ITV

Tag: Sadda Haq

  • Channel V’s musical reboot

    Channel V’s musical reboot

    MUMBAI: It has already happened Down Under. Earlier this year, in Australia, Foxtel merged two of its channels Channel [V] and [V] Hits into a new service called [V] Hits running back to back music clips, shuttering all its long form music shows. Huge groans were heard amongst all those who had got used to its cutting edge programming over the 20 years of its existence.

    Something similar is being repeated in India too. Channel [V], was earlier known for its razz-m-tazzy VJs and great shows between the late nineties and up to 2005 and was quite a cult brand. That’s when the management of Star India decided to move it into fiction and non-fiction television, reducing the amount of music played out on the channel. Cut to 1 August 2016, and it’s back to music for Channel [V], almost mirroring what has happened in Ozland.

    Popular Channel [V] shows such Sadda Haq, Gumrah, Mastaangi, Dil Dostii Dance, D4, which had defined it over the past few years are being shipped out to its Hotstar OTT platform. Replacing them will be round the clock music – Hindi, English and popular aired around specially packaged programs. Among the shows that have been introduced include: Hit Machine, Late Night, Most W@anted, V Shuffle, Dance with V, ‘V Hangover, V-non-stop, V international, and V rush.

    The channel has also gone in for a brand refresh with a new look and logo. The two square brackets around the V have disappeared finally, which is indeed refereshing. In a beautiful mix of real world meets contemporary digital design, the origami-inspired logo manages to create a distinct, youthful and approachable form connecting to the youth. The new logo and channel packaging have been created by the in-house design team.

    “Music channels today feature a cluttered environment where the visual experience is compromised. Three fourths of screen is covered with ads or banners with one ticker moving in two directions,” points out general manager & executive VP Channel [V], Star Gold, Movies OK, Utsav Movies Hemal Jhaveri. “Space is blocked for random selfies, there’s a bug on the top left. I always used to wonder where the music and the video is? We observed what was happening and decided to revamp Channel [V]. An uncluttered look, great music videos, minimal graphics on screen will ensure a high-quality experience to the viewer, promising an unparalleled visual experience.”

    According to Jhaveri Indian music channels on air today lack a unique voice, and the category has been dormant for quite some time. According to the Ficci KPMG report 2015 – the last one for which music channels were reported – the music television genre had seen an erosion in viewership and ad revenues dropping from a 3.6 viewership share in 2013 to 3.2 per cent in 2014 and from four per cent ad share in 2013 to three per cent in 2014. Among the players in the segment include: Music India, MTV Indies, National Geographic Music, VH1, B4U Music, Music Xpress, Zing, Mastii, Sony Mix, 9XM, 9XO, ETC, 9X Jalwa, Music India, MTunes etc.

    Jhaveri is quite sanguine that advertising will continue with the channel and newer ones will hop on with the new positioning. “Advertisers serving our target group will remain to be in our portfolio. They pay for eyeballs. If a product is well distributed and the content talks to the target group, advertisers will love to get on board with us,” he says.

    A media planner however adds a note of caution. “Air time on music channels is a commodity,. The entire genre does revenues of not more than Rs 250 crore, even that is a bit on the higher side, ” she says. “Hence, Channel V cannot expect to get the same rates it used to enjoy. The stickiness on music television is simply not there as most music video watchers tend to switch between different channels a lot. There are other B2B ad revenue models and native content deals that Channel V should consider. The advantage for Channel V is that it is a part of the Star India network. It can cross sell between its channels and even its hotstar platform, which should work in its favour.”

    Jhaveri points out to what he claims is another USP for the channel. Says he: “V will be the only channel which will play the best of Indian and International music on the same platform. The global Indian youth today enjoys latest Indian hits as well as popular international music. Staying true to its image, V will be the only channel to deliver a complete package at the consumer’s doorstep.”

    It is over to the Indian youth –who are consuming more and more on digital and on handheld devices– to decide on whether that promise is good enough for them to get on to Channel V circa 2016. And whether the channel’s latest reboot ends up being music for Star India’s ears.

  • Channel V’s musical reboot

    Channel V’s musical reboot

    MUMBAI: It has already happened Down Under. Earlier this year, in Australia, Foxtel merged two of its channels Channel [V] and [V] Hits into a new service called [V] Hits running back to back music clips, shuttering all its long form music shows. Huge groans were heard amongst all those who had got used to its cutting edge programming over the 20 years of its existence.

    Something similar is being repeated in India too. Channel [V], was earlier known for its razz-m-tazzy VJs and great shows between the late nineties and up to 2005 and was quite a cult brand. That’s when the management of Star India decided to move it into fiction and non-fiction television, reducing the amount of music played out on the channel. Cut to 1 August 2016, and it’s back to music for Channel [V], almost mirroring what has happened in Ozland.

    Popular Channel [V] shows such Sadda Haq, Gumrah, Mastaangi, Dil Dostii Dance, D4, which had defined it over the past few years are being shipped out to its Hotstar OTT platform. Replacing them will be round the clock music – Hindi, English and popular aired around specially packaged programs. Among the shows that have been introduced include: Hit Machine, Late Night, Most W@anted, V Shuffle, Dance with V, ‘V Hangover, V-non-stop, V international, and V rush.

    The channel has also gone in for a brand refresh with a new look and logo. The two square brackets around the V have disappeared finally, which is indeed refereshing. In a beautiful mix of real world meets contemporary digital design, the origami-inspired logo manages to create a distinct, youthful and approachable form connecting to the youth. The new logo and channel packaging have been created by the in-house design team.

    “Music channels today feature a cluttered environment where the visual experience is compromised. Three fourths of screen is covered with ads or banners with one ticker moving in two directions,” points out general manager & executive VP Channel [V], Star Gold, Movies OK, Utsav Movies Hemal Jhaveri. “Space is blocked for random selfies, there’s a bug on the top left. I always used to wonder where the music and the video is? We observed what was happening and decided to revamp Channel [V]. An uncluttered look, great music videos, minimal graphics on screen will ensure a high-quality experience to the viewer, promising an unparalleled visual experience.”

    According to Jhaveri Indian music channels on air today lack a unique voice, and the category has been dormant for quite some time. According to the Ficci KPMG report 2015 – the last one for which music channels were reported – the music television genre had seen an erosion in viewership and ad revenues dropping from a 3.6 viewership share in 2013 to 3.2 per cent in 2014 and from four per cent ad share in 2013 to three per cent in 2014. Among the players in the segment include: Music India, MTV Indies, National Geographic Music, VH1, B4U Music, Music Xpress, Zing, Mastii, Sony Mix, 9XM, 9XO, ETC, 9X Jalwa, Music India, MTunes etc.

    Jhaveri is quite sanguine that advertising will continue with the channel and newer ones will hop on with the new positioning. “Advertisers serving our target group will remain to be in our portfolio. They pay for eyeballs. If a product is well distributed and the content talks to the target group, advertisers will love to get on board with us,” he says.

    A media planner however adds a note of caution. “Air time on music channels is a commodity,. The entire genre does revenues of not more than Rs 250 crore, even that is a bit on the higher side, ” she says. “Hence, Channel V cannot expect to get the same rates it used to enjoy. The stickiness on music television is simply not there as most music video watchers tend to switch between different channels a lot. There are other B2B ad revenue models and native content deals that Channel V should consider. The advantage for Channel V is that it is a part of the Star India network. It can cross sell between its channels and even its hotstar platform, which should work in its favour.”

    Jhaveri points out to what he claims is another USP for the channel. Says he: “V will be the only channel which will play the best of Indian and International music on the same platform. The global Indian youth today enjoys latest Indian hits as well as popular international music. Staying true to its image, V will be the only channel to deliver a complete package at the consumer’s doorstep.”

    It is over to the Indian youth –who are consuming more and more on digital and on handheld devices– to decide on whether that promise is good enough for them to get on to Channel V circa 2016. And whether the channel’s latest reboot ends up being music for Star India’s ears.

  • Star India’s Channel V to go music only by July

    Star India’s Channel V to go music only by July

    MUMBAI: Star India’s youth destination Channel V will be revamped as a youth music brand. The shows which are currently on air will continue till end of June.

    “Channel V will be revamped as a youth focused music brand effective July 1,” said a Star India spokesperson.

    Currently, the channel hosts an array of shows like Sadda Haq, D4- Get Up and Dance, Mastaangi, Ishq Unplugged, etc. 

    Await further details

  • Star India’s Channel V to go music only by July

    Star India’s Channel V to go music only by July

    MUMBAI: Star India’s youth destination Channel V will be revamped as a youth music brand. The shows which are currently on air will continue till end of June.

    “Channel V will be revamped as a youth focused music brand effective July 1,” said a Star India spokesperson.

    Currently, the channel hosts an array of shows like Sadda Haq, D4- Get Up and Dance, Mastaangi, Ishq Unplugged, etc. 

    Await further details

  • Channel V organises live karaoke session activating new show ‘Ishq Unplugged’

    Channel V organises live karaoke session activating new show ‘Ishq Unplugged’

    MUMBAI: Channel V’s new fiction show Ishq Unplugged launched this week on 7 March at 7:30 pm. The show has a unique setting; backdrop of a singing competition called ‘India’s Star Duo’. Unlike other fiction shows which rely mostly on heavy drama this show will have a perfect mix of singing, romance and drama to keep the youth hooked on. The main leads for the show are not just good actors but talented singers as well. The main leads Mandy played by Mohit Gaur and Antara enacted by Shruti Prakash portray singing hopefuls. The romance between two completely opposite characters plays out on the backdrop of the reality show which they want to win for their own reasons. The show airs every Monday to Friday at 7.30 pm.

    To let the viewer’s experience the essence of the show, Channel V organized an on ground activation – ‘Live Karaoke Session’ with the show leads at a famous coffee shop in Versova, Mumbai. The participants had the opportunity to sing and have fun with the stars and also win some exciting goodies while they were at it. The Karaoke activity has also been activated for 5 days across select coffee shops in Mumbai & Delhi.Kick-starting the activity on the 11th March 2016, the lead cast swayed the audience with a live musical performance on the title track of Ishq Unplugged. Joining in the gusto of karaoke session, the audiences crooned a few notes as well.

    Speaking on the Karaoke session activity, Mohit Gaur commented to say, “Ishq Unplugged is a show that brings together an unlikely singing pair who are from completely different worlds. It a show that is a mix of singing and a great storyline that fans will love! I love interacting with the public and Karaoke was a great way to meet them. The Karaoke activity was a fun experiment from the start and hope for many more such ways to meet the audience face to face”

    Shruti Prakash, the female lead of Ishq Unplugged shared saying, “The Karaoke session with the fans was truly a memorable experience. Ishq Unplugged seeks to showcase great singing within an exciting storyline. I was glad at receiving positive reviews about the show from our avid fans”

    The live karaoke session was abuzz with excitement as fans got to perform along with the Ishq Unplugged duo. The title song brought in a number of people to participate to try their best rendition of the song whilst Mohit and Shruti stood beside them clapping with encouragement!

    In addition to the show, Channel V’s dance fiction show D4 –  Get Up And Dance (Mon-Fri 7PM), SaddaHaq – Season 2 (Mon-Sat 6:30pm), Teen crime show ‘Gumrah’: End of Innocence (Sunday 7pm) and action-packed romantic drama showcasing two lifetimes Mastaangi (Mon–Sat 6pm) continue to be on air. All the new and current shows are available anytime on hotstar.

  • Channel V organises live karaoke session activating new show ‘Ishq Unplugged’

    Channel V organises live karaoke session activating new show ‘Ishq Unplugged’

    MUMBAI: Channel V’s new fiction show Ishq Unplugged launched this week on 7 March at 7:30 pm. The show has a unique setting; backdrop of a singing competition called ‘India’s Star Duo’. Unlike other fiction shows which rely mostly on heavy drama this show will have a perfect mix of singing, romance and drama to keep the youth hooked on. The main leads for the show are not just good actors but talented singers as well. The main leads Mandy played by Mohit Gaur and Antara enacted by Shruti Prakash portray singing hopefuls. The romance between two completely opposite characters plays out on the backdrop of the reality show which they want to win for their own reasons. The show airs every Monday to Friday at 7.30 pm.

    To let the viewer’s experience the essence of the show, Channel V organized an on ground activation – ‘Live Karaoke Session’ with the show leads at a famous coffee shop in Versova, Mumbai. The participants had the opportunity to sing and have fun with the stars and also win some exciting goodies while they were at it. The Karaoke activity has also been activated for 5 days across select coffee shops in Mumbai & Delhi.Kick-starting the activity on the 11th March 2016, the lead cast swayed the audience with a live musical performance on the title track of Ishq Unplugged. Joining in the gusto of karaoke session, the audiences crooned a few notes as well.

    Speaking on the Karaoke session activity, Mohit Gaur commented to say, “Ishq Unplugged is a show that brings together an unlikely singing pair who are from completely different worlds. It a show that is a mix of singing and a great storyline that fans will love! I love interacting with the public and Karaoke was a great way to meet them. The Karaoke activity was a fun experiment from the start and hope for many more such ways to meet the audience face to face”

    Shruti Prakash, the female lead of Ishq Unplugged shared saying, “The Karaoke session with the fans was truly a memorable experience. Ishq Unplugged seeks to showcase great singing within an exciting storyline. I was glad at receiving positive reviews about the show from our avid fans”

    The live karaoke session was abuzz with excitement as fans got to perform along with the Ishq Unplugged duo. The title song brought in a number of people to participate to try their best rendition of the song whilst Mohit and Shruti stood beside them clapping with encouragement!

    In addition to the show, Channel V’s dance fiction show D4 –  Get Up And Dance (Mon-Fri 7PM), SaddaHaq – Season 2 (Mon-Sat 6:30pm), Teen crime show ‘Gumrah’: End of Innocence (Sunday 7pm) and action-packed romantic drama showcasing two lifetimes Mastaangi (Mon–Sat 6pm) continue to be on air. All the new and current shows are available anytime on hotstar.

  • Channel V to launch ‘Mastaangi’ & ‘Sadda Haq’ season 2 in January

    Channel V to launch ‘Mastaangi’ & ‘Sadda Haq’ season 2 in January

    MUMBAI: Channel V is all geared up to launch two new shows in January namely Mastaangi as well as the second season of Sadda Haq. The two new shows will see its launch on 18 and 19 January, 2016 respectively.

     

    The love story Mastaangi will be aired from Monday to Saturday at 6 pm. The show transcends two lifetimes and is set against the backdrop of a college. The lead protagonists are shown as soul mates in past life but their love story comes to a tragic end with both of them meeting an untimely death. They meet again in a new life only to uncover the mystery of their past life and rekindle their love once again.

     

    On the other hand, the new season of Sadda Haq will be aired from Monday to Saturday at 6:30 pm and is set in a space research centre. The female protagonist Sanyukta will play the role of a scientist working on Mission Mars 2020.

     

    The launches are backed with a 360 degree marketing campaign across key markets and platforms, targeting the core audience. The new and current shows are also available on Hotstar.

     

     Speaking about the new launches, Channel V business head Kevin Vaz said, “Channel V has always made interesting shows exclusively for the youth audience of the country. The shows focus on anxieties and relationships of the young, consciously staying away from adult themes like post marital situations, hence the shows are well differentiated from the staple shows done by other GECs.”

     

    The channel has a few more shows in the pipeline, which will see its launch in February and March 2016.

  • 12 years on, ‘Roadies X2’ continues to enjoy strong audience base

    12 years on, ‘Roadies X2’ continues to enjoy strong audience base

    MUMBAI: It’s been more than a decade but the show still stands strong. While one would think that a reality show that provokes its guests non-stop on national television, would be doomed at the outset, MTV Roadies, even in its 12th year has kept its audience glued to their television sets. 

     

    The show continues to rule the genre, thanks to two factors, one, impressive numbers and two, strong audience base available for the programme. 

     

    Just as any other reality show, this one has its own audience (though not as big as one on a GEC), a digital presence, merchandising units and marketing campaigns.

     

    Even after ruling the small screen in the youth space for 11 years, this year too the show has proved its might. Season X2, which hit the television screens with the audition phase on 24 January has already become the number one youth reality and fiction show. 

     

    It had an impressive opening as it clocked around 175 TVTs compared to other shows like Sadda Haq on Channel V with 165 TVTs, Love By Chance on bindass with 128 TVTs and Dare 2 Date on Channel V with 65 TVTs in the week four of TAM TV ratings. The ratings are in CS 15-24 AB in HSM markets. 

    In the sixth week, the show garnered 139 TVTs. 

     

    According to MTV India EVP and business head Aditya Swamy, the franchise has lived happily for 12 seasons and Roadies X2 has ripped the format open. “This season, we went for a complete makeover. From bringing in a new format to new judges to brining in some unexpectedness,” he informs.  

     

    The channel states that the cult show has witnessed a hike of 60 per cent in viewership as compared to the last season. Moreover, its reach increased from 1.1 per cent in episode one to 2.2 per cent.

     

    According to Swamy the major viewership of the show comes from the HSM markets, mostly from Mumbai, Delhi, Punjab, Gujarat, Rajasthan and Uttar Pradesh.

     

    The key highlights for the success of the show, according to Swamy are: Core understanding of its target audience. “We brought in fresh twists to keep the old audience surprised and new audience hooked. We dared to be different by getting in personalities that the youth can easily relate to. From one Bollywood personality to one sportsman and television personality while Rannvijay continues to garner female attention,” he informs. 

     

    Before the launch of the show, the channel continued to build engagement via other mediums as well. It launched a mobile Torrentz app where users can download complete episodes and watch them at their own convenience for free.  

     

    To further up the entertainment quotient for the youth, the channel will be launching Roadies Fantasy League – which for the first time will see a sport-like fantasy team competition for a reality show.

     

    It will also have the Roadies Prediction application – which will have a betting environment where people can bet on outcomes of the show.

     

    MTV will continue doing Audiosodes – Podcasts where people can catch up on what happened in an episode. To top it all, it will come up with a section called Fast Forward on its website which is like a highlights package and has the entire episode crunched in around seven minutes. 

     

    On the digital front, the official Facebook page of Roadies X2 garnered 18,347 likes at the time of filing this report. On Twitter the buzz is strong too with the show’s official page delivering around 64.3 thousand followers. 

     

    This season Hero MotoCorp continues to be the title sponsor and Vivo Smart Phone has come onboard as the associate sponsor along with traditional long term partners like Mountain Dew, Ceat tyres etc. In all, the channel has roped in 12 sponsors this season. 

     

    “The evolution of a show is a big reason for its success. Many thought that Roadies is incomplete without twin hosts Raghu and Rajiv and the new judges won’t be able to pull off the show very well. But the numbers says it all,” says a media planner. 

  • Channel [V] refreshes itself; new shows, new packaging

    Channel [V] refreshes itself; new shows, new packaging

    MUMBAI: When things are going well, change to take them to another level, is a leitmotif that many an innovator follows. The Star India network owned Channel [V] seems to be going the same route. In July 2012, it revamped itself as a youth general entertainment channel with a focus on reality. That worked reasonably well for it. 17 months later it is all ready for another rejig: there’s a new cool logo with the tagline “Correct Hai”, new packaging and even a new programming line up.

    Channel [V] has undergone many a revamp over the past few years, probably such is the requirement of the audience which is its core viewer – the youth. The purpose of the current reinvention: engage even better with them.

    The logo has the same [V] brand but on a band-aid like patch being peeled off with “All New” above it. The tag line is even more interesting: one of the ‘Rs’ in the Correct is reversed while the Hai is in the Hindi script. Obviously, the idea is to speak the language of the youth and there is a hint of irreverence in its approach even while keeping middle class sensibilities in mind.

    Says Channel [V] EVP & general manager Prem Kamath: “The baseline reflects us – what we call the brand character. It also states, ‘Politically incorrect and emotionally correct. The new shows that we have created reflect the baseline and have been developed around the same theme.”

    Slated to air from 25 November, the four new shows Kamath is referring to will have limited runs and straddle the programming genres of comedy, drama, thriller and reality.

    Sadda Haq produced by Yash Patnaik’s Beyond Dreams is slated to air six days a week at 6.30 pm and is the story of Sanyukta Agrawal, a young Delhi girl who challenges the patriarchal world and breaks the stereotypes!

    Sudhir and Seema Sharma’s Sunshine Productions is the producer of Paanch: Don’t Get Mad Get Even and It’s Complicated. The first is the story 18-year-old Roshni, a shy girl who enters a college in Mumbai to ‘right some wrongs’ and airs Wednesday and Thursday from 6 to 6.30 pm while the second is about three young couples who deal with their relationship problems and will air on Friday-Saturday at the same time slot.

    Confessions of an Indian Teenager, from the Balaji Telefilms stable, features the young Vaibhav Sharma who shares the day to day concerns of the youth – once again from 6 to 6.30 pm on Mondays and Tuesdays.

    The new shows are slated to replace Crazy Super Ishq and Suvreen Guggal – Topper of the year – both of which had quite some traction with Channel [V] viewers but had probably reached their end of life.

    Prem Kamath is taking Channel [V] to another youth GEC level.

    “We firmly believe that both variety and periodic change are very essential if you have to stay connected to the youngsters,” explains Kamath. “The change in logo and introduction of new programmes are reflective of that. Over the years, we have realised that youngsters need variety, refreshment and change. The need for it is significantly higher for a youth-centric channel than for regular GECs or other channels.”

    Kamath says there is a great deal of emphasis in Channel [V] to get the right shows, right stories in; it’s not just about coming up with new packaging alone. “Even before the first shot, we had the complete story penned down,” he points out. “Nobody watches your channel just because of packaging and its graphics. People watch a channel when it has a lot of content and variety. It adds freshness and newness to the channel.”

    “We are talking to young audiences and we are creating a youth general entertainment channel. We firmly believe that there is a huge market for youth centric shows and that most of the GECs lack variety. We are trying to create a viable option,” he adds.

    Estimates are that around Rs 5 crore has been kept aside to communicate the all new Channel [V] to viewers. Television, some outdoors, some print and a heck of a lot of online activity is being brought into play. It’s official facebook page has been buzzing with teaser activity since earlier this month. Promos of the new shows and teasers around the revamp, have been keeping the comments and likes coming. With 3.1 million likes, that’s a large audience that’s been engaged. Then probing social issues have been raised which have got this community interacting.

    Questions like:
    * Young children made to do hard labour for long hours. Kya yeh Correct Hai ?
    * Some people marry and get to know their partners. Or some want to know their partners and then marry. Hence they “LIVE IN CorrectHai?
    * Katrina Hindi bole toh cool. Main Hindi bolu to uncool. Kya yeh CorrectHai?

    Divya Radhakrishnan feels that the channel has taken the right move.

    Eight films of 15 seconds each have been created and “we will be uploading them only after launching the new look on 25 November. We believe that once people see the brand films, they should switch on to Channel V and see a completely refreshed channel,” reveals Kamath.

    He points out that online promotions are a big part of the marketing campaign. “The idea is to get as many video views of the promos as we can. Once the viewers sample the change being offered, they will understand that it is very different from the kind of shows they have been watching. We are hoping some of our videos to go viral as well. Our objective is to try and introduce the maximum number of people to the new offerings through the audio-visual medium.”

    Many a brand has hopped on board as advertisers on Channel [V] since the relaunch last year: Pepsi, Coco-Cola, Airtel, Nokia, Blackberry, Deodorants, two-wheelers and among others.

    Media veterans are already offering kudos to Kamath and his team on the new look. Says Helios Media’s boss Divya Radhakrishnan: “Every channel has to re-establish itself to look vibrant and young. For a youth channel, it needs to be done more often and they have done the right thing. You need to keep re-orienting yourself time and again so that the viewers don’t get bored.”

    Now it’s over to the fickle and rapidly evolving youth to prove her right.

  • Sadda Haq to be dubbed in English and Hindi

    Sadda Haq to be dubbed in English and Hindi

    MUMBAI: Sadda Haq is a Punjabi historical drama movie based in the late 1980‘s and early 1990‘s which was a period of extreme turmoil in Punjab. Directed by Mandeep Benipal and produced by Kuljinder Singh Sidhu, the makers of the film are in the process of getting it dubbed in English and Hindi.

    The reason behind dubbing the movie in other two languages was as they got lot of demand from overseas as well as different parts of India. The dubbing of the movie has already started and is likely to be completed in a month, after recently getting a clearance from the supreme court. The translated edition may also be screened in a few cinema halls.

    Since the film was based on the Khalistan militancy period in Punjab, it involved a lot of controversy following the ban on its screening by the governments of Punjab, Delhi and the union territory Chandigarh.

    In this case, the controversy came to the highlight since the film was objected to two-three times by the censor board and once by the state governments.

    As per the media reports, the film has been successfully screened for the past three weeks in Mumbai and was the biggest Punjabi film in terms of gross collections in UK and US where it has been screened for almost one month now.

    The movie will hit theatres across the country on 10 May.