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Tag: History TV 18

  • With the number of infotainment channels on the rise, it’s important to re-look at factual entertainment as an alternative experience to general entertainment

    The Anchor: Ritu Kapur on 5 ways factual entertainment channels can score over GECs

    By Ritu Kapur

     

    In a cluttered TV environment with increasing content sameness and fatigue, factual entertainment channels are a refreshing “window to the world”, with unpredictable, spectacular, high end productions.  But with the number of infotainment channels on the rise, it’s important, we feel, to re-look at factual entertainment as an alternative experience to general entertainment.

     

    Production Style

    Factual channels need to change the production style to make the content more entertaining, interactive and accessible. History TV 18 has broken the documentary “all-knowing voice of God” format with shows like Pawn Stars, Ice Road Truckers and a competition show like Top Shot. Where the content is not shying away from information, but presenting it in viewer friendly, character-driven reality format.

     

    Characters

    Television across the world is driven by iconic characters. For the longest time animals took centre-stage. There is already a move towards characters becoming the defining face of channels like Bear Grylls on Discovery. But it’s important for these characters to evolve further and break away from repetitive formats.

     

    Unlike other channels, factual channels need to create identifiable characters out of everyday people, doing extraordinary things.  And it’s not enough to just build these characters but to use them creatively to convey information to the viewers.

     

    Drama

    Why should drama only be the forte of a GEC? Factual entertainment channels should take the lead in creating high quality drama that is not there just for drama sake but to bring alive themes from history, science and survival. History TV18 is taking its first step towards that with an Emmy award winning drama series called The Kennedys. The series is very well-researched, hasHollywoodgreats like Katie Holmes and is a big budget production.

     

    A 360 degree view of India

    High end productions onIndiahave always had the western perspective. It’s important now for Indian channels to assert and present the realIndia, breaking all clichés. These should be done with global syndication in mind so that this perspective is accessible internationally.

     

    Making International Content Accessible

    Dubbing in regional languages has been the primary means of reaching out to larger viewership inIndia. It’s important now to review the kind of experience this dubbing provides for its viewers. Languaging that creates a context for the aspirational regional Indian viewer is important. It is also important to go beyond dubbing to also use short formats, promo styling and other creative TV devices to make international content relevant and “belong” to the Indian viewer.

     

    Ritu Kapur is the Programming head at A+E Network, TV18

     

  • History TV18 is the first international channel to launch in Gujarati

    Saaru chhe! History channel now in Gujarati

    By A Correspondent

     

    History TV18,India’s number one factual entertainment channel, announced the launch of its Gujarati feed. The viewers ofGujaratwill now be able to watch their favourite channel in their preferred language – Gujarati.

     

    History TV18 is the first international channel to launch in Gujarati. With this launch, it is also the only factual entertainment channel to be available in seven languages – Gujarati, Bengali, Tamil, Telugu, Marathi, Hindi and English. All the programmes and the fixed program chart (FPC) schedule will remain identical in all the language feeds.

     

    Viewers using digital platforms will be able to choose their preferred language through their remote controls.

     

    Speaking on the launch, Ajay Chacko, President, A+E Networks I TV18 said: “Our objective is to grow the genre and make it a relatively mainstream alternative for viewers in the near future. With this objective in mind, we intend to make the channel available in every Indian language possible and entertain audiences all acrossIndia.”

     

    Sudheer KG, V P Programming, A+E Networks | TV18 JV said: “As Indian audiences mature and seek out more international content in their own languages, there is no better time than now to launch our Gujarati feed. The incredible level of aspirations of people speaking that language and a large youth population make it all the more appealing and lucrative. We have taken care to ensure that the translation retains a certain local flavour, making the channel more accessible and relatable.”

     

    Gujarat is an important market for factual entertainment after Mumbai andDelhias it contributes as much as 7 per cent to the genre in 1 Mn+ towns. Ever since its launch History TV18 has been a strong player inGujaratwith the highest viewership in 0.1-1Mn market cluster and also highest time spent per viewer in 1Mn+ market cluster. Through this initiative the channel hopes to strengthen its position even more.

     

    History TV18 emerged as the number 1 channel in 6 metros in factual entertainment within months of its launch. The channel has in the process expanded the genre by 55 per cent, drawing in the highest time spent per viewer in the genre. It is the first in a bouquet of factual entertainment channels to be launched by A+E Networks I TV18.