ITV

Tag: Mahesh Samat

  • Epic goes digital; to launch mobile app in July

    Epic goes digital; to launch mobile app in July

    MUMBAI: Epic Television Networks founder and managing director Mahesh Samat had once rightly said that the channel’s content will cross borders. Building on that philosophy, Epic, a segmented entertainment channel is set to step out of television sets and go mobile with the launch of its mobile app.

     

    Replying to an inquisitive fan, the channel’s official Twitter handle tweet read, “We’re launching the Epic channel mobile app soon where you can catch all your favourite shows. We’ll keep you posted.”

     

    Sources close to the development told Indiantelevision.com that the app will be launched in July. “It will be a subscriber based app for international markets,” says an industry source.Other details will be unfolded soon with time.

     

    “Things are under preparations and the official announcement will soon follow,” an official close to the development adds.

     

    It can be recalled that Samat had always been keen on digital. Says a media expert, “Digital is the next big thing and he wanted to sell his content online because it’s premium and not just show it free on YouTube. He has always believed that his content will travel overseas and I think this is a good move by the channel.”

     

    Moreover, as this website had earlier reported, the channel will be launching a host of new shows in July.

     

    According to a media analyst, in an era of moving screenagers, the channel has made a smart move with cost attached and this in turn will bring visibility to the premium content that it airs. 

  • Anurag Basu to helm ‘Stories by Rabindranath Tagore’ for Epic

    Anurag Basu to helm ‘Stories by Rabindranath Tagore’ for Epic

    MUMBAI: In order to connect better with the audiences, segmented Hindi entertainment channel Epic is gearing up to launch a series that masterfully recreates the magic of old Bengal through some of Rabindranath Tagore’s short stories and novels.

     

    ‘Stories by Rabindranath Tagore’ showcasing ‘epic’ tales like Choker Bali, Charulata, Atithi and Kabuliwala amongst others will bring intricately etched characters created by Tagore to the small screen. The series will be directed by filmmaker Anurag Basu, who has to his credit movies like Barfi and Life in a Metro. 

     

    Through this series, the characters of Tagore’s stories will spring into life through Basu’s imagination and vision.

     

    Set in a politically volatile period, the stories are constantly shifting in the social world of the early 20th century in undivided Bengal. The hub of new India, Calcutta is the melting pot where the protagonists are pouring in from their rural, social and cultural spaces to encourage this upcoming new world.

     

    Talking about the show, Epic founder and managing director Mahesh Samat says that he has always been a big admirer of Tagore and his work. “Many of Tagore’s stories are perfect for television and after discussing the thought with Basu, I felt that it would be a great fit for Epic. With Basu, we found the perfect synergy in vision and passion for recreating Tagore’s stories for television. In fact, he wanted to do this for the past 10 years. The show looks great. Let’s hope the viewers enjoy watching it as much as we enjoyed making it for them,” said Samat.

     

    Basu retains Tagore’s style of narrative even in the visual medium and enhances words of his pages by bringing in talent that truly captures the essence of each his beloved characters. Unlike ordinary characters, these personalities pack a rebellious punch.

     

    The filmmaker delves deeper into this society in transition, with songs, music, cultural references and its newfound political and social manifestations, a little more than the actual described world within Tagore’s narratives.

     

    Keeping in line with the channel strategy, Stories by Rabindranath Tagore is a finite series with 26 episodes and is slated to hit the television screens in July this year.

     

    The channel has been in active conversation with its viewers since its launch in November last year. “A feedback we received was to recreate stories of iconic authors and this lead us to develop Stories by Rabindranath Tagore. As we go forward, we are going to explore many other authors.”

     

    Epic is leaving no stones unturned to market the big-budget property. The channel released the show’s first look recently on Rabindranath Tagore’s birthday (9 May). The first look has already grabbed eyeballs of close to 78,000 views on YouTube at the time of writing the article.

     

    “Since 9 May was the Bengali birthday of Tagore and Basu, it was the ideal day to release the first look of the show. We’ve got people talking about the show and it’s going strong. We will maintain the momentum till the show launches. There’s a lot more coming up but I wouldn’t want to kill the surprise so early. Needless to say, this show is an important part of our overall plans,” informs Samat.

     

    Stories by Rabindranath Tagore has talented actors like Amrita Puri and Radhika Apte on board, who have played key roles in the self-titled stories, Charulata and Chokher Bali respectively. Epic will be working closely with the actors to keep the buzz going.

     

    Media planners are gung-ho about the show. Maxus managing partner Navin Khemka believes that it is a great concept and Tagore’s stories are popular. “If produced well, the show could drive eyeballs to the channel. It will click with the mature audiences. The buzz on the channel is positive. A lot of sampling is happening. If this program drives stickiness for them it will be good,” Khemka opines.

  • Epic awaits BARC rollout; to launch new programming

    Epic awaits BARC rollout; to launch new programming

    MUMBAI: The media and entertainment industry will now have to get used to a new ratings system, which is scheduled to begin by the end of this month. And as Broadcast Audience Research Council (BARC) gears up to roll out its ratings data, Epic has a treat in store for audiences with a fresh programming line-up.  

     

    A lot of speculation and anxiety over the new television rating system came to rest last week when BARC announced that the new ratings system would be out every Wednesday by April end.

     

    In order to launch its new shows the “segmented” Hindi general entertainment channel (GEC) Epic is waiting for the new ratings rollout.

     

    A source close to the development tells Indiantelevision.com, “The channel is now four months old and has gone through its initial run. We are waiting for the BARC ratings to roll out and then put the new programmes on-air so that we know how the shows are doing in terms of numbers. Moreover, with that we will also have a clearer picture to show to advertisers.”

     

    Though the content is kept under wraps, a show which has already created a lot of buzz before its release is Anurag Basu’s adaptation of Rabindranath Tagore’s Chokher Bali.

     

    Additionally, veteran Bollywood scriptwriter and poet Javed Akhtar has also been roped for a show called Jaane Pehchaane on the channel. The series is slated to go on air in June and will have Akhtar as a narrator reminiscing about films, actors and famous dialogues of yesteryears.

     

    Positioned as the first ‘segmented’ channel on Indian television, Epic currently airs only four shows throughout the day  – two fiction series titled Dharmakshetra and Siyaasat and two non-fiction shows – Kahi Suni and Ekaant.

     

    Founded by former Disney India managing director Mahesh Samat, Epic clocked around 1,246 GVTs in its debut week when it launched in November last year.

     

    Wanting viewers to step in and out as per their convenience, all the shows on the channel were designed for a finite period. Epic began airing content pertaining to Indian history, folklore and mythology, in a contemporary storytelling format.

     

    The channel started with around 13-15 weekly shows, most of which were hour-long. On weekends, the channel airs films that are in sync with its core proposition, Kahaniyaan Hindustan Ki (Hindi for fables of India), chosen from the channel’s library of 20 movies. On weekdays, Epic airs around two-and-a-half hours of original content starting at 8 pm.

  • “We know we have to work on awareness level,” says Epic’s Mahesh Samat

    “We know we have to work on awareness level,” says Epic’s Mahesh Samat

    One of the newest entrant in the Hindi general entertainment channel (GEC) space, Mahesh Samat’s Epic, which was launched on 19 November, 2014 has been gaining momentum on the rating chart ever since.

    “I would want my kid to watch Epic,” says a media planner when contacted to know how the channel has been performing.

    The news of the former Disney executive launching Epic Television Network had first broken in 2012. Labeled as India’s first genre-specific Hindi entertainment channel, it was supposed  to be launched by August 2013. However, due to the delay in getting the licence from the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, the venture backed by Anand Mahindra, Mukesh Ambani and Rohit Khattar, focusing on Indian history, folklore and mythology, had to wait a long time to entertain the audiences.

    Nonetheless, Samat is happy with the progress and the pace in which the channel is moving. “Ratings wise we are somewhat on track. And there is market for segmented content,” he says.

    The channel, which shows finite weeklies, aims to change the way “entertainment” is categorised today. Samat believes that there are enough people in urban India who want to watch mythology and know about the historical aspects of the country. The channel, though slightly male skewed, while conventional GECs are heavily female skewed, aims to entertain the whole family.

    With an array of fiction and non-fiction shows, all enlightening the viewer of the history gone by, the channel has got on board a new breed of producers and changed the way a story is told. Face Entertainment’s Monia Pinto, who has worked on numerous lifestyle shows, is producing non-fiction shows like Sanrachna and Lost Recipes for the channel.

    Unlike the other shows she has worked on, the series on Epic intellectually stimulates her and her team, thanks to the research which goes into creating them. “We invest a lot of time in research so basically we have to study the subject thoroughly. The team at Epic also does its homework well on a subject so when we go back to them, we merge the ideas and studies to come up with a brilliant piece of work,” she says.

    Speaking on Ekaant, which takes one through abandoned roads, alleys of some of India’s historic locations, Pinto highlights that two researchers work on a project and visit the place, speak to historians to get the facts and story right. “Sometimes it takes us even a month to just study about 2 or 3 monuments,” she says while adding that things have fasten as they are more adjusted with the work as compared to when the production house started off work for the channel. The most difficult part is to get the right people to talk about on the subject as everything has to be very authentic.

    Happy with most production houses working with the channel, Samat believes the work which has been produced is better than what is already out there. Considering the shows are finite, Samat believes it is very difficult to tell a tale in limited episodes as the genre is vast. “There has to be passion for the work and the story else we won’t be able to differentiate from the rest,” he opines.

    Shot on sets as well as on locations, the channel is not worried about the cost which has gone in producing the shows. “Both fiction and non-fiction have worked for us and for us the channel is a long term project as we have invested anything from six months to two years on the programmes,” states Samat.

    Siyaasat which is based on Indu Sundaresan’s novel, ‘The Twentieth Wife,’ is the story of a pawn that charted Mehrunissa’s way to power to become Nur Jahan, the Mallikaa of Hindustan and was shot in Bikaner as well as sets in Mumbai. “Adoptions need research too; but for us the main approach lies in telling the story without being melodramatic,” says Green Light Productions Rishabh Sheth on what differentiates historical shows on Epic from the rest of the channels.

    “Unlike other dailies, we are weekly which gives us enough time to work on pre and post production of an episode,” states Sheth who believes sometimes in a historical show liberties can be taken to make a character glossy to become more liked by the audience.

    At the launch of Chakravartin Ashoka Samrat, Colors CEO Raj Nayak had said that historical and mythology as a genre has great potential. “One can tell a story from various perspectives and still not lose the essence of it if treated well,” he had said on the growth in the genre. For instance, Dharmakshetra, a courtroom drama, unearths the buried questions and allows the legendary characters of Mahabharata to justify their actions for the very first time.

    Though all the blocks are fitting well for the channel, there is still a few missing links. “The content is good, but how many know of it is the question,” points out a media planner and adds, “The channel is not for family viewing as they prefer to watch dramas. It caters to a niche audience, which is interested in the content.”

    Samat too agrees with the fact and says, “Yes, for us the fundamental issue is awareness as it is lower than what we would expect it to be.” With new shows coming up, the channel will start a massive second phase of marketing.

    “Content is conventional and has created a lot of buzz for the channel on the social media, hence, again the focus of marketing will be digital,” says Samat and adds that unconventional route will also be taken. It is planning to launch school programmes across the country soon.

    As for the inventory, the channel is still taking it slow. “The industry has given us positive response but we still want to give them a little more time. Another six months and I guess we should be able to talk on the subject,” answers Samat when asked about the response from the advertisers. The channel currently has Aquaguard, HP, Tata Motors and Foodpanda on board.

    He, just like the others, is waiting for Broadcast Audience Research Council India (BARC) to start releasing data. “Things will change once BARC comes into play,” he opines.
    Nonetheless, it will follow the two minute ad-cap. On Information and Broadcast Minister Arun Jailtey comment of not being in favour of ad cap, Samat says that which way the regulations go, the channel will follow them. However, for him, the audience will be the judge as he doesn’t want to spoil the television viewing for them.

    Monetising through digital is also on Samat’s plan of action. “Our content is for the future and whenever we are ready for it, we will opt for digital subscription model,” says Samat, who is optimistic about the growth of the medium in the country with 4G coming in soon. That’s not all; he also believes that the content will be so rich and unique that it can be sold to the world.

    With a reach of 35 million+ homes, the HD pay channel, also available in down-scaled SD version comes with a subscription rate of Rs 55 while SD is available at Rs 10.5. For planners, the cost is too much especially when audience is used to getting a number of channels at a very minimal rate. “In a country where one TV home still outdoes homes where there are more screens and popular GECs available on nominal cost, why would one pay that much?” asks a media analyst.

    The analyst isn’t convinced that the channel will be able to monetise well on the digital platform.  

    Listening to all the suggestions and working on the same, Samat believes that the channel has a long way to go and things will alter depending on the future.  The channel with the primetime slot of 8:30 pm to 11 pm, currently is focusing on the awareness of it in the Hindi speaking market (HSM).

  • The Content Hub: Segmented channels predict good future for themselves

    The Content Hub: Segmented channels predict good future for themselves

    MUMBAI: The Indian television industry is undergoing a sea change in terms of the content that is being created, both on television and online, long as well as short format. With an increasing need for dynamic creators and scriptwriters, Indiantelevision.com’s first edition of The Content Hub aims to bring together writers, creators, producers, artistes and broadcast executives to discuss with those involved in the content creation process.

     

    Opening the session was Indiantelevision.com founder, CEO and editor in chief Anil Wanvari, who spoke about how current Indian shows run for more than 1000 episodes while the audience and time spent on digital is shooting up. “We need to create engaging content by rethinking whether we need a time shift, seasonal shows, social programmes or younger producers,” said Wanvari.

     

    The first session dealt with the risk taking broadcasters of the industry in which Madison World chairman Sam Balsara spoke to Epic Television Networks CEO Mahesh Samat and Reliance Broadcast Network Tarun Katial.

     

    Balsara started off the session by asking the two about their attempts to disrupt content in the traditional general entertainment channel (GEC) space. Samat said that over the years, the GECs have seen a very few changes and it is only in the last two or three years, due to some impact of digitisation, there has been a little shift.  He compared the current television industry scenario to the film industry where earlier only one type of movies were produced due to single screens and now due to proliferation of multiplexes there is a variety.

     

    Balsara said that every GEC has the type of content that Epic is trying to segment into its channel. “I am told that people watch shows, not channels?” he questioned. To this Samat took up the example of the US where in the last 25 years all the channels that have come up are segmented. To this, Katial said that the top three GECs could afford to do general content while channels beyond that have to think differently. “Truly there are only three GECs in India- Star Plus, Zee TV and Colors while Sony is largely crime and similar to that is Life OK. Sab is segmented for comedy and so is Big Magic. A lot of our growth has come from geography segmentation,” said Katial.

     

    Balsara pointed out that the time where people in India will pay to watch good content is still very distant, so what will be a viable model? Katial said that he doesn’t feel there is space for niche segmented content because the investment needs to be if not more then as much as what a Hindi GEC can put with also a good amount of distribution cost. “Abroad, large GECs are terrestrial and free to air. Here to create content that needs to fill three hours daily can hamper the economics and to reach 50-60 GRPs you have to play the lowest common denominator game. When you segment and get to 15-20 GRPs, no Madison will pay you the ER,” he pointed out.

     

    Balsara with his years of experience said that ad revenue is limited due to limited viewership because while segmented channels ask for lakhs of rupees, GECs have a CPRP of about Rs 20000 to Rs 25000. “Why would a brand buy something at five times the cost if it is available at one fifth the price?” he questioned.

     

    The way forward according to Katial is actually the viewership but if original content needs to be created then high investment is needed. “Channels such as FoodFood and Discovery have content with limited cost and limited distribution (restricted to urban areas) but for original content the P&L gets to Rs 300 crore,” said Katial. Answering Balsara’s question of high a-la-carte rates of channels, Samat said that a certain amount of reach and GRPs are needed before the channel can be made affordable.

     

    “10 years ago people laughed at DTH and look at how things are now. So subscription isn’t far off. If you make the right content with limited episodes, syndication will get you money,” highlighted Samat. He added that current long format shows don’t allow syndication.

     

    Balsara highlighted the language difference between English and Hindi wherein English papers command high ad revenue while English channels are almost inconsequential. To this Katial said that English papers create influence while English channels sell products. “The English viewer is hooked to other screens but not set for standard TV viewing format,” he stated.

     

    With several growing mediums, Balsara asked if today content is created with only TV in mind to which Samat said, “We are developing content ‘forever’ that can make money even afterwards. More than screens, we should now look at longevity.”

     

    In response to Balsara’s question of adapting several international formats Katial said that there is no shame in legally doing so since it has a success track record. “When you put Rs 1 crore or Rs 2 crore behind such shows, every management wants to see it has worked before and so do advertisers,” he said. Samat said that the option of creating or adapting a format lies totally on the economics of the channel.

  • Yamraj back on being the TV favourite

    Yamraj back on being the TV favourite

    MUMBAI: The god we all dread has been the butt of many jokes on Indian television. The god of death aka Yamraj has appeared on a number of shows and in return has made the audiences laugh.

     

    Once again, Yamraj is back in the television industry with two shows being aired on him.

     

    Epic, the latest entrant in the Hindi entertainment space, airs Yam Kissi se Kam Nahi, a sitcom which takes a tongue-in-cheek approach to the life of Yamraj as he tries, often unsuccessfully, to overcome various hurdles in his daily life.

     

    Produced by David Polycarp and Vasant under the banner Trouble Makers Studios/The Company Productions, Rajesh Kumar plays the role of Yamraj in the sitcom. The channel usually airs weekly, but the sitcom is an exception. The programme, which shows Yamraj leading a life of an aam aadmi with his nagging wife, a troublesome brother-in-law, a disgruntled assistant, jealous neighbours, grumpy in-laws, an over-bearing boss and many other ordinary problems make up the daily life,  is aired Monday-Friday at 8:30 pm.

     

    Why a channel focusing on mythology and folklore chose to do a comedy revolving around the god of death? Says the channel’s MD Mahesh Samat, “We have an emotional connect with our past which has a spectrum of emotions. We wanted to encompass all aspects of history, including action, drama, romance and even comedy. If we are truly trying to capture Indian history, then we cannot ignore the Navras. ‘Yam Kisi Se Kam Nahin’ is a great example of taking a lighter look at history and mythology. It’s a sit-com that offers us a fictional look at Yamraj, viewed through a very different lens. It aligns with our approach of offering content that is meaningful and engaging.”

     

    On the similar lines, Sab, a comedy channel from the Multi Screen media (MSM) stable, will soon replace Chandrakant Chiplunkar Seedi Bambawala with Yam Hai Hum. The show produced by Swastik Productions is said to be based on the famous movie Taqdeerwala featuring actors Daggubati Venkatesh, Kader Khan and Asrani.

     

    The show will see Manav Gohil playing the lead character of Yamraj and air Monday-Friday at 10 pm.

     

    What is intriguing is that two channels will air shows revolving around the somewhat same characters. One will only have to wait and see which one will be able to make a connect with the viewers.

  • Epic’s marketing mantra: Digital innovations

    Epic’s marketing mantra: Digital innovations

    MUMBAI: One of the oldest civilisations in the world and thousands of stories to tell; Epic, the latest entrant in the Hindi entertainment channel space, is all about ‘Kahaniyaan Hindustan Ki’.

    Different from the rest, the channel which wants to be categorised as the country’s first genre specific channel, is taking a different approach when it comes to not only content, but marketing as well.

    Imagine a standard bus stop transformed into a royal seating chamber, equipped with fan bearers and thrones. Yes, to give a taste of yesteryears the channel has taken the conventional as well as unconventional ways to create the buzz around it.

    “We want to create a brand around history and mythology in television and therefore it was very important to have a strategic approach to our marketing efforts,” says Epic Television Networks founder and MD Mahesh Samat.  Apart from focusing on a 360 degree marketing plan, it has put a great deal of focus on digital innovations.

    “Social media is a much underutilised medium which we wanted to explore. We have a three-pronged approach – create relevance, generate meaningful engagement and offer a sense of uniqueness,” says Samat while elaborating on how the channel debuted first on YouTube a month before the launch of the channel and garnered over 1.2 million hits and subsequently, released a promo every week to build some pre-buzz in the market.

    “Our digital initiative, Epicgrams, has been an ongoing property that has helped create the relevant conversations surrounding Indian history, mythology and folklore, before the channel launched,” highlights Samat.

    Other than this, Epic is also being promoted in the traditional ways with radio, print, television and OOH.

    The channel did an in-depth research to create the blueprint of marketing strategy. “Our research suggested that our content appeals more to urban audiences given the contemporary format of storytelling. It also suggested that the content is more gender neutral unlike other entertainment channels. That being said, our content is focused on Indian history and we as Indians have an emotional connection to our past. We have had a longstanding tradition of storytelling that has faded over the last few decades. Urban audiences have turned away from Indian television because there isn’t enough content that caters to their sentimentalities. We felt that this was a space in television that was untapped and we wanted to bring audiences back to Indian television in a way that suits their consumption patterns. We felt that leveraging the digital medium would help us reach the intended audience and be an agent to bring them back to television,” he adds.

    The campaigns are season based wherein once the first season is over, the campaigns for the second season of shows will commence.

    Launched on 19 November, after more than a year’s wait, so far the channel has spent upwards of 50 to 60 per cent of its marketing budget.  As per industry sources, the channel is spending around Rs 20 crore to Rs 25 crore on marketing.

    So far, Epic is focusing on cities that have completed phase I of digitisation and the urban audience across the country, including Mumbai and Delhi and as digitisation takes its course across the country, the campaigns will begin there as well.

     

  • Our content will cross borders, says Mahesh Samat

    Our content will cross borders, says Mahesh Samat

    MUMBAI: After a wait for almost an year, Mahesh Samat’s Epic will finally see the light of day on 19 November.

    The news of the former Disney executive launching Epic Television Network first broke in 2012 and was supposed to launch the channel by August 2013. However, due to the delay in getting the licence from the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, the venture backed by Anand Mahindra , Mukesh Ambani and Rohit Khattar, focusing on Indian history, folklore and mythology, had to wait a long time to entertain the audiences.

    As per media reports, Mahindra and Ambani each have a 25.8 per cent stake in the company and together have financial control. Also, there is an initial commitment of Rs 100 crore from the group of ‘angel investors’. Samat has a 48.5 per cent stake in the venture, as per the company’s filing with the Registrar of Companies (RoC).

    The HD pay channel, also available in down-scaled SD version, aims to change the way entertainment is being categorised today. “We are not what people think and call ‘general entertainment’. We are a brand that stands for something which Indian television industry doesn’t have,” says Samat while adding that Indian history has numerous stories to tell and that’s what the channel will do.

    Someone who has keen interest in history, Samat believes there are enough people in urban India who want to watch mythology and know about the historical aspects of the country. The channel, though slightly male skewed, while conventional GECs are heavily female skewed, wants to entertain the whole family.

    With months of research gone into creating the fictional shows like DharamaKshetra, Dariba Diaries as well as non-fictional shows like Adrishya, Raja, Rasoi aur anya Kahaniyaan have been shot in HD and sound recording is on 5.1 Dolby. “Technology is changing the way we tell stories today,” says Samat and highlights how it has also collaborated with Mumbai University and other institutions to help with the facts.

    The channel is working with a new-breed of producers like Bolt Media, Green Light Production, Pride Rock Television among many others, who are willing to take a contemporary take on age-old stories. The research was done by the production houses with the channel’s help. “We got enough creative freedom from the channel,” says a producer of a show soon to be aired on the channel and adds, “The cost of production is higher than that of a show on other channels, but one needs to know how to utilise and make the best of the resources available.” As per industry sources, the cost of production of a show could range from anything between Rs 12 lakh to Rs 20 lakh per episode.

    The shows are finite with most of the shows comprising 20+ episodes and will also see filmmakers like Pankaj Prashar creating content for the channel. “Today a lot of filmmakers want to enter the big world of the small screen. However, most of them don’t have time for infinite shows. Here we are giving them an opportunity to tell stories in a short period of time,” says Samat.

    “And depending on the response and love we get from the audiences we will look at bringing back the show through various seasons,” he adds. Samat believes in changing the way industry works today. “We don’t want to stretch story lines. Everywhere else in the world, seasons work. It’s time we did too.”

    That’s not all; he believes that the content will be so rich and unique that it can be sold to the world. “International syndication is important to me and I want to take our stories to the world,” says Samat. The channel has already got a good response from buyers at MipCom where it showcased the content and Samat believes that before the next edition, the content will have enough takers. “We will not just focus on conventional markets but non-conventional markets as well,” he adds while highlighting that as a pioneer he and his team of 40 have to take risks and go an extra mile to stand out of the crowd. YRF TV’s former head Ravina Kohli is the development head and Aparna Pandey is the business head who also takes marketing decisions.

    The channel will go on air with 13 to 15 shows which will be weekly with the primetime being from 8:30 pm to 11 pm. The morning and afternoon slot currently will show repeats. The channel plans to acquire historic films and programmes as well, which will be aired mostly on the weekends. “As our library grows, the FPC will change too,” he pin points.

    So far, the channel has got no advertiser on board; however, talks are on. “We want to give a week or two for brands to see the content and how they can relate with our philosophy,” says a confident Samat, who feels many will come on board soon. “We are not an AFP driven channel,” he says.

    Media planners too believe that brands will want to watch the content. “No one wants to take a risk,” says a media planner. He adds, “Lifestyle brands will hop on board. However, Reliance and Mahindra brands are always there.” However, several feel that the channel will take time to create a niche of its own as viewers still want to see daily soap operas.

    With a pan-India approach, the channel will be distributed and syndicated by IndiaCast. “Talks are on with all the major DTH players as well as cable operators in DAS area,” says IndiaCast group COO Gaurav Gandhi.

    Subscription rate for the HD channel is Rs 55 while SD will be available at Rs 10.5.

    Beamed off Intelsat 20, the channel will soon start the marketing regime. General entertainment channels (GECs), news as well as other genres will be targeted along with major dailies in the metros. Major hoarding sights will be targeted as well with a lot of focus on digital. Currently, on Youtube, the channel has 1530 subscribers and the first look of the channel has got more than 1.2 million views.

    “Our content will be available online, but will come at a cost,” informs Samat.

    Madison is the media agency while Jack in the Box is the digital agency. Dynamite is the creative agency, though a lot of creatives are done in-house as well.

     

    The channel has entrusted revenue monetisation to Helios Media which has emabrked on seeding the channel in advertiser market. “Everything about Epic is unique. And those with futuristic view will be on board soon,” says the agency’s MD Divya Radhakrishnan.

     

     

  • Epic entrusts Helios Media with revenue mandate

    Epic entrusts Helios Media with revenue mandate

    MUMBAI: India’s first genre specific Hindi entertainment channel, Epic has assigned the revenue monetisation duties to Helios Media. With a clear focus to create unique and original content within the Indian history, folklore and mythology genre, in a very contemporary story telling format, the channel will be launched by the end of this year.

     

    Speaking on the appointment Epic Television Networks founder and managing director Mahesh Samat says that the segmented content will allow viewers to choose and consume genre-specific content of their liking. “The channel is on the anvil of revolutionising the way television is being consumed in our country. This therefore becomes an ideal destination for brands to reach out to the appropriate TG. Helios Media has the understanding of the space and the skill to position brands in the right environment. I am certain that this partnership will add value to an unconventional brand like ours that is creating a new category altogether.”

     

    The channel will have action, drama, comedy, and thrills set against the backdrop of Indian history and mythology. The programming line-up will be a mix of fiction and narrative non-fiction shows, short form content, as well as period films. An original style of storytelling with high production quality, it will have a look and feel that is distinct and appealing to both men and women. Shot in HD, the shows will capture the historical settings in all their glory.

     

    Helios Media MD Divya Radhakrishnan said, “At Helios Media, it’s ingrained in our DNA to look beyond obvious and see more. We always swim against the tide and have created success stories of the channels we have been assigned to. It’s our honour to partner with this new leap in broadcast history that will be written by the Epic channel.”

     

    Helios Media COO Bala Iyengar added, “Our expertise lies in brand positioning and our team orientation has been to create solutions for both brands and the channel. We are very excited to be a part of establishing a brand new genre for Indian television.”

     

    Launched in 2011, Helios Media has been providing broadcasters with critical expertise in the areas of revenue management and several allied business solutions. Helios Media currently manages monetisation mandates of MTunes HD, Channel X, FoodFood, Sanjeev Kapoor’s Khazana, Fashion TV and Life Mantra.  

  • Epic channel set to roll out by end 2014

    Epic channel set to roll out by end 2014

    NEW DELHI: India’s first genre specific Hindi entertainment channel, Epic is all set go on air by the end of the year  and will showcase content based on Indian history, folklore and mythology in a contemporary format. It is the first segmented channel in Indian television.

      

    Mukesh Ambani, Anand Mahindra and Rohit Khattar are the three promoters of the company. Mahindra & Mahindra chairman and managing director Anand Mahindra speaking on the occasion said that the landscape of Hindi entertainment is undergoing a dramatic transformation and in order to appeal to an evolved audience, and to sustain their engagement, there was a need for a revolution in the broadcast space.

     

    “We have all been entertained with the history and mythology of India through books and grandparents’ stories. These stories will now come to life on television in a contemporary manner,” he added

     

    The channel identified fragmentation of audiences as a huge opportunity for differentiated and genre specific content. By integrating India’s rich heritage with the current consumption patterns, the channel is creating original content within the Indian history, folklore and mythology genre and will be using a contemporary story telling format.

     

    Epic Television network founder and managing director Mahesh Samat commented, “The ‘segmented’ content will allow viewers to choose and consume genre-specific content of their liking. Our vision is to create a brand in television that will translate our vibrant past into entertainment with the objective of creating new IPs, strong characters and new heroes that strike a chord with audiences.”

     

    The channel will have action, drama, comedy, supernatural and narrative non-fiction content, set against Indian history and mythology. The stories will be innovative with high production quality and a distinct look that will appeal to both men and women. Most of the content will be shot at real locations with HD cameras. The programming line-up has a mix of fiction shows, narrative non-fiction shows, short form content as well as films at launch.