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With Sony Entertainment Television's (SET's) faltering TVRs and SET Pix's distribution issues, one would have thought that NP Singh, COO, SET India, would have worry lines furrowing his brow. Instead, one is pleasantly surprised to find Singh in a calm, affable frame of mind, ready to tackle any question that comes his way. Q. Sony Entertainment Television (SET) was once pitched against STAR Plus as a clear No. 2 among the GECs (general entertainment channels), but it is now struggling behind Zee. Are you satisfied with the way SET has shaped up so far? A. According to me, it's just a transitional phase, something that every channel or, rather, organisation goes through at some point of time or the other. "The point I'm trying to make is that when a channel does so much all at the same time, there's always a mixed dose of success." Q. How do you view SET's competition with Zee? Is Zee a better performer or Sony a more sluggish one? A. I wouldn't put it as an 'either/or' situation. Yes, if it was a race, I would have agreed with you. But here, these are two businesses and I would not like to get into this debate on which one performed better. Q. Does this mean that you agree that SET's over-dependence on reality programmes and music talent hunt shows has back fired? A. No, I don't mean that. When SET launched 'Indian Idol', it was a novel idea and, therefore, a huge success. It was a great idea then, but I will also say that we have realised that a judicious programming mix needs all kind of shows, be it comedy, fiction, drama, suspense or reality. "We banked on reality shows, which performed well for us; Zee went ahead and launched two new fiction shows during its prime time, which eventually gave it a head start." Q. If that is the case, how do you explain talk about 'Indian Idol 3' and 'Fame Gurukul 2'? A. As of now, these are just rumours because, currently, we do not have any concrete plans to launch these two shows. If, and I repeat, if, we do decide to bring these two shows back on the channel, it will be at an appropriate time, which is certainly not in the near future. Q. Don't you think Sony's strategy of getting back to fiction is placing it in the me-too brigade? After all, SET has always been known for experimenting with new formats. A. Even if we are into fiction, what make us different from the rest are concepts and our way of telling a story. SET's drama is always unique, contemporary and close to life. "'Indian Idol' was a great idea then, but I will also say that we have realised that a judicious programming mix needs all kind of shows, be it comedy, fiction, drama, suspense or reality." Q. SET's programming heads have changed rather frequently, with the list including Ravina Raj Kohli, Rekha Nigam, Sunil Lulla and Tarun Katial. A section of the industry says that this has led to inconsistency and instability in the channel's programming, which led, in turn, to past mistakes being repeated... A. I don't think that's the case. These changes haven't really affected Sony too much because its top management has always been in place. This top management has helped Sony carry its strategies forward. Kunal Dasgupta has been on board; I myself have been with SET India for the last seven years. Q. What do you think will take Sony back to its No. 2 position – compelling content or innovative marketing, for which SET has always been known? A. Only a good mix of the two can do the trick. If the marketing is effective, sampling will happen, and if the content isn't good enough, all the marketing efforts will be futile. The viewer will then reject the show. Similarly, good content goes waste if it is not marketed well. "We have to realise that non-fiction programming is finite. There's always the question, 'What next?'" Q. There was a time when Sony was considered to be a channel for the younger generation. That positioning is lost now. In fact, it is said that even channels such as MTV and Channel [V] don't represent today's youth any more. As a broadcaster, what do you think the youth is looking for in a television channel? A. You're right about the likes of MTV and Channel [V] no longer representing the youth of today or, rather, the Remix Generation. Young Indians today want to find their own individuality and believe strongly in themselves, but, at the same time, they are rooted firmly to their traditional values. The film, 'Rang De Basanti', captured this insight perfectly. 'Indian Idol', too, became a phenomenon with the youth all over the country because it gave them a sense of fulfilling their dreams. Look at the results. A guy from a small town like Bikaner became the second Indian Idol. This has led to a high aspirational value among Indian youth. Therefore, I think Sony is still a channel that communicates with 15-24 year olds. Q. What was behind the strategic decision to buy out SAB TV? SAB TV had a clear positioning as a comedy channel, so how has it helped to make the channel a GEC? A. Our primary objective behind acquiring the brand, SAB TV, was to have another GEC channel to complement Sony's positioning. SAB TV has helped us consolidate our network's viewership base. We have positioned SAB TV as a light-hearted GEC, which appeals to the growing group of middle class Indians. But if one looks carefully, comedy is still central to its character – shows such as 'Yes Boss', 'Office Office' and 'Wah Wah!' prove that. "Even if we are into fiction, what make us different from the rest are concepts and our way of telling a story." Q. But what role does SAB TV play in the network in terms of business? Is it that Sony attracts the premium advertisers, while SAB TV appeals to advertisers with not-so-deep pockets? A. It's true that Sony's TG is 15-34, women, SEC ABC, metros and mini metros, while SAB TV appeals to men and women, SEC BCDE, in mini metros and small towns… the Ambalas and Rai Barelis of India. So, in a sense, yes, SAB TV does give an additional platform for advertisers to address the interiors of India. Q. In spite of being a part of one of the largest distribution networks in India – One Alliance – the distribution of SET India's English movie channel, Pix, has been very weak. Why is that? A. Give us another month and all the major markets will be covered. Since Pix's launch in April 2006, more than 1,000 boxes have already been rolled out throughout the country. Most parts of Mumbai, Delhi and Chennai have been covered already. We are targeting all the six metros, which will be done completely in a few weeks. "In a sense, we have consciously strategised over a period of time in a manner that can sustain any changes in leadership in the organisation." Q. How do you think Pix will pick up, considering that there are already two well-established players in that segment, HBO and STAR Movies? A. For the other channels in the genre, recency of the title is of foremost importance, whereas for Pix, what matters most is a great story. With titles such as 'Kramer vs Kramer', 'Jerry McGuire' and 'MacKenna's Gold', we have a good mix of classics as well as hit movies from the 1990s. I'm not saying that recent blockbusters won't be a part of Pix, it's just that great stories will be Pix's core strength. Q. While on the topic of blockbusters, both STAR Gold and Max boast of blockbuster titles, which imply incurring huge costs for buying the rights to the movies. Yet, it is seen that Zee Cinema takes away a major share of viewership with its old titles. How do you explain that? A. As I said, blockbuster titles are a part of every movie channel's strategy. But again, it's not as though Max is solely dependent on these. "We haven't been marketing Pix aggressively so far. Our strategy is to first ensure good distribution and, once that is in place, we will pitch the channel strongly to advertisers." Q. That brings us to our next question: If SET India has a blockbuster title, why does it premiere on SET and not on Max? A. It's because SET being a GEC has a higher reach. 75 per cent of television viewership is still with the GECs. However, we also premiere recent titles with a good star cast on Max. But even when we cross-promote the title across the network, the viewership isn't that high as compared to SET. Q. So, what's on the cards for SET India? Do you plan to launch any other new channel? A. Nothing at the moment. No such plans at least in this financial year. We have just launched a new channel, Pix, and our objective is to consolidate our existing properties and help them grow. "Our primary objective behind acquiring the brand, SAB TV, was to have another GEC channel that complements Sony's positioning." Q. Is SET India looking at new initiatives in terms of revenue generation? A. Yes, we are! We do not want to restrict our content to just one single platform. We are open to license our content to other broadcasters as well as platforms, both nationally as well as internationally. Internationally, shows such as 'Heena' or 'Jassi…' will be made available to them and they will then dub these shows in the required language. We are already in talks with some Middle East countries, such as Israel, on this matter. Q. You mean to say that SET hopes to reduce its dependence on advertising revenue? A. At present, advertising and distribution contribute almost equally to our revenue pie. But in the future, we are hopeful that distribution revenue will overtake advertising revenue – not just for us, but for all broadcasters. Overall, our new initiatives such as licensing or mobile content will constitute around 10 per cent of our revenues. "While I admit that what you pointed out is bound to happen, SAB TV is by no means a poor man's advertising vehicle!"
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