INX Media and TV 18-Colors of Indian Broadcasting

Success of Colors, CNN-IBN and Failure of INX Media throws some light over the realities of TV Media in India. Though both Colors and 9X launched during same period, Network 18 backed Colors and CNN-IBN have gained TRPs like anything. On the other hand almost all channels including 9X News and 9X Entertainment from INX Media have failed to create hype. Except for 9XM which got some initial eyeballs due to their digital creativity, although failure to add some good content over 9XM lately has made it a boring channel (at least for me!).

I'm pointing out some of the inferences we can take out from this story--

1. Deep Pockets are necessary to sustain at least initial years, before broadcasters can think of some genuine revenues.

2. Huge Marketing and Branding has become a very important part of TV Broadcasting these days. Though both Network 18 and INX spent huge amounts in marketing, it was Network 18 which was also spending over creating a Brand Image. Can we forget Akshay's first ever TV reality show "Khatron Ke Khiladi" or for that matter Karan Thaper's shrewdness in the show "Devil's Advocate"? Now imagine anything similar for 9X...kuch bhi yaad aya??

3. Though Indian Broadcasting is at boom, ground realities like creativity and innovation still rule. It doesn't matter how many WTF news IndiaTV shows, what matters is their creativity to copy videos from youtube and make a masala news out of it. IndiaTV has very healthy TRP ratings against all the Hindi news channels in India.

4. TV Channels have grown exponentially during last few years, but now bad times has come and channels like INX Media (without any innovation or creativity) or like INX but without deep pockets, will have to find new ways to survive!!

What do you think??