MxMIndia

Tag: Viacom18

  • As the first of the five regional ETV entertainment channels adopt Colors on March 22, we speak with the Viacom18 Group CEO

    Building on Colors. Interview with Sudhanshu Vats

     

    It may have been more of a coincidence. A day before the first day of the festival of colours, Viacom18 announced its five regional entertainment channels would drop the ETV branding and adopt Colors. The ETV GECs, owned by Prism TV Private Limited and part of the Viacom18 networks, has operations in the Hindi entertainment, youth, children, English entertainment and regional clusters.

     

    Speaking to MxMIndia, hours after making the announcement, Viacom18 Group CEO Sudhanshu Vats said the exercise helps in building the Colors franchise. Colors, as a brand, has become the cultural touchstone for millions of Indians across the world, he said.

     

    Meanwhile, Colors Marathi will be relaunched on Sunday, March 22 starting 6:30 pm with MICTA awards (the Marathi film and theatre industry awards like the IIFA) and two new shows starting March 23 – Majhe Hoshil Ka and Sakhi. Colors Oriya will go live on April 1 while the Bangla channel will happen on April 12. Colors Kannada and Gujarati will go live on April 19.

     

    Excerpt from an interview.

     

    The rebranding of the entertainment bouquet with the Colors prefix may now appear to be a no-brainer. But for how long has this been in the works?

    Yes, Colors’ foray into other general entertainment spaces or language general entertainment is natural. From a strategic point of view, it expands the footprint of Colors as a brand. Particularly in general entertainment, we are a multi-brand media network. So, whether it is Nick in kids or MTV in youth and Colors in general entertainment, the natural extension of all our marquee brands into subsequent languages is a very natural strategic move. I think ETV as a brand enjoyed legacy, because it was the first regional brand, it had history and huge loyalty to some extent. But one of the things we noticed was that it had also aged a little and was not contemporary enough. If we juxtapose ETV with Colors, Colors, as a brand, stands out for its young, modern, urban, contemporary and innovative nature. Therefore, from a consumer angle as well as strategic point of view, it was almost natural that you move as we build it.

     

    So just as youth brands are under MTV and for kids, there’s Nick, couldn’t we have had separate brands for the regional and Hindi GECs?

    It all depends on how you look at it as a segment. If you look at the genre as general entertainment and within that regional and language segmentation, then may be one brand for general entertainment, which is indeed Colors, does make sense. And, therefore, it has the capacity to have that scale. While Hindi is of course predominant in India, without doubt, at this movement at least, in viewership too, regional is also catching up the fast. To be honest, the answer is yes one could have had a dedicated brand. At the same time, could you have extension of your GE brand into other GE spaces? The answer is yes again. To me from some scale and some brand halo and Synergy point of view, may be it makes more sense to sort of…

     

    The Colors as channel we know it is not going to be rechristened?Or suffixed Colors Hindi?

    No.

     

    Colors, the Hindi GEC brand, is bold, young, urban breaks barriers and, well, a lot of money is spent on its programming and marketing. The expectation will be the same from the language GECs? And if not fulfilled, it could have a slightly negative rub-off on the Hindi GEC?

    We will of course try and play out the same brand philosophy and brand mantra. That’s the thinking behind it.

     

    In terms of programming are you looking at a significant change from what’s there right now? Or will we see a significant leap in look, feel and content?

    I’ll answer this in two parts. TV18 expressed its interest to acquire ETV in 2011-2012. Basically, post-TV18’s acquisition of ETV, we’ve been associated with them from a synergy point of view. What we’ve done across these regional Prism channels is let the Prism team look at some of the things they can pick up. To give you some of the examples, we’ve already attempted Big Brother in Bangla and Kannada. In Kannada, the Prism team has looked at ‘Dancing with the stars’ which is ‘Jhalak Dikhla Jaa’. It is in its second season and has been very successful and is already the No 1 show this year. We’ve also looked at few shows that are about ideas from Viacom18. Let me give you an example of another show called ‘Indian’ we ran on ETV Kannada. It’s Roadies meets Bigg Boss! There are also programming shows like Balika Vadhu, which are remade, Madhubala, Uttaran, in regional forms. From a programming perspective, it’s a two-stage journey. Journey 1 is already on from synergies and it has helped uplift the viewership of these channels. And #2, as we launch with the rebranded Colors, you’ll see considerable change in programming.

     

    Will there be any change in the Hindi GEC?

    Colors continues its journey. We’re a strong No 2 as you know and we’ll continue to work on that. That’s a completely independent piece.

     

    The launch of &TV means some tough competition for Colors, right?

    Early days. We’ve It’s been positioned as an urban channel with some amount of social messaging, reasonably high decibel and expansive non-fiction. So, the zone you seem to see it is in Colors. The direct competition could be more with Colors. It makes a lot of sense if you step into Zee’s boots. Zee enjoys a huge legacy. They enjoy a tremendous first-mover advantage, clearly in distribution. I think they’ll be ahead of Star, in sheer distribution. Because of that, I can say that they are slightly less urban.

     

    Would you at any time look at a mid-market GEC?

    We keep evaluating from time to time. There are two ways of looking at it. One is that may be there is more room for more GECs in India and that could be a hypothesis. The second is that people have tried and not many have succeeded. You had others, headed by people who had reasonable experience. Off late also, Zee’s Zindagi made a very different attempt. Sony Pal, which is almost like a full-fledged GEC, wasn’t very successful. We’ll see what comes there. There is one school of thought that there are four or five GECs which have established themselves and may be as a GEC there is room for just about this much. The second school of thought is that there is more room. To answer your question, yes we are looking at it, evaluating. We don’t have anything firm at this moment.

     

    Surely, more is in the offing. We hear about an English GEC. Any indicators of the directions you are looking at?

    My answer on this one is also similar. I don’t want to say something we’re not yet firm at. Basically, you’ll be seeing more offerings. I can’t share them convincingly till I don’t know them well. But, yes, we’ll continue to deepen and strengthen our presence in the genres we’re playing in.

     

  • The Marathi, Gujarati, Bengali, Kannada and Oriya of the Viacom18 stable will drop the ETV and rebranded with the Colors prefix

    Viacom18 adds Colors to Regionals

     

    By A Correspondent

     

    A day before the auspicious festival of Holi set in, Viacom18 made announcement that reflects the plans the entertainment network has for its regionals: it has announced the rebranding of five ETV-prefixed regional general entertainment channels in Marathi, Gujarati, Kannada, Bengali and Oriya. These will now be prefixed with Colors which has been until now the preserve of the Hindi GEC alone.

     

    The ETC GECs are owned by Prism TV Private Limited and are a part of the Viacom18 networks which has operations in the Hindi entertainment, youth, children, English entertainment and regional clusters.

     

    Sudhanshu Vats

    On making the regional foray, Sudhanshu Vats, Group CEO Viacom18 Media Pvt. Ltd. said, “59 per cent of the country converses in regional languages as their primary language of choice. Today regional TV channels command the second largest viewership in India. The expansion fuels our growth strategy in building the Colors franchise, a brand that has become the cultural touchstone for millions of Indians across the world. The move will help us foray into key regional markets as we nurture and monetise the bouquet across platforms.”

     

    All of it is subject to regulatory approvals. Viacom Inc. through its subsidiary Nick Asia will acquire a 50 per cent interest in the five regional general entertainment channels, while TV18 will continue to own the remaining 50 per cent.

     

    On the communication approach to socialise the rebranding, he indicated that the “revelation of the new brand identity of each of the five regional channels has been staggered across a period of two months starting March 3, 2015. It is scheduled to coincide with regional festivals that mark new beginnings. 360-degree marketing and communication campaigns encompassing TV, cinema, cable, on-ground, radio, outdoor as well as digital platforms, customised to individual regional markets, will amplify the change.” Colors Marathi, for instance, will take on the rebranded avatar from March 22 given that it coincides with Gudi Padwa.

     

    Campaigns for each regional brand will leverage the distinct fervour of the corresponding state or region through region specific events and / or on-ground activations involving popular local influencers. Each high-decibel campaign will run for approximately four to five weeks. According to the grapevine, an approximate amount of Rs 50-60 crore will be sent on the marketing and activation offensive to unveil the rebranding. An additional expense will also be incurred on programming initiatives that will coincide with the blitz.

     

    Meanwhile, Mr Vats told MxMIndia that the network is keen to grow each of the clusters, though he did not reveal when more channels would be launched in each of the five clusters.

     

    A senior media planner MxMIndia spoke with told us on conditions of anonymity, that the Colors branding was a logical way to go for the regional channels. It’s a win-win for all, because Colors is already an established franchise and will have a positive rub-off given the Hindi GEC enjoys leadership status and is ranked second in the entertainment space.

     

  • Viacom18 team to visit 13 campuses across Indore, Kolkata, Mangalore, Pune, Mumbai, New Delhi, Bangalore

    Viacom18 returns with 3rd edition of Future Leadership Program

    By A Correspondent

     

    One of India’s fastest growing media and entertainment networks, Viacom18 returns to campuses across the country with the third edition of its Future Leadership Program. The rigorous one-year programs for Graduate Trainees (UnLife) and Creative Trainees (What’s Your Story) are aimed at bringing in fresh thought into Viacom18 and nurturing leaders of the future.

     

    The program targets fresh graduate and post graduate top talent from premier institutions across India. The development journey spans 11 months with multiple interventions – including campus-to-corporate connect programs, highly sought-after courses offered by premier academic institutions, relevant functional and behavioral skill building workshops, work place projects high on innovation, etc., comprising on-the-job learning, and supported by coaching, and classroom training.

     

    Speaking about the Future Leadership Program, Head – Human Resources & Executive Vice President, Viacom18 Media Pvt. Ltd., Abhinav Chopra, said, “In my experience here at Viacom18, infusing fresh energy and thought brought in by young talent yields innovation. Through our Future Leadership Program, every individual stands to gain an edge in their careers while contributing to organizational growth as they prepare to develop into future leaders of Viacom18.”

     

    Beginning January 12th 2015, the team began a seven-city tour and will visit prominent graduate educational institutions such as St. Stephens, St. Xavier’s, Christ College and post graduate creative educational institutions such as MCRC Jamia, Symbiosis Institute of Media and Communication, Jadavpur University in search of the nation’s brightest minds to train future leaders in creative and functional roles in the media and entertainment sector. Starting with Indore, the team will also tour Kolkata, Mangalore, Pune, Mumbai, New Delhi and Bangalore. Candidates will undergo a rigorous 8-stage selection process that includes aptitude tests, group discussions, value and competency based assessments, and personal interviews, to realize an exciting and enriching career at Viacom18.

  • With seven channels already available in North America, IndiaCast currently has a comprehensive portfolio of brands in the region

    Hindi GEC Rishtey launches in the US & Canada

    By A Correspondent

     

    After its successful launch in the UK and India, Viacom18 and IndiaCast have announced the launch of the Hindi general entertainment channel ‘Rishtey’ in the US and Canada. Adding the festive fervor for viewers in the region, Rishtey is now available to the US audiences on Dish and Dishworld on channel 699 and to Canada viewers on Rogers Cable on channel 924.

     

    With seven channels already available in North America, IndiaCast currently has a comprehensive portfolio of brands in the region that covers a wide range of entertainment offerings. Rishtey is the eighth channel in the region and will be available on a paid subscription format. With the launch of the Rishtey on Dish and Dishworld, the channel will now be available to around 160K households in the US.

     

    Commenting on Rishtey’s foray into the US & Canada, Gaurav Gandhi – Group COO IndiaCast said, “US and Canada are the most important international markets for South Asian entertainment and we are delighted to launch our second Hindi entertainment channel, Rishtey, in this region.  Our flagship brand Aapka COLORS has seen unprecedented success in the region over the last 4 years. With the launch of Rishtey, we address the audience’s need for variety entertainment and Rishtey will be the classic ‘family channel’ with something for everyone in the South Asian household. Over the last two years, the Rishtey, in its different avatars, has developed a strong foothold in the UK and in India and we are extremely confident that the brand will be a huge success here as well”

     

  • Viacom18 Consumer Products signs another exciting promotional licensing deal this year after SpongeBob SquarePants with Domino's

    Nickelodeon takes the licensing route for Motu Patlu

    By A Correspondent

     

    Viacom18 Consumer Products has signed up with Prataap Snacks Pvt. Ltd., makers of Yellow Diamond Rings to launch three new flavors of corn rings – Masala, Chilli Cheese and Tomato with exclusive Motu Patlu toys such as spinners, charms, sling-shooters, snakes and ladders and much more. Strategically choosing to take up the promotional licensing route for growth, Viacom18’s Consumer Products Business is leveraging the popular Nick toons by taking them beyond television and bringing them closer to their target audience.

     

    Speaking about this association with the snacks brand, Saugato Bhowmik, Head – Consumer Products, Viacom18 Media Pvt. Ltd., said, “Nickelodeon’s rich and diverse portfolio of characters provides us with great opportunities to connect with the consumer in new and exciting ways. Motu Patlu have topped the charts and also conquered the hearts of children across the nation with their fun antics and make for the perfect character for this kind of promotional licensing. We are happy to partner with Prataap Snacks to help our young audiences to play with their favourite characters while enjoying their snack time- the perfect combination.”

     

    Expressing delight at the association, Anoop Kumar Shreevaastava, Vice President Branding of Prataap Snacks Pvt. Ltd. said, “Yellow Diamond has continuously brought innovative and high quality products to the kids segment and we are excited to partner with Nickelodeon – a powerhouse of innovation in kids media. Motu Patlu are great characters that complement Yellow Diamond Rings perfectly and add an element of joyful surprise for our young consumers fond of our corn rings.”

     

    Nickelodeon’s association with Yellow Diamond Rings will be promoted extensively through television, digital, print and in-store branding.

     

  • The former commercial head at Zee Entertainment and Colors has moved to Broadcast Audience Research Council as Chief Business Officer

    Romil Ramgarhia joins BARC as Chief Business Officer

    By A Correspondent

     

    Broadcast Audience Research Council (BARC) India has appointed Romil Ramgarhia as Chief Business Officer of the organisation. This is a move to strengthen its core management team as BARC moves closer to the launch of its services. In his new role, Mr Ramgarhia will report into BARC CEO Partho Dasgupta.

     

    In his last role, Mr Ramgarhia was Chief Commercial Officer at ZEEL. Before joining ZEEL, he was also associated with Viacom18, Bharti Airtel, Asian Paints and ACC, in different capacities. However, he has been associated with BARC for a while and was spotted at the announcement of Mediametrie as the technology partner.

     

    Said Punit Goenka, MD and CEO, ZEEL and chairman, BARC: “Romil has played a key role during his limited assignment at ZEEL. It is unfortunate that he has quit ZEEL however I am confident that his rich experience will bring greater value to BARC India. As he now moves on to a new challenge in a new role and domain, I wish him luck for his continued success.”

     

    Added Mr Dasgupta: “BARC India is moving closer to launch. Romil has an excellent background in broadcast, in telecom and in other industries. He was already associated with BARC India as part of its Commercial Committee and hence is well initiated in the processes. With his great business acumen, he will further strengthen the organization.”

     

    Talking about his appointment, Mr Ramgarhia said, “My assignment with ZEEL and Viacom18 has been one of my most challenging as well as gratifying periods of my professional career. It is great to be a part of a start-up which is  slated to be the biggest audience measurement system across the world.”

     

  • Shamik Talukder appointed as Vice President and Head of Revenue Management & Business Development

    INS appoints Shamik Talukder as Head of Revenue Management

    By a correspondent

     

    Integrated Network Solutions (INS), a wholly owned subsidiary of Viacom18 Media Pvt. Ltd. has announced the appointment of Shamik Talukder as Vice President and Head of Revenue Management & Business Development.

     

    With over 16 years of experience in Revenue assurance, Brand Development & Marketing in the M&E industry, Talukder’s new role will include Business Development & Revenue Management of LIVE Viacom18 (large format Live event Impact properties), BE Viacom18 (On ground activations in film advertising and promotions) and SPOTLIGHT (creation, management and operation of digital media interfaces for individual celebrities across genres).

     

    Speaking on the announcement, Jaideep Singh, Sr. Vice President and Business Head – INS, Viacom18 Pvt. Ltd. said, “Our debut year has been a successful journey where we created multiple IPs. As we consolidate our offerings and build capacity across network we are happy to announce Shamik entry into the Viacom 18 family. Shamik’s keen understanding of the business and his contribution to the division will be vital to our growth story as we move into the next phase.”

     

    Shamik Talukder, Head of Revenue Management & Business Development, INS, Viacom18 Pvt. Ltd. said, “INS has done some great work in the past year, and I am eager to be a part of it. With my new role at INS, I look forward to leveraging the popularity and strength of the existing IPs, creating engaging solutions for brands on the digital platform through Spotlight, build customized solutions for brands in the film advertising and promotion space. It is an exciting space to be in and combining the properties to create new business opportunities will be my focus.”

     

    Shamik is an expert in spearheading new businesses and setting them up for growth. He has a proven record that includes successful stints in Star TV, Radio Mirchi, Sony Entertainment Television managing the revenues of Radio Mirchi in the launch phase, managing revenues of Indian Idol, Bigg Boss during their debut in India and leading the team in Times OOH in bidding & winning the advertising contract of Mumbai and Delhi Airport and changing the dynamics of Airport advertising in India.

     

  • The initiative will seek to create an instant connect for brands, celebrities and audiences.

    Viacom18 ties up with Colosceum to float ‘Spotlight’

    By A Correspondent

     

    Integrated Network Solutions (INS), a division of Viacom18 Pvt. Ltd announced the launch of its new vertical – Spotlight. The initiative will seek to create an instant connect for brands, celebrities and audiences. With an array of 30 plus celebrities on board; brands will now have an opportunity to leverage the glamour quotient, to seed customized branded content.

    After launching LIVE Viacom18 and BE Viacom18 last year, INS completes the circle of offering brands a 3600 multi-dimensional marketing solution with Spotlight creating endless opportunities for brands to connect with millions of consumers.

    Spotlight, in collaboration with Colosceum Media & One Digital Entertainment, has announced an interesting concept in the form of a 16 part web series called ‘Jack&Jones Hitched’. A first of its kind show, it will give audiences an opportunity to be a part of the celebrations as MTV VJ Rannvijay gears up for his big fat Punjabi wedding.

    Commenting on this concept, Jaideep Singh, Sr. Vice President and Business Head – INS, Viacom18 Pvt. Ltd. said, “We’re living in a digital era, and to stay relevant to a constantly evolving audience it is essential for brands to innovate how they communicate and reach out to their consumers. Paying attention to this urgent need, the time was right for us to launch Spotlight. The initiative provides that platform for brands to harness the power of the glamour world through celebrity associations and takes their message further to the audience in a much more engaging manner.”

    Said Gurpreet Singh, COO of OneDigital Entertainment Pvt. Ltd. on the alliance: “Being the largest MCN for YouTube in India operating in the original content space for more than a year now, we have developed the skills and capability to understand the digital engagement and user needs. We know the pulse of the user to a large extent and also realize that the viewership behavior is shifting and changing fast. Our promise is to create, innovate and engage users and brands and bring value for both the sides. Colosceum is the market leader in creative content and we feel we have struck a great partnership with them and Viacom 18 for this initiative.”

     

  • The session focused on how the government could play an integral role in allaying the fears of all the stakeholders concerned

    #FF14 Day 1: Issues abound but collective stand will help boost industry morale

    By a correspondent

     

    Starting off from where the inaugural session left, the session on ‘De-bottlenecking the regulatory hurdles’ on Day 1 of FICCI Frames 2014 saw the panelists touch upon grave issues facing the industry and how the government could play an integral role in allaying the fears of all the stakeholders concerned.

     

    The panelists for the session comprised Bimal Julka, Secretary, Ministry of Information & Broadcasting, Government of India, Uday Shankar, CEO, Star India, Sudhanshu Vats, Group CEO, Viacom18 Media Pvt. Ltd, Punit Goenka, CEO, Zee Entertainment Enterprises Ltd, Rahul Johri, Sr VP & GM, South Asia, Discovery Networks and  Ajit Pai, Commissioner, FCC, USA. The session was moderated by Vikram Chandra, Group CEO, NDTV.

     

    Taking the opportunity to open up, Uday Shankar began by saying that the regulatory scenario in India was very diverse in its approach with some sectors being over-regulated while the others were under-regulated. “Lack of clarity on the intent of a regulation is something that is of concern. It has to be aligned with goals that have been set by the society”, said Mr. Shankar. He went on to highlight other issues that needed industry attention including the 10+2 ad cap provision and also the just introduced aggregator policy for stakeholders.

     

    Sudhanshu Vats presented a few indicators of his own as he said that there was a need to have a purpose to regulate. This, he said, could be achieved by having multiplicity of choice, have the need to operate like a free market and have adequate transparency and data. Adding further he said that the other essential needs were clarity, accountability and foresight.

     

    Rahul Johri pitched in by saying that there was indeed a need to have clarity on where the industry was headed on the issue of regulation and finding out what the core objective is. “We have regulated ourselves very well but there are too many regulations being imposed right now and we need to find a way to tackle them systematically. The aim should be to regulate well for the future of India.”

     

    Left to defend his turf, Shri Bimal Julka did a decent job of pacifying the panel as he said that it was a collaborative effort and that the responsibility rests with all stakeholders to get the job done. “Whatever the issues, we can agree in cohesion that it is the viewer towards whom our efforts have to be directed. Thus keeping such interests of the viewer in mind, the policies are framed with the intention of achieving inclusive growth,” he asserted.

     

    On the several impending problems facing stakeholders, Shri Julka said that the focus by the government was to throw open the field for a healthy discussion amongst all players so that they could arrive at an amicable solution. Mr. Julka asserted that despite the problems the digitization exercise was showing positive results as well including the carriage fees reporting a downward slide and more transparency being bought into the system.

     

    Mr Julka went on to add that the challenge would be to complete the phase 3 & 4 schedule of digitization and only after that could the issues of subscription versus carriage fee be resolved. But he cautioned that the stakeholders also had a role to play including deciding on how to make their content standout amongst a plethora of options facing the viewer.

     

    Sudhanshu Vats went to the extent of saying that there was no need to have a licensing system except for the spectrum allocation and that even if there is a licensing system there needs to be a fixed timeframe to address that. He added that things will be clear once the entire digitization exercise is complete but prior to that it was important that the industry take a hard look on addressability factor of digitization.

     

  • The MTV biz head on how Pepsi & MTV have got together to showcase & nurture raw talent

    No mainstream,puhleez. We’re Indie: Aditya Swamy

     

    The news of the channel had been outed a few weeks back. Cola brand Pepsi and music channel were coming together for what was a first in Indian broadcasting: a co-branded channel. There’s the lifestyle channel that NDTV runs, but the Kingfisher brand isn’t suffixed in NDTV Good Times. This association, albeit that of a three-year title sponsorship, has it upfront. And extends beyond the title and assorted sounds-and-sights.  Test signals of the channel are on and the formal launch will happen later this month. Aditya Swamy, Executive VP, Viacom18 and Business Head, MTV India spoke to MxMIndia on the channel, its differentiators and whether Coca-Cola was fine with the association given that Coke Studio airs on MTV.

     

    So tell us more about the Pepsi MTV Indies?

    Well, the Indies is our latest offering, is part of the MTV network and it is and will be a reflection of all the sub-cultures that are at play in India.  If MTV looks at pop culture, Indies will be sub-culture. So everything that’s not the mainstream.

     

    Will we see desi or international Indie music?

    The heart of Indies is Indian. It’s all that’s happening in India. There will be a short sneak into what’s happening in the world, but the heart is Indian and the heart is music. We are building a library of Indies films, a lot of graphic designers, visual artists, street artists, graffiti people and obviously Indie music.

     

    It’s will be one feed for HD and SD. From the distribution point of view, it will only be digital, and not on analogue. So It extends seamlessly into the website and the app as well. You can create your own playlist, you can follow geek calendars, you can follow artists, you can post your pictures. Then there’s an Indie music discovery app.

     

    Like Shazam?

    It is an Indian version for Shazam and recognizes Indie music. It is developed inhouse by our digital team.

     

    Getting to the basics, how did this association with Pepsi happen?

     Well, we always wanted to launch the channel. I think we were always excited about doing it from doing independent music on MTV.  Having realized the need for dedicated destination for it, we went to people who felt they would be interested and invested in the space. When we went to speak to Pepsi, which is a leading youth brand and is doing a lot of connect with young people, they were very positive and forthcoming. We shook hands in the very first meeting and said we are making things happen together.

     

    Specifically, we first met them around August-September last year and we are launching the launching it  in February. So, 60 days from the day we first met them we had everything in place!

     

    What’s the timeframe for the partnership with Pepsi and tell us more on how it will extend beyond the channel?

    We have a three-year partnership with Pepsi where they are the principal sponsors on the channel. Apart from this, the channel identity and a lot of subtle integration into the environment like you will get to hear a can opening etc. and you will get a can opening, you will get a bottle people plugging.

     

    But there’s a lot, lot more. Pepsi will go to colleges every month, find one young band and not just do a band hunt we get them to Mumbai, get them to a studio with a mentor, make a song and a music video for that song and that song will be played out on the channel.  The idea is to create more talent, curate more talent, give them the right kind of exposure. That’s a signature property that we have build with Pepsi. Apart from that, as the months go by, a lot of the college engagement that we do on and they do on their own will come together under the Indies umbrella.

     

    Plus the Indies identity will on their cans and on trucks. Select Pepsi warehouses will be converted into areas for bands to rehearse because the biggest problem that bands have is rehearsal space. These warehouses will have instruments where bands can practise anytime. And even recording equipment. So in a sense it is also giving back to the music industry.

     

    In terms of music, will it be essentially English or Hindi? And what about other Indian languages since a lot of Indie is now in the regions?

    Indies will be language-neutral. You will have English, you will have Hindi, you will have regional… Malayalam, Bangla rock, Tamil… It’s music and music doesn’t have any language boundaries. Having said that, you can break up the Indies scene broadly into three buckets. One is the metal rock scene which is largely the head-banging variety and there is a big following for that. The other end of the spectrum is folk. You know the Rajasthani folk musicians; you have Qawallis etc and in then there’s the hardcore Indie. So we will reflect all three and in equal measure. We also have a fair amount of Punjabis because if you see the Punjabis scene is India as well as the Punjabis scene in Britain, there is a lot of music which is great club dancing music.

     

    So, timezones for various kinds of music or just a free flow?

    We are breaking all rules of music programming. So it’s not that you will see five Punjabi tracks back-to-back because the idea is that when we hear music on our iPods, we have a mix of songs. I’m listening to Robin Thicke for a minute and the next minute I’m tuned in to Honey Singh and the third minute I’m listening to an Amit Trivedi film song. That’s how our playlist is, a mood-based playlist. It is not genre-based playlist. So you will not see 10 rock songs back-to-back and then 10 Punjabi tracks.

     

    And which language will people be speaking in?

    Well it’s actually what that person is comfortable speaking in. The guy who’s doing the section on motorcycle pimping is comfortable talking in English. But we have someone who’s doing a series on street art and he talks purely in Hindi. Today’s generation has no language bars. We are multi-lingual and that’s the language that will be reflected.

     

    Does this mean that you are looking at extending your reach beyond the Hindi-speaking markets (HSMs)?

    No, we will look at largely the HSMs because at the end of the day our channel is distributed to the HSM audience. Will the majority of content will be Hindi? Yes. The majority of content between Hindi and English? Regional will be much less…

     

    The Tamil Indies scene is quite happening!

    You bet it is. La Pongal band is doing very well. In fact we have a bunch of La Pongal videos with us!

     

    For a channel that got Coke Studio to India, it was interesting that the tie-up for the co-branded channel was with rival Pepsi.

    Well, we are deeply associated with Coke. I think they are very clear they want to build Coke Studio as a brand. Whatever energies that they put in, whatever investments they put in, they have always made this bigger. They never sponsored another concert; they have never brought any other international act to India, they have never done another music festival. I think they have a single-minded focus on a Coke Studio. That’s why Coke Studio has gone from just being a TV show, it’s across multiple channels on TVs, its available in DVDs, its available on iTunes, on Gaana, Dhingana… It’s got concerts in colleges but you will see, Coke has not done a single initiative outside Coke Studio in the music space in the last three years.

     

    Are they fine with you associating with Pepsi on this channel?

    It’s all about the faith you have in the relationship. If they for a minute believe that we won’t be doing justice to what we have built for them, then they have all the reasons to feel unhappy. But I think what we have delivered for them over the years, the kind of relationship that we share with them, there’s a fair amount of comfort that these are two separate pieces that we will treat with equal importance. Like we used to do Roadies with Hero; we still do Roadies with Hero. But we had a large show with Pulsar. They were two competing motorcycle brands but we never made them feel that one is bigger than the other. We managed both independently. We are a media house and our nature is to work with multiple brands. The question is, are we able to deliver the value the brand comes to us for?

     

    The thing is that Coke Studio is more than just a programme on the channel. And you are trying to do the same with Indies?

    Coke Studio is all about curation. Coke Studio is lot about getting artists who never meet, taking them out of their comfort zone and giving them a platform to perform. It’s not about taking really an unknown artist, it’s all about taking people who are great in their sphere. On the other hand, you have to discover talent and put them out over there.  People who have just got 500 views on YouTube, how do you actually make exposed to 20 million people? That’s really the role of Indies. We have to be clear, how we differentiate the two as well.

     

    In terms of advertising, you will obviously be carrying ads of all types? Will you be open to all brands? Will there be restrictions on some brands given the fact that Pepsi is the title sponsor?

    Yes, we are open to taking all brands. Obviously, when you have a title sponsorship like the kind with IPL, there is a cap on how much inventory a competition can buy. So there are some competition caps here as well.  But otherwise we open to all advertisements.

     

    So Coke can advertise too?

    Yes.

     

    You mentioned about some non-music shows, so, will see something like Roadies which is the perfect fit for Indies moving in here?

    See, the line that I have to keep drawing in my mind is it popular culture or sub-culture? Today, Roadies has become pop culture. It’s become big, it’s become popular.

     

    Popular sub-culture?

    Popular yes but the word popular has gone out of sub-culture. But a show like Sound Trippin which is about exploring the country, finding random sounds and making a song with them slowly move it to this space because it is really experimental, it’s very, very art- and creative-driven. It is not mainstream.

     

    So would you shift Sound Trippin and any other shows from MTV?

    Right now we have to build our own identity for Indies, so we will create a lot of original programming. If there are some things that exists on both, we would look at extending them but the idea is not to start taking away programmimg from MTV and plant it on Indies. Indies is a new journey that we have started. We would like to build original programming for Indies.

     

    What is the content ration between music and shows?

    I said we are led by music, so when I said music it’s not just about music videos but stories around music. So I consider a story about an artist as much as music, I don’t consider it non-music. Around 80 percent of the channel will be revolving around music, music videos and music-related content

     

    Most channels these days give in to some bits of Bollywood. A star from a forthcoming release strumming a guitar or singing away? Will Indies do that?

    Films are popular and that’s mainstream. So clearly not films, no film music. But there is very much Honey Singh’s non-film side where a sort of independent music will sit here, a lot of A R Rahman’s new album called Infinite Love which is not based on any film.  It is an independent album that he has created that will find a place. Kailash Kher does a lot of non film stuff.

     

    Can Priyanka Chopra’s non-film stuff come here?

    Yes. We are not against film folk. We are just clear about not airing mainstream work.

     

    In terms of launch what are you looking at? Multiple media, on-ground activity?

    We will be available on all key DTH and digital platforms. But I think once the channel really gets wide availability, you will see mainstream media kicking in. But this is not about full-page press ads. That’s not the audience were going after. We are connected close to 200 colleges, we really want to go down there and engage with the young people. We have a large digital plan on this, we are looking at strategic partner whether it will be Radio, magazines like Rolling Stone or Rock Street Journal. It’s very targeted at this kind of audience, we are partnering with lot of key music festivals and supporting them and not just going and sponsoring them. We are supporting them in terms of talent, in terms of marketing and that’s how I see this building organically. I don’t see it like a sudden huge mass media burst.

     

    Is it a good time to launch it given the fact that it’s the beginning of exam prep time for most college students?

    Well, if you look from media window point of view, I think the first quarter of the year is always the best time for any launch. It gets up the year, it’s before the IPL. A lot of clients look to enter the market; it’s the beginning of the marketing calendar for many people. So I think it is a great time to launch and I look at it this way; over the next three months, by the time summer holidays kick in, we will be up and running in most markets. A new channel launch takes a good 60-90 days to seed. So I think it’s good to give us that seeding period to get into the summer holidays.

     

  • The IndiaCast CEO & COO on what Dish TV's decision to charge carriage fees means to them & the trade

    Sacrificing 5 GRPs is fine, carriage fees to DTH isn’t: Anuj Gandhi & Gaurav Gandhi

     

    A few weeks after Diwali 2013, Dish TV burst what was decidedly a firecracker of sorts announcing carriage fees. The announcement was followed by a major spat with leading distribution platform IndiaCast that finally went to the TDSAT. The TV18 and Viacom18 venture which also has a partnership with Disney UTV drives all domestic and international channel distribution, placement services and content syndication for TV18, Viacom18, A+E Networks, TV18 and ETV channels as well as those of the Disney UTV stable. Following the reference to TDSAT, an agreement was hammered out on providing IndiaCast channels to Dish TV on Reference Interconnect Offer (RIO) terms and with no carriage fee charged. But while the dust may have settled, there is still much anger and angst at the IndiaCast headquarters. MxMIndia met CEO Anuj Gandhi and COO Gaurav Gandhi, both veterans of the business. Excerpts from an interview.

     

    So is all well on the Dish TV front?

    Anuj Gandhi: All well for sure. We don’t have a deal with Dish TV. They are carrying our channels a la carte, which are being offered on Reference Interconnect Offer (RIO) terms.

     

    Are your channel’s business heads happy with it?

    AG: We’ve now seen a few weeks of data post this development. There has been little or no impact of Dish TV on the ratings. We are very clear that we are not going to pay any carriage, come what may.  If there’s a marginal drop in the ratings because of Dish, we will live with it. We believe we can live without them. I sincerely doubt whether they can live without us, keep growing and compete with cable and other DTH players. So to answer your question: we are very happy and we can live without them.

     

    But won’t there be an impact in the hinterland and key LC1 markets where Dish is strong?

    Gaurav Gandhi (GG): At the overall level, while they claim the number to be 12 million, our estimate is that Dish has some 7 million homes. Now Zee was there in every single pack. We were almost there in every single pack sometime back, so we know the numbers right? At the overall level, you are talking about 130 million cable TV homes within the country and within DTH homes combined. If you not available in 2-3 million homes theoretically, first of all, it is a marginal impact. Secondly, Dish’s contributions towards the current TAM rating amounts to not more than two-and-a-half percent. And it is a tested number. We obviously have a sense that Dish has a very high skew of rural homes compared to urban homes. Realistically speaking, at the worst case, the impact can’t be more than 2%. And that is if everything is off and if the channels are off Dish. That’s not the case right now.  Also that is a universe number, each channel is viewed differently. So for example, the kind of customers who’re there on a platform like Tata Sky or on Seven Star, Hathway or Den in Mumbai; they would have consumed niche channels far more compared to somebody sitting in LC1 market. Therefore, niche channels anyway have a very low impact in terms of ratings from Dish. If you see data for two weeks, there’s no impact…

     

    Is there a worry that right now its Dish, the other DTH operators could also do the same?

    AG: I look at the other way round. If we had panicked, gone ahead and paid the carriage which is what the demand is, it would have opened a Pandora’s Box and we would have taken the industry back by a decade-and-a-half. Everybody would have paid and every platform would have asked. Unlike in an analogue environment where carriage is a necessity and there was a demand-supply gap, carriage had to be paid to be carried.

     

    We looked at it not only from our perspective but also from the industry perspective that we cannot start something which is regressive and not good for the industry.

     

    Have you had discussions with the IBF on this?

    Not formally, but informally we have been in touch.

     

    Is the IBF doing something about it?

    We have gone and met TRAI and other regulatory ministry, told them this is what is happening. Obviously, they are watching what is happening.

     

    But you do pay carriage fees to cable companies, right?

    AG: Two years back, we started reducing carriage to cable too. Every one has started reducing it and it will see a further decline over the next two years. We couldn’t cut the chord immediately.

     

    If you are not averse to cable, so why not pay Dish?

    AG: Because I am not going to start something which has been happening historically on analogue cable. It was a mistake then. Digital platforms have to grow. They have to look at ARPU growth. They have to work with content to increase customer service, quality of service, value added services. They have to go in that direction rather than going in another.

     

    GG: Are they selling capacity or boxes or content? The day DTH companies address this question, you will get the answer on whether carriage should be paid or not paid. If somebody is selling content, his or her job is to maximize ARPU and create more customers and make sure the content is monetized. The reality was that in the analogue world, you were short of bandwidth; you were paying for scarce capacity. The moment the billing comes to him, the money comes to him, he doesn’t need the carriage money and all the top MSOs are very clear about it. We meet them day in and day out. It is a phenomenon which will disappear. Should I start another monster who doesn’t need it, just because his business plan has gone awry? Just because you are not able to sort out your life, why should I pay carriage fee to you? Earn it.

     

    AG: Like you said, it’s a question of precedents. If I pay one, I will have to pay everybody.

     

    GG: Informally, we have got calls saying don’t do this else we’ve all had it.

     

    So what led to it?

    Well, our deal was up for renewal but they didn’t realize that our resilience will be so strong that we will go the other way round.

     

    What next now? You said IBF is not doing anything about it?

    GG: It is not an IBF issue.

     

    AG: It is a deal between two parties -Platform and Content Provider.  Clearly, I’ll not pay carriage. Yet, I am willing to do a deal which is reasonable. We will come across as mature adults and discuss it. But I will not pay carriage.

     

    And even though ratings haven’t been affected, at some point they could?

    GG: They can’t at 2% weightage

     

    Voice 1: Why does everyone keep threatening that channels can’t survive without platforms and ratings will fall?

     

    GG: 2% is 5 GRP. We will live without 5 GRPs.  Let me see whether Dish lives without Colors. I challenge.

     

    AG: It is simple. I will live without and I cannot budge under every threat as a content aggregator. Everyone will get on and say you do this or I will switch off. I will not buckle under and pay.

     

    As a network, Dish has a very large presence in the Hindi-speaking market

    GG: In the cable dark areas which are not measured.

     

    The a la carte data will of course come to you

    Yes, by February sometime, hopefully it is transparent and clear. We will see.

     

     

     

  • The re-run Hindi GEC genre could come alive with Rishtey from Viacom 18's Colors bouquet being tested and Pratik Seal moving to Star Utsav as business head

    Re-run Hindi GEC genre could see some action as Colors tests signals for Rishtey & Pratik Seal moves to Star Utsav

    By A Correspondent

     

    The re-run Hindi general entertainment channel genre has met with limited success in the country. Doordarshan had DD Bharati, Star India has Star Utsav and earlier this year, Zee launched Zee Anmol. But now comes the news that Colors is set to launch Rishtey. How well Colors is able to rewrite the rules of the game remains to be seen, but the action in the genre has begun. According to industry circles, some revving up with news on Rishtey is being seen. Star has already moved former Life OK marketing head Pratik Seal to the role of the Star Utsav business head. Mr Seal was marketing head of Micromax before he moved to Star India.

     

     

    Pratik Seal

    Rishey is an existing Viacom18 entertainment channel from the Colors bouquet. It was launched as the second entertainment channel from Viacom18 in the UK market and has met with much success.

     

    Now Colors hopes to extend this relationship with viewers to India with the free-to-air GEC. In fact Doordarshan’s DD Direct DTH service website already has this post: “DD Direct Plus added a new general entertainment channel Rishtey to its channel line up by replacing Test 308 channel. Rishtey is a new Entertainment channels from Viacom18 group. The channel is a test feed and it is going to be officially launched soon.”

     

    When asked, a Colors spokesperson said “Rishtey, the second entertainment channel from the Colors bouquet that was launched in UK last year has had a very successful run. This free-to-air channel has reached out to a much wider audience base and has held a strong No 2 position in the Hindi GEC category in UK. We are currently testing the signals for Rishtey in India and will launch the channel at an appropriate time.”

     

    Media planners are meanwhile happy to see the revival of the re-run genre. According to a planner who preferred anonymity, television has various new entrants, and re-runs can do very well if packaged and marketed well. “What we have seen right now is shovelware – just dump some old hits. If there’s a good programming strategy and if marketed well and even if there’s some new content put in as a teaser, it could easily cross the 100 GRP mark,” he said adding: “We have seen a classic case of CID re-runs on Sony. The channel has made hay with them.”

     

    Hmmm. Watch this space.