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Tag: Kaun Banega Crorepati

  • Kaun Banega Crorepati and its glorious 20 years

    Kaun Banega Crorepati and its glorious 20 years

    MUMBAI: It was in 1999 when Zee TV and Sony TV led the charts with shows like Amanat, Hasratein and Ek Mahal Ho Sapno Ka, while Star India was struggling to keep up with its counterparts, especially in the prime time slot of 9 pm to 10 pm. Star India had highly appreciated shows but it didn’t get them the expected ratings.

    With a sheer hope to turn around Star TV’s brand image and positioning, the then Star India CEO Peter Mukherjea and programming head Sameer Nair. Steve Askew and Nair’s boss in Hong Kong, came across a popular show Who Wants to Be a Millionaire in UK and Australia. Nair is currently the CEO of Applause Entertainment.

    Later, in July 1999 Askew showed a snippet of the show to Nair. Initially, Nair was hesitant about the format of the show, he asked Askew to buy the rights for Who Wants to Be A Millionaire from ECM. He started looking for someone to create a similar show in India.

    Nair zeroed in on Siddhartha Basu, a quiz master,  who had earlier worked with Star Plus for current affairs show with journalist Vir Sanghvi called A Question of Answers.

    Under Nair’s guidance, the channel brought, Kaun Banega Crorepati  a reality show that has changed the destiny of three brands – Star TV, Amitabh Bachchan, and Samir Nair. On 3 July 2000 KBC went on air it was also the year Indian television changed.

    Today, the shooting for the twelfth season of quiz show Kaun Banega Crorepati is in process. Host Amitabh Bachchan, who has been a part of the quiz show since 2000, shared glimpses of the first day of the shoot on social media and also celebrated 20 years of Kaun Banega Crorepati in his own style. "20 saal, 12 parv, KBC: Kaun Banega Crorepati, arambh! (20 years, 12 festival, KBC: Kaun Banega Crorepati, begin!)"he tweeted.

    Let us have a look at the KBC campaigns over the last 20 years.

    Nau Baj Gaye Kya?

    In 2000, Star Plus launched KBC with its campaign ‘Nau Baj Gaye Kya?’ It was also the first time when megastar Bachchan appeared on a small screen. The campaign spoke about giving chance to viewers to win the prize money, worth Rs 1 crore. KBC not only changed the destiny of the reality shows on television, but also helped Bachchan and Star Plus regain their lost glory.

    Umeed Se Dugna

    After a hiatus of 5 years, KBC was launched in 2005 and this time the prize money was doubled to Rs 2 crore. To promote the new season and create a buzz in the market Star Plus came up with a rap campaign named Umeed Se Dugna. The season, however, ended abruptly with Bachchan falling ill.

    Kuch Sawaal Zindagi Badal Sakte Hain

    In 2006, when Bachchan fell ill, the channel had roped in Bollywood actor Shah Rukh Khan to host season 3 of KBC. The campaign highlighted that some questions can change the life. However, the change of host didn’t go well with the audiences and ratings started to go down. This time KBC decided to take three years gap.

    Koi Bhi Sawaal Chota Nahi Hota

    With the new season falling flat, and the show witnessed considerable dip in ratings. Star Network denied reviewing the rights. It was around this time, that KBC moved to Sony Entertainment.

    The’ campaign titled ‘Koi Bhi Sawaal Chota Nahi Hota’ was directed and produced by Chrome Pictures. This was also the season where a whopping prize money of Rs 5 crore was introduced. This year was crucial for Sony Network as the rival network Viacom18’s Hindi General Entertainment Channel (GEC) Colors has acquired the rights to Bigg Boss which was earlier aired on Sony TV with Arshad Warsi as a host.

    Koi Bhi Insaan Chota Nahi Hota

    In 2011, KBC launched their brand new campaign ‘Koi Bhi Insaan Chota Nahi Hota’ which highlighted the importance of never underestimating anyone and their talent.

    Dusra Mauka

    In the sixth season KBC incorporated cause-advertising in its promotion. It focused on deep-rooted issues like girl child, dalits and more. The campaign was conceptualised by Leo Burnett. Amitabh Bachchan explained the power of knowledge, by reciting a verse ‘Gyaan Hi Aapko aapka Haq Dilate hain’.

    Seekhna Bandh to Jeetna Bandh

    In 2013, KBC with its campaign titled ‘Seekhna Bandh to Jeetna Bandh’ pointing out the importance of learning, because the moment you stop learning, your progress comes to a grinding halt. This year the price money was hiked up to Rs 7 crore.

    Yahan Sirf Paise Nahi Dil Bhi Jeete Jaate

    In 2014 KBC released a campaign titled ‘Yahan Sirf Paise Nahi Dil Bhi Jeete Jaate’, it became an instant hit among the audiences.  It showcased the sensitive issues like Hindu-Muslim animosity and discrimination of north East people in India.

    Jawaab Dene ka Waqt aa Gaya Hai

    In its ninth season, Sony Network had discontinued its long-standing association with Leo Burnett. This time the campaign was conceptualised, directed, and written by Dangal movie director Nitesh Tiwari, Nikhil Mehrotra. The campaign dealt with a slice of life situations.   

    Kab Tak Rokoge

    Continuing with their partnership with Nitesh Tiwari and Nikhil Mehrotra ahead, the campaign titled ‘Kab Tak Rokoge’ focused on the spirit of resilience.

    Vishwaas Hai toh Khade Raho…Adey Raho

    Released in 2019, the campaign  Vishwaas Hai toh Khade Raho…Adey Raho again conceptualised by Nitesh Tiwari, had humour in it.  It narrated the story of a youth who breaks the shackles of societal norms and succeeds in life.

    Jo Bhi Ho, Setback Ka Jawaab Comeback Se Do.

    The twelfth  season of Kaun Banega Crorepati (KBC) gears up for the most celebrated comeback with the thought – Jo Bhi Ho, Setback Ka Jawaab Comeback Se Do.

  • KBC 12 and the sponsorship puzzle

    KBC 12 and the sponsorship puzzle

    MUMBAI: Sony TV’s Kaun Banega Crorepati is one show which has stood the test of time. In its twentieth season in India, the game show is still popular and appreciated by people of all ages. KBC has always been synonymous with knowledge; it is a platform where contestants’ brains have got them big winnings year-on-year. And, of course there is the iconic host of the show upon whom India dotes, the thespian Amitabh Bachchan. SET has already released the promo for this year.

    However, this year, KBC is going to be different. To start with, the contestant selection process has gone digital owing to the SARS-CoV-2 outbreak in the country. Interestingly, SET shared the first glimpse of the KBC’s newly constructed set where the shoot starts from today. It has been reported that there will no audiences during the shoot, but only one member with the participant will be allowed to be present in the seating area.

    The broadcaster has already signed two premium co-presenting partners for the game show – Tata Salt and Vedantu. The race for lining up other sponsors is on; however no new names have been released by the broadcasting team, until the filing of this report.

    Media planners and buyers opine that Sony is currently charging Rs four lakh for a 10-second spot, which would be aired on the standard definition and high definition feeds. The industry view – in the best case scenario – is that KBC being a flagship property, will see those rates holding and, in the worst case, getting shaved by five to 10 per cent on the upper side.

    “All big properties have opened at similar to last year’s rates,” says Shripad Kulkarni & Associates principal Shripad Kulkarni. “Nobody is expecting overall ad spends to be more than 80 per cent of the last festive season. Moreover, IPL will suck away a big chunk of the budget, so all the big properties are staring at a 15-20 per cent lower yield. Other television genres would see a bigger hit in net yields,” mentions Kulkarni.

    Media Ant founder Samir Chaudhary also echoes a similar sentiment and suggests that the rate card for KBC is similar to what it was last year. “In the usual scenario the channel would have booked 80 per cent of the inventory in advance and only 10 percent would be left for spot selling. The situation has changed now due to festivities and the IPL. Since all of these are getting bunched up in terms of timing, the spends will get distributed,” he avers.

    Chauudhary adds that the network does not have too much time before the show comes on air, so it might have to do both sponsorship and spot sales simultaneously, unlike prior years when it first got the sponsors in and then sold FCT at a premium.

    KBC has always been a premium property that has attracted brands from across the categories. In 2019, Vivo V11 pro and Mahindra Marazzo were the co-powered sponsors along with additional associate sponsors. The game show has the ability to cut across all ages and the brand equity of the legendary actor Bachchan has helped it make a grand success over the years.

    Havas Media buying national head R. Venkatasubramanian believes that KBC will finally get support from advertisers and sponsors even though that looks like a challenging task currently. Says he: “This is a high investment property and clients will choose a vehicle on which they are getting ROI and KBC does offer that.”

    According to ex- Madison Media chief operating officer Anita Bose, as agencies and clients are not meeting, one can see a big difference between closing a deal face to face versus doing it online. She notes that even if KBC is a successful property with a great track record, clients are not willing to spend that kind of money that’s being asked. It is one of the reasons why KBC got postponed, she shares, adding “starting a reality show will be challenging because of the pandemic, the client portfolio will also be different now. They are being very cautious.”

    The pessimists and naysayers are of the view that due to the fact that cases of Covid2019 are continuing to rise and the IPL is coinciding with the festive season, television is not finding the going easy. Their view is that IPL may end up eating 40 per cent of viewership, which could lead to a drop in GEC viewership, with the movie and news genres continuing to hold strong. Red lights may start blinking for the entire TV sector if the festive season doesn’t live up to its promise and expectation, setting TV channels back for the rest of the year.

    Bose further reveals that due to the economic slowdown, clients are hesitant to spend. As far as discounts or incentive plans are concerned, she thinks there will be no cash price offs from channels. “I think there will be other value offers which will make sense to clients. The channel will not reduce the price, as it is a matter of prestige but what makers can do is to give more value addition on the network and that is how the selling will happen. Also, depending upon the client’s requirement they can tailor it accordingly.”

    She adds that since KBC is a format which follows the original, there are lots of dos and don’ts which advertisers have to adhere to, unlike other shows where the flexibility is more.

    Venkatasubramanian highlights that the show will also get support from mobile, consumer durables, automobiles, and tyre categories that are more than willing to pick up a slot on the 12-strong KBC sponsor rack. He believes that “ecommerce brands will probably go in for spot buy deals with edtuech companies stepping on to the podium.”

    We can only wait and watch and see if his predictions will come true.

  • Sony Entertainment Television set to launch KBC season 12

    Sony Entertainment Television set to launch KBC season 12

    MUMBAI: 2020 as a year, has been etched in everyone’s minds, for all the wrong reasons. However, it’s for us to decide how to overcome these setbacks and march ahead. The will and determination to move forward come from within, and this year, the season 12 of Kaun Banega Crorepati (KBC) gears up for the most celebrated comeback with the thought – Jo Bhi Ho, Setback Ka Jawaab Comeback Se Do.

    Conceptualised and written by Nitesh Tiwari & Nikhil Mehrotra, the campaign of this season brings forth relatable examples, through humane stories, which inspire and encourage people to make a greater comeback in life.

    With season 12 of KBC on the anvil, the iconic brand synonymous with the show – Amitabh Bachchan – is also gearing up to welcome and applaud contestants from across the country.

    Sony Entertainment Television business planning and communication head Amit Raisinghani said, “KBC celebrates the achievements of people irrespective of how small or big the achievements are. The campaign this year has been driven by people’s determination to turn adverse circumstances in their favor and move ahead in life. It’s always a pleasure to work with Tiwari, who exactly knows the pulse of the situation, and creates impactful ad films for KBC. We hope like in the past, this campaign resonates strongly with our audience.”

    Tiwari said, “I am grateful for the trust that Sony puts in me each year for the KBC campaigns. This year is of course very different and challenging for all of us in every aspect. But it has been a year of learning and exploring avenues that probably weren’t thought of, paving the path for something meaningful. This leads us to the insight that there is a spark somewhere in each one of us that keeps us going, notwithstanding the obstacles, however big or small. The idea of this campaign is to reignite the spark and inspire people to move ahead in life.”

  • ‘Who wants to be a Millionaire’ host Regis Philbin passes on at the age of 88

    ‘Who wants to be a Millionaire’ host Regis Philbin passes on at the age of 88

    MUMBAI: Life is strange and ironical. Even as Amitabh Bachchan, the Indian superstar and host of Kaun Banega Crorepati (the Indian adaptation of Who Wants to be a Millionaire), is fighting the SARS Cov2 virus in a Mumbai hospital, Regis Philbin, the host for many years of the American original, passed away on late Friday night in the US. He was all of 88.

    For those who don’t know, Philbin was associated with television for nearly six decades. His was a struggle to rise to the pinnacles that he finally did. In the beginning, he was a stagehand or spot boy as they are called in India. He then moved on to become a news writer-cum-sportscaster for some years in the sixties, hosted his own show on local television, moved onto acting,  then became part of comic Joey Bishop’s entourage before getting the full limelight later in his life.

    It was in 1988 that he burst out on the national scene on ABC with the talk show Live! With Regis and Kathie Lee that followed The Morning Show which he hosted alone between 19833 and 1988. His partnership with Kathie Lee Gifford ran for 12 years until 2000 when he once again got his own routine Live with Regis between 2000 and 2001. After that followed a decade of a jointly presenting with Kelly Ripa until 2011.

    In 1999, he was called to additionally host Who Wants to Be a Millionaire, which became a major hit in the US, drawing an audience of 30 million – a record for a game show. He hosted it until 2002, when it started seeing a drop in viewership and ratings, coming back for specials later over the next 10 years. Bachchan had met the host of the UK original Chris Tarrant on taking up the assignment and had watched Regis in 2000 when Star India acquired the rights to remake it in India. In fact, Bachchan was also a guest on the Regis Philbin Morning Show when he was on a concert tour in the US.

    In between his television assignments, Philbin acted in more than 25 films.

    Philbin was known to ad-lib, write his own material throughout his career. He had a particular sense of humour which worked well with baby boomers in America.

    Industry showered him with awards galore: he was the recipient of daytime Emmys for Live! With Regis and Who Wants to Be a Millionaire in 2001. A lifetime achievement award followed in 2008 and then he got another Emmy for Live! With Regis and Kelly in 2011. For his contribution to television, he got inducted into the Television Hall of Fame in 2006.

  • Hindi news genre gained growth in viewership last year

    Hindi news genre gained growth in viewership last year

    MUMBAI: Despite the overwhelming growth of digital platforms, television remains the most penetrated mass-medium in India. Although broadcasters battled worries like economic slowdown, the new tariff regime, the audience was not deprived of good programming. The entertainment segment saw returning seasons of Kaun Banega Crorepati, Bigg Boss along with popular fiction shows. Other important genres like sports and news were also full of attention-grabbing events like ICC Cricket World Cup, general election. 

    2019 has proved to be an action-packed period for the news channels leading more people to watch news. General Election, ICC Cricket World Cup, State Elections, terror strikes and counter measures,Rammandir Verdict, CAA-NRC issue – a bouquet of important events has helped the Hindi news genre to garner the highest viewership in 2019.

    In the Hindi Speaking Market (HSM), Hindi News genre has seen the highest growth in viewership, 26 per cent rise from 2018. Other than Hindi News, Sports genre has witnessed an increase of 22 per cent in 2019. While the year was eventful for the news genre, cricket content including international tournaments, T-20 leagues has definitely worked as a catalyst for the sports viewership growth.

    During the year, Hindi GEC genre has contained hit shows both in scripted and non-scripted format including Kundali Bhagya, Naagin, Taarak Mehta Ka Ooltah Chashmah, Kaun Banega Crorepati, Big Boss. But despite having good fiction shows and new formats, the genre has struggled to grow its viewership in the year. According to data, Hindi GEC viewership has experienced a fall of 23 per cent in viewership.

    Overall the year was a challenging one for the broadcast industry due to implementation of new tariff regime, economic slowdown. While the two factors have affected the entire ecosystem- the niche genres have struggled most, especially due to the new tariff order. The viewership of hindi movies, hind music genre has fallen by 21 per cent and 9 per cent respectively.

    Among the leading HSM channels, Aaj Tak, Sony Max, Star Sports 1 Hindi, were able to maintain their leadership in the respective genres. However, Aaj Tak which has been leading the Hindi News genre since last 19 years, is only National channel to maintain top position throughout the 52 weeks. Star Plus has emerged as the leading channel in Hindi GEC genre replacing Star Bharat with 15 per cent growth. At the same time, B4U Music has replaced Masti to lead the Hindi Music genre with a 12 per cent growth.

     

  • BARC week 38: SET becomes top channel in urban market

    BARC week 38: SET becomes top channel in urban market

    MUMBAI: Sony Entertainment Television (SET) became the number 1 channel in the urban market. In week 38 of BARC India ratings the channel garnered 520598 weekly impressions (000s). Star Plus which was leading in the urban market slipped down to second position. SET's two shows Kaun Banega Crorepati and Superstar Singer Singing Kaa Kal has propelled the growth of viewership on the channel. Both the shows have also made their places in the top five Hindi GEC programme on pay platform at fourth and fifth positions.

    Urban

    Rank Channel Name Weekly Impressions (000s) sum
        Week 38
    1 Sony Entertainment Television 520598
    2 STAR Plus 471067
    3 SONY SAB 430135
    4 Zee TV 381340
    5 Colors 355628
    6 Dangal 260602
    7 STAR Bharat 193768
    8 &TV 106442
    9 Big Magic 91529
    10 STAR Utsav 86459
    HSM (Urban) : NCCS All : 2+ Individuals, 

    On pay platform, SET has moved up to second position and Star Utsav and &TV exchanged their places at ninth and tenth positions.

    Pay Platform

    Rank Channel Name Weekly Impressions (000s) sum
        Week 38
    1 STAR Plus 732152
    2 Sony Entertainment Television 723452
    3 Zee TV 688952
    4 SONY SAB 620651
    5 Colors 539833
    6 STAR Bharat 307313
    7 Dangal 239822
    8 Sony Pal 156097
    9 STAR Utsav 155981
    10 &TV 140681
    HSM (U+R) : NCCS All : 2+ Individuals, 

    Dangal, Big Magic, DD National, DD Bharati, DD Arunprabha, DD Uttar Pradesh, DD Rajasthan and DD Madhya Pradesh were seen at first, second, third, fourth, fifth, sixth, seventh and eighth positions respectively.

    Free Platform

    Rank Channel Name Weekly Impressions (000s) sum
        Week 38
    1 Dangal 794799
    2 Big Magic 359501
    3 DD National 44258
    4 DD Bharati 5099
    5 DD Arunprabha 4783
    6 DD Uttar Pradesh 2285
    7 DD Rajasthan 1772
    8 DD Madhya Pradesh 1408
    HSM (U+R) : NCCS All : 2+ Individuals, 

    In rural market, SET and Sony SAB exchanged their place at fifth and sixth position. In week 38, Star Utsav  replaced Zee Anmol at tenth position.

    Rural

    Rank Channel Name Weekly Impressions (000s) sum
        Week 38
    1 Dangal 774020
    2 Big Magic 326376
    3 Zee TV 308434
    4 STAR Plus 261798
    5 Sony Entertainment Television 204474
    6 SONY SAB 193141
    7 Colors 185580
    8 STAR Bharat 114316
    9 Sony Pal 75640
    10 STAR Utsav 70769
    HSM (Rural) : NCCS All : 2+ Individuals, 
  • Vishwaas Hai, Toh Khade Raho… #AdeyRaho says Kaun Banega Crorepati

    Vishwaas Hai, Toh Khade Raho… #AdeyRaho says Kaun Banega Crorepati

    MUMBAI: Jab aap ka target, samaj ke target se match nahin karta, to aap samaj ka target ban jaate hain… At times, it can be difficult to stand up to one’s own family or the society at large, in pursuit of following your belief or ambitions. Given the damnation and the emotional atyachaar that follows, it’s very easy to get discouraged. However, if you truly believe in yourself, agar vishwaas hai, toh khade raho… #AdeyRaho – keep at it. Because what doesn’t break you, only makes you stronger.

    The campaign of the 11th Season of Kaun Banega Crorepati (KBC), simply iterates this thought beautifully. Conceptualized, written and directed by Nitesh Tiwari, this year’s campaign brings forth situations that are extremely relatable and thought provoking, with a tinge of humour.

    With KBC on the anvil, the iconic name synonymous with the show – Mr. Amitabh Bachchan is also gearing up to welcome and applaud contestants from across the country who will showcase the power of their knowledge.

  • Kannada KBC to air on Colors Kannada starting 22 June

    Kannada KBC to air on Colors Kannada starting 22 June

    BENGALURU: Viacom18 has taken over where Star India left off – the Kannada version of Kaun Banega Crorepati – Kannadada Kotyadipathi or KK will start airing on Viacom18’s flagship Kannada GEC Colors Kannada and its HD counterpart Colors Kannada HD starting Saturday 22 June.

    It’s a strategic move as far as Viacom18’s Kannada entertainment cluster head Parameshwar Bhat is concerned – Colors Kannada has a strong lineup of programmes for the week. More often than not, more than half of the programmes in Broadcast Audience Research Council of India (BARC) list of top 5 Kannada programmes in Karnataka during primetime are aired on it. Besides, on most weeks, Colors Kannada is the most watched Kannada channel based on BARC weekly data.

    Bhat needed the weekend programming of his flagship channel to be strengthened – he asked for it and got the rights for KK for his channel when Star India forsake the show after a not very successful season in 2018. Colors will air 41 episodes, of which 4 have already been canned, for the clone that has been tweaked for local Kannada audiences of the globally popular Who Wants To Be A Millionaire. Colors has tweaked the fourth season of KK a bit as compared to the previous editions – besides the changes that evolved with each season, the channel has brought back Kannada film icon Puneeth Rajkumar to host the show.

    Industry pundits peg the KK cost per episode at Rs 25 lakh or thereabouts. While not confirming the estimates, Bhat is confident that the show will be in the black. And he has his experience with Kannada Bigg Boss to back his confidence. “A property such as Kannadada Kotyadipathi attracts spot advertisers even during the day of the broadcast of the show,” he says. Bhat says that he is sure of them coming in, more so for the weekend, which incidentally, he feels is just an urban phenomenon. For rural folks all weekdays are the same, be they working days or weekends for the rest of the world. He has already roped in Wipro’s soap brand Santoor as presenting sponsor, Eastern Masala and detergent Rin as powered by sponsor and another soap brand – Chandrika Soap as special partner. His marketing is actively working out deals, he says.

    Colors has a 360-degree marketing plan to attract eyeballs for KK with touchpoints across on-ground, outdoor, radio, print, cross channel and digital. However, outdoor and billboard promos on the 500 to 600 Karnataka State Road Transport Corporation buses have been restricted to outside Bengaluru for now. Once the show starts Bhat plans to strategically release ads across media including print. Most of the creative work has been done in-house by the channel’s own teams.

    Company speak:

    Besides strengthening the weekend slot, there are other reasons for Colors doing the show. Here’s what Viacom18 Head of regional entertainment Ravish Kumar had to say via a press release: “The language content consumers have grown enormously over the years and though their tastes vary from region to region, they all converge at family game-show formats like Who Wants To Be A Millionaire. The universality of a quiz-show brings about cohesivity in viewing making it enjoyable and enhances captive engagement. Featuring real people and stories that showcase their aspiration and reason to win a substantial sum makes for a compelling content proposition.”

    Kumar further added, “Gauging the success of our previous two editions in different languages, we’re confident that Kannadada Kotyadipathi will certainly be well received by viewers as well as the advertisers on our channel, who rely on us to bring only the best of content to Kannada television.”

    Elaborating further, Bhat said, “Colors Kannada leads the roster in creating and presenting pathbreaking content for its viewers, and Kannada Kotyadipathi is yet another example of our commitment to be industry leaders. We’re luring audience to a form of entertainment that keeps them engaged as well as invested. While the format of the game remains unchanged, we’re scaling up the production and sprucing our treatment to make it more delightful for viewers across genres and milieu; and are also bringing back on board the indomitable superstar Puneeth Rajkumar who will multitask as a host, a friend and a guide.”

    KK is produced by Studio Next, the production house of Sony Pictures Networks. Studio Next holds the license of the format, for all Indian languages and has produced more than 1,800 episodes of the show across nine languages. The latest edition of KK will have an upgraded look and feel including an advanced set, claims a press release

    Studio Next head Indranil Chakraborty said, “We are extremely happy and privileged to bring the show to the people of Karnataka with their favourite host, Puneet Rajkumar and in the leading channel, Colors Kannada. We have maintained the same ethos of the show as in other languages, followed strict and transparent process for contestant selection and delivered production quality of the highest standards. Kannada Kothyadipathi will celebrate the great leveller of our society i.e. knowledge”.

  • Reliance Entertainment’s Big Synergy Landmark Production ‘Kaun Banega Crorepati’ Awarded “Best Game Show” at Indian Telly Awards

    Reliance Entertainment’s Big Synergy Landmark Production ‘Kaun Banega Crorepati’ Awarded “Best Game Show” at Indian Telly Awards

    MUMBAI: Anil D. Ambani led Reliance Entertainment's Big Synergy production Kaun Banega Crorepati (KBC) won the “Editorial Choice Award for the Best Game Show” at the Indian Telly Awards 2019 underlining the company’s distinct strength and wide experience to create and execute the most entertaining and high rating non-fiction shows. 

    Big Synergy produced the past seasons of KBC, hosted by the iconic and India’s biggest superstar Amitabh Bachchan, in Hindi for Sony Entertainment. Airing on Sony, KBC is one of the most watched television shows on the Indian television and is loved by the viewers across Indian urban and rural markets for almost two decades. With its superlative presentation and exceptional execution, KBC is amongst the most awarded long-running television franchises in India.

    Rajiv Bakshi, CEO of Reliance Entertainment’s Big Synergy said, "It’s a proud honour for the entire team to win the Editorial Choice Award for the Best Game Show for Kaun Banega Crorepati. KBC is a landmark show for the entire industry and demonstrates Big Synergy’s inimitable competence for produce top rating, digitally empowered and endearing content for audiences across all markets and target groups.”

    India’s foremost content development and production company, Big Synergy is an acknowledged leader in non-fiction category and has produced Indian television’s most successful format shows across all leading national and regional networks. In recent years, it has added strength in the fiction genre and produces shows across OTT and Broadcast platforms Rajiv Bakshi, CEO of Reliance Entertainment’s Big Synergy said, "It’s a proud honour for the entire team to win the Editorial Choice Award for the Best Game Show for Kaun Banega Crorepati. KBC is a landmark show for the entire industry and demonstrates Big Synergy’s inimitable competence for produce top rating, digitally empowered and endearing content for audiences across all markets and target groups.”

    India’s foremost content development and production company, Big Synergy is an acknowledged leader in non-fiction category and has produced Indian television’s most successful format shows across all leading national and regional networks. In recent years, it has added strength in the fiction genre and produces shows across OTT and Broadcast platformsRajiv Bakshi, CEO of Reliance Entertainment’s Big Synergy said, "It’s a proud honour for the entire team to win the Editorial Choice Award for the Best Game Show for Kaun Banega Crorepati. KBC is a landmark show for the entire industry and demonstrates Big Synergy’s inimitable competence for produce top rating, digitally empowered and endearing content for audiences across all markets and target groups.”

    India’s foremost content development and production company, Big Synergy is an acknowledged leader in non-fiction category and has produced Indian television’s most successful format shows across all leading national and regional networks. In recent years, it has added strength in the fiction genre and produces shows across OTT and Broadcast platforms

  • Hindi GECs flirted with formats, sensed OTT challenge

    Hindi GECs flirted with formats, sensed OTT challenge

    MUMBAI: When it came to content, OTT platforms captured the zeitgeist of 2018. Premium digital video content was relentlessly rolled out by the likes of Amazon Prime, Netflix, ALT Balaji, Hotstar, Voot and Zee5, keeping the audiences hooked at all times. Naturally, the band of programmers at some of India’s biggest broadcast networks felt the heat as a new wave of content competition hit India. Heads of Hindi GECs pulled out all stops in order to stay ahead of the game and keep their viewers happy. Thankfully for them, the cord-cutting trend, prevalent in several countries, didn’t turn to India. However, the sheer scale and quality of OTT content audiences were exposed to this year should be a cause for worry entertainment channels.

    ‘TV isn’t dying, in fact, both TV and OTT is growing simultaneously,’ was a line often heard this year. That’s perhaps the reason broadcasters remained confident that daily soaps, fiction and non-fiction shows on TV would continue to command viewership numbers.

    The advent OTT players increased the overall demand for content. While Indian broadcasters put out over 100,000 hours of content annually across formats and languages, newer entrants continued to pump in more cash per episode (though for much smaller quantities of content) and tried to snap up the best available talent. 

    The overall cost of content rose by almost two to three per cent of the broadcasters’ top line. With OTT companies refusing to take their foot off the pedal, broadcasters have no choice but to pay up. However, if their bid for quality programming fails to generate higher viewership which can be monetized better, broadcasters may not pursue quality, and stick to current cost metrics.

    As far as content consumption was concerned, regional content too made its mark this year. While Hindi language consumption remains the country’s preferred choice, growth was fastidiously led by regional content. Backing this up with some facts, it was reported that the daily tune-ins on TV by the HSM led to 68.4 per cent, whereas in the South market it led to 78.3 per cent. Simultaneously, the advertisement expenditure in FY18, Hindi GECs declined by nine per cent as compared to an increase of 5.4 per cent in on regional channels. 

    It was also a year of full surprises for the Hindi GECs, especially on the leadership front. Top-notch industry executives decided to call it quits including veteran Colors CEO Raj Nayak who dropped the bombshell of his Viacom18 exit after a distinguished seven-year stint with the media and entertainment conglomerate. Another prominent personality Discovery India and South Asia head Karan Bajaj also called it a day. Industry insiders believe the bespectacled Bajaj timed his exit to perfection, stepping aside when it mattered most. Both of them haven’t hinted at what gigs they are likely to take up next. Another heavyweight – Deepak Rajadhyaksha – who was heading Zee TV, turned to Viacom18 with his mantle being handed over to the broadcaster’s English cluster head Aparna Bhosle.

    The GECs also flirted with formats and played around with show timings in an attempt to infuse life into programming. Here's a quick recap of how some of India's most-loved Hindi GECs tried to stay ahead in a cluttered segment.

    Colors

    Having a stronghold in the mythological and fantasy drama genre, it revived Naagin for season three giving it an 8 pm slot on the weekend. Another supernatural drama Tantra by Swastik Productions was aired on weekdays at 11 pm. Rashmi Sharma Telefilms’ Vish Ya Amrit: Sitaara, a supernatural thriller, was given the weekday 10.30 pm slot.

    Two leading ladies of not just Viacom18, but the entire industry, added more feathers to their caps. Manisha Sharma, who was in charge of Colors, was elevated as the chief content officer – Hindi mass entertainment. She heads both Colors and Rishtey. Kids’ cluster head Nina Jaipuria’s portfolio further expanded to include both kids TV network and Hindi.

    The channel reshuffled its programming line-up post the launch of historical saga Dastaan-E-Mohabbat Salim Anarkali, Monday-Saturday at 8.30 pm, by replacing the drama series Udaan which was shifted to 7 pm slot. Internet Wala Love, which aired at 7 pm was moved to 6.30 pm time band while Savitri Devi College and Hospital, which aired at the 6.30 pm slot was called off.

    After a two year hiatus, Colors came back with the launch of season 8 of reality show India’s Got Talent, to be shown on weekends at 10 pm. The show was planned to replace horror anthology television series, Kaun Hai? That was produced by Contiloe Pictures and was scheduled to air every Friday to Saturday at 10.30 pm. Also, another home-grown reality show Entertainment Ki Raat season 2 was given the weekend 9 pm slot, promoted from its debut season slot of 10.30 pm. The show was replaced with the reality show Rising Star produced by Optimystix Entertainment. Bigg Boss 12 was also launched but with a new time-slot at 9 pm.

    Sony

    Hindi GEC Sony Sab started a new weekend slot titled ‘Sab Ka Weekend Plan’ with two new shows India Ke Mast Kalandar – Atrangi Hain Ye!and Namune. The channel aired the former show every Saturday and Sunday at 8 pm whereas the latter was at 9 pm. The Kapil Sharma Show is all set to make a comeback after a hiatus of more than a year. The channel had stopped airing fresh episodes of the show from September 2017.

    Taking Colors’ Bigg Boss 12 head-on was Sony’s tentpole show Kaun Banega Crorepati (KBC) season 10 at 9 pm. Following that, the channel launched two fictional drama Patiala Babes and Ladies Special post-KBC. The channel pulled the plug on Yeh Pyaar Nahi Toh Kya Hai, which was aired at 9.30 pm, following poor ratings.

    The network also announced that Sony Pictures Network India’s (SPNI) newly launched content production arm Studio NXT will focus on creating premium, high investment content that can also travel outside India. Headed by Sony Entertainment Television (SET) EVP and business head Danish Khan, the content studio began its journey with Kaun Banega Crorepati (KBC) season 10 which was co-produced with Big Synergy.

    The channel is experimenting with new shows and formats in the time slot starting 8.30 pm. The channel aired comedy-drama Main Maike Chali Jaungi, replacing Dus Ka Dum and Zindagi Ke Crossroads. Dus Ka Dum aired on Monday and Tuesday while Zindagi Ke Crossroads aired from Wednesday to Friday.

    Zee

    Zee TV’s primetime offering included Manmohini, produced by LSD Films, every Monday to Friday at 7.30 pm. &TV launched a live singing reality show for kids Love Me India and fantasy show Vikram Betaal ki Rahasya Gaatha. Zee TV launched a new fiction show named Tujse hai Raabta on 3 September, weekdays at 8.30 pm, produced by Full House Media.

    ZEEL elevated Aparna Bhosle as the business head of its flagship Hindi GEC Zee TV. Bhosle headed the premium and FTA GEC cluster. The move comes in the wake of Deepak Rajadhyaksha’s exit from the company. He was the deputy business head at Zee TV. Rajadhyaksha joined Viacom18 as business head of Colors Marathi and Colors Gujarati.

    Zee also took three of its shows abroad for a remake, in collaboration with African countries – Punar Vivah, Dance India Dance and Pavitra Rishta.

    Ending the year 2018 on a high note, &TV opened doors of endless opportunities for makers to experiment with content. Supernatural ruled the roost this year for the channel, progressive concepts and live reality remained at the top of the list. From launching its first live reality show for kids to introducing supernatural in a new style, &TV presented its khaas andaaz with not one but many pieces of content that were rolled out. The channel launched shows like ‘The Unconventional Saas (Perfect Pati)’, ‘Love with supernatural twist (Laal Ishq)’,’ Reliving childhood stories (Vikram Betaal Ki Rahasya Gatha)’, ‘ The mysterious Daayan (Daayan)’, Kids Live singing with ‘Love Me India’ and ‘High Fever… Dance Ka Naya Tevar’.

    Star

    Star India signed a multi-season, multi-year deal with Talpa Media for The Voice franchise, comprising The Voice and The Voice Kids. The new series will be produced by Banijay Asia, a Banijay Group company.

    Star Bharat’s socio-thriller Kaal Bhairav Rahasya returned for a second season featuring new mystery and folklore. Star Bharat launched a mythological show Radha Krishn airing Monday to Friday at 9 pm, replacing political drama Saam Daam Dand Bhed. The show was produced by Swastik Productions who have had several successes in the genre including Shani, Mahakali, and Porus. It also announced the launch of a new finite fiction show that narrated the story of firebrand freedom fighter Chandrashekar Azad in about 110 episodes, produced by Anirudh Pathak.

    The main GEC Star Plus launched a new show Karn Sangini at 7 pm. The show replaced channel’s reality show Sabse Smart Kaun. With Karn Sangini, the channel is dealing with the new genre of mytho-romance. Produced by Shashi and Sumeet Mittal, the show narrated the never-seen-before tale of a royal princess Uruvi who chose her love and stood by it against all odds.

    Discovery Jeet

    Despite heavy promotions in its launch stage, Discovery Jeet didn’t quite manage to grasp the pulse of the audience.

    Jeet entered the Hindi GEC sweepstakes on 12 February with five hours of daily programmes, out of which three hours were original programming, with content available in Hindi, Tamil, and Telugu. The channel launched with a distribution blitzkrieg to more than 100 million households and signed up Netflix as the exclusive global OTT partner.

    Despite the network’s best effort, the channel failed to rate. Initially thought of a challenger to the existing GEC order, Jeet fizzled out without much of a fight.

    According to Broadcast Audience Research Council data week 9, the channel garnered 6096 impressions (000s) in the 7 pm to 11 pm time slot, while it secured 15908 impressions (000s) for the whole day’s viewership. Currently, the channel airs syndicates content dubbed in Hindi.

    Overall, almost all channels heavily swapped shows for one another in order to keep audiences steady and growing. Unlike earlier years, when channels relied on primetime shows for years, times are changing and audiences are picky and broadcasters realise that.