ITV

Tag: Nasrin Sultana

  • ‘We are targeting 20 per cent revenue growth this fiscal’ : Anooj Kapoor- Sab senior vice president & business head

    ‘We are targeting 20 per cent revenue growth this fiscal’ : Anooj Kapoor- Sab senior vice president & business head

    From launching new shows to experimenting with new genres and time slots, Sab has been running from pillar to post to get the ratings right.

     

    Post Sony acquisition, Sab has been dabbling with an ‘identity crisis’. From being a comedy channel to a youth-centric channel and now returing to its original positioning, Sony Entertainment Channel’s sibling channel has seen it all. It has experimented with various genres – youth-centric patriotic shows, stand-up comedies, reality-based acting shows and detective stories.

     

    In conversation with Indiantelevision.com’s Nasrin Sultana, Sab SVP and business head Anooj Kapoor shares the channel’s programming strategies.

     

    Excerpts:

    Sab has been accused of experimenting too often with its positioning. How long will this new positioning last?
    We have repositioned ourselves as a complete comedy channel. It is the only channel in the country which does linear family comedy shows. All comedy shows in India are episodic. After the repositioning, we are doing light-hearted soaps like other Hindi general entertainment channels (GEC), but in the positive manner.

     

     

    We have recreated the concept of soaps. The shows can be watched by the entire family. All the other soaps till date have upheld the joint-family system as a negative institution with so much added conflict in it. In our shows, we are upholding the virtues of a joint family.

     

     

    Unlike other soaps on Hindi GECs, new shows (Lo Ho Gayi Pooja Is Ghar Ki, Mein Kab Saans Banoogi? and Jugni Jali Jallandhar ) on Sab have a woman protagonist; but she does not indulge in kitchen politics.

     

     

    Our content is fresh and differentiated. We have decided not to go by the Amar-Akbar-Anthony route which every GEC is treading upon. Wherein Amar is reality show, Akbar is mythology and Anthony is fiction.

    What kind of new shows and segments of comedy will you be introducing?
    We will get into various kinds of comedy. Gradually, we will be introducing horror comedy, courtroom comedy, hospital comedy and the likes. We have many surprises to unveil.

    With so much of comic content being thrown in by different channels including news channels, do you think there is still enough space for a complete comedy channel?
    Viewers are ready to digest a complete comedy channel. As far as comedy on news channels is concerned, they feed on GECs. GECs are not showing comedy content in the truest sense but only have stand-up comedy shows. We have amalgamation of all, which is working well for the channel.

     

    Earlier all comedy shows were targeted at male audiences while GECs were meant for the females. There was no channel to fill up this gap. We are providing content for happy family viewing.

    How have viewers taken to Sab’s new positioning?
    The new positioning has really worked well for us. Our GRPs also have seen a boost after the change in positioning.

     

    Our driver show Taarak Mehta Ka Ooltah Chashmah has been garnering 0.8 TRPs and is currently the most watched family comedy show on Indian television. After Wagli Ki Duniya, Taarak Mehta … is one of the most successful comedy shows adapted from a book (column in this case). It is compared to cult shows like Office Office.

    Are new advertisers hopping on?
    Definitely we are attracting more and new advertisers. New brands are coming on.
    ‘For a channel, youth positioning is not a feasible biz model in India‘

    Will Sab see revenue growth as a result or are you dealing with falling rates to fill up your inventory at a time when the whole industry is set for a slowdown?
    With the new positioning, we are targeting 20 per cent ad revenue growth this fiscal.

    How are you pushing forward your new shows? Which cities are your touch points?
    We have rolled out our new marketing campaign Asli Mazaa Sab ke Saath Aata Hai. Sab (meaning everybody in Hindi) is a key word in the entire campaign. Very logically, we derived this theme and our attempt is to convey the message that it is complete entertaining when you are together with your family.

     

     

    We are targeting all the Hindi speaking markets in India like Delhi, Mumbai, Gujarat, Maharashtra, UP, MP, Punjab and Rajasthan.

     

     

    We will be indulging in various forms of on-ground activations like wall painting etc. India has laughter clubs in many towns and cities, we are trying to get associated with all the laughter clubs. We are going to malls, beauty parlours, grocery shops and ladies coampartment in local trains for a Sab experience by distributing gifts.

    With so many show launches and changes in positioning of the channel, isn’t it natural that your marketing costs have to be pushed up?
    Yes, in marketing our new shows we are investing a considerable amount. But we are able to convert it into profits.

    What are the difficulties to sustain as a youth channel?
    India still has single-TV homes wherein the remote is still with the women of the house. So what pleases her is watched by the entire family. And as far as a youth viewer is concerned, he has many more modes of entertainment – irrespective of he coming from a small town or a metro. Youth positioning of a channel is not a feasible business model in India because of the consumer behaviour that this segment is exposed to.

     

     

    As per our internal research, people still associate Sab brand as a comedy rather than a youth channel. So we decided to go back to our original positioning.

    What all innovations you are introducing after the establishment of the new positioning?
    For the first time in India, we are introducing jokes in the mobile platform. These jokes will be edited clippings from our comedy shows which can be downloaded from the mobile operator. We are in talks with various telecom operators.
  • ‘Though reality shows are expensive, the yields are also high’ : Deepak Dhar – Endemol India country head

    ‘Though reality shows are expensive, the yields are also high’ : Deepak Dhar – Endemol India country head

     Riding the reality format boom, Endemol is stepping up efforts to grab a slice of the fiction content market in India. The company is also planning to foray into regional language content and is in talks with broadcasters like Sun TV, Raj TV and Maa TV.

     

    In an interview with Indiantelevision’s Nasrin Sultana, Endemol India country head Deepak Dhar also talks about the company’s venture into gaming and Call TV format shows.

     

    Excerpts:

    Most of the shows that Endemol introduces in India are based on international format. What kind of research and creative inputs do you work on to add local flavour to it?
    Whenever we get an international show format to India, we always try to adapt it to the local market. There is certain amount of local creativity that is allowed on the format shows. We try to draw and pull in expertise from other countries and learn from how they are doing the show there.

     

     

    We follow certain standards and practices while adapting an international format. Our in-house Indian teams make sure that the format is tailored to suit Indian sensibilities so that audiences can watch the content with their families around.

     

     

    For example our international property Fear Factor, which has done so well in other countries, was spiced up in India according to the need. Unlike its international version, Khatron Ke Khiladi had 13 female celebrity contestants.

     

     

    With the 13 female contestants in such difficult situations, we delivered nail biting thrill and competition. This was the first time that these female models were making public appearance without make-up. Besides, the Akshay Kumar-factor gave us an upper edge this time in the show.

    Does the India division of Endemol own any original format? Are you selling your format show to other foreign broadcasters?
    Endemol India owns the rights for the musical show Mission Ustad on 9X. The show was produced in association with United Nations. The show featured AR Rehman along with various singers who performed to achieve eight millenium development goals set by the UN. In the show, the contestants also composed and performed original tracks.

     

     

    We are in talks with an UK broadcaster to sell the rights of the show. We hope to seal the deal in two to three months.

    What about your most popular show The Great Indian Laughter Challenge?
    We do not hold any rights of The Great Indian Laughter Challenge. Star India holds rights for the format and the show. Endemol India only produces it.

    Besides Fear Factor and Big Boss, what are the other format shows that Endemol India is launching in the local market?
    We are in talks with a couple of Indian broadcasters to launch some of the format shows that we had brought rights to in Mipcom last year. Right now we are looking to launch format shows like Divided, Set For Life. Wipe Out, Divided and 1 vs 100.

    At the last Mipcom, Endemol had bought rights of shows like Kids are Alright and 11 Cameras for the Indian market. What is the reason that you have not yet launched them?
    These shows are very advanced in its nature to fit with the Indian viewers. They would not have accepted it then. We are launching them in India soon.
    ‘Although Indian broadcasters and producers have tasted success with reality, it is still fictions that work well with all kinds of viewers in India‘

    What went wrong in your not-so-good experience with fictions like Jamegi Jodi for 9X and Full Masti 88.2 for Sab TV?
    Although Indian broadcasters and producers have tasted success with reality, it is still fictions that work well with all kinds of viewers in India. Our weekly sitcoms have drawn good response. We are building up on that front.

    How aggressive are you on the fiction front and will it be in the same comedy space?
    We have a full fledged fiction division in Endemol India. This time we are trying to get away from the comedy genre. Currently we are working on two fiction-based shows in different genres. We are launching a fiction show, Miley Jab Hum Tum, on Star One.

    What steps are you taking to tap the rapidly growing regional space?
    We will be foraying into regional language markets very soon. We have already firmed up our team. Starting with the South, we will get into producing shows for Marathi and Bengali channels. In the South, we are talking to Sun TV, Raj TV and Maa TV.

    With reality shows being so expensive, do you think regional channels can afford them?
    Why Not? Though reality shows are expensive, the yields are also high. Regional players are ready to fork out money for such shows and reap the returns.

    What are the other areas that you are stepping into?
    Endemol is expanding its business in India. Besides producing shows, we are getting into other areas like gaming and call TV format shows.

    What are the shows that you are looking at to develop into the game software?
    We will develop gaming software on the format shows. We are planning a strategic alliance with a gaming company. We will hold the gaming rights for all these shows.

     

    Some of the format shows that we are looking to develop into gaming software include Deal or No Deal, Set for Life and 1 vs 100, among others.

     

    We are also planning to release DVDs with respective broadcasters on various shows.

    Could you elaborate on Call TV shows?
    Call TV is a show wherein viewers can interact with the TV programme host through a mobile. The theme for Call TV shows may vary from astrology to cooking recipe. These shows will be mostly in the non-prime time band.

     

    As of now, Call TV initiative is at the initial stage of formation. We will be introducing th Call TV shows by the year-end.
    For Call TV shows, are you talking to any Hindi news channels?
    We are in talks with some of the Hindi news channels.
  • ‘India is a dynamic and an absolute key market for us’ : Anne Barnard – BBC World Ltd. managing director

    ‘India is a dynamic and an absolute key market for us’ : Anne Barnard – BBC World Ltd. managing director

    BBC World News is positioning itself as a tri-media news service with presence in TV, online and mobile. Editorially, it is looking to deliver more live up-to-the minute news reporting, across a broader news agenda.

     

    Eyeing India as an important platform, BBC has set up its regional marketing centre in Mumbai to tap into Pakistan, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka and Nepal.

     

    In an interview with Indiantelevision.com’s Nasrin Sultana, BBC World Ltd. managing director Anne Barnard unveils the changes that news media organisations have to prepare for in the convergence era and talks about the company’s growth plans in India.

     

    Excerpts:

    In terms of audience reach and viewership, where would you place BBC World News?
    BBC World News has a global weekly television audience of 78 million, up from 76 million in 2006. It reaches 159 million full-time households, up 8 per cent from 2006, and 276 million total households globally. In terms of hotel-rooms, BBC World News has increased from 1.4 million to 1.6 million.

     

    On the mobile front, the channel is available on 34 platforms. Mobile is the fastest growing out-of-home platform for us. In India, we have inked content deal with six mobile service providers in India. The list includes BPL, MTNL, Airtel, Vodafone, Spice Telecom and Idea Cellular.

     

    BBC World News is also present in 42 airlines and 57 cruise ships. 29 million unique users (excluding the UK) visit BBC.com every month.

    Where is the audience growth coming from?
    Over the past five years there has been a 50 per cent increase in weekly European audiences and a growth of 25 per cent in Asian viewership.

    Where does BBC World News stand in terms of ad sales revenue?
    In ad sales, we have seen a 20 per cent growth and overall revenue has seen double digit growth.

    In terms of revenue, what kind of growth has Asia seen?
    In Asia, we have achieved a growth of 20 per cent.

    How much does subscription revenue contribute?
    We have recently launched two channels in India. We are in pay mode in India. The subscription revenue has just started to kicking in. Most of the channels in South Asia are largely free. In Southern Europe, we do not get subscription revenue at all.

    What are the key markets in Asia for BBC?
    From our commercial and advertsing point of view our key markets are India, Singapore, Hong Kong, and Japan. We see huge potential in the Korean market, especially with our online product.
    ‘In Asia, we have achieved an ad sales growth of 20 per cent‘

    Why did you zero in Mumbai as your first regional marketing centre outside the UK?
    BBC World News wants to create a much more definite approach to new online and mobile products of BBC News and its consumers. India is a dynamic and an absolute key market for us. The regional centre in Mumbai will focus on the South Asian market.

    After the launch of the first regional marketing centre outside the UK, will there be any change to operations in South Asia?
    There will be key changes to the operations in South Asia, with a series of appointments for the regional marketing centre in Mumbai.

     

    BBC Global News will bring together BBC World Service radio, BBC World News television, the BBC’s international facing online news services and BBC Monitoring.

     

    All South Asian marketing, communications and audience insight (MC&A) activities will be managed from Mumbai. The Mumbai office will continue to service BBC World News’ MC&A needs in India, but will now additionally manage World Service’s extensive activities across the region, including Pakistan, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, and Nepal.

     

    Vaishali Sharma has been promoted to head of marketing & communications, BBC Global News, South Asia.

     

    Dezma De Melo, who was previously head of audience insight for BBC World, has been promoted to head of audience insight, BBC Global News, South Asia.

     

    De Melo and Sharma will work across consumer and trade activities and will, for the first time, provide in-region support for World Service business development teams.

    Are you making any changes in your programming mix this year?
    BBC World News is now positioned itself as a tri-media news service, delivering international news and information across multiple platforms – TV, online and mobile. Editorially, BBC World News is looking to deliver more live up-to-the minute news reporting, across a broader news agenda. It will also focus on providing more in-depth news and debate, plus global and regional news, business and sports programming including the popular World News Today with Nik Gowing, and India Business Report which target the Indian market.

     

    We plan to expand our family of World News Today programmes from five hours, to seven hours a day. In July, a new World New Today programme with Mishal Husain will be launched. Our weekends will be focused on delivering topical lifestyle and documentary programming.

     

    A number of BBC programme seasons are also planned over the course of the year and will be broadcast across TV, radio and online.

    What about ad funded programming?
    It is the advertisers’ creation and ideas that we further push as a funded programming. But in all such cases, the editorial rests with us. Ad sales team does not impose upon any story on the editorial; they only suggest ideas. After we receive all the entries for the ad funded programming, we select only six programmes which suit our programming code.

    Which is your best ad funded programming?
    Our best is World Challenge sponsored by Shell. This year we will be in our fourth season. In the fourth season, we have teamed up with Newsweek and Shell for the World Challenge, to identify and reward people and groups that bring economic and social benefits to their local communities.

     

    This year each nomination must fall under one of the following categories: community welfare and enterprise; health and education; sustainable farming; energy; water and environment.
    A panel of judges will then shortlist the entries down to the 12 best examples of community-based projects or businesses.

     

    BBC World News will then produce six 30-minute programmes profiling the 12 finalists showing how their projects and businesses are changing lives. These programmes will be broadcast to the channel’s global audience in October and November, and the channel’s viewers will be invited to vote online for their favourite project or business.

     

    Last year a record 942 nominations were received from 99 countries worldwide. Winning project T’ikapapa – a Peruvian project set up to bridge the gap between Andean farmers and the potato market – was presented with a $20,000 grant from Shell to further develop their initiative.

    Would such programming have been possible for BBC to undertake without the ad fund support?
    No.

    With pressure coming from commercialisation, what are the changes that BBC News has gone through recently?
    There are no such pressures. Editorial and sales are two different entities.

     

    How do you position BBC World News in an Indian scenario where there is a mushrooming of popular local news channels?
    Our aim is to present a different and unique point of view. We do not want to put ourselves under pressure of becoming a market leader in India.
  • ‘Challenge is to convert local advertisers’ contribution to 50 per cent from 25 per cent’ : Abraham Thomas – Red FM COO

    ‘Challenge is to convert local advertisers’ contribution to 50 per cent from 25 per cent’ : Abraham Thomas – Red FM COO

     Red FM has gone through a sea change after the Living Media Group sold it to a consortium including Hyderabad-based Value Labs, NDTV and Malaysia-based Astro. Then Sun TV Ltd. acquired a 48.9 per cent stake to build a national footprint, synergising with its South India operations.

     

    Red FM has grown over the period, claiming to hold top spot in the lucrative market of Mumbai. It has also grown its base in Delhi and Kolkata.

     

    In an interview with Indiantelevision.com‘s Nasrin Sultana, Red FM COO Abraham Thomas throws light on some of the pertinent issues that plague the FM radio sector in a Bajate Raho style.

     

    Excerpts:

    What do advertisers identify with the Red FM ‘Baajate Raho’ brand?
    Advertisers associate Red FM as a young, energetic and pro-active brand. Any product or brand that targets between the 15-35-year-olds likes to get associated with Red FM. Even the local advertisers in each city where we operate – Delhi, Mumbai and Kolkata – are putting money on us as our content is wholly local.

    What about the listenership growth at Red FM in the recent past?
    The Red FM brand has been created with our innovative content and our ‘Bajate Raho’ attitude. We have moved from just being a radio brand to a FM station. Listeners identify Red FM as a station of expression. We have also ventured into TV. Our annual on-ground Bajaate Raho awards is going to air on Sony Entertainment Television.

     

    In terms of listenership, we have been consistently in the number one spot in Mumbai for the last seven to eight months. In Delhi we were a bit behind. Now we have climbed to the number two spot there. In Kolkata, we are the only station which play only Bollywood superhits unlike other FM stations which have Bengali music too.

    With Sun TV Ltd. picking up a stake in Red FM, what has this meant at the operational level?
    In the operational level, there has not been much change. In the ad sales front, the network is able to sell a national package to any advertiser.

    FM broadcasters are seen complaining about advertisers’ preference of TV and print over FM radio. Has it improved over the years?
    Advertisers have gradually started to realise the potential of the medium. The industry has seen a two-way expansion – growth from existing markets and new geographies with FM phase II expansion. In the last fiscal, the FM industry has expanded to deep pockets of the country. Definitely this attracts advertisers as FM radio is seen as an innovative mode of advertising in the smaller towns.

     

    In Red FM national advertisers pull 75 per cent revenue while the local advertisers constitute the rest. The big challenge is to convert the 25 per cent into 50 per cent. Only then can the FM radio sector expand its share in the overall ad pie which currently stands at 3.4 per cent.

    Has the launch of Ram (radio audience measurement) made any impact since advertisers can now have data to back up their spend?
    Unlike the TV industry, advertisers and FM broadcasters are not using Ram figures on a week-on-week basis. But a 4-6 week data provides a clear trend which we use to pitch to advertisers. Besides we use the trends which come out of time spend, cumulative and Tarp (target audience rating point) data to design and conceptualise our shows. They indicate content stickiness and the profile of the audience.

     

    The Ram figures have demystified a myth that we most often had. Pre-Ram, we neglected the weekend slot thinking that listenership is slender. Now we are concentrating on the weekend slot as well. The Ram figures clearly indicate that there is a strong listenership population even on weekends. Earlier when there was no data to refer to, most of the FM stations played back-to-back music with no jock talk.

    What are the other trends that the Ram figures indicate?
    Listeners start stepping in from 7:30-8:30 in the morning. This increases gradually, so much so that it beats TV viewing audience. But after 1:30-2 pm, listenership slides down. The 2-5 pm band faces a tough competition from the TV audience as during this time most of the general entertainment channels (GEC) have original content in the afternoon band. Radio listenership reaches its peak after 5:30 pm.

     

    There was another believe among us that highest listeners come in from the car listeners. However, Ram data proves this wrong as there are few listeners on the drive. Most of the listeners come in from mobile and personal set listening.

    Are you content with the Ram week-on-week data or you wish for some improvisation?
    Yes, it has been useful. At least something is better than nothing. We were not able to use the data of Indian Listenership Track (ILT) as it was out only on a quarterly basis. It was difficult to use the dated trends. The Ram figure is a good indicator. The best method in this connection is the electronic meter of mapping listeners. Only a few countries use that methodology as it is very expensive.

     

    The ideal thing to do in India is to have three different methodologies in three different types of market. The small markets can have Day-After-Recall (DAR) methodology, the big markets can use Daily Diary methodology while the metros can depend on Electronic methodology. But the Electronic methodology is not feasible in India as it is very expensive.

    The Indian Premier League (IPL) had its devastating effect on GECs and multiplexes. Has the FM industry felt the heat?
    IPL has been beneficial for us. Red FM is the official radio partner of Mumbai Indians IPL team. To cheer up the team, Red FM turned into Blue FM for one day. Red FM has woven both content and contest around cricket to promote the team. Vinod Kambli is our special cricket expert. He does a cricket review of the last day’s match in a humorous way.

     

    We also had a contest where the winners were taken to one of the matches when Mumbai Indians was involved. The winners were taken in an open bus to cheer the team with Red FM’s RJs.

     

    With innovation in content and different contests, there has been a spike in the listeners. But I can’t say for sure if this has been primarily because of IPL because school and colleges are closed for vacation. During this time of the year, we have spikes in listenerships. But we do not have corresponding figures as Ram was not available last year during this time.

    Is the Association of Radio Operators of India (AROI) pressurizing the government to take any decision on the issue of music content pricing?
    AROI is a new body. We have many an issue out of which pricing of music is one of them. I believe through AROI the matter will be sorted out.

    As one of the senior VPs of AROI, what do you think could be the possible solution?
    The FM industry needs a single leadership to sort out things. Large stations can pay more for music. The charge should vary according to category of the stations like A, B, C, D, E.

     

    The other could be if there is a revenue sharing model between the FM station and the music company.

    What are the other areas that AROI is concentrating on?
    Apart from the music rights issue, AROI is working upon methodology of listenership and finding new talent in the industry. With the expansion of the market, there is talent crunch which every station is finding difficult to address.

    How do you see Trai’s recommendation of allowing 49 per cent foreign equity in FM radio sector?
    It is a welcome move. The FM industry will see a growth with foreign players taking interest in the local medium.
    Do you think that the FM industry will see a change once news is allowed in the FM broadcasting as recommended by Trai?
    Yes, it will bring change to the industry but not to Red FM. Red FM is a total entertainment station for the masses. But there may be some operators who could position themselves as news FM stations to beat the cluttered market.
    How do you see Trai’s recommendation of multiple licensing in the same district?
    It would be a wonderful thing for the FM industry. Differentiation will come in after multiple license is allowed. It will pave way for niche stations. In the present situation very few stations dare to go the niche way as it fears losing a chunk of listeners. But with multiple licensing, stations can experiment a lot adding to the growth of the industry.
    Which are the different platforms you are experimenting with to build brand awareness?
    We have done good work in the brand activation front with our Red Activ team. We have expanded our footprint in the mobile vertical too by our exclusive tie-with Mobile2win. We syndicate our properties like Kamla Ka Hamla and Angry Ganeshan. Mobile2Win has a tie-up with the telcos by which subscribers can download our properties as ring tone, caller tone etc. But good revenue is yet to come from this activity.
  • ‘Star One is the number three GEC in the country in ratings’ : Prem Kamath – Star India VP marketing and Communication

    ‘Star One is the number three GEC in the country in ratings’ : Prem Kamath – Star India VP marketing and Communication

    A lot of flip-flop happening in the Hindi general entertainment channels. Yet Star Plus is the leader in the game, while Star One has consolidated its position on the back of new shows and re-positioning itself.

    In conversation with Indiantelevision’s Nasrin Sultana, Star India VP marketing and communication Prem Kamath talks about Star Plus and the kind of resurgence up on Star One.

    Excerpts:

    How has 2007 been for Star India?
    I think it has been a good year of consolidation. Lots of changes have happened within the organisation and in the market as well. But I think the initiatives that we have undertaken had shaped quite well for consolidation.

    How is Star Plus taking the competition further, when Zee TV is edging close to it in terms of ratings?
    Zee TV saw an increase in the ratings post Sa Re Ga Ma Pa launch, which had narrowed the gap between Star Plus and Zee. Though there are a number of other things that have happened in Star Plus which have pushed the channel back to its place. Particularly the last four to five weeks’ data clearly say that Star Plus is considerably ahead of Zee. Several initiatives that we launched further strengthened our position. A weekly fiction based show called Sangam was launched in August. With Sangam, we extended our prime time to 7 pm, followed by Santan at 7:30 pm. Santan is doing extremely well in its time band with 2+ rating. Bidaai, which launched in the 9 pm slot is fetching good numbers. All the newly launched shows cumulatively have consolidated our position in the genre.

    What was the reason for extending prime time?
    Traditionally prime time was always considered to have started from 7:30 pm. But a regular viewer of TV generally gets near the TV around 7, so we thought why not extend our prime time. It sort of prepares the viewers for bigger shows lined up from 8:30 pm.

    Is it true that one of Star Plus’ big ticket shows – Kasautii Zindagii Kay – is going off air?
    Yes it is. It has reached its end. It was a mutual decision taken by both Star and Balaji. For further details you have to wait for a formal announcement.

    Star Plus poached Gajendrra Siingh and his whole team for Star Voice of India, yet it could not fetch the kind of business that Star Plus was looking forward to. What were the reasons that producers of an old and successful show like Sa Ra Ga Ma could not deliver so well on the Star platform?
    Any show’s success is attributed to three or four parameters. There is no direct comparison between the two yet there are some. Sa Re… is an eight to nine years old show, and Star VOI just debuted this year. I think for the first year it has fetched good TRPs. It has garnered 4 to 4.5 TRPs. Besides, it has been extremely consistent with ads. Above all, it has been able to give competition to an old and established show.

    Soon after VOI reached its finale, you had Chhote Ustaad to compete with Zee’s Li’l Champs on the same slot? Where is the differentiated programming?
    It was part of an intended move to retain viewership of the VOI slot. It enjoyed a TRP of 2.8 in its initial weeks. As far as reality shows are concerned, I think these kinds of shows build and develop a relationship with the contestants. The viewers come back on the same show for the bondage that they share with the participants.

    How has the story of Star One been shaping up now?
    What you see now in Star One gives you a feel of serious resurgence. Star One is the number three GEC in the country in ratings. In the last four to five weeks, we have been garnering about 76 GRPs in all day parts, which is about 49 per cent up as compared to the period four weeks before that. This is on the back of the four properties that we have launched recently.

    We launched Dil Mil Gaye, which has touched a TRP of 2, Annu ki hoi gaya Wah Bhai Wah, Choona Hain Aasman, we are launching Pari Hoon Main in the next week, which kind of completes our week day prime time. In the week end we have launched Bol Baby Bol which again has a TRP of 2. We have tasted fair success with Chak De Punjabi. There are lots of vacant time bands in Star One which has not been programmed. There are couple of other shows which will make Star One as the big player in the space.

    With so many launches are you reinventing Star One?
    Yes we are, I mean kind of. Star One was one of the most successful launches seen in the space. We had a great success story. But yes, somewhere down the line, we shifted focus for a variety of reasons. In terms of programming, Star One ended up becoming very similar to Star Plus. What we are doing now is to re-define Star One’s programming for a differentiated market.

    Star One is now completely redesigned, with a universal appeal, yet differentiated. If you take Bol Baby Bol, hosted by Adnan Sami. It is a reality format show, which has mass appeal, yet it is differentiated as it is a lyrics based show. This is a first of its kind show in India. This goes out for Annu ki…, Pari Hoon Main, Dil mil Gaye and Choona Hain Aasman.

    Shows of this kind have a lot of drama in them, yet they are differentiated. Context and sensibility makes them differentiated.
    ‘Nach Baliye grew so huge that it needed a bigger platform than Star One could afford to provide‘

    Do you think that at one point of time Star One was almost a shadow of Star Plus?
    Hmm, yes when more than a year back, when some of the shows of Star Plus were brought on Star One. Somewhere there had been a duplication of identity.

    But now Star One has defined itself and is certainly differentiated from Star Plus in all respects. Star Plus is a complete family entertainer while Star One’s TG is fixed at the 25-34 age in the top 20 cities.

    When Star One launched, it had set its TG as totally urban youth. Do you think the TG could not contribute anything to Star One’s success?
    What happened was, by default, whatever shows were on air were urban skewed. But some of the programmes did have universal appeal. Like Nach Baliye, which had a phenomenal success, had universal appeal. Same goes for The Great Indian Laughter Challenge.

    A flagship show like Nach Baliye, which has its contribution in putting Star One in the success grid was shifted to an already successful channel and Star One was left only with The Great Indian Laughter Challenge?
    Nach Baliye is a big show. With every year, it grew in volume and economies. It grew so huge that it needed a bigger platform than Star One could afford to provide. The show was so large that it needed a platform like Star Plus to do justice to it. The shift has also got some new shows infused in Star one. It is not that Nach Baliye was uprooted from Star One and nothing was done to Star One. We had a series of launches after it. The good news is that even when Star One does not have Nach Baliye, yet it is on the verge of becoming number three in the GEC space.

    Even The Great Indian Laughter Challenge has been taken off from Star One?
    It is only in its seasonal break. It will come back in a couple of months. There was fatigue after the three seasons were back-to-back.

    Did Comedy Circus on Sony contribute to the fatigue?
    I think Comedy Circus was after LC. It did not have any effect.
    Star One is re-running its popular show Sarabhai vs Sarabhai in its prime time at 9:30 pm. Why not bring it back with new episodes?
    Lots of people are asking for it. Logistically we are working out the possibilities.

    How do you shape up your marketing for the various properties that Star India has?
    We always get the consumer engaged and get the consumer to experience the brand. Many properties on Star Plus have been marketed well on ground activities. Our effort is to shift the focus from mass media to on ground, engaging one-to-one communication with the consumers. Information has to be transferred to the consumer without any barrier in between. That is what an on-ground activity does. It breaks the barrier.

    Properties have been marketed well, whether it’s the on-ground event, road show or a mega event. We are constantly getting more and more into it. It is what we call engagement model. It is nothing but to engage the viewers with the brand, so that they experience more of the brand. We have rounded off 16-20 cities. Before any launch, we actually do a variety of activities and events in these cities.
    Do you see the launch of NDTV Imagine as a threat, if not to Star Plus and Zee, then at least to the lower rung channels where competition is getting tougher?
    The space will get fragmented. Connection with the audience is the best way to beat the competition. Star plus has been doing it extremely well and it will continue to do so.

     

    Some of the major content providers like Hats Off, Sagar Arts and SOL are also working on the up-coming channels. Do you agree that is going to create some conflict?
    I agree that producers bring a lot to the table. With so many channels floating in the market, I do not think duplication of content can be at all avoided. A show being successful has many factors to it. First is the content, second is the platform it is on, and third is the relationship with it.

     

    Coming to Star World, you launched some TG specific shows in the middle of 2007. How has been the response?
    We introduced some familiar shows which got tremendous response, especially for the SEC A, which is the TG of the channel. Shows like Heroes and Desperate Housewives are working tremendously well. But we have to understand that the Star World universe is relatively very small.

     

    How does the story look like with Star Gold?
    It is faring well. It is after Set Max and neck and neck with Zee Cinema. There have been lots of other properties that Star Gold pioneered like Star Gold Sabse Favourite Kaun and Star Gold Comedy Honours.

     

    Earlier Star Gold had dubbed movies, now there are movies channels completly dedicated to dubbed content. Which markets do dubbed content work?
    It works all across all the markets. Some of the films really work. Films which have good action and thrills work well in this genre.

    What was new to Star Plus in 2007? What’s on the cards?
    What you see now is certainly some freshness in its content, with some new launches in the year- Bidaai, Jai Maa Durga. We will get periodic innovation in the channel as and when required. Nothing is to be changed now.
  • ‘Over one third of BBC’s revenue comes from Asia’ : Sunita Rajan – BBC Worldwide VP- advertising sales, Asia and Australasia

    ‘Over one third of BBC’s revenue comes from Asia’ : Sunita Rajan – BBC Worldwide VP- advertising sales, Asia and Australasia

    BBC is expanding in the media space in India with not just new channel launches but also in the arena of FM radio and TV production.

    Among the recent launches are BBC Entertainment and Cbeebies. BBC World which was for years a free-to-air news channel, has gone pay to open up subscription revenues.

    BBC has also taken a minority stake in Mid Day Multimedia’s private FM station Radio One.

    And to expand its footprint in India, BBC has recently set up a production centre in Mumbai to tap the rapidly growing TV content market.

    In an interview with Indiantelevision’s Nasrin Sultana, Sunita Rajan, BBC Worldwide VP – advertising sales, Asia and Australasia, talks of BBC’s growth plans for this market.

    Excerpts:

    How is BBC giving the Asian region a push with its content, marketing and ad sales strategy?
    We have a strong presence in the Asia Pacific region. As far as the editorial position goes, our news bureaus are spread widely all over. We have Asia centric programming like Asia Business Report, Asia This Week and news features for Asians. We recently launched an Asia specific show – World News Today presented by Nik Gowing. All the shows are produced in London but our target is Asian audiences.

     

    Our India specific show India Business Report was favoured so much that we had to bring it back on air. But we are an international news channel. So our competition is not the local news channels of any country.

    Asia has been a strong revenue driver for BBC. How much does India contribute as a percentage to BBC’s total ad sales kitty?
    Over one third of the revenue comes from Asia. We do not break it down market by market. So I won’t be able to tell you about the Indian market alone. We have six beams of ad slots and rates across the globe. So an ad rate can be similar for India as well as in Latin America or South Asia. We kind of dice and slice it all across the globe.

    But the good thing is a good amount of ad sales comes from the Asia Pacific region. In recent times, we have seen a huge interest from our Indian clients to reach out to the Asia Pacific markets. At the moment, we are carrying campaigns by Indian clients targeted at the international audience.

    With this trend, how has BBC evolved an ad sales strategy?
    After some amount of internal research we found that there is a common trend among our audiences across countries. One commonality is that they are internationalists. Internationalists are those who are concerned about international news and have an international lifestyle. Keeping this in mind, we launched the “Internationalists campaign.” The campaign is nothing but telling “this is what our audience looks like”. What we did was we picked and chose the basic commonality of all the internationalists, which we identified.

    What is the basic idea behind the ‘Internationalists campaign’?
    Reaffirming and re-auditing that our audience are affluent. It is to give us a profile of our audience. We are focusing on this – through our content as well as on the advertising front. We are talking about Indians who are ‘internationalist’ in their attitude. We also did the Global Indian survey to find out who are affluent, who work in MNCs, who travel abroad, who use foreign products, and who are interested in the stock market.

    What is BBC’s audience profile in India?
    Affluent Indians living in the top 20 cities form the BBC audience profile. They are reflected in the ‘Internationalist’ campaign. The Indian audience or the ‘Internationalist’ is identical to any other Internationalist living in Tokyo, Korea or USA.
    ‘Affluent Indians living in top 20 cities form BBC’s audience profile’

    Who are your major advertisers in India?
    We have 90 brands advertising coming from India on our channel. They are from various categories – financial institutions, IT and auto. Blue chip companies like Nokia and Samsung are strong advertisers on our channel.

    Since BBC has also launched a GEC, how are you tapping advertisers beyond the traditional news genre?
    GEC definitely has a different profile of advertisers. FMCG companies are an important breed of advertisers who back GECs. We are looking at tapping such companies.

    What are the marketing and advertising plans for the kids channel Cbeebies?
    Cbeebies is for pre-schoolers. No kids channel in India has such a target group. Cbeebies is very popular in other markets where we have launched. BBC’s Teletubbies is a most liked brand. We are looking for advertisers for our kids channel.

    Cbeebies is still restricted to a DTH footprint. How are you getting into carriage deals with the cable networks?
    Right now we are available on the TataSky DTH platform. But we are in talks for distribution deals across cable networks.

    How do you tap advertisers for Radio One where you are an equity partner with Mid-Day Multimedia?
    Though BBC has a stake in Radio One, we do not handle the advertising at all.

    BBC recently launched BBC Knowledge in Singapore. When are you bringing it to India?
    We launched BBC Knowledge in August on the IPTV platform. The channel showcases some of the best features and documentaries. We have 3000 hours of content in our archives. We are soon to launch BBC Knowledge in other markets too.

    How is the recently launched commercial venture BBC.com faring?
    BBC.com is our commercial venture to offer advertising on BBC’s international online service for users outside the UK. The current site has been very successful in attracting international traffic. Currently, it has more than 40 million unique users per month from outside the UK who mainly access the news pages.
  • ‘We used the brand ambassador route to break through the cluttered FM market’ : Tarun Katial – Big FM COO

    ‘We used the brand ambassador route to break through the cluttered FM market’ : Tarun Katial – Big FM COO

    Reliance ADAG has aggressive plans laid out for its radio venture Big FM. With 29 stations already in place, Big FM has 16 more waiting in the wings. And it has an investment outlay of Rs 4 billion.

    Banking on Abhishek Bachchan as the face of Big FM and supported by the brand philosophy of ‘Suno Sunao Life Banao,’ Reliance’s radio venture is looking to firm up its position in existing markets by rolling out four unique properties this year-end.

    In an interview with Indiantelevison.com’s Nasrin Sultana, Big FM chief operating officer Tarun Katial speaks about the penetration of the FM stations into the urban and smaller markets, the potential that the sector has, and the advertising opportunities it throws open for local advertisers.

    Excerpts:

    Being a new entrant in established markets, has it been a tough journey for Big FM?
    We have been extremely successful in selling the brand across the country. Our success comes from launching in cluttered markets like Kolkata, Mumbai, Bangalore and Chennai. We were the first station in Bangalore to come out with local language content.

    How has it been in the smaller markets which opened up for private operators in the second phase?
    Big FM is working extremely well in small towns. We have, in fact, revolutionised media and media consumption habits in the tier II and tier III cities. Eventually people are realising that radio is a local medium which needs to have localised content and marketing to make it successful.

    We have even entered troubled places like Srinagar and Guwahati where no one thought of venturing.

    Are the big advertisers willing to put money in the small town stations?
    For Big FM, local advertising contributes 30-40 per cent of our entire revenue kitty. Apart from this, there are corporates who advertise across all the 29 stations including big FMCG and telecom players.

    Is Delhi turning out to be a sticky wicket for the new players?
    Delhi is one of our best stations. It has been getting us good revenue. Nokia, Samsung and the big FMCGs, apart from the local retailers, are our major advertisers in Delhi. As far as listnership goes in Delhi, our internal research says that we have a good amount of base in the capital city.

    What has been the focus area for Big FM?
    It is really bad to say that we are focused on some markets and not on others. In the tier II, tier III cities it has been our effort to gather a base for listenership. In the next roll out phase, our focus will be about building a uniqueness and getting the dynamics of the company to all the stations.

    Why was there a requirement to change content in your Delhi station?
    The consumer behaviour and attitude of Delhi changes very frequently and it is very different from the other cities. Our internal research showed that Delhi is happening and on the move. That is where we zeroed in the ‘100 chartbuster’ format whereby every week the songs that the station plays is renewed. 100 songs are selected on the basis of a survey that covers mobile phones, internet downloads, music sales and song requests. This way, we satisfy the need of Delhi listeners to get something new every week. We are the first station in the country to have introduced such content in music.

    How is Big FM faring in regional markets like Jhansi, Bareilly, Jalandhar, Asansol and Guwahati among others?
    We have created a local brand out of the local product. FM has created an atmosphere where local entrepreneurs have understood these cost effective measures. There are lots of un-organised and semi-organised workers in the Indian economy for whom we have provided a platform.

    In the regional space, we have been beneficial to the common people by generating job avenues. People now need not go to cities in search of jobs in media.

    Physical hardware sales are also up. Nokia, Reliance and Samsung have got sales high. Even FM radio is being launched on the mobile platform.

    Is having Abhishek Bachchan, Upendra and Asin as brand ambassadors helped you in grabbing listenership in the Hindi and southern regions?
    Today we are in a cluttered FM market in India. The easiest way to break through the clutter is through the brand ambassador route.
    ‘FM should be allowed to have news and sports in the content mix‘

    How has the brand philosophy ‘Suno Sunao Life Banao‘ worked for Big FM?
    The whole premise was to provide a new space. If you listen to our station, it’s about raising ones voice. Our content and marketing campaigns affect the lives of the people. Later this year we will introduce four new properties that will make (banao) someone’s life. As far as music goes, we are currently playing contemporary hot music of Tempo 3. Tempo 3 are specific songs that are up beat because as a rule the station does not play extremely slow music.

    What do you regard as prime time for Big FM?
    Our prime time is dependent on who our target audience is at a particular time band. If it’s the youth, then the prime time band is evening. If it’s the office goers, then it’s definitely in the morning. If it’s women, the target then is the afternoon time band.

    Which are the different platforms you are experimenting with to build brand awareness?
    Across mediums, internet is the best medium as it has an extended reach. But the best thing that works for us is on-ground activities. Big FM has been doing a good amount of on-ground activities across the country, which has received a good response in terms of participation.
    What do you think about TV campaigns used by FM stations to advertise?
    TVC is definitely a good way of promoting a brand. We are also looking to launch a TVC soon.

    What is your argument for or against the Content Code?
    Instead of getting ways to regulate us, the government should grant us some freedom. As FM affects so much of the consumption of people’s life, we should be allowed to have news and sports in our content mix.

    The ministry is talking about regulating FM broadcasters, when we are already functioning with restrictions to our content.

    When they are comparing Indian FM stations with the international radio industry, they have conveniently forgotten that we are the only set of broadcasters who have been working on the restricted content set up by the government.

    What is the investment outlay for Big FM?
    We are pumping in Rs 4 billion.

    What is the de-merger status of Big FM?
    I can’t comment on that.

    How is Big FM planning to synergise Reliance ADAG’s Big Music and Entertainment for music and home video?
    Big FM gets the exclusive music and content rights from Big Music and Entertainment, giving us the first right of refusal. We have the option to build music properties across the medium. We have the option to promote the division by pushing the content through internet downloads and mobile ring tones. Big FM does 360 degree advertising for Big Music and Entertainment.

    How are your advertising spots being priced?
    Recently we have introduced the uniform rate card system ‘Aqua’ for all our advertisers across the country. This is easily available in our website. Unlike other stations, we are transparent in our advertising rates. The advertisers know what is the rate for the same space on the other stations. The advertisers are aware of how we are priced in different markets.

    Besides, all our stations have installed the wide orbit software.

    With the increasing content clutter on radio especially with Bollywood music, how is Big FM placed?
    I agree that Bollywood is all over FM stations, but it also depends on what kind of songs you are playing at what time of the day. How you treat the music is what differentiates the content. We play old songs across era in different time bands.

    You have recently got Raju Srivastav (stand up comedian of The Great Indian Laughter Challenge) as an RJ. In an attempt to break away from the clutter, every FM station is now adopting the fun element. How is this differentiated?
    Fun is an important aspect of entertainment. We are here to entertain, so what’s wrong in doing it? Some are doing it by some other means and people; we are doing it with Raju. He is the best and the biggest clutter breaker in the industry. Nobody wants to start the day on a sad note. We will get you to start the day with laughter and good thoughts. Our effort is rewarded if we can put smile in our listener’s faces.

    Do you think the future will be in niche or mass stations?
    The FM business is in a nascent stage for me to predict the future. It depends on what is the target, though I would recommend that segmentation is required.

    How are you looking to close 2007?
    We have recently announced the four properties that Big FM has planned for the various festival seasons for the later part of the year. Starting from September, Big FM will start rolling out these properties.

    We will soon launch a show completely based on and coinciding with the ICC World Cup Twenty20. The show will provide scrore updates, interactive contests and interview of cricket celebrities.

    During the time of Diwali and Dusshera, Big FM will launch a shopping contest Sabse Sasti Diwali. With the various tie-ups that we are still working on, the contest will offer shopping discounts from 9.27 per cent to 92.7 per cent.

    Then we have a contest titled Chipak Ke Dekho by which we will give away a car to whoever remains near the car for the longest duration of time.

    Finally, we have the biggest contest of its kind, Ek Saal Free Maal to bear the entire expenses of the winner for the whole year of 2008.
  • ‘We are an urban metro player and will be operating in seven crucial markets’ : Vishnu Athreya – Radio One VP programming and brand

    ‘We are an urban metro player and will be operating in seven crucial markets’ : Vishnu Athreya – Radio One VP programming and brand

    Radio One has changed its positioning from a niche to a mass station. With help from BBC which picked up a 20 per cent stake in the venture, the focus now is to have a presence in seven big markets – Delhi, Mumbai, Chennai, Bangalore, Kolkata, Pune and Ahmedabad.

     

    Introducing the ‘masti fatafaat recipe,’ Radio One has introduced a 20-20 format with the promise of quick masti delivered through 20 minutes of infotainment.

     

    In an interview with Indiantelevision.com’s Nasrin Sultana, Radio One VP programming and brand Vishnu Athreya elucidates that this is not a mere ‘winning the number’ strategy but would provide differentiation from rival stations.

     

    Excerpts:

    Why did Radio One shift its position from being a niche to a mass station?
    We were the single station providing only English music. It allowed Radio Mid-Day (later renamed Radio One) to be the niche and differentiated station in the market. But we were catering to only a segment of the listeners and were operating only in Mumbai. When we acquired license for seven stations, we thought why not go for the mass station positioning so that we can cater to the needs of all the people.

    What does Radio One stand for now?
    We are an urban metro player and will be operating in seven crucial markets. And we have built the young, fun element to it. We were well received in Mumbai. In Bangalore, we were the first station to have a Kannada platform and tasted great success. We took some amount of time in Delhi which is a different market and has a high rate of loyal listeners, making it difficult for new entrants.

    How has BBC helped in evolving a strategy for Radio One?
    They have contributed at multiple levels – as investors with 20 per cent stake and in providing content. They are also involved strategically with the venture.

    What has BBC’s contribution been in terms of content?
    BBC content definitely acts a push-up for us. They provide us BBC Ek Minute and BBC EK Mulaqat. While BBC Ek Minute provides infotainment every 20 minutes in the new 20-20 format that we have introduced, BBC Ek Mulaqat has Sanjeev Srivastava, the Hindi news editor of BBC, conduct interviews of famous personalities who are not just Bollywood celebrities.

    Could you tell us more about how you arrived at your current format?
    We conducted a detailed study of the market and found out that listeners know how to differentiate between qualitative and quantitative content. We designed the format according to the requirements of the listeners’ information, humour, music and RJ talk/contest. The new 20-20 format with the tagline ‘Masti Fataafat’ is really a mixture of fun, information and music. Listeners will get to hear two to three hit songs (including a classic), humour capsules of Lallan Talkies, Ehsaan Faramosh and Hema Aunty Ke Tips and a one-minute break away of infotainment news from BBC. Besides, there is the regular jock talk and contest. What we promise is a 20 minute of refreshment. We are not saying that this is the best format. But, yes, we are experimenting with the format based on our research. We are clearly differentiated.

    Why is it that all the FM stations are suddenly hooking on to the fun element?
    I think we are all stressed out in our work. What everybody needs is refreshment and fun. When somebody tunes into FM, he expects to get refreshed.

    Do you think listeners tune in to a particular station because that station provides him a particular format?
    Listeners get accustomed to the kind of music and content that a station provides. This is the biggest differentiator. We, for instance, got Srivastava to interview Rahul Dravid during the cricket match in BBC Ek Mulaqat. And we got good response from all over the place.
    ‘The new 20-20 format with the tagline ‘Masti Fataafat’ is a mixture of fun, information and music. With this positioning, we are confident that the growth cycle will be good for us‘

    Has BBC’s participation made a difference to Radio One in terms of listenership and ad revenues?
    The industry is still at a nascent stage and the market has just started to grow. But I am not the right person to comment on our revenues. We are definitely growing as a product and this is getting reflected in our rapid growth in listenership base. With the new format and the `Masti Fataafat’ positioning, we are confident that the growth cycle will be good for us.

    Could you elaborate on your popular shows BPO Nites and Kahani Ghar Ghar Ki?
    BPO Nites and Kahani Ghar Ghar Ki introduced in Delhi station got us huge listeners. BPO nites is a late night show. The RJ visits a particular spot in Delhi and hosts the show live. The Delhi-Gurgaon -Noida belt is inundated with BPOs and call centres. Our show caters to these listeners. It gives them this feeling that somebody is still awake to talk and listen to them.

     

    Kahani Ghar Ghar Ki was initially launched to meet the need of estate-agents. Now our contracts with the agents, who were sponsoring the show, are running out. But we will continue with the show. It is unique in that it talks about the current real estate scenario in Delhi. Real-estate agents give tips on when to invest and when to sell property.

    Do you think that the music industry is charging too high for the content?
    Till date, we have no complaints.

    Almost all the FM stations are positioned as CHR (contemporary-hits-station). Do you think this boosts up the sales of music industry and music gadgets like ipod?
    People of the music industry claim that FM stations have eaten up their market because we provide them with the contemporary hits. But I do not agree to this. In fact we boost up their sales. Films like Jhoom Barabaar Jhoom, Tara Rum Pum have performed badly at the box office but the music has done good business. The credit for this should also go to the FM radio stations. We conduct contests, air songs and promos and have hot interviews with celebrities which pull listeners to the music of the film. The music industry in India is tremendously benefited by us.

     

    FM stations have made youth develop a liking for Indian music. Earlier the college goers and music lovers would always go back to the western music. Now FM stations provide an option. Music lovers are contended with Bollywood music. Why go to Britney or Jlo when they get a better option? FM stations should be credited for popularising Bollywood music in India.

    Do you agree that the programming in all the radio stations is cluttered?
    There is a great need for differentiation in the content. What all of us are providing is music. The listener is not even bothered about the station he is listening to. Down south, when I asked a couple of people which FM station they were listening to, they weren’t able to say which one. So it is the broadcaster’s responsibility to create differentiated and unique content.
    The current ILT (Indian listenership track) report by MRUC says that the listenership growth has stagnated. What do you think of this?
    I am aware that the growth is not so high. Please consider that this is a completely new industry in India. We are just five-six years old. Some of us are much younger than that. We will need some time to grow and mature. You can’t compare it with the robust TV or the film industry in terms of consumers.

     

    If you go through the ILT report and compare the last two waves, you will notice that Radio One has gained listeners as compared to other stations. We have lost a good amount of listeners when we had to shift our frequency to 94.3 FM. Now we are gaining as the ILT data shows.
    When are you launching your three remaining stations?
    We will soon launch in Ahmedabad, Kolkata and Pune to complete our network of seven stations.