MUMBAI: A strong base in the digital markets of Mumbai and Delhi has helped Viacom18?s general entertainment channel (GEC) Colors rise to the number one position among Hindi GECs during three of the five weeks (C&S, HSM 4+ market) in November and December, according to Colors CEO Raj Nayak.

?Colors? content has historically resonated very strongly with viewers in Delhi and in Mumbai too viewers have shown a positive inclination towards our content. With thedigitisation completed in Mumbai, Delhi and Kolkata (to a lesser extent though), these three markets put together contribute to a large proportion of the digital universe weightage. Hence, a strong base in the markets of Mumbai and Delhi helps,? Nayak tells Indiantelevision.com.

In the weeks from 47 to 51 of 2012, Colors was the number one GEC in digital markets (HSM, Digital 4+), according to TAM Media Research data. TAM would be releasing data for week 52 on Thursday.

Helios Media CEO Divya Radhakrishnan said ratings for Colors peaked in certain weeks due to programming initiatives on its highest-rated shows -- Shiv Anandi wedding in Ballika Vadhu, change in story track of Madhubala. Also Colors was the only GEC running 3 reality shows simultaneously -Bigg Boss, Sur Kshetra and India?s got talent vis a vis only Sa Re Ga Ma on Zee TV and KBC on Sony Entertainment Television (Set).

Maxus managing partner Kartik Sharma noted, ?If we observe GEC1 trends, some of the channels have a higher skew towards digital homes. This trend was observed even before the full-fledged digitisation and the recent data only validates the same.?

Colors has made its way to the top through its content on weekdays as well as on weekends, backed by big-ticket spikes like premieres and events, according to Nayak.

?We at Colors continue to constantly innovate on content to keep up with audience acceptability, sense and sensibilities. We believe in providing world class quality entertainment, throughout the year 365 days, 24x7. In the process, with audience liking, it helps us in being able to constantly interact and touch our viewers everyday of their lives, thus resulting in viewership in tune with this viewer preference as well for our content,? says Nayak.

Asked if Colors had greater acceptability in digital homes, Nayak says, ?That?s not entirely correct. In other markets too, the channel resonates well with the audience, otherwise we wouldn?t have been a strong contender for the No. 1 slot based on just two markets. And the fact that we have been No 1 in the last 3 out of 5 weeks in overall ratings speaks for itself.?

MUMBAI: Colors has acquired the broadcast rights of American political action series ?24? from Anil Kapoor Film, the Bollywood actor?s production house.

The show is slated to go on air in the summer of 2013. It adds to Colors? portfolio of international formats which includes ?Bigg Boss?, ?India?s Got Talent?, ?Khatron Ke Khiladi?, and ?Jhalak Dikhhla Jaa? in the recent years.

Kapoor had acquired the rights of ?24? from 20th Century Fox a year ago to remake the popular series for Indian audience. The actor is believed to have paid between Rs 850 million to Rs 1 billion for the rights.

?24? will mark the launch of Anil?s Kapoor first television production under the banner Anil Kapoor Film. The actor will also play the protagonist, Jack Bauer, in the India version. Kapoor had played the role of Omar Hassan in Season 8 of the international series.

Kapoor said, "While scouting for a perfect partner we were in talks with 2-3 leading channels. We chose Colors as in them we see the right platform that not only had a solid connect with the audiences but also enjoyed the reputation of providing futuristic entertainment. 24 was my destiny. I was offered to play a role in the international series, and then I had made up my mind to bring this show to India. In less than a year I bought the rights to produce an Indian version."

?24? is a new hybrid genre of entertainment that will see amalgamation of fiction and reality.

"?24? is a show that brings Anil Kapoor?s mass appeal and Colors? mass audience together to create history in Indian Television. It?s an honour to bag 24 for Colors; in fact it?s a reward for our efforts and our firm belief in continuously providing disruptive content to our audiences. I am confident the show will set new standards in entertainment and further strengthen connect with Indian audiences," said Colors CEO Raj Nayak.

The Indian adaptation of ?24? is being penned by Rensil D? Silva with Abhinay Deo as its director. The duo will work together with the Colors programming team led by Colors weekend programming head Manisha Sharma.

MUMBAI: Colors has launched reality TV tour which will give common people an opportunity to access the Bigg Boss house aimed at connecting its flagship property to the common man.

As part of the initiative, Bigg Boss fans will get to unravel all the live action direct from the house, experience the reality and magnitude of the production and the complex set up besides other attractions associated with the format.

The broadcaster has also introduced special buses that are designed to simulate the Bigg Boss experience and give fans the ride from Mumbai to the Bigg Boss House at Lonavala. The project is managed by Bollywood Tourism for Colors.

Colors CEO Raj Nayak said, ?Bigg Boss has a great fan following and creates a nationwide frenzy with every season. With the launch of Bigg Boss Tour, we have broken the barrier between the viewer and the show by extending an opportunity to families from across India to visit the Bigg Boss House. We have also diversified our engagement model ? moving from televised content to reality. Taking their favourite show offline, we aim to strengthen our bond with the viewers by bringing in a human connect and making it personal. In real terms, by bringing live action to the viewers, Colors is connecting with the audiences in a unique way, providing them with a memorable experience.?

The cost per head for a full day tour including transport is Rs 1799 from Monday - Wednesday and Rs 3299 on Friday which includes an opportunity to view the shoot of the eviction episode by host Salman Khan. The cost of full day tour on Saturday and Sunday is Rs 2299. A half day tour excluding transport will be Rs 1299 per person from Monday - Wednesday and Rs 1799 on Saturday and Sunday.

The attractions will include a House Tour via a secret passage, Hall of Fame, Control Room, and Confession Room.

MUMBAI: Music and youth entertainment channel MTV is extending its musical franchise ?MTV Unplugged? through a dual telecast of the property on its sister channel Colors.

The show?s second season, which kickstarts on 3 November, will be aired on Saturdays at 8 pm and Sundays at noon on MTV. The time slot on Colors is yet to be decided, said Colors CEO Raj Nayak.

MTV Unplugged will also be aired on radio through Fever FM. MTV?s other music property, Coke Studio?s second season, also had a dual telecast on Doordarshan.

MTV EVP and business head Aditya Swamy said, ?This time around, the focus is not so much on marketing but on distributing the property to a larger segment of the audience. By telecasting the show on Colors and Fever, we hope to widen the audience reach.?

MTV is currently positioned as a multi-platform and multi-dimensional channel which has different faces at different times. "So with ?Roadies? and Splitsvilla, we have a reality show face. With ?Rush? and ?Bring it on?, we have a TV series face. Our music face is through properties like Coke Studio, Roots, Unplugged and Sound Tripping,? said Swamy.

The title sponsor for the show is Royal Stag. Other sponsors include HTC, Vodafone and Tissot. As part of its marketing initiatives, the show will be promoted on air by Fever FM by RJ?s and through contests.

?We will be doing 14 live shows in the top youth and markets of the country. We have also got major labels like Sony and Universal on board for the CDs and DVDs. On the digital front too, we have associated with entities like iTunes, Napster and Nokia Music Store.,? Swamy said.

Sixty seven per cent of the property?s ad revenue will come from sponsorship while 33 per cent will be from spot buys.

The landscape of the music channel space has changed considerably over the past few years with the leading channels like MTV and Channel V shifting their positioning to youth entertainment channels. While MTV has done this on a global scale, Swamy says that India is not really different from the rest of the world.

?The youth is becoming exposed to a lot of global elements today and India is not so different in this space as compared to the rest of the world. The game, though, has changed. For example, earlier we kept the biggest and most popular artist for last. But now, we are launching the show?s second season with the A R Rehman episode,? he explained.

MTV Unplugged season two comprises 10 episodes where artists perform acoustic version of their numbers without the support of any electronic devices. This season, the show is curated by Ranjit Barot and will see participation from artists like AR Rehman, Kailasa, Sunidhi Chauhan, Lucky Ali, Indus Creed, Agnee, Ash King and Shafqat Amanat Ali.