ITV

Tag: Sneha Rajani

  • SETs new look embodies hope and happiness

    SETs new look embodies hope and happiness

    MUMBAI:  Sony Entertainment Television has revamped itself to reaffirm its creative vision and content innovation.

    With design and thought converging to reinforce the vibrant cultural and thematic identity of the channel, the result is a refreshed, modern and distinctive new channel. The new look and feel will officially be seen by viewers across the world from primetime on 11 October 2013 i.e today.

    MSM COO NP Singh said, “Sony Entertainment Television is a brand which has always challenged itself to define the category through fresh content, appealing characters and powerful storylines all packaged in a vibrant look. The journey so far has been a well chalked out one, in terms of how we have evolved the brand and as a brand we have always endeavoured to give our viewers what they want to watch, not just what we want them to watch.”

    SET’s new look embodies “hope and happiness” symbolising progressiveness and grace, while being traditional and cultured, thus reflecting the smart and contemporary confidence of SET and its viewers. Embracing red, blue and green as their signature colors, the new look gives a very lively and emotional touch to SET that is spontaneous, humane and warm.

     

    We have evolved the brand and as a brand we have always endeavoured to give our viewers what they want to watch, not just what we want them to watch says MSM COO N P Singh

    Renowned design studios, Ink Project based in Australia has helped create and advise the channel on its new look. Through its powerful shows, refreshing content and iconic characters, SET has successfully delivered its brand promise of providing a wholesome viewing experience for its consumers. This revamped look further propagates its brand philosophy of being fresh, innovative and progressive.

    SET senior EVP and business head Sneha Rajani said, “At Sony, we believe that this is the right time to infuse renewed vigor into the brand and reflect an identity which truly articulates our spirit. This revamped look is a celebration of hope and happiness thus reflecting the inherent ideology of the channel – being proud of our heritage yet living life to the fullest. We anticipate that our new look will only strengthen engagement & connect with our audiences.”

    We anticipate that our new look will only strengthen engagement and connect with our audiences believes SET senior EVP and business head Sneha Rajani

    In the new brand identity spot, SET stars, are weightlessly captured against a dynamic backdrop of color and sound. The sparkle frames encircle the human action creating a bold, fresh look for SET. Red, blue & green colored particles converge to one point and dynamically sparkle to create the SET brand logo.

    Since its launch in October 1995, SET has created significant marquee properties through an impressive lineup of programs ranging from the light-hearted to the supernatural, exploring various genres complemented by an explosive mix of glamorous events and Bollywood blockbusters. Known for its innovative concepts and exciting formats, Sony Entertainment Television reaches more than 95 million households in India.

  • Sonys Maha gamble

    Sonys Maha gamble

    MUMBAI: A look at Sony Entertainment’s TAM TV ratings from week 33 to week 34 shows that the channel has slipped to number six position with 292,684 television viewership ratings (TVTs) from its earlier score of 349,377 TVTs.

     

    With yo-yoing TVTs to contend with, Sony is betting big on the seventh season of Kaun Banega Crorepati, which comes to drawing rooms in a new and improved avatar.

    Big B to play Sapt Koti Mahadhani… Kaun Banega Maha Crorepati starting 6 September

     

    Sapt Koti Mahadhani… Kaun Banega Maha Crorepati premieres on Sony on September 6 at 8.30pm and will be aired over 13 weekends, with the aim of creating a platform of opportunities for Indians across ages, genders and socio-economic groups.

     

    The channel is looking for a big change in viewership numbers through the show. “Yes, we are not satisfied with a few of our currently running shows. Also the TAM TV ratings have moved to a new currency and we will take time to stabilise. The show will surely help us gain momentum,” says Multi Screen Media CEO Man Jit Singh.

     

    A measure of just how much is riding on the show is the many changes it has undergone in terms of its format, level of audience engagement, prize money and so on.

     

    For starters, not only has the set moved base from Film City to Yash Raj Films Studio, the set design too has had a complete makeover.
    Sneha Rajani is hopeful that the format, its simplicity and Big B will surely make it tick

     

    This time round, audiences will get to hear a different sound track as well. While the music has been scored by Sawan Dutta, Varsha Jain has done the set designing.

     

    Explaining why they’ve changed the set, Sony EVP & business head Sneha Rajani says: “We had booked YRF Studios last year to shoot this season of KBC. The set this time is bigger, better and grander. We have added more elements.”

     

    Adding to this, Big Synergy Media CMD Siddhartha Basu says: “It was a challenging task, but we achieved it. The licensors loved the changes and accepted the change in format and set. They have also suggested that it be used in other countries, if affordable.”

     

    The biggest change comes in the form of the prize money, which has been increased from Rs five crore to Rs seven crore. About the figure, Singh says, “Seven crore in the seventh season, is the right amount.”

     

    Elaborates Basu: “We had to increase the engagement level of the audiences. With the changes in format, the drama has risen and so has the engagement of the audience,” and points out that the show needed a change. “It has been accepted by people for 13 years. But now, the viewers deserved evolution, development and variety. Keeping the fundamentals same, we have given our audiences the change,” he says.

     

    Speaking at the show’s press launch at ITC Grand Maratha in Mumbai, Rajani says, “Big B is roaring in this season. The format, its simplicity and Big B will surely make it tick.”  

     

    What’s new?

    ·The money tree will now consist of 15 questions.

     

    ·Introducing Sapta Koti Sandook, which will give contestants a chance to win anything from Rs one crore to three crore, five crore and seven crore.

     

    ·The Fastest Finger First round will now be a ‘best out of three’ with the winner at the end getting to the hot seat.

     

    ·More choice of lifelines – Flip the question (Alat Palat) replaces Ask the expert and 50:50 replaces Double Dip.

     

    ·A brand new lifeline called ‘Power Paplu’ that will aid those who seek to revive an already used lifeline.

     

    ·In the entire game play however, a hot seat contestant may use only four of the five lifelines on offer.

     

    ·Introducing Play along for the Fastest Finger First contestants, who do not make it to the hot seat. These contestants can now play along with the hot seat contestant and the one who answers the maximum number of questions in the minimum amount of time gets to win Rs one lakh at the end of the episode.

     

    ·The time limit for the Phone a friend lifeline will now be 45 seconds instead of 30 seconds.

     

    ·Audiences can win by playing Ghar Baithe Jeeto Jackpot.

     

    As things stand, the first three episodes have already been shot and Sony is going the whole hog in terms of marketing and promoting the show. “It is a 360 degree market campaign on radio, TV, print and hoardings,” informs Rajani while a highly placed media planner reveals, “KBC is the biggest show for Sony. The channel hopes to improve its position in the ratings chart through this. It would have spent anywhere between Rs 10-12 crore on promotions.”

    The team brings a better, bigger and grander Kaun Banega Maha Crorepati

     

    Digitally-speaking, the channel is leaving no stone unturned to promote the show. It has launched its flagship KBC 2013 website (www.kbcsony.com) and the KBC official mobile application. On the cards is a host of rich and immersive video content and games that will see users take home Apple iPads.

     

    The website will include entire episodes of the show and an AB special, where users can watch Big B rendering poetry and catchy one-liners. Joyous moments of contestants on winning large sums of money and glimpses of interactions with stars and celebrities will also feature on the website. Surfers will be able to play games like Globe Quiz, where they can scroll and move round the earth’s axis, click on any part of the world and answer a trivia question. Other highlights will be the KBC Web Game, where users can test their speed and accuracy online, Insta Hot Seat and Prize meter & Heat map to name some.

     

    Elaborates SET executive VP-new media, business development and digital/syndication Nitesh Kripalani: “KBC is one of the most admired and loved game shows on television today. The popularity quotient is huge and the fan base is getting bigger every year. Our digital platform is especially designed to give our users much more than what they can get from their television sets – a whole new immersive on-demand second screen experience right at their fingertips.”

     

    He explains that the idea is to bring “the KBC experience up, close and personal, across multiple platforms, be it mobile, tablet or online.”

    With the changes in format, the drama has risen and so has the engagement of the audience, says Siddhartha Basu

     

    Says the top-placed media planner, “The channel will look strong with the show in the ratings chart,” and points out that with an airing time of one and a half hour, it will rake in money from advertisers. “The channel should have sold its advertising slot at Rs 3.5 crore (approximately) for per ten second advertisements. They would be targeting getting close to Rs 200 crore through ad sales,” he says.

     

    While Sony is sure hoping Big B’s charms reflect on its ratings, “The real competition will come from Bigg Boss and 24, both to be aired on Colors. Though the show will get good viewership in its first week,” he adds.

     

    Now whether this Maha Crorepati will have a maha effect on Sony’s rating, is something we will have to simply wait and watch…

  • KBC delivers record debut TVR, advertisers pleased

    MUMBAI: Well, well, we predicted that it would be a runaway hit for Sony Entertainment Television (Set). And sure it has. The Amitabh Bachchan hosted Kaun Baega Crorepati premiered on 7 September and as per TAM data (C&S 4+) provided by the channels, it registered a whopping 6.1 TVR and had an average reach of 19 per cent.

    Those numbers are the best registered by any first episode of a non-fiction show on a Hindi GEC since the start of 2012. The great performance has also rocketed Set to its highest GRP reportcard in 2012 with the number at 244.

    The gambit by the Set management to take KBC to the weekend spot from last season’s weekday worked very well for the show. During the previous season when it aired during weekdays, the debut episode had scored 5.24 TVR. What also helped it achieve those numbers was the fact that it had no commercial breaks in the first hour of its two hour telecast.

    According to a statement by Set, KBC was viewed by over ­­­­29 million viewers across the country. What’s even more pleasing for Set is the numbers it generated in SEC A and B homes: its TVRs with those audiences were 7.7 and 8.3 respectively. Obviously, the well heeled and educated have really taken a shining for KBC.

    Says Set senior EVP & business head Sneha Rajani, “KBC 2012 has had a record breaking opening and has seen the highest opening this year across all shows on GECs breaking all previous records. We were confident that viewers would really enjoy watching this season of Kaun Banega Crorepati. The numbers more than corroborate this. We are really pleased with the opening week results and there is a lot more to look forward to on the show in the days to come. Overall we are delighted at the performance of all our shows and over the next 4 to 5 weeks we aim to further consolidate our position.”

    KBC’s TVRs met the expectations media outfit MEC which had only last week predicted that the show would generate a 5.4 TVR during its opening weekend. It had made this call based on the extensive promotion Set had undertaken across channels and media; the extensive buzz that the show had generated, and the higher base channel share of Set compared to last year.

    Sponsors and media planners and buyers of course are pleased as punch. Take Cadbury which is the presenting sponsor of KBC which is handled by Madison Pinnacle. According to Pinnacle COO Dnyanada Chaudhari what worked for KBC in its previous season was the in-built inherent drama of the underdog winning and the aura of a superstar host who connects audiences in a real sense. Says she, “Sony has retained the real life makeover in the storyline and reinforced the age old Indian belief in the power of knowledge. The challenge in a quiz show in long format is that it can easily get boring; the channel has consciously added auditions to extract elements of entertainment to sustain engagement.”

    “Last year, KBC was the one show that catapulted Sony into market leadership and was successfully used by the channel as a funnel to build their new primetime shows. These new soaps have long sustained on their own steam. It would jeopardize current loyal audiences, if the channel were to launch KBC on weekday. The initial viewership numbers are as good as prime time soaps. We hope that the programme leverages and builds enough anticipation for the Rs 5 crore milestone to sustain viewership on weekends. The opportunity for KBC is the possibility of strengthening Sony’s presence in no man’s land – its weekends. And more important, is whether KBC will redefine audience loyalties on weekends in the long run,” Chaudhari adds.

    Mindshare principal partner – client leadership Anita Kotwani said that the promotional campaign carved out by Sony ensured that everyone eagerly awaited KBC’s launch episode. “A personality like AB has a huge following and the entire promotional nuances touched the masses emotionally getting them charged up to watch the show. Scheduling it on the week end has definitely added to the numbers, and its appeal seems to cut across SEC groups. My sense is that the show will have a good run in terms of ratings. Sony will ensure that KBC’s steam does not run out and its team will go all out to ensure that it sizzles enough to keep the ratings going.”

    KBC associate sponsor Axis Bank CMO Manisha Lath Gupta is all smiles about its decision to partner the show, “Last year KBC had  averaged something around 5 TVR and that’s what we had kept in mind before doing the deal again. We are happy with the opening ratings of the show and also with the brand integration that has been giving us good visibility.”

    For the record, KBC’s second episode which aired on 8 September (a Saturday) saw its average reach shift a little southward to 16.2 per cent and the TVR to 5.3. We will have to wait for next week’s ratings release to find out how it fared in episode 3 when contestant Manoj Kumar Raina pocketed Rs 1 crore.

  • Sony narrows gap with genre leader Star Plus

    Sony narrows gap with genre leader Star Plus

    MUMBAI: The folks at Sony Entertainment Television (Set) are popping the bubbly. Reason: for the second week in a row, the lead channel in the Multiscreen Media (MSM) stable has held on its second spot in the Hindi GEC pecking order. And not just that: it has chomped away another seven GRPs from the entire GEC pie, coming very close to snatching leadership from numero uno Star Plus with its ratings figure of 235.

    As per TAM data (C&S, 4+, HSM) provided by Hindi GECs, Set is just eight GRPs away from Star Plus riding on the back of its leading fiction property Bade Achhe Lagte Hain, that garnered 4.8 TVR (last week 4.2 TVR).

    Set is also banking upon its crime-based fiction shows – Crime Patrol that saw an increase in viewership to 4.1 TVR (last week 3.8 TVR) and C.I.D which garners an average of 3.5-plus TVR.

    Sony sees an opportunity to occupy the leadership chair with the soon-to-launch Amitabh Bachchan anchored show Kaun Banega Crorepati (KBC).

    Says Anita Nayyar, who is joining Havas Media back as the India and South Asia CEO, “Historically, Sony has not been very consistent when it comes to ratings. But the channel has been doing consistently well since the past one year or so. Its shows like Bade Achhe Lagte hain have been doing well for them. The launch of KBC could be a gainer for Sony to some extent and could see it achieving new peaks. It will be a very close contender for the No.1 position.”

    And that will be some achievement for team Set – including Sneha Rajani, COO NP Singh, CEO ManJit Singh and president Rohit Gupta.

    Aegis Media CEO South Asia Ashish Bhasin does not expect Star India to take things lying down and allow SET to go ahead of it. Says he: “I am sure that Star Plus will come with something to fight and retain its position.”

    He, however, cautions that long term trends should be borne in mind before coming to any conclusions. Says he: “I don’t think that the data should be seen on week to week basis. The ranking of Star Plus, Sony, Colors and Zee TV will keep varying depending on one or two programmes that will be a hit for few weeks. In long term if somebody is falling behind, it will have an effect, but if in one week one channel is ahead and in the second week the other is ahead it won’t make much of a difference in the long run.”

    While for the second week in a row SET has gained, Star Plus has shaved 11 GRPs to end with 243 GRPs this week. Its leading fiction shows like Diya Aur Bati Hum and Yeh Rishta Kya Kehlata Hai have seen a slight dip in viewership.

    Colors on its part is at the No 3 spot with 228 GRPs, gaining some 14 GRPs. In the week ended 28 July, Colors‘ fiction show on child marriage Balika Vadhu has rated 4.3 TVR (last week 3.8). Its other fiction properties like Kairi, Sasural Simar Ka and Madhubala have also seen growths in viewership.

    Zee TV, meanwhile, added a GRP to close the week with 222 GRPs. Its flagship dancing reality show DID lil Masters continues to garner good numbers. The Saturday episode of the show registered 5 TVR (last week 4.4) while the Sunday episode clocked 4.7 TVR (last week 3.9).

    The second GEC from Sony Entertainment Network bouquet Sab added three GRPs to clock 132 GRPs while Life OK from the Star Network bouquet added six GRPs to record 107 GRPs. Sahara One with 42 GRPs (last week 41) remains at the bottom of the ladder.

  • KBC helps Sony sprint ahead of Colors

    KBC helps Sony sprint ahead of Colors

    MUMBAI: Amitabh Bachchan, the grand old man of Bollywood, has helped Sony Entertainment Television (Set) sprint ahead of Colors to grab the No. 2 position.

    Set has added 50 GRPs (gross rating points) to take its total to 245 points in a week that saw the return of Kaun Banega Crorepati (KBC) on the channel.

    As per TAM data for the week ended 20 August, KBC opened in the Hindi speaking market (HSM) with a 5.24 TVR, making it the biggest non-fiction launch of the year. Though the opening of KBC this season is lower than that of last year (6.2 TVR), it is important to note that the telecast time of the show has been lengthened to 90 minutes per episode.

    KBC 5 (2nd season on Sony) averaged 4.54 TVR during the week.

    KBC also lifted the ratings of other fiction shows. Bade Achhe Laggte Hain, Set‘s biggest fiction show, has grown to a TVR of 3.7, while Saas Bina Sasuraal touched 2.4 TVR. CID continued to thrill the audience with an average rating of 3.5 TVR while Crime Patrol clocked 3.1 TVR.

    Set senior EVP business head Sneha Rajani said, “KBC 2011 has been the only non-fiction show to open above 5 TVR this year on any Hindi GEC. We are delighted at the performance of all our shows and over the next 4 to 5 weeks we will further consolidate our position. We are confident that fiction will be the main growth driver on the channel. With a slew of promising new shows, Set will be a channel to watch out for.”

    Colors has slipped to No. 3 position with 232 GRPs (preceding week 236), while Star Plus continued to be on top of the ladder with 297 GRPs (277 in previous week).

    Zee TV is in fourth place for the second consecutive week with 194 GRPs (190 in trailing week), according to TAM data. Interestingly, Sony had managed to edge out Zee TV after the launch of KBC last year, though for a short time.

    The rest of the pecking order remains unchanged. Sab in fifth position collected 128 GRPs (last week 127) while Imagine TV earned 76 GRPs (last week 71), followed by Star one (32 GRPs) and Sahara One (31 GRPs).

  • ‘Max is an extremely successful channel’ : Max Sr EVP and business head Sneha Rajani

    ‘Max is an extremely successful channel’ : Max Sr EVP and business head Sneha Rajani

    Multi Screen Media‘s hybrid channel Max has completed 11 years and today is a prime asset of the company.

     

    While it telecasts the lucrative Indian Premier League (IPL), in the movie space it is in close fight with Zee Cinema for the top spot.

     

    In an interview with Indiantelevision.com’s Gaurav Laghate, Max Sr EVP and business head Sneha Rajani talks about how Max has successfully run its movie and cricket businesses separately and profitably.

     

     

    Excerpts:

    Max has been both, praised and criticised, for changes in cricket programming. Your comments…
    What we did with cricket was pioneering. We changed the way cricket was viewed and consumed in this country. Till then it was like a match being aired and a little bit of analysis thrown. What we wanted to do, and which is where we revolutionised cricket viewing, was that we wanted to increase the base.

    Cricket was predominantly male viewing till we came into the market. We knew that in order to increase the base, it couldn‘t be just confined to the men. We had to make it all inclusive.

    So we took some seriously bold steps like introducing a woman anchor way back in 2002 (Ruby Bhatia) and Extraa Innings.

     

    In the 2003 World Cup, we had three women instead of one – and purists went ballistic. The ratings increased five times, women audience grew 200 per cent and Extraa Innings touched a 19 TVR.

    Another milestone was duplicating the success of Extraa Innings with movies – Extra Shots. Mandira Bedi became the first movie jockey.

     

    From 2008 we are having IPL. There has been no dull moment since then – we are made for each other.

    What about movies?
    Blockbuster movie acquisition is something Max has been associated with always. Out of the 10-12 big films every year, Max has easily over half of them. Be it Lagaan, Devdaas, Om Shanti Om or 3 Idiots – you will always see the best and biggest movies on Max.

    3 Idiots is, perhaps, the biggest coup that Sony has pulled off. Look at the ratings of the first three airings.

    With so much controversies and bad publicity going around IPL, will it have any adverse impact on your revenue targets?
    I won‘t comment on numbers but any publicity is good publicity…it helps you look positively. And at the end of the day, the IPL is a league that the audience wants to watch. The thought and vision is so strong that the IPL will continue to be the biggest entertainment spectacle.

    Max being a hybrid channel, the cost of investment is much higher compared to a pure play movie channel…
    Yes, but we look at the two as completely separate businesses. And both are doing fairly well independently.

    And yes, as for cricket, the rights have been acquired for 10 years. We are well aware of the costs. But as far as movie acquisition is concerned, we know the prices have gone up tremendously, which is why we have been extremely careful about how many movies we have picked up this year and at what price.

    But you have acquired very few movies this year?
    Let me put it this way… We have not acquired as many films as we normally do simply because we did not want to pay unrealistically high. Acquisition has to make business sense.
    ‘We have not acquired as many films as we normally do, simply because we did not want to pay unrealistically high. Acquisition has to make business sense‘

    As Colors is buying movies aggressively for its upcoming movie channel, what will be your plan of action?
    Not just Colors, Star has also picked up a lot of them. Colors is in a different life cycle; they are in a launch phase. We are nowhere in the launch phase, we have a very solid library. We have acquired enough number of premieres.

    So what are the parameters that you look for while acquiring the movies?
    We have a budget and a set of parameters. Our recent acquisitions are Robot, Crook, Raktacharitra, We Are Family and Hisss.

    When you are airing movies, you do not have scope for creative programming. How is your channel different from the other movie channels?
    The scope is very limited simply because we run movies back to back; there is very little space available for us to do anything else. But in the next quarter, we are trying to bring in at least a couple of innovations.

    So far we have Extraa Shots – which has a different look to it every month. We shoot with TV stars; we have picture-in-picture type shots etc. It has been refreshed continuously over time.

    But how will you differentiate between your channel, and say, Zee Cinema and Star Gold if everyone is playing the same movies?
    You are talking about the syndication model. But there are very few movies that have been shared between the broadcasters like Jab We Met airing on 10 different channels.

    I can say 99 per cent of our library is exclusive, and so is Zee‘s and Star‘s. There are very few – around 50 films that are shared in the market.

    So you don‘t believe in the syndication model?
    We as broadcasters are extremely and completely against the syndication model. If you talk to other broadcasters, I think they will also share the same views.

    I think it is not right for the broadcasters and for the movie itself. I think producers also should not encourage this as it completely devalues the product.

    But many channels have formed business models on syndication. Like Colors acquired first airing, Imagine TV got second airings…
    The response to that is the pricing is wrong. It does not mean that you change the model and introduce a model that completely kills your product and the brand of the channel.

    We had to acquire some movies on syndication as they were not available otherwise. But going forward, we have not acquired any film that is on syndication. It is outright acquisition model that we are following.

    Which movies you had to take on syndication?
    Om Shanti Om, Chandni Chowk to China, Bhootnath, Jab We Met and a few others. But after that, we haven‘t. Like 3 Idiots – which we acquired exclusively.
    The window between theatrical release and TV premiere has shortened. But a movie channel gets the movie after it airs on the general entertainment channel. Is there a return on investment?
    If not, why will Colors launch a movie channel? And let me tell you, I can‘t talk about the other movie channels, but Max is a very successful channel. Not just from the ratings point of few, but as a business it is extremely successful.

    And as you rightly said, the big premiere happens on a general entertainment channel simply because the effective rates on a GEC are far higher than a movie channel. But there is a model there which works, and that‘s why everyone is doing it.

    In other words, we recover what we invest.

    But Zee Cinema is not investing heavily on acquisitions and rates higher than Max. So is it not a more effective business channel?
    They do buy, maybe not as much as Star or Sony or Colors, but it is because their business model is different.
     

    And talking about Sony, even before we launched Max, our brand promise was that we are known for our blockbusters. Our strategies

    are different. I wouldn‘t say theirs is more effective or ours is.

    And if you see the last five years, Max has been leading more than them. Obviously our strategy is also working.

    Also don‘t forget that Zee Cinema has got a first mover advantage. It‘s a far older channel. People are used to it and in the Hindi heartland they have a huge following.
  • Max Stardust Awards on 18 February

    Max Stardust Awards on 18 February

    Mumbai: ‘Stardust’ magazine along with Sony’s Hindi movie channel MAX will host the ‘Max Stardust Awards’ on 18 February at the Bandra Kurla Complex.

    The ‘MAX Stardust Awards’ are said to be aimed at ‘generation next’ wave of actors. The awards will promote and encourage new talent. An official release categorically states that over-exposed and established stars do not qualify for nomination in the ‘MAX Stardust Awards’.

    Only young talent and films that have made an impact in 2006 have been nominated for the ‘ MAX Stardust Awards’. The idea is to showcase and recognize the fresh, new faces who will emerge as the superstars of tomorrow.

    MAX Business Head Sneha Rajani said, “MAX has always brought its viewers some of the most glamorous, high-energy entertainment events from the world of Movies. The high voltage MAX Stardust Awards which showcases the best of Bollywood is part of this tradition and has always been appreciated and loved by our viewers in the past. This year too we plan to bring to our viewers a truly spectacular experience.”

    The function will be compact, exclusive and totally television-oriented with limited seating capacity.

    MAX will telecast the Kenstar MAX Stardust Awards on Saturday, 3 March at 9.00 pm.

  • Max gears up for the cricket World Cup

    Max gears up for the cricket World Cup

    MUMBAI: With seven weeks to go before the biggest sports event of the year the cricket World Cup kicks off Max is gearing up to create buzz around the event.

    Speaking to Indiantelevision.com Max business head Sneha Rajani says that Extraaa Innings the wrap around show kicks off at 5 pm on each match day. Since matches get over in the wee hours of the morning the pre show will start with a review of the previous match with the expert panel.

    It will then go on to previewing the upcoming match. This time around some matches will also air on the English movie channel Pix in case Max and Sab cannot accomodate them. Besides the first couple of Extraaa Innings Charu Sharma and Mandira Bedi the channel has commentators like Geoffrey Boycott, former Indian cricket coach John Wright who will provide an insider’s touch, Barry Richards and Ian Chappell. Max is also in the process of finding someone to send to the West Indies to join its commentary team with its Host Ka Dost hunt.

    Max has kicked off promotional activity for the World Cup with an on air campaign. The message is that one world will be converging in the West Indies to watch the event.

    The campaign is feel good and light in the spirit of the Caribbean which is known for its relaxed, fun atmosphere. From Friday a series of countdown spots will air to build anticipation. Rajani adds that no cricketers have been used. There will be calypso music to give viewers a feel of the upcoming event.

    On the ground the channel will conduct a roadshow next month. A van will visit 150 cities in a bid to get fans to express their support for the boys in blue. The winning placard will be sent to the Indian team. Rajani conceedes that the fact that matches finish late might impact viewing particularly for the non India games. The hope is that the matches will be involving enough so that viewers do not mind going to bed late even if the likes of Saurav and Sachin are not involved.

    The World Cup will be used to push Indian Idol 3 which is expected to kick off sometime in the May – June period on Sony. It will also push Max’s blockbusters which will kick off from May. Key shows on Sony and Sab will also be pushed.

  • ‘What we need to do now is concentrate on our week day prime time band’ : Sneha Rajani – Max business head

    ‘What we need to do now is concentrate on our week day prime time band’ : Sneha Rajani – Max business head

    It has been an eventful time for Max. It recently aired the champions Trophy. Having successfully shored up its share on the weekend due to its focus on Sunday, it is now concentrating on strengthening its week day prime time band. It is also putting together plans for next year’s cricket World Cup.

    Indiantelevision.com’s Ashwin Pinto caught up with Max business head Sneha Rajani for a quick chat. She recently took over from former head Albert Almeida who was tapped to head Sony.

    Excerpts:

    Firstly, could you talk about the push given to The Champions Trophy by Max?
    If you look at the, ratings you will see that once again cricket on Max has delivered higher ratings than on any other channel. This started four years back. The non-India match ratings have been a revelation. It has been the highest since the World Cup. Our ratings were certainly helped by the buzz that Extraaa Innings bought and the innovations we did.

    Some advertisers I spoke to were not too happy. Do you feel there would be some cooling off in the next edition of the event?
    One grouse is that a lot of the matches including the final finished way too early. I think the advertisers are smart enough to understand that its in nobody’s hand whether the game ends before 100 overs or goes on till the end. This Champions Trophy has been fascinating from a cricket point of view as it has been unpredictable. When you have a high scoring game you have an idea of who will win and lose. Here dodgy totals kept viewers in suspense. It could swing either way. This is why the non-India ratings were more than what was achieved in 2004. So I don’t think it would in any way effect the next year’s Trophy.

    A lot of matches did not last 100 overs as it was a bowlers tournament?
    Matches ending early is in nobody’s hand. As an advertiser, if you decide not to put money the next time around in 2008 because of this and most matches last 100 overs it will be a lost opportunity. You cannot pre-empt anything.

    What is Max’s game plan going to be to build up buzz and anticipation ahead of the World Cup?
    We tailor our campaigns around where an event is happening. The campaign is always skewed to reflect the country a tournament is being played in. So when the Champions Trophy was in Sri Lanka it had a sub continental feel to it. In England we incorporated the stiff and proper mannerism into our campaign.

    In India we did the Shaadi campaign to emphasize the spectacle. Everything was shown as larger than life and melodramatic. Now when we go to the West Indies the campaign will be around beaches, sun and sand. It will have a carnival atmosphere.

    You are doing a ‘Host ka Dost’ hunt. What are the logistics involved to find someone to go the West Indies?
    This initiative is being done in collaboration with Reliance. It is a hunt for someone who’ll be part of the Extraaa Innings team for the World Cup and other cricket that we may have.

    If one is selected from the call they would be asked to come for an audition at Reliance Webworld, where they have to give a two to three minutes performance in front of the camera. There will be five finalists who would be further shortlisted by public voting. At present we are just at the call stage. We should wrap this up by the second week of January.
    ‘Matches ending early is in nobody’s hand. As an advertiser, if you decide not to put money in 2008 because of this and most matches last 100 overs it will be a lost opportunity‘

    What are the big properties that Max has lined up for now till March?
    We signed some big movies recently. Fanaa is coming up as a weekend premiere. We also have Apna Sapna Money Money. January and February 2007 is where big titles will be shown. In terms of thematic blocks right now we have a King Khan festival.

    Certainly having a theme block associated with a star brings in loyalty. We will also have a comedy festival lined up for December.

    How do you push the non-blockbusters?
    It’s simple. We market and promote them in a way that has not been done before. It is all about the buzz you create – old wine in a new bottle. On air promotions are a key. You find a key moment that defines a film and you push that. We had a movie called Nayak, which tanked at the box office. It has delivered tremendous ratings for us though.

    In the past you focussed heavily on Sunday with housefull and then the blockbuster at 1 pm. How did this help grow your share over the weekend?
    Our reach has grown by 20 per cent. A 12-hour slot delivers an average of 1+. We will continue to focus on Sundays as well as festivals that happen once in a month. What we need to do now is concentrate on our week day prime time band. The evening slots are fine. The afternoon band is doing well where we have a block for women.

    My job is to strengthen the Monday – Friday prime time band from 9 pm. There will be a mix of titles. We have 36 China Town, Golmaal.

    What libraries were recently acquired?
    To name a few we have acquired Sajid Nadiawalla’s library, Yash Chopra’s library and Ramesh Behls library recently. Our library is over 1000+.

    What are the changes that have happened in the acquisitions process in the past couple of years?
    We have always focussed on acquiring the top five to six films in a year and that will stay. The scenario has changed with more players. More buyers for the same product means that the pricing has become buoyant. Competition is good and It keeps us on our toes.

    One big change that has happened, especially in the past year is that films are acquired before their theatrical release. This is a risk that all broadcasters are taking. This was not the case earlier on. Then it was more staid. You now go by track records in buying films pre-release. We just presume that a certain star cast with so and so director and producer should be doing well.

    If you go with established producers you should be fine. Sony has great relationships with them. Shaadi Se Pehle was a title that we bought pre release. The acquisition process is very organised. The producers are fairly realistic, they know which film is to be priced at one crore and which at 10 crores.

    How important are dubbed Hollywood films?
    Extremely! We launched Hollywood Hungama two and a half years back. It is one of the most loyal slots on our channel. Each year we acquire 25-30 titles.

    You had in the past done the innovation of the onebreak film. What further innovations can we expect to boost viewer loyalty?
    It worked for us initially and then it did not. Viewers got worried that why is the channel not having a break. They might feel that one ad break equates to a channel not doing well. They are conditioned to having breaks in between a film. Also we had a lot of ads on our plate to schedule. The one ad break did not prove to be economically viable.

    We keep looking at innovations that will surprise people. In this Champions Trophy we had huge cut-outs of Mandira Bedi and Virendra Sehwag at Mahim. We will do some wrap around programming on films and we are also looking at an innovation during our ad breaks. We do outdoors on special occasions, like for Lucky we had done an outdoor and we might do it for Fanaa too.

    Are you also looking at new formats like chat shows, news related film specials to add variety or is there too much of this already on Indian television?
    No! We already have Sony and Sab for this kind of content. We have a news show Current Bollywood but we will not be adding to this.

    New media segment is growing in importance in terms of mobile and the internet. What can we expect from Max in this regard?
    We did a lot of mobile activity for the Champions Trophy. It was very interactive. We offered movie trivia on the mobile and did contests as well. Clips we do not offer as the rights belong to either a mobile firm or a producer. Whether we go beyond will be an a decision that will be taken as an organisation and not as a channel. We won’t rule it out though. On the net right now Max site basically offers film information.

    One way that Max has separated itself in cricket has been through personalities like Mandira Bdei. Are you planning to extend this association further through the film platform?
    We already do this. She used to anchor Extraaa Shots which was a wrap around show for our films. Manish Vanicha is now anchoring the show. He is now doing stuff on cricket. So while Mandira moved from a cricket anchor to a film anchor Manish did the opposite. Next year you will see more personalities.

    Besides cricket and films what other events is Max looking at over the next few months?
    We have the Max Stardust awards coming up. We have been doing that for the last two years. I would say that it was the best looking awards show last year. Concerts air across the network.

    Could you talk about how your client portfolio has grown as well as ad rates?
    In the last year our client base has grown by 25 per cent. I am not in a position to talk about revenues or increase in ad rates.
  • Almeida made Sony business head; Rajani takes over at Max

    Almeida made Sony business head; Rajani takes over at Max

    MUMBAI: In a top level executive reshuffle, Max Channel business head Albert Almeida has been handed over the responsibility of the flagship channel Sony Entertainment India business head.

    At Max, Almeida will be replaced by Sneha Rajani, who is presently heading Max Programming & Acquisitions.

    Albert and Sneha will report to Set India COO NP Singh. The new appointments have been made with immediate effect.

    On the new leadership team, Set India CEO Kunal Dasgupta says, “As an organisation our efforts have always been focused on creating a combined powerhouse of channels where each of our channels are led by strong professionals who are able to provide sound and effective leadership. In order to further strengthen this leadership these movements have been made where Albert and Sneha can take their teams to greater heights”.

    Commenting on this new announcement, Set India COO NP Singh said, “Both Albert and Sneha have contributed immensely to the growth of the network and now leading SET and Max respectively will give them an opportunity to further grow these brands. Albert will however continue to oversee ICC Champions Trophy till the end of the tournament.”

    Almeida has been with Set for over three years and has provided leadership as marketing head of Set Channel as well. Rajani has been with the company for over seven years and has been involved in areas such as programming, acquisitions & cricket.