ITV

Tag: Neeraj Vyas

  • Sony Sab to increase focus on fiction genre

    Sony Sab to increase focus on fiction genre

    MUMBAI: Sony Sab, which has till now relied on Taarak Mehta Ka Ooltah Chashma to carry the torch of its vision as a general happiness channel, is all set to launch four new fiction shows. The new weekday and weekend fillers will explore new themes like dramedy, horror comedy and fantasy.

    The programming line-up includes two finite series that will go live on 26 January as a part of the weekend programming – Band Baaja Bandh Darwaza and My Name Ijj Lakhan. Bhakharwadi and BaavleUtaavle are two upcoming weekday shows.

    Sony Sab, Pal business head Neeraj Vyas clarified that Sony Sab isn’t just a comedy channel. “The shows that are coming up are way beyond comedy. Comedy essentially is sitcom. What we are doing now with our stories, plots and content, is creating characters which have a much longer linear part. Tenali and Aladdin are not just comedy,” he says.

    The channel also highlights that its content is unique and not a copy of someone else. He adds, “We may not be main course, we may not have multiple offerings but we are the only dessert in the market.”

    Giving his opinion on the recent TRAI tariff verdict, Vyas says, “My take on tariff is, bring it on. Simply because we are extremely confident that the content is made for N number of people and which is why we see a lot of clones. Today the consumer is going to change. They will get to choose their own channels, which means your product, your offering had better be differentiated and when it comes to that, we are completely unique.”

    Talking about the growth the channel has witnessed, it claims to be the only gainer in MP among paid GECs. The impressions increased by 9 per cent from 18.1 million to 19.8 million over last year. In North Zone, impressions increased by 12 per cent from 60.2 million to 67.6 million. There has been a major gain in Delhi; impressions increased by 24 per cent from 18.9 million to 23.4 million.

    According to the broadcaster, Sony Sab is the highest gainer among H-GECs in the west and observed an increase by 16 per cent from 127.9 million to 148.6 million. In Maharashtra, its impression grew by 23 per cent from 61.5 million to 75.9 million over last year and in Mumbai, it grew by 19 per cent from 29.7 million to 35.3 million.

    The year 2018 was momentous for Sony Sab as the channel registered strong growth numbers in a market that wasn’t growing.  According to Sab, among NCCS AB 15+, the channel was the highest audience coverage gainer and it increased from 36 million to 38 million over last year. NCCS AB Male 15+ increased from 18.8 million to 19.7 million and NCCS AB female 15+ increased from 17.4 million to 18.3 million.  Over the course of last one year, it saw a 10 per cent increase in time spent from 110 minutes to 121 minutes.  

    From an advertising standpoint, the broadcaster also says it grew in various categories such as FMCG, telcos, automobiles and among other multiplied for them. Brand count went up from 203 to 230.

  • Sony SAB to launch new show ‘Super Sisters’

    Sony SAB to launch new show ‘Super Sisters’

    MUMBAI: Sony SAB is all set to launch a new show named Super Sisters. The show will premiere on 6 August and will air every Monday to Friday at 7:30 pm. The show tells an extraordinary story of the undying love between two sisters and their secret enchanted life.

    Talking about the show Sony SAB, PAL, Hindi movies and music business Head Neeraj Vyas said, “We strive to provide our viewers with fresh, innovative content across genres and formats. Strengthening our core brand belief of Haste Raho India, with Super Sisters, Sony SAB is venturing into the realm of super powers and the enchanted.  This show will appeal to all age groups with its heart-rending nuance of sibling relationships, forbidden love and ironically, also the urge to be good and do well.”

    Super Sisters highlights a very resilient relationship between two sisters, Shivani and Siddhi. Shivani, played by Vaishali Takkar, is a kind hearted, innocent yet brave girl. Being the elder sister, she is the more responsible one and protective of her younger sister, Siddhi, played by Muskaan Bamne. Siddhi, on the other hand, is feisty and tom boy like in her mannerisms. Having lost their parents early in life, both sisters stand by and support each other in everything they do. Love walks into Shivani’s life in the form of Ashmit Oberoi, portrayed by Gaurav Wadhwa, a young business tycoon. While both fall in love with each other, Shivani runs away from any opportunity of them being together due to a secret that she has guarded, which restricts her from falling in love.

    Optimystix Entertainment Media Ltd founding chairman & MD Vipul D Shah said, “Once in a while, there comes a show that allows us, as creators, to put on our creative hats and present a no-holds-barred spectacle that will entertain viewers like never before. Super Sisters is one such show. We are glad to be its creators, partnering with Sony SAB on yet another exciting project.”

  • Sony SAB launches Saat Phero Ki Hera Pherie

    Sony SAB launches Saat Phero Ki Hera Pherie

    MUMBAI: ‘Men are from Mars and Women are from Venus’ is not just a famous book title but has become a catchphrase which truly illustrates the behavioral differences between men and women. The two genders can be poles apart in the way they think or emote. Sony SAB’s new show Saat Phero Ki Hera Pherie addresses this exact phenomenon, the show will showcase the various hilarious situations that arise in the daily lives of married couples due to gender roles and differences. Launching on Tuesday, 27 February 2018, Monday to Friday at 21 30 hours only on Sony SAB. 

    Set in suburban Mumbai, the plot revolves around the lives of two neighbours – the Tandons’ and the Desais’. Bhupi Tandon, a man in his fifties, has his own travel agency. He strongly believes that the ‘Man’ is the boss of the house and so loves to dominate over his wife. While he is also a jovial and kind-hearted person who loves his wife, he takes advantage of being the patriarchal head of the family. Making a comeback in the role of Bhupi is veteran actor, Shekhar Suman. His wife, Neetu, is a woman seeped in traditional Indian values. A loving mother and a caring wife, she follows all religious rituals and spends most of her day in the kitchen dishing out delicious fares for her family. The role of Neetu is being played by the talented Swati Shah.

    Their neighbors are a young married couple – Parimal and Rupal Desai. Parimal, played by Amit Mistry, is a complete opposite of Bhupi, a henpecked and a wife-fearing man! Parimal is a manager at a broking firm and is always entangled in transactions of the stock exchange. Enacted by Ami Trivedi, Rupal comes from a rich upbringing and is constantly buying material comforts to upgrade her lifestyle much to the dismay of her husband, who is always submerged under the EMI burden. Rupal believes in living life queen size and is constantly changing her mind and her business ideas. In short, their marriage is a ‘workshop’, where he ‘works’ and she ‘shops’!

    Adding to camaraderie is 25-year-old Goldie Sharma, who is a hopeless romantic. Played by Kevin Dave, he is single and always ready to mingle. He finds his dream girl in every girl he sees. Goldie also takes advantage of his neighbours’ generosity and depends on them for his daily meals, often borrowing money from them. He calls himself a freelancer, but the truth is that he gets kicked out of any job he gets into, due to his laziness. Being indecisive, he is not exactly a mature, stable guy that girls generally look for and eventually ends up getting dumped by them.

    Channel SAB, Sr. EVP & Head, Neeraj Vyas said, “True to SAB’s brand promise of ‘Haste Raho India’, our new offering, Saat Phero Ki Hera Pherie, presents a humorous take on how life partners face and manage gender roles and inter-relationship differences. The content is very refreshing and contemporary. The show features a fabulous ensemble of fine actors with some amazing comic timing. We are certain that Saat Phero Ki Hera Pherie will appeal to all our viewers.”

  • FTA GECs bring in revenue despite low ad rates

    FTA GECs bring in revenue despite low ad rates

    MUMBAI: The formulation of the Broadcast Audience Research Council (BARC) had one big advantage for channels. Regional reporting led to increased viewership for free-to-air (FTA) general entertainment channels (GEC) as well as higher advertiser interest. Star Bharat is the only FTA that has original content while others such as Zee Anmol, Rishtey, Sony Pala and Star Utsav show reruns of popular shows from their main channels. Though low on operational cost, are the channels making money?

    Dentsu Aegis Network chairman & CEO – South Asia Ashish Bhasin says that advertisers follow eyeballs, regardless of where it comes from. “Advertisers pay for total target audience. Unlike TAM [the earlier measuring system], rural market is measurable with BARC. It is a fact that many categories are seeing much more growth in rural than in urban since they have reached near saturation in urban markets but rural is untapped.”

    FTA channels are available without subscription but are digitally encoded and geographically restricted. According to SAB & MAX cluster senior EVP & business head Neeraj Vyas, “FTA is a zone which is growing and we are looking at a base between 25-30 million homes now. FreeDish is a very important platform to reach out to masses today. We reach out to those homes, which haven’t seen or sampled the kind of television viewed in the country. So, it is a critical platform to reach out to viewers and in turn, the viewers have also loved our content.”

    FMCG brands dominate ads on FTA channels. MediaCom national director-buying K Srinivas Rao attributes this to their deep penetration in tier II and III cities. He says that the channels get 75-80 per cent of contribution from FMCG while smartphones, telecom players and two-wheelers have scope too.

    For now, these channels don’t seem to be earning much but Vyas expects it to get better. “From an advertising standpoint, I think the bleeding levels will certainly get better. It is a matter of time and things are definitely on the right track. I think most of the channels in this space are making a reasonable amount of advertising money,” he says. Though ad rates are considerably lower, the operating costs are just one fourth of large GECs.

    According to industry sources, prime time ad rates of FTA channels are 30-40 per cent of paid TV ones.

    Rao believes that channels can make money because their only investment is staff cost even though ad rates are low for reruns. According to Bhasin, the ad rates can improve if these channels can increase viewership and sustain it over time.

    Wavemaker India’s managing partner Navin Khemka opines that the FTA channels are high in demand and they are catering to a segmented audience. He added, “The operations costs will only increase as they invest in original content. This trend is on the rise with Star Bharat investing in content. And the results are showing.” He believes that the success of FTA channels is due to DD’s direct feed and penetration in small towns and rural India. He also stated that FMCG players are playing a key role in the patronage of these channels. However, newer categories like two wheelers and telecom are also emerging in rural regions.

    Sony Pal is currently broadcasting Yam hai Hum, Baalveer, Taarak Mehta Ka Ooltah Chashmah, Kuch Rang Pyaar Ke Aise Bhi, Badi Dooooor Se Aaye Hai, Y.A.R.O Ka Tashan, Sankatmochan Mahabali Hanuman and CID. Sony Pal’s advertiser bouquet consists of Hindustan Unilever, Dabur, Colgate, Patanjali, Telcos brands, handsets brands etc.

    Rishtey’s shows Na Aana Is Des Laado, Belan Wali Bahu, Tere Sang Yaara, Chakravartin Ashoka Samrat, Veer Shivaji and Radhaa Ki Betiyaan Kuch Kar Dikhayeng. Zee Anmol shows Kumkum Bhagya, Ek Mutthi Aasmaan, Laddoo, Santoshi Maa, Jamai Raja, Qubool Hai, Gangaa, Kaala Teeka and more.

    Star Utsav is currently showing some epic shows of Star Plus and Channel V like Bhakton Ki Bhakti Mein Shakti, Ek Hasina Thi, Ishqbaaaz, Iss Pyaar Ko Kya Naam Doon?…Ek Baar Phir, Sadda Haq – My Life, My Choice, Suhani Si Ek Ladki, Saath Nibhaana Saathiya, Yeh Rishta Kya Kehlata Hai and more.

    Star Bharat has a big bouquet of original shows which include Kya Haal Mr. Paanchal, Jai Kanhaiya Lal Ki, Jiji Maa, Kaal Bhairav Rahasya, Nimki Mukhiya, Saam Daam Dand Bhed and more.

    There are few regional FTA GECs but they will mushroom over time as soon as regional advertisers see the merit in them. Advertisers are keen on tapping rural India and with growing viewership, these channels are likely to form an important part of their budgeting portfolio.

    Also Read :

    Sony to launch Marathi GEC

    ‘Porus’ viewership soldiers on

    ‘Prithvi Vallabh’ is 20% history, 80% mystery: Anirudh Pathak

  • Sab’s new comedy ‘Jijaji Chhat Per Hain’ to pull North Indian viewers

    Sab’s new comedy ‘Jijaji Chhat Per Hain’ to pull North Indian viewers

    MUMBAI: Sony SAB is all set to make you laugh once again but this time with its late prime time slot show – Jijaji Chhat Per Hain. Launched on 9 January, it will air Monday to Friday at 10 pm. The infinite linear comedy show is produced by Edit 2 Productions, led by producer Sanjay Kohli. 

    Set in Delhi’s Chandni Chowk, Jijaji Chhat Per Hain is an entertaining and adventurous story of Elaichi played by Hiba Nawab, a quintessential girl next door, the head of the household, Murari Bansal, played by Anup Upadhyay and their helpless tenant, Pancham, played by Nikhil Khurana. The story revolves around Elaichi’s mischiefs and eccentricities, Pancham’s attempts to escape from her tricks and Murari’s wish of getting his daughter to amend her notorious ways and settle down in life.

    In an exclusive chat with Indiantelevision.com, Sab TV SVP marketing Vaishali Sharma says, “The show promises many exciting twists and turns and will appeal across age groups as the characters and situations depicted are very strong, unique and captivating. Also, set in Delhi, it promises to pull many audiences from the north. So in addition to aggressively marketing it in Sab-strong markets, we have also used the opportunity to play special attention to a few north markets where we feel audiences will be interested in a show like this.”

    The channel is going all out to aggressively promote the show across multiple marketing mediums including TV, print and digital. On social media front too, there are several engagement contests asking fans and even some of the Sab artistes to share their ‘Chhat Ke Kisse’.

    On the show launch, Sab TV senior EVP & head Neeraj Vyas says, “Keeping up with our vision to provide entertaining comedies and to make India laugh, we begin 2018 with a hilarious new show, Jijaji Chhat Per Hain. This show highlights the various idiosyncrasies of our characters. The dynamic plots of the story and the playful camaraderie between the characters are sure to excite the viewers.” 

    Also Read:

    How Neeraj Vyas is bringing SAB back to the top of the charts

    Refreshed avatar of Sony Sab unveiled

    SAB TV aims to change female-male skew with HD launch

  • Coexistence of music channels and digital devices is shortlived: Neeraj Vyas

    Coexistence of music channels and digital devices is shortlived: Neeraj Vyas

    MUMBAI: Digital platforms are threatening the very existence of music channels today. With rising cost of licencing music, the profitability of channels has drastically dropped.

    Speaking to Indiantelevision.com, SAB & MAX cluster EVP and head Neeraj Vyas says that music channels carry more advertising than any other genre but the slots are sold at extremely low rates. “It’s a genre that doesn’t get its due from the advertising industry. We need to wake up quickly.”

    Music channels are barely making money these days but he strongly believes they deserve more. “Given the kind of eyeballs we generate, we certainly deserve a bigger share from the advertising pie and that correction is something we as a genre and we as an industry need to come together and work on. That’s going to be critical for everyone’s survival going ahead,” he says.

    Vyas went on to say that it may not be viable for music channels to sustain beyond a point with licensing prices going up every year and the only monetisation avenue will be through ad sales. He is aware that stickiness to television is limited today when it comes to music. New songs are repeatedly played after which they are downloaded from paid apps. “TV will help you discover the sound and fall in love with the song,” he says. Be he warns that the happy co-existence between music channels and digital devices is short-lived and three years later the scenario will change.

    The music genre gained a bit from the advent of digitisation. “Three to four months ago, the genre was decaying at around 115 to 120 GRPs. There were 16-17 channels. Today it has grown to 150-155 with consistency,” he highlights.

    As far as Sony Mix is concerned, the channel will always have the quotient of playing older songs since it gains audience attraction. The music in the late last century is what Vyas calls as ageless music which is also replicated in reality shows, parties and singing contests.

    The channel was launched to end the dominance of advertisement and trailers on other music channels. Moreover, the few songs played by the networks were for free from the music labels for 15-20 days. “I think what we lack even now to some extent is the playout reality. So from then till now, we are clear that we will stay musical, add more eras and variety,” he adds.

    Sony Mix’s day kicks off with slow music followed by the 90s era. Later in the day, it shows mellow and soft songs followed by new tracks up till 9 pm. The last 3 hours of the night is dedicated to retro music.

    The network follows cross promotional activities under their cluster of 29-30 channels along with brand strategy and brand films in its space. When asked whether the BARC ratings are an accurate indicator of viewership, Vyas said that it has taken its time. “Various developments have kept on happening from individual to household data to universe expansion. It is definitely a lot more settled than what it was a few months back” he feels.

    Also Read:

    How Neeraj Vyas is bringing SAB back to the top of the charts

    15% of Sony Sab’s new show expense is for marketing: Vyas

  • How Neeraj Vyas is bringing SAB back to the top of the charts

    How Neeraj Vyas is bringing SAB back to the top of the charts

    MUMBAI: Four months ago, Sony Pictures Network India (SPNI) rebranded its 10-year-old comedy channel SAB TV under the leadership of veteran executive Neeraj Vyas.

    Vyas, who has been with SPNI for more than two decades and was last seen running the shows of music and movie, was additionally entrusted with rejuvenating the flagging SAB by SPNI CEO NP Singh earlier in February 2017.  This followed the departure of its earlier head Anooj Kapoor.

    He humbly admits that running SPNI’s second GEC has been a new experience and he has been learning something new every day.“It has been a very exciting journey. It has opened up my eyes to many realities,” says Vyas who was re-designated as senior VP and head Sab TV.

    Being charged with library channels earlier, there was little to experiment but he managed to spike Sony Max and Max 2 to numero uno positions in the movie channel vertical.

    “It’s a different world altogether. It’s a world where you have to be deeply connected to the viewer; it’s a genre which matches viewers day by day,” he confesses. “The learning never ends.”

    To his good fortune, he has a good bunch of creative pros on his team. Amongst the folks who have come on board after he assumed the mantle figure former Star TV producer Neeraj Vaidya as programming head, and Devika Shivdasani and Shantanu Agarwal as creative directors.

    His initial goal was to study and evaluate how SAB can be morphed. He chose to delay its re-launch by a couple of months, which finally happened on 13 June, in order to get it right.

    What emerged at the time of reboot was a catchy brand identity ‘Haste Raho India’, lively packaging, vibrant visuals – all targeting a younger demographic.

    Explains Vyas: “We had got into the rut of catering to a particular set of audience. Families will remain our core but we wanted to look a little younger and appeal to a younger audience.”

    Comic Bollywood actor, the ever so popular and young, Varun Dhawan was signed on as the channel’s brand ambassador to help attract this untargeted demographic. A marketing blitz across the network, print, outdoor and social media followed.

    Without jeopardising its long running anchor show Taarak Mehta ka Ooltah Chashmah, a new bunch of comedy series was unveiled: Tenali Rama, Sajjan Re Phir Jhoot Mat Bolo, and Aadat Se Majboor.

    “Taarak is not really a show now, it is beyond being a show; it is a part of our viewers lives. It is our sheet anchor. And yes the new shows have added a new energy to the channel,” says Vyas. “We are focusing on storytelling the way we present our shows, market our shows.”

    The efforts seem to be bearing fruit, highlights Vyas, step by step, four months down the line.  “We have had some success and some failures along the way,” he reveals. “Most important and critical is that things have started working for us in the past few weeks. In fact, for a couple of months we have had a very loyal base of youth that has started watching us. Be it male – female, urban – semi urban or small towns, between the ages of 15-20 and 21-30 they have started coming to us.”

    All Day

    CS 15-21years % contribution for SAB

    Regions

    Pre branding

    Post Rebranding

    HSM Urban

    18

    25

    Source: BARC; All Day; Pre branding wk 24-42’16 & Post Rebranding wk 24-42’17

    The average ratings of the channel before rebranding was 193 million impressions, which has increased to 212 million impressions, post rebranding.

    All Day

    SAB TV – Impression in Million

    Regions

    Pre branding

    Post Rebranding

    HSM Urban

    193

    212

    source: BARC; CS15+;HSM Urban; All Day Impression in Millions; Pre branding wk 20-23’17 Avg & Post Rebranding wk 24-27’17 Avg

    And not just that, even the reach has been on an ascent. At 30 per cent today, it is about 20 per cent higher than the stats before the revamp. “I am happy as everything we set out to do has worked. Perception has changed for the better. Viewer feedback is that they love the new SAB.”

    Advertisers too have taken note especially youth centric brands such as Mahindra TUV Three Double O, Patanjali, PC Jewellers, Syska, Vivo, Colgate and Macho have open their wallets and released campaigns on SAB.  “Reach is one factor to get brands but it’s also a huge quality change that is attracting them. A lot of youth brands which never considered SAB have all come to the channel,” points out Vyas.

    He is quite kicked up about SAB’s upcoming show – Partners —Trouble Ho Gayi Double – which heralds the arrival of veteran comedian Johnny Lever on TV after a 10-year hiatus. The show written and produced by Paritosh Painter also stars comics Kiku Sharda, Vipul Roy, Kishwer Merchant, Shweta Gulati, Ashwini Kalsekar and old timer Asrani. Says Vyas: “We have many exciting thoughts and ideas. Watch out for the way we market the shows and there are many more launches in these 3 months.”

    With the weekday programming yielding results, Vyas would now like to crack the weekend. “Most GECs get a lot of reach on the weekends. I would like that for SAB too. We are figuring out what can be the SAB TV weekend but that is work in progress. I don’t think spending money is the only way to get the eyeballs. In the long run only great programming will.”

    That kind of attitude will serve him well as he and his team gear up to take SAB to the next level.

  • 15% of Sony Sab’s new show expense is for marketing: Vyas

    NEW DELHI: Around 15 per cent of the total budget of Sony Sab TV’s new show ‘Shankar Jai Kishan – 3-in-1’ will go into marketing on all platforms, according to SAB and MAX cluster of channels SVP and head Neeraj Vyas.

    Vyas told indiantelevision.com that it had been decided when re-branding the channel that it should continue to remain a niche channel for Indian comedy shows. He said Sab TV had lesser hours of original content than some other general entertainment channels primarily because it wanted to become a brand in the comedy space.

    He said that it was interesting that the World of Happiness Index had listed India at number 118 out of 150 countries and even nations like Pakistan were higher on the list. This made channels like Sab TV all the more relevant, he said.

    ‘Shankar Jai Kishan – 3-in-1’ is slated to be telecast from Monday to Friday from 8 August at 10.00 pm.

    The series is the fictional story about a paralyzed widow and her triplets, Shankar, Jai and Kishan. Their life takes bewildering turns when in an accident only Kishan survives, and je has to camouflage the truth by living three lives. How Kishan manages this triple role and juggles between each character is the real twist to the story.

    Set in Delhi, the story centers on Kishan, played by Kettan Singh, a real estate agent and a perfect ‘Jugaadu’ in its true sense; a typical Delhi boy who finds a solution to every situation. Kishan dotes on his mother, enacted by Asawari Joshi, who is wheelchair bound due to a stroke she got on hearing news of her husband’s sudden death. Kishan, who loses his brothers Shankar and Jai in an accident, decides to hide the truth from his mother on his friend Babbar’s (Hemant Pandey) advice and lives all the three lives to prevent his mother from yet another shock.

    Living the life of three is not easy! Shankar is a poised veterinary doctor who talks in fluent Hindi, whereas Jai is a rowdy police inspector. Each being a separate identity, Kishan juggles between the three lives. However, his life turns upside down when his mother emotionally blackmails him to marry and he ends up marrying three sisters, Twinkle, Dimple and Simple.

    The cast includes Kettan Singh, Hemant Pandey, Falak Naaz, Kirtida Mistry and Chitrashi Rawat who were all present and enacted a sequence from the serial.

    Vyas said this show has the right mix of comedy, mischief and drama. The hilarious situations that arise when the protagonist is seen juggling and managing three characters is worth watching. The concept is fresh and compelling; I hope the viewers love it too.

    Swastik Productions founder and creative director Siddharth Tewari said this was the first time on television that a series is made where the lead character enacts three completely different characters every day of his life just to keep his mother happy. Just like every action has an equal and opposite reaction, what ensues is a total laugh riot. We have had a lot of fun in creating it, and I am certain the viewers will enjoy every aspect of the series.

  • Making music holistic to nurture nexgen talent, says Sony’s Neeraj Vyas

    MUMBAI: To Go-Beyond simply being ‘curators of good music’, Sony MIX and Sony ROX HD have committed to raising the bar, by not just curating good music but also facilitating the creation of great music. The music cluster of Sony Pictures Networks India (SPN) is all set to launch ‘Indian Music Lab | Artist of the month,’ that will provide a platform for the next-gen singers to showcase their versatile talent. The property will kick start on World Music Day – 21 June 2017 and shall be promoting twelve emerging singers over the course of one year on both the channels.

    Comments SPN senior EVP & business head Neeraj Vyas: “Sony MIX & Sony ROX HD are among the preferred music channels in the country. Music has always occupied a central place in the hearts of Indians, but a lot of talent in this field is hidden and unexplored. In collaboration with Indian Music Lab, we are expanding our vision of making our music cluster, a holistic platform to nurture next-gen talent and original music content. We feel privileged to launch this new initiative and promote India’s rich music culture.”

    In collaboration with Indian Music Lab – a new music initiative, this pioneering offering by SPN provides a platform and an opportunity for upcoming singers to train under experienced artistes and shape their ambitions into reality. To give a head start to emerging talent from the country, Sony MIX and Sony ROX HD will showcase one singer-artist every month with two of their original compositions airing on both the channels.

    The first artiste to showcase his talent is Shikhar Kumar with two original compositions ‘Ibaadat’ and ‘Mannat ka Dhaaga’. Other artists to be featured are: Sachin Dave, Hansadhuti Kundu, Ashwani Bisoya, Nimit Luharuka, Aashima Mahajan, Alan, Kevin, Prashant, Neha Chauhan, Anurag Puranik and Manveer Sood.

    This journey undertaken by Sony MIX and ROX HD offers a delightful showcase of fresh singing talent to its musically inclined viewer base. Going beyond the talent show routine, ‘Indian Music Lab | Artist of the month’ will become an ongoing platform for good singers to get recognition at a national level.

  • Only India still has 70:30 ad-to-distribution rev, says Sony’s Neeraj Vyas

    MUMBAI: On 13 June, Sony Pictures Networks India (SPNI)’s comedy channel Sony Sab unveiled its latest identity. It has roped in the Bollywood hearthrob Varun Dhawan as its brand ambassador.

    The ‘re-energised’ channel will see a new line-up of comedy shows, lively packaging and vibrant visuals aimed at providing an enriching and revitalised visual experience to its audience. The channel has relaunched with new shows but, by August 2017, the channel has planned to launch an exciting line-up for its viewers.

    The positioning of the channel as a family channel will remain the same as assured by the network but, going forward, the network has planned to expand the prime time.

    Talking to Indiantelevision.com about extending the prime time and launching afternoon band, SPNI Sab and Max cluster senior EVP and head Neeraj Vyas said that it’s a learning phase right now. He also said that a channel dropped by 50 GRPs in the last six months, but refused to name the channel.

    “(However,) Star (India) seems to be getting it right with the help of its huge base. But, I don’t think it’s working for many other people (channels). So, we will wait and watch, because the critical mass audience in the afternoon band is not significant. Also, women are not my primary TG right now. To get them to watch television in the afternoon is difficult. To experiment now may not be the right thing to do, but you never know. We might come up with something like a weekend afternoon,” Vyas added.

    Speaking about the distribution investment, SPNI CEO NP Singh said, “We have made investment in distribution in the last couple of years. In fact, in the last couple of months, we have made investments across major DPOs — and, all that will impact the reach of the channel.” “This repositioning and relaunch will also help to build the reach,” he added.

    Prodded about the ratio of distribution and ad revenue, Vyas informed “It’s too early to talk about that, particularly, and the television ecosystem at large. We are the only country which still has 70:30 ratio of advertising-to-distribution revenue. Everything needs to be digitised, and there has to be a subscriber management system. Not only for Sab TV but I think, for everyone, the ratio should be reversed.”