The fight among the English movie channels is getting fiercer as new players have entered the battleground. Zee Studio has decided to go aggressive this year by upping its premiere runs on the channel. The plan is also to launch an original show every month.
The focus this year will be to grow particularly in the smaller towns. Zee Studio is also launching a wap application to take advantage of new media opportunities.
In an interview with Indiantelevision.com's Ashwin Pinto, Zee Studio senior VP, business head Sujay Kutty talks about the challenges of the English movie broadcasting business and the channel's growth plans.
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With more players joining the fray, has the English movie genre seen growth in terms of viewership and advertisers?
We will also see unique niches being created where you will have some channels showing big premieres and others sticking to popular titles which get ratings despite being aired many times like Terminator 2, Spiderman, Pirates Of The Caribbean. |
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So will you be increasing your premiere runs on the channel? |
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Is that the key to growing your share? |
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But isn't sourcing big title content difficult as market leaders Star Movies and HBO have the big studios behind them? |
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Is a trend emerging to spruce up the English movie channels with original content?
The plan is to have one show every six months. If you do it more, then the novelty can get lost. We will get into many formats except reality shows. Original content helps connect with the consumers and opens up marketing opportunities. |
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How successful have you been in your earlier endeavour?
We are planning the third season for this show and it goes on air later this year. Currently, we are planning more shows with the basic aim of involving our audience. |
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Your sister channel Zee Cafe tried localisation but the response was mixed. What lessons have been learnt from this? |
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But doesn't your budget go up with local content?
The purpose is two fold. Firstly you create affinity for the channel among viewers by showcasing homegrown talent. Secondly you build local talent as a base that can be used for the future. The ad revenue that we earn more or less take care of programming costs. |
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While the share of Zee Studio has gone up marginally, it is still in the fourth spot among the English movie channels. What is the gameplan to bridge the gap?
We intend to partner with film societies to showcase cinemas across metropolitan cities as an extension of our movie club initiative.
In the coming times, we are also launching an application on Wap-enabled phones that will let viewers download our weekly schedules. |
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Tam data shows that the time spent on English movie channels has gone up slightly. Zee Studio has also grown slightly but not much. What would you say are the reasons for this? |
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Going forward, do you see viewership growth coming in from the small towns and cities or would metros be the main focus? |
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What role has subtitling played in growing the channel's reach?
Subtitles invariably aid the user in tiding over these differences and absorbing the film in its entirety. Post introduction of subtitling, our films have most definitely reached out to a larger audience base. |
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What is the focus area of Zee Studio this year?
Saw is aimed at taking quality cinema to the genuine movie enthusiasts across the country in the unique setting of a bookstore. Meanwhile, Studio Nites are evenings of 'Karaoke,' conducted at popular restaurants and clubs celebrating "music from the movies". Here, patrons win prizes from the channel for singing along to movie soundtracks. |
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What are the programming initiatives you have taken in the recent past?
Moreover, we created some properties keeping the audience's needs in mind. One of these was 'Two Timing' where we would telecast two movies of a popular superstar back-to-back. The other is the 'In Express Highway' wherein a movie and its sequel are telecast back-to-back with just one break on Saturday afternoons.
From 1 April, Zee Studio moved its primetime to 9 pm following research findings that a majority of the audience tune in at 9. April also saw the introduction of Sunday Noonatics. This is a slot for light/entertaining flicks keeping the relaxed Sunday mood in mind. |
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What can we expect going forward?
September will have a lot of family movies. Going forward, viewers can look out for a Woody Allen Fest, Cinematic Jewels (critically acclaimed films) and more. |
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In a genre that is title-driven, how big a challenge is it to build brand loyalty?
At the end of the day, content is king. Marketing initiatives go a long way in driving brand awareness - be it on-ground initiatives, radio activations, print ads, hoardings, mobile marketing. They all ensure that a channel enjoys top-of-the-mind-recall when viewers are surfing the box for English movies. |
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Some English film channels do programming blocks for different TGs. Others do not. What are the pros and cons of this?
Programming blocks work well if one has a large library of films targeted towards each target group, absence of which results in repetition. It does help in clear communication, though, and also appointment viewing. |
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To what extent have acquisition costs gone up in recent times with new entrants?
It all depends on what you buy, keeping in mind the RoI as well as the channel image. So the acquisition cost keeps varying every year. |
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What are the challenges that English movie channels face in India?
With newer players entering the markets and major studios coming up with their own channels, content availability will be a source of concern. However, one has to wait and watch. |
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