ITV

Tag: TVT

  • TDSAT directs Sat Guru Sai Cable to pay MSM Media

    TDSAT directs Sat Guru Sai Cable to pay MSM Media

    NEW DELHI: Sat Guru Sai Cable Network has been directed by the Telecom Disputes Settlement and Appellate Tribunal to pay a sum of Rs.5,36,173 to MSM Media Distribution Pvt. Ltd as subscription along with interest at the rate of 8 per cent from the date of the filing till final payment.

    Although MSM Media Distribution had demanded Rs 10,30,435, Chairman Justice Aftab Alam and member B B Srivastava in their judgment of 2 June 2016 held that payment could only be made up to the date of the interconnect agreement even if the petitioner had continued to provide signals.

    According to MSM Media Distribution, it entered into two separate agreements on 19 November 2014 whereby the MSO was authorized to retransmit signals of the channels of the broadcasters received from MSM Discovery or Multi-Screen Media to its subscribers and LCOs’ if applicable in the area of Muzaffarpur (Bihar}. The period of agreement is 1April 2014 to 31 December 2014 in both the cases. The monthly subscription fee for MSM channels was Rs 82,572 and for the TVT channels Rs.1,700 excluding applicable taxes. The subscription agreement, according to the petitioner’s averments, also stipulated payments ofinterest at 18 percent per annum for any late payment of the subscription fee.

    The distributor says that these channels were duly transmitted to the MSO which re-transmitted them to its consumers/subscribers and LCOs.

    It has been stated by the distributor that prior to the conclusion of the agreement, the MSO was reminded several times to renew the agreement and to clear the arrears. The signals were continued on a request by the MSO even after the expiry of the agreement.

    Thereafter, the distributor first issued notices and then public notices in local newspapers and failing to get any reply, deactivated the signals of TVT on 29 April 2015 and MSM channels on 11 May 2015.

    No one appeared in TDSAT on behalf of the MSO despite notices and the case was heard ex parte.

    The tribunal found there was no documentary evidence to support the averments about public notices in prominent newspapers, nor was there any document to suggest it had pleaded with the MSO to renew the agreement.

    In view of that, the tribunal limited the payment to the period of agreement only, Rs 5,23,459 for supply of MSMsignals  and Rs. 12,714 for supply  of TVT signals  thus totalling Rs 5,36,173 only. 

  • TDSAT directs Sat Guru Sai Cable to pay MSM Media

    TDSAT directs Sat Guru Sai Cable to pay MSM Media

    NEW DELHI: Sat Guru Sai Cable Network has been directed by the Telecom Disputes Settlement and Appellate Tribunal to pay a sum of Rs.5,36,173 to MSM Media Distribution Pvt. Ltd as subscription along with interest at the rate of 8 per cent from the date of the filing till final payment.

    Although MSM Media Distribution had demanded Rs 10,30,435, Chairman Justice Aftab Alam and member B B Srivastava in their judgment of 2 June 2016 held that payment could only be made up to the date of the interconnect agreement even if the petitioner had continued to provide signals.

    According to MSM Media Distribution, it entered into two separate agreements on 19 November 2014 whereby the MSO was authorized to retransmit signals of the channels of the broadcasters received from MSM Discovery or Multi-Screen Media to its subscribers and LCOs’ if applicable in the area of Muzaffarpur (Bihar}. The period of agreement is 1April 2014 to 31 December 2014 in both the cases. The monthly subscription fee for MSM channels was Rs 82,572 and for the TVT channels Rs.1,700 excluding applicable taxes. The subscription agreement, according to the petitioner’s averments, also stipulated payments ofinterest at 18 percent per annum for any late payment of the subscription fee.

    The distributor says that these channels were duly transmitted to the MSO which re-transmitted them to its consumers/subscribers and LCOs.

    It has been stated by the distributor that prior to the conclusion of the agreement, the MSO was reminded several times to renew the agreement and to clear the arrears. The signals were continued on a request by the MSO even after the expiry of the agreement.

    Thereafter, the distributor first issued notices and then public notices in local newspapers and failing to get any reply, deactivated the signals of TVT on 29 April 2015 and MSM channels on 11 May 2015.

    No one appeared in TDSAT on behalf of the MSO despite notices and the case was heard ex parte.

    The tribunal found there was no documentary evidence to support the averments about public notices in prominent newspapers, nor was there any document to suggest it had pleaded with the MSO to renew the agreement.

    In view of that, the tribunal limited the payment to the period of agreement only, Rs 5,23,459 for supply of MSMsignals  and Rs. 12,714 for supply  of TVT signals  thus totalling Rs 5,36,173 only. 

  • BARC could consider different ratings frequencies for different genres

    BARC could consider different ratings frequencies for different genres

    MUMBAI: The long tail gets an unfair deal – be it in television viewership ratings, print media readership surveys or radio audience research.  The long tail, in marketing, refers to the large number of products and services that are not consumed by the masses, like niche television channels and specialised publications.

     

    The small number of television channels or print publications that are consumed on a large scale always get more than their fair share in the audience or readership measurement systems.

     

    This was the general consensus at a panel discussion on “Measurement Miasma, TVTs, Readerships, Clicks and Such: The Great Love/Hate Epic” on the concluding day of the FICCI Frames 2014 on Friday.

     

    Not all measurement currencies can have the same frequencies, said Provocateur Advisory Principal Paritosh Joshi, who anchored the discussion. The results of measurement currencies are just data points.

     

    The need for different frequencies for measurement currencies was felt as different products have different consumption patterns.

     

    This prompted Entertainment Network India’s  Executive Director & CEO Prashant Panday suggest that the Broadcast Audience Research Council (BARC) consider different frequencies for different genres of television channels.

     

    Broadcast Audience Research Council CEO Partho Dasgupta responded by saying that BARC may look at having different frequencies for different genres.

     

    So, when BARC launches its television ratings service towards the end of 2014, we could see only the ratings for larger genres like the general entertainment channels (GECs) being released on a weekly basis and for the niche television channels less frequently.

     

    “We are trying to go beyond” (what the TAM Media Research provides). We will have different kinds of products and different slices,” elaborated Dasgupta.

     

    HDFC Life Sr Executive VP Sanjay Tripathy said there was a problem with TAM ratings because the sample size was not appropriate.

     

    He said research may not always give the right results and the advertisers need to tell the broadcasters that the measurement data is just a reference point.

     

    Pandey told the audience that they had two researches on radio audience in Delhi and the audience size put out by the two researches was hugely divergent. One research said the audience in Delhi is forty lakh and the other said it is over one crore.

     

    He said in television, 95 per cent of the channels are small and not captured correctly and that advertisers should be demanding better currencies.

     

    Google India  Director, Agency Business, Punitha Arumugam said there is a need for external validation of the result of any measurement currency.

     

    The discussion veered around the futility of validating the process of a measurement currency and that the validation should be of the result of the measurement currency. The result of a measurement currency should be explainable with external data.

     

    One of the panelists said when BARC issues its first ratings, and Star Plus, the undisputed number one channel under the current ratings currency, does not turn out to be the number one, there could be criticism of the ratings results. Star which is a member of BARC may decide  to disagree.

     

    HDFC Life’s Tripathy said advertisers need some data to justicy. “We spend so much.”

     

    In early days of television there was just Doordarshan and then came Zee. It was easy to choose the channel to advertise on. Today there are more than 200 channels.

     

    Tripathy said, “Media habits have now fragmented. We will have to chop… We will try to reach the target audience in the cheapest way.”

     

    There is also the issue of who will invest in a measurement system that will give the best measurement results. Partho said the cost of a television currency is mainly split between the broadcasters and advertisers.

     

    The need for a measurement currency is felt by everyone in the entire value chain across television, print and radio. Everyone in the value chains need to share the costs of robust measurement systems.

  • The year the industry entered the ICU

    The year the industry entered the ICU

    Perhaps that best expresses what Television News underwent in 2013. Simply because it spells out to say: What (the) Hell Ever Happened!

    A pause would have been a positive sentiment; in a year that felt like the roller coaster was going to crash. Yes, flat revenues, would have been a positive. Flat viewership would have been a positive.

    If the TV News industry was a human body, it would have woken up at the end of the year, from a long and deep coma only to discover, multiple organ attacks and multiple surgeries on its meager body had thrashed whatever hope it started the year of 2013 with.

    There was a name change, a year that saw a new expression (and that’s the biggest positive outcome of 2013) – ‘TVT’ replace ‘TRP’ to aid acknowledgement of the growth of TV viewers, was the silver lining on an otherwise dark cloud. But still to gain currency and translate into value. So, at this stage for TV News, just a name change.

    Then came hope, with the promise of new infusion of body muscle with a change in thinking around foreign investment in TV News. But on the day the good Doctor did not show up and the patient will limber on trying to find investment funds. The strong may survive, but many will perish, without new hope of quality investment.

    Tossed from one operating theatre to another, the patient remains in ICU. Not knowing if the doctor will pull the plug or resuscitate.

    A series of cardiac attacks followed, with circulation of blood (advertising income) threatening to be restricted, cutting away supply of oxygen and threatening the very survival of the TV News industry and the consequent ill effects on democracy. Tossed from one operating theatre to another, the patient remains in ICU. Not knowing if the doctor will pull the plug or resuscitate. The patient though is showing visible signs of fighting strong.

    Finally, the cost of medication went up, with Digital Addressable System (DAS) 2 – carriage fees, which were expected and promised to go down (as was experienced with DAS1) headed northwards. The daily dose of vitamins just got more expensive.

    In this mayhem and bodily torture, what kept the soul and the body together, you may ask? The kindred of the TV News industry survives on the very one thing it does best – delivering quality news, round the clock, with commitment.

    There was lots of news. It became more social and digital and TV News leveraged that growth engine.

    It has built a sound set of principles and a robust mechanism to work together as an industry, in unison. This antibody resisted all those attacks and kept intact body and soul. Nourishing it for another day, another year.  One that the TV News industry, knows will not be easy. But it has got smarter and knows how to work together.

    For 2014, the TV news industry must make a Bang – big audacious news and glory. With a major election in sigh, the industry must learn to stick together even more, grow its value and turn away the woes and the Whew to bold steps of business collaboration, to drive down costs and bring profitability into the industry.

    Be it carriage, ad price, inventory, news standards, governance – the TV News business can evolve the industry’s future by creating its own self-regulation on best business practices and best shareholder practices to bring the shine back into it.

    2014 brings hope, renewed faith and will be full of News! Good News! BANG!

    (Sunil Lulla is MD and CEO of Times Television Network. The views expressed in the above article are the author’s personal views)

  • Week 50 ratings: Major GECs register a hike

    Week 50 ratings: Major GECs register a hike

    MUMBAI: In the week 50 of TAM TV ratings, Zee TV, which has reported consistent growth over the past few weeks, saw a fall in viewership. Life OK too witnessed a drop in its viewership. As for the other channels, it was a good week as they saw an increase in the ratings.

    As per the TVT data sourced from TAM subscribers for week 50, Star Plus remains at the number one position with 579 million TVTs as compared to last week’s 561 million TVTs.

    Colors reported 449 million TVTs, as compared 480 million in week 49. Zee TV slipped to the third position, seeing a decline in viewership at 439 million TVTs as compared to last week’s 456 million TVTs.

    Life OK was at number four position with a fall in the viewership and reported 313 million TVTs, as compared to 325 million TVTs last week. Sab occupied the fifth position, however the channel recorded hike in the viewership with 291 million TVTs, as compared to 261 million TVTs last week.

    Sony witnessed a growth in the viewership but still continued to occupy the number six position with 267 million TVTs, as compared to 241 million TVTs last week.

  • Star Plus, Colors top gainers for TAM Week 47

    Star Plus, Colors top gainers for TAM Week 47

    MUMBAI: In the week 47 of TAM TV ratings, Star Plus and Colors have registered more TVTs than last week. It seems Colors is trying its best to reach great heights. This week, it scored 513,415 GVTs (479,010) maintaining its number two position. On the other hand, Star Plus that has been leading the chart since quite some time now is the second highest gainer by adding 31,304 TVTs, taking its tally to 560,497 GVTs (529,193).

     

    While Zee TV lost out on numbers, it continued to be at its usual number three with 433,447 GVTs (440,447). Life OK stood at number four with 335,013 GVTs (340,200) followed by Sab with 308,133 GVTs (315,637). Sony retains its sixth position with 269,332 GVTs (297,801). And Sahara One is still at the bottom of the chart with 30,429 GVTs (35,749).

     

    Coming back to the chart topper — Star Plus, whose popular shows took it to newer heights. Its most popular and loved show in the prime-time slot, Diya Aur Baati Hum registered 12,298 TVTs (11,223). Yeh Rishta Kya Kehlata Hai too registered 7,863 TVTs (7113). However, the viewership of Pyar Ka Dard Hai seems to have dropped as it scored 7,351 TVTs (7,694). But then Sath Nibhana Saathiya managed enough to balance it out. The show is one of the most popular across GECs in the pre-primetime registered 8,290 TVTs (7,708). The epic series Mahabharat too notched up and scored 6,835 TVTs (5,807). And surprisingly, the ratings of Saraswati Chandra also went up. It registered 5,071 TVTs (4,803). The ratings of popular celebrity dance reality show, Nach Baliye, however didn’t witness  much change and registered 4,736 TVTs (4,741).

     

    Colors seems to be going really strong with its reality shows. While the fiction shows witnessed a drop, the reality shows have been getting good viewership. The longest running and the most popular fiction series, Balika Vadhu generated 6,684 TVTs (7,298), while Madhubala – Ek Ishq Ek Junoon scored 4,749 TVTs (4,473). Uttaran, another popular show on the channel also witnessed a significant drop and rated 3,645 TVTs (4,096). However, Comedy Nights with Kapil that made headlines, thanks to the Gutthi controversy, seems to have lost out on the numbers because of all the negative publicity. It witnessed a slight drop with 8,464 TVTs (8,588). The international series 24 starring Anil Kapoor that got a tepid response till now, has finally managed to grab more eyeballs with 3,058 TVTs (2,881). Reality show Bigg Boss seems to be a favourite of the audience as it has again witnessed a slight increase in its ratings and has registered 5,491 TVTs (5,316).

     

    And while Zee TV didn’t do well in general, the ratings of its period drama Jodha Akbar notched up taking its tally to 9,801 TVTs (9,176). The channel that came up with a sitcom Bh se Bhade after almost a decade and managed fairly good response, lost its charm and scored 1,650 TVTs (2,080). However, the ratings of Qubool Hai escalated and registered 5,830 TVTs (5,646). Pavitra Rishta generated 5,043 TVTs (4,879), while its drama series, Do Dil Bandhe Ek Dori Se registered 5,019 TVTs (5,622). Its popular dance reality show, Dance India Dance 4 scored 4,666 TVTs (5,311) during the weekend.

     

    Fourth placed, Life OK witnessed a drop in its popular mythological series Mahadev. It could just manage 3,212 TVTs (3,693). Ek Boond Ishq too saw a dip and registered 2,834 TVTs (3,112). Crime-based show Shapath too witnessed a drop and generated 4,057 TVTs (4,392). Do Dil Ek Jaan registered 1,494 TVTs (1,472), while crime-based show Savdhaan India saw a rise and generated 3,035 TVTs (2,848). The channel’s new entrant Tumhari Paakhi could just generate 1,877 TVTs (2,068).

     

    Sab’s fiction show, Taarak Mehta Ka Ooltah Chashmah that has been keeping viewers in splits, continues to get viewership and registered 8,856 TVTs (7,782). Even Chidiya Ghar saw a significant rise and generated 3,479 TVTs (3,265). Lapataganj saw a slight dip and generated 1,921 TVTs (1,986). Baalveer registered 3,293 TVTs (3,134).

     

    Sony seems to be surviving at the sixth position with its longest running crime series CID. The show witnessed a massive rise and scored 5,254 TVTs (4,744). However, Crime Patrol could manage just 3,255 TVTs (3,887). The channel’s historical show Maharana Pratap garnered 3,054 TVTs (2,922), while quiz show KBC witnessed a drop and registered 3,248 TVTs (3,738). Other fiction shows either maintained a stable position or dipped marginally during the week. Its new horror flick, Bhoot Aaya doesn’t seem to entice viewers as it registered only 1,662 TVTs (1,792).

     

    In the movie channel genre, Zee Cinema reported 197,512 GVTs (185,759); Star Gold witnessed registered 178,122 GVTs (174,020) and Movies OK scored 127,470 GVTs (130,641). On the other hand, &pictures witnessed a huge rise and scored 112,609 GVTs (77,910), Zee Anmol registered 46,088 GVTs (44,457) and Max scored 200,508 GVTs (173,908)

     

    While all the GECs have maintained a stable position this week, let’s see what’s in store for the channels in the coming weeks.

  • Sachins farewell frenzy works in favour of Star Sports

    Sachins farewell frenzy works in favour of Star Sports

    MUMBAI: He isn’t called the God of cricket for no reason. Master blaster Sachin Tendulkar certainly has some supremacy that creates magic. His farewell test match has emerged as the highest rated test match on television in India in the last eight years. According to the TAM ratings provided by the channel, the match garnered 1739 average TVTs (TG: C&S 15+, M, SEC ABC) that remains unmatched since 2005.

     

    The two test matches in the India-West Indies series were telecast on Star Sports 1, Star Sports 2 and Star Sports HD1 in English, while Star Sports 3 showcased the match in Hindi. Star Sports network channels together had the maximum channel share across all genres during the six days when the test series was on in terms of overall TVTs generated during the day.

     

    Even online, the Sachin frenzy worked well for the Network. The series was also streamed live on www.starsports.com that attracted 3.5 million unique visitors during the two matches of the India West Indies test series. A Sachin Memory Project that captured Sachin’s 24 years with videos and stories was also launched on the website and has received rave reviews with many regarding it as the best salutation to the cricketer.

     

    The series along with the 360-degree marketing campaign launched around it has made the Star Sports brand really big. Its campaigning involved interesting programming, innovative production, disruptive marketing to add buzz around the maestro’s farewell series. The network also launched three high quality programs to engage deeper with the cricket fans.

     

    Besides, a distinctive “Cheer for Sachin” campaign featuring stars from Bollywood, cricket and television stars calling Sachin fans to cheer ‘Sachin Sachin’ was also popular. Many other on-ground activities were also initiated to make the test series memorable for fans who came together to watch the maestro in action.

     

    Star India head of sports business Nitin Kukreja said, “We are delighted with the ratings. We are humbled that maestro’s farewell series was played on our network and wanted to give him a befitting farewell. I am happy to note that cricket fans have appreciated our efforts. Our strategic investment in the Hindi language feed over the past year or so is now paying us huge dividends. We will continue in our endeavor to promote sports culture in the country.”

  • ‘Chennai Express’ halts on &pictures

    ‘Chennai Express’ halts on &pictures

    MUMBAI: Did you get a reminder call from Shah Rukh Khan to watch Chennai Express on &pictures? Following the success on Zee TV which garnered 19,541 TVTs, Shah Rukh Khan and Rohit Shetty’s gigantic blockbuster, Chennai Express will now halt on &pictures on 23 November at 8:00 pm.

    The new Hindi movie channel is pulling all stops to make this premiere an even a bigger success than Zee TV. The channel has devised an interesting digital mechanism to promote the premiere of this blockbuster film.

    “It is the first of its kind initiative on Hindi movie genre space,” asserts Zeel marketing head (national channels) Akash Chawla. “It is a challenge now for &pictures. When there is a platform as big as Zee TV and when there is a movie as big as Chennai Express and the ratings are as big as what they had come when it was last aired, it makes it that very important for the newly launched &pictures. The challenge for us it to come up with a strategy that is new and different from what was used the last time it was telecast on Zee TV.”

    “But in terms of the way in which we are building Chennai Express on the channel is aggressive and different. While we are very aggressive on the traditional medium, a lot of hoardings are up in Bombay and for print we are digging deep into the markets also. The brand &pictures is very different as compared to Zee TV so the tonality of the promotion is extremely different as compared to what you saw on Zee. A complete blend of mass media and digital in a big way.”

    The brand &pictures is very different as compared to Zee TV, says Akash Chawla

    So what are the innovations? Breaking new ground, a unique IVRS (Interactive Voice Response System) model has been created. Through this, viewers can just give a missed call on this toll free number 18001035515 and get a reminder about the movie on their phones in Shah Rukh Khan’s own voice. It works like an alarm clock wherein one can set a reminder about the telecast of the movie and receive a call on the D-Day. The channel is promoting this number on-air as well as on social media.

    Interestingly, Brandlogist, a digital creative agency based in Delhi has been roped in for these innovations.

    There’s more good news for all movie bloggers and travel freaks! Tapping again into the digital media, the channel is sending four lucky bloggers on the actual Chennai Express train. The group of bloggers will take the train from Mumbai and will go to Chennai and while they travel, they will tweet and write on various forums with regards to their actual travel experience happening on the Chennai Express with the &pictures hashtag. This is another novel way that the movie is going to be promoted via blogging community. Actual experiences and pictures will also be uploaded real-time.

    With the help of the blogging community associated with Indi Bloggers, these bloggers from Mumbai and Delhi will get to win this experience on the Chennai Express train.  A page on Indi Blogger will track the entire journey from start to finish in real time. There will also be a live feed of their tweets, blogs and pictures on social media.

    Over and above the digital initiatives, an aggressive marketing strategy has been initiated on other mediums including TV, Radio, Print, Outdoor, OOH and Cable.

    At present, the new channel has its official Twitter page with twitter handle @AndPicturesIN and boasts of more than 4,300 followers. The page is buzzing with tweets and re-tweets related to Chennai Express with hashtags #chennaiexpressandyou. It has also launched its official Facebook page which has more than 57,000 likes.

  • Sab cooks up a storm to climb the TVT ladder

    Sab cooks up a storm to climb the TVT ladder

    MUMBAI: “We always offer differentiated and innovative content than the others in the general entertainment channel space,” says Sab TV EVP and business head Anooj Kapoor on the sidelines of the launch of Sab’s new show Jo Biwi Se Kare Pyaar today. The show goes on-air on 28 October at 7:30 pm. Currently, the channel has no fresh content in this time slot and it is adding to its prime time line up through its new offering.

    Jo Biwi Se Kare Pyaar is a light-hearted cookery show. “It is India’s first fiction based cookery show, which has romance, comedy and also teaches the audience a recipe in each episode,” informs Kapoor.

    This isn’t all. The show is also different than the rest, as it takes brand communication to a different level. The channel has partnered with TTK Prestige and developed a concept around the values of the brand. “We have taken communication beyond advertisement. It is an articulation of product with the content of the show, which comes out beautifully,” says TTK Prestige COO Chandru Kalroo.

    The show weaves in romance, comedy and cooking seamlessly. “With this show, we bring our old line Jo biwi se kare pyaar to the contemporary context of Woh cooking se kaise kare inkaar,” adds Kalroo.

    According to Kapoor, since the new series is not a non-fiction client sponsored show, “it becomes a logical part of our regular programming, thus strengthening our prime time band.”

    “As a brand that has a relationship spanning six decades, we believe that we have to communicate beyond the product itself. We need to constantly strike an emotional chord with the consumer. The partnership with Sab through the programme will further this effort through its wonderfully conceived situations, humour and high quality production. I am sure this will be a new landmark in marketing,” adds Kalroo.

    The show, according to Kapoor, is “of the family, by the family and for the family.” “The show retains brand Sab. It is a very unique concept, as there has never been a fiction cookery show with some added tadka,” he adds.

    The show stars Arjun Bijlani who plays Aditya Khanna and Shweta Gulati who will be seen as Suhani Khanna. It has been produced by Deepti Bhatnagar Productions and written by Rajat Vyas. Commenting on his association with Deepti, Kapoor says, “She has been associated with Sab for almost five years now and thus understands the brand Sab.”

    Deepti has in the past also been the spokesperson for Prestige. “She thus understands not only us, but also our clients,” he says. Not only has Deepti produced the show, but has also taken her cooking experience to another level through her characters on TV. “All the recipes are from my recipe book. I did not want to take it from a chef as we wanted to keep it simple,” says Bhatnagar.

    It was the channel’s idea to do a show like this. Talking about the concept, Kapoor says, “Well, the concept came from us and then we approached Deepti to work on it. Prestige, which is our client, wanted us to create a show which could help promote them. We developed the concept keeping our brand template in mind.”

    The story of Jo Biwi Se Kare Pyaar reflects the lifestyle of new age couples, who despite of demanding work-lives try to find interesting ways to spend time with each other. And, the show also offers an opportunity to the viewers to learn new and easy recipes.

    Two promos and various digital campaigns have been designed to promote the show. “We have not compromised on the marketing of the show,” informs Kapoor.

    Quiz Deepti about the challenges she faced while making the show and she says, “It is a different genre that has both fiction and non-fiction. Also, we had to ensure that the cooking is seamlessly integrated in the story. Everything had to blend very well. It was challenging as it is no saas-bahu saga.”

    Currently, of the 26 episodes that will be aired in the series, five have been shot. “We will take a call on increasing the number of episodes a week after the show goes on air.” A lot of detailing has gone into making the set of the show. “It took us one month to create the set in Kamalistan. The show has a working kitchen, unlike the dummy kitchen in a lot of cookery shows. Also, the glasses that have been used are from Turkey. The appliances are good looking. I have got a professional to design the plates for the show. I wanted to put a lot of stress on the production value,” says Bhatnagar.

    Sab hopes to climb the ladder of TV ratings with this show and is also working towards strengthening its weekend programming for which new concepts are being developed. In the past, the channel has been at the number three slot in the time spent by viewers on the channel and wants to return to that ranking.

  • 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…