Tv is a Big bucks game
By A.L. Chougule
When Shilpa Shetty landed in Mumbai last week, she had a smug smile of satisfaction on her face. It could have been an afterglow of her grand victory over racist bullies. Or it may have had something to do with the fact that she made more money in a few weeks of starring in the much-hyped Big Brother show than she did in her decade-old not-so-exciting career in Bollywood.
The box in the living room corner did more for Shilpa than the brightly lit screen in a darkened theatre ever did. And she is not alone in this. Though the other stars ruling the small screen haven't hogged the headlines as lucky Shilpa did, they are also laughing all the way to the bank. There are big bucks to be made from the small screen. From under a modest annual turnover of Rs 2,000 crore in 1990, the television business has grown more than 300 per cent and is valued today at Rs 15,000 crore.
Back in 1990, there were just two sarkari channels, known more for their government propaganda and virtuous programmes which nobody watched. From there, television has grown beyond anyone's wildest imagination, with 300 channels playing at a time. In 2006, the total advertising revenue of television was about Rs. 6,000 crore and this year it is expected to rise to Rs 7,000 crore, an increase of about 15 per cent.
Viewers, buyers
Amin Lakhani of GroupM, a media conglomerate which buys commercial time for big clients, says that there is a scramble to reach the consumer in both urban and rural areas. "It is a result of a booming economy and cracking growth," he says. "Television is the preferred medium."
"It possesses the dynamics of turning a viewer into a buyer," adds Siddhartha Mukherji, corporate communication managers of TAM Media Research. Translated, this may mean that the programme content of television and its underlying aim to create new commercial tastes for the consumer may be linked to each other. Hence the extensive advertising on TV. With a reach of 65 million homes of satellite channels the viewership a hit show gives is huge, says ad guru Prahlad Kakkar
Money for all
Said Shah Rukh Khan, "TV business is worth Rs 15,000 crores as compared to Rs 5,000 crores of business cinema does. There is a lot of money for everyone." Money is gushing into television, with mega bucks being ensured for channels, marketers and production houses. It has made millionaires out of wannabes — be it actors, producers, management graduates, marketing whiz kids and aspirant stars just out of college.
If you are good looking, talented and have the gift of gab, then there is no better career option than television in the present times. A monthly pay packet of Rs 50,000 is assured for a fledgling actor for 25 days of work. For middle level actors the pay averages around Rs 3 lakh per month. In the case of top-notch actors it can be anywhere in the range of Rs 4 to 5 lakh for 20 to 25 days. If an actor also takes up anchoring on the side, there is an additional incentive of Rs 20,000 to 25,000 per episode.
While Smriti Irani, one of the highest paid TV actresses, says she gets what she deserves, Hiten Tejwani, who falls in the second rung, assures that there is money for everyone. He says, "Television has grown fast and when a business grows like this, everyone who travels along with it makes money." Sandiip Sikcand, Sony's senior creative head and part-time stage actor says, "I wish I was a full-time television actor. There is good money in it."
Producers are also laughing all the way to the bank, too. In the 90s, a producer made about Rs. 25,000 per episode from a weekly serial. Nowadays, even the producer of a daily serial easily makes Rs 40,000 per episode. This means about Rs 9 lakh per month. The profit figures of a production house like Balaji are eye popping. Profit per episode of shows such as Kyunki, Kahani, Kasauti and Kasamh Se is between Rs. 1.5 to Rs 2.5 lakh.
Big B's lifeline
The growth in television has given lifelines to several actors, beginning with Amitabh Bachchan. Following the debacle of ABCL, the entertainment company he founded and steered, the debt-ridden superstar was trying to make peace with creditors, when Kaun Banega Crorepati came knocking on his door. KBC rescued Big B out of his financial mess with a Rs 35-crore deal. He instantly became television's most successful host and surprisingly enough, his success on the small screen also revived his career on the big screen.
Bachchan bounced back with a vengeance, with big films and big brand endorsements. Today Brand Bachchan is conservatively estimated to be worth Rs 750 crore. Big B's successor on the quiz master's chair, Shah Rukh Khan, is reportedly being paid Rs. 45 to 50 crore to host 52 episodes of KBC 3. In the first two weeks of telecast Shah Rukh's KBC has already raked in Rs 24 crores. SRK will be making a bit more too, with his brand endorsements and will be creating a few humble crorepatis by the side.
Television has also revived many failed careers. Shekhar Suman, who was in sheer financial mess, became television's first super star in 1995 earning more than Rs 25,000 per episode. Mandira Bedi, whose career was not going anywhere post-Shanti, became a hot star after Sony signed her on to add some glamour to drab post-match debates. Says Bedi, "It is more profitable in terms of time spent. When acting in serials, the days are longer in terms of work. You put in more effort for less money. I am really thankful to Sony and MAX. They gave me second lease of life through a different platform."
Cricketer Navjot Singh Sidhu will surely agree when told his TV shows made him a bigger celebrity that cricket. Others who have been raking in the moolah are Malaika Arora and Kunal Kohli (rumoured to be paid a bomb for being judges on Nach Baliye). The winners of Jhalak Dhikla Ja, Nach Baliye and Big Boss won around Rs 30 lakhs!
The rate card
KBC started with Rs. 4.5 lakh for a ten-second spot rate. But the rate has come down to Rs. 3.5 to 4 lakh in the second week. If TRPs go up it will cost more and if they drop it will cost less. One-hour episode of KBC offers 12 minutes of commercial time, that is 720 seconds or 72 ten-second spots. In two weeks, that is eight episodes, KBC has earned Rs 24 crore at an average rate of Rs 4 lakh per ten-second spot. In 13 weeks, that is 52 episodes, the show will earn about Rs. 150 crore.
Kyunki and Kahani get an average of Rs 2.5 lakh for a ten-second spot. The half-hour shows have six minutes of commercial time that is 360 second or 36 spots. One episode of Kyunki or Kahani earns Rs 90 lakhs against the production cost of Rs 6 lakhs. Therefore the real money is on fiction.
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Kyunki Saas Bhi Kabhi Bahu Thi 2
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