Colors to aatack yeh Rishta--Article--

By GAURAV LAGHATE
Indiantelevision.com Team

(31 August 2009 10:55 pm)

MUMBAI: In line with its strategy of disruptive and differentiated programming, Colors is getting back its big-ticket reality show Fear Factor Khataron Ke Khiladi (KKR) at a new time zone to challenge daily soaps on competing channels.

The Akshay Kumar-hosted show, which pulled in audiences at 10 pm last time, will now play out at 9 pm on weekdays, starting 7 September.

Justifying 10 pm as a suitable time band, Colors CEO Rajesh Kamat had told Indiantelevision.com last year that KKR is a male-skewed show and is targeted at urban audiences.

So what has changed now? Colors has two strong shows, Uttaran (5.2 TVR) and Na Aana Is Desh Laado (5.3 TVR), at 10 and 10.30 pm respectively. Both these shows are slot leaders in the Hindi general entertainment channel (GEC) space.

Colors' weaker slot is the 9-10 pm where it has not managed to break through the dominance of Star Plus and Zee TV.

At 9 pm slot, Star Plus' Bidaai and Zee TV's newly launched show Pavitra Rishta are generating a TVR of over 5, while Colors' Jeevansaathi is struggling with a peak TVR of 1.52 (all latest Tam ratings).

The situation is not so different at the 9.30 pm band. Star Plus' Yeh Rishta Kya Kehlata Hai leads the pack with 7.63 TVR, while Zee TV's Agle Janam Mohe Bitiya Hi Kijo garners close to 5 TVR. Meanwhile, Colors' Nanhi Pari manages just over 1 TVR every week.

"Shifting the time zone for KKK is not so much of a gamble, considering that the 9-10 pm slot has not been working for Colors. The big-ticket show also will have a dedicated audience," says a media analyst who tracks Hindi entertainment channels.

Colors' other big reality, Bigg Boss, is also waiting to make its arrival. It remains to be seen if the channel's disruptive programming philosophy will spill over to this 'edgy' reality show as well.

WILL IT WORK??