The music channel, which was the numero uno amongst those of its genre, is slowly but steadily seeing an erosion. First, cable operators dumped its Channel V Awards show in parts of Mumbai last year. Hong Kong-based manager Don Ateyo raised a stink claiming that MTV had paid money to cable operators to switch off the V fare. Then it allowed MTV to build relationships with advertisers and agencies through a series of events which generated a lot of goodwill for the comeback channel. Channel V's managers didn't react and stayed put. Now the news is that its star veejay Ruby Bhatia is leaving the channel for better prospects and that morale at the network is at an abysmal low. Will other professionals follow is a question that a lot of people are asking? Some senior Channel V folks agree that MTV is fast catching up. But the perception among a section of industry is that MTV has already caught up and is on the verge of overtaking Channel V. "How long will it be before some advertisers desert V for MTV is a mootquestion," says a media director. "MTV seems to be more in sync with what viewers want -- especially the younger ones. This is reflected in the penetration of the channel and viewership, both of which are increasing in leaps and bounds."Are Channel V managers, however, sitting back? No, apparently. They have realised that the channel is sorely lacking in good cable operator linkages and has hence appointed an executive to liase with them regularly, something it had left to Star TV's distribution team earlier. However is that enough? The channel has to also get its communications and media relations act together for this is one area where MTV is beating Channel V hands down with a single-minded focus on communicating to journos that it is the comeback channel trying to get its India back. Channel V, meanwhile, has been twiddling its thumbs talking about specific events.
Carat bags the goodies
Media independent, Carat, headed by the former Zee TV marketing head Meenakshi Madhvani, has pocketed acouple of accounts, which has made it the envy of the dependents. Among the brands for which it will be buying and planning media are Cadbury's and Bacardi. Carat will be planning and placing about Rs 25 crore worth of media annually for Cadbury's while the value for the Bacardi business has been put at Rs 5 odd crore. But what has been a coup for Carat, an industry source says, is that it is offering some amount of consulting to the state-owned broadcaster. Madhvani was not available for comment.
MEN feels the pinch
With MGM Gold deciding to wind up its operations Asia wide, one company that's feeling the pinch is the Lalit Modi-owned Modi Entertainment Network (MEN). MEN, a cable distribution company, had a distribution agreement with MGM Gold for the Indian market which obviously will not see the light of the day now. MEN also seems to be grappling with problems as far as The Indian Cricket League (ICL) is concerned. If the buzz is to be believed, ICL, which promised entertainment galore alongthe lines of baseball and football in the US, may not take off at all because of mismanagement of the event's organisation. Watch this space for further news.
Network wars are here
The network wars, which are the hallmark of the ad agency business in Europe and US, are now spreading to India as evidenced by the Interpublic group's acquisition of a 49 per cent stake in the Bangalore-based Pratibha Advertising. With Pratibha, the group will now have six agencies in its Indian fold. These include Ammirati Puris Lintas, McCann Erickson, SSC&B Lintas, Enterprise-Nexus Lowe and Karishma Advertising. Together they handle the creme de la creme of accounts -- Lever and General Motors to name a few. The other networks in India that have a marked presence are the WPP group and the Omnicom group. The agencies which the WPP group owns include HTA, Contract, O&M, Speer and Equus.
The WPP group actually leads the market with billings of over Rs 1,000 crore and it even has a holding company in Delhi which looksafter its Indian interests. The company's head is Shunu Sen.
Omnicom has agencies such as Mudra-DDB Needham, RK Swamy/BBDO and Anthem TBWA in its stable. It ranks third after the Interpublic group in the network pecking order.
(The writer can be reached at wanvari@giasbm01.vsnl.net.in or television@hotmail.com.)
Copyright © 1998 Indian Express Newspapers (Bombay) Ltd.
