ITV

Tag: Sansani

  • ABP News celebrates 15 sizzling years of ‘Sansani’

    ABP News celebrates 15 sizzling years of ‘Sansani’

    MUMBAI: Unmasking criminals and uncovering the different facets of crime, ‘Sansani’, India’s noteworthy crime news show completes 15 successful years on ABP News.
    Known for its uniqueness, Sansani is a first-of-its-kind crime news show, innovated and curated by ABP News. The journey of the show has been remarkable and has garnered tremendous popularity in the industry.

    Since its inception in 2004, Sansani has held a special place in the hearts and minds of its viewers. The show deals with exposing criminals, making viewers aware of the current crime scenario, and also providing solutions on how to deal and cope with the rising crime in the country.  Apart from being the first of its kind, Sansani was also the first crime show to have deployed a helpline for the common people and engage with the viewers conversationally.

    Having completed 5000 episodes, Sansani’s showrunner, Mr. Shrivardhan Trivedi has become the first anchor in the history of Indian television to host the longest running crime show for which he was felicitated by the World Book of Records. Over the years, the show has received tremendous appreciation from its viewers and has been highly acclaimed by industry critiques and celebrities alike.

    Speaking on the success of Sansani, ABP New Network  CEO Avinash Pandey said, “Amidst a wide variety of content in the market, having a long-standing show in the crime segment is a huge milestone for us. We believe in keeping our viewer aware and Sansani is one such show which sensitises mass about crime. Having maintained the consistency for 15 years, is a huge indicator of the unique calibre of the show. Sansani has amassed a great amount of love and support from its viewers, to whom we are forever grateful.” 

  • IBN7’s new programming gamble

    IBN7’s new programming gamble

    MUMBAI: Just after 50 days of joining IBN7 as the consulting editor, Prabal Pratap Singh has high hopes from the channel’s two new shows. The two shows, namely Aar Paar and Super Crime Time, were already in discussion with Network 18 chief executive officer, news, and group editor-in-chief Rahul Joshi and his team before Singh rejoined. “After I stepped in as the consulting editor of the channel, we finalised everything on both these shows,” said Singh.

    Disrupting the routine timings of debate shows on news channels, debate show Aar Paar will air every Monday-Friday from 7 to 8 pm. Motive: to utilise the 7 pm time slot for a debates on a news channel. It aims at catering to the Hindi markets at large. Anchored by Amish Devgan, the show will pick topics that have a deeper connect with the common man. It will follow the normal style of debates with multiple guests on-screen discussing the subject and will ask tough questions to those in positions of power and hold them accountable.

    The channel has developed different teams for various roles like scripting, production, etc. Telecasted live, the show will not shy away from taking positions on issues that the viewers relate to strongly. Amish will engage directly with viewers through various social platforms to add an element of interactivity to the show.

    “Amish’s personality is unique and I would appreciate if he can retain his style. Having him on board is an achievement for us. He will conduct the debates in his own manner. I don’t think an anchor has to shout for attracting viewers,” asserted Singh.

    Debate shows on news channel are pretty common these days. But what if news channels not only report crime news but also recreate the crime scene? – asks the channel as it reinvents the category with Super Crime Time.

    Crime as a topic has proved to be an important genre for the general entertainment space. Re-constructing crime incidents to spread awareness about the incident flagged off through the news channels with shows like Sansani on ABP News and Vardaat on Aaj Tak. The news channels have dramatic anchors for these shows to boost ratings.

    In a move to revive this space, IBN7’s other show called Super Crime Time will be a heady mix of crime, drama, mystery and investigation. The show will not only report crime news from various parts of the country but also feature one major incident of the day by recreating the crime scene, piece by piece, trying to uncover its mystery. Airing 7 days a week between, the first half (10-10:30pm) will reports crime stories while the second half (10:30-11pm) will dramatise the details of crime place. On Saturdays, the programming will showcase some of the most infamous love stories which involve misconduct and bloodshed. The show will also have plenty visual effects.

    Digvijay will spread out the message of ‘Apna Khayal Rakhna’ through this show. With 24 scenes already in place, the channel has a huge database of crime stories in bank. “The prime time for Hindi markets has now extended to 11 pm. We will recreate few concepts due to lack of visual support. We hope these shows will boost our viewership,” points out Singh.

    The show has been directed by the editor of the channel Manoj Kumar Singh. The channel has associated students, theater artists, etc to enact the various scenes.

    IBN7 would keep its eyes strained on its ratings in the couple of weeks to see how the new programming gamble is fairing.

  • IBN7’s new programming gamble

    IBN7’s new programming gamble

    MUMBAI: Just after 50 days of joining IBN7 as the consulting editor, Prabal Pratap Singh has high hopes from the channel’s two new shows. The two shows, namely Aar Paar and Super Crime Time, were already in discussion with Network 18 chief executive officer, news, and group editor-in-chief Rahul Joshi and his team before Singh rejoined. “After I stepped in as the consulting editor of the channel, we finalised everything on both these shows,” said Singh.

    Disrupting the routine timings of debate shows on news channels, debate show Aar Paar will air every Monday-Friday from 7 to 8 pm. Motive: to utilise the 7 pm time slot for a debates on a news channel. It aims at catering to the Hindi markets at large. Anchored by Amish Devgan, the show will pick topics that have a deeper connect with the common man. It will follow the normal style of debates with multiple guests on-screen discussing the subject and will ask tough questions to those in positions of power and hold them accountable.

    The channel has developed different teams for various roles like scripting, production, etc. Telecasted live, the show will not shy away from taking positions on issues that the viewers relate to strongly. Amish will engage directly with viewers through various social platforms to add an element of interactivity to the show.

    “Amish’s personality is unique and I would appreciate if he can retain his style. Having him on board is an achievement for us. He will conduct the debates in his own manner. I don’t think an anchor has to shout for attracting viewers,” asserted Singh.

    Debate shows on news channel are pretty common these days. But what if news channels not only report crime news but also recreate the crime scene? – asks the channel as it reinvents the category with Super Crime Time.

    Crime as a topic has proved to be an important genre for the general entertainment space. Re-constructing crime incidents to spread awareness about the incident flagged off through the news channels with shows like Sansani on ABP News and Vardaat on Aaj Tak. The news channels have dramatic anchors for these shows to boost ratings.

    In a move to revive this space, IBN7’s other show called Super Crime Time will be a heady mix of crime, drama, mystery and investigation. The show will not only report crime news from various parts of the country but also feature one major incident of the day by recreating the crime scene, piece by piece, trying to uncover its mystery. Airing 7 days a week between, the first half (10-10:30pm) will reports crime stories while the second half (10:30-11pm) will dramatise the details of crime place. On Saturdays, the programming will showcase some of the most infamous love stories which involve misconduct and bloodshed. The show will also have plenty visual effects.

    Digvijay will spread out the message of ‘Apna Khayal Rakhna’ through this show. With 24 scenes already in place, the channel has a huge database of crime stories in bank. “The prime time for Hindi markets has now extended to 11 pm. We will recreate few concepts due to lack of visual support. We hope these shows will boost our viewership,” points out Singh.

    The show has been directed by the editor of the channel Manoj Kumar Singh. The channel has associated students, theater artists, etc to enact the various scenes.

    IBN7 would keep its eyes strained on its ratings in the couple of weeks to see how the new programming gamble is fairing.

  • India TV appoints Ajit Anjum as managing editor

    India TV appoints Ajit Anjum as managing editor

    MUMBAI: In a development that could further impact the equations in the Hindi news genre, Ajit Anjum, a veteran of 25 years, has joined India TV’s newsroom as Managing Editor.

     

    Anjum, who’s last stint was with BAG network as the Managing Editor of News 24 is best known for experimenting & ideating many path-breaking programs and shows like Sansani, Poll Khol & Red Alert to name a few.  At India TV, he will be reporting to Rajat Sharma, Chairman and Editor-in-chief.

     

    Welcoming him, Sharma said, “Ajit is a man of ideas, a professional with tremendous energy levels. At this juncture when India TV has successfully established itself as one of the most respected news brands in the country, his entry will definitely help us consolidate our position further.”

     

    Commenting on his appointment, Anjum said, “I am thankful to India TV’s management for an opportunity as this one. All my endeavours will be to further India TV’s leadership in the Hindi News space.”

     

    A Ramnath Goenka Awardee for Political reporting in 2010, Anjum’s first major break with media was with newspaper Amar Ujala in 1990. His career has been punctuated with a couple of smaller stints with Chauthi Duniya & Aaj Tak, however, he has spent the major part of his career, almost 19 years with BAG network.

     

    Anjum has also been quite successful with his socio-political debates on News 24’s Sabse Bada Sawal, those have been almost a regular over the last one year.

     

  • ‘Line between credibility and sensationalism is becoming thinner ‘ : Anurradha Prasad – B.A.G Films and Media Limited MD

    ‘Line between credibility and sensationalism is becoming thinner ‘ : Anurradha Prasad – B.A.G Films and Media Limited MD

    B.A.G Films & Media Ltd. managing director Anurradha Prasad has her plate full. Having created a long list of popular TV shows, she now has her eyes fixed on FM radio, TV channels, animation and feature films.

    The company has spun separate subsidiary outfits for each of these activities. The news channels will be housed under B.A.G Newsline Network while the non news broadcasting venture will be under B.A.G Glamour.

    FM Radio is under B.A.G Infotainment and is operating under the Radio Dhamaal brand while animation will be via a joint venture with Sieindesign Co.

    In an interview with Indiantelevision.com’s Sibabrata Das, Prasad talks of the changing face of news television with the growth of tabloidisation, the excitement of FM radio and her plans to create a vertically integrated media empire.

    Excerpts:

    Are TV content companies in India under compulsion to foray into broadcasting space as an effort to scale up their business?
    We can go on doing a service job and generate ratings for the broadcasters. But the fundamental problem is that we have no ownership of those shows. So how do we do a forward and backward integration? We were already doing a 360 degree of content; now we have decided to do a 360 degree of media. If we don’t do it now, then when will we? We have taken the organisation into a position of strength. Now is the time to take the leap.

    Is the decision to have control over your destiny a fallout of B.A.G Films losing flagship shows like Sansani as Star News decided to do it themselves?
    It had nothing to do with Star retrenching our shows. It was actually a two-way process and the pullout happened in May-June. We were actually contemplating on our future course of action nine months back and last December we took a call. Having done content, we had learnt a whole gamut of things and we decided to move from B2B to B2C. The things started unfolding when we bid for FM radio stations and created a new company structure. We did our first placement in January.

    Were you looking at a model like Balaji Telefilms where a broadcaster picks up stake in the company and you venture into TV channels space enjoying an assured content supply?
    That is a good business model as it provides a huge element of security. But we wanted to be on our own. Surely, we run a higher risk. But India today is all about challenges. If we don’t take that up right now, we will have slipped an opportunity.

    You mean to say that this is the right timing?
    Media is attracting huge interest and is going to rule the entire consumer process. The whole distribution rejig is also happening. Cas (conditional access system) is being made mandatory, direct-to-home (DTH) platforms are up. Other media vehicles like mobile TV and internet are emerging . The cost paid for distribution is going to drop.

    We have created tried and proven content. We have already set up an infrastructure and have the resource network in place. What we have to do now, and correctly, is marketing, positioning and distribution. For us, it is a very calculative challenge.

    In the broadcasting space, why did you decide to get into the news and lifestyle genre?
    For the last two years, there has been growth in these genres. And they have been eating into the audience share of the general entertainment channels (GECs).

    Are Hindi news channels growing at the cost of the GECs because of crime shows and tabloidisation of news?
    The drama in the news channels is an important driver for getting eyeballs because GECs are totally focused on women. As the GECs provided no alternative for male and young viewers, they went to news channels.

    Won’t it be tough as you are entering at a time when the news market is getting fragmented among 4-5 players?
    The competition is huge and in the process people are going to any level to grab eyeballs. They are expanding the viewership through non fiction entertainment and are getting only TRP-driven. But in the process, they have never marketed their product or channel; they have sold cheap. The truth is that you can have a large number of eyeballs, but you may not necessarily enjoy fat revenues. People who watch news channels are not necessarily what the advertisers want. The perception you have created is very important. Which is why NDTV may have less viewership than some of the competitors but enjoys more revenues than them.

    Isn’t tabloidisation the winning bet for grabbing audiences in the Hindi news space?
    The non fiction entertainment in Hindi news channels has created a new kind of TV. But there are no isms being followed and the editorial staff is getting edgy in this battle for TRPs. We started tabloidisation in India with the properties (Sansani, etc) that we created for Star News. But even in that space, nobody could question our credibility. That is getting lost, especially in the last two years. And some of the good properties which are getting created outside this, are not being marketed or sold properly.

    How could you establish credibility in this genre which thrives on sensationalism?
    When we did Sansani, it was the most credible crime show. We did research and stood by our stories. We provided all the drama but also reflected the interest of the people; several tantriks who were duping people were exposed. More than programming, it was the helpline that added to the credibility. When others took the crime genre, they never did justice to it.

    As a serious organisation which is in the business of news, you can’t be doing certain things which are not credible. That line between credibility and sensationalism is very thin. And it is becoming thinner because of the growth of this genre.

    Do you see this trend growing?
    The cost of making some of this kind of programming, particularly relating to ghosts, is cheap – and there is an audience for this. But I don’t see this going on and on. It is also a happy India that we are in now.
    ‘We plan to make a combined investment of Rs 4 billion in our broadcasting business‘

    Will we see opinionated news in your network?
    We will carry the opinion of the people. We should have the guts to say whatever we want to say. Otherwise, why should we be in the news business?

    How much will you be investing in your Hindi news channel?
    We plan to make a combined investment of Rs 4 billion in our broadcasting business. We are launching four channels – two in the news space, one lifestyle and `Bliss’ which will be all about mind, body and soul. For the news venture, we are pumping in Rs 2.5 billion. While the first will be a general Hindi news channel, we are still strategising on the second one. We expect to launch the Hindi news and lifestyle channels in October-November. We are using the Insat satellite and have applied for a teleport licence.
    Are you diluting 25 per cent stake each in the two broadcast companies, B.A.G Newsline Network and B.A.G Glamour, to raise Rs 2 billion?
    I can’t comment on it.

    Are India Bulls promoter Sameer Gehlaut and Kolkata-based High Growth Distributors individually picking up 12.5 per cent in each of the two companies? Have you raised Rs 1 billion each from them?
    We are a listed company. We can’t comment at this stage.

    How different will the lifestyle channel be?
    We are trying to create a new space. It will be a celebrity-driven, aspirational channel.

    For the FM radio business, would you require to raise fresh capital in B.A.G Infotainment?
    Our fund requirement is Rs 480 million. We have offloaded 10 per cent in the subsidiary company to IDBI Bank. B.A.G Films is investing through internal accruals and we have also tied up debt. We are adequately capitalised.

    Are you in talks with foreign investors?
    We will launch our brand and grow the business. We will create value before we decide to go in for a further dilution.

    When will all the 10 stations get launched?
    We have already launched Hissar and Karnal. Patiala is coming up next, followed by Muzaffarpur, Ranchi and then Jalgaon. We should have launched all our stations by August-September.

    What is the strategy behind bidding for the stations in the northern region and the sugar belt of Maharashtra?
    We believe that the towns we have selected will push for the radio revolution that has come so late in India. And the cities we have selected in the northern region falls within one extended stretch of tourist belt. Ranchi is an upcoming capital while Jabalpur is fully Hindi. In Maharashtra, the sugar belt has money.

    Will your stations have a common distinct personality?
    The tagline is `Hila ke rak de.’ This is because the belt we have selected, particularly in the north, is high on energy. We have trained our RJs accordingly. We will be a mass-based station as we have to first get the radio culture in those places.

    What are the plans for the animation business?
    We have entered into a joint venture with Sieindesign Co, a firm which has a presence in the production, distribution and licensing of animation movies and TV series. We will see this segment growing.

    How do you see growth in the parent company which will house the TV and film production business?
    We will continue to do fiction programming for general entertainment channels as we see no friction there with our new lines of broadcasting business. The scope, in fact, will broaden as a slew of new channels are in the process of being launched.

    We have also launched an international show Yeh Vaada Raha for Ary Digital, Dubai available in Pakistan, UAE, USA and UK. This is our first step towards going international. We are also foraying into Bengali feature Films with Ami,Yaseen aur amaar Madhubala. Directed by Budhadeb Dasgupta, it is set for release in October. All these efforts should give us topline and bottomline growth.