KBC 3(with srk) : Concept and Articles - Page 10

A bigger, better KBC with ShahRukh Khan

Our Bureau

New Delhi , Dec. 11

Will the SRK brand take over the KBC phenomenon? If the sponsors' enthusiasm is anything to go by, with ShahRukh Khan as the new host, the show might just be bigger and better than the previous edition.
Against all apprehensions that ratings would not match those of the season hosted by Amitabh Bachchan and that KBC had tired audiences, sponsors Airtel, Hyundai and UTI have promptly signed up for the third run of the big game show on Star Plus.

The channel will soon be confirming other big names, including a television maker and FMCG player, a soft drink company and even a representative from the public sector.

For Hyundai, which renewed its association with KBC, ratings need not hit the roof.

"After the initial excitement of maybe 22 per cent, even if viewership settles at 13-14 per cent, like in the previous season, it is still considerably higher than the average 9-5 programme rating of seven per cent," said Mr G. Sanjay, Deputy General Manager (Marketing and Sales).
The programme is going to be marketed heavily, and with Shahrukh Khan as brand ambassador it can only be good news for Hyundai. And not just Hyundai and Airtel - other brands associated with Shahrukh Khan are also likely to join the club.

It's a different strategy this time round for the Star advertising sales team. "We are looking at building an association with about 10 sponsors and will be giving them 80 per cent of our inventory," said Mr Kevin Vaz, Executive Vice-President (Ad Sales).

Consequentially, he added, 4-5 spots available per episode are driving the prices of the ad spots up.

Considering that KBC moves back to the weekdays, between two of star's most popular K serials Kasauti and Kyunki, which Mr Vaz said have a rating of 8-10 per cent, ad sales have been up by 20-25 per cent.
"Added to that is an additional premium for the new host and the freshness he brings to the content," said Mr Vaz, refusing to give specific sales figures.

Merchandising is also being explored this time round. Star is close to finalising a KBC line with an apparel company. Shahrukh Khan himself is reportedly taking home Rs 80 lakh, Rs 30 lakhs more than Bachchan. Except for the prize money, just about everything else at KBC seems to have got costlier.

"I would never fit into Mr Bachchan's shoes," said Shahrukh Khan at a news conference organised recently by the KBC team. It followed with "I am a very humble man" and many other quotable quotes. Somewhere along the line, he also said in a very matter-of-fact manner that he was the best. Looks like KBC's sponsors agree.

http://www.thehindubusinessline.com/2006/12/12/stories/20061 21201050500.htm

SRK's first KBC promo airs today

Tonight KBC 3 unveils its first full-length promo with the brand new 'Kuchh Sawaal Zindagi Badal Saktey Hain tagline. The clip is a little over two minutes long, and it starts off with a voiceover that introduces an inquisitive kid asking questions to people around him. Playing the part is four-year-old Shrey Bawa who grows up to become Shahrukh Khan.

This promo is completely different from the Umeed Se Dugna campaign of the last season, the promo is clearly aimed at the youth and it has a more massy appeal. A source from Star says, "We wanted to wash off any pre conceived notions the audience would have about the new season. That's why the promo looks totally fresh and plays around the idea of some questions changing lives forever."

Instant hit

Shrey who plays the young Shah Rukh is sure to become an instant hit. Shrey has an uncanny similarity to Khan's son Aryan, and his floppy hair and mischievous grin works superbly for the promo. Sources worked on the project reveal how Khan was floored with the kid's antics. "The first day Shrey walked on the set introducing his parents and then himself to Shah Rukh. He wasn't a bit shy or intimidated by SRK's presence."
Airing tonight at 9 pm on the Star network, here's a first dekko at the KBC3 promo….


Gotta go! Shrey takes permission to do the deed


Who is this other aunty? Shrey gets inquisitive


Weighty questions: SRK still questions things


Down to the hotseat: SRK's final destination

http://www.mid-day.com/hitlist/2006/december/149222.htm

Star India scouts around for more sponsors for KBC 3

SAMIDHA SHARMA & MOUMITA BAKSHI CHATTERJEE
TIMES NEWS NETWORK[ MONDAY, DECEMBER 18, 2006 01:31:22 AM>

NEW DELHI: After roping in Airtel, Hyundai and UTI MF, Star Plus is now understood to be in talks with three more big sponsors for its much-awaited SRK starrer Kaun Banega Crorepati (KBC-3).

This time around consumer durables major Videocon, ITC Foods and mobile manufacturer Motorola are learnt to be in discussion for joining the KBC bandwagon.

Overall, the associate sponsorship deals would set the cash registers ringing for KBC, bringing close to Rs 150 crore in Star's purse.

When contacted, Star India's president, ad sales and distribution, Paritosh Joshi, said they were raising the count of sponsors from three to six, but the deals had not been closed as yet.

"Yes, we are on our way to sign more sponsors for KBC 3 but the final confirmation from the clients and the agencies are awaited," Mr Joshi told ET.

According to Mr Joshi, the new deals will be well in the range of Rs 10 crore and upwards. However, according to industry sources, Star is in the final stages of getting these three brands on board in the next couple of days.

"Motorola has not closed anything with KBC as yet," said Lloyd Mathias, marketing director, Motorola when asked about the brand's association with the much awaited KBC 3.

Motorola is the only brand out of the three which does not have SRK as its brand ambassador. Both ITC Foods and Videocon have the star as their endorser.

http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/articleshow/828316.cms

The Big B as a guest on KBC?

Sanghita Singh

NEW DELHI: "I live in everybody's hearts. And compared to that, the small screen is bigger," said ShahRukh Khan in his trademark style as he officially announced his comeback to television with the new edition of 'Kaun Banega Crorepati'.

Khan, who will take the game show forward in January from where Amitabh Bachchan left, refuses to be called a replacement. "It is wrong for people to say that I am replacing Mr Bachchan. I am here today and tomorrow may be there will be a new host for KBC. There is no question of replacement — that happens only when the person wants to carry on and is not being allowed to. Mr Bachchan decided not to carry on and I was the second choice.

Comparisons are okay, but they should not be degrading to any person, they should be made in a healthy manner. Mr Bachchan's shoes are too big for me. Hopefully I will not bring down the standard of the show," Khan said.

Shah Rukh was particularly excited about coming back to Delhi — his 'city of joy' — and restarting his tryst with television from the capital where his acting career took off with TV serials like 'Fauji' and 'Doosra Kewal'. "Delhi is where I spent my childhood. KBC will give me the opportunity to reconnect with the city. In fact, in my line of work, I rarely get to interact with the audiences I work for. This will be my chance to reach out and know all those people who love me and make all those who don't like me fall in love with me," said the actor betraying his superstar confidence.

About having celebrity guests on the show, Shah Rukh recounted his own experience adding if the show were to ever have Mr Bachchan as a guest he would go down on bended knees to personally invite him. "If Mr Bachchan were ever to come for the show, I would drive him down to the studio myself. It would be a great honour. I still remember the time when I came on the show for a charity episode. I was nervous but prepared for seven-eight days. And I think I fared well. As a host I plan to do my research well. I am going to download newspapers from the past two years and read them all," he explained.

http://www.dnaindia.com/report.asp?NewsID=1067723

Star cuts asking rate for KBC III to Rs 7-10 cr

SONALI KRISHNA

MUMBAI: From blue to red, is the first definitive change that one will see in the third season of Kaun Banega Crorepati (KBC), apart from of course the King Khan replacing the Big B. "Amitji to aakash ki tarah sare aur chaaye huan hein, is lia blue. Aur me is desh ka 'lal' hoon," quipped Mr Khan. The new avatar of KBC is expected to bring in Rs 20-30 crore profit, besides killing the current irritant from Star's scheme of things - Zee TV and maintaining its image and status value and the attempt to bring the fragmented audience back on to the network.

Star India is not only ensuring that the SRK ropes in larger audiences, but also using the SRK charm to woo the advertiser community, with Hyundai, ICICI and Pepsi close to sealing the KBC deal for Rs 7-10 crore, said sources close to the deal. What is interesting to note is that Star began scouting the market with an asking price of Rs 13 crore, and is now settling at Rs 7-10 crore, given the fact that a large chunk of the advertisers have already made commitments to World Cup cricket.

Sony which has roped in Videocon, Pepsi, Reliance, Nokia, LG, Maruti, Hero Honda and ITC have committed close to Rs 300 crore as sponsors for Champions and the upcoming World Cup. Further close to Rs 60 crore is still to be sold as 10 second spot buys. The others in talks with Star are Coke, HDFC, BSNL, Ford, Maruti and Hutch. However, FMCG players have not shown any interest in the show, as most of them are in any case large spenders on Star Plus, and are not willing to spend over and above the current allocation on television per se. So, while Star will manage a total of Rs 100 crore via ad sales, it is going to be a mammoth task for the broadcaster to bring in 10 sponsors as the plan seems to be.

With a total investment of about Rs 70-80 crore spread over SRK's fees, the format owner fees and the steep production cost, Star is likely to rope in Rs 70 crore from the main sponsors and the remaining Rs 30 crore from spot sales, telecom partners and the branding associations with different properties on the show.

So, what's really the inside story on getting on board SRK? While the company maintains that Big B was not inclined to doing the third season, very clearly AB for the third time would not have worked the KBC magic as has been the case the previous two times.

http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/articleshow/msid-726378, curpg-1.cms

Star India relaunches Millionaire

By Rina Chandran

MUMBAI (Reuters) - Star India has hired Bollywood's biggest star to revive the fortunes of its flagging "Who Wants to be a Millionaire?" quiz show, but it may take more to cement its market leadership in the face of a resurgent rival and a resistance to high advertising rates.

News Corp.-owned Star India, which accounts for more than two-thirds of Star group's revenues in Asia-Pacific, and most of its profits, will launch a third edition of "Kaun Banega Crorepati" (KBC) (Who Wants to be a Millionaire?) in January.

First launched in 2000 with Bollywood icon Amitabh Bachchan, it quickly became the biggest show on Indian television and catapulted Star India to the No. 1 position. A second edition in 2005 was interrupted when Bachchan underwent surgery.

Now, Bollywood star ShahRukh Khan will host the show, and this time around, the stakes are higher.
Zee Telefilms Ltd. has ousted Sony Entertainment Television from second spot, and several of its shows have regularly piped Star's top primetime offerings.
Also, ratings for KBC were declining when Star pulled the show last time.

"There's a huge investment in the KBC property financially and from the viewership standpoint for Star," said Meenakshi Madhvani, chief executive of media consultancy Spatial Access.

"But for advertisers, Zee's resurgence is more sustainable than just this one show on Star," said Madhvani, whose clients have opted not to advertise on the show.
Local media reports suggest Khan will be paid 7 million rupees (80,000 pounds) per episode for the 52-episode series that will run to April, compared to the 4 million Bachchan earned.

Industry experts estimate Star would have to sell advertising at 1 million to 1.2 million rupees per 60-second slot, or nearly three times its current primetime ad rates, to justify the costs.

"The outlays are high but returns are not guaranteed because people will tune in initially to see Shah Rukh, but advertisers cannot be sure viewers will keep coming back," said Madhvani.

Also, Indian television is awash with edgier game shows and reality shows that make the KBC format look jaded. Millionaire, first launched in Britain in 1998 and since aired in more than 100 countries, has faltered elsewhere, too.
"It's not July 2000," said Atul Phadnis, head of consultancy Media e2e, referring to the launch of KBC.

"It's a competitive environment and a dynamic market ... everyone knows what to expect now and will have their guard up."

Still, a buoyant economy has boosted advertising rates in Asia's fourth-largest economy, and Khan, arguably the most commercially viable Bollywood star, is guaranteed more eyeballs.

There are an estimated 65 million cable TV homes in India, more than three times the number in 2000, and Star's Tata Sky direct-to-home (DTH) satellite network has 250,000 subscribers. Further there are other marketing opportunities, such as a tie-up with a mobile phone company.

"It's not just advertising, but also DTH, mobile and gaming," Phadnis said. "That could be the saving grace."

http://news.scotsman.com/latest.cfm?id=1805022006

ShahRukh Khan to lend own persona to KBC

By Businessofcinema.com Team

MUMBAI: Every Indian knows – SRK will now be seen on Kaun Banega Crorepati (KBC), is the new ad campaign on air. This association not only marks the comeback of KBC, but also the return of ShahRukh Khan to the small screen.

Shah Rukh will reappear on television in January 2007 as a quiz maestro on Star Plus' KBC. The show, which was a phenomenon in 2000 and 2005, expects to triple the magic and excitement by associating with SRK.

Shah Rukh will soon begin training for the show before he heads towards the KBC studio in the first week of January. Khan says, "The inherent qualities of KBC will be maintained, I will bring freshness with my personality and my interaction with the participants. On this show, every participant will be a winner because I will give double the happiness than they expect (umeed se dugni khushi) by interacting with them or hugging them. Money will just be a bonus for them."

The creative for the show is being worked upon. Just as previous host Amitabh Bachchan had his patent dialogues 'lock kar diya jaaye' and 'oh oh' when the timer rang, Shah Rukh too will have his own set of dialogues and will not be imitating the Big B, SRK reaffirmed.

He mentioned that he is fond of quiz based shows and watched KBC when it was first aired. But he also confesses that his general knowledge isn't anything to be touted about. While training for the show, he will read a lot of books and newspapers. He further said, "The biggest challenge for me on the show is to not act but be myself. While I act I can hide my personality, but on this show I have to be myself."

He further added, "I am not deviating from films. I will still continue to act in films as much as I did all these years. I have just finished shooting for Chak De. Till May, I will be shooting for KBC and Om Shanti Om, after which I will sign new films."

Announcing the launch of KBC, Star Entertainment India CEO Sameer Nair said, "We are delighted to bring KBC alive in its new GenNext avatar and are confident that the SRK and KBC magic will draw viewers in day after day, week after week."

Commenting on the disassociation of KBC and Big B after completion of 360 episodes, Nair said, "After Amitabh Bachchan fell ill, we were in talks with him for six months for his alliance with KBC. But in July this year, he informed us that he will not continue with the show, so Shah Rukh was appropriate to replace Bachchan."

KBC will be aired on Star Plus channel from Monday to Thursday at 9 pm. The show will start airing from January 2007. The show continues to be produced by Siddhartha Basu's Synergy Comunications. Every contestant will compete for the mega prize of Rs 20 million (Rs 2 crore). Given the magnitude of the show, the new avatar of KBC will feature the largest deployment of communication technology to ensure more calls through landlines and mobile phones in order to get a chance to sit on the Hot Seat with SRK.

SRK on KBC, Big B | Tarzan Khan?

Surabhi Khosla
IBNLive Specials

Posted Monday , December 04, 2006 at 19:30
Updated Tuesday , December 05, 2006 at 09:01


KBC UNLOCKED: SRK says that hosting the game show, KBC does not imply he has financial problems.

New Delhi: The Indian version of Who Wants To Be A Millionaire, KBC, has over the years, become synonymous with Amitabh Bachchan and his personality.

With King Khan taking over the mantle from Amitabh Bachchan, what unique traits does he plan to bring into the show to rid it of Brand Big B and make it his own?

"I think I will just go there and say K..K..K..KBC," quips Shah Rukh Khan.

On a more serious note, he says, "K is considered the luckiest letter of the alphabet in Hindi film industry, so I say Siddhartha Basu - the producer of KBC - is K for kreator of the show, CEO of Star Entertainment India, Samir Nair is C for the man who will hand out the crores and I am B for bachcha (child) of the show. Together we make KBC and we promise to bring you something entertaining."

As Amitabh Bachchan hangs up his boots, it's time to hand over the baton - the anchor seat - of India's most popular game show and who better to carry on the mantle than Shah Rukh Khan?

The actor's always had an anchor in him and now he is all set to host Kaun Banega Crorepati, in its new GenNext avatar.

Stepping into Big B's shoes

Is Shah Rukh stepping into Amitabh Bachchan's shoes what with first Don and now KBC?

"I don't think I can step into Mr Bachchan's shoes for the simple reason that they are too big for me," jokes Khan.

He says that he will try and maintain the character and greatness created by Amitabh Bachchan. "I know that I was the second best choice that the producers had after Mr Bachchan declined to do the show and the challenge is not to let the show lose its content or its value."

"I love the intelligence and format of this game show and that's why I was very excited when I was offered the anchor's position. However, my son was very sad that 'crorepati uncle' - as he likes to call Amitabh Bachchan - is not doing the show anymore."

I am nervous but extremely thrilled about doing the show. However, keeping aside my feelings, I promise that I will try and maintain the drama and the challenge in the show."

Jumping on to the TV bandwagon

When Amitabh Bachchan agreed to host Kaun Banega Crorepati, there was a lot of controversy surrounding his decision. There were rumours that he had been financially wiped out, ABCL was in debt and his professional life was in a mess with a series of flops.

KBC was a turning point in his career. It not just brought back the name and fame, but also re-established him as one of the biggest icons of the Indian Film Industry.

So what has prompted Shah Rukh Khan to do the show?

"Just because I am hosting a television show does not mean that I have financial problems. Neither does it mean that I am coming taking a step down. Television in India is taking on mammoth proportions and Indian news reporters are the fastest in the world reporting-wise. For me, coming back to television after such a long time is nothing short of a great honour."

"The show will get me closer to the people who employ me - the audiences all over India. It will transfer me right from theatres into the peoples' living rooms. I think KBC will make me a bigger star than ever."

However, he is quick to point out that KBC is a one-off commitment for him and that he is not ready - as yet - to do any other teleserial or show.

With Shah Rukh Khan, KBC promises to take on a new and thrilling dimension, get a new tone and a new tenor. Some parts of the show will be scripted, the rest will be natural, but everything will be in SRK's inimitable cheeky and witty style.

http://www.ibnlive.com/news/srk-dons-a-new-avatar-to-unlock- kbc/27674-8.html

Khan vs Bachchan: Who's better?

Varsha Pillai
CNN-IBN

Posted Friday , December 08, 2006 at 22:31
Updated Monday , December 11, 2006 at 16:17


BRAND WAR: The brand war started ever since news of Shah Rukh Khan replacing Bachchan in KBC broke.

Mumbai: ShahRukh Khan vs Amitabh Bachchan is perhaps the most delicious battle that people could have ever hoped for.

It's a battle between the two kings where Bachchan is the known shahenshah and Shah Rukh the known badshah of Bollywood.

Shah Rukh has already replaced Bachchan in its third top-of-the-line mega budget version Kaun Banega Crorepati 3.

"Bachchan's KBC reminded of a dominant blue colour which matches his personality that of a blue sky for the film industry. And as for me, the colour is going to be red. I guess that suits me as the lal (son) of this industry," quipped Shah Rukh at the grand opening of KBC 3.

Both Shah Rukh and Bachchan are icons in their own right. Both have created a niche in the film industry and have fans all over the world. While Shah Rukh reportedly charges a whopping Rs 4.5 to 5 crore per film, Bachchan's acting fee ranges between Rs 2.5-3 crore.

As ShahRukh Khan hosts KBC 3, that too for a fatter paycheck than Big B, the buzz goes that Star TV switched to King Khan because of KBC 2's declining viewership.

"The fundamental story of KBC doesn't change. There is just s bit tweaking up of the format to bring in a little freshness. I doubt beyond the first two weeks if Shah Rukh will be able to do much for the show," Starcom Mediavest Group CEO, Ravi Kiran says.

Perhaps the battle for KBC is not really a run for moolah for the two stars. Looking at the number of mega-budget endorsements, both Bachchan and Khan are already rolling in money.

While Bachchan has Cadburys, Dabur, Reid & Taylor besides others in his kitty, SRK banks on ICICI, Lux, Pepsi, Tag Heur and others.

The industry sources say that the battle is not about "who's a more reliable star." The question is who is a more bankable star at a given point of time and which one makes more sense for a particular market segment.

"Shah Rukh today is by far a bigger brand—in every which way. he gets more respect and more affection, there is zero controversy about him and he's very clean. He is the bigger brand as he caters to the youth which is the demographic strength," Ad man and CEO of Equus Advertising Suhel Seth says.

Shah Rukh this year has had two hits Don and Kabhi Alvida Na Kehna, whereas Bachchan has only a Kabhi Alvida Na Kehna to his credit, ofcourse things could turn better if Ravi Chopra's Baabul manages to recreate the Baghban magic.

Bachchan's contenders feels that Ram Gopal Varma's Nishabdh may just make the Big B as cool as an Shah Rukh with the youngsters.

So who's a safer bet? Who's the bigger star? Opinions differ—but as long as the Shahenshah and the Badshah keep the box-office busy no ones complaining.

Video:

http://www.ibnlive.com/videos/28015/khan-vs-bachchan-whos-be tter.html

http://www.ibnlive.com/news/khan-vs-bachchan-whos-better/280 15-8.html

Kaun Banega Crorepati

Will the 'King Khan' brand emerge victorious once again because of KBC? If the current on-air promos are anything to go by, the show might just be bigger and better than the previous version. Against all apprehensions, that the new version's ratings will not match those of the previous versions hosted by Amitabh Bachchan, the sponsors are keeping their fingers crossed for the biggest telly event of 2007. With the biggest stars of Bollywood- Amitabh Bachchan and Shah Rukh Khan being at loggerheads, this is just the opportunity for SRK to prove that he can step into Big B's shoes, as he proved in the remake of Don.

http://mumbaimirror.indiatimes.com/mmpaper.aspx?page=article id=12&contentid=20070101023809687f28e5479