Tag: Raj Nayak

After IGT’s success, FremantleMedia brings ‘CEO’s Got Talent’

MUMBAI: The Indian audience loves watching the talented sector of the country showcase it on the screen. That’s the reason why a reality show like India’s Got Talent has not just become popular but has even sustained for five seasons. Taking the concept forward, FremantleMedia India, the production house behind the show, has announced the launch of a unique initiative called CEO’s Got Talent.

CEOs, who form the backbone of Corporate India, will compete against each other to put their unique talents under the spotlight, that usually don’t come into play in their boardroom lives. A first-of-its-kind property created by FremantleMedia within the ‘Got Talent’ franchise, is an effort to recognise the creativity and talent amongst CEOs, which often remains hidden due to their intense day to day business-led lives.

The programme will feature 12 CEOs and will take place at the Grand Hyatt on Friday, 7 March, 2014. It will be broadcast on CNBC TV18 .

Produced by FremantleMedia and presented by Blackberry Messenger, the initiative will invite CEOs from India Inc. who will compete on this stage. The special event will have Raj Nayak, CEO – COLORS, as jury member among notable personalities. The most talented CEO will be chosen from among the 12 participating CEOs, who will showcase their lighter and talented side thereby making it a fun evening.

FremantleMedia India MD Anupama Mandloi said: “We are excited to launch this unique format, a first-of-its-kind adaptation of our global ‘Got Talent’ Franchise. With CNBC TV18 as our broadcast partner, our endeavour is to reach out to the core business leaders in the country and show-case their talent outside of the corporate board rooms!”

She further added, “The response has been fantastic and we look forward to some very enthusiastic participation.”

Proceeds from CEOs Got Talent will go to Genesis Foundation that provides financial support for life-saving and life-changing medical intervention for critically ill under-privileged children in areas of cancer, cardiac disorder, organ failure, thalassemia and extreme deformities.

February 20, 2014
‘Khatron Ke Khiladi’ to return soon in a repackaged avatar

MUMBAI: “When you burst the blocks of your life, a blockbuster is created,” says filmmaker Rohit Shetty, who after giving blockbusters like the Golmaal franchise and Chennai Express is set to take on a new role that of a TV show host. The director, who is known for reviving the action genre on the celluloid, will be hosting the fifth edition of Fear Factor: Khatron Ke Khiladi with the tagline “Dar Ka Blockbuster”.

As the tagline suggests, the show is going to burst the fear blocks of 12 celebrities in its upcoming edition, the announcement was made amid much fanfare in the city last night. The show is set to return on the General Entertainment Channel – Colors after almost two years. With a changed format that will see 12 celebrities and no commoners, the show will be shot in Cape Town, South Africa over a month.

“Few people from the production team are already in South Africa to make sure that the pre-production work is all done and set,” says Endemol India CEO Deepak Dhar, who is producing the show. Another group is ready to fly next week with the contestants.

The last season of the show that premiered on Colors in June 2011 was also shot in South Africa. Dhar says that the country has been chosen again because the Endemol South Africa team is really well-equipped and would be helpful in coming out with a season full of adrenaline-rushing adventure.

Dhar describes this season as a “really mean season” as the level of stunts have just gone up and the animals coming on the show are going to add to it. “With Rohit on board, the scale of the show has elevated. Plus, some of the best stunts from the Fear Factor US have been replicated,” he says.

To give the audience a close view of what a contestant is going through while in a box full of cockroaches or a cage full of snakes, multiple cameras will be used. “Go Pro cameras, fly cameras and a lot of other hi-tech devices will be used to capture all the actions in the best possible way,” says Dhar.

However, it is not so much about the technique in terms of filming as much as it is technique in terms of stunting, he remarks.

But considering the varied types of stunts, a lot of new techniques have also been used to capture them. “The kinds of stunts we have picked up this time are varied in nature. We have chopper stunts, car stunts, bike stunts, underwater stunts besides a lot of other interesting activities that will make the show really entertaining,” says Colors Weekend programming head Manisha Sharma, adding that the show will be packed with edgy content and will explore some of the most interesting locales of South Africa.

Dhar says the budget has also gone up by about 20 per cent as compared to the last season. While he doesn’t disclose the figure, a reliable source from the channel informs the production of a non-fiction show like this costs approximately 50-60 crore.

Hitherto, the slot hasn’t been decided as the production is yet to begin. “That’s a discussion that going on internally as well,” says Colors CEO Raj Nayak when we quizzed him if KKK is going to replace India’s Got Talent. However, for the time-being what is fixed is that the show will be aired during the weekends.

The last season was aired after Indian Premiere League got over. However, Nayak thinks that since cricket has become a year-round affair, it isn’t a threat for the show. “We may start the telecast alongside IPL,” he says as he remarks that if big budget Bollywood movies that were not released during the IPL season earlier can be released then KKK can also be telecast. However, if it runs parallel to the IPL, the channel may think of running a ticker with the score of the cricket match being played on that day.

Nayak says that discussions about the advertisers and sponsors are still on. However, the channel is expecting good sponsorship deals. “Our sponsors come last as we ask for lots of money and a lot of negotiations go on,” he quips.

Media planners think there shouldn’t be a problem in getting interesting deals for a show like KKK. Madison Media Sigma COO Vanita Keswani thinks that since the show is coming back after a gap, the interest of the viewers as well as the advertisers around it will be enthusiastic.

“The telecast of a format year after year leads to decaying of the idea. A break is good as it would bring certain rejuvenation,” she says and adds the show already has a brand name that will work for it. As far as the sponsors and advertisers are concerned, Keswani thinks that till the time the content of a show is good, they will put in their money. “Any way, these days the advertisers look for better content and not ratings as ratings may or may not come in even if the show is good,” she remarks.

Contestants who will be vying to conquer their phobias comprise Ranvir Shorey, Nikitin Dheer, Mugdha Godse, Dayanand Shetty, Rajniesh Duggall, Rochelle Maria Rao, Gauahar Khan, Kushal Tandon, Pooja Gor, Mahhi Vij, Salman Khan and Geeta Tandon.

January 31, 2014
Colors to extend four weekday shows to Saturday from 1 Feb

MUMBAI: The TV production community was agog with the news that leading Hindi general entertainment channel Star Plus is stretching its weekday fiction prime time programming lineup to Saturday. But no official announcement was a-coming from it. However, the other leading GEC Colors has gone ahead and announced that it is extending four of its weekday fiction shows to Saturdays. And promotions are already underway.

Colors’ CEO Raj Nayak even went ahead and personally posted a promo on social networking sites – Facebook and Twitter – highlighting what was being planned.

Come Saturday, 1 February viewers will get to engage with Sanskaar, Sasural Simar Ka, Balika Vadhu and Madhubala between 7 pm and 9 pm.

“We implemented six days a week last year; we took a break as we needed to give our production teams and artistes a breather. Having taken a short interval, we are coming back six days a week,” remarks Nayak,  adding that the experiment had worked well for the channel in 2013 and that is why it is being repeated.

Two promos are hammering this message out to viewers across all the channels of the Network 18 group.

The reason for choosing these particular shows is not their popularity but the time band they air in, says Nayak. Colors has two popular non-fiction properties – India’s Got Talent and Comedy Nights with Kapil – being telecast on the weekend at 9 pm and 10 pm respectively. However, the channel had nothing else to fill the slot prior to 9 pm. In the earlier weeks of January, it chose to telecast the summaries of two of its newly launched shows – Rangrasiya and Beintehaa, while last Saturday a special programme – Mirchi Top 20 – ran.

In fact, it is win-win situation for all parties associated. The production houses associated with these shows think that telecast of the shows on four extra days in a month gives the shows more visibility, also resulting in good GRPs. However, since the number of episodes per month are increasing, so is the pressure to deliver.

“But we try to balance that out by introducing parallel tracks and planning episodes much in advance,” says Saurabh Tewari from Nautanki Films that produces Madhubala, who also adds that the remuneration of almost everyone associated  has also increased for the extra work.

Putting fiction shows on the weekend is also cheaper for Hindi GECs. New Hindi movies are becoming more and more expensive; big ticket non-fiction shows cost a bomb, thanks to the fat cheques dished out to film stars for becoming a part of them. Additionally, in the case of Colors, it is most likely going to put aside expensive properties on its second GEC Rishtey to build a connect with audiences. Hence, fiction shows, with a tab of Rs 7 lakh to 10 lakh and episode on an average are less of a drain on resources.

Advertisers have welcomed the weekend fiction deluge, says Nayak, adding.  “they put their money where there is good content. All our advertisers who buy advertising on these shows will extend their buys to the weekend as well.”

Lodestar UM vice-president Deepak Netram – while accepting that moolah will be made – however, is more circumspect and cautious from the viewer’s viewpoint.

He says: “I am not too sure if the regular weekday fare would work during the weekend. Since the number of male audiences are more, non-fiction or special programmes work better.”

Netram opines that reason for Colors to extend its programming till Saturday could be because rival Star Plus is also walking the same path. He remarks: “The core audience of any GEC is the one which consumes fiction. Colors is probably wanting to retain its fiction show fans; and not lose them to a rival channel which is extending its fiction content to the weekend also,” he says.

Colors has already announced the D-day for its new programming tack: 1 February. Star Plus has not; but the buzz is that the date might well be 8 February. The battle for eyeballs on the weekend has just begun.

January 26, 2014
Colors ushers hope with ‘Mission Sapne’

MUMBAI: Acclaimed basketball player, Michael Jordan, once said that ‘The good part about being famous is being able to help people’; and COLORS’ upcoming show Mission Sapne strives to do just that. The first-of-its-kind property allows celebrities from different walks of life to leverage their fame for the benefit of the common man. The show is a dramatic entertainment offering, from the channel, which conveys a strong social message to audiences. Mission Sapne will showcase India’s most loved Bollywood Entertainers as they step into the shoes of the aam aadmi for a day, and face hardships to raise funds for those who struggle to make ends meet. The show is set to hit airwaves in Summer 2014.

Top celebrities from across Bollywood, television, sports and music will be volunteering in this Mission including actors Salman Khan and Varun Dhawan,cricketer Harbhajan Singh, and singer Mika Singh among others. True to the person he is helping, the celebrity will move away from their comfort zone to drive a taxi, sell fish or become a door-to-door salesman for the very first time. These celebrities will be required to use their talent, wit and star persona to ensure that business continues to boom for the people they are supporting and change their ordinary and tough life to an extraordinary one. Audiences will get a chance to see the various difficulties faced by those who bring comfort to our lives. Produced by Sobo Films the show will bring the celebrity and common man together, while facilitating this Mission.

Speaking about the show, Raj Nayak, CEO – COLORS, said, “Mission Sapne is our humble effort to showcase the hardships faced by the ‘aam aadmi’ and join hands with celebrities from different walks of life to make a difference. With everything that our audiences have given us in making COLORS a household name, Mission Sapne is our endeavour to give back to the society by bringing the life of a common man to the limelight and sharing their story for the world to behold. We would like to thank the celebrities associated with Mission Sapne for extending their support and helping us lighten the burden of a tough life from some less fortunate shoulders by raising funds for their welfare.”

Commenting on the show’s concept, Smruti Shinde, Director of Sobo Films, said, “We are pleased to partner with India’s leading channel, COLORS to present Mission Sapne. The show has an exciting approach towards showcasing the burdens in the life of a common man through the eyes of a celebrity as they work hard to generate funds. Through Mission Sapne, we aim to convey to Indian audiences that no person should be looked down upon and that the smallest achievements deserve to be cherished in the grandest manner.”

Watch Out as your favourite celebrities step into the shoes of the common man and help them fulfill their dreams on Mission Sapne…Coming Soon on COLORS!

January 22, 2014
Colors bets bigger with India’s Got Talent 5

MUMBAI: It is said that emotions sell. It seems so right in the case of Viacom18 Hindi GEC Colors’ talent show India’s Got Talent (IGT) where the emotional stories clubbed with exceptional talent led it to win the Best Entertainment Programme at the Asian TV Awards 2013.

But while its fourth edition was high on pullling viewers’ heart strings, the fifth edition that begins on 11 January at 9:00 pm every Saturday and Sunday, promises to bring out not just the contestants’ emotional journeys but also oodles of undiscovered talent from the different corners of India.

Based on the international format, Britian’s Got Talent owned by FremantleMedia, the channel says that the endeavour this year has been to find talent that would defy the dimensions of a stage through acrobatic, aquatic and circus acts besides many other scintillating performances.

IGT’s auditions began much earlier in June and the number of cities and towns where the team scouted for new skilled contestants ballooned to 45, with their number of auditions also rising 45 per cent. Viewers will get to see familiar faces as judges: old-timer Kirron Kher is very much there for her fifth season; Karan Johar (in his second season) and and Malaika Arora Khan, who, in the last edition, had to leave midway to make way for Farah Khan (however, this time she assures she will definitely continue till the finale).

Also, there are two new hosts – stand-up comics and artiste Bharti Kher and Mantra who with different avatars every week will add a tinge of humour to the proceedings. What’s new this year is also the Golden Buzzer – which the judges can press to give a participant a direct route to the semi-finals. And since there’s a lot more being packed in this edition, it is no surprise that production budget has escalated. FremantleMedia India head of commercial & and operations Vidyuth Bhandary says it is up more than 25 per cent.

“Since we are exploring uncharted talent, the investment in everything has scaled up. The dimension of the show has changed with the inclusion of performances on water and circus besides other platforms. It required us to leave the studio and build separate sets so that the contestants could show their talent,” says Bhandary.

A source from the industry informs that the last edition of the show was produced in a budget of around Rs 23-24 crore and thus an estimated Rs 30-32 crore is being sunk in this time around.

“India’s Got Talent is our flagship property which has grown exponentially season-after-season thereby attracting larger participation individuals across the country” says FremantleMedia India managing director Anupama Mandloi. “Our team has worked together endlessly in an endeavor to showcase the creativity and enthusiasm which further adds to the scale and grandeur of the show.”

On view will be perfromers from 3 to 80 years with stunts that include pole dancing, basketball, para-gliders, synchronised swimming, fire jumping and diffusive neon painting.

According to Bhandary, it is one of the most difficult shows from the production point of view. “It is not controlled like other reality shows. The size of a talent group varies from two to more than hundred people and managing the logistics gets really difficult at times,” he says, also adding that the production team includes a specialised crew that can handle any critical situation should it arise.

“Since we have increased the variety of talent on the show, we have also scaled up the safety measures. Like during the water act, we had four divers ready to help in case of an emergency. There’s a fire marshal, ambulance, stunt team always in place. We make sure that the precautionary measures are always in place,” he adds.

Promotional budgets too have been hiked. So if the channel’s marketing team has drawn up a well-thought digital campaign, the on-ground activities and campaigns on other mediums are no less.

Colors digital head Vivek Srivastava says that the digital campaign is divided in two parts, the first starts with a unique Twitter Concert before the show’s launch.

“Starting tomorrow, we start our two-day crowdsourcing activity for which we are inviting our Twitter followers to compose lines around the show using the hashtag #IGTTwitterConcert. The final composition would then be taken forward and sung as a song by a band. The final song will be launched with the show on 11 January,” he says, adding that the idea is to engage the audience completely.

The second phase begins after the show goes on air. “In that, through different mediums, we would promote the talent on the show with their stories,” says Vivek.

Even on radio, two innovative campaigns have been designed. While an Acapella act will be presented by this season’s participant, Ki Umjer that will be aired across radio stations and cities to showcase the international caliber of talent that will feature on the show, another one in association with Red FM will bring together 30 RJs from across the country in Mumbai.

“The RJs will tell the stories of the talented individuals who reside in their cities,” says Colors marketing head Rajesh Iyer.

Another on-ground activity is planned at Mumbai’s famed Churchgate station that will take place just before the on-air launch.

“It will give the common public a chance to show the talent in them,” says Iyer, adding that the overall outreach programme involves 3500+ spots on television, ads in 50 plus edition of key print publications, over 8,000 radio spots, OOH covering 100 towns and DTH imprints.

“Since our target audience includes everyone from young to old, we have planned these extensive campaigns to pull in maximum number of viewers,” he says. IGT’s concept is very different from any other show currently on air on any other channel. Unlike other reality shows that focus on one particular talent like singing or dancing, this one gives a viewer a varied variety. But still competition is competition. And that seemed to have touched one of the judges Karan Johar too. Karan whose celebrity chat show, Koffee With Karan airs on Sunday at the same time slot on Star World. He jokingly asked the media during the press conference which show would they prefer to watch him on – IGT or KWK? Karan didn’t get a straight answer but Iyer on a lighter note quipped, “We don’t compete with Koffee With Karan.”

However, he doesn’t dismiss competition with other GECs when they all are running reality shows at the same time slot – Zee TV has its most popular property – Dance India Dance 4, Star Plus has Nach Baliye 6 and Sony has Boogie Woogie. “But we can’t be threatened by that. What we have got to do, we have got to do,” he says.

Colors’ weekend programming head Manisha Sharma seconds and adds, “Every show says that they are different. But we have done well and have grown year after year because of our differentiated content. It’s the diverse talent that we bring on our show that works.”

IGT kick-starts its first episode with Bollywood’s favourite leading lady Madhuri Dixit-Nene who will join the judging panel while sharing inspirational stories and anecdotes with the participants. Subsequent episodes will also feature special guests including Remo D’souza, Manish Paul amongst many others.

IGT’s advertisers include Maruti Suzuki for the presented by tag, it is powered by L’Oreal Paris Total Repair 5 and associate sponsors include Tata Ace and Amul Macho.

And it isn’t just that the Colors and Fremantle team that’s oozing with confidence this season, even industry experts have given IGT the thumbs up. Lodestar UM’s vice president Deepak Netram says it has a huge appeal because of the kind of talent it brings. “The promo of a girl with an amputated leg has already sent shockwaves. It has raised the expectations and the curiosity both. The promos have build up the excitement around the show. There’s shock value along with emotional backing and it’s something really to look forward to,” he remarks.

Weekends for Colors’ fans obviously aren’t going to be the same.

January 8, 2014

It’s family time this Diwali

In this world of cut-throat competition where life is full of struggles and work for the people in the corporate world, Diwali is a moment of relief. The lights of Diwali doesn’t just spread brightness around but also illuminates their inner self as they get a chance to have family time. Few corporate head honchos talk about their plans this Diwali and talk about their memorable Diwali moments.

I am spending time with my family and friends but I won’t be bursting any crackers as I am against it. Diwali is a festival of lights and not noise.

One of the fondest memories of Diwali is when I once made sweets and kandil at home and kept it in a way that everybody could see it. These days we usually buy sweets from outside.

Raj Nayak, CEO, Colors

On Diwali, everybody is at home and if something happens we have to be on our toes. And thus, I would be working on Diwali.

I remember how as a kid I used to wake up early morning at 4.00-4.30 and be the first one to burst crackers. Later, when I became a cable guy, it was to go and adjust the CNN dish.

Arvind Prabhoo, president, MCOF (Maharashtra Cable Operators Association)

Festivals are the best time to be at home and with the family. I too will be home and play with my children and grandchildren. On Diwali, we’ll have a puja and then we would burst crackers. Every year, we plan a family get together to celebrate the festival of lights. Even this year, the families of my three brothers and few colleagues will come to my home to celebrate the festival.

The best Diwali in my life was in 2004 when my daughter got married just before Diwali.

M Rajendran, MD, Raj network

This Diwali, I will praying to the almighty that light enters many lives and the earth becomes harmonised. I will also be lighting lamps and celebrating with friends.

I have a hilarious memory of Diwali. When I was a seven year old, a rocket cracker flew into our house and went inside our landlord’s lungi, who was standing on the top floor balcony. Thankfully, the rocket had already burst earlier.

Swapna Sundari, COO, Raj Network (Telugu market)

For me the festival of lights has always been about spending some quality time with family, friends and relatives. Enjoying food and sweets, and of course burst a few crackers. But this time around, Diwali will be even more special as I will get to spend time with my twin daughters who are two years old and are learning everything slowly. It is going to be a really special time with them.

Krishna Desai, network head, Kids Entertainment, India, Turner International

I always remember Diwali as the festival when we spent time with close friends and family, burst lots of crackers and enjoy the variety of sweets on offer. However, this time around, Diwali will be a quiet affair. I will spend time with my family and kids.

Rohit Lamba, head, network distribution, business development & affiliate sales, Times Global Broadcasting Company Limited

Well, Diwali, the festival of lights, is a great occasion to sit back and spend time with family and friends. But, I also take this opportunity to rethink on key issues relating to my professional and personal life.

Sandeep Arora, vice president, sales – India & SAARC Service Provider (Telco), Cisco Systems

I remember how as a kid Diwali used to be a time when the entire family got together and spent time with each-other. Everyone used to be excited as this was a time to buy new clothes and eat great food. But now I feel we need to be conscious about not adding to the already polluted environment by bursting crackers. It would be best to celebrate a noise free Diwali and have fun too.

Uday Singh, managing director, Motion Picture Association (India)

We celebrated the second anniversary of Helios on 1 November. Diwali has become a special event for us because it brings with it double celebrations. Another reason I love Diwali is because I am a big gambler and I love playing cards. While I play cards almost every weekend, Diwali gives me an opportunity to play the game with more fervor.

Divya Radhakrishnan, managing director, Helios Media

Diwali is a family affair for me. Whenever possible, I try to visit my hometown where my parents live and we light lamps, burst crackers with the children. My parents usually shuttle between Nanital and Bombay, so when they are in Bombay it becomes much easier for us. But we always make a point to be together on Diwali. Since childhood it has been a complete family affair and I looked forward to the festival. I try to keep it like that. We avoid going out and try to be together.

Ashish Bhasin, chairman India and CEO South East Asia, Aegis Group

Diwali is all about puja, bhajan and family time. Usually we go out every year, but this time we will be celebrating the festival with relatives and close friends. Diwali is much more than a holiday as it is also the beginning of the new year for Hindus. For Gujaratris, it’s a special occasion, to say saal-mubarak. For us, these two days are very important and auspicious. Diwali is the occasion where you can greet people with not only love and affection but also with gifts and mitthai. It is an occasion to stop worrying about the calorie counts and eat as many sweets as you want to. It is a colourful occasion and very lively atmosphere.

J.D Majethia, producer and actor/director, Hats Off Productions

When we were kids we used to celebrate Diwali with lots of crackers, but now the festival is much more than bursting crackers. It is one occasion when we get together with family and get a little religious. It is so hectic in Mumbai that socialising becomes a little difficult. This is a day for extended family get together.

Ravi Mansukhani, CEO, Incable

The festival is for family and friends. It is about lots of food and playing cards. This year, I will celebrate the festival with my family and friends in Mumbai first and then head to Delhi to meet my parents. My kids are excited to be with their grandparents this Diwali.

The fondest childhood memory of Diwali is how we wanted to be the one to burst the longest ladi in the neighbourhood along with loads of other fireworks. Though with time I have grown to become more eco-friendly and thus fireworks now is a big ‘No no’.

Gaurav Gandhi, group COO, IndiaCast

Diwali for me is a day which is spent well with family, performing puja and playing teen patti. There was a time when I used to burst a lot of crackers. But once I grew up I realised how annoying it could be for others, so I don’t burst crackers anymore, but yes I have to admit that it used to be great fun bursting crackers.

Ferzad Palia, senior VP & GM, English entertainment, Viacom18 Media

My (escape) plan for Diwali is to drive down to the peace and quiet of Goa. The most memorable Diwali for me was last year when I celebrated the festival with my niece and nephew in North Korea. They had enough fireworks to give North Korea an inferiority complex.

Anil Kakkar, founder/chief creative officer, Gasoline

November 2, 2013

How Colors is adding ‘colours’ to its content : Raj Nayak Chief Executive Officer at Colors

We produce over 7500 hours of original content per year only amongst the top six GECs, which by itself is a tall order, and yet we produce great shows that goes on for over five years on almost a daily basis. Internationally also shows go on for years but they are in seasons and they take a break and most of them are not daily. So to that extent, in a way we can say we create great content, especially given the budgets we operate in.

At this moment, the budgets we work with is very very low for fiction shows as compared to worldwide benchmarks, and it shows in the quality of the product that goes on air. It is an chicken and egg situation, you can’t produce high quality shows if you don’t invest…You can’t invest if you do not generate sufficient revenue. Right now we have too much dependency on advertising revenue, where the yield has been stagnant for years and a fair share either in increased subscription revenues or a decrease in carriage fees hasn’t really happened yet. But with digitisation progressing and the remaining phases to be implemented soon, I believe that over the next two-three year horizon this correction is bound to take place. What it means is broadcasters will then have more money in their kitty to reinvest on quality programming, thus enriching the viewing experience multifold for the consumer. I also believe that the 12 minute regulation on advertising inventory will act as the much needed catalyst for the advertising yields to go up, so I am very optimistic about the future.

I believe that the 12 minute regulation on advertising inventory will act as the much needed catalyst for the advertising yields to go up, so I am very optimistic about the future
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Yes we have some challenges facing the industry. There is a dearth of good script writers, most of the stories that come to us are unfortunately cut and paste jobs, either from movies or from across different shows. Original thinking is surprisingly missing. Then if you look at the comic genre, there are hardly any good comedy writers, in fact you can count them on your fingers. So either there is a genuine dearth or we haven’t been able to scout & nurture talent as an industry. We like to work with the same people who are so overloaded with work and are unable to devote 100 per cent to one story (There ofcourse are exceptions to the rule). Production houses have become executors, the channel EP’s take credit when a show does well but blames the production house, script writer, everyone else when the show flops. We need to move to a system where the production house takes cent per cent accountability to deliver a show and its ratings. A system where they are both incentivised and penalised for performance. The channel EP’s must strictly supervise that all deliverables are met & quality check. The producer of the show must have a skin in the game so that they are fully involved.

Right now we have too much dependency on advertising revenue, where the yield has been stagnant for years and a fair share either in increased subscription revenues or a decrease in carriage fees hasn’t really happened yet
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Talent is another challenge, inspite of being a country of 1.3 billion people, talent is still an issue. Again, part of the problems lies with us broadcasters, we don’t want to experiment with new people. We want the same hosts, same judges, and are not willing to look beyond. Its a musical chair. Everyone wants to play safe. We prefer to stay in our comfort zone and we need to change this mindset.

Last year we had a list of names floating to anchor our show Jhalak Dikhhlaa Jaa. Also for the judges. My non fiction programming head and I were insistent that we needed a face that was new…Thus we got Manish Paul & see what a success he has been! We got Karan Johar again from outside the regular judges list and he has turned out to be the best judge on any TV show! His contribution to the show, like Madhuri & Remo has been enormous.

Television is a very potent medium. The beauty of TV is, you take anybody and put them on television a couple of times and they will become a celebrity. TV fiction stars are more popular than film stars even though they may not get the same adulation as a film star. But the truth is they invade millions of drawing rooms and bedrooms day in and day out 365 days of the year in the remotest parts of the country. I have had legends in the field of art and culture or even very eminent people from different walks of life wanting to meet some of the characters from their favourite shows. I have seen film actors’ parents wanting a picture with their favourite TV star…The problem with TV stars is their life span is comparatively short and their fortunes are linked to the performance of, at most times, just one show. Once the show is successful some of them forget what got them there in the first place and there is no one to counsel them or professionally manage them. So that is another area, that we need to work on and develop as an industry.

We as a channel have taken the first step in upping the ante by announcing a high production fiction show 24 with Anil Kapoor. Sony has followed by announcing a fiction show with Amitabh Bachchan. We are happy that we have set another new trend.

October 30, 2013

The seven season itch

The daggers are drawn and the battle field is set for what promises to be one of the most closely watched fights in recent television history.
We’re talking about the ensuing tussle between two of the small screen’s hottest properties: Sony Entertainment’s Kaun Banega Crorepati season seven vs. Colors’ Bigg Boss season seven.

While there really are no guesstimates as to which among these two shows will succeed in grabbing more eyeballs (… and TVTs), both Hindi general entertainment channels (GECs) are more than ready for the kill.

Sony is betting big on the seventh season of KBC which comes to drawing rooms beginning 6 September, in a new and improved avatar. Not to be outdone, Colors is kick-starting Bigg Boss season seven – The ‘Wow’ and the ‘Aow’ barely nine days later i.e. 15 September.

We identify our strengths and weaknesses, and then see how we can complement our strengths with new shows, says confident Raj Nayak

Rechristened Saptakoti Mahadhani… Kaun Banega Mahacrorepati, KBC will be aired every Friday to Sunday at 8:30 pm. whereas Bigg Boss season seven will be telecast Monday to Sunday at 9:00 pm.
So what is the USP of this particular season, which the GECs are banking on?

KBC aims to create a platform of opportunities for Indians across ages, genders and socio-economic groups, and has had a makeover in terms of its format and prize money, which is now a whopping Rs 7 crore, among others.

Bigg Boss, on the other hand, arrives with a novel theme of heaven vs hell – The ‘Wow’ associated with the former and the ‘Aow’ with the latter.

A quick look at what’s new in both the shows:

KBC’s money tree will now comprise 15 questions and it will boast a brand new lifeline called ‘Power Paplu’ to aid those who seek to revive an already used lifeline. ‘Flip the question’ (Alat Palat) will replace ‘Ask the expert’ while ‘50:50’ will replace ‘Double Dip’.

In the entire game play, a hot seat contestant may now use only four of the five lifelines on offer.

A new feature ‘Play along’ has been introduced for the Fastest Finger First contestants who do not make it to the hot seat.

Well, competition is a reality. Within the very aggressive, competitive market, you have to differentiate the niche, says N.P Singh

Using ‘Play along’, they can play with the hot seat contestant and the one who answers the maximum number of questions in the minimum amount of time gets to win one lakh rupees at the end of the episode.

Additionally, the time limit for the ‘Phone a friend’ lifeline has been increased from 30 to 45 seconds. What’s more, audiences can win by playing the Ghar Baithe Jeeto Jackpot.
In contrast, Bigg Boss promises to be a roller-coaster ride for audiences, what with the heaven vs hell theme.

Of the 14 contestants, seven will be new names residing in a separate heaven themed house while the remaining seven will be old members, staying under one roof in another hell themed house, who’ve already been members of the Bigg Boss house during the last six seasons. The contestants from both the houses would be pitched against eachother in a series of tasks.

Among the newbies entering the Bigg Boss house are Shekhar Suman, Vatsal Seth, Suraj Pancholi, Kushal Tandon, Pratyusha Banerjee and Sonarika Bhadoria. The seventh newcomer is still to be identified.

Blast from the past: Hellcat Pooja Mishra is among the old members who will continue to occupy the house. Other members are still not confirmed.

There will be some amount of competition and fragmentation between the two shows, says Deepak Netram

Apart from programming frills, the channels themselves seem super confident about their respective properties. Moreso considering Bigg Boss has had a successful run last season with an opening of 4.0 TVR (television viewership ratings); ditto for KBC’s last season which opened with 6.1 TVR.

Colors CEO Raj Nayak says the channel is very clear and conscious in its strategy to be a complete household entertainment channel. “Today if you do a FPC (Fixed Point Chart) check across all channels, you will see Colors has the maximum variety. While strategy is one part, everything we do involves risks. But when I say risks, we take calculated risks. We identify our strengths and weaknesses, and then see how we can complement our strengths with new shows. If we succeed, they become better. If not, we keep trying,” he exults.

Asked if Sony has any particular strategy to beat the competition, SET chief operating officer N.P Singh says, “Well, competition is a reality. Within the very aggressive, competitive market, you have to differentiate the niche. Sony in its last 17 years has always run shows which are different from the rest and that has set us apart and we continue to follow that strategy.”

Since it is the seventh season, both shows have a great following and it will be very hard to choose one, says Ashish Bhasin

While Lodestar UM vice president Deepak Netram agrees there will be some amount of competition and fragmentation between the two shows, he is quick to point out that they cannot be compared. “They are unique in their own way. From the past what we have seen is KBC ratings have been there year on year. So we hope to maintain that. Bigg Boss on the other hand is looking bigger; the promotions are really huge and have happened way in advance. So it will be interesting to see how this pans out,” he observes.

Aegis Group plc chairman India and CEO southeast Asia Ashish Bhasin echoes Netram’s sentiments saying it will be a tough call between two very established properties. “Since it is the seventh season, both shows have a great following and it will be very hard to choose one. What viewers always believe in is content. If the content is of the viewers’ interest, people will definitely opt for that. The main competition will be when something else comes at that time – say a big movie is being launched by another channel or any big news event – which show loses out in that instance is going to be more interesting to watch,” he opines.

peaking from the point of view of advertisers, Bhasin says this particular slot is becoming increasingly attractive to them as it is also the hub of reality shows. “Advertisers will go where the eyeballs are and choose the most cost-effective way to get them. That’s how pricing will be done. And that can vary depending upon what the market rates are for that channel around that point of time. I don’t think finding advertisers for any of these shows will be an issue,” he says.

On his part, Nayak maintains Colors’ non-fiction shows generate more traction from advertisers than its fictional shows and Bigg Boss gets some of the biggest brands. However, he adds that it works as a loss leader and the channel has been investing in it because it is a cult show. This apart, it generates a lot of buzz. Estimates are that it is in the region of Rs 15-20 crore.
Most advertisers across categories agree that since both KBC and Bigg Boss are big properties and have local audiences across age groups, they cannot afford to ignore any one of them.

“Who would not want to take advantage of these shows to reach out to their target group? People are waiting for the shows to start and with festivals coming up; no one would be a fool to favour one over the other. Maximum eyeballs give us maximum reach,” says an advertiser who didn’t wish to be named.

As things stand, both the shows have gone viral on various digital platforms. Bigg Boss seven’s official Facebook page boasts around 1.8 million likes and more than 30,000 people talking about it. KBC Seven is not far behind with 1.6 million likes. Both are popular on Facebook but don’t seem to be trending that much on twitter.

Whether Big B’s charisma will work or Salman Khan’s swagger, only time will tell…

September 4, 2013
Colors goes FTA in the UK; gears up for battle

MUMBAI: The battle to capture the eyeballs of the UK-based Indian TV channel viewer is about to get fiercer. The Viacom18 group’s flagship brand Colors has announced that it is going free to air in the UK from 2 September. Following this, all of Sky Digital and Virgin Media’s cable TV viewers will be able to receive the channel as a free service.

Says Colors CEO Raj Nayak: “We are elated to offer two of our leading brands, Colors and Rishtey, to our viewers in the UK. With this move, we will be reaching out to a much wider audience base giving them an enriching viewing experience of our top class fiction and non-fiction programming”.

Colors became a part of Multiscreen Media’s ViewAsia bouquet (available on Sky as an Asian pack for pound sterling 17.99) in 2010 and was a pay channel there. Over the past year, ViewAsia tenants such as Sab TV, Sahara one and Aaj Tak opted to go free, leaving Colors to give company to Sony Max, B4U Movies, Sony TV Asia and ARY digital on ViewAsia. Now Colors too has headed for the exit, leaving question marks over ViewAsia’s pricing structure.

Points out IndiaCast group CEO Anuj Gandhi: “The UK continues to be one of our most important markets – where in the past we have challenged the status quo with the launch and success of Rishtey and now with Colors going free to air, we are making our next big move towards leadership.”

Over the past three years, the Network18 group and Viacom18 have launched Colors, Rishtey and News 18 – the first international news channel covering India- in the UK with the Viacom-Network18 joint venture Indiacast. The network says, Colors is available in close to 75 countries and its content is distributed in over 100 countries.

” Over the last 12 months, we have had phenomenal success with Rishtey that has made us the strongest challenger in the market. With Colors going free to air, we will neutralize the undue distribution advantage that some of the other south Asian channels have enjoyed in the market, making it a level playing field and we are confident of being the leading south Asian network in the UK in the near future,” says Indiacast COO Gaurav Gandhi.

Adds IndiaCast UK’s business head Govind Shahi: “As a growing network, we are thrilled to independently deliver a broader spectrum of high quality entertainment to the consumer – with path breaking dramas, round-the-clock news, movie premieres and all-time favourite international formats like Bigg Boss, India’s Got Talent and Jhalak Dikhhla Jaa. Now with our channels reaching DTH homes in the UK, we are going to be the most potent and effective platform for the advertisers targeting South Asian homes.”

Once it goes free to air, Colors will become a BARB rated channel in the UK. The latest BARB ratings for the week ended 11 August, show Star Plus is the leader in the UK market with 1.16 million viewers, UMP Movies is second with 994,000 viewers, Rishtey, third with 888,000 viewers, Zing – a part of the Zee Network – is at fourth with its best ever ratings of 621,000 viewers. At fifth place is Star Gold with 580,000 viewers. Sony SAB TV follows with 573,000 viewers. At seventh spot is Star Life Ok with 440,000 viewers.

Cumulatively, the Star Network channels account for 2 plus million viewers in the UK – a stranglehold that the Netowrk18 group will be hard-pressed to try and break. But knowing the IndiaCast, Network18 and Viacom18, teams, well, they love a good joust. Get ready for a good fight!

August 19, 2013

“You have to reinvent and live on everyday on TV” : Colors CEO Raj Nayak

At five most babies are just about going to kindergarten. But this is one baby that has been fighting it out in the big bad competitive world of Indian TV broadcasting. Colors, which completed five years on 21 July, has, in the process, become almost as seasoned a campaigner as its older rivals in the Hindi general entertainment channel space.

The channel’s CEO Raj Nayak – though he was a little under the weather when indiantelevision.com met him, nursing a cold and a fever – was rather chirpy and happy on the occasion of the channel’s fifth birthday. Preparations were on for a small inhouse celebration and everyone had smiles on their faces.

“It’s been quite a journey,” said Nayak leaning back with a distant look in his eyes. “I can vouch for that, though I have been leading the channel for only half of that period. We have been game changers, a hatke (different) channel, and we have innovated continuously and will continue to do so. ”

To know more what else Nayak had to say toIndiantelevision.com’s Vishaka Chakrapani on the channel’s fifth anniversary, read on:

To what do you attribute the success of Colors?

One of the reasons why Colors has been successful is because it has been a risk taker. And of course the great job done by my predecessor Rajesh Kamat. When Colors was launched it was the eleventh player in the GEC space and at that time when there was no digitization it was a bold and courageous move because it was seen to be entering in a crowded market.

So what did Colors do? In my opinion the first thing it came and said that all channels are doing the same, we need to do something different. So the first thing the team did was to put on differentiated content, story lines on social issues, which no one wanted to touch. Initially the channel even got a little flak for it saying we are becoming regressive.

Second, I think when you are launching as the eleventh player your ability to take risks is high because you are down there and expectations are low. Thirdly, they said we have to break viewing habits, so lets get disruptive. And that is what they did: they stripped nonfiction content Khatron ka khiladi during the week.

They also strategically used movies as tentpoles to complement the overall offering. At one time if a movie was premiered it was on Colors.

But as you go higher in life, your ability to take risks becomes less. I think that’s what was happening when I joined here. It had come to a point where it was stagnant. We were dilly-dallying to take big risks.That in my opinion was confidence in our strategy. And it led to a very good dividend – leadership and being a trend setter.

That’s what we have done since. I have been here for the second part of the innings and we have only taken risks. Not all have paid off, some have been successful, some have not but at the end of the day this is the only way this business runs, you have to reinvent and live on everyday. Creativity is not someone’s monopoly. You don’t know what’s going to work and what’s not and the only way is by taking trying out. Of course you use your experience, some consumer insights and finally your gut.

How has the performance been on the financial and people front?

We have grown over 50% CAGR in terms of overall revenue in the last five years. We may have slowed down in the last two years because of the base going high. We are a reasonably profitable channel have been growing year on year. So while you hear people say that Colors spends so much money on content, we also monetise well and the truth is we are very focused on balance sheet and profitability.

What is the attrition rate like in Colors?

We put people first because we are an organization of people. In terms of people we have the lowest attrition rate in our business. If at all people have left, it may not be more than 5-10 per cent and if they have then hardly anybody has left to go and join competition. They have left to make a movie or something else. But they have not gone to competition. That speaks a lot for the culture, values and environment we provide. The whole team is just 160 across country, so you can imagine cost of return per employee.

My second line, the top management team, their average age is 30. The organization structure is such that we are very lean mean team. We are very well structured. There’s not too much of layers and there’s not too much of bureaucracy. The other thing is that for everybody in this organization, there’s accountability with authority. Everybody can make decisions. I believe in delegation. The way we work is like a restaurant. When it’s full, everybody picks up the plates. We are first among equals.

As far as people are concerned, I am told, that when we started (my operations head was saying), she had five people and no equipment and the show had to go on air. It was a very small team and today it’s grown, still not too big for a Rs 1000 crore plus business.

The number of people handling content too has remained the same to a large extent. The team may not be more than 30 people. Except for two heads, everybody’s been here forever.

The sales team has been here forever. Probably if there is any attrition that has happened in that team because it is so dynamic, it’s happened at the junior level because it is a dynamic team. The sales head Simran Hoon, has been here since day one.

Which are your big markets internationally apart from India?

Colors is in 140 countries. UK, Canada, Middle East, Africa, Austraila, New Zealand you name it. From the revenue perspective, the UK, the US and the MENA region contribute a large chunk.

Colors was not in UK for first two years. I think the moment we went into UK we had the same success, which was obvious due to word of mouth from relatives of Britasians in India. Our subscription and advertising revenues did not kick off so well. But that’s also because we were a new channel. Today it competes with every GEC channel. We have now launched another channel in UK Rishtey which is also doing very well.

And what have the past two years been like ever since you took over?

I think it has been one of the most exciting, most rewarding, most challenging part of my career simply because whilst I had mastered or crafted myself at being very good in one genre- that is sales and marketing – this job gave me an opportunity to have a holistic view of the entire business and that way it was extremely challenging. I think it was also an advantage I carried because I understood the business part of it.

In a sales job you tend to be creative by default because you have to go and sell things to people. I think that came in handy to me because when I looked at a show I just did not look at it from a viewership point of view but also from a marketability and revenue generation point of view. The proof of it is that we have maintained our leadership position these last two years.

We have done things which are completely different, non-expected from Colors and as a channel last year we posted an EBIDTA growth of more than 40% over the previous year.

How would you rate Colors today and before you joined?

Without sounding pompous or critical I would say 50:50. It is an unfair question to me. Having said that, out of 11 in my management team, nine have been here for five years, somebody for three and rest for two. I think it would be fair to ask them the question.

Personally I think the stage at which I took the channel, we‘ve run with the ball, we‘ve maintained leadership status and we rolled the profitability of the channel. When I came in, I had three KRAs (key result areas) – you have to get Colors where it belongs – maintain leadership, grow profits and build brand extensions. The third part will happen.

What’s your plan for the next few years?

I want to consolidate Colors. Right now we are strong number two. We would ideally like to be No 1, but not at the cost of profitability. A few years from now I want to see the petals of Colors extend in the regional and movie space.

Colors will have to have more brand extensions in the TV and digital space. Expansion is the natural progress. It is a strong brand and we need to leverage its equity.

What have been your high and low points last two and a half years of the five?

My high point was when I landed in Cape Town and my office called me saying we are number one. I remember the date. It was 24 December. The second high point for me was when we did a show in the late Jagjit Singh’s memory called Yaadon ka Safar. In five minutes we took a call. Another show was Yuvraj Singh’s Zindagi Abhi Baaki Hai and for me that was a good real life social message to inspire people.

Both of them did not get good ratings but the messages and good will we generated was not just in India but also across the globe.

These little things where we are able to as a media company do some good back to society gives me a lot of satisfaction.

July 20, 2013