ITV

Tag: SET

  • Sony’s romantic gamble with the 9:30 pm slot

    Sony’s romantic gamble with the 9:30 pm slot

    MUMBAI: From 9:30 pm onwards this independence day, Sony Entertainment Television has ambitions to gives to its viewers a breath of fresh air. How? Well! One, the channel launches its new series Kehta Hai Dil…Jee Le Zara and two through this show, it brings back the queen of romance on TV, Sangeeta Ghosh.

    “Sony stands for hope, aspirations and happiness and so does the show,” says SET chief operating officer N.P Singh. Sony which aims at strengthening its fiction genre is continuously looking at fresh concepts. “We were looking for content which was different and we came across this. It was relatable and real, like most of our shows. It is a kind of story that you will see Sony doing,” he adds.

    Kehta Hai Dil…Jee Le Zara is a story of Saanchi who is modern yet traditional. “It is a simple concept and has evolved very much from everyday stories. Today, for a lot of women, marriage may not be the first preference,” says Rose Audio Visuals producer Shristhi Arya, who is known for doing off beat and sophisticated soaps like Lipstick, Guns and Roses, Remix, Kabhi Haan Kabhi Na and Twinkle Beauty Parlour.

    “With increasing aspirations, both love and marriage are pushed aside. Also the fact that a lot of interaction takes place among colleagues who are of different age groups, falling in love with a younger man is easier,” says Arya explaining the storyline. Arya feels that television has the responsibility to reflect the sign of the times “And this is a sign of ‘A’ particular zone of people,” she adds.
    Sony stands for hope, aspirations and happiness and so does the show, says N.P Singh

    The show will be replacing Parvarish which currently runs in the 9:30 pm slot. “Parvarish has been on air for the past two years and has had a successful tenure. The time was right to replace it with a newer and fresher show,” informs Sony EVP & business head Sneha Rajani. Apparently, both the channel and the producer feel that the new show’s storyline has a fit with the aspirational needs of the core Sony viewer. “Through Sony I have got a platform which has the exact audience that I am looking for my soap,” informs Arya.

     

    The story is about a family living in the beautiful hill station of Panchgani. “It was the script that excited me the most. It is a simple story of simple characters and this is what got me to direct the soap,” reveals show director Siddharth Sengupta who has earlier helmed dramas like Balika Vadhu and Ek Chabhi Pados Mein.

    The crew which started filming in end-July has recreated the feel of Panchgani in Film City located in Goregaon in Mumbai. “We are shooting 12-13 hours daily and have currently shot approximately six episodes. We need to build a bank, because once the show goes on air we will be only meeting deadlines,” reveals Sengupta.
    Shristhi Arya feels that television has the responsibility to reflect the sign of the times we are in

    The main protagonists are Sangeeta Ghosh (Des Mein Niklla Hoga Chand fame) and Ruslaan Mumtaz who made his debut in Bollywood through Mera Pehla Pehla Pyaar. While Ghosh plays Saanchi, Mumtaz will be seen as Dhruv. The other characters are Sulabha Deshpande and Meenakshi Sethi, who will play the two grandmothers, Delnaz Irani who plays Dilshad, Nabeel Ahmed will be seen as Advait and Priyanka Sidana will be seen as Prachi. The story has been written by Niranjan Iyengar and the screenplay and dialogues are by Arjun and Purva respectively. The main sponsor for the show is L’oreal Paris Total Repair 5.

    Sony is using a 360 degree marketing campaign to lure in audiences to the channel. The channel has appointed MOMS Outdoor Media Solutions for managing OOH activities. “We will be marketing the show on TV, radio, print, digital and also hoardings,” informs Rajani. The channel has shot three promos and also shot three to four countdown promos, which are airing currently. Apart from this, the marketing campaign will also involve a print ad on the day the show goes on air.
    The show is a clutter breaker, says Sneha Rajani

    The show will face stern competition from Yeh Rishta Kya Kehlata Hai on Star Plus, Qubool Hai on Zee TV and Na Bole Tum Na Maine Kuchh Kaha: Season 2 on Colors. Does Sony have any strategy to deal with this competition, answers Singh, “Well, competition is a reality. Within the very aggressive competitive market, you have to differentiate the niche. Sony in its last 17 years has always run shows which are different from the rest and that has set us apart and we continue to follow that strategy.”

    With reality shows working better for Sony, why add another fiction soap in the already cluttered fiction genre? Says Rajani, “We consciously decided two years back to focus more on fiction shows. We had gone a little weak in capturing viewers in the fiction space and so decided to focus more on the fiction genre.”

    “Also we currently have two reality shows Indian Idol Junior and Comedy Circus running on our channel. Kaun Banega Crorepati will also hit TV screens soon. All this leaves us with no space for any more reality shows,” she adds.

    So what’s new in the soap that will help it get good TVTs? “It is a clutter breaker. From the time the promos went up, I have been receiving messages from people who can relate to this story. It is not drama, but the journey of an independent, yet responsible woman,” comments Rajani.

    “Fiction today is the mainstay for every GEC. People want to see fresh content. Now how well the programme does depends on its content and whether it has been able to add some freshness to it. If it can engage its audiences, it will surely do well,” says Madison Media Group, Bangalore COO Dinesh Rathore.

    The channel will soon see a row of new soaps replacing the current ones. But for this slot, it is surely placing a big bet that viewers will bite. Will keeping the show simple for people to believe in it, help the channel record increased TVTs? With the channel falling off to the fifth position in this general entertainment channel space, Sony must surely be praying it will.

  • The science behind KBC’s theme

    The science behind KBC’s theme

    MUMBAI: Remember the “Unwanted” girl who goes on to win Kaun Banega Crorepati? The power of knowledge (Sirf Gyaan Hi Aapko Aapka Haq Dilata Hai) helped her reach the hot seat but imagine what would have happened if she had stopped there? Most of us tend do stop learning after we reach a certain position and certain stature. This year, viewers of Sony Entertainment have been watching the Big B Amitabh Bachchan coming on their TV screens, reminding them Seekhna Band…Toh Jeetna Band.

     

    Yes, that is the theme for this year’s KBC. Taking a step forward from last year’s theme, the show plans to motivate its viewers to continue learning through its campaign, which went on air a couple of weeks ago. Sony Entertainment Television senior VP and marketing head Gaurav Seth explains, “The theme ties in beautifully with the idea of KBC. In life and in KBC when you become complacent and arrogant that is when you understand that you have lost in both life and KBC.”

     

    From Koi Bhi Sawaal Chhota Nahi Hota to Seekhna Band…Toh Jeetna Band, the channel has come up with innovative messaging almost every year. And don’t be foolish to think that these just fall out of thin air. It takes four to five months of brainstorming, two-days of workshopping by all concerned entities (SET, Big Synergy, Leo Burnett) to weigh the pros and cons, before the theme is finalized.

     

    “Every year the mood of the nation changes, we need to be abreast with what is happening in the country and incorporate it in the brand message without losing out on the show’s uniqueness ,” says Leo Burnett’s executive creative director Ashwiny Iyer Tiwari who has been associated with KBC’s creative since it was first aired on Sony.

     

    The obvious question that everyone has on their minds is why have a theme? Isn’t it just a game show? “It is not a game, it is a life changer,” comes the unanimous response from Seth and Tiwari. Both go on to elaborate that the show connects with people and themes only go on to humanise the concept. “The theme is resonant with Indian society,” says Seth.

     

    The current theme works around inculcating the spirit of learning at every stage of life. Citing Big B’s example they both say, “Even today a great man like him doesn’t shy away from an opportunity to learn. So, why should we?” The same message has been very satirically incorporated in the two promos, directed by Amit Sharma of Chrome Pictures, which are on air right now.

     

    Tiwari elaborates, “Through the show’s brand campaign we are taking a righteous stand which will only go on to help our viewers who in some way or the other will pay heed to it because Big B is saying it.”

     

    Kicking in the buzz for KBC

     

    Almost a crore wannabe KBC-ers have registered themselves to get closer to the hot seat. And while the production house is busy finalizing the contestants, Sony Entertainment Television is working at devising ways to both attract and engage audiences.

     

    “KBC has transformed entertainment and we are working at creating the buzz,” says SET senior VP & marketing head Gaurav Seth. The channel is currently busy with designing online and on-ground activities to be relayed before and during the show launch. “A lot of play-along activities and apps are being designed. The apps will be launched by 15 August,” he informs.

     

    The channel is also working on its digital campaign for the launch of the show. “There will be huge engagement. We will ensure interaction through people writing back with their feedback. This time the audience will also get an opportunity to compete and challenge their peer groups. There will also be live play-along through twitter once the show launches. There are several ideas and these will be put across to the audiences in the weeks to come,” says Seth.

     

    KBC is initially being promoted through television promos. “We have shot four TV promos, two of which are already on-air. The rest will come in the next 10 days,” he informs. This will be followed by digital and radio promotions.

     

    “We will use the print medium on the day and a week post the show launch. The outdoor marketing will kick start a week prior to the launch,” he says.

     

    As far as below the line activation is concerned it is has quite a few promotions planned. Its marketing teams will host Aapke Sheher Hot Seat in 12 cities nationally. “Through this, we get viewers to sit in front of the computer and win prizes. Winners will be invited to a special event in that city which will have a proper sit down with a host. We will recreate the environment in the smaller cities, with Amitabh Bachchan asking the same questions on the television screen,” informs Seth.

     

    The OOH activity is still in the planning stage and will be handled by Madison Outdoor Media Services.

     

    Over the years, KBC has transformed the way people view television and understand entertainment in the country. Says Anita Kaul Basu (who can be labeled as the queen of the non-fiction format and the director of Big Synergy which is the production house for the show): “For a format which has been on television for over a decade, it has only strengthened itself. The viewers have changed and so have the viewing habits. In order to keep abreast with the changing times, the show which has a set format has always come back with an innovative theme to add to its freshness.”

     

    Last year, a new segment was added to KBC, wherein the background of the contestants (the backstory) who made it to the hot seat was shown. This was an effort to open a window to the aspirations of India and what India stands for. “Through this we tried to build a connect between the contestant and the viewers, who no matter what strata of the society they belonged to, aspire to be on the hot seat,” reiterates Kaul Basu.

     

    When asked about how does she and her team continue to engage people for over a decade, Kaul Basu says it’s not everybody’s cup of tea. “I have a special research team comprising 50 people (mainly in Delhi) who interact with experts like doctors, lawyers, academicians etc to come up with not only questions but also to know what people want to see.”

     

    As KBC enters its seventh season, we at indiantelevision.com foresee many more entertaining and informative seasons of the show. Basu, while hoping for this, laughs and says, “It is an incredible format and has its own life. It has worked in every language, across regions and hosts and will continue to do so, and know it will do so for many many more years. And we will continue to innovate in India to keep it engaging and fresh. And of course we cannot forget the trump card we have in Mr Bachchan. He deserves a bow. ”

     

    Indeed, come the first week of September (when the show is slated to air), many an Indian TV viewer is quite likely to give him one.

  • Time Warner Cable to offer content directly to Samsung Smart TVs without STB

    Time Warner Cable to offer content directly to Samsung Smart TVs without STB

    NEW DELHI: Time Warner Cable (TWC) has made available its TWC TV application on compatible Samsung Smart TVs to enable customers to see television without a set-top box.

    TWC video subscribers will have instant access to 5,000 Video on Demand (VOD) titles from nearly 100 networks.

    Samsung Electronics America content & product solutions VP Eric Anderson said: “The application will provide existing Time Warner Cable subscribers with more control and choice for how they access their Time Warner Cable content over their Samsung Smart TVs without having to be tethered to their cable box.”

    “SmartTV is an important product for Samsung in the TV market. In April 2012, global market research agency IHS said shipments of televisions in 2012 amounted to 238.5 million units, down 6.3 per cent from 254.6 million in 2011. Shipments aren‘t expected to rise back to the 2011 level until 2015, when they will amount to 253.1 million units,” he adds.

    “Time Warner Cable is giving customers more flexibility in how they watch the content they love through our TWC TV application for Samsung Smart TVs,” said Video for Time Warner Cable senior VP & GM Mike Angus.

    The TWC TV application will be available for download initially on 2012 Samsung Smart TVs and the 2013 Samsung Smart TVs soon afterwards. Channel line-ups vary by market and depend on the video subscription package to which a customer subscribes.

  • How Sony Entertainment is driving its online ambitions

    How Sony Entertainment is driving its online ambitions

    Nitesh Kripalani is a man on a mission. His weapons: a MacBook Pro, a high tech smartphone and a 3G internet connection. His battleground: Facebook, Twitter, YouTube and the oceanic mobile app market. Kripalani spearheads the very dynamic ‘digital team‘ of 10-15 young and passionate social networking experts at Sony Entertainment Television (SET). It is his responsibility to create a virtual and online connect for hundreds of millions of Sony Entertainment Network Television viewers – in India and worldwide. Kripalani is one of the masterminds of the digital revolution that has gripped India‘s Hindi general entertainment TV channels (GECs).

    The future of television could very well be digital. What could not have even been imagined a decade ago is now an indispensable part of our television viewing experience. Social interactivity with viewers at home is now just a ‘comment‘ away. ‘Tweet‘ and express your views on the latest twist and plot of your favorite daily serial. Guess what? The future is here and how!

    Catching up with the pulse of the audiences, Multi Screen Media‘s (MSM‘s) Hindi GECs Sony and SAB have carved out an online indent for themselves. The need for making their presence felt on the dynamic platform of new media urged Sony to gradually devise a social media integrated communication plan around three years ago.

    Let‘s consider the statistics to gauge the digital reach of the two GECs of SET.

    Sony and SAB both have an official Facebook profile and Twitter handle with a commendable fan base. While Sony‘s Facebook page boasts of around 0.17 million likes with 7,500 plus facebookers talking about it, SAB has 50,249 likes and 2,649 active followers. The quintessential TV viewing audience is increasingly engaging on Facebook. Then its official Facebook pages for its TV shows tot up large numbers. Itsiconic Ram Kapoor and Sakshi Tanwar starring Bade Acche Lagte Hai Facebook page has 0.7 million likes with 21,000 active followers. The official page of its Kaun Banega Crorepati has 0.35 million likes with 6,700 active followers and the show‘s registrations have yet to start. Crime Patrol has knocked up 0.1 million likes with 3,800 active followers. The long running CID, which garners huge ratings for the channel, however has a comparatively low 33,000 likes with 1,110 active followers.

    The thirst to know more about their favourite shows is quenched on these Facebook pages. Sony constantly updates these with pictures and teasers of upcoming episodes. The buzz is also kept alive by the Sony‘s TV show addicts who go to make up its fandom. When looking at a channel‘s Facebook presence, fan driven pages cannot be left in isolation. A lot of action takes place through these fan pages. Look for Bade Acche Lagte Hai, Sony‘s popular fiction show, in the Facebook search bar and chances are that you will be looking at 10 active Facebook pages with as the most popular sporting close to 0.25 million, with 40,000 fans being active.

    Twitter, being an indispensable aspect of social media, cannot be left out. And it is here where the Sony Network has to buck up and it lags behind its rivals Star and Colors. Hindi GEC Sony has an active twitter handle with around 7,500 followers, while SAB follows with approximate 4,500 followers. @SonyTv is buzzing with tweets and re-tweets every couple of hours.

    What more? The numerous fan-driven handles of their popular shows are busy re-tweeting and sharing every Sony update, making for a huge cacophony of views across the digital world.

    Ironically, the Facebook and Twitter fan base is just the tip of the iceberg. What takes the cake is Sony‘s official YouTube channel which has one of the most massive subscriber‘s bases in India of nearly 1.6 million and a humongous video views count of over 660 million. SAB has its own share of digital audience with around 28 thousand subscribers and 190 million video views. Ever since Set India joined YouTube on 20 September 2006, it has uploaded 1,69,994 videos so far and counting. No wonder, Sony leads most other GECs in the rat race of YouTube subscribers.

    In order to aggregate all its social media activities under one umbrella, SET India launched a vibrant and ‘lively‘ Sony Liv this January. Sony Liv is a branded website cum app which is slowly but surely gaining momentum which has generated nearly two million downloads on android and iOS platforms. The official SonyLiv Facebook page has over 0.12 million likes. In five months, the branded site has attracted around 12 thousand followers with 15 million videos watched so far. The fans are more than happy to catch up with not only the latest episodes of their favourite on-going shows, but also remain loyally connected with their beloved shows which have gone off air.

    All in all, SET has done it all from having an official Facebook page to its twitter handle; from one of the largest YouTube channels to a newly launched Sony Liv. The numbers are heartening! On an average, each YouTube upload by Sony garners as many as 25 thousand video views! The episodes are uploaded within two hours of telecast and by the next day, the newly discovered online audience has watched it repeatedly.

    Bade Acche Lagte Hai leads the race on Sony‘s YouTube channel. The adorable middle-aged married couple – Ram and Priya have a dedicated fan-following of around 35 thousand viewers who watch every episode within a couple of days. Next in the YouTube popularity index stands the veteran fiction-crime show CID, which continues to garner a massive count of more than 30 thousand video views for each episode.

    We have finally entered the era where the quintessential TV viewing audience is engaging on the digital platforms. Who knows, in the not so distant future, our stereotyped Saas-bahu sagas will drive a lot more traction online than what the TRP‘s tell us now!

    Sony began targeting the online space around three years ago. The first phase focused on handphones with the Indian Idol audition mobile registrations and special Kaun Banega Crorepati (KBC) apps. The second phase promoted the Sony YouTube channel and the third phase which continues today, involves the development and promotion of its own branded website-cum-app Sony Liv.

    Sony Entertainment Network SVP – new media, businessdevelopment and digital/syndication Nitesh Kripalani says: "We have covered all social media platforms from mobile to our own branded site that is the newly launched Sony Liv. It is an integrated marketing communications approach. We look at the online space as the means to reach maximum audience. The main aim is – first, to interact with and engage with our audiences and get their valuable feedback; second, to spread the word and promote our shows through this mass medium; and finally third, it is to monetise the online traffic."

    Kripalani estimates that the Indian digital market is Rs 1,000 crore – Rs 1,500 crore out of which approximately Rs 200 crore constitutes the mobile market; the rest is left to digital. Understandably, this digital revolution has opened up a whole new universe for revenue generation.

    Sony derives its online revenue through its existing advertising associations. Last year, Sony‘s official YouTube channel earned significant online revenue from brands like Axis bank, MTS and Maruti that sponsored popular shows like KBC and Indian Idol.

    As far as social media such as Facebook and Twitter go, Kripalani says, "Currently, our goal is not one of maximum monetisation. In fact, we believe the platform must be primarily used for reaching out to our viewers. Perhaps a year from now, we may look at subscription based content following a premium model where 80 per cent of the content is free while the rest is paid for."

    Sony Liv has been attractively packaged with several elements including videos, photos, behind the scenes videos and archived content. Some of the older shows like Jassi Jaisi Koi Nahi, Aahat, Heena and older episodes of Crime Patrol, Comedy Circus and CID receive considerable traction as well. This content that was otherwise rendered useless after the shows went off air is now being made to eke out revenues through digital media.

    Comparatively, among on-air shows, fiction has an upper-hand over non -fiction shows. Kripalani reasons, "Fiction series dominate the most watched content online because of loyal viewers who watch episodes repeatedly. However special episodes of non-fiction shows like Indian Idol, Comedy Circus or a KBC attract thousands of views. Fiction series have a consistent following which is understandably missing in case of non-fiction."

    Sony‘s revenue from its online initiatives runs into millions of dollars. Yet the network has not moved into producing web exclusive content like some of the other Hindi GECs. However, Kripalani does not dismiss a possibility of producing such content in the future. "As the market expands and becomes more receptive, we will look at generating content exclusively for the web. Let‘s say in the next year and a half, Sony Liv will be the one stop destination for exclusive web content. After all, the digital platform is very profitable and is growing rapidly," he concludes.

  • IPL6 takes Max to the top of the GRP charts

    IPL6 takes Max to the top of the GRP charts

    MUMBAI: It‘s not only Gayle, Bravo and Pollard who have been hitting the maximum in the sixth season of the Indian Premier League. Sony Max has trumped Star India‘s flagship Hindi general entertainment channel Star Plus to take the lead in the GRP race for week 17 of TAM.

    As per TAM data (C&S, 4+, HSM) provided by Max, the channel has notched 248 GRPs in the fourth week of the tournament, making it the number one channel in India. Star Plus managed to collect 215 GRPs (last week 233) in the week ended 27 April.

    Meanwhile, Max and Sony Six collectively garnered 304 GRPs.

    The tournament also continues to beat all competition in prime time. Pepsi IPL‘s average primetime viewership is at 3.6 TVR as compared to Star Plus‘s 2.0 TVR, Colors 1.6 and Zee TV at 1.7 TVR in the Hindi Speaking Market (HSM).

    Pepsi IPL 6 also registered a reach of 168 million viewers in just four weeks and has already surpassed the total reach of any of the previous editions of the league. Sony Max EVP and business head Neeraj Vyas said, “Our ratings of this week reiterate the fact that Pepsi IPL 2013 is the biggest entertainer of the year. We are indeed delighted to see that it has already achieved such incredible reach just halfway through the tournament. We are thrilled that it continues to offer spectacular entertainment to our viewers and unparalleled value to our partners.”

    On the Hindi GEC Space, Zee TV has emerged as the biggest gainer of the Hindi GECs genre in the week 17 of TAM‘s ratings. The flagship Hindi GEC from Zee Entertainment Enterprises (Zeel), added around 22 GRPs to register 191 GRPs. Almost all the shows of the channel have witnessed improvement in numbers.

    As per TAM data (HSM including 5 new LC1 markets, C&S, 4+) sourced from a channel, the pecking order of the Hindi GECs remained the same in week 17 of TAM, with Star Plus leading the flock followed by Zee TV, Colors, Set, Sab, Life OK and Sahara One at No.2,3,4,5,6 positions respectively.

    Star Plus launched its new dancing reality show ‘India‘s Dancing Superstar‘ on 27 April that opened with a 2.5 TVR. The show replaced Nach Baliye Sriman vs Shrimati that concluded with a 1.8 TVR on 21 April. The other shows of the channel have seen a drop in eyeballs.

    Colors, the Viacom18 channel, has lost three GRPs to register 164 GRPs.

    Following Colors is Sony that had premiered the Shah Rukh Khan, Katrina Kaif and Anushka Sharma starrer ‘Jab Tak Hai Jaan‘ on 21 April. The movie clocked a 2.4 TVR in its first airing on Indian television.

    The Yash Chopra-directed movie ran for around four hours from 7.30 pm, helping the channel get around 19 gross rating points (GRPs). Set ended the week with 150 GRPs. Sab is next with 125 GRPs (last week 123) while Life OK closed the week with 101 GRPs (103 GRPs).

    Sahara One with 20 GRPs (last week 21 GRPs) remained at the bottom of the channel ladder.

  • SET launches in New York City through RCN deal

    SET launches in New York City through RCN deal

    MUMBAI: RCN, the all-digital cable, internet and phone provider in New York City, has added Sony Entertainment Television (Set) Asia as part of its 100 per cent per cent-digital TV platform beginning 2 April. The channel will be part of the brand-new RCN ‘Sona‘ tier, including other premium South Asian networks.

    “We‘re very excited to announce the launch of Sony Entertainment Television in New York City. It falls perfectly in line with our goal to continually add more networks that provide maximum entertainment and value for our customers,” RCN New York General Manager Bruce Abbott.

    SET SVP International Business-Head of North America Jaideep Janakiram said, “At Sony Entertainment Television, we continue to lead in ways to make our programming available to the widest possible audience. We are proud to announce the launch of Set Asia on RCN and are committed to bring our viewers the best family entertainment and Bollywood blockbusters.”

  • SET selects Rentrak to provide TV ratings service in US

    MUMBAI: Hindi general entertainment channel Sony Entertainment Television (SET) Asia has signed a multi-year TV essentials contract with Rentrak, the multi-screen media measurement service provider, for the US market.

    The broadcaster will work with Rentrak‘s TV ratings currency to provide detailed measurement to advertisers and agencies and remain competitive in the South Asian marketplace.

    Sony Entertainment Network SVP international business- head of North America Jaideep Janakiram said, “Rentrak‘s stable and granular TV ratings information as our currency will assist SET Asia to provide detailed measurement allowing our advertising clients to precisely target their campaigns.”

    Rentrak president of national linear television Chris Wilson added, “Rentrak is proud to serve the South Asian category and prove the value of SET‘s audience through our unique advertising targets. The South Asian market is among the fastest growing populations in the United States and the growing networks serving this audience need stable measurement to help them be competitive within the industry.”

    Rentrak‘s television ratings measurement service provides daily measurement of all TV networks nationally and at a granular level for TV stations in all 210 media markets nationwide. The service incorporates information from over 30 million televisions and is the only fully integrated system of detailed satellite, telco and cable TV viewing data commercially available.

  • MSM launches Sony Mix in US on Dish Network

    MSM launches Sony Mix in US on Dish Network

    MUMBAI: Sony Mix, Multi Screen Media‘s (MSM) Hindi music channel, has launched on leading US direct-broadcast satellite service provider, Dish Network.

    Moving into the gap created by erstwhile music channels rechristened as ‘youth channels‘ and other music channels dishing out non-music content as interstitial programming, the channel is confident that viewers shall enjoy Mix as a channel that remains true to the music genre.

    Mix also aims to maintain its focus on content by producing packaged shows offering right from user generated content to people profiles executed in the most unmistakably musical fashion.

    Says Sony Entertainment Television (SET) SVP International Business and Head of North America Jaideep Janakiram, “We are proud to announce the launch of our music channel – Mix on DISH Network for the discerning South Asian lovers of Hindi film music. We are confident that MIX will connect with every viewer with its variety of music and special programming. Mix is and shall stay true to music.”

    Dish Network Director of Programming Sruta Vootukuru states, “Sony Mix‘s unique theme-based music format helps Dish deliver a better experience to our customers. Adding the Sony MIX channel compliments Dish‘s robust international programming and enhances our South Asian offerings.”

    In a related development, SET has launched its flagship HIndi general entertainment channel Sony Entertainment on RCN, the all-Digital Cable, Internet & Phone provider in New York City effective 2 April.

    The channel is part of the brand-new RCN “Sona” tier, including other premium South Asian networks.

    “We‘re very excited to announce the launch of Sony Entertainment Television in New York City,” said RCN New York General Manager Bruce Abbott. “It falls perfectly in line with our goal to continually add more networks that provide maximum entertainment and value for our customers.”

    Adds Janakiram, “At Sony Entertainment Television, we continue to lead in ways to make our programming available to the widest possible audience. We are proud to announce the launch of SET Asia on RCN and are committed to bring our viewers the best family entertainment and Bollywood blockbusters.”

  • Stage set for a court battle on DAS in Bengaluru

    Stage set for a court battle on DAS in Bengaluru

    MUMBAI: A battle royale is set to take place in the Karnataka High Court tomorrow. On the one hand are national and Karnataka‘s multi system operators (MSOs). And on the other side is the Karnataka Cable TV Operators Association (KCTVOA). The former are are all set to challenge the petition filed by the latter seeking extension of DAS (digital addressable system) in Bengaluru.

    Putting up a united front, the MSOs led by Hathway Cable & Datacom, InCable, Den Networks, Siti Cable and Atria Convergence Technologies will request the High Court to dismiss the writ petition filed by the KCTVOA.

    The MSOs have been made respondents to the petition filed by KCTVOA president V S Patrick Raju. The MSOs are expected to file their responses when the case comes up for hearing before the court tomorrow.

    Hathway Cable & Datacom MD and CEO Jagdish Kumar asserted that the MSOs will request the HC to strike down the KCTVOA‘s writ petition seeking extension of digitisation deadline.

    Kumar feels that there is no need for a stay on DAS in Bangalore as almost 75 per cent of the television households have already been seeded with STBs. The MSOs, he said, are equipped to seed STBs in the remaining 25 per cent homes.

    The Karnataka HC had had on 31 March extended DAS in Bengaluru till 5 April on a petition filed by Raju. The KCTVOA had requested the HC to postpone digitisation in Karnataka‘s capital city as there was no clarity on the set top boxes (STBs).

    Raju says that he had filed a RTI request with the nodal officer in Bengaluru 10 days ago, seeking information on the extent of set top box seeding in the city, but he had not got a response as yet. He says that the entire digitisation process will result in cable TV operators becoming a bill collector and the revenue share of 65:35 in favour of the MSO is not acceptable at all. “We have invested so much in our cable TV networks and by collecting Rs 1,400 for a set top box, the MSO will get our subscriber who is asking us for bills for the set top box, for warranty for mobility to other areas of the city,” he says. “Also the MSOs have not given us a rate card for the channels that they want us to carry.”

    The sunset date for phase II of digitisation covering 38 cities was 31 March however the Information & Broadcasting ministry on 2 April allowed a 15 day grace period to the industry to allow smooth transition from analogue to digital cable.

    The HC is also expected to hear tomorrow a petition filed by Mysore Cable TV Operators Association seeking extension in Mysore due to shortage of STBs.

  • Sony targets Rs 2 bn from KBC

    Sony targets Rs 2 bn from KBC

    MUMBAI: It’s hoping to hit the jackpot itself. Sony Entertainment Television (SET) is looking at more than doubling its advertising revenues from its flagship reality game show, Kaun Banega Crorepati (KBC), even as it is lengthening the telecast time of each episode and its seasonal run.


    The Hindi general entertainment television channel is expecting to reap an ad revenue of Rs 1.80 to Rs 2 billion from the fifth edition (second on Sony) of the show, according to market estimates.


    This time the show will run for 14 weeks in 1 and a half hour long episodes. In the previous edition, KBC ran for seven weeks in one-hour episodes.


    “Sony is looking at more than doubling its ad revenues as the inventory has gone up. Besides, the channel‘s ratings have improved as well,” said a media analyst.


    The channel is spending an estimated Rs 800-100 million on marketing the game show, which will be hosted by Bollywood actor Amitabh Bachchan. Last time SET spent Rs 110 million on marketing the show.


    “We had to spend more on marketing the show last time because we had to stress on the fact that KBC was shifting from Star TV to Sony. Also, Bachchan was returning to the show after a gap of six years,” said SET senior vice president and marketing head Danish Khan, while declining to comment on the actual spends this year.


    Placing the show at 8.30 pm every Monday-Friday, Sony is using the flagship show as a gateway to its primetime programming. The channel plans to launch a fiction show at 8 pm in mid-September.


    “We have two fiction shows which are doing well at late primetime. This is a good time band to attract audiences from smaller towns and metros. KBC is going deeper this time,” stated Khan.


    KBC was aired at 9 pm in the previous edition.


    Sony is expanding the role of KBC from just a game show to a “show that reflects the transformation of lives in India”.


    “Our entire marketing premise is built on this. Our five set of TVCs will reflect this message,” Khan commented.


    The themes chosen for the television commercials aim to highlight the country‘s identity: inflation, corruption, old age, relationships and hedonistic.


    The show‘s positioning has been amplified from “Koi bhi sawaal chota nai hota” to ‘Koi bhi insaan chota nahin hota‘.


    “This year‘s thought of ‘Koi Bhi Insaan Chota nahin Hota‘ is rooted in a popular belief of the society that ‘everybody inherently has the capability to achieve something extra-ordinary‘. Hence, all stories stem from the big idea – ‘do not underestimate anybody‘. KBC is not just a game show but it leads to information. It is rooted to India‘s culture that knowledge is power”, averred Khan.


    With a broader positioning, Sony has changed its promotional plans as well with television staying as the frontier medium. “Television and cinema will convey the message of the changing India. Print, radio and outdoor will act as reminders for appointment viewing,” Khan said.


    Conceptualised by Leo Burnett and produced by Chrome Pictures, the campaign has five TVCs, each with a distinct story and character. It reiterates the power that lies with the average middle-class man.


    “The hot seat is a great leveler. It transforms lives. The whole auditioning process is done in such a way that every contestant has a story to tell. Each of the 52 episodes will tell a story of the common Indian,” asserted Khan.


    The reliance on TV has also extended the spots‘ duration to 60-seconds.


    “Since the previous year was a very successful one for KBC, we are hoping that this one does even better. We have received fabulous response from our digital promotions as well. Our main objective was to create the most memorable campaign,” Khan concluded.