ITV

Tag: Sun TV

  • Sun TV to hike ad rates of Telugu channels from 1 April

    Sun TV to hike ad rates of Telugu channels from 1 April

    MUMBAI: Soon after the announcement of an ad hike for the Tamil channels, Kalanithi Maran-promoted Sun TV Network said Monday it has decided to up the rates for its Telugu channels effective 1 April.

    For its flagship Telugu channel Gemini TV, the media conglomerate has decided to increase the rates from six to 13 per cent.

    The ad rates for the other Telugu channels – Gemini Movies, Gemini Music, Gemini News, Gemini Comedy and Kushi – will be increased from nine to 43 per cent.

    The slot fees (broadcast fees) received from the content producer will also be increased accordingly.

    Recently, Sun TV announced the hike in ad rates for its Tamil channels – Sun TV, KTV, Sun Music, Sun News, Chutti and Adhitya.

    The network will also announce ad rate hike across the other two South markets – Kannada and Malayalam.

    The overall effective ad rate hike across the four markets would be in the region of 13-15 per cent, according to market estimates.

    Sun had last revised its ad rates across its channels between 10-33 per cent from January 2010. This resulted in an effective hike of 13 per cent, according to market estimates.

  • Joyalukkas’ ad spend to cross Rs 500 million this fiscal

    Joyalukkas’ ad spend to cross Rs 500 million this fiscal

    BANGALORE: Jewellery brand Joyalukkas‘ will be spending over Rs 500 million towards advertisements across major mediums like television, print, outdoor and radio this fiscal, revealed an industry source.

    Giving the breakup of the spends, the source said that the brand has already spent around Rs 200 million towards TVCs in the four southern states. Spends until January on other mediums include about Rs 50 million towards radio, about Rs 90-100 million towards outdoor and about Rs 150-160 million towards print

    “With two more months left for this fiscal, and with Valentine’s Day around the corner, the ad spend figure is sure to cross Rs 500 million,” the source said.

    In India, Joyalukkas‘ has eight stores in Kerala, nine in Tamil Nadu, two in Andhra and one in Karnataka.

    Joyalukkas‘ has been beaming event based ads on television as well as radio. Some of its outdoor communication and print ads have also been event based.

    The brand has been advertising on the Sun TV in Tamil Nadu where its ad spends are in the range Rs 20 million. It has also advertised on KTV, Sun Music Kalaignar TV and Isai Aruvi TV.

    In Kerala, it has beamed TVCs on Asianet, Kairali, Surya and Kiran. In Andhra Pradesh, it was the anchor sponsor for a soap ‘Lady Boss’ on Maa TV and has taken spots on Gemini TV. In Karnataka where it has a single flagship store on M G Road, Joyalukkas‘ ads have been appearing on Udaya TV, Udaya Movies, U2 and Suvarna TV.

    Forevermark, the diamond brand from the De Beers group of companies, announced a partnership with Joyalukkas‘ in Bangalore.

    Creative duties for the brand are handled by Dubai-based Sutra Communications while media buying is handled by Kerala-based Valappila Communications.

     

  • Sun TV to up ad rates from 1 April

    Sun TV to up ad rates from 1 April

    MUMBAI: Catching the signals of a strong rebound in the Indian economy, Sun TV Network has decided to increase its advertising rates just five quarters after its earlier revision.

    The Kalanithi Maran-owned South Indian media conglomerate, which had increased it advertising rates starting 1 January last year (after a gap of almost two years), has announced a further 8-32 per cent hike across its Tamil channels.

    Effective 1 April, flagship channel Sun TV and the other Tamil channels – KTV, Sun Music, Sun News, Chutti and Adhitya – will hike their ad rates.

    “The effective ad rate hike will be 15 per cent across the Tamil market. Tamil Nadu contributes 45 per cent of Sun Network’s total ad revenues. Sun will continue to maintain a healthy ad growth in the next fiscal, both from volumes and from the rate hike,” says a market source.

    The rate hike will be effective across the slot fees (broadcast fees) received from content producers.

    Sun TV Network will also announce soon ad rate hike across the other three south markets. Sun has 14 channels in these three language markets including Gemini (Telugu), Udaya (Kannada) and Surya (Malayalam).

    The overall effective ad rate hike across the four markets would be in the region of 13-15 per cent, according to market estimates.

    Sun had last revised its ad rates across its channels between 10-33 per cent from January 2010. This resulted in an effective hike of 13 per cent, according to market estimates.

    For the first nine-month period ended December, Sun reported a total income of Rs 14.93 billion, up 43.93 per cent from the year-ago period.

    Shares of Sun TV closed Tuesday at Rs 409.65, down marginally by 0.24 per cent in a bearish market, as it recovered after Monday‘s 11 per cent tumble due to rumours of CBI investigation on alleged links with Kalaignar TV, which was reported to have received Rs 2.14 billion as loan from DB Realty. The stock touched an intraday high of Rs 433.15 and a low of Rs 402.05 on the BSE.

  • ‘Media and entertainment sector has lost a whopping Rs 640 billion of market value since last year’ : Sadanand Shetty – Kotak Securities vice president

    ‘Media and entertainment sector has lost a whopping Rs 640 billion of market value since last year’ : Sadanand Shetty – Kotak Securities vice president

    Media and entertainment companies have been riding the market boom to expand and fund their diversified ventures. But the tide has turned against them and they are faced with a scarce capital situation.

    Being in the equitties market for over 14 years, Kotak Securities vice president Sadanand Shetty knows best how rough the path is going to be for media companies to tide over the slowdown phase. Managing money on behalf of investors, he is one of the few fund managers to have caught early the trends across verticals within the media and entertainment sector.

    In an interview with Sibabrata Das, Shetty talks candidly about the massive erosion of values media companies have seen over the last one year and how grim the real world is for most of them.

    Excerpts:

    Aren’t these companies seeing a massive skid in valuations?
    The media and entertainment sector has lost a whopping Rs 640 billion of market value since last year due to the global economic meltdown. There is a massive collateral damage to the wealth of media owners. Valuation corrections for most of these companies are far greater than the broad market.

    Most media companies fall under mid cap and small cap categories. These categories have lost much more in stock value than the large cap companies. September ’08 has been the worst quarter in recent times for most media companies that are part of the broad-based BSE 500 Indices. The profits of aggregate listed companies are down by 60 per cent for the said quarter, including losses of new Hindi GECs (general entertainment channels). Slowdown in revenue and rising costs have hit earnings.

    The market has not even spared large companies like Zee Entertainment Enterprises Ltd and Sun TV Network Ltd; they together have lost market value of close to around Rs 160 billion (as of 10 January 2009 over the year ago period). The broadcasting space has alone lost market value of nearly Rs 280 billion. Economic slowdown in general has impacted the advertising revenues of the sector. Subscription revenues, to some extend, provide the much needed cushion to falling profitability of the broadcasting companies.

    Why were media valuations so unrealistic?
    Being emerging businesses, the Indian media and entertainment companies commanded higher valuations. Most media companies have demonstrated robust sales, expanding margins and rapid growth in profits in recent times. The stock market rewards high growth with high valuations. A favourable equity market has also helped companies to raise large funds and command these valuations.

    Weren’t companies stretching themselves too thin in a market hype situation?
    Still, I wouldn’t call these moves as mistakes. Expansions were planned in a growth environment, which now, though, is hitting the speed breakers. But certainly in some cases large capacities have been created ahead of demand curve and investors are suffering in those ventures.

    The industry also witnessed entry of new players with other objectives. For some it was pure market capitalisation as easy money poured into the sector. Investors – foreign and local – have jumped the gun and funded some of the unviable projects. Shortsighted foray into ‘new media’ business verticals that some companies have ventured into will be hard hit.

    What are the lessons to be learnt from this?
    This is the first true slowdown that the industry is witnessing today. It would be interesting to see how managements of the media companies respond to the situation. In general, business plans built on easy liquidity do not sustain for long. Vision, commitment and excellent execution do. Media, like any other services business, is people driven. Backing the right talent with appropriate incentives will yield large gains.

    ‘Economic slowdown will force companies to focus on few verticals. They will have to maintain their market share without burning too much cash‘

    Have media companies become dependent on foreign capital?
    Global media companies except perhaps News Corp. were late to react to opportunities in India. But today almost all the top studios of the world have their presence in India across different media verticals. Favourable economic growth and rapid rise of domestic companies have compelled the global media giants to look at India. For some of these companies, Indian operations have started contributing majorly to their profits in the Asian region.

    We are also witnessing rapid rise in FDI (foreign direct investments) and portfolio investments in media companies. You, after all, can’t ignore the second fastest growing economy of the world. India is also in a sweet spot today because of its huge youth population.

    What are the challenges the Indian media companies face due to slowdown?
    Slowing ad spend, increase in operating costs (specially distribution), and tight liquidity will impact the industry in the medium term. The sector will also have to grapple with excess inventories that have been created in the last few years. Most importantly, economic slowdown will force companies to rethink on their expansion plans and focus on few verticals. Companies will have to maintain their market share without burning too much cash in the process.
    The process of consolidation will also accelerate. I expect incumbents with sound financials to take advantage of the current dismal valuations to further their business interests. Venture capital and private equity participation can’t also be ruled out. We have already seen certain GECs feel the heat. Consolidation in regional markets is also happening and expansion plans have been put on hold in some cases.

    Overall, the economic slowdown will impact the growth plans of most of the companies. Priorities have shifted to consolidating the existing businesses; expansion can wait.

    It is testing time for media companies. There will be no better time to demonstrate the strength of their respective market/channel shares as we expect ad spend to consolidate towards the top.
    ‘TV content companies have suffered for long due to their fractured business model. Lack of revenue visibility and pricing power have impacted them. There is also lack of long term relationship between content and broadcasting companies‘

    Will news channels have a free fall as they operate in a highly cluttered environment?
    News channels in India have grown significantly over the last few years. But for most companies, it has not significantly added to their profitability due to high operating costs (including distribution). Lack of robust subscription revenues have also impacted the bottom lines of many of these companies. Noise value has gone up due to entry of players with other objectives. We have witnessed the entry of so many non-serious players in the market that I think most of them will fold up in the next two years.

    Only few news channels with strong brand equity and distribution network would be able to make reasonable profits. Companies with strong balance sheets will survive. Rest all will fade away.

    What do you think of the television content companies?
    TV content companies have suffered for long due to their fractured business model. Lack of revenue visibility and pricing power have impacted them. There is also lack of long term relationship between content and broadcasting (who own the IPR) companies. The benefit of new distribution platforms has not reached most of these companies.

    Unless there is substantial change in the current business model, I do not see real scalability coming to companies. TV content companies also suffer from fragmentation. Having said that, this year has been particularly good for content companies as some of the dominant incumbent players have witnessed loss of market. New players have emerged and done well. I expect few credible players to emerge in the future.

    Do you find the cable industry attractive?
    Institutional investors have shown interest in the sector in recent times. Investments have flown into the large incumbents and fledging entrepreneurial-led companies. Investors are betting on eventual consolidation and digitalization of last mile to unlock huge value in the sector. Investors seem to be willing to wait for the interim painful process to unlock long term value. We expect increased investments will go into infrastructure creation and customer acquisition.
  • ‘Though reality shows are expensive, the yields are also high’ : Deepak Dhar – Endemol India country head

    ‘Though reality shows are expensive, the yields are also high’ : Deepak Dhar – Endemol India country head

     Riding the reality format boom, Endemol is stepping up efforts to grab a slice of the fiction content market in India. The company is also planning to foray into regional language content and is in talks with broadcasters like Sun TV, Raj TV and Maa TV.

     

    In an interview with Indiantelevision’s Nasrin Sultana, Endemol India country head Deepak Dhar also talks about the company’s venture into gaming and Call TV format shows.

     

    Excerpts:

    Most of the shows that Endemol introduces in India are based on international format. What kind of research and creative inputs do you work on to add local flavour to it?
    Whenever we get an international show format to India, we always try to adapt it to the local market. There is certain amount of local creativity that is allowed on the format shows. We try to draw and pull in expertise from other countries and learn from how they are doing the show there.

     

     

    We follow certain standards and practices while adapting an international format. Our in-house Indian teams make sure that the format is tailored to suit Indian sensibilities so that audiences can watch the content with their families around.

     

     

    For example our international property Fear Factor, which has done so well in other countries, was spiced up in India according to the need. Unlike its international version, Khatron Ke Khiladi had 13 female celebrity contestants.

     

     

    With the 13 female contestants in such difficult situations, we delivered nail biting thrill and competition. This was the first time that these female models were making public appearance without make-up. Besides, the Akshay Kumar-factor gave us an upper edge this time in the show.

    Does the India division of Endemol own any original format? Are you selling your format show to other foreign broadcasters?
    Endemol India owns the rights for the musical show Mission Ustad on 9X. The show was produced in association with United Nations. The show featured AR Rehman along with various singers who performed to achieve eight millenium development goals set by the UN. In the show, the contestants also composed and performed original tracks.

     

     

    We are in talks with an UK broadcaster to sell the rights of the show. We hope to seal the deal in two to three months.

    What about your most popular show The Great Indian Laughter Challenge?
    We do not hold any rights of The Great Indian Laughter Challenge. Star India holds rights for the format and the show. Endemol India only produces it.

    Besides Fear Factor and Big Boss, what are the other format shows that Endemol India is launching in the local market?
    We are in talks with a couple of Indian broadcasters to launch some of the format shows that we had brought rights to in Mipcom last year. Right now we are looking to launch format shows like Divided, Set For Life. Wipe Out, Divided and 1 vs 100.

    At the last Mipcom, Endemol had bought rights of shows like Kids are Alright and 11 Cameras for the Indian market. What is the reason that you have not yet launched them?
    These shows are very advanced in its nature to fit with the Indian viewers. They would not have accepted it then. We are launching them in India soon.
    ‘Although Indian broadcasters and producers have tasted success with reality, it is still fictions that work well with all kinds of viewers in India‘

    What went wrong in your not-so-good experience with fictions like Jamegi Jodi for 9X and Full Masti 88.2 for Sab TV?
    Although Indian broadcasters and producers have tasted success with reality, it is still fictions that work well with all kinds of viewers in India. Our weekly sitcoms have drawn good response. We are building up on that front.

    How aggressive are you on the fiction front and will it be in the same comedy space?
    We have a full fledged fiction division in Endemol India. This time we are trying to get away from the comedy genre. Currently we are working on two fiction-based shows in different genres. We are launching a fiction show, Miley Jab Hum Tum, on Star One.

    What steps are you taking to tap the rapidly growing regional space?
    We will be foraying into regional language markets very soon. We have already firmed up our team. Starting with the South, we will get into producing shows for Marathi and Bengali channels. In the South, we are talking to Sun TV, Raj TV and Maa TV.

    With reality shows being so expensive, do you think regional channels can afford them?
    Why Not? Though reality shows are expensive, the yields are also high. Regional players are ready to fork out money for such shows and reap the returns.

    What are the other areas that you are stepping into?
    Endemol is expanding its business in India. Besides producing shows, we are getting into other areas like gaming and call TV format shows.

    What are the shows that you are looking at to develop into the game software?
    We will develop gaming software on the format shows. We are planning a strategic alliance with a gaming company. We will hold the gaming rights for all these shows.

     

    Some of the format shows that we are looking to develop into gaming software include Deal or No Deal, Set for Life and 1 vs 100, among others.

     

    We are also planning to release DVDs with respective broadcasters on various shows.

    Could you elaborate on Call TV shows?
    Call TV is a show wherein viewers can interact with the TV programme host through a mobile. The theme for Call TV shows may vary from astrology to cooking recipe. These shows will be mostly in the non-prime time band.

     

    As of now, Call TV initiative is at the initial stage of formation. We will be introducing th Call TV shows by the year-end.
    For Call TV shows, are you talking to any Hindi news channels?
    We are in talks with some of the Hindi news channels.
  • ‘Challenge is to convert local advertisers’ contribution to 50 per cent from 25 per cent’ : Abraham Thomas – Red FM COO

    ‘Challenge is to convert local advertisers’ contribution to 50 per cent from 25 per cent’ : Abraham Thomas – Red FM COO

     Red FM has gone through a sea change after the Living Media Group sold it to a consortium including Hyderabad-based Value Labs, NDTV and Malaysia-based Astro. Then Sun TV Ltd. acquired a 48.9 per cent stake to build a national footprint, synergising with its South India operations.

     

    Red FM has grown over the period, claiming to hold top spot in the lucrative market of Mumbai. It has also grown its base in Delhi and Kolkata.

     

    In an interview with Indiantelevision.com‘s Nasrin Sultana, Red FM COO Abraham Thomas throws light on some of the pertinent issues that plague the FM radio sector in a Bajate Raho style.

     

    Excerpts:

    What do advertisers identify with the Red FM ‘Baajate Raho’ brand?
    Advertisers associate Red FM as a young, energetic and pro-active brand. Any product or brand that targets between the 15-35-year-olds likes to get associated with Red FM. Even the local advertisers in each city where we operate – Delhi, Mumbai and Kolkata – are putting money on us as our content is wholly local.

    What about the listenership growth at Red FM in the recent past?
    The Red FM brand has been created with our innovative content and our ‘Bajate Raho’ attitude. We have moved from just being a radio brand to a FM station. Listeners identify Red FM as a station of expression. We have also ventured into TV. Our annual on-ground Bajaate Raho awards is going to air on Sony Entertainment Television.

     

    In terms of listenership, we have been consistently in the number one spot in Mumbai for the last seven to eight months. In Delhi we were a bit behind. Now we have climbed to the number two spot there. In Kolkata, we are the only station which play only Bollywood superhits unlike other FM stations which have Bengali music too.

    With Sun TV Ltd. picking up a stake in Red FM, what has this meant at the operational level?
    In the operational level, there has not been much change. In the ad sales front, the network is able to sell a national package to any advertiser.

    FM broadcasters are seen complaining about advertisers’ preference of TV and print over FM radio. Has it improved over the years?
    Advertisers have gradually started to realise the potential of the medium. The industry has seen a two-way expansion – growth from existing markets and new geographies with FM phase II expansion. In the last fiscal, the FM industry has expanded to deep pockets of the country. Definitely this attracts advertisers as FM radio is seen as an innovative mode of advertising in the smaller towns.

     

    In Red FM national advertisers pull 75 per cent revenue while the local advertisers constitute the rest. The big challenge is to convert the 25 per cent into 50 per cent. Only then can the FM radio sector expand its share in the overall ad pie which currently stands at 3.4 per cent.

    Has the launch of Ram (radio audience measurement) made any impact since advertisers can now have data to back up their spend?
    Unlike the TV industry, advertisers and FM broadcasters are not using Ram figures on a week-on-week basis. But a 4-6 week data provides a clear trend which we use to pitch to advertisers. Besides we use the trends which come out of time spend, cumulative and Tarp (target audience rating point) data to design and conceptualise our shows. They indicate content stickiness and the profile of the audience.

     

    The Ram figures have demystified a myth that we most often had. Pre-Ram, we neglected the weekend slot thinking that listenership is slender. Now we are concentrating on the weekend slot as well. The Ram figures clearly indicate that there is a strong listenership population even on weekends. Earlier when there was no data to refer to, most of the FM stations played back-to-back music with no jock talk.

    What are the other trends that the Ram figures indicate?
    Listeners start stepping in from 7:30-8:30 in the morning. This increases gradually, so much so that it beats TV viewing audience. But after 1:30-2 pm, listenership slides down. The 2-5 pm band faces a tough competition from the TV audience as during this time most of the general entertainment channels (GEC) have original content in the afternoon band. Radio listenership reaches its peak after 5:30 pm.

     

    There was another believe among us that highest listeners come in from the car listeners. However, Ram data proves this wrong as there are few listeners on the drive. Most of the listeners come in from mobile and personal set listening.

    Are you content with the Ram week-on-week data or you wish for some improvisation?
    Yes, it has been useful. At least something is better than nothing. We were not able to use the data of Indian Listenership Track (ILT) as it was out only on a quarterly basis. It was difficult to use the dated trends. The Ram figure is a good indicator. The best method in this connection is the electronic meter of mapping listeners. Only a few countries use that methodology as it is very expensive.

     

    The ideal thing to do in India is to have three different methodologies in three different types of market. The small markets can have Day-After-Recall (DAR) methodology, the big markets can use Daily Diary methodology while the metros can depend on Electronic methodology. But the Electronic methodology is not feasible in India as it is very expensive.

    The Indian Premier League (IPL) had its devastating effect on GECs and multiplexes. Has the FM industry felt the heat?
    IPL has been beneficial for us. Red FM is the official radio partner of Mumbai Indians IPL team. To cheer up the team, Red FM turned into Blue FM for one day. Red FM has woven both content and contest around cricket to promote the team. Vinod Kambli is our special cricket expert. He does a cricket review of the last day’s match in a humorous way.

     

    We also had a contest where the winners were taken to one of the matches when Mumbai Indians was involved. The winners were taken in an open bus to cheer the team with Red FM’s RJs.

     

    With innovation in content and different contests, there has been a spike in the listeners. But I can’t say for sure if this has been primarily because of IPL because school and colleges are closed for vacation. During this time of the year, we have spikes in listenerships. But we do not have corresponding figures as Ram was not available last year during this time.

    Is the Association of Radio Operators of India (AROI) pressurizing the government to take any decision on the issue of music content pricing?
    AROI is a new body. We have many an issue out of which pricing of music is one of them. I believe through AROI the matter will be sorted out.

    As one of the senior VPs of AROI, what do you think could be the possible solution?
    The FM industry needs a single leadership to sort out things. Large stations can pay more for music. The charge should vary according to category of the stations like A, B, C, D, E.

     

    The other could be if there is a revenue sharing model between the FM station and the music company.

    What are the other areas that AROI is concentrating on?
    Apart from the music rights issue, AROI is working upon methodology of listenership and finding new talent in the industry. With the expansion of the market, there is talent crunch which every station is finding difficult to address.

    How do you see Trai’s recommendation of allowing 49 per cent foreign equity in FM radio sector?
    It is a welcome move. The FM industry will see a growth with foreign players taking interest in the local medium.
    Do you think that the FM industry will see a change once news is allowed in the FM broadcasting as recommended by Trai?
    Yes, it will bring change to the industry but not to Red FM. Red FM is a total entertainment station for the masses. But there may be some operators who could position themselves as news FM stations to beat the cluttered market.
    How do you see Trai’s recommendation of multiple licensing in the same district?
    It would be a wonderful thing for the FM industry. Differentiation will come in after multiple license is allowed. It will pave way for niche stations. In the present situation very few stations dare to go the niche way as it fears losing a chunk of listeners. But with multiple licensing, stations can experiment a lot adding to the growth of the industry.
    Which are the different platforms you are experimenting with to build brand awareness?
    We have done good work in the brand activation front with our Red Activ team. We have expanded our footprint in the mobile vertical too by our exclusive tie-with Mobile2win. We syndicate our properties like Kamla Ka Hamla and Angry Ganeshan. Mobile2Win has a tie-up with the telcos by which subscribers can download our properties as ring tone, caller tone etc. But good revenue is yet to come from this activity.
  • Tata Sky files case against Sun TV in Delhi High Court

    Tata Sky files case against Sun TV in Delhi High Court

    NEW DELHI: Direct-To-Home (DTH) satellite TV operator Tata Sky has approached the Delhi High Court seeking directions to broadcaster Sun TV to share its feed. TataSky had filed the petition in this regard on 22 February.

    The petition said that though Tata Sky had filed a petition with TDSAT, the Tribunal was delaying issuing the necessary orders, due to which TataSky was not getting the feed from Sun TV, as a cosequence of which it was losing business.

    In its petition in the High Court, Tata Sky has alleged that Sun TV was violating the regulations of broadcast and cable sector regulator Trai (Telecom Regulatory Authority of India). A Bench comprising Justice Vikramjit Sen and Justice J P Singh asked Sun TV to file its reply and posted the matter for further hearing on 13 March.

    Tata Sky has contended that as per section 3.2 of Trai Regulations, no broadcaster can deny signals to any DTH operator or service provider.

    However, Sun TV has refused to do so by quoting very high rates. This amounted to violation of broadcasting guidelines of Trai, Tata Sky alleged.

    The company also said by such denial Sun TV, controlled by Kalanidhi Maran, was depriving its customers in the southern region from viewing many regional channels.

    It is learnt that TDSAT had asked Tata Sky to file written submissions and the case is still pending with TDSAT, but the DTH player meanwhile decided to approach the High Court.

  • Star Vijay banks on format shows

    Star Vijay banks on format shows

    MUMBAI: In a market heavily dominated by Sun TV, Star India’s Tamil channel Vijay, is toying with new genres of programming to make a mark.

    having flirted with Star shows like Nach Baliye and Koffee with Karan as early as 2005, this year Vijay has lined up shows like Airtel Super Singer-Junior, What do you want to watch at 8:30 pm? and a new edition of Lollu Saba.

    Says Vijay general manager Ravi Menon, “Sun TV is a clear leader in the fiction category with its mega serials format. We decided to fill in the gap so far as non fiction programming is concerned – quiz shows, game shows, talent contests and laughter challenge shows – these have clearly been the ticket for our success.”

    An example of this is Jodi No.1 which is modelled along the lines of Star’s Nach Baliye. It was one of the top drivers for the channel with the culminating episodes of the season earning a TVR of 7.39 (Market:Tamil Nadu TG:4+) for the month of December 2006, according to Tam data.

    Says Menon, “The non-fiction genre has really worked for us and we will continue to explore new format shows.”

    The channel will replace Jodi No.1 with its new show Airtel Super Singer-Junior.

    “The show starts on 24 February.The final auditions are currently in the process.The earlier version was quite popular and going by the response of the ‘little champs’ series by another rival channel (Zee TV), we decided to attract younger contestants on the show,” says Menon.

    There are also plans afoot to replicate a show along the lines of Big Brother. “The programming team is discussing the nitty gritties,” he says.

    While the channel has firmed up its non fiction programming, Menon also reveals plans for a new show which will replace the current soap ‘Kandein Seethe’.

    “The new show is loosely named What would you want to watch at 8:30 pm? We have certain criteria like – it should be a fictional show, the target audience will be female in the age group of 17-34+ and it will be aired on weekdays Monday through Thursday at 8:30 pm.”

    So far so good. But here’s the interesting part. The channel has appointed six production houses – Yantra Media, Travelling Talkies, Magic Karma amongst others to produce four episodes of the show as they perceive it.

    “Within the four episodes, the basic plot and grip of the story should be revealed and the various characters must be introduced. We have given the production houses equal time, money and opportunity to produce four episodes, which have to be submitted by March-end.

    Thereafter, each week a studio audience along with the viewer will sit in judgement over these episodes. Director/actress Suhasini Ratnam will act as host and moderator. The studio audience will discuss the episodes and the phones will be thrown open for voting to the public. In short, the television viewer gets to choose what he/she wants to watch.”

    Once the winning show is selected, the channel will provide the production house with a Rs 14 million contract to produce 124 episodes to be aired on the 8:30 pm slot.

    The channel has also tightened its weekend programming with the second edition of Lollu Sabha, a satire which re-enacts popular Tamil films and gives a comic twist to them. Lollu Sabha was re-launched early this year.

    But any discussion on Star or Star Vijay would be incomplete without the mention of KBC3. The show is being dubbed in Tamil and unlike KBC2 which was telecast at the same time , the new series now airs a day later from Tuesday to Friday at 7 pm.

    Says Menon, “In the interiors Shah Rukh is still recognized as the actor from the movie Hey Ram although his popularity is catching up amongst the masses. KBC3 is likely to be a slow gainer.”

    With a host of new shows lined up in the fiction and non fiction genre, Star Vijay has set its sights on capturing the second position in the Tamil entertainment channel stakes.

     

     

  • Radio players place bulk order for transmitters

    Radio players place bulk order for transmitters

    MUMBAI: The second wave of FM privatization will see Sun TV and four other private broadcasters launching their FM channels. In preparation for this Sun and the other private broadcasters planning to launch 57 frequencies ordered new transmitters from Broadcast Electronics (BE) in the past month.

    These orders are in addition to the BE FM transmitters previously ordered as a result of privatization, which will eventually bring new FM licenses to 90 markets in India.

    A total of 70 BE transmission systems have been ordered by private FM broadcasters so far, putting BE in the lead according to Technomedia Solutions managing director P.S. Sundaram which represents Broadcast Electronics in India. BE is a turnkey provider of RF and studio systems and provides local, ongoing service for complete transmitter sites.

    Of the 57 BE transmitter systems ordered in the past month Sun TV ordered 38 BE FM systems for its Kal Radio Ltd and South Asia Ltd operations. Sri Puran Ltd ordered eight BE transmitter systems, Malar Publications Ltd ordered six, Malayala Manorama ordered four and Purvy Ltd ordered one BE transmitter system.

    These recent orders are in addition to the nine BE FM systems ordered by Entertainment Network India Limited (ENIL) for its Radio Mirchi brand, which broadcast the first private FM signals in April 2006 using BE transmitters. Kal Radio Ltd and South Asia Ltd, part of Sun TV, also set up BE transmitters in three centers and went on-air in Nov 2006. Malar Publications Ltd launched an FM service at Chennai, Hello FM, with a BE transmitter.

    ‘Privatization of the FM band is going to have a wide-reaching impact on the people of India, and we’re obviously very honored that so many of these private broadcasters are putting their trust in BE products, said Broadcast Electronics Asia Pacific sales manager Frank Massa.

    Transmitter models vary from BE’s ultra-efficient solid state C series to its reliable, cost-effective single-tube T series, with output powers ranging from 3 kW to 10 kW.

    Every BE transmitter system has an FXi digital FM exciter which is the only exciter with direct-to-channel RF generator for superior RF and audio performance.

  • Insat-4B launch set for early March

    Insat-4B launch set for early March

     MUMBAI: The Indian Space Research Organisation’s (Isro) Insat-4B satellite is scheduled to be launched from Kourou in French Guiana in the first week of March.

    This was confirmed by Isro chief G Madhavan Nair on Monday. Speaking in Thiruvananthapuram in the southern state of Kerala, Nair was quoted in media reports as saying: “Final tests are being conducted on the satellite and it will be moved to French Guiana by the end of this month.”

    The Insat-4B, the second satellite in the Insat-4 series, will be carrying 12 KU band and as many C band transponders for communication and broadcasting services.

    One likely customer for the KU band transponders is Kalanithi Maran’s Sun Group, which had booked space last year on the failed Insat-4C for its DTH venture Sun Direct.

    Sun TV had booked six transponders for DTH and one for DSNG (digital satellite news gathering) on the Insat-4C.

    Speaking to Indiantelevision last August after the failure of the Insat-4C launch mission, Isro contract management and legal services director SB Iyer had said: “We have the flexibility to accommodate Sun. If there is an early requirement, we can give them space on an Indian or foreign satellite.”

    Current indications are that Insat-4B, which was originally meant for Doordarshan’s DTH service DD Direct Plus will likely be used to accommodate Sun as well.

    When asked about it today, Iyer was noncommital though, stating, “We are still deciding we will be accommodating one or two DTH providers.”