FJ CONTESTANTS ON DIFF. CHANNELS--ARTICLE

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Monday , October 24, 2005

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TELE EXPRESS

Channel Crossings

Shivangi Misra looks at how Fame Gurukul contestants went from channel to channel looking for more viewers

Shivangi Misra

Kolkata, October 23: Last Thursday, first on was Kunjilal of Betul, hogging the TV limelight, and later that night it was the turn of the Fame Gurukul Jodi. On a day when there wasn't much to report, news channels were found scraping for news at the doorsteps of a self-proclaimed astrologer and the two winners of yet another talent hunt show. Sony's Fame Gurukul, the seemingly never-ending talent hunt show finally declared its winners that night - Rooprekha and Qazi. It was a joyous moment both for the winners and the channel, although the winners were not much of a surprise since Rex had a poor showing in the Jodi numbers.

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However, what stood out was the way in which Gurukul made news. Aaj Tak had an 'Exclusive' report on the winners, soon after the episode ended on Sony. It was seen interviewing Qazi and Rooprekha, obviously excited by their instant brush with fame. On and on it went like another reality show. There was also Rex. All three sang and thanked everyone they could think of as the 'exclusive' continued into the night. What was happening here? The latest name of the game is cross-referencing channels. Sony has ensured that its show Fame Gurukul reached all segments of the audience. They entered into media partnerships with MTV, essentially a music channel targeting the urban youth and Aaj Tak, a news channel, highest in terms of reach and a dedicated viewership. This way, Sony managed to cover sections of audience who watch television for entertainment, music and even serious news. MTV carried a regular interview show on the talent hunt as soon as Gurukul ended each week on Sony with winners, losers, judges and faculty members like Ila Arun. Says Nikhil Alva, producer, Fame Gurukul, "By entering into such media partnerships with different channels, Sony has opened up various possibilities where sharing content between channels would lead to cross-promotion and greater viewership." The selection is done carefully, keeping in mind channel loyalties, so it's MTV over Channel [V] and Aaj Tak over NDTV or Star News. Channel [V] and Star News are Star bouquet channels. Hence it makes little sense for Sony to enter into a partnership with these channels. As for news, Aaj Tak enjoys an advantage over NDTV simply because it is a Hindi news channel which ensures the channel has a greater reach even to small towns and cities. So is this the new mantra that Sony would follow in the future, perhaps with Indian Idol II? "No, not for Indian Idol II, at least not as of now,'' he adds. We are not so sure.

SOURCE:http://cities.expressindia.com/fullstory.php?newsid=154279