ITV

Tag: Life OK

  • Life OK to showcase Mallika’s Magic

    Life OK to showcase Mallika’s Magic

    MUMBAI: The countdown to Life OK’s much anticipated show The Bachelorette India has begun. Starting 7 October, every Monday to Friday from 9.30 pm to 10.30 pm, all eyes will be on Mallika Sherawat as she hunts for the perfect mate from among 30 eligible bachelors, who will pull out all stops to win the sexy siren’s heart… and hand.

    People will either hate it or love it believes Ajit Thakur

    “You will either hate it or love it,” says Life OK general manager Ajit Thakur about the non-fiction show.

    Scheduled to run for five weeks with 28 hours of total content, 40 to 50 per cent of shooting has already been canned in the City of Lakes. Produced by SOL Productions with Lux Inferno and Ghadi Detergent as co-presenting sponsors, the show is in keeping with Life OK’s promise to add an Indian flavour to the much awaited reality series. As for Mallika, she is a magnet for publicity, whatever she does.

    But why make the show a week day property? “This kind of content is universal in nature. If you view from a concept perspective, on other GECs, a week day concept is all about soaps and the emotional content is very high. So love is the corner stone for everything that happens on a GEC from Monday to Friday. Considering this fact, we thought this was the best time,” says Life OK marketing head Pratik Seal.

    Marketing-wise, several activities have been planned. Digitally speaking, Life OK has organised a ‘live tweeter outdoor’ at Delhi University North Campus, where people can come and tweet their wishes to Mallika. “It’s a mood meter. Mallika’s mood changes on how you tweet. For example, if you criticise, she becomes grumpy; if you praise her, she is all happy. This activity is still on and students there are enjoying it,” explains Seal. Special tabs, games and apps, and video leaks on YouTube have been built into the digital activity.

    Secondly, throughout the five weeks, Life OK will have a video diary, also known as a regular video blog, on YouTube that will be updated regularly.

    Thirdly, there will be a live tweeter hastens during the show, where people can tweet about their favourite moments.

    Fourthly, Life OK has undertaken on-ground activations in over 38 cities. Add to that, colleges in UP, Delhi and Gujarat will celebrate Rose Day as a prelude to the show. A Google hangout with the lady on 7 October is also in the pipeline.

    Fourthly, Life OK has undertaken on-ground activations in over 38 cities. Add to that, colleges in UP, Delhi and Gujarat will celebrate Rose Day as a prelude to the show. A Google hangout with the lady on 7 October is also in the pipeline.

    Radio and television activations have been undertaken on a huge scale and TV promos of the show have received a good response.

    Speaking about hoardings, Seal says: “We did Phase I and Phase II of the campaign. The first phase was about selling the concept of war while the second phase was about showcasing love.”

    There will be people coming, who want a break from Hindi GECs, says a confident Pratik Seal

    Of the entire show budget, the channel is learnt to have spent around eight to ten per cent on marketing the upcoming show.

    Will the show grab enough eye balls in the face of such stiff competition? “Our attempt was to reach out beyond the GEC audience. We want to target more youth, more men, and more family as a unit; that has been our objective. If we manage to do that, half of our job is done. So there will be people coming, who want a break from Hindi GECs, to see what new biryani is cooking,” says Seal confidently.

    But comparisons with NDTV Imagine’s Swayamvar are inevitable and the industry isn’t too gung-ho about Life OK’s experiment with a similar format. “We’ve already seen enough of Rahul Mahajan, Rakhi Sawant and Ratan Rajput’s Swayamvar. What new is the show going to add? Just by changing the face of the person does not mean that the show is going to catch the attention of the viewers,” says a director.

    “Forget the daily soaps on other GECs. I think Bigg Boss is going to be the show’s biggest competitor. I am watching Bigg Boss since three weeks and I am already glued to it. I would not like to switch to any other channel for that one hour,” says an industry professional.

  • TAM wk 39: Sab and Life OK highest gainers

    TAM wk 39: Sab and Life OK highest gainers

    MUMBAI: The TAM TV ratings for week 39 are out and it seems to tell the same story. There is no change in the top three positions even as the war continues.
    Sab, a sister channel of Sony Entertainment Television, is the highest gainer this week with 331,772 GVTs (289,471) at number five, followed by Life OK, the next highest gainer with 334,306 GVTs (313,138) at number four spot.

     

    Other GECs have witnessed a drop in their ratings. Star Plus manages to stay on top with 506,317 GVTs (534,590) while Colors maintains its number two position with 458,409 GVTs (479,892). Zee TV too saw a fall this week and holds its number three spot with 384,111 GVTs (413,707).

     

    Sony slips to number six spot with 286,083 GVTs (327,089). Sahara One is at the bottom of the list with 26,838 GVTs (26,495).

     

    Coming back to the GEC leader, Star Plus’ popular show Diya aur Baati Hum saw a drop in its ratings and rated 9,614 TVTs (9,819). Another prime time show, Yeh Rishta Kya Kehlata Hai scored 6,328 TVTs (6,587). Pyar Ka Dard Hai reported 7,191 TVTs (7,342). Saathiya witnessed a rise and registered 7,101 TVTs (6,456). New epic series Mahabharat witnessed a drop in its second week with 5,518 TVTs (6,356).

     

    Second placed, Color’s much hyped reality show Bigg Boss seven witnessed a drop with 4,811 TVTs (5,080) this week. Long running fiction series Balika Vadhu saw a massive rise and rated 7,797 TVTs (6,551), Madhubala – Ek Ishq Ek Junoon scored 4,743 TVTs (4,990) and Uttaran reported 3,464 TVTs (4,140). Comedy Nights with Kapil reported 6,804 TVTs (7,244).

     

    Zee TV’s fictional offering Qubool Hai saw a drop and scored 5,511 TVTs (6,340). Pavitra Rishta generated 4,421 TVTs (4,733). Sapne Suhane Ladakpan Ke notched up and scored 5,343 TVTs (5,035). The channel’s historical show Jodha Akbar maintains its stability and scored 8,027 TVTs (8,025). Drama series Do Dil Bandhe Ek Dori Se registered 4,675 TVTs (4,612). Its new dance reality DID – Dance ka Tashan took its tally to 4,088 TVTs (5,021) on a Saturday and 4,290 on a Sunday.

     

    Fourth placed, Life OK’s top mythological series Mahadev scored 3,623 TVTs (3,588). Do Dil Ek Jaan stood at 1,725 TVTs (1,801), Savdhan India rated 2,563 TVTs (2,300), Shapath generated 3,729 TVTs (3,988). Ek Boond Ishq propped up this week taking its tally to 2,351 TVTs (2,029).

     

    Fifth placed, Sab’s fiction show Taarak Mehta Ka Ooltah Chashmah continues to be the channel leader with 8,096 TVTs (7,276). Chidiya Ghar saw a marginal rise as it rated 3,176 TVTs (3,045). Lapataganj reported 2,015 TVTs (2,066). Baalveer registered 2,835 TVTs (2,605). Other fictional shows witnessed marginal rise and fall as well.

     

    Sixth placed, Sony’s long running crime series CID witnessed a huge rise and recorded 5,505 TVTs (5,070), Crime Petrol registered 4,789 TVTs (6,415). The channel’s historical show Maharana Pratap generated 2,840 TVTs (3,266). KBC lost its score and only garnered 5,176 TVTs (6,134). Comedy Circus earned 3,505 TVTs (3,092). Other fiction shows either held on to their viewership or dipped marginally during the week.

     

    In the movie channel genre, Zee Cinema reported 201,334 GVTs (187,397); Star Gold witnessed a slight rise to 183,757 GVTs (177,380) and Movies OK notched up taking its tally to 107,863 GVTs (96,047). On the other hand, &pictures garnered 67,942 GVTs (67,480) and Max scored 207,046 GVTs (210,021).
    Let’s see what’s in store for the channels in the coming weeks.
     

  • Afternoon slot: Siesta time for GECs?

    Afternoon slot: Siesta time for GECs?

    Back in the nineties, afternoon shows enjoyed their heyday when women, once done with household chores, settled down, lunch in hand, sometimes maid in tow, to watch their favourite serials including Shanti and Itihaas.  

    Two decades later, the once-popular afternoon slot seems to have lost its relevance, with a majority of broadcasters choosing to air re-runs of prime-time shows rather than focus on fresh content.

    The decline of this slot can be attributed to a number of reasons. Firstly, while there’s now a rash of channels, there seems to be precious little to excite a large section of women post their morning routine. Secondly, many more women are now at their workplace at this time of the day. Thirdly, several news channels may be airing more interesting shows at the same time.

    While this is broadly it, indiantelevision.com decided to look closer at the changing trends of the past two decades to get a better idea whether it’s really curtains for the afternoon slot.

    Popularity graph

    It is not that there is no potential in the afternoon slot. But, its about priority. There is more scope for improvement if we try to capture viewers in the prime time slot, says Nikhil

    Madhok

    In 1994, Shanti and Swabhimaan – two serials aired on Doordarshan – captured a nation’s imagination, catapulting the afternoon slot into the limelight. This was when cable television had just arrived on Indian shores and private satellite channels were focused on building their primetime band as also building viewership in the afternoons.

    In 2000, Sony tried to dominate the afternoon turf with Ghar Ek Mandir, which lasted for a good two years. Meanwhile, most other channels stuck to re-runs during that time band.

    The channels however soon woke up to the fact that it was the homemaker who had the potential to draw advertisers. With this realisation came the game of one-upmanship among Hindi GECs. Around the same time, a slew of shows mushroomed including Kumkum – Ek pyaara sa bandhan (2002 – 2009), Bhabhi (2002 – 2008), Karam apna apna (2006 – 2009) and Humari Devrani (2008 – 2012). They came to be known as the K shows and saw a long innings with increasing visibility year-on-year.

    Another landmark came in the form of Zee Woman, Zee’s pioneering effort to bring a women’s magazine on television. Launched on 12 July, 2004, Zee Woman revolved around the homemaker and occupied the 12:30 pm to 3:00 pm slot. It offered everything a women’s magazine does – features and tips on beauty, interiors, cookery, good house-keeping and the latest fashion trends.

    We are the service providers. If broadcasters need that service, we will be happy to bring alive that slot, says Sudhir Sharma

    Three years later, Zee Woman suffered a blow from two shows – Meri Doli Tere Angana (2:00 pm) and Rakhi (1:30 pm) – both having fresh content. By contrast, GECs like SAB and Life OK preferred to play re-runs of their most popular shows.

    In February 2010, Colors too jumped onto the bandwagon. The channel produced two shows – Agnipareeksha Jeevan Ki… Ganga (1:30 pm) followed by Aise Na Karo Vida (2:00 pm), packaging the duo as Saanjhi Dopahar. While the shows got a good viewership in the first week, there was a dip in viewership, second week onward.

    All say, the afternoon slot was created mostly for women, especially homemakers. With a majority of soaps revolving around women and their issues, the shows found instant connect. In fact, some of the afternoon shows fared better than their prime-time counterparts. For example, Kumkum which ranked fourth among Star Plus’s top ten shows of all time and was the country’s fourth-longest running serial as well.

    It was sometime after 2010 that Hindi GECs started losing interest in making new shows for the afternoon slot. Television channels including Sab, Sahara One, Life OK and Zee went back to airing re-runs of prime-time soaps in the afternoon.

    Why did the afternoon slot die?

    Today, we dont have enough good writers and ideas for us to put content for the afternoon slot, says Ajit Thakur

    The reason, according to Colors weekday programming head Prashant Bhatt is: “Afternoon slots were extremely popular when there were not many GECs. Fewer channels meant fewer options for people to choose from the available shows aired across channels. This gave channels an opportunity to air fresh content in the afternoon slot. But the scenario has changed now.

    Viewers have an option to watch eight programs during prime time but end up watching only one. So channels telecast re-runs of their prime time shows in the afternoon, so viewers can catch up on them.”

    Examples of this are Balika Vadhu on Colors, which is repeated five times in a day and accounts for 25 per cent of the channel’s viewership and Sony, which aired re-runs of its crime fiction series CID (1998 till the present) for four to five hours in the afternoon slot.

    According to Bhatt, there’s so much original programming in terms of prime time shows that there’s no need for original programs in the afternoon. With re-runs of prime time shows during the afternoon, audiences get to catch up with what they haven’t been able to watch.

    With too many GECs comes growing competition among them. This means they might focus on the marketing and promotion of evening prime time shows that bring more viewership and consequently, more money.

    The afternoon slot should have more dramas that appeal to women. The content should include more of romance and cast eye candy men, says JD Majethia

    So have producers and directors lost interest in producing shows for the afternoon slot?

    “Definitely not,” shoots back Sunshine Productions owner Sudhir Sharma, adding: “If broadcasters see the need, if broadcasters do any business henceforth, then we will be ready to do it. We are the service providers. If they need that service, we will be happy to bring alive that slot.”

    According to Star India vice president marketing Nikhil Madhok, the channel is first trying to strengthen its evening slot rather than bring fresh content in the afternoon. “In Star Plus, we have initiated expansion of our programming time with the launch of Ek Ghar Banaunga during early prime time at 6:30 pm,” he says. : “It is not that there is no potential in the afternoon slot. But, it’s about priority. There is more scope for improvement if we try to capture viewers in the prime time slot. Also, it is more important from a financial perspective and viewership availability,” he adds.

    Afternoon slots still hold promise, but it is a bit risky proposition as the shows need to generate sizably better ratings than the repeat ones, says Navin Khemka

    Madhok is also quick to point out that the channel is open to innovative ideas and experiments with different time slots. “We had filmed Satyamev Jayate at the 11:00 am slot when we found potential in that. It was followed by Lakhon Mein Ek, which ran for certain number of weeks and then we didn’t follow up. We have also opened up the weekend 7:00 pm slot, where we air content related to our reality shows,” he says.

    For a newly launched channel like Life OK however, fresh programming in the afternoon slot does sound interesting. “Yes! Definitely! But, it is about funding.  And if there is already enough good content that can be picked up from the prime time and aired in the afternoon, there is no point in airing fresh content. Also today, we don’t have enough good writers and ideas for us to put content for the afternoon slot,” says Life OK general manager Ajit Thakur.
    Thakur though did say it was an important slot and it was just a matter of time before it would come back.

    What about DD, which in a sense, pioneered the afternoon slot? Says Doordarshan director general (programming) Mukesh Sharma: “In DD National, our afternoon slot is flooded with strong Hindi programming. Though we air repeats, it is doing extremely well for us. To be practical, viewers don’t watch all the shows that are aired on television during prime time. Taking that into consideration during afternoon, mostly women who have missed out on their favourite shows have an option of watching it in the afternoon. And this works perfectly for us.”

    Afternoon slots were extremely popular when there were not many GECs. Fewer channels meant fewer options for people to choose from the available shows aired across channels, says Prashant Bhatt
    Speaking about DD’s big properties like Saraswatichandra, Tum Dena Saath Mera, Aur Ek Kahani and Hari Mirchi Lal Mirchi that are well adapted by the audiences in the afternoon, Sharma says:

    “These soaps are doing well on the track as the target audience is women (housewives).”

    ZenithOptimedia senior vice president Navin Khemka has a different view. “If any Hindi GEC launches afternoon show/s, it will definitely work as there is a good chunk of audience sitting there and FMCG advertisers want to dominate this slot and would like to invest in full force.

    Afternoon space should focus more on family and drama series that adds value to the content.

    Afternoon slots still hold promise, but it is a bit risky proposition as the shows need to generate sizably better ratings than the repeat ones,” he says.

    So if the afternoon slot were to be reconsidered by broadcasters, what kind of content would work? Says Hats Off Productions owner and actor/director JD Majethia: “The show’s topic, subject, and the small aspects should all be women-oriented. The afternoon slot should have more drama that appeals to women. The content should include more of romance and cast eye candy men. These are things women cannot watch during the evening time with their family. The content can also be inspirational and designed differently to attract the audience during the afternoon slot.”

    In most cases women who have missed out on their favourite shows have an option of watching it in the afternoon, says Mukesh Sharma

    Apart from broadcasters not giving enough importance to the afternoon slot, the other reasons for its decline include the rise of shows like Saas Bahu Saazish on news channels. While the then Star News (now ABP News) started the trend of airing ‘behind the screen’ gossip from various shows, other news channels too caught on. Soon enough, women were glued onto these shows, many a times preferring these to daily soaps.

    While there are different views on the relevance of the afternoon slot and whether broadcasters should reconsider fresh content during afternoons, whether channels will ever get back to brand new content in this time slot, only time will tell.

  • Life OK claws back to number four

    Life OK claws back to number four

    MUMBAI: The war for ‘the best among the rest‘ continues even as the top three positions see no change in week 37 of TAM TV ratings.

    Life OK, a sister channel of Star Plus is the highest gainer this week and is back at the number four position with 322,364 GVTs (276,290). As reported earlier by indiantelevision.com, Life OK general manager Ajit Thakur had said that in the coming weeks the channel plans to aggressively invest in content promising its viewers a never-seen-before experience. Well this attitude has worked wonders for the channel.

    Other GECs saw a drop in their viewership. Star Plus continues to rule the chart with 477,029 GVTs (494,732). Not quite far behind is Colors which continues to maintain its number two position recording 463,869 GVTs (452,851). Zee TV holds its no three spot with 398,993 GVTs (410,774).

    Sab, a sister channel of Sony maintains its number five position as it rated 312,053 GVTs (322,392). Sony takes the back seat at number six with 292,852 GVTs (346,122). Sahara One continues to be at the bottom scoring 28,749 GVTs (28,742).

    Back to the chart topper, Star Plus channel‘s popular show Diya aur Baati Hum saw a drop in its ratings and rated 8,803 TVTs (9,765). Another prime time show, Yeh Rishta Kya Kehlata Hai scored 6,144 TVTs (7,261). Pyar Ka Dard Hai reported 6,930 TVTs (6,840) and Saathiya registered 6,002 TVTs (6,079). Reality show Junior Master Chef lost its audiences witnessing a drop 2,160 TVTs (2,370).

    Colors‘ popular celebrity dance reality show Jhalak Dikhhla Jaa aired its grand finale on 14 September and registered 8,822 TVTs. Long running fiction series Balika Vadhu saw a huge growth and rated 6,278 TVTs (5,912), Madhubala – Ek Ishq Ek Junoon scored 4,442 TVTs (4,847) and Uttaran reported 4,154 TVTs (4,450). The comedy show Comedy Nights with Kapil garnered 7,215 TVTs (7,983).

    Zee TV‘s reality dance show DID Super Moms aired its grand finale on 8 September and scored 6,087 TVTs. Its fictional offering Qubool Hai witnessed a drop recording 5,956 TVTs (6,380). Pavitra Rishta generated 4,280 TVTs (5,163). It‘s long running series Sapne Suhane Ladakpan Ke scored 5,362 TVTs (4,785). The channel‘s historical show Jodha Akbar seems to attract audiences by its interesting track taking its tally to 6,981 TVTs (7,259). Drama series Do Dil Bandhe Ek Dori Se registered 5,047 TVTs (5,946). Its new offering Buddha did not mangae to grab attention of the viewers and socred 1,450 TVTs.

    Fourth placed, Life OK‘s top series Mahadev rated 2,585 TVTs (2,511). Do Dil Ek Jaan stood at 2,585 TVTs (2,511), Savdhan India rated 2,734 TVTs (2,651), whereas Shapath generated 3,410 TVTs (3,339) and Gustakh Dil rated 1,444 TVTs (1,333).

    Fifth placed, Sab‘s fiction show Taarak Mehta Ka Ooltah Chashmah continues to be the channel leader with 6,816 TVTs (6,751). Chidiya Ghar has propped up this week as it scored 3,430 TVTs (3,064). Lapataganj reported 2,347 TVTs (2,062). FIR rated 2,055 TVTs (2,209). Other fictional shows witnessed marginal rise and fall as well.

    Sixth placed, Sony‘s long running crime series CID witnessed a drop recording 5,391 TVTs (5,941) and Crime Petrol saw a healthy rise scored 3,739 TVTs (3,418). The channel‘s historical show Maharana Pratap generated 3,151 TVTs (3,354). KBC saw a drop in its ratings as it rated 5,049 TVTs (8,950), 6,027 TVTs (8,460) and 6698 TVTs on Friday, Saturday and Sunday respectively. Comedy Circus garnered 3,409 TVTs. Other fiction shows either held on to their viewership or dipped marginally during the week.

    In the movie channel genre, Zee Cinema reported 191,359 GVTs (206,038); Star Gold witnessed a slight rise to182,350 GVTs (176,904) and Movies OK rated 100,401 GVTs (105,357). On the other hand, new entrant &pictures garnered 67,774 GVTs (57,197). Max saw a healthy rise when it scored 192,416 GVTs (179,760).

    Well, it seems the GECs are having a good roller coaster ride. Let‘s see what’s in-store for the GECs in the coming weeks.

  • Sony back at no four; Star continues to lead the pack

    Sony back at no four; Star continues to lead the pack

    MUMBAI: The war for ‘the best among the rest‘ continues even as the top three positions see no change in week 36 of TAM TV ratings. In week 36, reality shows have worked wonders for most of the GECs.

    The best example is Sony‘s new reality show Kaun Banega Croreprati that has garnered 8,950 TVTs on a Friday and 8,460 TVTs on a Saturday. Sony which was at the fifth position last week has propped up to fourth position and witnessed a huge growth, recording 346,122 GVTs (291,074). Zee TV was the next highest gainer as it witnessed 410,774 GVTs (395,024) and occupies the number three slot.

    Star Plus continues to lead the pack by maintaining its stability and reported 494,732 GVTs (495,509). Not quite far is Colors which continues to maintain its number two position recording 452,851 GVTs (452,921).

    Sab, a sister channel of Sony goes back to the number five position as it rated 322,392 GVTs (319,158). Life OK is at sixth position this week with 276,290 GVTs (269,927).

    Back to the chart topper, Star Plus channel‘s popular show Diya aur Baati Hum saw a drop in its ratings and rated 9,765 TVTs (10,175). Another prime time show, Yeh Rishta Kya Kehlata Hai saw a slight rise taking its score to 7,261 TVTs (7,024). Pyar Ka Dard Hai reported 6,840 TVTs (6,515) and Saathiya registered 6,079 TVTs (6,127). Reality show Junior Master Chef lost its audiences witnessing a drop 2,370 TVTs (2,671).

    Colors‘ popular celebrity dance reality show Jhalak Dikhhla Jaa has grabbed attention of the viewers this week generating a huge growth 6,482 TVTs (5,979) on a Saturday and 7,568 TVTs (5,730) on a Sunday. Long running fiction series Balika Vadhu registered 5,912 TVTs (6,127), Madhubala – Ek Ishq Ek Junoon scored 4,847 TVTs (5,329) and Uttaran rated 4,450 TVTs (5,069). The comedy show Comedy Nights with Kapil is enjoying good attention of viewers generating 7,983 TVTs (7,072).

    Zee TV‘s reality dance show DID Super Moms witnessed drop in its viewership and rated 3,257 TVTs (4,653) on Saturday and 4,012 TVTs (4,490) on a Sunday. Its fictional offering Qubool Hai scored 6,380 TVTs (6,492). Pavitra Rishta generated 5,163 TVTs (5,078). It‘s long running series Sapne Suhane Ladakpan Ke scored 5,362 TVTs (4,785). The channel‘s historical show Jodha Akbar seems to attract audiences by its interesting track taking its tally to 7,259 TVTs (6,824). Drama series Do Dil Bandhe Ek Dori Se registered 5,946 TVTs (5,188).

    Fourth placed, Sony‘s long running crime series CID saw a healthy rise recording 5,941 TVTs (4,758) and Crime Petrol scored 3,418 TVTs (4,783). The channel‘s historical show Maharana Pratap generated 3,354 TVTs (2,993). Sony‘s Indian Idol Junior aired its grand finale on 8 September and reported 6,290 TVTs. Other fiction shows either held on to their viewership or dipped marginally during the week.

    Fifth placed Sab‘s fiction show Taarak Mehta Ka Ooltah Chashmah continues to be the channel leader with 6,751 TVTs (7,094). Chidiya Ghar gets active this week when it scored 3,064 TVTs (2,777). Lapataganj reported 2,062 TVTs (2,093). Other fictional shows witnessed marginal rise and fall as well.

    Sixth placed, Life OK‘s top series Mahadev rated 2,511 TVTs (2,995). Do Dil Ek Jaan stood at 1,462 TVTs (1,721), Savdhan India rated 2,651 TVTs (2,271), whereas Shapath generated 3,339 TVTs (2,455) and Gustakh Dil rated 1,333 TVTs (1,372).

    Sahara One continues to be at the bottom scoring 28,742 GVTs (29,645).

    In the movie channel‘s genre: Zee Cinema reported 206,038 GVTs (246,750); Star Gold witnessed a fall with 176,904 GVTs (194,992) and Movies OK rated 105,357 GVTs (118,643). On the other hand, Max witnessed a drop with 179,760 GVTs (223,692).

    Well, it seems the GECs are having a good roller coaster ride. Let‘s see what is instore for the GECs in the coming weeks.

  • Star Network and MSN’s television offering ‘What’s On Star’ soars high

    Star Network and MSN’s television offering ‘What’s On Star’ soars high

    MUMBAI: Star Network and MSN recently collaborated to introduce a new offering for television fans online – What’s On Star. The offering gives netizens access into exclusive content, picture, videos, previews on Star Plus, Life Ok, and Star Sports through msn.com.

    Star Plus, India’s leading Hindi general entertainment channel was the first to be introduced on ‘What’s On Star’, hosted on the MSN platform, to be soon followed by Star Sports and Life OK. In a span of just three months, the offerings have witnessed a huge number of 3.9 million views while the videos have been watched over 700,000 times. Amongst the popular downloads for Star Plus were Mahabharat, Master Chef Junior and Saraswatichandra. For Life Ok, Devon Ke Dev Mahadev took the lead with five out of 10 most views.

    Talking about the association, Star Plus Sr VP marketing Nikhil Madhok said, “Our partnership with MSN has worked towards satiating the need of audiences to access Star Plus’s popular content at their own convenience, for viewers, who want to engage more deeply with the content, there is also some behind the scenes footage not seen on TV. This further strengthens their engagement with our shows and creates a virtual loop.  The large fan following of the channel is pretty evident with the enthusiasm with which people have been viewing the content.”
    “Our partnership with the Star Network brings a holistic experience for digitally connected consumers who want to watch their favourite TV programs at home, at work or on the move. Viewing of content online provides freedom and engages consumers consistently across devices and destinations on their terms. On the MSN platform, the Star Network content provides original video and high-performance solutions through a consistent strategy for connected platforms,” said Microsoft Corporation India, Head – MSN Sanjay Trehan.

  • Festive fervour on Life OK

    Festive fervour on Life OK

    MUMBAI: The festive season is already upon us and Life OK, Star Plus’s sister channel, is going all out to meet the celebratory mood head on. The channel, which plans to aggressively invest in content in the coming months, has a set of brand new shows up its sleeve, promising viewers a never-before-seen experience.

    As we all are aware, in this January when LC1 got added to the measurement, everybody crashed. In April, when digitisation phase II happened, the channel was down to 110GRPs. If we further break it down, from January onwards the ratings have increased in both the categories – men and women. For men, the viewership ratings witnessed a rise by 50 per cent and a similar rise of 25 per cent for women.

    The recently launched Ek Boond Ishq – BBC Worldwide’s first daily fiction series in India – offers a flavour of the kind of programming to follow on the channel.

    This tale of a girl who realises she is about to tie the knot in a prison cell, is telecast every week, Monday to Friday, at 8:30pm. One wonders however if airing such a show at a time slot when most other GECs boast strong programming, poses a risk more than an opportunity for the channel?

    “Definitely not!” shoots Life OK general manager Ajit Thakur, confident their modest attempt at providing quality entertainment will be appreciated.

    “What sells more is content. If the content is good, viewers will come anyway and watch the show,” he adds.

    Another show the channel has lined up as part of its festival bouquet is Katha Mahadev Putra Bal Ganesh Ki, a spin-off of its flagship property Mahadev, which airs on 14 September. The 16-episode series to be telecast every Saturday and Sunday at 7:00 pm, showcases the adventures of Lord Ganesh as a child, and is part of Life OK’s larger mission to replicate the success of Star Plus.

    It’s a show targeted at the entire family, particularly kids. “It’s a finite show. No other GEC has original content at this particular time slot. So we thought of taking advantage of that and occupying the slot. We not only aim to target women but also children with this show,” explains Thakur.

    Adding to the fresh batch of programming is Shakuntalam Telefilms’ edgy thriller titled Rakshak, which launches end of this month. To be aired every Saturday and Sunday at 11:00 pm, it goes without saying the limited series faces tough competition from the likes of Crime Petrol (Sony), Comedy Nights with Kapil Repeats (Colors), Star Verdict Repeats (Star Plus), Fear Files (Zee TV), Taarak Mehta ka Oolta Chashma Repeats on Saturdays and Lapataganj – Ek Baar Phir on Sundays.

    Yet another feather in the channel’s programming cap is the new reality series, SOL Productions’ The Bachelorette India featuring Bollywood actor Mallika Sherawat. As reported by this website earlier, the non-fiction show will see 30 eligible bachelors battling it out to win the sex siren’s heart… and hand.

    With the concept derived from an earlier show named Swayamvar on NDTV Imagine, comparisons between the two are inevitable. Especially since the likes of Rakhi Sawant (who ended up separating from her partner post the series) and Rahul Mahajan, who participated in Swayamvar. The Bachelorette India is not the first of the channel’s trysts with reality shows. An earlier attempt, Welcome – Baazi Mehmaan Nawazi Ki, failed badly at winning the hearts of its audience.

    While the channel has pinned high hopes on these programs, whether they will succeed is a separate story altogether. Says a highly placed media planner (name withheld on request): “I don’t think the channel is doing something new in terms of content. Viewers have already seen all this. It depends on the channel how they modify and show it to audiences. If viewers are interested, it might be a green signal for them. Talking about the upcoming shows, one will have to wait and see how they fare as it is too early to predict.”

    Many other media planners though agreed the channel has been innovating and launching new shows time and again to sustain viewership and maintain numbers.

    All said, it’s now up to the viewers to decide whether they like Life OK’s bag of goodies…

  • Life Ok’s big Bachelorette bet with Mallika

    Life Ok’s big Bachelorette bet with Mallika

    MUMBAI: The City of Lakes just got more famous. The popular tourist destination is where the opening episode of The Bachelorette India – Mere Khayalon Ki Mallika, Life OK’s brand new non-fiction series featuring Mallika Sherawat of Murder fame has been shot.

    The 27-episode series, produced by SOL Productions, will see the actress hunt for the perfect mate, a la Rakhi Sawant and Rahul Mahajan in NDTV Imagine’s Swayamvar, from among 30 suitors, including an older man – all of whom will try every trick in the book to woo the sexy siren.

    The battle to win Mallika’s heart starts on 7 October and while the channel hasn’t fixed a time slot, it will be a week day property.

    The filming of this war of love has begun since mid-August. The entire maiden episode was shot at the Lake Palace in Udaipur and nine to ten episodes have already been canned at exotic locations including the Taj Mahal, Chittorgarh and Fatehgarh for the most part. Hosting the show will be the dashing and handsome Rohit Roy, who has played several roles in his career on camera and also behind it as a producer for shows on Zoom TV.  

    Speaking about the new show, Life Ok general manager Ajit Thakur says: “We want to become more visible and talked about as a channel. I want people to know that we also have drama apart from Mahadev and Savdhan. We want to create buzz and hence, we’re coming out with The Bachelorette.”

    Apparently, Mallika wasn’t the channel’s first choice and they had approached celebrities like Ekta Kapoor and Salman Khan but couldn’t get them on board.
    So why her then? “We thought she would be very appropriate for this kind of a show. She has the spunk and has achieved a lot. She has come from a small town and is a role model for many girls. It is not easy what she has achieved in her life, and we wanted people to know her journey through this show,” reasons show producer Fazila.

    According to Thakur, there were two reasons. “Firstly, when you are doing a public wedding, desirability is very important. So it had to be a very desirable male or female character, and she fits in perfectly. And of course, all men would like her to be a part of their life,” he explains. Apart from her desirability quotient and star value, Life OK also wanted to showcase her epic journey.

    Says show director Rishi Tyagi excitedly: “There is nothing much to direct when it comes to reality shows. For me, it’s an exciting and challenging task to direct Bachelorette because it’s difficult to bring realism in such a show.”

    Indeed, the channel is betting big on its upcoming series and despite Mallika’s presence, wants it to be a family oriented one. Thakur feels the series will definitely inspire young men and women and create buzz for the channel. And so, a lot is being invested in the series.

    “By far, it is the most expensive show for the channel”, says Life OK marketing head Pratik Seal, adding that the entire cost of the show including setup, but excluding marketing and other activities would be around Rs 30-40 crore. An aggressive promotion through outdoor, digital and traditional media is on the cards. “We are planning to come out with a unique initiative where we will be running buses across UP and Gujarat across more than 37 towns. Though this will take some time to execute, the dates are locked for post 15 September,” says Seal. While the names of the sponsors haven’t been revealed yet, Life OK says it has managed roped in seven to eight of them, and the hunt is on for more.

    But there are negatives riding against the basic concept of the show of a celebrity looking for a partner on air it, say media observers. Previous participants on the franchise – apart from Rahul and Dimpy Mahajan – did not end up getting hitched; in fact, they split up post the series.

    “The franchise has been witnessing dropping ratings over the previous seasons on Imagine because viewers had begun to view it as a gimmick as fake or tamasha; they had felt cheated when marriage was not the end result,” says a veteran creative director. “The challenge for Life Ok is to remove this sense of disbelief from audience’s minds. Or maybe the team should just play up on the fun element of the search for a partner, rather than on the marriage vows. Let the channel executives remember that the viewer is not a moron, she is your wife. If the team finds this fine balance, then TV viewers might tune in, but in how many numbers we don’t know.”

    With so much riding on Bachelorette, let’s just hope Mallika finds her match…

  • Life OK’s Shapath series Super Cops V/s Super Villains sets a new trend for weekends

    Life OK’s Shapath series Super Cops V/s Super Villains sets a new trend for weekends

    Mumbai: Life OK’s Shapath series Super Cops V/s Super Villains has recorded a new high. The supernatural series that airs on weekends on Life OK, India’s fastest growing General Entertainment Channel, has pushed past the competition to record an upsurge in TVTs starting Week 31. Being the only fiction show on the weekend 9 PM prime time slot, the show is now proving to be a tough competition to the other Talent based reality shows in the same time slot.

     

    The CG heavy series that focuses on a new super villain every weekend has provided the extra push to Life OK to climb the success charts.

     

    Commenting on the growth trajectory for Shapath, Mr. Pratik Seal, Marketing Head, Life OK, says, “We are extremely happy that the Shapath series of Super Cops Vs Super Villains has been widely appreciated by our audiences and the current ratings are a measure of its success. The series has carved a niche for itself, especially considering the presence of Bollywood celebrities on competing shows. For anyone who does not want to watch reality based shows.”

     

    Moving on from its first season names Hum ne Li hai Shapath, a Crime Investigation series, to Shapath Super cops v/s Super villains, a Supernatural series, the show has received wider acceptance since the revamp. The fiction series has made a distinctive mark for itself amongst the competitive star studded reality shows. The weekends series of Shapath Super Cops Vs Super Villains airs every Saturday and Sunday at 9 PM.

  • Life’s OK digitally

    When Harvard wizkid Mark Zuckerberg launched facebook in 2004, he never imagined it would ignite a revolution in terms of the way people communicate and share information.

    Indeed, social networks have emerged as the next big thing after email and the Internet, and not just individuals and communities but even our television channels are happily jumping onto them for bettering their ‘connect‘ with the audience.

    After demystifying the digital strategies of Sony Entertainment Television, Star Plus, Colorsand Zee TV, indiantelevision.com trains its lens on the endeavours of Life OK – Star India‘s sister channel – in this space.

    For starters, Life OK‘s Facebook page boasts 1,293,603 likes and more than 63,600 people talking about it simultaneously.

    We also have efficient partners that understand the nuances of social media engagement and help spread marketing ideas across digital and social platforms, says Ajit Thakur

    The page is kept up-to-speed with pictures, videos, polls and all the hot gossip, and shares links with the official pages of various shows aired on the channel.

    In a day and age when 140-character tweets more than news make headlines, the plots of Life OK‘s many soaps are also tweaked through fan tweets. The official twitter handle of the channel @LifeOKTV is abuzz with nearly 20,840 tweets from over 16,555 followers at the time of writing. With instant reactions and feedback the staple of twitter, Life OK makes the most of this platform with timely tweets and re-tweets.

    To cite an example, the channel created, #ThePerfectBachelor, for its upcoming reality show The Bachelorette India – Mere Khayalon Ki Mallika and garnered more than seven million impressions. So much so, the hash tag found its way to the numero uno spot on India trends, that too within half an hour of the beginning of the contest. It was only the second Indian show to trend for 21 hours.

    #ThePerfectBachelor hash tag garnered more than seven million impressions

    Life OK is aware that for a general entertainment channel, video uploads draw the most traffic. And so, it launched its official YouTube channel in December 2011, and has since uploaded 5,000-odd videos. Viewers can watch the latest episodes of top-rated properties like Mahadev, Shapath andSavdhaan among others.

    To top it all is Life OK‘s official website http://www.lifeok.com/. As the channel‘s mainstay, the website aims to use all its other platforms to draw more and more traffic.

    It is easily the hub of Life OK‘s online activities with web exclusive content including live streaming, picture gallery, video uploads, show trivia and a concert section. There‘s also the shows schedule for those who want to know what time their favourite show will be telecast during the day.

    Says Life OK general manager Ajit Thakur: “Social media platforms are a great place to directly engage and interact with consumers. The idea is to leverage the various platforms to drive engagement and increase affinity towards our content. We also provide additional content specific to digital platforms for users who have supported us, or in facebook terms, ‘liked‘ us.”

    The official Facebook page keeps its page up-to-date with pictures, videos, latest buzz and polls

    This is not to say Life OK‘s engagement with its audience stops at social platforms. “We are constantly trying to connect with our audiences, be it through dialogue on social media platforms or sneak previews of our content. With every show and channel marketing campaign, our digital spends supplement the print and TV mentions, thus creating a 360 degree surround across media,” provides Thakur.

    A shining example of the channel‘s 360-degree approach is the way it created the Laajo Ki Diary blog on four platforms including wordpress, blogspot, tumblr and Rediff before the launch of its show Gustakh Dil. The blog gets updated with new posts on a day-to-day basis, keeping viewers abreast of what‘s happening on it.

    The website is decked up with web exclusive content including live streaming, picture gallery, video uploads, show trivia and a concert section

    But how does the channel promote its online presence? “We have a dedicated digital content and marketing team, who focus their energies on creating interesting content for the digital audience. We also have efficient partners that understand the nuances of social media engagement and help spread marketing ideas across digital and social platforms,” replies Thakur.

    Just in case you‘re wondering which platform gets the most traction, Thakur isn‘t very helpful. “Each platform delivers a specific objective while facebook is a great place for fans to engage with us, consume rich media content and share with friends; twitter being much more time-sensitive, helps create buzz about relevant topics and shows at the right time. YouTube on the other hand is a great platform for users to sample our content (mostly short form content) and also drives digital monetisation,” he says.

    Well, talk about the channel being omnipresent in the digital space…