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MUMBAI: For television viewers in India, nothing can get more
ironic than this. On the very next day of the World's Music
Day, Channel [V] announced its decision to completely do away
with Bollywood music content.
Positioned as a youth channel, the Star network channel has
decided to make the paradigm shift by discontinuing all music
slots in its programming lineup effective 1 July.
 Says
Channel [V] EVP and GM Prem Kamath, "This is the last
leg of the strategy that we embarked on two-and-a-half years
ago when we relaunched the channel (in 2009). We have focussed
on targeting youth and Channel [V] has always been identified
as a youth channel. I dare to say that we are the only complete
youth entertainment channel."
According
to Kamath, in the last four weeks Channel [V] has clocked
an average of over 50 GRPs (gross rating points) in the 15-34
ABC Hindi speaking markets, on the back of the original content
that the channel is airing.
"We
are completely moving away from Bollywood music as we have
realised that music is a very poor way of targeting the youth
audiences. Moreover, we have invested in original content
over the last three years and specifically on daily fiction
over the last 14 months, which has paid very good dividends
in viewership," Kamath emphasises.
Won't the return on investments be tougher as production costs
will go up? “Yes, the cost of producing original content
is significantly higher. But this content strategy is distinctly
more sustainable as well,” Kamath says.
Airing music is ineffective as there are too many channels
and Kamath doesn’t want Channel [V] to be a disguised
youth channel.
The
channel will increase weekly hours of original content starting
1 July. It will convert its weekly teen crime show, Gumrah
– End of Innocence, into a daily from Monday to Friday
at 8 pm. Currently, Gumrah – End of Innocence airs as
a one-hour show every Sunday.
The channel will also launch its fourth fiction show, The
Buddy Project, on 23 July that will occupy the Monday- Friday
6 pm slot.
Channel [V]’s current lineup includes three fiction shows
- Dil Dostii Dance, Humse Hai Liife and Surveen Guggal.
When asked if the channel will only air fiction content, Kamath
clarifies that Channel [V] is genre agnostic and any show
that is engaging the youth, be it fiction, non-fiction or
chat, will be aired.
At present, Channel [V] airs music only in the morning band.
Music accounts for 20 per cent of the channel's current content
lineup.
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