ITV

Tag: Rajesh Iyer

  • &TV way of entertainment completes one glorious year

    &TV way of entertainment completes one glorious year

    MUMBAI: The &TV way of entertainment has completed one year in the most competitive of all television genres – Hindi General Entertainment Channels (HGEC). Despite having a HGEC, Zee TV media Mogul Dr Subhash Chandra’s media and entertainment conglomerate Essel Group lead by MD Punit Goenka decided to launch one more and that’s how the &TV came being.
    Rajesh Iyer was roped in as the business head and he got the perfect combination of programming, distribution and marketing in place to give the channel a perfect ignition. The launch stage was ready and Shah Rukh Khan was the gear-up factor to the ignition. The Fauzi was back on television and a new channel was on air. Sab Se Shaana Kaun generated the much needed buzz. 

    From the shows like India Poochega… Sab Se Shaana Kaun ,which was produced by Big Synergy, to Deal or No Deal and The Voice produced by Endemol, the channel has left no stone unturned in making its one year journey glorious.  

    Produced by Edit II Production, Bhabhi Ji Ghar Par Hai, was another stepping stone for the channel. This high rated show has created the trend and made other channels to follow the vibes. 

    In crime thriller space, Contiloe Entertainment’s Agent Raghav was another successful show for the channel which has also won the 14th Indian Telly Awards 2015 for the ‘best thriller programme.’

    “&TV launched as the sixteenth Hindi GEC channel in one of the most competitive and high-stake television genres in India, which was a big risk in itself. The channel had one of the best take-offs a Hindi GEC could have, with an average OTS of 72 per cent (which means 72 per cent of Hindi Speaking Population had access to the channel at launch across all forms of linear TV). To cite an example for comparison, EPIC channel, another competitor in the HGEC genre, had an OTS of 42 per cent during its week of launch. The credit for the channel’s high availability and viewership goes to the distribution team, but must also be shared with the content team. With high interest content like India Poochhega…Sabse Shaana Kaun? at the time of the launch and its highest rated show Gangaa, along with airing mass entertainers like Chennai Express, Entertainment and Agneepath, &TV has struck the perfect balance between off and on-air strategies, resulting in stickiness as well as reach” explains Chrome DM CEO and founder Pankaj Krishna.

    Hefty investment in order to get out quality content was the way forward for &TV from it’s very beginning. “The channel forayed to thriller with Agent Raghav , produced by Contiloe Entertainment with an investment of between Rs 20 – 25 lakhs per episode. The top viewed shows Begusarai and Gangaa were created at a cost of Rs 8 – 9 lakhs per episode, whereas the Nivedita Basu’s upcoming show Meri Awaaz Hi Paihchaan Hai will easily make the channel dish out over Rs 10 lakh per episode. 

    On the other hand, Bhabhi Ji Ghar Par Hai, didn’t start off very expensive but now the show is doing really good hence the production cost has gone up to 15 lakh per episodes. Whereas its show historical show Razia Sultan was created at the cost of 15 lakhs per episodes.  The biggest spend was IPSSK where excluding host over Rs 40 lakhs per episode was spent. So quality was always a priority and the network backed the priority with necessary investments. The channel should be proud of where it stands today” asserts a media observer on condition of anonymity.    

    The ad rate card of the channel has seen a 25 per cent hike over the last year and advertisers’ traction has also been evolving thick and fast as per media planners’ insights.

    Industry reaction on the channel’s voyage so far 

    Dentsu Aegis Network chairman and CEO South Asia Ashish Bhasin: “It has done better than what was expected. I do feel it has more scope to grow as time goes by. Ultimately, its ability to sustain good content on a continuous basis will work for the channel. The content was well connected with the consumer and that’s one of the reasons why the channel is running successfully. Another, it was also well distributed as a new channel, right from the beginning”

    Industry expert and Purple Canvas founder Gaurav Seth: “&TV made a very promising start a year ago, with a fresh slate of content and differentiated offerings catering to every section of the GEC audience. Shows like Gangaa and Bhabhiji were especially entertaining and made extremely well. They have not however been able to crack the weekend primetime band which is critical to any GEC’s success and that, along with a couple of new weekday primetime hits should be on their wishlist for the coming year. But it’s been a reasonably successful launch year overall, considering the highly competitive space it has entered.”

    Big Snyergy co-founder and director Anita Kaul Basu: “India Poochega Sabse Shaana Kaun? was our first show with Zee, though we had worked together with Zee in past before satellite. Rajesh Iyer is a great guy to work with. He is very sorted and precise when it comes to content and programming. Then there was Sunanda with whom we have worked before at the time of India’s Got Talent when she was in Colors. &TV  took a little time to decide about what they wanted to do but when it happened it happened very fast. It was great working with the team. For a new channel and a GEC channel of that scale it takes time, but &TV in one year has made a mark. The channel brought a big international format to India Who’s Asking? which Zee Network  has never done before. Hence, The  channel has a great lineup of shows and will soon make great impact in the industry.” 

    The House of Originals director Nivedia Basu: “I have a very good experience of working with them, in fact when we came with the idea they were so open minded and they have given me as a first timer to do things according to the way I want. They helped me get all these actors on board for the Meri Awaaz Hi Pechan Hai. Many say that they want to work with the top three broadcasters, but I think & TV soon will be among the top five broadcasters”
    The journey travelled so far certainly signifies that there is a long way to go, meanwhile the air is all filled with the perfume of promise that reminds one of the Robert Frost quote, “I have miles to go and promises to keep before I sleep.”

    Viewership data from week 41, 2015 to week 7, 2016 period

    Source : BARC

    		        

    TG : 4+ HSM

    		        

    Period : Wk 41 – Wk 07’2016

    		        

    Analysis : Impressions (000s) (Weighted Average for the above mentioned period)
  • &TV way of entertainment completes one glorious year

    &TV way of entertainment completes one glorious year

    MUMBAI: The &TV way of entertainment has completed one year in the most competitive of all television genres – Hindi General Entertainment Channels (HGEC). Despite having a HGEC, Zee TV media Mogul Dr Subhash Chandra’s media and entertainment conglomerate Essel Group lead by MD Punit Goenka decided to launch one more and that’s how the &TV came being.
    Rajesh Iyer was roped in as the business head and he got the perfect combination of programming, distribution and marketing in place to give the channel a perfect ignition. The launch stage was ready and Shah Rukh Khan was the gear-up factor to the ignition. The Fauzi was back on television and a new channel was on air. Sab Se Shaana Kaun generated the much needed buzz. 

    From the shows like India Poochega… Sab Se Shaana Kaun ,which was produced by Big Synergy, to Deal or No Deal and The Voice produced by Endemol, the channel has left no stone unturned in making its one year journey glorious.  

    Produced by Edit II Production, Bhabhi Ji Ghar Par Hai, was another stepping stone for the channel. This high rated show has created the trend and made other channels to follow the vibes. 

    In crime thriller space, Contiloe Entertainment’s Agent Raghav was another successful show for the channel which has also won the 14th Indian Telly Awards 2015 for the ‘best thriller programme.’

    “&TV launched as the sixteenth Hindi GEC channel in one of the most competitive and high-stake television genres in India, which was a big risk in itself. The channel had one of the best take-offs a Hindi GEC could have, with an average OTS of 72 per cent (which means 72 per cent of Hindi Speaking Population had access to the channel at launch across all forms of linear TV). To cite an example for comparison, EPIC channel, another competitor in the HGEC genre, had an OTS of 42 per cent during its week of launch. The credit for the channel’s high availability and viewership goes to the distribution team, but must also be shared with the content team. With high interest content like India Poochhega…Sabse Shaana Kaun? at the time of the launch and its highest rated show Gangaa, along with airing mass entertainers like Chennai Express, Entertainment and Agneepath, &TV has struck the perfect balance between off and on-air strategies, resulting in stickiness as well as reach” explains Chrome DM CEO and founder Pankaj Krishna.

    Hefty investment in order to get out quality content was the way forward for &TV from it’s very beginning. “The channel forayed to thriller with Agent Raghav , produced by Contiloe Entertainment with an investment of between Rs 20 – 25 lakhs per episode. The top viewed shows Begusarai and Gangaa were created at a cost of Rs 8 – 9 lakhs per episode, whereas the Nivedita Basu’s upcoming show Meri Awaaz Hi Paihchaan Hai will easily make the channel dish out over Rs 10 lakh per episode. 

    On the other hand, Bhabhi Ji Ghar Par Hai, didn’t start off very expensive but now the show is doing really good hence the production cost has gone up to 15 lakh per episodes. Whereas its show historical show Razia Sultan was created at the cost of 15 lakhs per episodes.  The biggest spend was IPSSK where excluding host over Rs 40 lakhs per episode was spent. So quality was always a priority and the network backed the priority with necessary investments. The channel should be proud of where it stands today” asserts a media observer on condition of anonymity.    

    The ad rate card of the channel has seen a 25 per cent hike over the last year and advertisers’ traction has also been evolving thick and fast as per media planners’ insights.

    Industry reaction on the channel’s voyage so far 

    Dentsu Aegis Network chairman and CEO South Asia Ashish Bhasin: “It has done better than what was expected. I do feel it has more scope to grow as time goes by. Ultimately, its ability to sustain good content on a continuous basis will work for the channel. The content was well connected with the consumer and that’s one of the reasons why the channel is running successfully. Another, it was also well distributed as a new channel, right from the beginning”

    Industry expert and Purple Canvas founder Gaurav Seth: “&TV made a very promising start a year ago, with a fresh slate of content and differentiated offerings catering to every section of the GEC audience. Shows like Gangaa and Bhabhiji were especially entertaining and made extremely well. They have not however been able to crack the weekend primetime band which is critical to any GEC’s success and that, along with a couple of new weekday primetime hits should be on their wishlist for the coming year. But it’s been a reasonably successful launch year overall, considering the highly competitive space it has entered.”

    Big Snyergy co-founder and director Anita Kaul Basu: “India Poochega Sabse Shaana Kaun? was our first show with Zee, though we had worked together with Zee in past before satellite. Rajesh Iyer is a great guy to work with. He is very sorted and precise when it comes to content and programming. Then there was Sunanda with whom we have worked before at the time of India’s Got Talent when she was in Colors. &TV  took a little time to decide about what they wanted to do but when it happened it happened very fast. It was great working with the team. For a new channel and a GEC channel of that scale it takes time, but &TV in one year has made a mark. The channel brought a big international format to India Who’s Asking? which Zee Network  has never done before. Hence, The  channel has a great lineup of shows and will soon make great impact in the industry.” 

    The House of Originals director Nivedia Basu: “I have a very good experience of working with them, in fact when we came with the idea they were so open minded and they have given me as a first timer to do things according to the way I want. They helped me get all these actors on board for the Meri Awaaz Hi Pechan Hai. Many say that they want to work with the top three broadcasters, but I think & TV soon will be among the top five broadcasters”
    The journey travelled so far certainly signifies that there is a long way to go, meanwhile the air is all filled with the perfume of promise that reminds one of the Robert Frost quote, “I have miles to go and promises to keep before I sleep.”

    Viewership data from week 41, 2015 to week 7, 2016 period

    Source : BARC

    		        

    TG : 4+ HSM

    		        

    Period : Wk 41 – Wk 07’2016

    		        

    Analysis : Impressions (000s) (Weighted Average for the above mentioned period)
  • &TV’s socio-mythology series Santoshi Maa to unfold from November 30

    &TV’s socio-mythology series Santoshi Maa to unfold from November 30

    MUMBAI: Indian television audiences are about to be wowed by a story of devotion and divinity. Starting November 30th, &TV presents a socio-mythology ‘Santoshi Maa’, the story of Goddess Santoshi and her ardent devotee’s undying belief.

    The show marks the comeback of popular Bollywood actress Gracy Singh as Santoshi Maa and the very talented Ratan Rajput as her devotee. Produced by Rashmi Sharma Telefilms, Santoshi Maa is the story of Santoshi, a loving girl with a heart of gold who has been a worshipper of the Goddess since childhood. Much like the Goddess of santosh or contentment, Santoshi has no malice or greed in her heart and believes in respecting every individual.

    The show will chart her journey and how her unfaltering faith in the Goddess bails her out of the most difficult situations. Tune into this divine intervention as Santosh ka path padhane aa rahi hai Santoshi Maa starting 30th November, every Mon-Fri at 9:00PM only on &TV!

    Other than the two stellar performers, the show brings together some of the best names in the industry to essay pivotal roles. The ensemble cast includes popular faces such as Ayaz Ahmed, Sayantani Ghosh, Sachin Shroff, Juhi Parmar, Kiran Janjani, and veterans including Parikshit Sahani, Upasna Singh and Onkardas Manekpuri among many others.

    Talking about the show, TV business head Rajesh Iyersaid “Santoshi Maa marks our foray into the socio-mytho genre thereby strengthening our programming slate. The concept of Santoshi Maa is introspective and very relevant given today’s evolving times. Furthermore, its universal theme and relatable plot will only enable us to reach out to a wider set of audience at a 9:00PM primetime slot.”

    Actress Gracy Singh who portrays Goddess Santoshi said “All these years I received so many offers for TV shows but nothing appealed to me. But I loved the concept of Santoshi Maa. It has a great storyline, much relevance in today’s times and is being made with a lot of sincerity. Portraying a Goddess on the small screen is extremely challenging but also satisfying at the same time. I am a believer myself and given the competitive environment that we are in, I don’t let negativity affect me, but I take time off to relax and enjoy and be content with what I have achieved. That’s what the show is also about.  I look forward to receiving a positive response from the viewers.”

    Talking about the show, Ratan Rajput, who will be seen as the key protagonist – the devotee Santoshi said, “I’m a big devotee of Santoshi Maa in real life too so when I was approached to play the role, I was immediately convinced about it. My character and the story of the devotee is a journey that I could completely relate to, which is why I chose to take up the show. From a broad perspective, the show gives out a message on contentment which is sorely missing… we all are so busy chasing most materialistic things and bigger goals that no one is satisfied with what they have achieved. We tend to ignore what we already have with us hence – Santosh ka paath padhane aa rahi hai Santoshi Maa… the show will help us realise and appreciate the positives in life.”

    The show that boasts of a great production, storyline, characters will be one of the most relatable shows that will have the audiences enamored! Stay tuned and watch Santoshi Maa starting 30th November every Mon-Fri at 9:00PM only on &TV!

  • Vikas Gupta to join &TV as head of fiction programming

    Vikas Gupta to join &TV as head of fiction programming

    MUMBAI: Lost Boy Productions’ Vikas Gupta is all set to join media mogul Subhash Chandra’s new general entertainment channel (GEC) &TV as head of fiction programming.

     

    Gupta will join the channel from 1 September, 2015 and will be reporting to &TV business head Rajesh Iyer. He will be stepping into the shoes of Doris Dey who currently holds the position. 

     

    Confirming the news to indiantelevision.com, Gupta said, “Challenge is what drives me and &TV is an extremely exciting space to be in. I am looking forward to work with Rajesh and team and hope it will be a memorable and successful adventure like all the other assignments I have been a part of.”

     

    Gupta started his career as a trainee with Balaji Telefilms and moved on to DJ’s Creative Unit as an associate creative head. He went back to Balaji Telefilms as an associate creative director and was associated with shows like Kis Desh Main Hai Meraa Dil and Kitni Mohabbat Hai. He also worked as MTV India programming head from February 2014 to December 2014.

     

    Interestingly, the TV fraternity also recognises him as the youngest creative director of the industry. He entered the industry at a young age of 19. After getting enough experience, he turned to production and started his own banner – Lost Boy Productions – almost four years ago. Over the last three years, the production house has come up with shows like Channel [V]’s Gumrah and The Serial (co-produced with Balaji Telefilms); as well as Bindass’ Yeh Hai Aashiqui.

  • &TV eyes growth & increased viewership with ‘The Voice’ launch in June

    &TV eyes growth & increased viewership with ‘The Voice’ launch in June

    MUMBAI: Hindi general entertainment channels (GEC) have found a gold mine of sorts in reality shows. For the last decade or so channels have tried and tested almost every kind of reality show to entertain audiences. From dance and singing competitions, quiz contests to youth-centric high octane adventure reality show, all formats have tried to woo the audience and have come back with new seasons year after year.

     

    Adapting to a similar format, the newest entrant in the television GEC space, &TV is all set to launch The Voice in June. The show will see a unique format and have coaches like Himesh Reshammiya, Mika, Shaan and Sunidhi Chauhan.

     

    Speaking to Indiantelevision.com about the USP of The Voice, &TV business head Rajesh Iyer said, “As a format, the USP is that the coaches don’t see the contestant. There are one or more coaches, who are going to press the buzzer and it will be the singer who will choose the coach and not the other way round. The pressure is not only on the singer but also on the coaches to pick their team mate.”

     

    Divided into three phases, the first phase of The Voice will have blind auditions, followed by the Battles and Live performance. “We have stuck to the original international format that people are familiar with. For me, the main differentiator is that the pressure is on both sides: coaches as well as the singers,” added Iyer.

     

    Come 6 June and The Voice will replace &TV’s current show Killer Karaoke on weekends, which is aired in the 9 pm slot. The Voice will begin with 26 episodes over a span of 13 weeks.

     

    Iyer informed, “While India Poochega Sabse Shaana Kaun achieved the objective of the launch with the weekday programming slot, The Voice is a different property and will take us to the next level both in terms of growth and viewership.”

     

    Speaking to this website on the association with &TV, Endemol India MD & CEO Deepak Dhar said, “Outside of Bigg Boss and Fear Factor, this is the third biggest show that we are doing. We have been wanting to do The Voice for a long time. It had come to us about two or three years back but we didn’t get the deal back then. However, when the opportunity came to us again, we grabbed it.”

     

    He further added, “The Voice is probably the most organic format of choosing talent. This is the first time that the pressure is on the coaches and not only on the singers. It’s different content. Of course the singing is good, the talent is phenomenal and the reality itself is very sticky.”

     

     

    Dhar further said that this was just the beginning of Endemol India’s association with The Voice and the production house would be keen on associating with it for the future seasons as well. “It’s just the start and it’s such a big format. For us, focus is always to get back to the format.”

     

    The show will adapt a 360 degree marketing approach. While the marketing strategy is still under wraps, the programme has on board Chings as the ‘Powered By’ sponsor and Maruti Alto K10 as ‘Presenting Sponsor.’

     

    Shaan said, “The Voice is an extremely popular format globally. It’s the most sought after show for any singer/musician. If you want to be on television and on a music show it has to be The Voice India! What clicked for me is that every round is exciting – very different and innovative. I am certain that the audience will enjoy the show.”

     

    Mika Singh added, “I was thrilled when I was approached to be the coach on the maiden edition of The Voice in India. It is a big property internationally and I am happy that I got this opportunity to be a part of it. I am thoroughly looking forward to finding a voice that has an exceptional quality.. something real and versatile that will make heads turn.”

     

    Reshammiya said, “The format of this show is exceptional; such a format has never been experimented with, in India. I feel wonderful and I am extremely excited to be a part of the show. The Voice India has no concept of judges. But as a coach you will see me groom my team members mentally and melodiously, thus guiding towards success. As the same suggests the show solely focuses on the voice of the contestant.”

     

    Chauhan, the only female coach on the show asserted, “Nothing before The Voice India triggered any excitement in me. I have followed the international editions especially the US one and I was awestruck with the quality of talent and the fact that they are chosen purely on the basis of their voice through blind auditions where the coaches have no clue about the singers. So, when the format came to India and the makers approached me, I was ecstatic. The Voice India is here to redefine the music reality show space and I am happy to be on board.”

     

    Singing reality shows like Indian Idol and Indian Idol Junior on Multi Screen Media’s Sony Entertainment Television and other such shows have seen considerable success on Indian television. Speaking about a show like The Voice coming to India, MSM president Rohit Gupta told Indiantelevision.com, “The format has been doing very well since its inception. Be it Indian Idol or Indian Idol Junior 2 that we recently launched. Other channels have adopted the format for the simple reason that it has the potential to do well for them too.”

     

    With its unconventional approach and slick set-up, The Voice India is likely to find favour with new-age Indians, who are always yearning for an exclusive and never seen before experience. The coaches on the show will up the ante and raise the bar a notch higher than before. After mentoring and grooming contestants, the final power lies in the hands of the audiences to choose their favourite voice to find the country’s most promising vocalist and the winner of the title – The Voice India.

  • &TV to launch global singing reality show ‘The Voice’ in June

    &TV to launch global singing reality show ‘The Voice’ in June

    MUMBAI: Zee Entertainment Enterprises Ltd’s (Zeel) new Hindi general entertainment (GEC) channel &TV is all set to air the Indian edition of the internationalsinging reality show The Voice.

     

    Owned by Talpa Media, the format is touted as one of the most successful and groundbreaking vocal competitions across the globe.

     

    With 60 local productions entertaining audiences in more than 180 countries and over 500 million viewers around the world, The Voice is produced and adapted by Endemol in India and is slated to go on air this June.

     

    The Voice is the purest form of a singing reality show where the contestants are chosen through blind auditions, only on the basis of their voice and not appearance. For an unprecedented show like this, the channel has roped in mentors like Himesh Reshammiya, Mika, Shaan and Sunidhi Chauhan.

     

    Talking about the format, &TV business head Rajesh Iyer said, “We are excited to present viewers with The Voice, a show, which is already a global sensation as one of our biggest non-fiction offerings. The show takes a unique route in its selection process and focuses on quality of talent, which differentiates the format. For the first edition, we have a formidable panel of coaches that includes country’s best musicians that will mentor new talent.”

     

    Talpa Global managing director Maarten Meijs added, “We are very pleased to be collaborating with &TV to bring The Voice to India. The format has proven to be such a global hit that we’re fully confident viewers in India will also sit up and take notice.”

  • &TV replaces Shah Rukh Khan’s show with two new fiction dailies

    &TV replaces Shah Rukh Khan’s show with two new fiction dailies

    MUMBAI: The newest Hindi general entertainment channel (GEC) from the Zee Entertainment Enterprises Ltd’s (Zeel) stable &TV has strengthened its fiction line-up with the launch of two new dailies, which will replace the Shah Rukh Khan hosted finite show India Poochega: Sabse Shaana Kaun?

     

    The new shows are Dilli Wali Thakur Gurls and Badii Devrani, which will go on air from 30 March. While Dilli Wali Thakur Gurls will be aired from Monday to Friday at 9 pm, Badii Devrani will air at 10 pm.

     

    &TV business head Rajesh Iyer said, “Within three weeks, India Poochega: Sabse Shaana Kaun? has reached out to 32 million viewers in the slot. Being a familiar primetime slot, our endeavor was to offer something equally entertaining and engaging to sustain the interest. Both the shows – Dilli Wali Thakur Gurls at 9 pm and Badii Devrani at 9.30 pm promise viewers two versatile family dramas that are a reflection of today’s modern day society and how relationships stand the test of time.”

     

    Dilli Wali Thakur Gurls produced by Cinevistas is based on Anuja Chauhan’s novel Those Pricey Thakur Girls. Set in Delhi, the show presents the story of the Thakurs – Justice LN Thakur, his wife – Mamta and their five eccentric daughters – Anji, Binny, Dabbu, Chandu and Eshu.

     

    On the other hand, Badii Devrani is produced by Shashi Sumeet Productions and has original concept and storyline by Beyond Dreams Entertainment. The show is set against the backdrop of Kolkata is the story of an unusual arranged marriage between an older woman (Reeti) and a younger boy (Vibhor).

  • &TV to commission locally produced content for UK audience

    &TV to commission locally produced content for UK audience

    MUMBAI: Zee Entertainment Enterprises Limited’s (Zeel) new Hindi general entertainment channel (GEC), which is slated to launch in the UK on 6 April, 2015, will be looking at airing locally produced content.

     

    The channel said that it plans to commission locally produced content, which is relevant for its audience base in the UK.

     

    Zee TV, which completed 20 years in Europe, saw actor Shah Rukh Khan along with the channel’s executives launching &TV in the UK at a special gala.

     

    The celebration was attended by Zeel MD and CEO Punit Goenka and &TV business head Rajesh Iyer.

     

    Talking about his long lasting relationship with Zee, Khan said that he was thrilled to officially launch the new channel along with Goenka.

     

    Commenting on the 20 years celebration, Goenka said, “We are proud to be a medium through, which Indians living abroad have stayed connected to their roots back home all these years and we will continue to entertain and engage audiences with a unique blend of high-quality and innovative programming.”

     

    Speaking about &TV’s launch in the UK, Goenka said, “&TV will offer a more substantial viewing experience to an audience that is always seeking fresh and relevant content. We are certain that with the launch of &TV, we will capitalize on further such opportunities to build a robust entertainment bouquet and march ahead towards achieving the global ambitions set for the company. Finally, we are so proud to be working with Shah Rukh Khan on our flagship show India Poochega – Sabse Shaana Kaun. Mr Khan has poured his heart and soul into the show and we know it will bring great joy to our European audiences.”

     

    Zee Europe CEO Neeraj Dhingra added, “Zee TV has been a pioneer in bringing great Asian entertainment to the UK and fostering the cultural ties with India. We are certain that with the launch of the contemporary channel &TV, these ties will strengthen. The channel promises multi-dimensional content and a strong line-up of entertainment and reality shows, and we are beyond excited to have Khan as the host of our flagship entertainment programme. We are certain that the audience will enjoy seeing a different side of their superstar.”

     

    &TV unveiled a range of its weekday programming at the event namely Razia Sultan, Begusarai, Gangaa, Bhabi Ji Ghar Par Hai and Bhaghyalakshmi. The channel’s weekend shows include Killer Karaoke – Atka Toh Latkah and Tujhse Naaraz Nahi Zindagi.

  • Zeel to launch &TV in UK on 6 April

    Zeel to launch &TV in UK on 6 April

    MUMBAI: &TV, which launched in India and the Middle East on 2 March, 2015, is now set for its UK launch. The new general entertainment channel (GEC) from the Zee Entertainment Enterprises Ltd (Zeel) stable under the ‘&’ franchise will go live in the UK on 6 April at 7 pm.

     

    The channel will be launched on the eve of the 20th anniversary of Zee UK.

     

    Zeel plans to expand &TV’s presence to every country where it has its footprints, subject to licence clearances.

     

    Meanwhile, in India, &TV which, opened up with 90.6 GVMs, has only gone up in the ratings chart, in its second week, recording 105 GVMs. 

     

    The channel, with the philosophy ‘Jashn Jeene Ka’ (celebrating the spirit of life), stands for binding people, ideologies and philosophies and aims to mirror the thinking and values of an evolved, ‘new age’ India.

     

    &TV currently airs a total of 22.5 hours of original programming throughout the week.

     

    Be it &TV’s flagship show hosted by Shah Rukh Khan, India Poochega – Sabse Shaana Kaun? or the strong fiction line up with shows like Razia Sultan, Bhaghyalakshmi, Gangaa, Begusarai, Bhabi Ji Ghar Par Hai!, and the weekend offerings with Killer Karaoke and Tujhse Naaraaz Nahi Zindagi; the programming seems to have piqued the curiosity of audiences enough to tune in and spend time on the channel’s fare. 

  • &TV pens successful opening story; industry reacts

    &TV pens successful opening story; industry reacts

    MUMBAI: The past one year has seen oodles of action in the general entertainment channel (GEC) space. New programming, new channels, second and third channel launches from existing players – the highly competitive genre saw it all.  Viacom18 was the first off the blocks.  Just as 2014 was being rung in, it launched Rishtey – a channel it had flagged off in the UK earlier.

     

    It was in June 2013 that Subhash Chandra’s Zee Entertainment Enterprises (Zeel) adopted a new brand positioning with ‘Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam – The World is My Family’. It was this message that the network wanted to spread which led to the launch of Zindagi, on 23 June 2014. With the best of content from Pakistan, the channel was for viewers with a progressive mindset.

     

    A couple of months later, 1 September 2014 to be precise, Multi Screen Media (MSM) launched a third GEC – Sony Pal for the traditional, yet modern Indian woman. While Sony Pal appealed to certain quarters, it did not generate the viewership numbers that were expected. The Sony management reacted quickly, put the plug on the money drain, and repositioned it as a re-run channel airing older successful shows.

     

    A further couple of months later, 19 November 2014, to be exact, came another launch – that of Epic TV, which had billionaires Mukesh Ambani and Anand Mahindra as backers.

    Even as Indian audiences were still absorbing the content of Zindagi, Zeel unveiled a third massier appeal GEC on 2 March 2015. And it chose to deviate from the Zee branding for the new launch; opting for the ‘&’ brand instead.  The choice of programming; the glitzy launch,  the depth of distribution, the marketing overdrive – all drew oohs and aahs from industry observers. The cynics, however, cluck-clucked from the sidelines and hurled gibes stating that  Zeel boss and chairman Subhash Chandra’s son Punit Goenka was throwing away good money. (The group has set aside an estimated budget of Rs 500 crore for &TV).

     

    Came the ratings on 12 March 2015, and the doubting Thomases and naysayers had to bite their tongues and swallow their barbed comments. Reason: &TV reported fabulous opening week viewership numbers of 90,612 GVTs, making it the year’s most successful new channel launch – and that too in the hyper-competitive GEC space. What it made more remarkable is the fact that the first week in the channel’s launch consisted of only five and a half days.

     

    As compared to &TV’s numbers the other debutantes during the year did not fare as well. Sony Pal generated opened with only 11,000 GVTs, as per TAM data. Zee Zindagi reported 28,700 GVTs in week one, overtaking even the 14-year old channel, Sahara One. Epic in its debut week garnered 1,240 GVTs (ratings of four days).

     

    A bet that worked

     

    The channel is the first GEC from Zee’s sub-brand ‘&’, after the launch of &Pictures in August 2013.

     

    It was a challenge for the newbie to make its mark in the tough market where other big broadcasters are already ruling the roost. However, one man who took up the challenge and stood strong was Rajesh Iyer who quit Colors in March 2014 to join Zeel as business head, new initiatives, Hindi broadcast. It was after almost a year of brainstorming and  pitches from producers, management and research meetings on creatives, positioning and execution that &TV’s vision document was finally in place. Iyer’s aim was to further develop and strengthen the Zeel brand with a new offering and the bet has paid off well.

     

    Zeel MD and CEO Punit Goenka had pinned high hopes on the new channel and it seems that his targets have been met. Expressing his happiness on Twitter, Goenka tweeted, “Congratulations team @AndTVOfficial for a successful opening week! First time that a GEC channel has opened at 90612 GVTs!”

     

    With the philosophy ‘Jashn Jeene Ka’ (celebrating the spirit of life), &TV stands for binding people, ideologies and philosophies and aims to mirror the thinking and values of an evolved, ‘new age’ India.

     

    Exploring the same lines, the content of the channel, according to the company, turned out to be contemporary and contextual, depicting viewers’ progressiveness. It started with three and a half hours of content on weekdays with the original programming starting at 7.30 pm.

     

    Be it &TV’s flagship show hosted by Shah Rukh Khan, India Poochega – Sabse Shaana Kaun? or the strong fiction line up with shows like Razia Sultan, Bhaghyalakshmi, Gangaa, Begusarai, Bhabi Ji Ghar Par Hai!, and the weekend offerings with Killerr Karaoke and Tujhse Naaraaz Nahi Zindagi; the programming seems to have irked the curiosity of audiences enough to tune in and spend time on the channel’s fare. 

     

    Innovative ad strategies

     

    The network strategized its ad sales differently for &TV. Rather than choosing to sell spots, the team roped in advertisers as “presenting” or “powered by” or “associate sponsors” for almost all of the new shows and allocated all the FCT to them, depending on the show. A media planner reveals that 40 per cent of ad inventory per episode was reserved for associate sponsors while the rest was for the title sponsor.

     

    For instance, Unilever India’s Rin was signed on as  the presenting sponsor for its flagship property, India Poochega- Sabse Shaana Kaun, while,  Pan Vilas and DHFL opted to become  ‘powered by’ sponsors. Then for  Raziya Sultan, the channel got on board Venus as the presenting sponsor and Clean and Dry as the ‘powered by’ sponsor. Begusarai, meanwhile, is presented by Pan Bahar and powered by Quickheal and Ghadi Detergent. Vicco is the presenting sponsor for Gangaa and the show is powered by Libero and Ghadi.

     

    On the social media front, the &TV team left no stones unturned to create the buzz. The &TV Facebook page had got over 133,253 likes, while its twitter handle @AndTVofficial had more than 11,000 followers, at the time of writing this article. The YouTube landing page had &TV splashed all over it; as did indiantelevision.com on 2 March.
     

    Promos for its shows have been hitting sister channels &Pictures and Zee TV with high regularity. A high decibel out of home campaign across Hindi speaking markets has been working as a strong reminder medium for potential viewers.

    With a distribution and marketing budget of around Rs 100 crore, Zeel managed to get great placement on almost all the major distribution platforms: DEN Networks, Siti Cable, Hathway, Incable, Tata Sky, Videocon d2h and Dish TV. In fact, on most networks it was placed even before Star Plus and Zee TV.

     

     

     

    Industry reacts

     

    Helios Media managing director Divya Radhakrishnan believes that &TV has got a decent combination of reality shows, mythology, regular fiction and comedy shows. “&TV ratings have been exactly what I forecasted. The channel managed to do well and the distribution was excellent. They launched a great marketing campaign and had a key differentiator in the Shah Rukh Khan show. For a person who is going to sample a new channel, there has to be something, which is compelling enough to switch on the TV and watch the new channel. Such experiments obviously bring them initial eyeballs,” Radhakrishnan says.

     

    She further explains that in week 10 of TAM TV in 2015, the viewership ratings in the GEC space have grown by five per cent. According to Radhakrishnan, the channel has clocked around 42 GRPs on a five and a half day basis, which is roughly about 55 GRPs over a seven day prorata basis.

     

     

    “That is exactly the same amount of GRPs the genre has grown by. GECs have grown by 55 GRPs. This doesn’t mean that people switched from one channel to another. It means they also have included 42 GRPs into the consumption and it is quiet acceptable in the GEC space, because the people who watch GECs are the ones who watch a lot of TV and they will happily include something new to their TV mix if the content interests them.”

     

    A senior executive from a rival channel believes that 42 GRPs is a good number to open with. “This shows that there is more elasticity in the sector and it also opens it up  to newer players and gives them hope that the GEC space has legs,” the executive says.

     

    It may be recalled that during the launch Goenka was confident that the channel would break even in three years if it does exceptionally well and five years if it does reasonably well. On the same lines, a senior executive from a rival channel feels that if the channel continues at the same pace it might break even in the next three years.

     

    Going by its opening numbers, it looks like a success story is beginning to be penned in the  Indian television space. And as Colors CEO Raj Nayak puts it, that while the channel has had a decent launch, it is imperative that it builds from here on and carves a continuous mindspace for itself in the cluttered Hindi GEC space.

    Well, that will be team &TV’s next big challenge! Watch this space!