MxMIndia

Tag: Discovery

  • Emerging technologies are playing a big role in bringing about this shift from traditional TV (latent viewing) to active TV (active viewing), says Anil Garg

    The Anchor: Anil Garg on 10 reasons why specialty channels are the need of the hour

    By Anil Garg

     

    The television landscape in India has seen a paradigm shift in the last few years.  From a plethora of channels offering General Entertainment, News including Business & Market News, Music, Movies, Kids, Sports and so on, one is seeing the emergence of newer specialized genres such as Infotainment, Food, “Classroom” Education, Science and Technology, Specialty Sports (e.g. Golf), Home Shopping and Travel.  There are dozens of reasons for this (be it advances in technologies, affordability, availability, changing lifestyles and such) here are TEN reasons why specialty content will not only survive but thrive in the coming years:

     

    1. Consumer Awareness and Demand

    India, like most other countries, is fast realising that audiences are increasingly discerning especially with multiple TV households in Tier I, II and even III cities across all SEC groups.  Look at how Discovery has diversified from a single channel to Discovery Science and Discovery Turbo; or for that matter NatGeo. Infotainment content is entertaining and educative. Today people increasingly want to learn and know more about the world they live in. For instance, one would never stop a child watching a clip on the “Blue pottery of Jaipur” as opposed to watching cartoons on a kid’s channel.

     

    2. The Nature of Specialized Content

    Specialised content such as a cookery show or a travel show does not need to be in a 30 minute format, so typical of traditional television. Specialised content can be “snacky”; a five minute show on the “Fishing Nets of Kerala” or “48 hours in Cairo” can ignite the angst and aspiration in the mind of viewers who have or would love to experience this. Such content can be informative, educative and yet entertaining. Also such content appeals across all age groups four-adult. Plus, it is non-controversial as in there is no rape or murder or such.

     

    3. Passion

    People who want specialized content are passionate about it. So are the viewers! Take for instance Food or Travel. Specialised content has to be produced by people serious about the domain. As more and more people choose to work in their field of interest, so will they choose to talk about it in more and more creative ways. Likewise, an ever increasing consumer base aware about the affordable availability of such content will tune into what they are passionate about.

     

    4. Forever Content

    Most specialized content is forever in that it does not age. A show on the Taj Mahal or the Pushkar Mela is timeless. Unlike most soaps, reality shows or sporting events, most infotainment content is ageless and can be watched again and again for generations. We still love to watch a clip on what Mumbai looked like in the 50’s even though it is black and white; this will be the case even fifty years hence!

     

    5. Technology including New Media

    Affordable technology makes it possible to offer thousands of channels to viewers.  Technology trends, be it the downward cost of increasingly powerful Cameras, inexpensive video editing Software, dramatically reducing Storage cost, affordable and increased Bandwidth, ever increasing Connectivity, Interactive and Mobile devices and increasing use of innovative Applications – all this makes it possible for a specialized channels to stream to their audiences, anytime, everywhere. As rich content moves from Beta tapes to digital video formats, from huge physical libraries to compact server scale storage in a box, growing a business around this new realisation that the concept of space has changed will help new age entrepreneurs build organisations and brand architectures with specialized content.

     

    6. Portable Content

    The very nature of specialised content is interesting. There is a growing need and demand for on the move infotainment and on demand infotainment (e.g. what to see and do inSingapore), as opposed to a two-three hour movie. As consumer attention spans get shorter, information they seek has to be at their finger tips “here and now”.  Thanks to technology, this is made possible. Specialised content is easy to port for on-demand viewing.

     

    7. Going Digital – Growth of Television and the Net

    As India moves to digitization with the possibility of a 500-1000 channels though fibre and cable to the home, multiple TV households, increased Internet bandwidth and technologies such as 3 and 4G for the masses, affordable yet powerful handheld devices, access to specialized content will be easier and affordable for consumers.  Also for aggregators and distributors of such content, it will be imperative to reach out to every single viewer with a rich and varied offering.

     

    8. Education

    As the Indian population comes to grips with evolving technologies, the nature of content, applications and their usage will explode. From ten years ago when not many people used an ATM machine or a cell phone, the scenario is changing rapidly and dramatically. As people learn how to use a phone for purposes other than talking, to using the net for purposes other than checking emails or making a railway booking, we will see people searching for informative content and entertainment.

     

    9. Targeted appeal

    For advertisers, sponsors and the like, specialized channels offer a focused, targeted audience. Also, technology is fast reducing the costs for reaching out to the customer and getting a better handle of behavioural and psychometric testing – e.g. social media and viral.

     

    10. Business Sense

    Businesses understand the reasons above.  Channels like a GEC, Movies, or Sports are very expensive to setup and operate; in India we have seen many such channels go down.  For the cost of a single show on a channel in these traditional genres, it is possible to setup and operate a specialized channel and also to make it profitable. Ten years ago not many people thought that a channel like Discovery made any business sense! Also, specialized infotainment channels have multiple revenue streams; the touch-points for consumers sourcing information of interest are multiple.  The same content can be sampled on TV, researched in print and enabled/fulfilled via the web as an example – all thanks to technology.

     

    In a nutshell, emerging technologies are playing a big role in bringing about this shift from traditional TV (latent viewing) to active TV (active viewing).  For instance in a specialized genre such as Travel, television can provide excellent programming backed up by a supporting interactive mechanism either through a website or an interactive mobile gadget which can create lead generation for travel booking, with applications that can provide ‘here and now’ information while at home or office or on the go. This increases the opportunity base and revenue potential for all possible trade partners – traditional travel operators, tourism boards, hotels and airlines, fleet operators and more – with the help of emerging new media technologies which help link up all possible interactions.

     

    As all trends point to specialized content, such content will become the trend!

     

    Anil Garg is Chairman & Managing Director, Explore Travel Channel

     

  • Rahul Johri, Senior Vice-president & GM, Discovery Networks on the Discovery network's association with Goafest, the soon-to-be-launched Discovery Kids and how he is looking forward to digitization

    Goafest has grown in stature: Rahul Johri

    The Discovery network is partnering Goafest for the fourth time and the focus this year is around Discovery Kids, its soon-to-be-launched channel for kids. MxMIndia speaks to Rahul Johri, Senior Vice-president & GM, Discovery Networks on Discovery’s association with Goafest (and of course Discovery Kids and how he is looking forward to digitization).

     

    On partnering Goafest in 2012

    Goafest is a landmark event of the industry and this is our fourth year of participation in the event. The who’s who of the industry congregates here for co-sharing and exchange of ideas and solutions. It has grown in stature over the past years – the quality of speakers it attracts, the kind of discussions that take place…it has gotten better every year and that is why we are excited to partner such an event. The focus of what was said today was on good quality content and we are one of the biggest content producers in the world. It is good to hear speakers deliberate on how content is playing an integral role and is at the core of everything that we do.

     

    On the age of digitization

    The onset of digitalization presents an opportunity for niche networks to come in and therefore you see our channels like Discovery Science, Discovery Turbo or Discovery HD…these channels really thrive in a digital environment where they are not limited by capacity constraints of analog cable and we are really looking forward to digitization.

     

    On Discovery’s stride in India

    We have just announced the launch of Discovery Kids a few weeks ago and that has been a big move for us. Discovery has grown rapidly in the past one year. In the last three years, we have gone from three channels to eight channels, from two languages to five languages…so we are growing very rapidly and this year it is going to be all about Discovery Kids.

     

    Click here to view all Goafest 2012 stories

     

  • The mood is upbeat at the three-day convention on media and entertainment that kicked off in Mumbai today

    Digital, growth mantras to drive agenda

     

    By A Correspondent

     

    Asia’s largest convention in the business of entertainment, FICCI Frames 2012, will be held at The Renaissance, Powai in Mumbai from March 14 to 16. In its 13th year, Frames is a three-day global convention covering the entire gamut of media and entertainment ranging from films to broadcast, which includes television and radio, to digital entertainment, animation, gaming and visual effects.

     

    The Summitwill be inaugurated by Government of India’s Information & Broadcasting Secretary, Mr Uday Kumar Varma. Senator Chris Dodd, Chairman, Motion Picture Association of America will deliver the keynote address at the inaugural session. Japanis the partner country at FICCI Frames 2012 and will be present with a high-powered delegation comprising key stakeholders from the Japanese media and entertainment industry.

     

    Frames 2012 will present opportunities for business networking, lobbying, and creative and financial collaboration and partnerships. There will also be a series of workshops and master-classes that will be conducted by venerated global gurus who will be busy highlighting the way forward to the assembled delegates. Nearly 2,000 Indian and 800 foreign delegates are expected to attend the event.

     

    The Who’s Who of the Indian media and entertainment industry will join hands with the global industry leaders and experts to discuss and debate and to announce new initiatives at FICCI Frames 2012. Mark Hollinger, CEO, Discovery, Carolyn Everson, VP-Global Marketing Solutions, Facebook, Cameron Bailey, Co-Director Toronto International Film Festival, Bruce Beresford, Director of Oscar-winning movie Driving Miss Daisy, Silas Hickey, Regional Creative Director for Animation at Cartoon Network, Max Howard, Global Animation Consultant and Lecturer on Producing Independent Animated Feature Films for the International Markets, Oscar-winner Harvey Lowry, Hollywood’s Special Effects Guru, and John Bashford, Vice Principal, LAMDA (The London Academy of Music & Dramatic Arts) are some of the globally well-known names who will be delivering keynote addresses, conducting workshops and master classes, and joining the panel discussions in various sessions at Frames.

     

    Other eminent speakers from the world of television, radio and print that would be present include television czarina Ekta Kapoor, Barkha Dutt and Vikram Chandra of NDTV, Sunil Lulla of Times TV, and Puneet Goenka of ZEEL. Print will be represented by Shekhar Gupta, Editor-in-Chief of the Indian Express Group and T.N. Ninan, Editor of Business Standard.

     

    Bollywood too would be adequately represented through eminent faces such as Yash Chopra, Karan Johar, Vidya Balan, Kamal Haasan, Imtiaz Ali, Anurag Kashyap, Farah Khan and Zoya Akhtar.

     

    The theme of this year’s event is ‘Embracing the Digital World’. Dr J S Sarma, Chairman, Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) and Mr Uday K Varma, Secretary, Ministry of Information & Broadcasting, will identify and address immediate areas for successful implementation of the digital switchover and also on what’s next in the regulatory and market framework to enable and sustain the transition.

     

    The move to embrace digitization in Cable and Satellite TV services has become imperative as such services have grown exponentially inIndiain the last 17 years. A separate session at FICCI Frames 2012 will deliberate on ways to maximize the power of digital distribution. Industry leaders will share their experiences with Frames delegates, their perspectives on how funding challenges have been overcome in other jurisdictions and the takeaways forIndia. The panelists include Vivek Couto, Founder, Media Partners Asia; Anshuman Mishra, MD, Turner International India; Vikram Chandra, CEO, NDTV; Jagi Mangat Panda, CEO, Ortel; Prof Jonathan Askin, Professor of Law, Brooklyn School of Law, Former Senior Legal Advisor, FCC; Anita Wallgren, US Department of Commerce.

     

    The FICCI-KPMG study on Indian Media & Entertainment for 2012 will also be released on the occasion. Strong growth in tier 2 cities, the continued march of regional media and the rapidly expanding new media business helped the media and entertainment industry log a 12 per cent increase in revenues to Rs729 billion in a troublesome 2011, according to the report. Overall, the industry is expected to grow at a compounded annual growth rate (CAGR) of 15 per cent to Rs.1,457 billion by 2015.

     

    Further details on the event will be available at: http://ficci-frames.com/

     

     

  • For the consumer, it is a chance to view a particular channel in his mother tongue. For channels, it is about expanding viewership base and accumulating additional revenues

    Speaking in tongues, good for TV channels

     

    By Rishi Vora

     

    TV channels are gung-ho about the digital revolution India is witnessing. New launches and the ones in the pipeline – all are preparing to be on DTH or Digital Cable. Well, what this brings to viewers and for the industry is a  novel trend: the rise of language feeds. For the consumer, it is now a chance to view a particular channel in his mother tongue. For channels, it is about expanding viewership base and accumulating additional revenues via local advertisers.

     

    The trend is visibly on the rising side. Big CBS launched Spark Punjabi. Sonic has extended its offering to Marathi and Bengali. History, the factual entertainment channel from the A+E Networks recently launched the Gujarati feed, making it the only channel to be available in seven languages (Gujarati, Bengali, Tamil, Telugu, Marathi, Hindi and English). Discovery serves in English, Telugu, Bengali, Hindi, while National Geographic is present in five feeds: English, Hindi, Bengali, Telugu and Tamil. The trend, quite noticeably is seen in the kids and the factual entertainment genre.

     

    For these international channels, the opportunity is way too big to be missed. The cost of launching a new feed vis-a-vis the return it brings to the table in terms of reach, viewership and revenue, is negligible. All it accounts for is an additional cost on dubbing, which on most occasions, for all channels would be an incremental cost since English and Hindi languages are by most channels, already operational. Sangeetha Aiyer, General Manager – Marketing A+E Networks and TV 18 JV informs that the cost of dubbing varies between 7 to 15 per cent of a programming budget.

     

    “The trend has been around for a while,” says Nina Elavia Jaipuria, Executive VP and General Manager, Sonic and Nick India. She further adds, “For us, since we cater to the kids and the young adults of India, it is important that the characters kids have an affinity towards speak to them in their mother tongue – the language they speak at home. That is the best way you can engage and entertain them.” Aiyer agrees that it brings in more revenue and viewership for the channel, but also calls for a lot of co-ordination with studios which at times can be painstaking. Ensuring quality control, scripts, technicians etc is one part of the challenge, while lack of experts in languages like Marathi or Bengali is another challenge.

     

    Most channels outsource the dubbing work to studios, except UTV Action which contracts its sister company UTV Software on the same. UTV Action, as is known was one of the early movers in the movies segment to offer Hollywood films dubbed in Hindi. The channel later launched its Telugu feed. Manasi Sapre, Programming Head, UTV Action says that Telugu feed opens up a big market for the channel. “We’re seeing a lot of traction from the Telugu market, where the appetite for Hollywood movie watching is constantly increasing. Telugu market is one market where you can be rest assured of a good response, given the fact that the southern belt likes to view content in their own language rather than English or Hindi.”

     

    A separate P&L company within the UTV group – UTV Software, has been in the business of dubbing for more than 15 years now. The company is seen as a pioneer, currently handling projects like Walt Disney, Hungama, Fox Traveller, National Geeographic Wild, NDTV Good Times and UTV Action. The company dubs 40-50 hours of content every month, so considering that content is offered in a minimum of  four languages, it means 200 hours of content being dubbed every month.

     

    According to Rahul Bhatia, Senior VP – Dubbing, UTV Software, the dubbing industry has grown leaps and bounds in the past five to seven years in terms of the number of players. The market still remains majorly unorganised with UTV as a major player as against many small studios that do one-off projects. “Price-points for dubbing have gone down drastically. From what it used to be Rs 1 lakh for an hour 10 years back, it is now come down to Rs 25,000. But, on the brighter side, volumes have increased. Three years back it was only Hindi, Tamil and Telugu, but now if you see, the market is growing to other languages like Gujarati, Marathi, Bengali and Punjabi.”

     

    Quite interestingly, for many channels that bring in international content from countries like Japan, Korea or even China, content is translated to English and then dubbed to various other languages, which is a lot of effort on the part of the studios. Part of the reason for this tedious procedure is the fact that channels are extra careful to ensure that  international standards are maintained.

     

    Given the kind of growth dubbing has seen and that many channels have launched multiple feeds, there are chances that a few broadcast majors would want to set up their own studios. Maybe it is too early to say, or the existing outsourcing practice could well be effective enough as one may not want to get into the business, which could well mean diverting the attention from three major functions: Content, Distribution, Sales. Even for now, Dubbing seems to come later in the priority list of the channels.