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  • Viacom18 launches Colors Gujarati in UK

    Viacom18 launches Colors Gujarati in UK

    Kolkata: Viacom18 Media has launched its regional entertainment channel, Colors Gujarati, in the UK. IndiaCast Media Distribution, jointly owned by TV18 & Viacom18, partnered with Sky & Virgin Media for the channel launch.

    The channel is available to Sky subscribers from 1 June on Channel No. 794 and will be available for Virgin Media’s- Asian Mela Pack subscribers from 8 June on Channel No. 825. The network currently offers its flagship general entertainment channel Colors along with the premium entertainment channel Colors Rishtey as well as the movie channel Colors Cineplex in the UK.

    With this new addition, Colors Gujarati becomes the only Gujarati language channel available to UK viewers. The channel will bring the best of Gujarati content all through the week along with movie premieres on Sundays at 7 PM.

    BT Media and Broadcast director Faisal Mahomed said: “As a leading provider of media services in the UK, BT Media and Broadcast is at the forefront of broadcast innovation. With a successful partner track record, we’re pleased to continue to help Viacom18 capture larger UK audiences through our cutting-edge technology, and as always, we look forward to supporting Viacom18 with their growth plans – both in the UK and internationally.”

    Colors Gujarati has been launched with its ‘Dil Thi Gujarati’ motto which mirrors the essence of the fun-loving Gujaratis in the UK. Colors Gujarati creates content that cuts across age groups with genres ranging from drama, comedy, mythological shows, movies, awards, events, and lifestyle. The channel will largely showcase the same shows as India. Some of the popular shows include Bhakta Gora Kumbhar, Rashi Rikshawali, Prem Ni Bhavai, Kahu Chu Sambhlo Chu, and the soon-to-be-launched ManMilap.com.

    IndiaCast international business executive VP Govind Shahi said: “We have a large Gujarati speaking population in the UK and they have made their presence felt in the social and cultural fabric of the country. But currently, there is no single Gujarati channel in the UK even though there are various TV channels for Punjabi, Urdu, Bangla, and other regional language audiences. The launch of Colors Gujarati will fulfill this need-gap in the UK. The channel will constitute of best-in-class Gujarati content from our hugely popular India library – including fiction, non-fiction series, and movies”.

    With this launch on both Sky and Virgin, Colors Gujarati will reach out to a vast majority of subscribers who can sample and enjoy quality content in sync with their strong socio-cultural identity.”

  • Nickelodeon collaborates with Google to launch Nickelodeon Ludo

    Nickelodeon collaborates with Google to launch Nickelodeon Ludo

    Mumbai: Ludo is one of the most popular games enjoyed by people across all age-groups. The lockdown saw a resurgence of Ludo as people remained indoors and looked for virtual means for entertainment. Catching up on the trend, Nickelodeon teamed up with Google and launched Nickelodeon Ludo, an innovative format to play the game hands-free with your favourite Nicktoons’ pegs and their voice. 

    The game will enable the users to play using just their voice on the device. Adding a tinge of spunk to the classic game from Google, for the first time ever, users will be able to play Nickelodeon with a little voice help from Google. The game will have four houses with only two pegs each, with faces of their favourite Nicktoons on the pegs in each house and all one has to do is say ‘Ok Google, talk to Nickelodeon Ludo’. While teams with Green and Red colors will be renamed as Motu- Patlu, and Rudra Rangeela, that of Blue and Yellow will be re-named as Shiva- Reva, and Happy- Pinaki, respectively. Nickelodeon Ludo will be available in English language and be open for all users.

    The channel has also devised expansive influencer promotion and digital engagement through an array of exciting activities to drive their attention to Nickelodeon Ludo.

    “Nickelodeon has always endeavoured to engage with its young viewers by providing them unique and immersive experiences through multiple touchpoints that are unparalleled. This association with Google is yet another step towards collaborating with like-minded partners and creating a platform to experience different aspects of the media & entertainment ecosystem thus transporting them to the world of fun with their favourite Nicktoons,” said Viacom 18, Kids TV Network, marketing head Sonali Bhattacharya. 

  • Network18 & Viacom18 dole out 100% variable pay to employees

    Network18 & Viacom18 dole out 100% variable pay to employees

    KOLKATA: Amid the second wave of the Covid2019 crisis, many organisations are taking initiatives for the well-being of their workforce. Even as several news and media enterprises are slashing salaries or resorting to mass lay-offs, Network18 and Viacom18 has paid all eligible employees the variable portion of remuneration for the last appraisal year ahead of schedule.

    It is to be noted that this measure of variable payout is not related to performance ratings this year.

    This financial relief is in addition to the media group’s drive to get its employees and their families vaccinated against Covid.

    “This gesture of 100 per cent variable payout irrespective of performance this year is a small token of the company’s appreciation of your efforts during these challenging times,” Network18 managing director Rahul Joshi wrote in an internal email to employees.

    In the email, Joshi also requested them to take better care of their health, and to refrain from taking unnecessary risks to prevent health hazards. He also asked employees to reach out to each other, and to the organisation in case of any emergency.

  • Our aim is to always create screen agnostic content: Viacom18’s Anu Sikka

    Our aim is to always create screen agnostic content: Viacom18’s Anu Sikka

    KOLKATA: The pandemic has been an epoch changing event for most adults, but it has also had a significant impact on children, too. A year of being confined to their homes later, the world is no longer their oyster, but has shrunk to the small screen – their window to the unseen and unknown domain outside. No wonder that kids are consuming more content across all mediums, be it traditional modes or new age platforms. With summer vacation set to start amid partial lockdowns across the country, young viewers will tune in to TV more than ever.

    To tap into the increased demand in April-June quarter, Nickelodeon recently unveiled a robust summer slate for kids. “This is a crucial time for the audience as well as the broadcasters because the viewership usually tends to be highest during this particular period. We have come up with the biggest ammunition that we can think of to roll out in this particular quarter,” said Viacom18 kids cluster content programming and strategy head Anu Sikka.

    The network has come up with new episodes of all the series that have been doing exceptionally well on both Nick and Sonic. Hence, the new line-up includes new episodes of old favourites like Motu Patlu, Rudra, Golmal Jr., Pinaki and Happy – The Bhoot Bandhus, and Ninja Hatori. Though it relaunched Zig & Sharko on Sonic in the last quarter of 2020, it is not ruling out fresh episodes for this show as well. The summer line-up also includes mini movies around popular cartoon characters.

    Last year, viewership for kids channels hit the roof when lockdown kicked in. While the ratings started returning to normal as things opened up, they are rising again now and are on course to reach the usual summer peak. 

    “In this era of uncertainty, we are trying to ensure when a child comes to watch Nick or Sonic, they should get that feeling of continuity that nothing has changed for them. So, there’s at least one aspect of life that remains unchanged for them,” Sikka added.

    There has been marked shift in content consumption trends too in recent times. Earlier, children were not willing to accept new characters or it could take a substantial amount of time for them to do so. But Sikka highlighted that this behaviour has changed over the last two years. Today, audiences are keenly on the look-out for new series and characters. However, the success of new shows lies in effective storytelling and good animation, she remarked.

    For instance, Pinaki and Happy – The Bhoot Bandhus was produced without following tried and tested methods; but on the back of unique content, it has done well and has climbed to the top five shows in the category within the past six months, mentioned Sikka.

    Over the past ten years, another major change that has taken place in the industry is the emergence of indigenous content. “I don’t think there is any broadcaster who can think of success without creating Indian characters, and local Indian shows. Every channel which had success has been on the back of locally produced content,” stated the content programming head, adding, “Indian animation industry, the broadcasters in the kids’ category have adapted to this change extremely fast.”

    Given the success of the genre, major OTT platforms have also started investing in the kids segment. Many industry experts have predicted that this trend would increase pressure on broadcasters. But Sikka is not worried about competition from OTTs. First, kids are not particularly interested in OTT exclusive content, said she; second, the network ensures that its popular characters, shows are present in all the spaces that draw young viewers.

    “Our aim is to always create screen agnostic content. It does not matter where the child is consuming the content. I truly believe as a content maker, if your story is strong, if your content is strong, if the children like the characters you have developed, they will watch it no matter the platform. Nick-Sonic shows do well across all the platforms, whether they’re watched on Nick or Sonic or Voot Kids, or YouTube channel of Nick,” Sikka signed off.

  • Nickelodeon reveals its engaging summer content line-up

    Nickelodeon reveals its engaging summer content line-up

    KOLKATA: Nickelodeon is set to amuse kids in the summer with #NicktoonsKaSummerDose – a content line-up of all new episodes, movies, host of fun activities and innovative engagements that will keep kids happy and engaged while they stay safe at home.

    Summer-time fun has commenced on a high note with Nick welcoming the kids’ favourite prank gang Golmaal Jr. on the channel.  The prank gang now entertains kids with all new episodes of their mischievous escapades every Monday to Friday at 12.30 PM with the message #NickPeSabGolmaalHai. The comic capers of the prank gang will be made the talk of the town through a high decibel multi-screen campaign- with TV spots on the franchise and cross promotions on lead GEC channels, on YouTube, gaming portals and on social media. Adding to the euphoria will be a one-of-a-kind partnership with Mad Over Donuts through a fun and delectable summer special box of donuts presented by the Golmaal Jr Prank Gang.

    While the prank gang entertains and creates a laugh riot on Nick, summer celebrations get an unexpected twist with Pinaki and Happy – The Bhoot Bandhus on Sonic. The fun & entertaining family of ghosts will add to the entertainment quotient on Sonic through all new stories every Monday to Friday at 11:30am.  The campaign promoting the fun buddies will be done taking a multiscreen approach that includes a TV campaign and promotions on digital mediums. The Bhoot Bandhus will be further brought to life on social mediums through engagements wherein kids will be seen taking the fun Bhoot Bandhus Tongue Twister challenge (#BBTT Challenge) along with a host of Innovative digital engagements to make sure kids are engaged in the comfort of their homes.

    The mischievous Golmaal Gang, adorable Motu Patlu and magical Rudra will entertain kids through all new episodes on Nick. The super cool Pinaki & Happy – The Bhoot Bandhus, Shiva, Ninja Hatori and Zig and Sharko will amp up the fun with fresh stories on Sonic, giving kids a reason to celebrate. Additionally, all new episodes of Loud House on Nick HD+ and Peppa Pig on NickJr will drive up the entertainment decibel, making sure that kids have a fabulous time indoors. 

    There will also be movies galore as Rudra infuses magic into summer with his superhit movie The Land of No Where while Motu Patlu’s comic capers will entertain kids through the mini movie- The Secret Mission of Motu Patlu set to premiere on Nick in May. This apart, all the new episodes and movies of  favourite toons will also be available to stream on our fun-learn kids entertainment app, Voot Kids.

     “At Nickelodeon our focus is on keeping kids entertained in these challenging times. Summer is a special time for children, and we have created a very robust content pipeline of some fun and exciting stories to make sure that they have a great time and stay motivated amidst the current scenario. We are here to make kids happy and are sure that the vast and immersive stories of our Nicktoons will transport them into a world of imagination and fun, giving them a reason to celebrate while lifting up their spirits,” Viacom18 kids cluster content programming and strategy head Anu Sikka commented.

     Summer started with World Creativity and Innovation Week that saw Nick Jr. along with Play Date encouraging kids to unleash their creativity indoors through a curated program of various activities such as music and movement, coding adventure, clay dough, mystery parties, chocolate making amongst others. There will be interesting virtual activations on special occasions like Mother’s Day and Yoga Day that will create many memorable and happy moments for kids and families. Each interactivity would be brought to life digitally by the adorable Nicktoons that will surely add a dash of cheer to each day.

  • Colors launches Sasural Simar Ka season 2

    Colors launches Sasural Simar Ka season 2

    MUMBAI: After  keeping the audience entertained for seven long years, Colors' milestone show Sasural Simar Ka is set to return with the second season . In an all-new avatar, the show will chronicle the life of new (Choti) Simar (played by Radhika Muthukumar), who aspires to become a singer but her life takes an unexpected turn when she crosses path with Badi Simar (played by Dipika Kakar) and Geetanjali Devi (played by Jayati Bhatia). Produced by Rashmi Sharma Telefilms, Sasural Simar Ka 2 will premiere on 26 April 2021 and air every Monday to Saturday at 6.30 pm on Colors 

    A simple yet resilient girl, Choti Simar is the youngest of the siblings grown up in the shadow of her sisters. Much like Badi Simar, she is rooted in her values and principles, but she is a present-day girl, ambitious, and dreams of making her mark in the field of music. On the other hand, Geetanjali Devi belongs to the old school of thought and is seeking for an unambitious girl for her grandson Aarav (played by Avinash Mukherjee) who is willing to put her family above her dreams. She gives the responsibility to Badi Simar to scout for a suitable match and her quest leads her to Choti Simar who is ideal yet different from Geetanjali Devi’s expectations. As their lives get interwoven and their ideologies clash, thus begins Choti Simar’s journey, of discovering a new life and relationships. 

    Viacom18 Hindi mass entertainment and kids TV network head Nina Elavia Jaipuria said, “At Colors, we truly believe that stories have the power to bring comfort, even more so in these tough times. As the nation continues to fight the pandemic, we at Colors are constantly working towards bringing the best of entertainment for our viewers while ensuring the safety of our cast and crew. We are very happy to bring back the second season of our iconic show Sasural Simar Ka with a new storyline, old and new characters, and also strengthen the early prime time 6.30 pm slot.”

    Viacom18 chief content officer Manisha Sharma said, “Sasural Simar Ka has been one of our marquee shows that tasted immense success and became an audience favorite. We are very excited to return with the second season and take the legacy of the show forward with the story of new Simar. As the story evolves, we will see the new Simar, who resonates with old Simar’s ethos, fighting against odds, tackling different ideologies, and setting out on a new journey. We are extremely happy to have Dipika Kakar and Jayati Bhatia back on the show who in every true sense contributed to the show’s success. As we renew our partnership with Rashmi Sharma Telefilms, we look forward to creating history once again.”

    Producer Rashmi Sharma said, “We began the journey of Sasural Simar Ka a decade ago and every time its mere mention leaves us nostalgic. The memories and success of the show are still etched in our minds and I am delighted to bring back the show that is so close to my heart. In the new season, we will introduce the audience to the new Simar played by Radhika Muthukumar and showcase her journey. It is so great to reunite with Dipika Kakar and Jayati Bhatia who have become synonymous with the show and we are having a wonderful time shooting in Agra. I hope that like Season 1, we are able to rewrite the success and win audience love.”

  • Viacom18 hires ex Vice Media India CEO Chanpreet Arora, Vineet Govil to strengthen digital arm

    Viacom18 hires ex Vice Media India CEO Chanpreet Arora, Vineet Govil to strengthen digital arm

    KOLKATA: In key leadership appointments, Viacom18 has brought on Chanpreet Arora as AVoD (Voot) business head, and Vineet Govil as chief technology officer of its digital ventures vertical.

    In her new role, Arora will drive Viacom18’s streaming platform Voot and lead partnerships that are key to the OTT’s overall growth. Govil will be responsible for strengthening the product’s tech play by offering a more seamless and immersive experience for consumers.

    Arora has close to two decades of experience across strategy, revenue, partnerships and sales operations with media and digital brands. She was responsible for successfully launching Vice Media in India as its CEO. She was also associated with The New York Times, Times Internet, Buddh International Circuit – Formula One, India, and Ernst & Young in her previous roles.

    Prior to joining Viacom18 Digital Ventures, Govil was heading Sling Media’s (a subsidiary of Dish Network Inc, USA) India Development Centre as vice president. With over 26 years of experience in product and technology development across domains, his career spans across areas of embedded software, multimedia streaming (OTT), IoT and wireless telecom, cloud and more. He was also a part of Sasken Technologies and ISRO Ahmedabad.

    Viacom18 Digital Ventures COO Gourav Rakshit said, “We are delighted to welcome Chanpreet  and Vineet to our team as we accelerate our growth to transform the digital streaming space for our users. While Chanpreet is a recognised expert in the Indian media industry with an in-depth understanding and knowledge of the entire digital ecosystem, Vineet is a domain expert and is recognised for building world class products through continuous technological innovations. Together with their exemplary leadership and ability to innovate, we are certain of taking Viacom18 Digital Ventures to greater heights. We are confident that we will further consolidate our position through a more digital-first focused approach.”

    Viacom18 Digital Ventures AVoD (Voot) business head Chanpreet Arora said, “My journey in the digital ecosystem has been enriching so far. I look forward to working with the team at Viacom18 to grow the business further and deliver significant value to our partners.”

    Viacom18 Digital Ventures CTO Vineet Govil said, “I am excited to be a part of a business that is young and successful with three distinct offerings. I look forward to working with the digital team on enhancing the platforms and hope to bring in some excitement from a viewers’ perspective. Streaming is all about experience and this is something we will work closely on to accelerate growth.”

  • Viacom18 appoints Sagnik Ghosh as business head – Colors Bangla

    Viacom18 appoints Sagnik Ghosh as business head – Colors Bangla

    MUMBAI: Viacom18 has brought on Sagnik Ghosh as business head, Colors Bangla. Ghosh will be taking over from Rahul Chakravarti who cemented the channel’s position as the third ranked GEC in the highly competitive Bengali market. He will be reporting to Viacom18 regional entertainment (Bangla, Odia, Tamil and Gujarati clusters) head Rajesh Iyer.

    A cross industry veteran with over two decades of experience panning Media and Entertainment, Advertising and BFSI industries, Sagnik, in his previous assignments, had led Star Jalsha and Star Bharat to leadership positions in their respective markets and genres.

    “Regional is an important growth driver for Viacom18 and West Bengal is an important market for us. I’d like to thank Rahul for his contribution and wish him the very best in his future endeavours,” said Iyer. “Sagnik brings three important aspects to this role – his knowledge of the Bengali entertainment industry, his understanding of consumer preferences and his marketing expertise which cumulatively will dial up both the brand and the business.”

    Ghosh added, “The Bengali broadcast entertainment market provides considerable opportunities and is known for its creative prowess for producing content that is often taken to other markets. Colors Bangla has a rich legacy and now is time to grow further and challenge the market leaders. Together, with the dedicated and talented team, I look forward to propel Colors Bangla to greater heights.”

    Prior to joining Viacom 18, Ghosh was with Star India as executive vice-president and business head, Star Jalsha and Jalsha Movies (Bengal cluster). In the Hindi speaking market, he led the brand revamp of Star Plus, and re-launched Life OK as Star Bharat and led it to Number 1 position. In West Bengal, he helped in the turnaround of Star Jalsha and got it back to leadership position. Prior to joining the media and entertainment industry, Ghosh worked with top BFSI brands like Axis Bank, HSBC etc.

  • Viacom18 expands its Hindi movies cluster with Colors Cineplex Bollywood

    Viacom18 expands its Hindi movies cluster with Colors Cineplex Bollywood

    MUMBAI: Viacom18 Media is all set to make an exciting new addition to its existing bouquet of channels with the launch of Colors Cineplex Bollywood – the ultimate destination for Bollywood movies. The channel will launch with a robust library of Bollywood hits on 1 April 2021 across all leading DTH and cable platforms including DD FreeDish.

    Targeted towards the metro audience of Mumbai and Delhi as well as Hindi speaking markets of Maharashtra, Gujarat, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan, Colors Cineplex Bollywood aims to entertain and engage Bollywood movie buffs with a slew of titles spanning across different genres. In line with its brand proposition of ‘Hit Hai!’, the channel will showcase commercial potboilers of the 80’s such as Amar Akbar Anthony, Kaalia, Namak Halaal, to the 90’s hit movies like Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam, Raja Hindustani, Jeet, Dil, Kachche Dhaage to millennial favourites like Golmaal, Dabangg, Hera Pheri franchise as well as latest blockbusters like Chhalaang, Padmavaat, Student of the Year 2, Andhadhun thus catering to viewers of all ages. With its diverse offering, Colors Cineplex Bollywood will acknowledge the purest form of cinema which stands for wholesome entertainment.

     Viacom18 Hindi mass entertainment and Kids TV network head Nina Elavia Jaipuria says, “The launch of Colors Cineplex Bollywood will bolster Viacom18’s play in the Hindi Mass entertainment category and strengthen our share in the Hindi movie genre specifically. Aimed at appealing to the masses, the channel is a natural extension of our current Hindi movie portfolio. We are excited about this launch and look forward to becoming the ultimate destination for the best of Bollywood on television.”

    Viacom18 Hindi movies cluster head Rohan Lavsi, adds, “The charm of Bollywood movies lies in the unparalleled blend of intense drama, powerful action and soulful music delivered on a grand scale. Colors Cineplex Bollywood encapsulates wholesome entertainment defining the ultimate movie viewing experience for our viewers. With a robust library spanning decades, the channel will celebrate the iconic dialogues, unforgivable villains, energetic dancers, superstars and much-loved characters that have not only made an important contribution to Indian cinema but have also become an integral part of our daily lives.”

    With the launch of Colord Cineplex Bollywood, Viacom18 will further expand its movie portfolio with an aim to gain significant presence in the Hindi movie space. With the telecast of only Hindi movies, the channel will fulfil the insatiable appetite for Bollywood movies. Colors Cineplex Bollywood’s launch will also be accompanied by a robust marketing plan.

  • Why Viacom18’s Ravish Kumar insists on innovation in non-fiction shows

    Why Viacom18’s Ravish Kumar insists on innovation in non-fiction shows

    MUMBAI: When it comes to growing a brand with differentiated content or rejuvenating legacy brands, Ravish Kumar is a commanding voice in the game. In his role as the head of regional entertainment (Kannada and Marathi Cluster), Kumar works towards elevating the Viacom18 network’s regional broadcast portfolio consisting of Colors Kannada, Colors Super, Colors Kannada Cinema and Colors Marathi to the stature of Hindi mass entertainment channels. He also aims to drive industry trends through innovation and building a cost effective yet vibrant eco-system in the regional markets.

    Under his leadership, Colors’ Marathi and Kannada offerings have a strong market presence. Colors Marathi has remained stable in past few months, and according to BARC India week nine data, is at the second spot in urban+rural market. The channel has launched three fiction shows and two non-fiction shows over the last two months. Despite strong competition in this space, shows like Shree Swami Samarth and Sundara are doing well for the channel, while Balumama still remains number one. Colors Kannada, too, is at the number two position; however, the top five programmes in the Kannada market are from the channel’s staunch competitor, Zee Kannada.

    In a candid conversation with indiantelevision.com’s Shikha Singh, Kumar shared insights on both the Kannada and Marathi market, growth in these sectors, advertiser response and much more.

    Edited excerpts:

    On whether the ad market in Kannada and Marathi market recovered & have advertisers returned to TV

    Yes, after we resumed original programming, we saw advertisers return to TV July-August onwards. This gained momentum during Diwali and after that advertising has only gotten stronger. I am happy to say that we are back to pre-Covid2019 level, there's not a hand-off record. So, advertisers are back, we also are back in a big way and the market is very robust right now.

    On the important of local brands for regional channels

    Local advertisers have been extremely important especially when it comes to reality shows. They are the one who show a tremendous amount of interest in sponsoring non-fiction properties. For example, the current season of Bigg Boss Kannada (launched about a week ago) has an equal mix of national and local advertisers. In Marathi, we are on the cusp of a few big launches and we are seeing very strong interest from the local advertising community as well. However, when it comes to fiction shows, national advertisers tend to be more in play, because their GRP requirement tends to be huge. Overall, when the lockdown was relaxed local advertisers were a little slow to come back, but then as the months progressed, they have returned stronger than before and are as robust as they can be. They tend to favour specific properties which air on weekends or for a certain duration of time, whereas national advertisers are present round the year and they tend to buy in bulk.

    On content plan for both channels

    In the Kannada market, we were a distant number four but now a strong number two. We are catching up with Zee Kannada and we hope to go past them soon. And from our mind map, we are lining up the best of fiction, non-fiction, events and movie premieres.

    From a content line-up perspective, it is business as usual. Earlier people were holding back or were shifting stories or getting dubbed stories but now none of that is happening. We are racing back into original programming in a big way. We are focusing heavily on really strong stories that are relatable. We are focusing on non-fiction properties, many of which are in multiple seasons right now. For instance, Bigg Boss Kannada is in its eighth season, Majaa Bharatha is in its fourth season. These are our legacy properties which are demanded by both viewers and advertisers. From the movie premiere's point of view, things were a little slow during the lockdown, but we are happy to report that we are back in business.

    As far as programming hours are concerned, on weekdays, we typically have a programming line-up that starts from 6.30 pm depending on the market, and goes on till about 10.30 pm or 11 pm. It is your base weekday programming. We recently opened up morning slots on Colors Kannada that have devotional content. We will continue to experiment with afternoon original programming as well in these markets. Currently, we are looking at five hours of original programming a day during weekdays. This increases by another four to five hours of programming during weekends.

    On the level of interest for Bigg Boss Kannada

    We launched Bigg Boss Kannada last Sunday, it overall rated 4.8 TVRs. If you start looking at Urban ratings, it was 6.8 TVRs. These are strong numbers for a five hour show. If you split it to half an hour slot, the level of time spent on any half hour slot was actually 16 to 17 minutes, which is kind of the level we see in a fiction show. To  see this for a non-fiction show is a strong sign. If you look at co-related viewership numbers on Voot I would say we are looking at very strong leadership there in line with  previous years as well. Additionally, we are doing a lot of new innovative tactics for the first time. There is live feed on Voot Select, additional footage, etc. Over and above our shows  are available on digital before it goes on television.

    On the viability of remaking or adapting Hindi content for regional audiences

    Whether it's Hindi or other Asian markets, I think the strategy is very fluid. Good content is working brilliantly across languages. In our experiences, good content made without significant deviation is the one that is really resonating with viewers. The setting can be localised for the broad stories, and in many cases, the scenes and the promos tend to remain similar. Earlier, it was a one way street. Hindi was giving shows to regional. Now the wheel has turned full circle, and regional is giving back stories. Irrespective of the channel, you have strong success stories across the board, where shows are remade not just in Hindi, but also in other languages. There is a tremendous amount of cross pollination happening. I believe the lockdown has accentuated the whole process.

    On viewer consumption patterns post lockdown

    Fiction shows have always been the backbone of any channel, while non-fiction is what gives it variety, spices it up, and brings a lot of star value. So, non-fiction is something different whereas fiction is a staple diet. I believe that remains unchanged. Post the lockdown we have seen a greater acceptance of dubbed shows or shows from other languages. We've also seen a great respect for cross pollination, shows brought in from one language remade into another. The definition of prime time has also changed. Now, late night shows are far more acceptable and more productive than it was earlier. There was a time when post 9 pm or 10 pm, we would hesitate to put out originals. We don’t hesitate anymore and our original shows are on all the way till 11 pm. Shows that are broadly appealing to all the sensibilities across age groups are the ones which are working brilliantly.

    In terms of non-fiction, I definitely see a lot more innovation happening, rather than the same shows repeatedly happening over and over again. If the format becomes very predictable, I think that's when you start to see a steady decline over time on the ratings of the same show. So whether it's a new property over the existing one, there will be a great demand for non-fiction shows. Now the question is, how do we tap into that demand? And how do we continue to keep it relevant and continue to track viewers? The challenge before us is to keep the viewers hooked and the excitement alive.