The Indian television industry is at a transformation stage on all fronts – content, viewership trends, transmission platforms and overall viewing experience. A shift towards well defi ned and unique content channels is on the rise and digitization will further fuel this change. And with more platforms, there is more investment in production as there is potential for bigger distribution revenue. For instance, considering factors such as increasing fragmentation and new access technologies, Endemol India has now moved towards tapeless delivery. Mumbai-based Deepak Dhar, Managing Director, Endemol India, told TV ASIA Plus: “This (move) helps us as a company to crunch the timelines to move our content into various other platforms as well, like mobile and Internet. Our formats like Big Brother and Fear Factor are now completely tapeless.” Dhar added, “We have started shooting on HD for our clients as well. Broadcasters are also pushing and innovating specifi cally for audiences simply because the end consumer will move towards high end content quality ultimately to satisfy the consumer experience.” Dhar says in the past 12 months, broadcasters have really experimented with newer fragmentations and demographics, “India is seeing a market-expansion in progress and all broadcasters are trying to ensure that this new ‘semiurban market’ develops loyalty to their channels.” Natasha Malhotra, Vice President and General Manager, Walt Disney Television International India, says today, audiences are looking for greater personalization and customization of how they access content. Prime time is now ‘all the time’, she says. “We see that technology is a natural part of a consumer’s life and all these digital devices and platforms are opportunities for us to deepen our relationship with the viewer,” said Malhotra. “In India, we have several deals such as with Apalya through which our content (Disney Channel & Disney XD shows) are available on India’s largest mobile content platform.” This is in addition to the network’s three channels – Disney Channel, DXD (boy focused-girl-inclusive platform) and Hungama (focused on kids 4 – 14 years) – being seen on multiple platforms including Cable TV, Direct-to-Home (DTH) and IPTV. An entity like UTV believes the market has opened up because of multiple access points. “We are pushing or rather strongly working on ideas where we are able to retain IP. This will open up additional avenues for us. With 3G, 4G coming in, entertainment will be consumed on the move and more importantly will also be personalized. And we are working on creating entertainment on the available multiple platforms,” says CEO, Santosh Nair. Niche offerings There has been a developing appetite for niche channels in India recently, says Deepak Shourie, Director, South Asia, BBC Worldwide Channels. “We have seen six or seven launches through various networks in the last year alone”, he says. “The local audience has evolved and there is a clear demand for this content. However, the pattern of channel launches and the content sourced for these channels is generally very similar.” In March this year BIG CBS Networks, an equal joint venture between Reliance Broadcast Network and CBS Studios International, launched BIG CBS LOVE, featuring America’s top rated television shows from CBS Studios International, targeting ‘today’s contemporary Indian couples’. Niche does not mean small, said Ricky Ow, SVP and GM at SPE Networks – Asia. According to Ow, it means being unique, being focused and being clear of what you are offering. It is no different from going to a newsstand where there are numerous thematic magazines to choose from. “I believe that a channel like AXN is a unique content channel that reaches a wider and larger audience. With the development of DTH, you can expect to see an expansion of such unique content channels. We will see the number of thematic channels grow,” Ow said. Broadcasters like SPE believe that as pay-TV matures, audiences get increasingly sophisticated and it is an opportunity for unique content providers. “Obviously, with technology, there are more delivery platforms. No doubt that the programming focus will have to be even sharper,” Ow said. “Unique content channels will invest more in successful formats or formulae to grow the audience pool. An example can be seen in AXN’s investment in the A Minute to Win It format, which is spot on for the action and adventure channel brand, yet the show appeals to a far wider audience.” Shourie said programming for the niche audience has to be very fresh, contemporary and timely. He added that the English-speaking audience in India expects to see the latest season of shows as soon as they debut in the U.S, for example. “We only need to look at the BBC Entertainment Facebook page to see that this is a very demanding audience. No sooner had the last episode of Sherlock fi nished, that fans were asking about the premiere date of the next series.” BBC Entertainment’s schedule evolved after extensive research, shared Shourie. “We found that the English-speaking audience is a fl oating population which snacks on multiple television channels. Viewers will sample the channel or programme that best suits them at that particular point in time. BBC Entertainment’s prime time programming strategy has been developed to refl ect those habits – in the early evening, we showcase programmes from the natural history genre to cater to a young family audience. We feature lightentertainment, drama, lifestyle and comedy shows later in the evening to target adults returning from work, while the late night hours are peppered with thrillers and grittier dramas for mature audiences.” Age-groups The way gadgets or smaller screens are penetrating consumers’ lives; entertainment providers are looking at novel ways to integrate the viewing experience across all of them. The youth genre expectedly is witnessing interesting concepts. Recently, MTV launched what is being described as India’s multiscreen reality show, being aired “across three screens – mobile phone, computer screen and TV for the fi rst time ever”. It’s 720hrs of non-stop reality, streamed LIVE with daily updates on TV. The show, MTV Crunch, is a home-grown concept. The show features 10 ‘Crunchable’ rooms, 10 ‘Crunchable’ pairs locked in for four weeks with the walls physically closing in on them. The power to eliminate is in the hands of the viewers. Keith Alphonso, Business Head, UTV Bindass, says “The members of this tribe (youth) are extremely comfortable with technology and as digital citizens they traverse media seamlessly.” The channel’s latest show that will premiere in July – Super Stud, takes television to new places, similar to Crunch. Essentially the show addresses a guy’s most basic insecurity: how to talk to a girl and charm her. The TV show is based on a reality format, but it has digital tangents that include a LIVE camera capturing behind the scene moments for video streaming. Video blogs, chat sessions linked to social media. Plus mobile apps that range from a digital playbook (on everything you need when you trying to charm a girl) and a user generated guide to dating hotspots in the city. “This content is integrated into the show at the time of pre and post production to ensure that there is a consistency of tone and texture across,” added Alphonso. From the kids’ genre perspective, Disney’s Malhotra says creating great stories and characters that emotionally connect with the audience, continues to be the key to audience affi nity. In addition, themes such as Bollywood, cricket and festivals continue to feature as the local connects. “Specifi cally in the kids’ genre, Indian families today are more democratic than ever before in terms of their entertainment choices,” said Malhotra. “We know that children naturally gravitate towards characters and shows that refl ect their own lives – for example, the live-action series Best of Luck Nikki, follows the trials and tribulations of the Singh family as they welcome a new member to their family, baby Nikki. Formats The Indian audience is now exposed to a variety of shows and genres; in the form of international formats, as well as local creations. Malhotra says the challenge when working with formats is to maintain the right balance of localization and cultural relevance. “Today, television helps kids discover and showcase their talents. A great example of this is Art Attack and our national talent platform Shooting Stars, which is all about children being multidimensional masters. Kids today are looking for their ‘windows to the world’ giving them exposure beyond their immediate lives,” said Malhotra. The network is also gearing up to launch a new game show for the entire family Mai Ka Laal. The show is based on Zodiak Rights’ format That’s My Kid where parents will be quizzed to prove how well they know their offspring. When it comes to tailoring renowned formats, be it for different demographics, or are gender-specifi c, SPE’s Ow says India represents a huge and unique market. “Demographics and languages in the nation are so diverse and numerous, it is a natural challenge for content providers to create something that can suit everyone. Secondly, where there is an established feature fi lm industry, the cost of talent including cast and crew will be high due to basic market forces of demand and supply. This is compounded by a rapidly growing and now very large television industry. India can easily be one of the markets with the highest production costs within the region with local talent fees approaching Hollywood standards,” said Ow. Commenting on the lifecycle of big format shows in India, Dhar said: “We had a lag of nearly six years between the fi rst season of Big Brother in the UK and the fi rst season of Bigg Boss in India. Hence the Indian market is really well poised for evolution. With broadcasters hungry for success faster, the time lag between a format landing here is rapidly reducing. Overall, it’s interesting for content creators in India.”