Apu as DC aka Dev Chopra Mon-Fri on Lifeok - Page 73

Indiantelevision.com Team

(2 April 2012 8:19 pm)

MUMBAI: Even though Max is gearing up to launch the fifth season of the Indian Premier League (IPL) on 4 April, the Hindi general entertainment channels (GECs) seem to be relaxed and unaffected.

The executives of these channels believe that it will be working as usual this time, and are not showing any concern because of the IPL 5.

This is despite the fact that India is still a single TV household and IPL is known for starting a trend of attracting housewives and kids to watch matches. And, the GEC genre has been seeing a drop in its share during the time of IPL.

However, this time there have been apprehensions about the response for IPL because Indian cricket team has not been performing very well. Yet, it poses a challenge for the GECs when it comes to audiences' preference.

The GEC genre had shrunk by 4.35 per cent during IPL 4 (in the All India market), as compared to a 9.07 per cent drop it had witnessed in the first season of IPL.

GECs are gearing up to launch new shows also during the time of IPL to attract more eyeballs, even if the rest of the plan remains the same.

Colors, for instance, has launched a new fiction today at 7 pm band by the name Kairi. .

According to Colors CEO Raj Nayak, "Today there is so much of cricket all through the year. IPL for us is just another good cricket tournament in the annual calendar. The genre share does not get impacted severely, so for us its life as usual. And it is reflected in our approach, we are launching a new program- Kairi in the launch week of IPL. We have a programming strategy in place. Our focus will be to continue to give our viewers differentiated and a broad variety of fiction and non fiction content."

Zee TV, with its newly found vigour will be launching three new shows. It is bringing back its dancing reality show, DID lil Masters soon. Additionally, it is launching a new fiction show Phir Subah Hogi.

Zee Entertainment Enterprise (Zeel) marketing head - national channels Akash Chawla said, "We are ready to combat IPL this time too."

Chawla noted that the impact of IPL-2 was far less significant than that of the IPL-1. "Last year, the GECs received a 10-15 per cent rating hit because the IPL event was held after the board exams. Two things emerge clearly. One, that regular GEC shows are growing in terms of audience numbers despite IPL. And two, the return on investment, as a result, on the IPL is much lower than on the GECs for advertisers. The five times premium advertisers paid on the IPL is not delivering as much return."
Star Plus, the leading Hindi GEC is planning to take two of its shows, 'Sasural Genda Phool' and 'Maryada', off-air. The channel is expected to introduce two new fiction properties Ek Dusre se Karte Hain Pyaar Hum and Pyaar Ki Naukri.

Star India business head Hindi channels Nitin Vaidya also feels that IPL will not be able to shake the GEC genre stability. He said, "IPL effect has been declining over a period of time. Star Plus' programming strategy does not depend on IPL. We follow an annual calendar and all programming strategies are implemented accordingly. In the past as well we have launched programs that have done pretty well."

Turner International India chief content officer Vivek Bahl, who looks after the content of Imagine TV also, added, "Anything that brings up decent numbers does affect other's ratings to an extent. Though the IPL ratings have been dipping each year, non-fiction shows get more affected than fiction shows by the same. Especially fiction that's been a habit tends to get lesser affected during the IPL. Guess the above is due to the simple fact that the core non-fiction viewers are also those who watch the IPL.

"IPL target audience could be different but to lure that audience does a channel try to incorporate some activities around IPL in their popular shows. We don't believe in tweaking our content in the face of any outside events or competition. The only ones we cater, & try to stay true to, are our viewers."

Meanwhile, Sony Entertainment Television and Sab, being the sister channels of Max, are not launching any new show. But post IPL, Set will launch singing reality show the sixth season of Indian Idol.

Life OK, Star India's second GEC will be launching Aasmaan Se Aage on 23 April.

By Himanshu Guru: Jyoti Sagar is the Special Effects wizard in the Sagar family. He started his career as an assistant to Dr. Ramanand Sagar and took charge of the entire post production unit.

He set up a state of the art post-production studio in Mumbai which caters to the needs of the Sagar Group besides offering services to prestigious clients in India and abroad.

His skill in computer graphics and computer generated visual effects has fetched him 21 awards only for HATIM, the first ever full-fledged fantasy with international level graphics to hit the small screen.

Besides HATIM, Jyoti Sagar's successes on television as a special effects director include SAI BABA, PRITHVIRAJ CHAUHAN, LUCKY, AKKAD BAKAD, HELLODOLLY and HOTEL KINGSTON, all produced by Sagar Group and ANTARIKSH, a space fantasy produced by Shakti Films.

Jyoti Sagar's brain child is the Sagar Post Production Studio named SAGAR POST in suburban Mumbai which caters to the family's visual special effects needs. He is the Group's wizard and needless to say all the special effects in the group's productions including the new Ramayan, Arslaan, Jai Maa Durga, Sai Baba and Mahima Shani Dev Ki are his creations.

Jyoti Sagar, a commerce graduate of Bombay University, has also been managing the financial division of the Sagar Group besides spearheading corporate planning for the group.

In an exclusive interview to Mr. Himanshu Guru, Senior Columnist of Breaking News Online, Mr. Jyoti Sagar has revealed his plans and ambitions and talked about his new serial, "Aasman Se Aage".

Interview

Himanshu Guru: What inspired you in making a serial 'Aasman se aage' on LifeOk, which is based on the theme ' To reveal the true stories behind the dance reality shows).

Jyoti Sagar: A very fresh concept. The story of a girls dreams of making it big in Mumbai, but set in the world of reality television.

Himanshu Guru: What exactly goes on behind the reality dance shows? We know you would convey it through the serial, but for now how much you want to inform the PRESS about this.

Jyoti Sagar: There are some facts and some parts are fictionalized for better storytelling.

Himanshu Guru: Ramanand Sagar ji is the man who had showed the TV audiences that a mythological serial can also be a top successful subject to be made a serial (through Ramayana). What is your statement in this context?

Jyoti Sagar: Ramanand Sagarji, my grandfather always believed that television is the perfect medium to show mythological content as film did not provide the liberty to tell every aspect of the story in as much detail as television. Ramayan was a result of this belief. Also a mythological show is wholesome family viewing it provides education of the mind in an interesting while also teaching values.

Himanshu Guru: Sagar Arts has always tried to entertain people with ideal topics, either a popular mythological topic or historical saga which depicts the glory of India. We would like to know what makes you take such (good) subjects, when other producers are ready to make any odd thing for business.

Jyoti Sagar: We, at Sagar Arts have always tried our best to tell stories with a moral angle and while entertaining the audience to also impart good values.

Himanshu Guru: What is your message to the audience for the upcoming serial 'Aasman Se Aage'?

Jyoti Sagar: Hope that this inspires people to rise above all odds and follow their dreams.

Statement of Nilanjana Purkayasstha, producer of 72 Degree Northe (SAGAR ARTS and 72 DEGREES NORTHE are the combined producer of so many serials including Chandragupta Maurya and the forthcoming 'Aasman Se Aage').

PRODUCER OF 72 DEGREES NORTHE (Nilanjana purkayasstha ) on 'Aasman Se Aage':

"This show is a unique concept and I had started to think no channel will dare to commission it! I am very happy that LifeOk is being bold and backing the idea in such a huge way. We have a very interesting cast and a dedicated team of technicians, dancers and creative people... Innovating all the time. I hope the audience likes the show ... Especially the ones who say "there is nothing different on tv". Different is a risk and we hope this gamble works."

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