ITV

Tag: Sabe

  • SABe continues in comedy vein with sitcom ‘Akting Akting’

    SABe continues in comedy vein with sitcom ‘Akting Akting’

    MUMBAI: While all mainstream Hindi entertainment channels are banking on drama and movie premieres to boost ratings, SABe TV intends to strengthen its primetime USP – comedy.

    Keeping up with its new baseline “Dare to be different “, coined recently to coincide with the recent launch of, you guessed it, another sitcom called Public Hai Sab Janti Hai , the channel has announced a new comedy serial Akting Akting , which premieres on 9 December.

    Gautam Adhikari: Dares to be different
    “The audience feedback is indicative of the fact that at the end of the day when the viewers want to relax, they switch on to SABe TV and watch sitcoms like Office Office or Public Hai Sab Janti Hai , instead of the usual soaps on other channels,” said SABe TV chairman Gautam Adhikari. “Not introducing saas-bahu soaps in our channel is a calculated move. Nowadays , the viewer is not able to distinguish one soap from the other, as they are all so similar. If we ever opt for a soap it will have to be different, especially content wise,” he replied, when asked about the introduction of yet another sitcom to their prime time band.

    Akting-Akting will star ‘debutante’ Sajid Khan and will showcase him in the role of a teacher of ‘Mad Acting Institute’. The story line is based on antics of aspiring actors who come from different parts of the country, to learn acting in a school that is headed by a wacky teacher – Sajid – and owned by a lady who at one time nurtured ambitions of becoming an actress.

    The sitcom will air Mondays and Tuesdays at 9 pm.

    Special children band on the cards
    In tune with its bid to be unique, the channel will introduce a special children band post-February next year.

    “We intend to introduce a weekly children band wherein we will show kid-based programmes, dramas apart from the usual cartoons. Though the programmes will primarily be in- house productions, we are open to outsourcing as well. We will concentrate on the quality and the content of the programmes,” says Adhikari.

    The channel, which is just about two-and-a-half years old, has already established its image as a channel with unique programming with major emphasis on comedy and suspense thrillers. “We are concentrating on these two genres as the audience is now more alert and has matured. They are aware of what they want.The two said genres have tremendous scope in our country when compared to others. For example mythological and historical genres no longer interest viewers like they used to, say five years ago,” explains Adhikari.

    Adhikari Brothers to roll out 3-4 films every year
    The channel, which has carved a niche for itself with its unique programming devoid of family soaps and movie premieres, now intends to also pay attention to youth-based programmes.

    “We have kept our channel movie-free because they are not viable. The latest movies are not economical and old movies don’t interest the viewer any more as they have been shown by the local cable operator umpteen number of times,” said Adhikari when asked about the deliberate strategy to keep movies off the channel.

    While the channel has kept movies off its inventory, like other production houses, the Adhikaris are alive to the potential of the film business. Wholly owned subsidiary Sri Adhikari Brothers Films Division Limited is all set to roll out three to four movies every year. “With the spurt in multiplexes across the city, well made films will always be in demand. We intend to make films with a maximum budget of 40 to 50 million rupees, as above that it is not economically viable,” asserted Adhikari, who as reported earlier, is currently working on a musical suspense thriller starring Sunil Shetty.

    SABe TV business taken over by Adhikari Brothers
    Sri Adhikari Brothers Television Network Limited has informed BSE that the company has decided to take over the channel SABe TV’s business with effect from January 2002. The takeover follows the shifting of the uplinking of the channel to India from Singapore last month, SABTNL vice-chairman and managing director Markand Adhikari has been quoted as saying.

    The Reserve Bank of India, on 2 December, had consented to the takeover of the channel business, Markand Adhikari said, adding the company would have to recast the accounts for the period ended March 31, 2002 . The results for first and second quarter of 2002-2003 would also need to be recast, he said.

    In another development, the SABTNL board accepted the resignation of T Ostwal as director of the Company at its meeting held on 31 October.

  • ‘Raamkhilavaan’ team makes one more satire for SABe

    ‘Raamkhilavaan’ team makes one more satire for SABe

    MUMBAI: After Raamkhilavaan CM n family , a spoof on Bihari chief minister Laloo Prasad Yadav which ran into rough weather, SABe TV is poised to air another satire called Public Hai Sab Janti Hai .

    A lampoon on the prevailing deplorable social, political and economic conditions in the country, PHSJH has been written and produced by Ashwini Dhir who also wrote Raamkhilavaan ….

    “We have highlighted current issues like Manisha Koirala and the Ek Choti si Love story controversy, the Salman Khan accident, Bal Thackeray’s fiery speeches and their impact, Veerappan and the unending games he plays with not one but two states, to name a few. The serial aims at presenting the third man’s perspective and focus on what the general public has to say, ” says scriptwriter Dheer.

    “The serial is a tongue -in -cheek view of what the common man thinks of the media savvy politicians, Bollywood celebrities, the fourth estate and their quest for fame and money. We want to specify the fact that the common man can no longer be taken for granted, ” elaborates Dheer.

    The similarity with Raamklhilavaan does not end here. The serial has the same cast as the one that had to be pulled off air in early October following a court ruling against Sabe TV – Vineet Kumar, Sushmita Mukherjee and Sanjay Mishra, who played the lead protagonists in Raam… play the principle characters in PHSJH. The serial will be aired Mondays and Tuesdays at 8:30 pm starting from 18 November 2002.

    “Public Hai Sab Janti Hai’ is an answer to Raamkhilvaan which is still dawdling in the courts of Patna .We are sure that Raamkhilavaan will see the light of day. It may take time; but in a democracy no one can suppress the freedom of expression,” says a channel official when asked if the channel was walking a tightrope by opting for another satire after the Raamkhilavaan debacle.

  • ‘The efficiency with which television is working for advertisers has diminished’ : Sam Balsara

    ‘The efficiency with which television is working for advertisers has diminished’ : Sam Balsara

    Sam Balsara is man with a lot on his plate. Besides chasing an aggressive growth rate for Madison Communications, he is also chairman of MOMS (Madison Outdoor Media Services) and director of Anugrah Madison, the rural advertising unit of Madison. He also runs a Public Relations unit.

     

     

    As a prominent member of the Indian marketing and advertising profession, Balsara has worn many hats. He has been president of the Advertising Club, Bombay, he was the vice-president of the Advertising Agencies Association of India and is currently chairman, Triple A Awards. He serves on the AAA-Indian Broadcasting Foundation joint committee and was the immediate past chairman of the Advertising Standards Council of India and a founder member of ECO-India, an organisation to promote environment-friendly actions.

     

    He is a regular speaker at seminars and on fora pertaining to advertising and has served on several professional committees and judging panels.

     

    On the business side of things, he just added a big piece to his plate after Madison won the entire Rs 1,000 million media account of the Rs 45,000-million Essel Group.

     

    But such challenges are par for the course for this 50-something ad veteran. With over 25 years experience in the business, first with Mudra (1984), he founded Madison Communications in 1988 with three blue chip accounts – Godrej, Tata (Nelco) and Mafatlal. Today his agency’s client list includes Procter & Gamble, BPL and Coke with current media billings of Rs 3,500 million.

     

    Sam Balsara spoke to Tuhin Amar giving his own unique take on the state of the media business in the country.

     

    You are rated amongst the best media buyers in the country. Can you comment?

     

    Thank you for the flattery. I am wary of labels given by the media – because the same media that gives you a positive label on the way up, can also bring you crashing down with a negative label!!

     

    What qualities are needed to be a good media buyer / planner?

     

    The same qualities that are required of an outstanding advertising person, no less but with the added quality of a facility with numbers and an interest in them to make a story out of them.

     

    When you are buying into a television programme, what are your first priorities – is it price, ambience, star quality, brand affinity?

    The first priority or the fundamental requirement is meeting a CPRP benchmark. This benchmark is then relaxed to some extent because of the other considerations that you talk about like ambience, position, image, brand affinity, impact, innovation, etc.

     

    How is your business split into print / TV / outdoors, etc.?

    It’s Television at number 1, Print at number 2 and Outdoors at number 3 in terms of billing.

     

    What is the quantum of advertising that Madison handles on the television front? For which clients? Which brands?

    We deal with just a handful of clients.

    Madison Media clients are:

     

    Procter & Gamble

     

    Coca-Cola

     

    BPL

     

    Kinetic

     

    Perfetti

     

    Domino’s

     

    Somany Tiles and Hind Sanitaryware

     

    ESSEL Group

     

    Full Service clients are:

     

    Godrej Consumer Products (Godrej Shaving Cream)

     

    Godrej Foods (Jumpin, Xs and Godrej Cooking Oils)

     

    Milton Plastics

     

    SOM Distilleries

     

    Tribhovandas Bhimji Zaveri, Zaveri Bazaar

     

    Camlin

     

    Rasna (New brand)

     

    Amtrex Hitachi (Amtrex)

     

    In addition we have independent clients in Madison PR, Madison Outdoor and Anugrah Madison.

     

     

    What do you think of television as an advertising medium as compared to other media? Has it disappointed or has it delivered? What are its plus points and its negative points?

     

    Television was a wonderful advertising medium in the late 80s and early 90s. It produced miraculous results for the early advertiser who recognised its ability to deliver sales. Of late, the efficiency with which television is working for advertisers has diminished sharply making advertisers loose confidence and hastily divert brand building money to below-the-line temporary sales shoring-up activity with disastrous long term consequences.

    For e.g.: In the last six years the advertising volumes have gone up from about Rs 2000 crores (Rs 20,000 million) to Rs 8000 crores. Taking an average (advertising to sales) A-S ratio of 4 per cent, this should have resulted in additional sales of Rs 125,000 crores for advertisers as a body. I suspect the real increase is nowhere near this figure.

    There was a time not so long ago when we could buy a spot for less than a lakh of rupees (Rs 100,000) per 10 seconds and cover 50 per cent or more of the audience at one stroke. Today fragmentation has taken its toll and the cost of reaching this audience has multiplied. Whilst our creative executions have become more sophisticated and slick, they have not dramatically improved in their sales conversion ability to compensate for the CPRP inflation.

     

    Do you think there is maturity in television ad sales professionals in terms of utilizing the potential of television as a promotional vehicle?

    Yes, I do think maturity is setting in amongst television ad sales professionals, though I believe that selling advertising on television is a specialised job and not every salesperson of press advertising or a media buyer or a brand manager can easily slip into the role.

     

    What innovations has Madison achieved in terms of buying or planning for TV? Can you give some illustrations?

     

    The innovations are too numerous to mention here, but some of my personal favourites are:

    *Shanti

    (India’s first daily soap in Hindi in the afternoon, that created afternoon viewing and gave advertisers’ an opportunity to reach housewives at a fraction of the cost)

    *BPL Player of Week

    *Coke New Year Promotion

    *Close Shave for Godrej Shaving Cream

    *Fairglow Queen of Hearts

    *Launch of Maruti Versa on a TV show.

    *And some innovative discount structures that work for both the clients and the channels.

    *On the Planning side we have evolved an entire new way of thinking that clients love because of its result-orientedness. We call it M:Cube.

    Incidentally the Madison internal television operations software which has been in operation for the last four years is called ADWISE. So it is coincidental that you have decided to title your seminar “Adwise” (indiantelevision.com is holding a one-day seminar “AdWise 2002” on TV air time, planning, selling and buying at the Mayfair Rooms in Worli, Mumbai on 22 March).

     

    Is there enough innovation in television as a promotional medium? What changes do you think will come in over the coming years?

    No, there isn’t. And as the battle for the advertising rupee gets fiercer, channels will be forced to offer formats and structures that will more directly lead to sales for the advertiser.

     

    Does Madison handle television independent of other media?

    When it comes to planning, all media is looked at collectively, but when it comes to buying we have specialists for each medium and even within the medium we have experts for groups, for channels and publications.

    How do you rate the performance of Madison Advertising so far?

    … and I have miles to go before I sleep!

     

    Are there any aspects, which could do with improvements?

    Yes, many and we believe we have to improve by the day, otherwise we are dead.

     

    Do you feel TV ratings are authentic? Why? CPRP, GRP, TRP – where do you think we are headed? What is the right currency?

    TRP ratings are the right currency, although channels and producers seem to dislike them. They afford a uniform and comparable benchmark to the buyer. The industry is continuously striving to improve the reliability of the TRP system. It is utopian to expect the TRP system to be 100 per cent accurate. It can never be. It is meant to be a guide of what India watches.

     

    Do you think the TV ad market has deteriorated? Do you expect growth in this sector?

    Whilst the efficiency with which television has worked has come down in the last few years, I believe, at even this lower level it continues to be the most cost effective medium and therefore as our advertising volumes grow, it will grow. Perhaps its share of the advertising market, which has risen rapidly in the past, will now grow only marginally.

     

    Do you think the way the market has polarized is good for the business?

    The general rule in the market place across most product categories is that there is one very successful player, followed by another one or two and then there are many who just manage to make it.

     

    Do you expect Star Plus to rule the roost? For how long? What is likely to change the leadership position? Who do you think is the most likely candidate to take over as number one – Zee, Sony, Sahara, Sabe?

    The Madison view on this is not available for public consumption.

     

    What do you feel is missing in the ad-sales pitch of Sahara and Sabe TV?

    It is not easy to topple the leader and late entrants in most markets have a tough time to establish themselves and become profitable at a national level.

     

    How does Madison Advertising rank amongst the media buyers and sellers in India and Asia?

    I would like to think – very high!

     

    Is India an important market today in media terms?

    Yes, of course!

     

    Who among these is the most innovative – Indian, Asian, European or the US TV?

    My knowledge of Asian, European and US TV is not deep enough for me to comment on this aspect.

     

  • “Putting up hoardings here and there does not bring in viewers” : Markand Adhikari vice-chairman and managing director, SABe (Sri Adhikari Brothers Entertainment) TV

    “Putting up hoardings here and there does not bring in viewers” : Markand Adhikari vice-chairman and managing director, SABe (Sri Adhikari Brothers Entertainment) TV

    “Last year was not good for all channels except one,” Markand Adhikari, vice-chairman and managing director, SABe (Sri Adhikari Brothers Entertainment) TV, has been quoted as saying. Adhikari is confident that 2002 will be different, though. Different, because he believes viewers are getting increasingly fatigued with the same family dramas, whether it is in the afternoons or at prime time. The audiences are looking for some relief and that is what SABe TV will provide, Adhikari avers, mainly through humour based programming.

    Towards this end, on 25 February, a new sitcom Sajan Tu Jhoot Mat Bol is launching. Once that is launched, the 8 pm to 10 pm band will constitute sitcoms. There is also a current affairs band that the channel is developing. And with the recent introduction of the cartoon cult classic Asterix in the 7 pm slot, SABe TV is the only channel where there are no family dramas on show between 7 pm and 10:30 pm weekdays.

    SABe TV is a digital free-to-air channel beaming off Asiasat 3 and was launched on 23 April 2000. The channel claims it now reaches over 28 million homes across India up from 15 million last year.

    Thomas Abraham caught up with Markand Adhikari for a lowdown on where the channel was headed.

    Excerpts:

    What made you decide to position SABe TV as a ‘relief channel’ different from the rest?
    The feedback that we have been getting tells us that viewers are tired of the sameness of it all on the other channels. And they are looking for some relief. Therefore the positioning and our focus on sitcoms.

    When did you launch the new baseline Come Smile With US?
    That has been on since the start of the year.

    ‘Since our programmes are now getting tangible viewer attention, the target is to channelise that into getting advertising.’
     

    Could you elaborate on the programming mix the channel is looking at?
    From 25 February, we are launching a new sitcom Sajan Tu Jhoot Mat Bol. It is directed by Rajan Waghdhare and the writer is Ashok Patole. They have also done Yes Boss and Sriman Srimati for SABe TV. Once that is launched, the 8 pm to 10 pm band will constitute sitcoms.
    Then there is a current affairs band from 10 – 10:30 pm five days a week, with shows hosted by well known names like Karan Thapar, Vir Sanghvi, Priya Tendulkar and Manoj Raghuvanshi.

    What about the weekend?
    There is the Telethriller we launched in December, a one and a half hour show that airs from 9 pm to 10:30 pm on Sundays.

    What about advertising? The ad market has contracted in the last year. And it will obviously have affected the smaller channels such as yours more. Any comments?
    We are yet to complete two years on air, so that doesn’t really apply here as we are still in our early growth phase.

    Which shows are getting you the most as far as ad revenues are concerned?
    We have not reached a stage where we can sell our programmes individually. We are selling the whole channel so advertising is spread across. If you were to mark out one show though, then it would have to be Office Office (SABe TV’s celebrated sitcom).
    SABe TV’s strategy is to slowly increase the rates. Since our programmes are now getting tangible viewer attention, the target is to channelise that into getting advertising.

    In fact, from the next financial onwards, we will be making programme specific sales pitches.

    What about profits? When do you see break-even?
    We have reached a stage now where from the next quarter we will be able to declare a consolidated break-even quarter-on-quarter.

    On 23 January, the BSE imposed a 25 per cent margin on SABTNL shares due to a surge in activity seen around the share in recent times. What do you ascribe the reasons for this to?
    We do not comment on decisions made by the BSE but it should be noted that our share price was grossly undervalued so if there is increased buying, it is a reflection of that.

    There is some talk that the heightened activity could be around rumours of a strategic investor coming on board. Any move in that direction?
    Nothing has been finalised on that. We are open to investment proposals but we are essentially looking for a partner who can add value to the business.

    ‘We are essentially looking for a partner who can add value to the business.’
     

    What about your distribution? The Turner deal collapsed in August so who is doing it now?
    We have our own distribution team in place. An example of how effective our team has been can be gauged from the fact that in Mumbai, a good 40 per cent of C&S viewers get SABe TV in the prime band (the first 12 channels). In UP (Uttar Pradesh), this goes up to 60 per cent. This is as per TAM (AC Nielsen’s TAM Media research) connectivity data and not our own figures.

    Other channels are pumping in big money towards promotional activity that is very visible. As a channel head said, ‘In this business you have to spend to grow.’ But SABe TV does not seem to be doing any promotional spends at all. Will this change or will you continue with your strategem that content alone will drive viewership to your channel?
    To say we do not spend on promotion is incorrect. When we launched, we spent Rs 11 crore (Rs 110 million). This (financial) year we spent Rs 6 crore and we will be spending an equal amount next year as well.

    I don’t believe in blind publicity. Just putting hoardings here and there does not bring in the viewers. We believe we have the right content in the right place. And that is what will take the channel ahead.

  • Sahara TV banks on earlier Shekhar Suman show to woo audiences

    Sahara TV banks on earlier Shekhar Suman show to woo audiences

    Times are tough in television these days with the advertising pie shrinking. And channels are resorting to the tack of running older shows. Star, Zee, Sabe, DD have all done it. Can Sahara TV be far behind?

    Not really. Following the lead of other satellite channels which have started repeat telecasts of successful shows, Sahara TV has started airing Wilayattee Babu from 5 November.

    An episodic sitcom series, Wilayattee Babu’s star cast includes Shekhar Suman, Sudhir Pandey, Rakesh Bedi, Farha, Divya Seth, Seema Kapoor, Navneet Nishan, Bharat Kapoor, Bhavna Balsavar and Yunus Parvez. Each episode aims at hilariously highlighting the differences between the Asia and the West, and the storyline revolves around an NRI’s antics on coming home to India.

    Produced by Future Communications and directed by Raju Parsekar, Wilayattee Babu was earlier aired on terrestrial channel Doordarshan.

    Says Sahara vice-president communications Priya Raj : “Satellite channels have a different and better reach than a terrestrial channel and we hope to get a better response. This was a weekly show earlier but now it is being aired as a daily at 7.30 pm Mondays to Fridays. Within the next two to three weeks, we should know viewers’ response and ratings. Currently, we have feedback that the show is getting a good response, that there is good awareness about it.”

    The show presently has two associate sponsors in All Out and MDH Masala, and is on the lookout for additional advertisers and sponsors.

  • Sabe TV modifies screen logo

    Sabe TV modifies screen logo

    Sri Adhikari Brothers Entertainment (Sabe) TV has recently modified its logo keeping its Hindi speaking audience in mind.

     

    “We slightly changed the design and added the Hindi script because that is what we are. A Hindi entertainment channel,” explains Markand Adhikari, the company’s vice-chairman and managing director.

     

    “With the changed logo, viewer identification will be that much simpler,” Adhikari says.