ITV

Tag: Zee TV

  • GEC 2011 – Facts beyond Fiction-Ormax Media co-founder and CEO Shailesh Kapoor

    GEC 2011 – Facts beyond Fiction-Ormax Media co-founder and CEO Shailesh Kapoor

    Over the last two years, since the launch of Colors in 2008, we have come to expect a very dynamic and unpredictable Hindi GEC environment. The year 2010 was no different. Star Plus showed a resurgence in the first half of the year, backed by two successful new launches – Pratigya and Sasural Genda Phool. In the last quarter, Sony‘s rise to the no. 3 position was the big story. KBC, followed by Jhalak Dikhhla Jaa, helped Sony inch ahead of Zee TV in what continues to be a see-saw battle. Also helping Sony‘s cause have been its new fiction properties – Saas Bina Sasural and Krishnaben Khakhrawala – and the fact that most of Zee TV‘s fiction launches in 2010 were non-starters, given the expectations set by the channel‘s strong pedigree in fiction content over the last few years.

    But for me, the big story of 2010 was the rise of non-fiction. Amidst scepticism, KBC returned on the small screen, with a revamped format, the original host, and a new channel. The program‘s consistent deliveries in a tough weekdays 9pm slot surprised many cynics who thought Sony was flogging a dead horse. Bigg Boss too reached its best-ever performance, across four seasons. But what caught most by surprise was the incredible opening ratings of Jhalak Dikhhla Jaa on Sony. Truly, the fiction vs. non-fiction divide is not the way we have known it till 2009. It is far more balanced today. The table below illustrates this point using data from our product Characters India Loves (CIL). The percentage of respondents choosing non-fiction characters over fiction characters has improved consistently in the last year and a half.

    Month Fiction Share % Non-Fiction Share %
    Sep 2009
    80
    20
    Dec 2009
    74
    26
    March 2010
    75
    25
    June 2010
    64
    36
    Sep 2010
    64
    36
    Dec 2010
    62
    38
    Each CIL study covers 2400+ respondents across six cities in 15-44 yrs. SEC ABC (70% females, 30% males)

     

    In a highly cluttered environment characterized by ever-decreasing loyalty levels, the role of marketing became ever so important. If a new non-fiction show did not generate enough buzz when it launched, it stood very little chance of resurgence. However, for fiction, the resurgence could come over weeks, as content evolved. Many fiction shows opened to good numbers but struggled to hold on, while many others showed consistent growth on the back of powerful content.

    The table below lists the top 10 non-fiction and fiction launch marketing performances in 2010, as measured by Showbuzz, which tracks the UA (Unaided Awareness) and TA (Total Awareness) of new shows on television.

    Top 10 Non-fiction and Fiction Launches in 2010 (Showbuzz)
    Non-Fiction Fiction
    Show
    		 UA TA
    Show
    		 UA TA
    Bigg Boss 4
    		 63 96
    Gulaal
    		 38 76
    KBC
    		 50 98
    Tere Liye
    		 35 87
    Khatron Ke Khiladi 3
    		 42 98
    Ganga
    		 34 89
    DID Li‘l Masters
    		 33 90
    Kaali
    		 30 75
    Jhalak Dikhhla Jaa
    		 31 92
    Behenein
    		 27 92
    Indian Idol
    		 30 94
    Kaashi
    		 24 71
    Rahul Dulhania Le Jayega
    		 25 92
    Jamuniya
    		 24 61
    Masterchef India
    		 19 75
    Rishton Se Badi Pratha
    		 21 79
    National Bingo Night
    		 18 78
    Sasural Genda Phool
    		 21 74
    Zara Nachke Dikha
    		 17 78
    Chaand Chhupa Badal Mein
    		 21 73

    A lot rides on the first month and a half of 2011. Before the ICC World Cup and the IPL kicks in, Colors will look at making an impact within fiction in 9-10pm. If the channel has to give Star Plus a close fight for the top spot, Phulwa and Mukti Bandhan will have to necessarily deliver good numbers.

    Sony has managed a steadily growing year, especially in the last four months. The channel seems set to become a consistent no. 3 in 2011, if its fiction content continues to get stronger, like it has in recent times.

    But in all this, don‘t rule out the biggest story of 2010-11 – SAB TV. Breaking every notion of the GEC viewing, the family-inclusive de-stress channel has reached never-before numbers, within striking distance of Sony and Zee TV at times. The way the mood of the country is moving, it will be no surprise if SAB manages to grow further. Comedy, along with reality television, is where the next level of growth lies.

    (Shailesh Kapoor is the Co-founder and CEO of Ormax Media, a company specializing in consumer research in the media and entertainment industry.)

  • ‘It’s not money but the idea that conquers’ -ZEEL COO & Zee TV business head Nitin Vaidya

    ‘It’s not money but the idea that conquers’ -ZEEL COO & Zee TV business head Nitin Vaidya

    MUMBAI: The beginning of the year 2009 was a huge challenge for us. We took up this challenge with great enthusiasm, confidence and a focused approach. Our aim was to achieve great heights with concentrated efforts without making any tall claims.

    Many of our shows gave us positive results in 2009. Two major properties by us last year were, ‘Choti Bahu‘ and ‘Lux Dance India Dance‘.

    ‘Choti Bahu‘ proved to be a phenomenal success, redefining the primetime band as 7.30 PM and reigning over it, ever since. But this is not the first time; we had also launched ‘Sindoor‘ at the same time in 2006.

    Another remarkable success in the non-fiction genre was ‘Lux Dance India Dance‘. Unlike other star-studded shows on competing channels, Lux Dance Indian Dance talks about excellence of talent and creates a platform for that talent.

    We always believed that television creates its own stars. For ‘Lux Dance India Dance‘ we adopted our 17-year old formula that stemmed from our longest running show – ‘SaReGaMaPa‘ which makes stars out of common people with exceptional talent. We began our journey to 11 cities, scouting talent, and came back with some fabulous dancers rather than encouraging celebrity participation in reality shows that look fabricated.

    The results were for all of us to see with ‘Lux Dance India Dance‘ becoming the biggest dance reality show growing in a profitable way rather than being an unviable business model. Our formats were copied and launched on other channels and we all know what happened to them.

    Indian television also saw an interesting turning point with a different kind of story-telling that emerged with newer shows. Our competition launched ‘Balika Vadhu‘ which has an excellent story and brought in an all-new flavour to the primetime. We also launched ‘Agle Janam Mohe Bitiyann Hi Kijo‘ which highlighted the social evil of women-trafficking very strongly and forcefully. This social cause backed up with effective story-telling made ‘Laali‘ a household name.

    Another of our shows from Balaji Telefilms, ‘Pavitra Rishta‘, was a great hit amongst the viewers, with the show now becoming the No. 1 fiction show across GECs. The first ever show on satellite television to be shot completely in Delhi, ‘12/24 Karol Bagh‘ was launched by us.

    Two other shows that immediately struck a chord with the viewers are ‘Jhansi Ki Rani‘ and ‘Aap Ki Antrara‘. Through ‘Aap Ki Antara‘, we have aimed at creating public awareness about autism & sensitizing the society towards this issue. More than the commercial success of the show, the kind of recognition and respect that it has garnered for itself and the channel, is what we take immense pride in.

    Similarly ‘Jhansi Ki Rani‘ was another path-breaker. In times where historical shows haven‘t really done well on television, ‘Jhansi Ki Rani‘ has created its own loyal audience and has been delivering consistently ever since its launch. The success of the show has taken it beyond HSM (Hindi speaking market) with the dubbed version being telecast on our regional channels.

    The pressure from the competitors was very high with the who‘s who of Bollywood anchoring some reality show or another across channels. During such times, we decided to introduce Afsha & Dhairya, the youngest hosts on any reality show thus far. Result? They became the most loved hosts on Indian television.

    Recession forced us to take some innovative decisions which surely opened up new avenues that went on to become great successes. Another show that got us directly connected to the audiences is ‘Ghar Ghar Mein‘, a low cost, simple game show with families that allowed cameras directly into their homes. ‘Ghar Ghar Mein‘ is the only show on television today which establishes a direct relationship with the viewers. So we see that it‘s not the money that matters but the idea that conquers!

    Hence with subjects ranging from those of historical importance to social awareness to differential talent, Zee TV‘s shows have been appreciated and acknowledged across the nation. Each of our new properties yielded results and there was no show that had to be withdrawn during the year. 

    Steps taken by Zee TV were consciously working towards not just being No. 1 on GRPs but also achieving high profitability. And to achieve profitability, we didn‘t want to compromise on our quality at any cost. We didn‘t succumb to unnecessary pressures of investing money in film stars or creating controversial content. We wanted to be on the top on our terms. It‘s a matter of great pride that the No. 1 fiction (Pavitra Rishta) and non-fiction show (Lux Dance India Dance) across GECs, belong to Zee TV.

    It was a year that started with great challenges that led to hope and thereby a promise to ourselves – to top the charts. The real joy and excitement came when we became No. 1 for a week after almost a decade. The challenge this year would be to maintain the high performance and offer exclusive content to our viewers.

    Another challenge that holds great value today is the digital scenario which is changing television consumption patterns. On one end of the spectrum is mass consumption pattern of television that is measured by GRPs and on the other is the evolving audience that is migrating from analogue to digital.

    Content and communication to match audiences‘ sensibilities is the emerging reality of the digital era. The growth of DTH is phenomenal. It has surpassed the number of declared analogue subscribers and will continue to grow further. Hence concentrating on the existing analogue viewers alongwith the ever-growing DTH viewers will be our core focus in the coming years.

  • BBC’s Asian Network to cover Bollywood

    MUMBAI: BBC’s radio station Asian Network will launch on 16 June its flagship weekend Bollywood show, Love Bollywood.

    Passionate and irreverent in style, Saturday’s four-hour show will focus on the latest Bollywood releases and star interviews, and Sunday’s four-hour show will bring you the industry hits – classic and new – that shape the world’s biggest film industry.

    This new show will be completely interactive and listeners will take centre stage in its production.

    Sheetal Parmar who is the show’s producer says, “Love Bollywood is an in-depth look at Bollywood films, the stars and the industry, but for the first time, it’ll be predominantly about the audience and their experience of it.

    “Many British Asians have been brought up with Bollywood and it’s a part of their cultural make-up whether they like it or not! The audience will decide what we discuss and listen to through message boards, phone-ins and an exclusive ‘rant line’.

    “It’ll give back to them what they want and more – for example industry-related issues like new media moguls who are diversifying the cultural background of Bollywood, which means we’re seeing more gutsy and culturally challenging films. It’s ambitious and bold, and very exciting to be able to produce something like this.”

    Bollywood “it boys” Raj and Pablo will be presenting on Saturday, whilst Asian Network and Zee TV’s Murtz will present on Sunday with BBC Radio 1’s Rajini Vaidynathan.

    Raj and Pablo, who currently present Film Café, say: “We are over the moon to be presenting the BBC’s Love Bollywood. One of the most exciting and innovative things about our new show is that not only are we going to be interacting with the movie makers, stars, producers and directors but also the listeners. We’ll also be part of a new exciting and dynamic team and all four of us will get the opportunity to present with each other.”

    Vaidynathan says, “People might think it’s a bit odd me doing this with a background from News, but anyone who knows me will know I’m mad about Bollywood, just like most British Asians who’ve been brought up on a diet of Bollywood films. I’m really happy to be involved with something so different, and to be able to indulge in a guilty pleasure.”

  • Zee TV to soon have entertainment channel sibling; Zee Next working title

    Zee TV to soon have entertainment channel sibling; Zee Next working title

    MUMBAI: Star Plus has it, so too does Sony’s SET channel; and now Subhash Chandra’s Zee Entertainment Enterprises Ltd will soon have it as well – a flanking channel that is.

    If all goes according to schedule, Zeel will be launching a sibling to its flagship channel Zee TV within the next three to five months. While the name of the channel is yet to be finalized as yet, reliable sources at Zeel say that it has been given a working title Zee Next.
    Zee Next is envisioned as a metro-centric entertainment channel that will have content that in scope and feel will be quite similar to what was envisaged for Star Plus’ sibling Star One, when it first launched in late 2004, the sources say.

    This news comes alongside the further closing of the channel share gap between Zee TV and Star Plus in the latest ratings issued by Tam Media. Tam is now beginning to deliver better numbers as function of new markets being added to the panel as well as expansion in peoplemeter numbers.

    Overall, Star Plus’s gross rating points (GRPs) are down from 518 in December to 403 this week. Zee’s GRPs have also dropped from 240 in December to 217 in the current week.

    There are those in the industry who question Zee’s move to launch another entertainment flanking channel, saying that it would only distract Zee TV from a focused assault on Star Plus. The logic of the new channel is reportedly that it will essentially be targeted as a channel that is focused more at marking its presence on addressable systems. That Zee owns both cable (WWIL) and DTH (Dish) platforms also means that packages can be created that will push the new channel to the maximum possible.

  • Cricket reality show ‘Cricket Star’ to kick off on DD & Zee on 14 January

    Cricket reality show ‘Cricket Star’ to kick off on DD & Zee on 14 January

    MUMBAI: Cricket based reality talent hunt show called Cricket Star will hit television on DD National and the Zee Network on 14 January.

    The show will run for eleven weeks, with three weekly simulcast episodes on DD National and Zee Sports, on Sundays at 11:30 am, Mondays and Tuesdays at 8:30 pm and a weekly episode on Zee TV on Saturdays from 6.30 pm to 7.30 pm.
    Investors In Cricket, a company specializing in the creation and management of sports rights that have relevance to the Asian Sub continent has conceptualized the show Cricket Star. The company then signed on cricket gurus Kapil Dev and Saurav Ganguly to be the selectors while Ajay Jadeja has been appointed as a cricket analyst and co-anchor. The show will be hosted by TV personality Shweta Salve.

    After weeks of mini and regional auditions conducted across the nation in 11 cities including Jaipur, Jamshedpur, Rajkot, Lucknow, Mysore, Chennai, Hyderabad, Delhi, Mumbai, Kolkata and Bangalore, 23 participants were shortlisted. These 23 will now be competing with each other to be the Cricket Star of India.

    The winner of the first series, Cricket Star India, will win a one-year all-expenses-paid contract with Leicestershire County Cricket Club and attractive cash prizes and will also achieve international celebrity status. The final 11 contestants will also have the opportunity to participate in the global rollout of Cricket Star, which is slated for a UK launch in summer 2007 and a subsequent launch in Pakistan, where there is significant interest in the format, informs an official release.

    With Sourav being away in South Africa, the selection was conducted under cricket gurus Kapil Dev (Selector) and Robin Singh (Director of Academy). Ajay Jadeja (Cricket Analyst) was present throughout the regional rounds providing support and tips to the young cricket participants. Cricket Star aspirants will play a series of 20:20 cricket matches as part of the programme, which will be telecast on Zee Sports on Sundays at 3 pm – 6 pm.

    Each week at the Cricket Star Academy contestants will be subjected to specialized cricket tests, personal challenges and master class inputs from legends of the game, along with cricket coaching and fitness training. Based on their performances each week, the judges will nominate the bottom four performers, out of whom the other contestants will evict two. Following which, the final eleven contestants, will be voted by television by phone or SMS. The contestant receiving the maximum votes cumulatively will be declared the Cricket Star. The show will culminate in the final episode in the end of March.

    The IIC has signed on Miditech Pvt. Ltd as the production house for the show.

  • Zee ramps up prime time schedule with ‘Maayka Saat Zindagi Bhar Ka’

    Zee ramps up prime time schedule with ‘Maayka Saat Zindagi Bhar Ka’

    MUMBAI: Zee TV is sprucing up its primetime offering with the launch of a new weekly show titled Maayka Saat Zindagi Bhar Ka at 8:30 pm.

    Yet another family drama, the show will kick off on 15 January and replace Jab Love Hua, which has been shifted to 10:30 pm and conveniently kicks Johnny Aala Re off the channel.
    Zee TV senior VP programming Ashvini Yardi tells Indiantelevision.com that the channel will be replacing Jab Love Hua with new show Maayka Saat Zindagi Bhar Ka and will position the former into the 10:30 pm slot.

    Maayka Saat Zindagi… revolves around the story of a Punjabi family of three daughters and a son, which struggles to preserve the family bond after the daughters get married.

    It is evident from the programme restructuring that Zee has placed immense faith in the new serial as it will lock horns with Star’s Kasauti Zindagi Ki at the same time band.

    This rounds up Zee TV’s programming plan with Dulhaan, Maayka…., Kasamh Se, Saath Phere, Betiyann and Jab Love Hua to strengthen their weekday 8 – 10.30 pm time band.

    But will the regular Zee fans continue to be glued to the channel during the crucial 9-10 pm slot or will they flock to see SRK in his new avatar, is yet to be concluded?

  • Sahara One to launch ‘Ghar Ek Sapnaa’ on 15 Jan

    Sahara One to launch ‘Ghar Ek Sapnaa’ on 15 Jan

    MUMBAI: A bridegroom kidnapped for a marriage, a wedding held at gunpoint. That is the broad plotline of Ghar… Ek Sapnaa, Sahara One’s new show which launches 15 January at 10 pm.

    Produced by Ajai Sinha of Astitva Ek Prem Kahani fame, the show is superseding Comedy Champions, which is currently airing in the 10 pm slot. The new show will have its task cut out considering the fact that it would be competing against Star Plus’ Kahaani Ghar Ghar Ki, which has just got a makeover, Sony’s Bigg Boss and Zee TV’s Betiyaan Ghar Ki Laxmi.

    Commenting about the show, Sahara One programming head Kalyan Sundaram said, “It’s a family show at an important slot. Though everyone has a space and audience, we are confident of our content. Since it’s a family drama it can’t be completely different from a family soap but the USP is the treatment and with someone like Ajai Sinha you can sure keep high expectations.”

    The starcast of the show includes debutant Sayantani Ghosh as Kakul, Shammi, Alok Nath, Harsh Chhaya and Himani Shivpuri amongst others.

    The plot of Ghar… Ek Sapnaa revolves around the lead protagonist Kakul, daughter of Om Shankar a politico-business magnate of Bihar. Kakul’s family consists of her father, her elder sister Trisha and her brother-in-law, Sujit.

    At Kakul’s best friend Reena’s wedding, Samman, the bridegroom’s friend even though in a committed relationship with Vanshika, takes up a bet with his friends to flirt with Kakul and win her over. Unaware of the territory that he has treaded on, Samman promises undying love to Kakul who in turn falls in love with him almost immediately. Although Samman wants to break free from this situation, he is forced to marry Kakul and takes her home with him.

  • Star Plus prepares ground for ‘KBC’ arrival

    Star Plus prepares ground for ‘KBC’ arrival

    MUMBAI: Paving the way for King Khan to make his grand re-entry onto the small screen with Kaun Banega Crorepati (KBC), Star Plus is rejigging its week day prime time line up.

    In a strategic move, the channel has uprooted Karam Apnaa Apnaa from its well-ensconced 9:30 pm slot and placed it in the lower profile 8 pm slot, where it will take on rival Zee TV’s Banoo Main Teri Dulhaan, a show that is giving decent ratings returns to Subhash Chandra’s flagship channel.

    Speaking to Indiantelevision.com on the prime time strategy of Hindi entertainment’s lead network, Star India creative director Shailja Kejriwal asserts that Karam Apnaa Apnaa currently grabs the third top spot on the channel alongside Kyunki Saas Bhi Kabhi…… and Kahaani Ghar Ghar Ki and therefore, it is a good way to kick start prime time viewing on Star Plus.

    In sync with this, Star Plus’ Viraasat which the industry buzz has it is expected to go off air, has now been shifted to sibling Star One’s 8:30 pm slot. Ironically, this position may give way to its gradual demise as it competes with the heavyweight Kasautii Zindagii Kay on Star Plus.
    However, Kejriwal is optimistic about Viraasat and says, “Even if Viraasat carries one third of its audience to Star One, that will be great for the channel.”

    Stretching the prime time line up further, the channel will bring Star One’s Paraaya Dhan with all original episodes to Star Plus at 11:30 pm. Presently, repeats of the show air in the given time slot on the channel.

    Star Plus will have virtually no competition with sister channel Star One for the 9 to 10 pm duration of KBC as Sathi Re whose ratings are almost negligible, remains in its 9 pm slot. In the 9:30 pm position, what will air are repeat telecasts of Paraaya Dhan.

    All hopes that the channel had in the big budget sci-fi series Antariksh, seem to have been short lived as the show is being taken off air. Along with its poor performance, Kejriwal admitted that “it was also too expensive.”

    The rescheduling means that Star Plus has beefed up its week day line up to the extent that Karam Apnaa Apnaa will get the ball rolling from 8 pm, followed by Kasauti… while KBC is positioned at the peak of prime time viewing at 9 pm. This will be followed by the likes of Kahaani…., Kyunki…., Kahin To Hoga and Paraaya Dhan.

    All of these changes will come into effect with the launch date for KBC, 22 January.

    What’s left to be seen is whether season three of KBC with its new look and host can once again rewrite ratings records for Star Plus in the 9 to 10 pm slot and in the process stymie Zee’s resurgence which has been scripted on the back of Kasamh Se and Saath Phere.

  • Zee TV Titan Antakshri to appear in a new avatar from 5 January

    Zee TV Titan Antakshri to appear in a new avatar from 5 January

    MUMBAI: After Star One’s announcement of stepping into the musical wagon with Antakshri, Zee TV is launching Titan Antakshari in a brand new avatar from 5 January.

    Sunil Pal of Laughter Challenge fame and Sa Re Ga Ma Pa Champion 2005 finalist Himani Kapoor, will anchor Titan Antakshari.

    The show has been designed by blending both the elements of cricket and music leading to the coming World Cup. This musical war will go on for 13 weeks titled Elaan -e- Jung between the three lead protagonists of Zee TV – Saloni, Bani and Vidya.

    The usual teams of Deewane, Parwane and Mastane have been rechristened as Saloni ke Deewane, Bani ke Parwane and Vidya ke Mastane. Every episode in the coming 13 weeks will be a continuing battle between these teams for being crowned as Titan Antakshari – the World Champions.

    Announcing the launch of Titan Antakshri, Zee TV business head Punit Goenka said, “Zee TV’s Antakshri and Sa Re Ga Ma Pa has always been front runner shows. Zee TV is known for its excellency in musical shows. We gave best of the playback singers to Indian cinema like Sunidhi Chauhan, Shreya Ghosal, Debojit, Sanchita among many others. We look forward to providing our viewers a refreshingly new series of Titan Antakshri with some talented singing and loads of fun with Bani, Saloni and Vidya leading the teams.”

    Titan Antakshri’s title track is sung by Sanchita (Winner of Lil Champs) and Sriram Iyer (singer of the title track of Shabaash India).

  • Incablenet announces Rs 1500 STB scheme with free subscription for six months

    Incablenet announces Rs 1500 STB scheme with free subscription for six months

    MUMBAI: The price war is on. Hinduja-owned Incablenet announced its bouquet options to subscribers in the Cas (conditional access system) areas of Mumbai and Delhi, retaliating against rival offers from direct-to-home (DTH) service providers and other multi-system operators (MSOs).

    Subscribers can own their digital set-top box (STB) at Rs 1500 (plus taxes) and will be provided free cable TV subscription for six months on three bouquet packages. Incidentally, DTH operator Tata Sky has come out with an offer in Cas areas of free subscription for six months if customers book during the period 28 December-10 January.

    For those who want Incablenet’s Sitara (Star) package, 18 pay channels will be available including all the 12 Star India distributed channels. Besides CNBC TV18, CNBC Awaaz, CNN-IBN and BBC, customers will have the liberty to choose a single channel each from the Zee-Turner and SET-Discovery bouquets.

    In the Sona (Gold) package, Incablenet is offering 20 channels. This includes 13 Sony channels, CNN-IBN, CNBC TV18, CNBC Awaaz and two channels each from the Zee-Turner and Star bouquets.

    The Zabardast scheme has on offer 35 channels which include 33 Zee channels. Sunscribers can also choose a single channel each from the Sony and Star bouquets.

    Neither of the three packages have sports channels included in them. “We are offering consumers total choice from all the three distribution platorms. They can select a Star-loaded or Sony or Zee package. We have covered all the categories and consumers can plan their monthly cable bills,” said IndusInd Media and Communications Ltd director-in-charge Ravi Mansukhani.

    Wire & Wireless Ltd (WWIL) has on offer outright purchase of STBs for Rs 1800 inclusive of a one-year subscription for 33 channels. These include a load of Zee-Turner and SET-Discovery distributed channels like Zee TV, Zee Cinema, Zee Smile, Zee News, Zee Trendz, Zee Jagran, Sony, Discovery, Animal Planet, Animax, Pix, Sab and MTV. Only Star Plus from the Star bouquet is being offered. BBC, CNBC TV18, CNBC Awaaz and Cartoon Network are also available in this package.

    “We have a complete package including the regional channels. In Mumbai we are offering Zee Marathi while in Delhi it is Zee Punjabi and in Kolkata Zee Bangla. ETV Urdu and ETV Telugu are also available while consumers have a choice to take any other ETV channel of their choice. For Mumbai, ETV Marathi is free,” said WWIL CEO Jagjit Kohli.

    Under the STB rental scheme, Incablenet is offering the Optimiser package at Rs 120 which will have the Star and Sony bouquets. For the second TV set, the subscription is Rs 55.

    In the Super Saver scheme, the Star, Sony and Zee bouquets are available at a price of Rs 190. The second TV set will be priced at Rs 100.

    Subscribers do not have to pay a deposit amount on the Rs 45 rental scheme, Mansukhani said.

    Hathway Cable & Datacom has not come out with an outright purchase scheme for the STBs. Neither has the MSO included the Zee-Turner channels in its packages. “We haven’t decided yet on the STB purchase scheme. As for the Zee channels, once we arrive at a settlement with them, we will be creating a new package,” said Hathway Cable & Datacom MD and CEO K Jayaraman.