sarkar, Havas Media India & South Asia CEO Anita Nayyar speaks about her company‘s growth plans at large.

     

    Excerpts:

     
     
    How has the first half of the year fared for MPG India?

    We are on track as far as revenues and billings are concerned. On a percentage basis, we have met out targets quite in line with last year and the growth has come from both existing and new businesses. While our existing clients have fared better for us this year, the new businesses have also helped in pumping up the growth.

     
    But are you implying that 2010 has been similar to 2009 in terms of growth?

    Yes. We won MTS and Maxx Mobiles last year and Hyundai this year, all large and prestigious clients. And both telecom/handsets and automobiles are considered as categories doing well with minimal recessionary impact. We also won Dixcy, News X and M3M this year.

     
    As far as revenues are concerned, which clients and categories are the largest contributors?

    We have a client list that is upwards of 50 and across categories which include FMCG, telecom, automobiles, banking, mobile hand sets, beauty and wellness, media and real estate. About 40-50 per cent of our revenues come from our top five clients – Reckitt Benckiser, Jockey, Bank of Baroda, Maxx Mobiles and MTS.

     
    What are your expectations for 2010?

    We foresee a decent growth in 2010, given that 2009 was a recessionary year. Percentage growth in our integrated functions – sports, digital, and out-of-home – will be better as margins in offline business is pretty low.
     
     
    But has not out-of-home taken a hit this year?

    I don‘t think so. In fact, out-of-home has been doing very well for our clients and though it has not increased dramatically, it has surely not taken a dip.

     
    ‘About 40-50 per cent of our revenues come from our top five clients – Reckitt Benckiser, Jockey, Bank of Baroda, Maxx Mobiles and MTS‘

     
    Which are the geographical areas that show potential in terms of advertising?

    As far as we are concerned, we have five offices across India – Delhi, Mumbai, Bangalore, Hyderabad and Chennai and we expect our growth to come in primarily from Delhi and Mumbai. Growth from the southern market is slow for us.

    Overall, from the consumer‘s point of view, the potential surely lies in the semi-urban and rural areas.

     
    How are the other divisions faring – Havas Sports & Ent, Media Contacts and MPG active?

    All three are doing well and on an upswing. Havas Sports took up interesting projects during IPL like the strategic sponsorship deal and the Dhoni endorsement with Max. We are in the process of finalising some more deals. Digital is seeing an interesting growth and Media Contacts is encashing on the situation. MPG Active has been in the news for executing interesting campaigns including the one on INQ Mobiles where they executed the country‘s tallest billboard.

     
    How do you predict the 2010 advertising scenario to be like?

    We should hit double digit growth in 2010. It should be somewhere in the region of 10-12 per cent, though the pace is a bit slow.

     
    According to Tam, the first half of the year has seen a 36 per cent rise in TV ad volumes. Revenue, however, is not growing at the same speed. Why?

    There is too much of a fragmentation today and this is making it difficult to attract the consumer. There are multiple touch points today to capture consumer attention and you never know when and where the consumer will spot the advertisement. And though the ad volumes are increasing, we are not seeing much increase in ad rates.

     
    How much of a change has recession brought into the functioning methods of an advertising strategy?

    When recession‘s not around, we tend to work more liberally. However, recession always teaches businesses to get more from less and our business is no exception. This time around, it taught us to keep a tight watch on our purse string. It told us that we can do with lesser inputs, work, people and resources. Also, while there was a bit of retrenchment as far as our industry is concerned, it was more about not giving increments during the period.

     
    Which advertising platform is expected to show the maximum growth?

    Digital for sure. This is because the medium is progressing towards accountability and efficiency. The platform is seeing about 40 per cent growth year-on-year as advertisers are increasingly getting into the digital and media space.
  • ‘Sab is the only channel in India that is doing daily comedies’ : Sab EVP and business head Anooj Kapoor

    ‘Sab is the only channel in India that is doing daily comedies’ : Sab EVP and business head Anooj Kapoor

    The top three Hindi general entertainment channels punched hard at the second-tier channels with differentiated content, high-cost reality shows and big ticket movies. Barring Sab, the others such as Star One and Sahara One cracked under pressure.

     

    So what did Sab do right? It correctly positioned itself as a family comedy entertainment channel and brought in light-hearted content that worked.

     

    Sab had a basket of shows that crossed 1 TVR, catapaulting the channel to 101 GRPs for the week ended 12 June.

     

    The channel will stick to its low-cost programming but also introduce family-based reality shows.

     

    In an interview with Indiantelevision.com, Sab EVP and business head Anooj Kapoor talks about how the channel progressed in a difficult environment and what content is planned for its growth.

     

    Excerpts:

    The top three Hindi general entertainment channels are seeing high drama. How has Sab managed to march ahead in this adverse environment for the second-tier GECs?
    The channel has traveled a long way since its 28 GRP days that it used to collect two and a half years ago. We have even crossed 100 GRPs. Our progress happened after we repositioned Sab as a family entertainment channel. We aired daily family comedy shows, showcased warm and lovable characters and mixed differentiation with familiar content.

    The familiarities come in the form of joint family settings, female protagonists, and linear shows running from Monday to Thursday. The differentiating part is content that is light hearted and positive. We have the only set of shows where the consumer and ‘sasural‘ both love the female protagonist and the channel is as such the only one which has a brand slogan in the GEC sector. This helps in our positioning and it is now clear, specific and well defined.

    What led to this change of positioning of SAB from a youth to a comedy channel?
    Earlier the wisdom in the channel was one which felt the TG should be between the 16-25 years age group. But we forgot that the viewership pattern in India is different. There are more single TV households and it is the women who control the remote.

     

    Thus all prime time spots need the women onboard as that is the key. That‘s why all shows depicting women suffering, like dowry issues, female infanticides etc. which are such deep rooted stigmas, strike a chord with the audience that is predominantly female, and can empathise and relate easily to what‘s shown.

     

    We, on the other hand, are addressing the fact that times have changed, families are now more nuclear, and there is more balance and light-heartedness. We have barely done 50 per cent of what we can do, but consumers have understood the message we are sending-“Laugh as a family, than cry alone.”

    Has this led to an increase in advertisement revenues?
    Yes, in the last 30 months our advertising revenues have increased as well. Earlier we had just about 35 advertisers on board, but right now we have more than 60. Back then, Star One and Sahara were in the 70s and 80s as far as GRP‘s go and now they are nowhere close to us, even though they have bigger budgets. In fact even NDTV Imagine, which we are only marginally behind on the overall GRPs and now ahead of in the primetime Monday-Thursday slot, has a seven times higher budget than ours.

    Are you looking to come out with some high cost production shows in the future, seeing the current trend in GECs?
    No, we are not looking to do any high cost productions since they are currently not needed, as we have not yet hit the stagnation level and are still growing at a steady pace. We are also not looking for funding of any kind.

    How has the journey into the comedy space been for SAB?
    We are currently the only channel in India that is doing daily comedies. Most channels will run a weekly comedy at the most. Apart from this, our silent comedy, Gutur Gu, is only the second ever silent comedy to be really successful, after Mr. Bean, and we are now going to sell the show abroad via syndication. So, I‘d say the journey into this genre has been hugely satisfying, successful and fun for all of us.
    ‘We are on the lookout for non-fiction or reality shows. Our plan is to have a family-based concept for a reality show‘

    Have the lower budgets hampered on the production value?
    Well not really, as we have been able to manage our costs very well, even though the sets we create and use are very huge too. In Lapataganj we have created an entire village, while in Tarak Mehta Ka Ultah Chasmah the set is an entire colony. And to top it all in our newest show to be aired, Papad Pol Shahuddin Rathod Ki Rangeen Duniya, we have created an entire town as the set!

     

    Thus we have been able to improve at an operational level without compromising on our sets or production values, while maintaining a tight budget and getting the desired results.

    What are you the most proud of when it comes to SAB‘s current standing and position in the market?
    Currently 5 of our shows have a 1+ rating and this is really quite an achievement. I say this not only because it is quite difficult to have shows with even a rating of 1, but more so as we achieved this irrespective of the huge constraints we face as a channel. These include us not having an afternoon slot. Due to budgeting, our programming is restricted predominantly from Mondays-Thursday; the number of hours of programming and even our overall reach are all major hurdles we are currently faced with.

    What areas are you concentrating on in terms of investments why?
    We are going to invest a lot in distribution. Trying to move from the 38 to 55 per cent reach is the first gap we are hoping to plug. In just a few weeks of work, we have already managed to move from 38 to 41. We are also going to improve the placement of the channel.

     

    Besides, we want to expand our programming to 6 days, including Saturdays, without trying anything different in terms of genre.

    The current flavour of all channels has been reality shows and non-fiction. Is SAB going to venture into that space as well?
    As far as non-fiction or reality shows go, that is definitely on the cards too, and is a genre we would like to look at. We are, in fact, on the look out for a family-based concept for a reality show but are yet to come across something.

    SAB is one of the few channels that markets the entire channel and not just shows. What are the initiatives you are currently involved in?
    We are in the midst of many marketing initiatives right now, specifically in places where families will be together like theatres, bus shelters and other OOH areas.

    We even had a SAB mela in Ahemdabad which was a family fair attended by 27000 people and this was truly a one of its kind consumer connect campaign.

     

    The fair was another platform for family entertainment where people even got to meet and spend time with many of the artists from the shows they like. The fair also had a school connect program, where different schools and college teams participated in entertainment activities like group dance performances. We also had a lot of local artists and cultural flavours at the fair, and the overall response was so encouraging that we have decided to repeat this initiative in 15 more cities this year.

     

    Our other marketing plans as a channel include a radio promo, SAB ka Damadji wherein the “damadji” character created comes on air and talks to a group of ladies who ask him questions and he answers them via jokes and funny anecdotes.

     

    Also the virals we have been airing have done very well and have helped get in more viewers.

    Tell us a little about your new show, Papad Pol Shahuddin Rathod Ki Rangeen Duniya, that will be aired soon?
    We like taking renowned pieces of literature and using it for our shows. This is the basis of our new show too, which Shahuddin Rathod, an author with global following, has penned. His humour is warm, family based, closed knit and has a message.

    Papad Pol is like a street or machala where most of the people living are in the papd business. It is their lives and day-to-day interaction that forms the show.

    What‘s next for SAB viewers to look forward to?
    Next in the line for SAB is another silent comedy which will hopefully hit the air by July. The pilot has already been shot and approved. Apart from that, another show along the lines of Pink Panther, which is about a bumbling detective who solves crimes, will be specifically for weekend viewing.
  • Dibang joins Star News

    Dibang joins Star News

    MUMBAI: Former NDTV India managing editor Dibang, best known for his talk show Muqabala on NDTV, has joined Star News.

    “I joined Star News last week and will be doing some shows for the Hindi news channel,” Dibang told Indiantelevision.com.

    Dibang also added that he is in talks with the channel on the formats of the shows.

    Dibang had left Aaj Tak to join Dr Prannoy Roy-promoted NDTV way back in 2003 as executive editor. Later, in 2005 he was promoted as managing editor of the Hindi news channel.

    However, in a sudden and shocking development, he stepped down as NDTV managing editor in August 2004.

    Prior to TV news, Dibang was associated with The Sunday Times of India. He started his career in journalism with The Illustrated Weekly of India.