Tag: MK Anand

Prominent Union ministers to headline the 7th edition of Times Network India Economic Conclave

MUMBAI: Times Network is gearing up for the seventh edition of its annual signature event, Times Network India Economic Conclave (IEC). Driving the theme, ‘India’s Decade: Reform. Perform. Transform’, the two-day conclave on 25-26 March in New Delhi will witness a stellar line-up of policy makers, change makers, growth agents, disruptors and global thinkers, mining actionable strategies to expedite India’s economic growth.

The hallmark platform for economic thought leadership, IEC this year brings together the architects, who will shape the golden decade for our nation including minister of finance and corporate affairs Nirmala Sitharaman, minister of law & justice, communications, electronics Ravi Shankar Prasad, minister of railways, commerce & industry, consumer affairs Piyush Goyal, minister for road transport & highways Nitin Gadkari, minister of petroleum & natural gas and steel Dharmendra Pradhan, minister for textiles and women & child development Smriti Irani, minister of health and science & technology Dr Harsh Vardhan, minister of external affairs Dr S Jaishankar, Hardeep Singh Puri – Minister for Housing & Urban Affairs, Civil Aviation and MoS Commerce & Industry, Ramesh Pokhriyal – Minister of Education, Bhupesh Baghel – Chief Minister, Chhattisgarh, Shaktikanta Das – Governor, RBI, Krishnamurthy V Subramanian – Chief Economic Adviser of India, Amitabh Kant – CEO, NITI Aayog, General Bipin Rawat – Chief of Defence Staff, K Sivan – Chairman, ISRO, Uday Kotak – VC & MD , Kotak Mahindra Bank, Rakesh Jhunjhunwala – Partner, RARE Enterprises, V Vaidyanathan – MD & CEO , IDFC FIRST Bank, Ashish Jhalani – CMO (Global), Square Panda (USA) & MD, Square Panda India, Andre Agassi – Chairman and Founder, The Andre Agassi Foundation for Education & Chairman of Board, Square Panda, Nassim Nicholas Taleb – Essayist & Author and Peter Zeihan – Geopolitical Strategist and founder of Zeihan on Geopolitics amongst others. IEC 2021 will cover critical conversation points including global trade & the economy, sector specific challenges & opportunities to key reforms, geopolitical shifts and building infrastructure.

Successfully establishing itself as the distinguished global stage for driving India’s economic agenda, India Economic Conclave has been instrumental in addressing the critical issues concerning the country’s economic scenario. In its latest edition, IEC will focus on India’s outlook and vision for the new decade and aims to unleash India’s potential to supersede the world economic order.

Times Network MD & CEO MK Anand said, “India has never been in a more interesting position from a global point of view. As the world enters a new decade amidst the pandemic, India enters the most crucial phase in its economic history post liberalisation. The global order of trade is changing. What started with the ‘Make America Great Again’ campaign a few years ago has gained momentum across. As a major economy which was not so integrated into the global system, this leaves us with a comparative advantage over others who will face headwinds in the emerging scenario. India is also pursuing ‘Aatmanirbhar Bharat’ and an aggressive ‘Make in India’ strategy to further insulate itself. This is an interesting canvas to draw the agenda of India for the new decade. Can India claim its spot at the high table of major economies? Will India ride on the demographic dividend or face a demographic challenge? Will India play the role of a catalyst and guardian in the Indian Ocean Region? These are critical questions that will affect India’s growth in the next decade and as always India Economic Conclave will attempt to bring these into sharper focus.”

Adhering to strict Covid2019 protocols and capping attendance to a limited number of guests to meet social distancing norms, IEC 2021 is a ‘by invitation only’ event, which will follow the highest standards of hygiene and sanitation to bring a ‘contactless event experience’.

For more details visit – https://www.indiaeconomicconclave.com/

The seventh edition of India Economic Conclave is presented by IDFC First Bank.

March 22, 2021
10-15% change in news viewership expected to stay: MK Anand, Times Network

NEW DELHI: When it's a newsy year, it's bad for business, said Times Network MD and CEO MK Anand in a throwaway comment at the ninth edition of CII Big Picture Summit. All jokes aside, he can't deny the fact that the crises that popped up throughout the year benefited his news networks by reeling in more viewers.

“It was a fantastic opportunity, because we really had a period where we knew that the newsiness will be there for more than three to five days. This was also a period when the consumer behaviour changed drastically. They were not travelling and working from home and had more time to spend with family and watch media. Fortunately for the news space, we had the wherewithal and infrastructure to continue providing the fresh content on a continuous basis and in a period when people were interesting in knowing what was happening around,” shared Anand during a one-on-one session titled ‘Changing Face of News Media – Future of Indian News’, moderated by EY M&E lead Ashish Pherwani.

It was pretty evident during the lockdown that several genres on the television ran out of fresh content and as news reporters were covering the pandemic, the Sushant Singh Rajput case, elections and other issues and conflicts, the audience’s proximity to news was extremely high. This resulted in the genre having a high viewership.

“The initial phases of the lockdown were a period where we felt there could be a disruption but we got a very positive feedback from the fourth week onwards. The initial situation was that the cable operators were wondering whether they will be able to operate or connect, all that went away by April and the numbers are there to see,” said Anand.

He further added that it was a great opportunity for new players, whose success had chiefly to do with the fact that consumer behaviour was in flux and there was a high propensity to spend time in front of channels.

The question that remains is whether this spike in viewership will sustain or not. “People have a lot of things to do than to only watch news channels. I think there will be a minor lift up and certain things will not change. There will be a 10-15 per cent change in viewership share that can be expected to stay at least for the next year or so,” Anand conjectured.

He went on to add that for the media industry, the long-term RoI of Covid2019 will be positive, heavy losses incurred in the last six months notwithstanding.

Besides fluctuations in revenue and viewership, another dynamic aspect this past year has been the adoption of new technologies and innovations to keep the news cycle grinding away even when the going got tough. The Times Network too was quick to adapt and switch things in terms of processes, new techniques of innovation and collaborations, shared Anand.

“We have had at least three properties which we would not have probably thought of and executed and which now will be a part of our regular line-up. We have been able to link up our research, finance, ad sales, and marketing people in the organisation and there is some serious amount of collaboration that we have been able to set up, which will go beyond Covid and we are seeing certain properties that are surprising us,” he elaborated.

On the operations side, the media group plans to keep working remotely, not just in the foreseeable future but in the long-term too. “In 2022, there will be 30 per cent work from office and 70 per cent work from home. A good example is – ET Now at any given day had 200 people in the office, and we were able to operate it with five people on hand. All the anchors were working from home and we had no issues; we have been able to experiment a lot more than what we were able to do before.”

Anand also pointed that the times have changed and digital will play a crucial role in how we work and operate. “Physical has a charm, more perceived value and glamour. The addition of digital presence to physical will be a lot faster adopted and paid for. I don’t think digital will replace physical, the latter will come back in a very big way, but the acceptance of tech in this area will be a lot better and interesting.”

Talking about interesting, one subject that has made the news industry sit up and take notice is the alleged TRP manipulation racket, which led BARC to cease news ratings for a period of 12 weeks.

Anand stated that the scam has led to authorities recognising this menace as a criminal offence and not just a civil matter. Essentially, such malpractices are not fair to competitor, consumers, advertisers and investors, he asserted.

“We have championed the cause of reach by high cost of marketing collaterals such as landing pages. The fact that it (rigging TRPs) is prevalent and is used to take money off the table from honest and fair players and it’s a competitive problem. No one needs to bleed for competition, but you definitely need to bleed for advertiser as he is taken for a ride. I don’t think it has impacted any ad sales in Oct-Nov-Dec or will impact in Jan-Feb-March,” concluded Anand.

December 19, 2020
3 Reasons why news industry is miffed with BARC

NEW DELHI: The recent TRP manipulation scam has reopened old wounds that news channels and Broadcast Audience Research Council (BARC) had been mending. The genre had never been absolutely satisfied with how the authority is measuring ratings and the recent sequence of events has once again brought the matter to the fore. At the recently concluded News Television Summit hosted by Indiantelevision.com, several speakers from the news world pointed out the errors that they feel BARC is making in measuring news TRPs. Here is a comprehensive overview:

1. Incorrect Sample Size

Zee News CEO and editor-in-chief Sudhir Chaudhary pointed out, “I think the main problem with BARC ratings is that the sample size is so small. Statistically speaking, we are a 32,000 crore industry and BARC has its meter in just 44,000 homes. As we traditionally say that of the overall sample size only 10 per cent watch news, we are left with just 4,400 boxes, which is very less for a huge market like India.”

2. Incorrect Data Points

ABP News Network CEO Avinash Pandey, who has been an open critic of the BARC measurement systems, stated that he’s against the minute-by-minute stock market-like analysis of news shows, where BARC points out at what precise moment the TRP took a jump. According to him, this is prompting all the news channels to run a similar sort of programming and picking up a similar tone with its stories. He said, “Until and unless BARC effectively manages the impact of news, and not just the number of people watching the channel for a certain time, unfortunately, we all will be in the rat race of chasing the ratings and it will destroy our businesses, people’s lives, and our country.”

3. Improvement Needed in the Backend

Times Network MD & CEO MK Anand stated, “From what I’ve seen in the last four years, fixing the back-end of the measurement mechanism is required. BARC CEO Sunil Lulla has been trying to bring a lot of sense to the process. He has been continuously improving it. But whether it is inside BARC or outside, there are people who break ranks and resort to corrupt means. We have seen them use shortcuts to get to the numbers and that is not acceptable.”

According to the industry, these drawbacks have also degraded the quality of programmes that news channels are running these days. They highlighted that the blind contest for maximum TRPs has prompted news outlets to run similar shows with little to no differentiation, which in turn is harming the industry as a whole.

While BARC under Sunil Lulla is making strides in streamlining the measurement process for the better, there are still loopholes that need to be filled.

November 3, 2020
Times Network’s MK Anand prioritises subscription over advertising model

NEW DELHI: On day one of the News Television Summit 2020, Times Network MD and CEO MK Anand had a few words of caution to offer: monetisation by ad sales is a huge steroid that the news business is running on and which it needs to get out of. Instead, he advocated subscription.

“When you go the subscription route, there is no need to be ratings-led. The current subscription numbers are 10x of what they were in 2014, when I joined Times. We have to benchmark ourselves on net distribution income (NDI). When it comes to NDI, a news channel should look at the top of the population pyramid more,” he said during a virtual fireside chat with Indiantelevision.com founder, CEO and editor-in-chief Anil Wanvari.

For instance, Times Network focuses on the top of the pyramid as it believes this is something the organisation needs to cater to, not because of a single-minded determination to chase numbers. “We are numbers-sensitive in the sense that we believe our ratings, our reach, our penetration has to be high. But I absolutely do not consider time-spent (TSV) as a driving factor at all,” he claimed.

Reach is a good driver, said Anand, adding that Times went from 300 headends when he joined the group to 3,000 plus in just two years.

Anand went on to reveal that 54 per cent of the Times Network’s revenue in FY21 is going to come from subscriptions. “The total ratings-led business in our topline is less than 25 per cent. Earlier it used to be 90 per cent. Back then we didn’t have branded content or premium-led ground or digital business. Now 14 per cent is from digital while 14-15 per cent is branded content. Specifically, Times Now’s TRP-led business is less than 11 per cent of the total.”

Wanvari quickly asked Anand if there’s a scenario where the Times Network converts its business model to 90 per cent subscription-led? Anand disagreed with that train of thought for the reason that the network’s audience is hot property for advertisers.

“Our audiences are premium and our reach management is very aggressive. For advertisers, 40-45 per cent of the top-end audience can only be met through Times Network’s English movies or English news channels. We may not depend on them for survival but that’s a very solid audience for us to monetise and one advertisers can’t do without,” he explained.

He went on to qualify that the ratio of ad sales (including digital) to subscription will settle at 40:60.

Anand also upheld rival channel CNBC as a solid example of a subscription-based brand, adding that when it comes to business news channels there isn’t a high degree of dependency on advertising.

“For niche channels, ratings do not matter. At Times, I have never, ever called up my editors and asked them why the ratings were up or down in any given week. I don’t believe that ratings are the be-all and end-all of right content,” he said.

Touching upon the television ratings measurement mechanism, Anand asserted that he genuinely believes in the process – it’s only certain unscrupulous players who are trying to manipulate the system and they must be dealt with.

“Whether it was Tam or BARC, I agree with the statistical and sampling processes. Lapses can happen anywhere but 99 per cent of the time it works. I don’t have a problem with the process. But content sensibilities are very different going down the population pyramid and it’s so much easier to get great numbers by continuously lowering the focus from the top of the pyramid to the bottom,” he added.

October 31, 2020
MK Anand asserts that advertisers are reposing faith in news channels

NEW DELHI: Times Network MD and CEO M K Anand believes the TRP scandal couldn’t have come at a better time. In a virtual fireside chat with indiantelevision.com’s founder, CEO, and editor-in-chief Anil Wanvari during the NT Awards 2020 Summit powered by TVU Networks, Anand said the incident has given the TV news industry a time to pause to step back and evaluate itself. And the events that followed in light of the probe have presented a great opportunity for the entire system to put its house in order.

“From what I’ve seen in the last four years, fixing the back-end of the measurement mechanism is required. BARC CEO Sunil Lulla has been trying to bring a lot of sense to the process.He has been continuously improving it. But whether it is inside BARC or outside, there are people who break ranks and resort to corrupt means. We have seen them use shortcuts to get to the numbers and that is not acceptable,” he said.

Anand stressed the need to have legal remedies to deal with instances of tampering or malpractice. The Mumbai police’s investigation and action against those caught in the TRP racket was an unprecedented move, which should serve as a deterrent to wrongdoers."It is now a criminal offence to tamper with the ratings," he said. "In several instances in the past, when we wanted to register a complaint with the police, it was not possible. Hence it is good that it was registered as a police complaint for whatever reason."

But if we were to dive deeper, what precipitated this problem in the first place?

Gamification, coupled with a flux in the market, are major factors that contributed to the "TRP race," said Anand.

"A brand is built over a period of time with activities, groundwork, standing up for causes. But new players don't have the luxury of quarters and years that established brands – like Times Now or Aaj Tak – have. They try to break into the noticeable set by getting the numbers. It’s easier to use numbers to make the argument that they’re as good," he explained.

Read more news on Times Network

The current break in measuring TRPs for news channels, while a welcome decision by BARC, is not on account of content quality, claimed Anand. “Had the TRP scam not been unearthed, there wouldn’t have been a break. I wouldn’t connect the two. A player like us hasn’t been besotted with ratings from a time spent viewing (TSV) point of view.”

He illustrated how, when the network lost its “prime asset” in 2016-17, that being the News Hour host Arnab Goswami, it dealt with that huge loss and managed to reach its current position in the market.

“We have never, ever been time-spent focused, we have always gone the 'reach' route. We are content-focused and responsible to the viewers,” he added.

Consequently, Times Now has not peddled the kind of lower end content that the industry, in general, is currently being ridiculed for, Anand stated. However, he went on to assert, it’s not fair to tar all journalists and reporters with the same brush, and social media is responsible for propagating this herd mentality.

“Technology-empowered idiots are now dissing the experts in all fields. Same applies to journalism. People are coming onto social media with half-baked views and opinions and making the journalists out to be idiots. They get trolled by idiots sitting in an echo chamber – because that’s what social media is,” he said.

But journalists should take heart. Smart reporters shouldn’t get directed by social media, they should just do what they’re good at, not pay attention to the noise, and they will enjoy the work, directed Anand.

He pointed out that October advertising revenue numbers for his news channels and for those his industry colleagues are running are bouncing back. This despite the fact that the ratings are not being dished out. "Year to year the numbers are up clearly showing advertisers are reposing their faith in the category of news channels."

October 29, 2020
Times Network celebrates the spirit of India with ‘Tann Mann Dhan – Truly Indian’

Mumbai: Paving our paths to the realisation of our aspirations, the Indian spirit is replete with triumph and achievement, celebrated at the global stage. A hotbed of innovation and self-made leaders, India shines through with talent, grit, passion, belief and pride. Driving India’s story at the centre of its content offering across its best in class English News and world class Entertainment channels, Times Network has consistently led the narrative of celebrating the value of being Indian. As the opinion maker for India’s leaders, Times Network channels have over the last 15 years helped shape the Socio-Economic framework of 21st Century India which is now poised at a crucial juncture In its history as a Civilisation and Nation.

The 2020s will be the decade when India breaks free of its age-old fetters and takes off to soar once again. The Global economic turmoil and tussle for primacy has started a new churning which will characterise 21st Century. Technological disruption is breaking new ground every day. And the global pause of the last 6 months due to the pandemic was probably a much-needed trigger for adoption of new lifestyles and efficiencies that will have far reaching impact. All this offer India a unique opportunity to make radical progress – amongst the League of Nations and for improvement in the human condition of the average Indian. This is a time for us to be astute, attentive and daring. A time to go all out and come back winners. A time to pledge our body, mind and all we own to this grand cause.

Saluting the indomitable spirit of every Indian, and signalling them with the War Horn that the battle is beginning, Times Network announces ‘Tann Mann Dhan – Truly Indian’, an all-encompassing campaign that exhorts every Indian and the nation’s prowess to march ahead to a glorious future with confidence, determination and speed. The campaign will come alive with a special film, launching on Independence Day, August 15, that captures India’s resilience and achievements as a nation and exhorts every Indian to take a pledge – ‘Tann Mann Dhan -Truly Indian’. The film will feature Network’s leading news anchors and extensively promoted across the network channels and its digital assets. Envisioned as a long-term campaign, ‘Tann Mann Dhan – Truly Indian’ will be fronted by network news channels, TIMES NOW, ET NOW and Mirror NOW, with a roll-out of special content programming that will reflect the stories of progress.

MK Anand, MD & CEO, Times Network said,“Tann Mann Dhan – Truly Indian’ is our signal that the time for battle is now. We were already poised to win over time due to our many advantages as a nation. But seismic changes in Geopolitics and Global Economy have thrown up a unique opportunity that can be seized to make rapid advance in the coming decade.”

August 17, 2020
Times Network announces ‘India For Bengal’

MUMBAI: Times Network has launched ‘India For Bengal’, a special initiative to create awareness and raise funds for the relief efforts for the state ravaged by the catastrophic Cyclone Amphan. Committed to drive the cause through a unified voice, Times Network encourages the nation to stand with the people of Bengal and contribute to rebuild the state.

With more than 1.36 crore people affected and 10.5 lakh houses damaged, the cyclone shattered and unhinged the lives of many, resulting in extensive loss. Electricity and telephone lines have been brought down, houses flattened and hundreds of full-grown trees uprooted across Kolkata city and the entire State. ‘India For Bengal’ seeks to help those who have been affected by nature’s fury by raising awareness about the plight of the people in the affected state and urges Indians to join hands to support the lives and livelihood of fellow citizens in West Bengal.

Citizens can donate funds to:

Times Network MD-CEO MK Anand said: ““Bengal is a keystone of India’s cultural heritage. The State and its people have been ravaged by one of the biggest natural disasters in recent times. ‘India for Bengal’ is an act of urgency that requires support and solidarity of the entire nation to rebuild West Bengal. Through this initiative, we aim to offer our nationwide reach to appeal to all Indians to step forward and contribute to this task of relief & rehabilitation. I am confident that with our collective efforts and push we will be able to speedily bring help to the affected and start the healing process.”

This national-level drive will run through www.timesnownews.com and on TIMES NOW and Mirror NOW, to create maximum assistance for the people who have been displaced by the cyclone. Along with interviews with the critical stakeholders of the state and extensive reportage with ground reports, the English news channels of the network, Times NOW and Mirror NOW, will extensively cover the aftermath of the cyclone.

May 24, 2020
Times Network unveils Times Fact India Outbreak Report for COVID-19

MUMBAI: Times Network in partnership with a global consulting firm Protiviti unveiled Times Fact India Outbreak Report, a comprehensive analysis that highlights the impact of the pandemic in India and projects the possible number of active cases in the weeks ahead.

Aligned with the Network’s umbrella campaign — Fighting Fear with Facts — the report was featured across network’s news channels – TIMES NOW, ET NOW and Mirror NOW – on 17 April with an exclusive two-hour-long programme that discussed the emerging COVID-19 scenario and its implications with leading experts and policymakers.

“Times Fact India Outbreak Report is based on three different models, the percentage model, which involves mapping trends from Italy and the United States onto India; the Time Series Model, which involves factors in data across time periods in China and South Korea in addition to two polynomial regression models adapted to Indian data, and the Susceptible Exposed Infected Recovered (SEIR) model which is based on an estimation of a reproduction rate of the epidemic,” reads the official statement of the network.

Drawing critical information from central government data, state government bulletins, and daily updates provided by the health ministry, the report is a holistic COVID-19 projection for the nation. It also takes into account the healthcare capacity of the nation and its states, to understand shortfall of beds and availability of ICUs, in the event of an escalation.

Based on a predictive model which leverages verified big data and new technologies for effective decision-making, the report aims to empower the administrative authorities to spot possible hotspots, critical gaps and build capacity to meet the arising situation.

It captures six national projections and includes individual analysis for eight states and four cities. The study also provides a projection of what could happen if the lockdown is lifted within a certain time-frame.

Times Network chief executive officer and managing director MK Anand says: “The Times Fact India Outbreak Report is a step aimed to dispel the uncertainty with facts, ably backed by a scientific approach that analyses the impact of COVID-19 in India and throws light on potential lethal gaps in infrastructure which can be a lead indicator of social unrest and disruption in specific geographies.”

He further says that the current pandemic disruption is probably the most significant event of our lifetime with socio-economic implications. we believe in taking the onus and proactively responding with timely and high-quality information that assists in arresting the adversity.

“I am confident that this report will act as an important enabler to navigate the evolving scenario of the pandemic with a systematic approach and help in building decisive strategies to flatten the curve,” exhorts Times Network’s CEO and MD.

Protiviti India director – data and digital transformation Dhrubabrata Ghosh Dastidar says, “The study is an example of how with the help of data, technology and sophisticated analytical algorithms, we can analyze a ‘black swan’ – in this case, a global pandemic, monitor the same on a regular basis to see the various possible paths it can take, and provide insights based on strong modelling outcomes. This will help the nation face the future with confidence.”

April 20, 2020
Times Network elevates Navika Kumar as group editor – politics

MUMBAI: Times Network has announced the elevation of Navika Kumar as group editor – politics. In her new role, Kumar will have additional charge of driving political reporting strategy for the Network’s news brands ET NOW, MIRROR NOW, and Timesnownews.com while continuing to play a pivotal role in the management of the Network’s legacy brand Times NOW.

Kumar will also direct the content for all political & policy led IPs of the network under Times Influence.

She is a renowned news personality who has made an indelible mark across print and broadcast journalism. Known for her extensive knowledge on Indian politics and business, Kumar is credited for investigating and breaking high impact stories including Office for Profit story, CWG scam, Augusta chopper scam, Aircel-Maxis deal amongst others.

Times Network MD & CEO MK Anand said, “Navika Kumar has played a key role in nurturing our flagship channel, Times Now since its inception. Her extensive knowledge and capabilities in the political space has immensely contributed to the channel’s leadership position. Navika is a valued member of the network's top management team and we are delighted that her attention and expertise will now be harnessed in areas beyond Times Now as well. I am confident she will enable us to generate greater goodwill and value for Times Network.”

Kumar said, “My 15 years of association with TIMES NOW has truly been enriching. As I take on this new mantle, I look forward to working with the teams across the network to build strategies and add value to India’s fastest growing news network.”

February 19, 2020
2019: A year that was for English GECs

MUMBAI: 2019 was all about implementation and the impact of new tariff order (NTO). It has been a year of disruption and innovation for the industry. Overall it was a challenging year for niche channels but throughout the year, channels made various efforts to overcome them and retain its consumer base. Going forward in 2020, leading English GECs, Zee Café and Colors Infinity, plan to offer innovative and engaging content to strengthen their subscriber base. The sector hopes for stability and positive growth in the broadcast industry.

“NTO implemented in Feb 2019 impacted reach and ad sales and broadcasters have been managing this change to get to a new equilibrium. We hope proposed tweaks to the regulation will further help stability,” says Times Network MD and CEO MK Anand. “Consolidation in the M&E sector will continue in FY'20. This will have a positive impact on cost efficiencies and the overall competitiveness of the broadcast industry.”

“After months of tepid and negative performance across the board, some ad categories are expected to see a resurgence in FY'20, which will be a welcome respite to broadcasters,” he adds.

Zee Café’s big focus for the year ahead is to drive subscriber value. “Consumer experience alongside engaging content will be key to driving growth. Businesses that quickly adapt to the new tariff regime and align growth levers to solve for relevant consumer needs will ultimately benefit,” says ZEE Entertainment premium cluster business head Kartik Mahadev.

Similarly, Viacom18’s English cluster will bring unique international content and continue to explore more concepts that attract viewers, partner brands and sponsors. It will continue to consolidate and bolster by engaging with consumers and offer the best of international content, awards, music events and homegrown content. Adding new shows to the existing line-up as well as broadcasting the biggest entertainment events and music awards including the Golden Globe Awards, Billboards, American & Europe Music Awards, Brit Awards, and the Grammy Awards amongst others.

Viacom18 Youth, Music & English Entertainment head Ferzad Palia says: “2019 has been a year of disruption for the entire entertainment industry and we’ve embraced it to the fullest. These changes challenged broadcasters to retain and expand their consumer base, while making consumers more aware of their entertainment habits and the value that comes with individual choices.”

“Despite the many industry-wide challenges, we have maintained our leadership position with consistent performance across all our channels thus our ratings continue to surge in an upward trend. In terms of market share, we continue to hold a lion’s share of the pie, currently being around 71 per cent in the month of Nov’19 (GEC + Music), even more than 2017.

While the expectation has always been for light or infrequent viewers to drop off, the heartening part is that we have managed to increase consumption from our loyal base and also acquire fresh subscribers through a solid content offering and innovative outreach programmes,” he further adds.

Strategies adopted by the channels to overcome the challenges in 2019

Maintaining a balance of quality and variety has been pivotal in adapting rapidly in terms of retaining and attracting new viewers. In a conscious effort to reach newer, younger audiences the channels went beyond conventional promotional methods and practices through innovative and clutter-breaking marketing campaigns.

“2019 has been a year of significant disruption and innovation for Zee English Cluster. By far, one of our biggest achievements has been to be able to offer World Television Premieres to our viewers, reducing the wait time for Hollywood blockbuster movies’ television release by half. Hollywood movie fans can now watch their favourite movies within months of release. Zee English cluster also gave consumers the choice to watch their favourite movies and World Television Premieres in their native language – Hindi, Tamil or Telugu, alongside English. This has successfully enabled us to widen our audience base delivering a better channel experience to the Zee Prime English pack subscribers,” says Mahadev

On Zee Café, the third season of BBC First, our flagship programming block, was extremely

successful and well-received by our discerning audience. The channel has also upheld its legacy by bringing multiple award-winning dramas and mini-series such as the Golden Globe nominee ‘The Loudest Voice’, Season 16 of the Golden Globe winner ‘Grey’s Anatomy’, the Emmy Award winners ‘Counterpart Season 2’ and ‘McMafia’, as part of ‘Along With The US’ and ‘Hollywood On Café.’ Shows that were “TV First” and mini-series as a strategy worked well for Zee Café in strengthening engagement with its audience.

Examples of Viacom18 English cluster’s innovative campaigns in 2019:

1) Colors Infinity – BFFs With Vogue – For its 3rd successive season, television’s most riotous Bollywood chat show BFFs With Vogue hosted by the sassy Neha Dhupia, received an overwhelming response from audience, as well as clients. Complementing the extensive ATL campaign that included multi-city Outdoor and Radio promotions, COLORS INFINITY launched ‘The BFF Quiz’ – a pioneering Amazon Alexa voice skill for the show, voiced by the show’s host Neha Dhupia. It further recreated an ARVR-version of Neha’s cosy and exclusive loft for BFFs With Vogue, that gave viewers a life-sized virtual step-in tour to the loft.

2) Comedy Central – FRIENDS – Marking the milestone 25th anniversary of Friends, Comedy Central India and Warner Bros. Television Group brought a specially created replica of the iconic Central Perk orange couch to India. This unique experience gave loyal fans an opportunity to re-enact and re-live the countless indelible moments from the show. Taking the anniversary celebration a few notches higher it also rewarded the winner of the ‘Wackiest Friends Fan’ contest with a paid trip to New York and a visit to the sold-out Friends 25 Pop-Up Experience along with a friend.

3) Vh1 – World Music Day – For the first time ever, two music powerhouses – MTV Beats and Vh1 India curate a 24-hour LIVE music festival on World Music Day on Facebook and Instagram. In this 24-hour long musical gig, that transcended beyond genres, over 40+ India’s most popular musicians, including a string of B-town artists like Darshan Raval, Aparshakti Khurana, Aastha Gill alongside Indie musicians like Zaeden, Sickflip, Su Real and many more, collaborated to perform their best songs live. Giving fans an experience of a lifetime. The campaign reached 60Mn+, 25Mn+ impressions, 5Mn+ engagement and overall, 10Mn+ people viewed the live across 24 hours.

Plans for 2020

“We’re also the first-choice for brands when it comes to AFPs (Advertiser Funded Programming). In 2019, Comedy Central partnered with Sterling Reserve to create a talent hunt for the next comedy sensation with Sterling Reserve Comedy Project hosted by the witty Varun Thakur. And we’ll continue to explore more concepts that attract viewers, partner brands and sponsors. Additionally, our unique on-ground and digital marketing initiatives that engage the massive new-age audience, continues to deliver higher visibility in the market,” said Palia.

The year ahead promises to be very exciting for the Zee English cluster. It is a milestone year for Zee Café, the pioneering English entertainment channel, as it turns 20! To commemorate the occasion, the channel has special plans to engage with its discerning consumers. Drama being the biggest strength of the channel, it will continue showcasing award-winning and compelling shows.

“With our upcoming property ‘Greatest Of All Time’ we are very excited to showcase the most iconic and anticipated dramas such as Star Trek: ‘Discovery’, ‘Dynasty’ and ‘Penny Dreadful’. Continuing to feature diverse genres, the channel will also curate light-hearted conversational content with shows that are locally nuanced such as ‘Not Just Supper Stars’ and ‘Starry Nights – Gen Y’ which will go on- air early next year. The upcoming season of Starry Nights features the next generation of Bollywood stars who are hyper-connected and have a following, in an unfiltered conversation that is real and relatable,” informed Mahadev.

January 3, 2020