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Tag: Rajesh Sheshadri

  • ‘We have seen double digit revenue growth’ : Rajesh Sheshadri – NGC India senior VP content and communication

    ‘We have seen double digit revenue growth’ : Rajesh Sheshadri – NGC India senior VP content and communication

    With DTH growing in the country and cable addressability expected to spread more channels, special interest broadcasters are looking to increase their offerings. One of these is the National Geographic Channel (NGC). The broadcaster is looking to bring four more channels in the near future.

    Indiantelevision.com’s Ashwin Pinto caught up with NGC India senior VP content and communication Rajesh Sheshadri to find out about the network’s growth plans in India.

    Excerpts:

    NGC is looking to launch more channels in India. Could you shed light on this?
    The four new Nat Geo channels that we plan to launch in India have already proven to be popular in countries where they are currently available. Nat Geo Music, Nat Geo Wild, Nat Geo Adventure and Nat Geo HD allow us to expand our commitment to quality programming and to create specialist channels in genres which are at the very heart of the National Geographic brand.

    The core channel will continue to expand its successful contemporary science, technology and exploration strands and will be clearly differentiated from the specialist Nat Geo Channels.

    Our aim is to offer compelling programming across genres and we feel that this is the right time to launch new channels that will cater to the growing public appetite for high quality television viewing.

    When is the launch happening?
    We have applied to the government for the licenses. We are looking to launch these channels within a month after we get the approval. We would look to launch all four of them together as the impact would be much more.

    Is there a gap that these channels are looking to fill in an environment where audience expectations are growing exponentially?
    Absolutely! All the channels are unique in their category. There are no other channels that compete with them. We need to create channels to cater to the maturing taste of our audience.

    Will local content play a key role in these new channels like it does for NGC and THC?
    Yes! 15 per cent of content on our existing channels is local. We want to hit this mark as soon as possible for our new channels as well. It could happen within the first quarter of launch. Local content will allow us to connect in a very effective manner with our TG.

    Distribution is going to be a huge problem for the new channels with cable networks demanding high carriage fee. How do you plan to tackle this?
    We will have to plan our distribution strategy carefully and see that we are present with those operators and platforms who best serve our TG. There is no need for us to be present en masse.

    What is the core TG for these channels?
    The programming on these new channels is targetted at audiences eager to stretch the boundaries of their knowledge about the world they live in. In some cases, the channels will target the same demographic but clearly a different psychographic.

    Nat Geo Wild will appeal to the entire family: men, women, children, from 6-60 years old.

    Owing to the technology involved, Nat Geo HD will attract premium, affluent households in the bigger cities. With the enhanced picture frame composition, sharper picture quality and surround sound system, National Geographic Channel HD will deliver more intimate, closer to life and theatre-like experiences. The channel will feature explorers and cutting-edge filmmakers. It will showcase documentary programmes, stories and credibility that viewers expect from us.

    Nat Geo Adventure, whose DNA is around travel, adventure and culture, will be targeted towards the 18+ age group while Nat Geo Music is targetted at an older audience above 25 years.

    As far as your two existing channels go, what kind of revenue and viewership growth are they seeing?
    Both the channels have grown significantly in terms of viewership and revenues over the last few years. They have registered double digit growth in revenue over the last year. We are also seeing an increase in viewership and in time spent on the two channels.

    What prompted the rebranding of The History Channel?
    In its two years of existence in India, The History Channel had established itself as a credible authority and owner of the theme of history. The strategic shift allowed us to move the channel to the next phase of evolution and broad base its appeal.

    The History Channel’s fresh and stylishly packaged look and feel has been created and designed internally to reflect a much more distinctive on-air presence. The primary objective behind this makeover was to make history entertaining for our audiences. The look is more edgy and young.

    What are the major tentpole properties coming up for it?
    History Rocks, one of our biggest properties this year, is currently on air and will go on till September. A 17-part series, it brings together concerts, documentaries and interviews featuring rock icons of yester years and offers a glimpse into the life of these rock legends.

    We organised a series of rock concerts across Delhi, Mumbai and Bangalore featuring some of the best Indian rock bands including Parikrama (they performed at the first History Rocks concert held on 23 May in New Delhi), Galeej Gurus (performed on May 30 in Bangalore) and The Works (performed on 5 June in Mumbai)

    Going forward, you will see more big-ticket activities. We will air Warriors, a new series from 4 July every Friday night at 9 PM, which will comprise spectacles based on the lives of eight men who shaped the world around them, either by sheer force of will, genius, courage or even greed.

    Another series that is in the pipeline is an eight-week show called Human Weapon, starting 21 August every Thursday night at 10 pm. This new series features two martial arts adventurers, who embark on a journey to reveal the history behind the different forms of combat.

    Chinese Whispers is a series wherein each episode will challenge an accepted fact to uncover the truth behind history’s most intriguing topics – using the latest DNA and underground technology and new archaeological evidence. This new series will be aired every Wednesday night at 10 pm starting 3 September.

    Is THC also creating TG specific slots like for women and kids?
    Yes, we have specific slots for women and children as well. We have a band in the afternoon that caters to women. For the children, we have a weekly slot on Sundays called THC Classroom. THC classroom showcases curriculum relevant content for school children. We believe that this band will help make history more entertaining and engaging to children.
    ‘Fifteen per cent of content on our existing channels is local. We want to hit this mark as soon as possible for our new channels as welle‘
    In what manner has THC grown its community outreach programmes like Save Your History over the past few months? How important is it from a brand building perspective?
    Save Your History is a concept that we believe in since it brings history closer to an individual. However, last year there was an internal realisation that we had to make this concept into a much bigger initiative than initially planned.

    Such platforms are important for us as The History Channel is committed to making history entertaining. Initiatives such as these allow people to share and collaborate on entertaining facets of the genre. Currently, we are revising our plans for this initiative. We’ll be able to share these plans once we firm up the details.

    In terms of local shows, are you talking with local production houses to explore ideas?
    Yes we are. We are always looking at ways to localise the channel. We believe that local content always has that additional traction with viewers.

    The Mission properties have been key for NGC. What have the learnings been from doing this over the years?
    Over the years, Mission properties have become synonymous with NGC, which I think is a great achievement given the clutter in the market and the absence of clearly differentiated content. From our perspective, the largeness and the uniqueness that is associated with it puts a lot of responsibility on us too.

    We don’t want to commoditise that positioning and hence we are very careful when it comes to using the ‘Mission’ name for any property. We, therefore, need to ensure that the topic being covered is also unique and a first.

    Before deciding on a subject, what are the key elements that you look for? How much research goes into it?
    A Mission property by definition is a ‘by India, for India‘ property. Through the Mission property, we look forward to reach out to a larger segment of people. The idea, therefore, should have a broad based appeal, should be locally relevant and above all should be in sync with our philosophy of making viewers ‘Think again‘. The idea here is to take viewers to places where no one else can. It has to, therefore, be unique and an unparalleled 360-degree experience.

    What is next in this regard?
    There are always a lot of ideas but a Mission property is a big initiative. It requires a lot of planning and background work. We are planning to launch a Mission this year and will share the details soon.

    Are there any changes going to be made in terms of how NGC is programmed like time slots, genres?
    Right now, we are focussed on building specific nights. We have our existing slot of Megastructures on Thursdays at 8 pm, which is performing extremely well. We plan to build that slot. Later this month, we will be premiering a new series Super Factories on that slot. Super Factories takes viewers inside the shop floor of iconic brands like BMW, Corvette, etc.

    We also have Brand New Sunday, which showcases our newest and best programmes. We are looking at renewed product and communication to strengthen these slots.

    Over the next three months, we have an exciting and interesting line up. We have Long Way Down featuring Hollywood superstar Evan Mcgregor, World’s Deadliest Animals and Food Lover’s Guide to the Planet. All these are extremely informative and entertaining shows and we believe that these properties will get the requisite traction from the viewers.

    On the advertising front, how are the two channels faring?
    We had an inventory growth of 15 per cent on NGC and 30 per cent on THC. We also had a 10 per cent increase in the number of active clients on the channels. These I think are great indicators of how the revenue is shaping up.

    What are the kinds of solutions that long term clients can avail of that go beyond just the 30-second spot?
    At Nat Geo, we take pride in seeing each brand as a unique entity and offering innovative solutions that best suit the advertiser’s needs. Our association with brands like Godfrey Phillips Bravery, Lufthansa, Titan and Makemytrip.com are examples of our ability to go beyond the brief and delivering out of the box solution for our partners.

    With our latest initiatives ‘Lufthansa Nat Geo Genius‘ and ‘Trapped‘, we went way beyond the conventional 30-second spot and incorporated our sponsors’ messaging in a simple yet effective manner without it looking like a forced fit for viewers.

    Godfrey Phillips Bravery has been honouring the brave since 1990 and we found there was a natural fit between their mission and the essence of our series ‘Trapped‘, which was to showcase and salute the strength of human endurance, will and determination. Similarly, our internationally acclaimed game show’s Indian edition, Nat Geo Genius was a perfect platform for Lufthansa to reach out to its target audience.

    As part of the innovative tie-up with Titan, we created an exclusive commercial for their new Aviator range using the exclusive footage on fighter planes from our ‘Top Gun’ series. For makemytrip.com, we created a special adventure zone on their website by sharing assets such as Nat Geo adventure wallpapers and screensavers to boost their adventure travel segment.

    These associations demonstrate our ability to provide integrated marketing solutions to our partners and going beyond the conventional commercial time.

    Abroad, broadcasters have started to create separate channels for the mobile and Internet. Content is specifically tailored for them. How far away are NGC and THC from doing this?
    For NGC, we have mobile-ready content. We have a complete range of short form virals (30-45 seconds), mobisodes (3-4 minutes), ringtones, wallpapers, text based content, etc. We are in talks with both mobile service providers and handset providers to launch NGC on the mobile.

    We are already present on the Plus application on 57827. We run regular SMS contests on the channels to engage with our viewers. In addition to the mobile space, we are also making significant investments in the online space. We are redesigning the NGC website and the new version should be launched in the next couple of weeks. The NGC website, going forward, will function as a full fledged destination in itself.

    The English entertainment space will see new entrants over the next two years. Do you see this growing viewership for the genre or will it simply increase fragmentation?
    Today, every brand must make that additional effort to connect with the consumer whose needs and wants are changing by the day. As long as a channel owns a clearly defined space in the mind of the consumer, fragmentation wouldn’t really matter.

    National Geographic Channel and The History Channel have a clear and distinct positioning in the mind of the viewer. All initiatives by the channels are to reinforce this distinct positioning, and as long as we keep doing that, the launch of other channels will not affect us.
  • Ratings: Discovery maintains lead in infotainment

    Ratings: Discovery maintains lead in infotainment

    MUMBAI: Continuing with our review of how different genres have fared over the last six months we now cast our eye on the infotainment space.

    Tam data c&s 15+ all India shows that Discovery has a clear lead over archrival National Geographic Channel (NGC). It increased its share which was at 38 per cent from 15 September – 15 October 2006 to 42 per cent for the period 15 December 2006 – 13 January 2007. NGC’s share fell from 31 per cent in the 15 October – 15 November 2006 period to 25 per cent from 1 January to 13 January 2007.
    Speaking to Indiantelevision.com on this Discovery India executive VP and MD Deepak Shourie says that a robust consumer feedback mechanism and viewer-centric approach has allowed the broadcaster to present engaging and entertaining programmes which has led to this surge in viewership.

    “These programmes were aggressively promoted through innovative marketing and public relations strategies.” He gives the examples of the show Dragons: A Fantasy Made Real which did well as far as viewership is concerned.

    Meanwhile NGC VP marketing Rajesh Sheshadri points out to big properties like the second season of Mega Structures, Nat Geo Investigates: Terrorism which has helped boost viewer involvement. The plan is to have a major property come out at least once in two months. For instance this month it focusses on martial arts with Fists Of Fury. In the past it has done shows like Megastructures to build up the Thursday primetime slot and Air Crash Investigations on Mondays.

    When asked about the plan to bridge the ratings gap he adds, “As far as the infotainment genre is concerned, Nat Geo is the only true blue factual channel today. The others (including NGC’s sibling The History Channel) have moved in the entertainment space. However, we definitely need to keep the momentum going to push the ratings forward.” Of course since both Discovery and NGC air shows related to current events at times there is an overlap. A case in point was September when they both focussed on the theme of terror.

    Creating awareness: Shourie meanwhile points out that the marketing effort has been to highlight the diverse variety of programming that Discovery offers to its viewers.

    “Within this, we promoted a range of programmes from nature to engineering to science, and even India-centric programmes offering viewers a wholesome television experience and an alternate to soaps and movies.”

    In terms of marketing and promotional activities Sheshadri says, “We always endeavour to provide 360-degree experience to our viewers through innovative promotions linked with our programming, which also provide our advertising partners an ideal opportunity to reach out to the consumer.”

    A case in point was its tie up with McDonald’s for an in-store promotion for kids, the ‘Roboraptor Contest’. McDonald’s outlets across Mumbai, Pune, Ahmedabad, Vadodara, Bangalore and Hyderabad promoted the initiative, where kids could win toys from the animated series Dragonball Z with every happy meal.

    The Local Push: This is an area where all the channels have looked to take things to the next level. On the local front to encourage talent and build a closer connect NGC late last year announced a new initiative to recognise work in non fiction. It will present awards for excellence in non fiction film-making in India. It will take this activity forward in June as it does not want to clash with the cricket World Cup. It aired specials under the theme Emerging India last year.

    This looked at different topics from call centres in Mumbai to Delhi’s firefighters. Sheshadri says that localisation can be used as a marketing tool. For instance promos were cut with prominent people like the Police Commissioner expressing their appreciation on the terror initiative. Sheshadri adds that a lot of NGC’s viewers are those that watch news a lot. They often watch NGC as they are passionate about a certain topic that the channel has chosen to focus on.

    Last year Discovery increased the number of hours devoted to Indian shows. The Discover India block on Saturday night is now two hours instead of one hour.

    The media buyers take: OMS media director Madan Mohapatra feels that Discovery fares better on account of the wide range of shows it has. “It probably has a broader appeal among its audience which is why in terms of incremental reach offered in the media plan and affinity with its TG it fares better.” Starcom’s Rahul Panchal feels that Discovery in a lot of places will be on a better channel band. Also its awareness level is probably higher. Last year Discovery is estimated to have earned around Rs. 350 million while NGC would have made around Rs. 200 million.

    The other players: One surprise when one looks at the ratings is the fact that Animal Planet is faring a little better than The History Channel (THC). Why it is surprising is simply because THC had undergone a repositioning from an infotainment channel to an entertainment channel in May. Therefore its breadth of offerings is much wider compared to the other channel whose sole focus is on the animal kingdom.

    Animal Planet’s share is at 19 per cent compared to The History Channel which has a share of six per cent. Even Discovery Travel and Living has a slightly higher share at eight per cent for the period 1 January – 13 January 2007.

    Shourie says that Animal Planet due to the strength of the brand attracts high viewership from across age groups, genders and geographies. Last year in order to emphasise the channel’s diverse programming and attract appointment viewing, Animal Planet introduced a time-band strategy last year, segmenting the programmes under well-defined bands. To leverage this advantage and to draw higher consistency and control over viewership, the channel targetted specific and relevant viewers allowing it to build loyalty says Shourie.

    Mohaptra says that Animal Planet’s advantage is that kids love it. So dual viewership happens for the channel. “Parents often do not mind watching something they feel is good for their kids. That is why Cartoon Network has impressive numbers. THC does not have this factor going for it.”

    Panchal feels that one can approach Animal Planet in a more relaxed manner which works in its favour. With THC one has to concentrate more with their films and mini series. Also Animal Planet’s content one cannot find elsewhere.

    Shourie is also optimistic on the performance of DTL. “The emerging aspirations and attitudes in India, strongly endorsed by the fast-changing travel and consumption habits, reflected a demand for lifestyle-oriented television content in India and led to the launch of Discovery Travel and Living.”

    The channel he has been successful in redefining ‘lifestyle’ programming in India. He claims that DTL is available in 22 million homes around the country and attracts more than 120 advertisers from across product categories.

    Mohaptara feels that as far as DTL is concerned it helps that travel and tourism are two booming sectors. There is a clear interest among the upper class to travel more to exotic locations. This helps DTL leverage its brand proposition among the media fraternity although the numbers may not be that high. The perception is that the upper crust that travels abroad regularly and which is important for the lifestyle brands would be tuning into DTL to find out the hot locales and cool things to do.

    Panchal says that DTL has a small but loyal audience. So it is particularly attractive for tourism boards, airlines. DTL is estimated to have earned around Rs. 160 million last year. Due to the high quality of the audience it managed to get more than double what Animal Planet got which would be around Rs. 75 million. Growth in the infotainment sector is estimated at around eight per cent for this year.

    Meanwhile THC’s tagline is ‘Live The Story’. The new fare includes mini-series, re-enactments and also films. All have a historical connect. That is the basic criteria. The aim is to change the perception of history as being dull and boring to that where it is a vibrant topic and comes alive. As Sheshadri says, “We have focussed and build on the two franchises that we have established – Double F (Fridays at 9 pm) and Jumbo movies (Sat and Sun at 8 pm) like Hitler: Rise Of Evil.”

    The Double F meshes facts and fiction. So for instance you could see a biography of Jack The Ripper followed by a film on the serial killer with Michael Caine. In December to strengthen the weekday offerings THC launched the shows Sharpe with British actor Sean Bean, Sherlock Holmes and Kennedy at 9 pm on weekdays.

    Sheshadri says that at the same time the channel has constantly refreshed the factual content which is the bedrock of the channel. So one sees new shows coming up like Dogfights, Shootout, Engineering An Empire. These use extensive reenactments and computer graphics to enhancing the theme of history.

    On the local front THC came out with an online initiative called Save Your History. This is a community sharing site that allows Indians to share and collaborate on important historical happenings in their lives, which could be in the form of photos, precious documents and artifacts.

    For instance, a famous cricketer could put a photograph of his first bat or the first match that he played. The campaign aims at educating people on the importance of responsibility and commitment to saving one’s culture and heritage for the sake of posterity. This Sheshadri says is a good way to get a community involved with the brand.

    In terms of marketing one thing that THC did was a tie up with NGO, the Indian National Trust for Art and Cultural heritage (Intach). The organisation works towards promoting awareness of heritage and conservation. Both parties aim at making history more relevant.

    THC has screened shows like French Revolution, The Mughals, Rome and Crusades have been organised by Intach with its chapters, schools and colleges. In the first month, the activity reached 6000 students. This way THC hopes that children will not look at history as being dull and boring. THC is estimated to have earned around 170 million in ad revenue last year.

    Localisation is also something that DTL has gotten into. Last year it started airing locally commissioned shows on India like The Great Indian Wedding and Indian Rendezvous. The aim was to boost interest in the channel. The challenge Shourie says is to still maintain its international positioning.

  • NGC unleashes ‘Fists of Fury’ next month

    NGC unleashes ‘Fists of Fury’ next month

    MUMBAI: National Geographic Channel will next month kick of a new show Fists of Fury. It will offer viewers a journey into the world of Martial Arts.

    The show aims to give viewers an insight into what is martial art myth and what is not, an insight into what it takes to be a martial arts champion, a countdown of the best killing weapons, revealing the reality behind the deadly martial arts using scientific breakthroughs and gripping footage.

    The show premieres on 12 February, 2007 at 10 pm. The show looks at the deadly weapons and daring warriors that have shaped legend, confounded science and astounded the world. Viewers will discover how exotic weapons are designed to kill in gruesome ways, marvel at the sheer power of the human body tested to its limits, and admire the hidden strength of a Samurai sword. Learn the secrets of martial arts’ mysterious past-and meet the face of its inspiring future.
    NGC India senior VP programming Joy Bhattacharjya said, ” Fists of Fury promises to make our viewers rethink the abilities of the most lethal weapon in the world – the human body. It is an action-packed look at some of the most ancient deadly arts, which brings to light the science behind the legends we have read about and seen in the movies. The series is sure to get every person with any interest in Martial Arts completely hooked.”

    The series will feature 10 films. They include Fight Science 1 and 2, Kung Fu Monk and Samurai Sword.

    NGC India VP marketing Rajesh Sheshadri says, “Fists of Fury is a truly sensational offering, which takes a look at Martial Arts from every possible angle. Can you kill with a single blow? What is the most potent weapon? To what it takes to win a kick-fighting championship and how a Shaolin Monk disciple is transforming an ancient Eastern tradition into a stunning Western sensation and lots more. We have a superb line-up of episodes as part of the series and are planning some exciting promotions to provide a 360 degree experience to our viewers and advertising partners.”

  • NGC, Warner to push ‘Happy Feet’ film

    NGC, Warner to push ‘Happy Feet’ film

    MUMBAI: This holiday season, National Geographic Channel (NGC) celebrates Warner Bros’. animated family adventure Happy Feet.

    The film releases in cinema halls in India on 22 December. NGC has partnered with the studio to promote the film in India through on-air and off-air activities.

    In the film into the world of the Emperor Penguins, who find their soul mates through song, a penguin is born who cannot sing. But he can tap dance something fierce. The film has the voices of Australian actors Nicole Kidman, Hugh Jackman and Hugo Weaving among others. As part of the initiative, the channel has planned a Happy Feet Week. This is a week of programming featuring selections from Nat Geo’s acclaimed library of films on and about penguins, starting on Christmas Day 25 December at 4 pm.

    There is also a Happy Feet themed contest for viewers who tune in to Nat Geo to participate. The grand prize is a trip for two to witness the world famous Penguin Parade in Phillip Island, Australia.

    NGC India VP marketing Rajesh Sheshadri, said, “Happy Feet is about breaking free from the crowd, recognising your uniqueness and making it your strength. Through this unique association with Warner Bros. Pictures we look forward to further our reach and enhance the connection with our audience.”

    Warner Bros. Pictures (India) marketing manager Sanjay Narayanan says, “National Geographic Channel – which is devoted to deepening and enriching India’s understanding and appreciation of our natural world – is an ideal partner for us on Happy Feet, which through storytelling shines a light on the very special world of Emperor Penguins”

    The series will feature films like Emperor Penguins, Game for It, Fairy Penguins: The Secret of Sydney Harbour and Penguin Death Zone.

  • NGC, ETV announce content partnership

    NGC, ETV announce content partnership

    MUMBAI: The National Geographic Channel (NGC) and regional network ETV have announced a content partnership.

    NGC will provide content to ETV, which will air five days a week (Monday-Friday) in a half hour evening slot. From today 13 November viewers of ETV Telugu, ETV Oriya, ETV Kannada, ETV Bangla, ETV Gujarati, ETV Marathi, ETV UP, ETV MP, ETV Rajasthan and ETV Bihar will be able to catch NGC’s programmes in their native language. The regional language versions of the programs will be provided by NGC to ETV Network.

    The new partnership with ETV is a step further in NGC’s strategy to reach out to a wider audience across the country. The programmes being aired on ETV will cover a wide range of topics. The alliance will be kick started with NGC’s series Most Amazing Moments” that will premier across the ETV network from today. This partnership also underlines ETV’s mission to provide its viewers with quality international programming to enhance the viewer experience.

    NGC India VP marketing Rajesh Sheshadri, “National Geographic Channel is synonym for smart, innovative and interesting programmes that invite viewers to Think again. Reaching a wider audience to expose them to our superior content has been a goal we have been constantly working towards.

    “Partnership with a leading channel like ETV that reaches to millions of viewers through their bouquet of regional channels is an excellent opportunity to further our reach. I am confident that viewers in these states will appreciate our unique programmes and will look forward to their daily dose of the best of National Geographic Channel programmes in their native language.”

    ETV Network VP – operations Bapineedu said, “Quality entertainment in the language of our viewer’s choice is one of the key contributors to our success. Our programs depict the culture with which our viewers are able to connect and it is this spirit of empathy with individual cultures/languages that has helped us to reach to millions of viewers. Through this partnership with National Geographic Channel we endeavor to further enhance our viewer’s experience by exposing them to never before seen international programmes in their native language.”

  • IHC and the NGC invites entries for ‘Award for Habitat Young Visionary 2007’

    IHC and the NGC invites entries for ‘Award for Habitat Young Visionary 2007’

    MUMBAI: India Habitat Centre in association with National Geographic Channel has invited entries for the fourth annual ‘Award for Habitat Young Visionary 2007’ to be held on 30 January 2007.

    The undergraduate students from across the country can participate in the award.

    The Habitat Young Visionary Award encourages the youth to ‘Think again’ about the world they live in and share their horizons with cross sections of civil society on the IHC platform. This programme is open to all undergraduate students across India and hopes to be the first step in catalyzing the process of vision formation amongst youth.

    The Habitat Young Visionary Award involves submission of a 1500 words essay in English or Hindi on specified topics in the first stage. Based on the essay, fifteen participants will be short listed for the semifinals and would be required to elaborate and defend their vision before a panel of eminent judges. Out of this, five participants will be chosen for the finale.

    The idea of the award is not to test the oratorical aptitude of the participants but to identify cogent and novel solutions germinating in their minds to the issues faced by our country. The last date for submission of entries is 30 October 2006.

    Speaking about the unique initiative, VP – Marketing, National Geographic Channel India, Rajesh Sheshadri, said, “Through this unique effort of the India Habitat Centre, and our partnership with them, we want to reach out to the youth, which is the think tank for our future and inspire a spirit of creativity and innovative thinking”.

    “This award is a part of our conscious effort to initiate a process wherein young minds while engaged in the pursuit of academic excellence, need to dwell on the concerns of the country as a part of their perspective. With our partners, the National Geographic Channel, we look forward to encourage the youth to initiate the thought process for the change they can lead for a better society”, commented IHC Director Raj Liberhan.

    The gratification that comes with the award is also in true ‘Think again’ style and provides the finalists, unique opportunities that can shape their future. The winner of the award will get to attend a fully paid summer programme sponsored by the India Habitat Centre at the Cambridge University. The first runner-up will get a unique internship opportunity with the National Geographic Channel and the other three finalists will get a chance to intern with an established NGO.

    Participation and Selection Procedure

    Stage 1:

    Write a 1500 words essay in English or Hindi on any one of the given topics:

    1) What I do for a living is more important than how much I earn
    2) The future is ugly, we need to act now
    3) Our strengths today will shape a better tomorrow
    4) Mediocrity to excellence – Way to get there
    5) India – 60 years young and ready to go

    The essay should be the synopsis of a larger, realistic and practical vision. All entries should be typed in double space or A4 size paper. The participant is also required to enclose his / her CV in about 250 words and a bonafide certificate from the institution / college.

    Entries should reach before October 30, 2006 at the following address: Director’s office, 6th Floor, Core 5A, India Habitat Centre, Lodhi Road, New Delhi – 110003 or can be e-mailed at: ihc@vsnl.com

    Stage 2:

    Fifteen participants will be short listed for the semifinals to be held on December 4, 2006 in Delhi. The semifinalists will be asked to elaborate and defend their vision before a reputed panel of judges.

    Stage 3:

    Five participants will be short listed for the finals to be held on January 30, 2007 at India Habitat Centre, Delhi.

  • Nat Geo builds an online Wall against Terror

    Nat Geo builds an online Wall against Terror

    MUMBAI: In an effort to get Indian viewers more involved with its programming on terrorism the National Geographic Channel (NGC) has creating a unique microsite to increase interactivity with the viewers, encourage them to come forward with their views and get in depth information on the series Nat Geo Investigates: Terrorism. The series is airing till 22 September 2006 at 10 pm.

    The micro-site is called Wall against Terror. It includes a special forum called ‘India’s Voice’. This is a blog where viewers can share their ideas and thoughts about the issue of terrorism.

    The microsite also includes sections like ‘What’s Your Slogan?’, ‘Do Your Bit’ and ‘Send A Postcard’. ‘What’s Your Slogan’ invite’s viewers to post their slogan against terror, while ‘Do Your Bit’ looks at giving tips to citizens on how to deal with terrorism in day-to-day life. Through ‘Send A Postcard’, one can inform his or her friends about the series and the campaign against terrorism.

    Besides the above, the Nat Geo Investigates micro-site provides in depth information on the series and interesting factoids on some of the deadliest terror attacks in recent times.

    NGC India VP -marketing, Rajesh Sheshadri, said, “With a strong message like ‘India, Fight Back’, we are promoting this series not only on-air but also through radio, internet and various innovative on-ground activities. This series is a landmark event not only for us, but all our viewers and partners as it touches a topic which is pertinent to all. With only few days into the activity, we are getting tremendous response to the series and to our blog India’s Voice. It shows that people are now ready to be involved in the fight against terrorism, by being more alert and aware”.

    The micro-site, ‘Wall Against Terror’ can be accessed through the National Geographic Channel’s website www.nationalgeographic.co.in or directly www.designmechanics.in/natgeo/

  • NGC deduces the science of Hollywood

    NGC deduces the science of Hollywood

    MUMBAI: What is fact and what is fiction? In Hollywood it is often difficult to tell the diference.

    Now the National Geographic Channel (NGC) is set to unveil the realism behind stunts and special effects in Hollywood films with a new show Science of Hollywood. Can what is shown on the silver screen actually happen in real life?

    The show kicks off on 27 November at 9 pm.
    Appropriately enough the first episode looks at car chases. How realistic were the car chases in flicks such as The Bourne Identity, Bullit and The French Connection? Can the vehicles in the films really burn rubber and do hairpin turns?

    In the episode Disasters At Sea the show examines whether the oceanic disasters depicted in the big gorssing film of al time Titanic, The Perfect Storm and The Poseidon Adventure true to life or was there a tidal wave of Hollywood fiction at play?

    Fans of 007 should check out Spy Gadgets. From Bond to Bourne, the world of espionage has fascinated cinemagoers for decades. But how many of the gadgets are actually used in real life?

    CGI and interviews with top scientists and filmmakers combine to separate fact and fiction within Hollywood’s most famous depictions of scientific phenomena and historical fact.Bond’s Aston Martin and Knight Rider’s KITT were high-tech for their time, but Minority Report gave us a very different look at the future of cars. Was the director of that film Steven Spielberg realistic about his vision of the future?

    Next month the channel takes a look inside special events with what it calls Inside Series. This kicks of on 18 December 2006 at 10 pm. Speaking to indiantelevision.com on this NGC VP marketing Rajesh Sheshadri says, “This takes viewers inside special events and the logistics that go into making them possible. The first episode is called Inside – Rolling Stones In Rio.

    ” This is is one of the biggest concerts in history with an iconic band. 1.5 million people attended the free concert. Viewers will see what takes place behind the scenes to transform salt and sand into a high-tech light and sound extravaganza. 200 tons of equipment were used to build a seven story stage, and keep over a million screaming fans safe.”

    The show will also go inside the Fifa Club Championship Toyota Cup. For clubs around the globe the crowning of the Fifa Club World Champions is the ultimate event. Teams from six continents battle for the title in the great soccer cathedrals of Japan. 1,500 media will be accredited and over 45,000 fans will cram into each stadium.

    The show goes behind the scenes to see what it takes to put on such an international spectacle. A spidercam will give soccer viewers at home a new perspective on the game. Viewers will follow the story of a team of referees as they encounter their moment of truth, the announcement of the selected referees for the final match.

    Another episode is called Inside – Hong Kong’s Big Bang. Seven million revelers take to the streets of Hong Kong to join one of the biggest parties in the world.

    How do you throw the party of the century? At the close of each lunar year, the streets of Hong Kong fill with tourists hungry to be entertained by some of the best party-planners in the world. But this is no ordinary year.. Over a half million tourists are expected to join the seven million Hong Kong residents to celebrate the Year of the Dog. Entertainers come from all over the world, 1,000 boats crowd Victoria Harbor and hundreds of highly-trained police officers will oversee the masses to make sure the celebration goes off without a hitch.

    Viewers will find out what goes on in the control rooms, on the floating powder kegs, and beyond the stage doors of Hong Kong’s most anticipated day. As tourists, organisers, and partygoers converge upon Hong Kong, Inside captures the technology and toil of the Chinese New Year celebrations.

  • Luxury cars, warriors on The History Channel’s plate

    Luxury cars, warriors on The History Channel’s plate

    MUMBAI: It was a few months ago that The History Channel (THC) underwent a brand repositioning from an infotainment channel to an entertainment one.

    With its strenght in historical programming, this allowed the channel to offer a better repertoire of shows. And, in the coming months it will boost the variety on offer.

    Speaking to Indiantelevision.com The History Channel VP marketing Rajesh Sheshadri says, “The History Channel (THC) has planned an interesting mix of content for the next couple of months. Our endeavour has always been to feature movies, mini-series and serials that have never been shown in India before.

    “September will see THC air programmes such as Luxury Cars, Kane Abel, Warriors and many more.”

    Luxury Cars is a 13 episode show about famous cars. They include Ferraris, Aston Martins, Lamborghinis etc. Warriors on the other hand, is a four part series featuring the most famous warriors in the history of the world. This series will highlight their weapons, architecture, famous battles and their eventual downfall.

    In terms of of movies and mini series, the channel plans to air titles like Attila the Hun, Helen of Troy, Rocky Marciano, Archangel (featuring Daniel Craig, the new James bond), First Olympics and Kennedy. Gerard Butler who played the title role in Phantom of The Opera stars as Attila The Hun. During the waning days of Roman Empire, the barbarian Huns are making their way toward Europe. A warrior named Attila violently assumes Hun leadership and unites the warring clans under his banner.

    But this is not enough for him, Attila seeks to form an empire, and he sees Rome, bristling under the leadership of the incompetent Caesar Valentian, ripe for the picking. In an attempt to quell a Hun invasion, ambitious Roman general Flavius Aetius attempts to form an alliance against Attila against their mutual enemy, Visigoth King Theodoric. But this plan backfires, and it soon becomes clear that a violent showdown between all three armies awaits.

    Jon Favreau stars as Rocky Marciano about the only undefeated world heavyweight champion in the history of boxing. Some of the biographies being featured are Henry VIII, Pope John Paul II, Ariel Sharon and Mother Teresa. “We are also in the process of procuring relevant and exciting new titles like The Bronte Sisters, Al Qaeda, Mary Magdalene, Oskar Schindler, Hercules, Charles Dickens, Casanova and Rudyard Kipling.

    “Our films and mini-series are bound together by the fact that they are fun, compelling and entertaining while being set in a historically relevant setting or deal with personalities who have become historical icons such as Helen of Troy or Cleopatra or Spartacus” adds Sheshadri.

    A shift in approach towards clients: Asked about the relationship the channel has with the advertising fraternity, Sheshdari says that the approach has been changed keeping in mind a long term plan. “The revamped History Channel brings with it, its own unique set of challenges. The whole philosophy behind the new content like Jumbo Movies and Double F had to be communicated to our clients. We accomplished this by focussing heavily on content, conveying that this is not a short term shift but a long term strategic investment for the channel.”

    When asked whether advertisers now see THC as an entertainment channel or as an infotainment channel, Sheshadri points out that mass and niche are in the minds of marketers and not consumers. Consumers, he points out, don’t consume brands based on whether they are mass or niche.

    They consume brands based on the connect they form with the brand. “The History Channel is a theme-based channel and no one delivers the theme of History better than us”. The strategy is to bring historically significant events irrespective of the format and that is the core message that THC executives try to convey in all their presentations to clients.

    Sheshadri goes on to clarify that the core idea of the brand repositioning was to consolidate the positioning of the brand and not to increase numbers for numbers sake. The overall approach therefore, has taken into consideration the connect that THC has with its consumers and what THC can do to strengthen it.

    “Hence, we think that going forward THC will continue to cement and own a distinct position in the minds of the consumer and this distinct positioning is what will also give it additional numbers. We are already seeing signs of that and are sure that it will get better going forward. Advertisers follow consumers.”

    As far as the viewer perception of the channel is concerned, Sheshadri notes that viewers have taken note of the change. “New formats like Jumbo Movies and Double F have widely appreciated and followed. They still see us as being an authority on the subject of history. The difference is that now they know that we have a broader spectrum both in terms of the type of shows and type of formats.”

  • NGC looks at an ‘Emerging India’ next month

    NGC looks at an ‘Emerging India’ next month

    MUMBAI: National Geographic Channel (NGC) will celebrate India next month with an Emerging India Week.

    This will look at different topics from call centres in Mumbai to Delhi’s firefighters.

    Speaking to Indiantelevision.com on the localisation plans NGC India VP marketing Rajesh Sheshadri says, “We have a two-fold plan for localisation. One is in terms of look and feel of the channel, packaging as we call it. We are in the process of creating packaging that will connect at a local level.

    “The other is from creating local programmes. We already have India based programming, like Megacities: Mumbai, Sunset Bollywood, Delhi in Flames and we are in the process of increasing this bank of content. We don’t localise for localisation sake. Even the India based programming reflects our overall positioning of Think Again. Therefore, even if a Mumbaikar sees the Megacities episode on Mumbai he will learn 10 things about it that he did not know earlier.”

    The Emerging India Week takes place on the week of 15 August. One key episode that will air here is Bombay Calling at 10 pm on 15 August. This looks at what life is like in a call centre in the country’s financial capital and the call centre in question is Epircentre. It gives viewers an insiders view of how a call centre operates and what it takes to achieve success.

    It looks at the behavioural attitudes of the young employees who make good money early in their career. It will also examine at how their parents view the profession. For instance, a girl who works in the call centre comes from the sugar belt. Her father expresses pride at what she has achieved. That is because in her home town there are not many opportunities for growth. Those opportunities are to be found in the city.

    Another episode is called Delhi In Flames. This looks at Delhi’s firefighters and how they cope with the challenges of working in the country’s capital. Then there is the technology based episode Hole in the Wall. What is interesting is the manner in which it shows how technology cuts through India’s social and cultural barriers.

    A researcher Dr. Sugata Mitra conducted a series of experiments. It involved putting up a high speed computer on the walls of different places like slums. The children, irrespective of where they lived, were able to teach themselves how to surf the internet and how to download content from the web.

    It shows that children because of their curious nature have more scope to be self taught compared to adults. While on the subject of children as had been reported by Indiantelevisuion.com NGC has kicked off a Junior Hunt. This is a quest to find India’s superkid who is curious, adventurous, articulate, energetic and smart, in short, an all rounder.

    Sheshadri points out that NGC has so far contacted 180 schools all of whom have expressed interest. Some of them are letting a brand inside for the first time, which he finds encouraging. The hunt should come to an end by the end of September. The channel says that the endeavour aims to extend its children’s block Nat Geo Junior on-ground to provide an intelligent platform for kids to showcase their talent through a fun-filled, learning experience.

    Asked about how the idea for the Junior Hunt came about Sheshadri says, “Last year, we had launched the Nat Geo Junior block for kids on the channel. Its performance made us think again about what we are doing for kids. We realised that children are a very important set of audience whom we need to cater to and we had to make it a 360-degree experience for them too.

    “Then came an idea of encouraging kids to realise their potential but not based on the traditional parameters of grades in school. We are looking for a kid who likes his/her books as much as sports, likes to learn and discover new things, is adventurous, out-going and ready to take on challenges, in short an all-rounder.

    He points out that when NGC launched its Junior on air, block experts were consulted for their feedback on provide edutainment for the young audience. The aim is to have content through which children learn while having fun. “For the Nat Geo Junior block we try to select programmes that kids can relate to and are also superlative. Therefore, the segment is well appreciated by kids as well as their teachers and parents” adds Sheshadri.

    One local property that has done well for NGC has been Mission. There are plans in the pipeline to do another one but so far nothing has concretised.

    Sheshadri adds that the programing template on NGC going forward is two fold. One will be to have a different genre of infotainment every night. So on Monday, there is Nat Geo Investigates, on Wednesday technology takes the spotlight etc. The other strand is to have theme weeks. As had been reported earlier by Indiantelevision.com NGC will have a Terror Week in September.

    “We have created two hour special stacks from Monday – Friday to show case particular genres of content. This runs between 8-10 pm. Following that at 10 pm, we have Nat Geo Presents which will showcase our theme weeks, global tentpoles, etc. All of these bands have been packaged in a manner that is attractive to the advertiser.”

    In terms of how viewers perception of the channel have changed since the Think Again rebranding is concerned Sheshadri says, “Earlier NGC was associated mainly with wildlife and the adventure of exploration. Now, though we are seen as being a channel that specialises in different subjects like those of technological interest. A lot of this has to do with shows like Megacities.

    “We are seen as airing quality shows that are tech driven. Technology is something that our viewers can relate to more directly compared to wildlife. That is because they might use things that are technically complex though they might not always be aawre of it. In whatever we do, we ensure that uniqueness in terms of presentation, concepts and ideas is maintained and there is a take back value for our viewers from our programming. This approach is starting to pay dividends.”

    On the advertising front, Sheshadri agrees with the industry view that a Tam Elite Panel will increase ad revenue for the English entertainment and infotainment genre. He says, “An elite panel in Tam will help advertisers to identify what their target viewer is watching and will help them to direct their advertising spends at relevant places. English entertainment and the infotainment segment should definitely see a rise in ad revenue. A lot of this would depend on both – the acceptance of this metric among the agencies and clients and the measurement system adopted by this panel.

    “The ad sales strategy has been fine tuned to reflect the content that we have and hence the target group that comes on the channel to consume this content. Our content is evolved and hence the customer that comes to watch us is also evolved and sophisticated. All our specials have rated extremely well with the advertising fraternity even though they are based on varied topics from It Happens Only In India to Megacities to Most Amazing Moments.”