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Tag: National Geographic Channel

  • National Geographic Channel and FOX Traveller win big at PromaxBDA 2014

    National Geographic Channel and FOX Traveller win big at PromaxBDA 2014

    NEW DELHI: Establishing their prominence and leadership amongst Indian television brands, National Geographic Channel and FOX Traveller have won five awards at the prestigious PromaxBDA India annual award ceremony, held in Mumbai recently. The awards are a testimony of the channels’ inventive and holistic approach towards creating campaigns that connect with the audiences and marketers.

     

    India’s favourite infotainment channel with highest numbers of Facebook fans, National Geographic picked up Gold in the categories of Best Use of Social Media for its 80’s campaign, Best script and copy writing along with most exciting station image campaign for its Unlock Campaign. The channel also received Silver in the category of Best Launch campaign for Emergency Ready, India’s first medical reality show which focused on sensitizing and educating people on emergency etiquettes. FOX Traveller, with its innovative integration with Bollywood super-hit Yeh Jawaani Hai Deewani, won Silver in the category of Best Brand Integration Promo.

     

    Debarpita Banerjee, Vice President, Marketing and Communication, NGC and FOX Traveller on winning the awards said, “It’s been a year of many experiments, starting with the market success of our initiatives followed with new creative recognition, makes these experiments successful. Getting Irffan Khan on Emergency Room, creating an inspirational piece on NGC with John, playing around with the 80’s fashion, music, icons online have all been delightfully fresh and creatively satisfying. Receiving these Promax was a cherry on the cake.”

     

    Promax was established in 1956 as a non-profit, full-service, membership driven association for promotion and marketing professionals working in broadcast media. In 1997, The Broadcast Design Association (BDA) who had partnered with Promax for years on their annual conference, officially joined forces with Promax and became PromaxBDA. Throughout the world, the PromaxBDA Awards competitions stand for marketing excellence in the media marketing space and collectively, through its numerous regional and sector-specific competitions, are regarded as the most prestigious awards for creative endeavour in this field.

  • Chrome data: Week 17 sees a minor rise

    Chrome data: Week 17 sees a minor rise

    MUMBAI: As per opportunity to see (OTS) collated by Chrome Data Analysis & Media, the week 17 saw religious channels in Hindi speaking markets (HSM) and Infotainment across India rising by 0.7 per cent.

     

    Aastha channel, as usual, continued to rule the genre with 97.5 per cent OTS while in the infotainment section, National Geographic Channel toppled Discover to be on the top. The channel garnered 86.8 per cent OTS.

     

    Hindi news in HSM saw a jump of 0.6 per cent. In the genre ABP News again ruled the roost with 93.4 per cent OTS.

     

    Next came in music genre with 0.5 per cent growth in the HSM. Sony Mix topped the chart with 88.8 per cent OTS.

     

    In the bottom four, English news as well as Business news channels in the eight metros dropped by 0.4 per cent. Times Now with 84.9 per cent OTS was the highest gainer in the English news genre. Zee Business gained 79.5 per cent OTS in its genre.

     

    English entertainment channels in the eight metros gained 0.2 per cent with AXN continuing its run on the top with 70.7 per cent OTS.

  • Nat Geo Covershot: Mission North East

    Nat Geo Covershot: Mission North East

    MUMBAI: This season, photography will take a competitive turn as India’s top 10 amateur photographers fight it out for one of the most coveted opportunities for a photographer – to be featured on the cover of National Geographic TravellerIndia magazine! Bringing back its successful mission series, National Geographic Channel is set to challenge young amateur photographers from across the country to embark on a journey of their lifetime on Nat GeoCovershot: Mission North East. Set in the serene North East, the show will bring out the competitive best of these young guns and make them do whatever it takes to click that perfect shot. Bringing together a compelling combination of breathtaking views, survival instincts, edgy photography along with a sharp strategy, the show premiers on April 26th and will air every Saturday at 10 pm on National Geographic Channel.

    Mentoring and judging the second season of Nat Geo Covershot will be two esteemed personalities – award winning photographer Lana Slezic and actor producer Rajiv Lakshman. With expertise in skill and psychology, the two judges will present a series of tasks for the contestants, urging them to bring out their best shot this season.  Hostess Shibani Dandekar will accompany these aspiring photographers in this life changing journey in the magnificent locales of North East India.

    Talking about Nat Geo Covershot: Mission North East, Debarpita Banerjee, Vice President, Marketing and Communication,NGC Networks and FOX International Channels, said, “Whoever thinks of photography as just a passive hobby is in for a great surprise this season. Nat Geo Covershot: Mission North East brings back the grandiose of Nat Geo photography and couples it with passion of these young photographers to create an edgy viewing experience. This season will bring out the competitive spirit that our youth embodyand our expert panel will help them channelize it with a compelling strategy to get that perfect shot.”

    Manas Mohan, Publishing Director, National Geographic magazines in India, shared, “Associating with National Geographic Channel for their Mission Covershot is an extension of our belief of encouraging young talent while capturing the best images highlighting the beauty of India. We are confident that the opportunity of featuring on the NGTI cover will motivate the participants to give their best shot!”

    On being part of the series, actor and producer Rajiv Lakshmansaid, “It’s immensely exciting to be part of the Nat Geo family that boasts of such an aspirational and respectable legacy. For a show like Nat Geo Covershot: Mission North East, which promises to bring the best of the amateur talent we have in photography, no other platform could have been better. My role in the show will beto nurture the creative disposition of the 10 photographers and bring out their competitive best besides adding more personality to their work. I am sure the viewers will have a great ride against the beautiful backdrop of North Eastern India.”

    Get click happy as Nat GeoCovershot: Mission North East premiers on April 26th, every Saturday at 10 pm on National Geographic Channel.

  • “Romedy Now is content agnostic!”

    “Romedy Now is content agnostic!”

    MUMBAI: With niche, infotainment channels getting more adventurous in terms of content, it may no longer surprise viewers to catch ‘The Walking Dead’ on Fox Traveller or ‘Da Vinci’s Demons’ on National Geographic Channel. Joining this group is Romedy Now, which at the time of its launch aired romantic comedies but will now be getting into all sorts of content; series, fiction or reality.

     

    “Romedy Now is content agnostic and not necessarily film-centric,” Times Television Network CEO English Entertainment Channels, Ajay Trigunayat, told indiantelevision.com during a recent interview. “Romedy Now can play series, movies; fiction, non-fiction and short-formats. We are open to anything, and we have a programming slate that will unveil itself in the next few months. It is very radical from the way TV approaches business. We aim to make the consumer a part of our scheme. If something falls under one’s wants, needs and desires, one will consume it. In our consumer segmentation, we found that the consumer is still the same consumer.”

     

    But weren’t ‘love and laughter’ the original peg of the channel? Trigunayat explained that since Romedy Now was the first of its kind, they decided to latch on to the two most basic human values to make the channel a unique destination. “The two basic values like love and laughter have become latent. They have become ignored aspects of life. When everyone is chasing a professional life, it is affecting their relationships with their friends and family and their own health. Love and laughter has a unique connection. If a girl was given a choice between a rich man and a witty man, she would probably choose the one with a great sense of humour but she will be tempted to choose wealth. It becomes endearing for a viewer to follow such chronicles and love the characters and laugh at them, and indirectly live their lives. ‘Love, Laugh, Live’ is not just the tagline of our channel, it is the basic mantra we abide by,” he said.

     

    Trigunayat went on to clarify that even when they first decided to launch Romedy Now, the plan was to start airing series followed by films. “Airing of series and many other content formats was always the blueprint of the channel. Just that series including Witches of East End slated to premiere in the fall, got delayed to January and Friends with Better Lives (FWBL) scheduled to premiere in January got pushed to late March. That’s why the channel had to start with movies and later telecast the proposed series alongside the existing programmes as they went along,” informed Trigunayat.

     

    Romedy Now plans to soon launch two new comedies – 1600 Penn, and Back in the Game – in addition to Kitchen Confidential, Ally McBeal, Witches of East End and FWBL and is in negotiations to acquire new content plus library content.

     

    On the subject of marketing and distribution, Trigunayat said, “Right now, we have two major marketing properties that we are focusing on viz., ‘Sunny Sundays’ and ‘Thank God it’s Friday’ (TGIF). We plan to launch five more similar properties in the next quarter. We are in negotiations with some major television networks, and expect to close the deal by the end of next month.”

     

    When asked about advertisers, Trigunayat said the channel had about 50 clients on board including telecom services like Airtel. “We are a highly premium channel and expect a good return. Across all five channels of the Times Group, we rely heavily on print advertising. When we first started our digital distribution, there were still a few analogues to be dealt with, but they are rapidly declining and digital is growing now. If there is no analogue, there shouldn’t be any carriage fees, ergo we are not paying a carriage fee,” he said.

     

    The total advertising revenue across English movies and English GEC’s is Rs 500 crore with an additional Rs 400 crore coming in as subscription revenue. Going by GroupM and Madison forecasts, the category is expected to garner more than Rs 1,000 crore in FY 15 in advertising, subscription and miscellaneous revenues.

     

    Romedy Now is available with multi system operators (MSOs) like Hathway, DEN, Incable, Manthan in the east and ICC in Pune. It is also available across major DTH operators except Tata Sky. Currently, Romedy Now is concentrating on eight metros and intends to expand in the next 12 to 14 months.

  • Chrome data: English entertainment and movie channels gain in week 11

    Chrome data: English entertainment and movie channels gain in week 11

    MUMBAI:  The opportunity to see (OTS) data for channels collated by Chrome Data Analytics & Media for the week 11 is out.

     

    This week English entertainment channels in the eight metros saw a jump of 1.4 per cent, closely followed by English movie genre with 1 per cent jump.

     

    AXN with 70.8 per cent OTS topped the English entertainment section whereas PIX topped the charts with 76.9 per cent OTS.

     

    Infotainment channels all across India peaked 0.7 per cent with National Geographic channel garnering 88.8 per cent OTS.

     

    Hindi movies in the Hindi speaking marketing (HSM) saw a minor jump of 0.2 per cent. Max gained the highest OTS in the genre with 95.8 per cent.

     

    As for the bottom four, Sports genre across India was the maximum drop with 1.6 per cent with Ten Sports scoring the highest OTS, 75.6 per cent.

     

    In the HSM, Religious channels saw a drop of 1.4 per cent while Music genre dropped by 1.2 per cent.

     

    Aastha channel continued to the highest OTS gainer among the religious channels with 95.5 per cent. In the music genre, the channel topping the charts is Sony Mix with 86.5 per cent OTS.

     

    Kids genre across India saw a drop of 1.1 per cent with Cartoon Network being on top of the category with 83.6 per cent OTS.

  • NGC set on a photography sojourn with Cover Shot 2

    NGC set on a photography sojourn with Cover Shot 2

    MUMBAI: “Photography, as a powerful medium of expression and communications, offers an infinite variety of perception, interpretation and execution.” –Ansel Adams

     

    Adams, who is popular for his heart-touching photography the world over, in these two lines, has best described the art of photography – the perception of which can change from individual to individual and only those with a keen interest and passion can bring out the best in the art.

     

    While there are numerous talent shows on music and dance, one on photography is something really rare. One such show is National Geographic Channel’s Mission Cover Shot produced by Colosceum Media that won many accolades from the industry when its first edition was telecast last year. Set to enter its second season, the show has become bigger and better.

     

    While last year, with eight contestants passionate for photography, it covered the beautiful locales of Sri Lanka, this time the team wanted to tap a picturesque, unexplored local region. A place that is visually captivating, extremely rich in cultural diversities, extends a strong streak of adventure through its diverse terrains and naturally enhances the competitive quotient in the show by all that it has to offer to the aspiring photographers. And thus the team zeroed in on the North East.

     

    “While selecting the location for Cover Shot, one needs to understand, that it is almost like selecting a canvas. The venue practically sets the tone and context of the entire season, let alone the actual photographs. Hence it is but natural that the travel destination gets showcased in all its glory. Sri Lanka worked spectacularly for us, and so will north east,” says National Geographic and FOX International Channels VP Marketing, Debarpita Banerjee.

     

    Besides the new location, there’s not much change in the format of the show. Banerjee says, “Since the show had done well for us in the first season, the format broadly remains the same. However, this year, the competition between the contestants is way tougher and each one has a strategy to get the perfect shot. As a result of this competitive spirit, the show will have interesting snacky fodder for all reality television addicts and hence, will appeal to viewers beyond the infotainment genre.”

     

    While in the first edition, filmmaker Nagesh Kukunoor and award winning American photographer Ami Vitale judged the eight contestants, this year the judges include Rajiv Laxman and photographer Lana Šlezic. The number of contestants has also gone up to 10 this time.

     

    Rajiv says that the most fascinating part of the show is shooting it. “To get the frontal view of the contestants, my camera people had to be in front. At the same time whatever the contestants were shooting also needed to be captured and thus it was an interesting as well as challenging process,” says Rajiv, who thinks that the show is a good platform for people who are interested in photography as once getting the exposure on the show and with guidance from international photographers the skills improve.

     

    The first edition of the show was extremely successful. However, it wasn’t easy to convince people to come on board, be it the advertisers or the judges. “Explaining a new concept, without mainline celebrities, is always tough. But three things worked very well for Cover Shot – the fact that it is youthful, the fact that it is based on the very popular obsession called photography and the fact that it is in a reality format. Which is why, lots of brands that find relevance in the above three came on board. This year too we are expecting many such associations,” says Banerjee, also talking about the three sponsors on board last year – HTC as presenting sponsor who was also given in-show mileage; Aircel as the powered by sponsor and Cinnamon hotels as the associate sponsor.

     

    “We are expecting a good response from the advertisers this season as well, since the first one did really well, earning us the most commended reality TV show at the Asian television awards 2013. We have already pitched it to more than 10 brands for association and will soon have them on board,” she adds.

     

    Unlike the last season when Cinnamon hotels became the hospitality partner, this time there are none. However, the team says that they got immense support from The Ministry of Development of North-Eastern Region, North-East India.

     

    The focus of this year’s campaign is very contestant-driven and highlights the promise of whatever it takes to get that perfect shot to get to the cover page of Nat Geo Traveller. NGC’s in-house On-Air Promo team has aptly designed the promos keeping this premise in mind. Hence, one could look forward to a campaign that will exude stylish, contemporary, grungy, aggressive, adventurous and reality-led communication.

     

    Since the show is about breathtaking photography, photo exhibition is one of the most important promotional strategies. Other strategies include making the brand a part of the show by showing usage of the product in show. “Something that we did with HTC on Mission Cover Shot by making use of the phone as part of a task and since some stake-holders these days are wanting to do more and more on the digital space, we have different associations for them on our FB page along with other online strategies,” says Banerjee.

     

    Nat Geo Covershot: Mission North East will be launching on 11 April, Friday at 10 pm, which the channel says is one of its strongest slot. The winning shot will still be featured on the cover page of Nat Geo Traveller.

  • President Barack Obama to introduce series premiere of Cosmos: A Spacetime Odyssey

    President Barack Obama to introduce series premiere of Cosmos: A Spacetime Odyssey

    MUMBAI: US president Barack Obama will introduce the highly anticipated series premiere episode of Cosmos: A Spacetime Odyssey airing this Sunday, 9 March on 10 Fox Networks Group channels, including Fox and National Geographic Channel. In the video message, which leads into the premiere episode, Obama invites a new generation to embrace the spirit of discovery and inspires viewers to explore new frontiers and imagine limitless possibilities for the future.

     

    The series premiere episode of Cosmos will air simultaneously across multiple US Fox networks, including Fox, National Geographic Channel, FX, FXX, FXM, Fox Sports 1, Fox Sports 2, Nat Geo Wild, Nat Geo Mundo and Fox Life. This first multi-network launch event for Fox Networks Group, along with the series debut on Fox International Channels and National Geographic Channels International, will make Cosmos: A Spacetime Odyssey available on 220 channels in 181 countries, with an overall footprint of more than half a billion homes.

     

    Last Friday, 28 Febraury, Fox Broadcasting Company (Fox) and National Geographic Channel (NGC) hosted a special preview of Cosmos: A Spacetime Odyssey at the White House as part of the first-ever White House Student Film Festival. The festival celebrated the Obama administration’s commitment to using technology in the classroom. As part of the event, president Obama delivered remarks detailing progress toward his ConnectED goal of connecting 99 per cent of students to next-generation broadband and wireless technology within five years.

     

    Additionally, National Geographic Channel hosted 100 teachers in Washington, D.C. this week -winners of the Presidential Awards for Excellence in Mathematics and Science Teaching (PAEMST) – for a sneak peek at Cosmos. The educators represented all 50 states, D.C. and Puerto Rico. President Obama hosted them on Monday night for a reception honouring their commitment to and excellence in education.

     

    After the cross-network premiere event, Cosmos: A Spacetime Odyssey will continue its epic 13-episode run, airing Sundays at 8:00 pm from 16 March on National Geographic Channel India.

     

    More than three decades after the debut of Cosmos: A Personal Voyage, Carl Sagan’s stunning and iconic exploration of the universe as revealed by science, Seth MacFarlane (Ted, Family Guy) has teamed with Sagan’s original creative collaborators, writer/executive producer Ann Druyan and co-writer, astronomer Steven Soter to conceive the 13-part series that will serve as a successor to the Emmy and Peabody Award-winning original series.

     

    Carl Sagan’s original series Cosmos was first broadcast in 1980 and remains the most globally successful American public television series of all time. Seen by more than 750 million viewers, Cosmos has remained popular throughout the world.

     

    As with the legendary original series, the new Cosmos is the saga of how we discovered the laws of nature and found our coordinates in space and time. The series brings to life never-before-told stories of the heroic quest for knowledge, transporting viewers to new worlds and across the universe for a vision of the cosmos on the grandest – and the smallest – scale. The series invents new modes of scientific storytelling to reveal the grandeur of the universe and re-invent celebrated elements of the original series, including the Cosmic Calendar and the Ship of the Imagination. The most profound scientific concepts are presented with stunning clarity, uniting skepticism and wonder, and weaving rigorous science with the emotional and spiritual into a transcendent experience.

     

    Cosmos: A Spacetime Odyssey is produced by Cosmos Studios, the Ithaca, NY-based company Ann Druyan co-founded in 2000, and Fuzzy Door Productions, MacFarlane’s company. Druyan and Steven Soter are the series’ writers. Druyan, MacFarlane, Cosmos Studios President Mitchell Cannold and Brannon Braga (the Star Trek franchise, 24) are the executive producers of the series with Jason Clark (Ted, 42).

  • National Geographic Channel becomes the most liked TV channel on Facebook in India

    National Geographic Channel becomes the most liked TV channel on Facebook in India

    Keeping pace with digital times, leading infotainment channel National Geographic Channel has established itself as the most liked TV channel on Facebook. With  more than 66 lakhs likes and around 6 lakh people talking about it, the NGC Facebook page is currently the most interactive page on Facebook amongst all GECs, infotainment and news channels.

    Nat Geo interacts with its audiences and keeps them engaged through its path breaking and specially developed content for the digital medium. Interesting and breath-taking imagery and video sharing has contributed to its success amongst fans across the country. The page also brings fans closer to the iconic infotainment channel and satiates their hunger for knowledge through exciting contests, games and gratifications in form of classic Nat Geo souvenirs and memorabilia.

    Ms. Debarpita Banerjee, Vice President, Marketing, NGC and Fox Traveller said, “It’s great news for all of us and we thank our viewers for contributing to our success. The page is a perfect platform for likeminded brands to reach and engage with their target audience. The exciting communication on a day-to-day basis attracts and retains fans from across the country. With each post reaching out to over 6,48,961 people, the page serves as the perfect medium for us to communicate with our viewers. “

     

  • Witness the rise of a Megastructure – Terminal 3

    Witness the rise of a Megastructure – Terminal 3

    MUMBAI: One of Asia’s largest, Terminal 3, is a symbol of India’s fast paced infrastructure growth and emerging economic status. With a capacity of 34 million passengers per year (mppa), it turned Indira Gandhi International Airport into South Asia’s most important aviation hub. A mammoth task completed in a record time of 37 months against the backdrop of a looming deadline to the Commonwealth Games 2010.

    On February the 9th at 7 PM, get set to witness this incredible journey called ‘Megastructures: Delhi IGI Airport – Terminal 3’ on National Geographic Channel. A one-hour special documenting the construction of India’s largest post-independence building, spearheaded by the GMR group, the show will follow the emergence of this gigantic structure, from conception to realization.

    Commenting on the challenges posed by the megaproject, Mr. I. Prabhakara Rao, CEO, Delhi International Airport (P) Limited said, “The task to provide India’s capital, a world-class international airport – was nothing short of daunting. 16 million domestic and international travelers were already flying through Delhi annually, and the milestone to be achieved was to provide for actual traffic of 36 million passengers in just over three years. There was much to be done and very little time. But we had some of the brightest minds from across the world, as well as extremely dedicated teams of workers, on our side to erect the megastructure that would change the landscape of Delhi NCR, as we knew it. We couldn’t be happier about Nat Geo joining us on this thrilling ride.”

    Commenting on the documentary, Ms. Debarpita Banerjee, VP, Marketing, National Geographic and FOX International Channels, said, “Terminal 3 revolutionized air travel for residents of Delhi and India alike. For the National Geographic team to have been associated with the process of history being created hence, was an honor. And as always, with the ‘Megastructure’ franchise, Nat Geo patrons have a compelling and a great story to look forward to.”

    Watch the transformation of a barren stretch of land into this spectacular Megastructure in record time, on ‘Megastructures: Delhi IGI Airport – Terminal 3’ premiering on Sunday, 9th February at 7 PM only on National Geographic Channel.

     

  • Nat Geo kick starts the second season of ‘Covershot’

    Nat Geo kick starts the second season of ‘Covershot’

    MUMBAI: The only reality TV show on photography is back! Nat Geo’s ‘Covershot’ franchise returns with its second season in a brand new avatar to unlock ‘Mission North-East’. And to get the season off to a grand start, National Geographic Channel has organized a photo exhibition of the masterpieces clicked by last year’s contestants.

    Targeting leading agencies, such as Group M, Madison, ZO, Starcom, Lodestar and Mediacom, across Delhi and Mumbai, from 27th January to 4th February for the photo exhibition, Nat Geo aims to create a buzz and conversation-starters around the very coveted, aspirational field of photography and their hugely successful ‘Covershot’ property in its latest season. While the exhibition in itself is a treat for the layman and photography enthusiasts alike, what comes across most poignantly yet again is the fact that the show served as a brilliant platform for amateurs to showcase their talent. And in addition to the more obvious attractions, at a time when National Geographic Channel is primed to launch one of its biggest properties for the year, the photo exhibition stands out as a pertinent, yet engaging go-between to reach out to multiple stakeholders, including their key partners.

    Commenting on the importance of engagement through varied approaches, Ms. Debarpita Banerjee, VP, Marketing, National Geographic and FOX International Channels, said, “When the show itself is such a visual treat, the best way to announce the launch would but naturally be through its visuals. A walk down the exhibition aisle would demonstrate the length and breadth of talent showcased on Covershot.”

    10 exciting episodes, 10 illustrious contestants, 1 cut-throat competition – ‘Nat Geo Covershot: Mission North-East’ will take you on the exquisite north-eastern trail this season, with host Shibani Dandekar and judges Rajiv Laxman and Lana Šlezi? – launching early April.