Sahara TV revving up for major push
(Posted on 26 July 2001, 7:00 PM)
The
television industry has dismissed Sahara TV as a lost cause. Eyes
have mainly been on Star, Zee and Sony Entertainment. However,
if the aggressive stance that is emerging from Sahara is anything
to go by, the industry may well be wrong in taking their sights
off the ethnic channel.
While
Sahara has dropped its plans to launch a clutch of channels to
build up a network, it is moving ahead on all four cylinders on
its mother channel. Sahara TV promoter Subroto Roy has brought
in external help to help it get that extra edge. A committee consisting
of Modi Entertainment Group's Buena Vista Television CEO Pratik
Basu, programming head Basaav Raj, its advertising agency Percept
Advertising's promoters Harindra and Shailendra Singh, and other
senior managers from within the company. While Buena Vista is
handling the ad sales, the Percept duo along with the Sahara team
are looking after programming and marketing of the channel.
And
the result of their inputs is already beginning to show. Better
and more focused outdoor promotions, and slicker on-air promos
- translating into a jazzier Sahara TV. An industry Source indicates
that the current initiative is part of a larger gameplan to relaunch
the channel. The effort will culminate in a big bang in the coming
festival season.
"The
FPC is going to change considerably, and there will be sustained
marketing activity," she says. "Currently, three properties are
being developed: "Haqeeqat", "Daman" and "Draupadi". Additionally,
the Sunday Hindi movie block will also see some activity."
Some
RS 100-120 million has been set aside for this. If one adds the
fact that the Sahara group has bagged the sponsorship for the
Indian cricket team, one can be sure the Sahara group will be
ubiquitous in most media.
Who
has cause to worry? People say that Sabe TV and Sony Entertainment
are likely to be hit courtesy the Sahara march. Reason: they have
yet to get their act together on the programming front.
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