There was a buzz that Star India’s Channel V might go back to being a 24-hour music channel. And, finally, the network made the announcement that transition will happen. With this, Channel V introduces music entertainment in India where visual content will be the focus. The programming will focus on music videos.
With the foray back into the music television industry, Hemal Jhaveri, General Manager and Executive Vice President – Channel V, Star Gold, Movies OK and Utsav movies said, “Channel V has been a strong brand synonymous with music in India. We at V are keen on changing the music videos viewing experience. Last few years the TV music category has been dormant. With the revamp of Channel V, we aim to redefine the music video experience by delivering an uncluttered high-quality experience, with curated content for a visual delight.”
Along with a new look and programming, Channel V will also launch a high decibel 360-degree marketing campaign across key metros. With prime focus on the digital medium, the campaign will also have a presence on TV, radio and outdoor sites. Other than this the channel will also participate in some on ground activities to grab the attention of the young audiences at major youth hangouts across key metros.
The Pune-based Sakal Media Group has announced its second senior appointment in the last fortnight with senior television professional Simmi Karna joining the group’s Saam TV as Content Head. She will report to Abhijit Pawar, Managing Director of the group and will work closely with Chandramohan Puppala, Business Head of the channel. She will be based out of the Andheri office of the channel.
While Ms Karna was busy with two movie projects before joining Saam, she was earlier Programming Head of the Big Magic channel of Reliance Broadcast Network Limited from April 2012 till Jan 2014. She also looked after the P&L of Big Productions.
In her 17-year experience, Ms Karna has Balaji Telefilms, Zee, Channel V and IMG, many of these as profit centre head.
At Sakal, she will be responsible for the overall content strategy for the channel and be actively supporting the marketing and sales initiatives for the same.
Star India has pledged all revenues from an Independence Day seven-hour marathon fund-raiser for strengthening relief efforts in Uttarakhand. Leading film stars will join Star’s fund-raiser and all advertising revenues generated through the event on August 15 will be channelled to not-for-profit bodies working for the cause.
Uday Shankar
“The tragedy in Uttarakhand is a solemn opportunity for every Indian to lend a helping hand,” Uday Shankar, CEO, Star India, said. Early confirmation of stars supporting the initiative include Indian cinema’s icons Amitabh Bachchan, Lata Mangeshkar, Ajay Devgn, Kajol, Anil Kapoor, AR Rahman, Boman Irani, Shankar-Ehsaan-Loy, Pritam, Prasoon Joshi, Mukesh Bhatt, Ayushmann Khurana and celebrities from top television shows of the Star network such as ‘Diya Aur Baati Hum’, ‘Pyaar Ka Dard Hai Meetha Meetha Pyaara Pyaara’, ‘Saraswatichandra’, ‘Savdhaan India’, ‘Devon Ke Dev Mahadev’ and ‘India’s Dancing Superstars’ among others.
Ad agency Ogilvy & Mather will be the creative agency for the on-ground event that’ll be managed by Wizcraft. The Film Producers Guild, Federation of Western India Cine Employees (FWICE), TV Artists Forum, Corporate Charity Trusts and several independent industrialists and donors will partner the fund-raiser that will be attended by senior leaders from the state and central governments.
The event will be telecast live on many channels of the Star India network including flagship Star Plus, Life OK, Star Jalsha, Star Pravah, Star Utsav and Channel V.
What is it about the dark side that attracts us? A glance over any newspaper or news channel will tell us the increased attention being given to the gruesome incidents.
The media, especially the television which is a reflection of the society, has reflected this growing interest with the increasing popularity in the number of the unglamorous, and sometimes, gory crime shows. From Karamchand in the 80s on DD to the latest Gumraah on Channel V, most crime shows have done well and have been able to garner an interest that other genres might not be able to. The longest running show on the Indian television, CID, is a crime show which was started in 1998 and recently turned tri-weekly.
Speaking about the show’s success, Sneha Rajani, senior EVP and business head, Sony Television, said: “CID has been doing well for years now; it’s not a recent phenomenon. On an average, the show gets TVR of 3.3-3.5, and sometimes even goes up to 4.5. So, it’s no surprise that show has its share of viewers, as week after week people switch on their TV sets to get inspired by the bravery and the relentless passion of CID against crime.”
Popular Crime Shows
Karamchand – 1980 – DD
CID – 1998 – Sony
India’s Most Wanted – 1999 – Zee
Aadalat – 2010 – Sony
Gumrah – 2012 – Channel V
According to industry experts, most GEC experiments with crime shows have been successful – some have garnered a little interest and others have gone on to become national hits like Adaalat and India’s Most Wanted.
Such crime shows consist of an economically viable format – no huge sets, no major actors, no glamorous outfits or expensive judges are required – hence, the channels don’t mind investing in them.
Janardhan Pandey
Janardhan Pandey, associate vice president, DDB Mudra Max feels that apart from reality shows, only crime shows have the ability to create sensationalism and that’s the main reason people are attracted towards the format. “People want to know what’s happening around them. And these shows are able to portray facts through dramatization, without costing too much for the channel.”
‘Curiosity killed the cat’ is the apt reason why crime shows work on television according to Anand Chakravarthy, executive vice president, Marketing, RBNL and business head, Big Magic. “Crime, as a genre, has an extremely wide appeal, irrespective of the country. In a developing nation likeIndiawhere crime and corruption are a part of the societal fabric, the audience is most likely to appreciate televised content in the genre.”
Anand Chakravarthy
He added: “The fascination with the morbid and intrigue that the genre provides work across a cross section of audience, regardless of age and gender, making it acceptable to a larger and diverse audience base.”
However, the question which still arises is – aren’t such shows the figment of the writers’ imagination? The writers of such shows may choose to disagree about the authenticity. “Though some might say they are a writer’s figment of imagination, but in reality, newspaper reports, sometimes even FIRs and investigations done by channels help us gather facts and details about various cases,” said a writer with a national GEC.
According to Priti Murthy, national director – Insights, Maxus, crime shows attract not only the middle-aged, but a large number of youth too. “Crime cuts across genres and finds a large number of youngsters hooked on to the genre like action, thriller, and crime. One could say it gives them adrenaline rush.”
Prem Kamath
Channel V recently launched a teen crime show, Gumraah, which has became popular for its disruptive format and unique viewpoint of understanding the psyche of young criminals. “V’s Gumrah, in its second season now, details the ecosystem in which a teen crime is conceived and the extraordinary circumstances that lead to it. The show has had an immense impact on us, in terms of viewership as well as vindicating our research and understanding of the youth. We have seen a tremendous response in terms of feedback and appreciation on social media and other consumer responses. It has also further encouraged us to try bolder formats and continue on our chosen content strategy,” said Prem Kamath, Executive VP and GM, Channel V.
Most crime shows do attract a large number of eyeballs, but most GECs also claim that it’s not about entertainment alone; they are helping the society as well. “As for adults, and specifically parents, this show is an eye-opener: if one neglects their child’s need for attention or dismiss it as juvenile behaviour, it can have serious repercussions and lead to moment of madness, eternally irreversible,” added Mr Kamath.
“Shows such as Police Files (aired on Big Magic), while showcasing crimes from the region, also attempt to educate and empower the viewer. The depiction of the crimes help the viewers to understand and accept the need to be vigilant in safeguarding themselves and their loved ones. The information imparted by way of applicable laws of the Indian Penal Code, safety tips by experts and NGOs help empower the viewer,” said Mr Chakravarthy.
So, if one has to go by what industry experts have to say: it’s entertainment with awareness that makes one switch on their television sets to watch crime shows. Â Whatever be the reason, the channels can surely say that ‘crime pays’!
Channel V has announced they are giving up music for good, and it will be all about youth entertainment from hereon. My first reaction: ‘So what’s new, guys?’ Because whenever I have made the mistake of dropping by at Channel V, I have never spotted a music video, only some mindless trash involving screaming and yelping kids.
Channel V has been around for nearly two decades, and I must say they have struggled badly in terms of the content mix, from the start. From music to comic promos (remember Quick Gun Murugan?) to juvenile reality shows… they’ve been trying to pull all sorts of stunts, with the hope that something will get the Indian youth hooked. This hasn’t worked. Channel V has remained a very small player in the STAR bouquet, and every other year there are murmurs of a shut down.
The core problem, in my books, has been lack of focus. As programming heads and CEOs changed over the years, each one added new confusion to the proceedings. With the result that today, all these years later, Channel V stands for nothing really to the youth segment. It’s become like that proverbial dhobi ka kutta… na ghar ka na ghat ka. This is bad news for any brand, leave alone a television channel operating in a very saturated market.
Anyways, they seem to have finally decided it’s going to be all about entertainment content, whatever that means. But it appears to be good bye to music for sure. Let’s see how this pans out in terms of actual programming, though going by past records, this is likely to be 24X7 nonsense stuff.
When I look back, there appears to be one very important trick that Channel V missed. And it’s cost them heavily. They should have positioned the brand as THE Bollywood music channel from the very start. Hindi film songs are always popular in this nation (the local pop and rock bands are sidey shows anyway). And the channel, being an early starter, could have owned this genre, leaving no place for those who came in later, such as Sony Mix, Mastii, and others. Channel V could have become Bollywood’s official music station. This would have translated into loyal viewership and a lot of ad revenue.
But instead of that, they opted for retarded reality shows, and today they are neither here nor there. Channel V should consider itself lucky its parent has very, very deep pockets.
* * *
PS: Harvey Nichols recently ran this outdoor campaign inLondon. The idea is totally sensational and many locals found it to be deeply offensive. But the damage was done before it could get pulled. Wonder when we’ll see such stuff in India. And wonder how the hockey loving ACP Vasant Dhoble would react. 🙂
Anil Thakraney is a senior journalist and commentator. He is Editor-at-Large, MxMIndia. The views expressed here are his own.
Launched 16 years ago as a music channel, Star India’s Channel V is now turning into a full-fledged youth entertainment channel. Starting July 1, V will stop airing music programmes in India and focus on fiction and non-fiction shows. The reason: “Over the last two years, there has been an explosion of ‘music only’ channels, but everyone’s playing identical playlists,” says Prem Kamath, executive vice-president and general manager at Channel V. “In order to grow as a channel and as a brand, it has always been critical to have an offering that is unique in our competitive space,” he adds on being quizzed on the decision.
Many experts feel that it was bound to happen as more and more channels try to mould themselves to stay connected with what their target audience wants. But there many questions arise: could this mean the beginning of the end of music on TV? What is the future of music genre? Where is it headed?
The beginning
The scene for Indian music channels was set with the launch of MTV in the early 90s. Soon after, Channel V was launched in 1994, and since then there has been no looking back.
The launch of these music channels also led to a boom in international as well as Indie pop culture. However, it was shortlived and Bollywood music took over, and the two channels, along with many other launched afterwards, started playing popular filmi songs. But over a period of time, these two channels moved beyond playing only music with shows like Roadies, Splitsvilla and Dare 2 Date.
Hemant Kenkre
According to music columnist Narendra Kusnur, somewhere down the line for these channels, music took a backseat: “I’m sure any channel would do thorough research while trying to change their gameplan. So, if a music channel shifting towards being a youth entertainment channel is proved beneficial – for viewership as well as revenue – then it wouldn’t harm them to take such a step.”
He’s not alone in voicing this. Even Hemant Kenkre, a former music channel professional and a corporate and brand communications veteran, feels that channels are now branding themselves differently to reach out to their TG. He, however, does blame the availability of music on various platforms – radio, cellphones, laptops, iPods – as the reason for this shift. “Today, the youth is moving towards reality shows and they want it from the channels meant for them. As for music, they get their share of it from other mediums too.”
Luke Kenny
Former VJ, musician, actor and 9XO programming head Luke Kenny, on the other hand, feels that the channel (Channel V) decided to shift long back and has been moving slowly towards it, but there are still many who want music on television. “If music was dead on TV, then how would you explain other new music channels cropping up and doing well too?”
He added: “Having said that, I do believe that with more channels showcasing Bollywood songs, music channels have lost their niche and have just became promotional channels. Therefore, if a channel decides to change colours, it might work. And you never know, Star India might come up with a new music channel called Music OK.”
Industry talk
If one takes a look at various channels, be it music or a GEC, they will find that, there is a great deal of music in some or the other. We have music trailers/songs aired across all channels. Award shows, too, have musical performances and talent shows like Saregama, Indian Idol, DID and even celeb dance show Jhalak Dikhla Jaa are high on ratings.
Mohit Joshi
Therefore, according to media planners, the existence of specialised music channels is a difficult game. “Today, unfortunately for the masses in India, music equals to Bollywood. This is the challenge. This was not the case in the ’90s when there were a lot of private music albums that were launched -Silk Route et al, and the music channels were used for their amplification. So, there was something more than Bollywood, which is not the case today. In the current scenario, if music channels do not experiment with music or the content, then there is a fear that they will dilute their relevance over a period of time,” says Mohit Joshi, managing director, MPG India.
Adds Carat Media India’s senior VP Himanka Das: “Channel V’s decision to discontinue music is a welcome change and would offer interesting opportunities to build engagement content with the youth, considering the very little content that is available to them in entertainment beyond music. Music as a genre gets 6-7 per cent share in the youth segment of viewers with Channel V contributing 24 per cent to this share amongst 20+ channels. Channel V vacating this space is someone else’s gain!”
Punit Pandey
Meanwhile, other music channels aren’t perturbed and are waiting to see how the channel is accepted in its new avatar. As per TAM (CS4+, All India market), there has been a consistent growth in the music genre. In 2007, the genre share of music channels was 2.02 per cent whereas in 2012 (till week 24) the share has grown to 3.62 per cent.
Punit Pandey, senior VP and business head, 9X Media Group, agreed with Mr Das and added: “Music has, and will continue to, work on television. It is close to a Rs360-370 crore industry (in the HSM belt) and growing. More and more people are ‘watching’ music, so there is nothing to worry about for music channels at large.”
Nikhil Gandhi
Similarly, the view from UTV Bindass which started out as a Youth Entertainment Channel (YEC) and has been a pioneer in the segment is that though in the recent past music channels, especially MTV and Channel V, have started shifting focus from music to fictional and non-fictional shows, there is no reason for sleepless nights. “We have an advantage over other channels entering the YEC genre as we have already created a connect with the TG,” says Nikhil Gandhi, Disney UTV Executive Director – Youth Channels, Media Networks. And adds an alert: “So, I would like to tell other channels entering the YEC genre to work on their strategies well.”
Apprehensive marketers?
The change in positioning is due to the feeling that youngsters now have a strong spending power. And, hence, are targeted by various brands more than ever before. TV forms a core part of advertisement for these brands as youngsters also spend a lot of time in front of the television sets.
Simeran Bhasin
But what happens to youth brands if a channel changes its content strategy? According to the various marketing heads, the apprehensions will emerge if the channel isn’t clear about the shift and isn’t able to help a brand reach its TG.
“If the TG of a brand matches that of the channel, it won’t matter if they decide to change over a period of time. However, if there is a shift in TG then a brand would think twice before advertising on that channel,” says Simeran Bhasin, head – Marketing and Retail, Fastrack.
Harkirat Singh
MTV’s latest show Sound Trippin was partnered by Woodland because the brand feels that youth oriented channels helps them reach their TG. However, the brand is clear that it get associated with channels or shows only if it feels there is a connect between the brand and the viewers. “Like any other brand, while media planning, the TG of a certain channel is important for us. We look for shows which are able to reach and connect with our TG. So, if a channel changes its content plan, we will want to go through their new strategy to figure out where do we figure and how it can benefit us,” says Harkirat Singh, MD, Woodland.
Will the shift work?
According to the industry professionals, the change in content plan by a channel is done after a lot of research and only time can decide if it will work in its favour or not. However, they believe that a channel should remain true to its philosophy because otherwise it will lose its identify as well.
Samyak Chakrabarty
Expanding on it, Samyak Chakrabarty, MD, Electronic Youth Media Group and Chief Youth Marketer, DDB Mudra Group believes that ‘youth’ is a very misunderstood word and youngsters cannot be defined in one category as all depends on the exposure and the background one comes from. “In their perception to become ‘youth’ channels, they are getting muddled up and don’t know where they are headed. Today, a youngster cannot associate MTV or Channel V with anything like they do for other brands. For instance, technology means iPad, connectivity means Blackberry etc. I think music channels should have remained with what they started as, instead of losing their identify to gain more TRPs. Such moves will only lead to their downfall, in the long term.”
From being largely optimistic to one predicting a downfall, we received mixed reactions to the proposed change in Channel V’s identity. However, one thing is clear, no matter what Star India decides, there will be many who will wait to see what this mean for them and the genre, at large.
Star India’s Channel [V] is ready for a change from July 1 when it will discontinue all music slots in its programming. With this transition, the channel is set to consolidate its position in the youth entertainment genre.
This move is being made to strengthen its stance as a holistic youth entertainment channel. The drastic change in the content strategy took almost three years. Speaking on the move, Prem Kamath, Executive VP & GM, said: “This shift in programming strategy is rooted in our continuous effort to remain a unique entertainment destination for the youth. We recognize the affinity the youth have developed for our shows and we can only oblige them with greater hours of these preferred shows.”
In an effort to increase weekly hours of original content, Channel [V] will convert its teen crime show, Gumrah – End of Innocence into a daily. And, it also plans to launch new fictional shows like ‘The Buddy Project’ which will occupy the 6pm slot from Monday to Friday.
However, the channel promises not to distance itself from music. “As for music, it can never go out of the youth DNA. We will continue our on-ground and on-air properties that are based on music. We will simply stop airing Bollywood music slots.”
Launched in 1994 and reaching out to over 25 million viewers, the channel’s current mantra – Bloody Cool – manifests itself not only through its shows, but also through the broadcast persona and out of TV alliances created to engage with the youth.
Channel V has entered into an association with the cast and crew of Gangs of Wasseypur to deliver a spine chilling episode of ‘Gumrah’ this Sunday.
In the forthcoming episode, director Anurag Kashyap and the stars from his movie Gangs of Wasseypur – Manoj Bajpai and Richa Chadda will render crucial roles. Gangs of Wasseypur is a celluloid depiction of a revenge saga set against the socio-political dynamics in the land of coal and scraps trade mafia of Wasseypur.
Unlike regular tie-ups, wherein movie stars limit their screen time to only special appearances, Gumrah has the lead stars from the movie enact roles and give shape to the entire story. Sardar Khan ( Manoj Bajpai) and his wife (Richa Chadda) are set to play their characters from the movie and that has been skillfully interweaved with the episodic content, with a special voice over by Anurag Kashyap.
Speaking on the show’s association with the movie, Prem Kamath, Executive VP and GM, Channel [v] stated: “We are pleased to be associated with Anurag, Manoj Bajpai and the team for Gumrah. This association lends credibility to both sides unlike any other occasion. In this episode we have tried to synthesize the key narration of the movie and the fundamental objective of Gumrah – that is to simulate a thought amongst the new generation to realize and chose the right path of action.”
Anurag Kashyap, director and screenwriter, Gangs of Wasseypur said: “Gumrah is very closely knitted to the theme and story of Wasseypur. Based on the youth psyche, each story in Gumrah projects crowded emotions that often lead to unconceivable actions. GoW also deals with one such emotion namely revenge, which instigates human mind to take the path of crime.”
Channel [V], the youth entertainment channel from the Star Network, has maintained its leadership in the youth entertainment genre for six consecutive weeks.
With an alltime high of 37 GRPs for week 50, Channel [V] has left its nearest competitors far behind. The channel has grown by almost 15 percent since the previous week to consolidate its No.1 status, while MTV & Bindass are 25 percent behind in GRPs.
Prem Kamath, Executive VP and GM, Channel [V], said, “Our performance over the last quarter clearly shows the depth of our understanding of this genre and our audience. All our properties, whether on-air or otherwise, are planned keeping in mind our researched understanding of youth.”
With a healthy reach of 33 percent and a time spent of 34 minutes being almost 50 percent higher than MTV, the genre is overwhelmed with shows from [V]. The ratings reveal that 17 out of the Top 20 shows are from Channel [V].
The youth & music genre has garnered a market share of 7.6 percent with 251 GRPs (up from 248 GRPs last week). Total TV was at 3308 GRPs (0.5% growth from 3291 GRPs last week). Channel [V] is leading in the CS4+, CS 15-34 or CS 10-14 groups.
By Meghna Sharma
By Anil Thakraney
The core problem, in my books, has been lack of focus. As programming heads and CEOs changed over the years, each one added new confusion to the proceedings. With the result that today, all these years later, Channel V stands for nothing really to the youth segment. It’s become like that proverbial dhobi ka kutta… na ghar ka na ghat ka. This is bad news for any brand, leave alone a television channel operating in a very saturated market.
Star India’s Channel [V] is ready for a change from July 1 when it will discontinue all music slots in its programming. With this transition, the channel is set to consolidate its position in the youth entertainment genre.