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Anil Wanvari
In England, the fight is on for grabbing a slice of the Brit-Asian market. The two protaganists: Zee TV and Sony Entertainment Television. The leader is Zee TV of course, which has 82,000 direct-to-home (DTH) subscribers through BSkyB and another 40,000 subscribers through cable operators, according to latest figures available from the Independent Television Commission.
Sony has, meanwhile, declared figures of 8,300 subscribers only through cable, which, had gone up to 9,000 subscribers since it declared its figures. "You can't fudge around here with statistics in the UK market like most channels do in India. Here everything is transparent," says SET India marketing head Rajesh Pant. He also has the additional responsibility of driving Sony's global expansion. Recently, Arvinder Kanwar, who was handling this responsibility, and has experience in companies like Balsara Hygiene, Products resigned.
"Zee TV has much more at stake in the UK market...they have invested a lot more, and hence have to get resultsfaster than us," says Pant. "We are just starting out. We are happy that to have a competitor like Zee TV to keep us on our toes."
And Zee TV is going all out with a marketing blitz to prevent Sony from relaxing. Double-decker buses painted with the announcement "The World's most popular Asian TV network, Zee TV" have been rolling along on London's streets. Hoardings at strategic locations have been bought. The company's marketing budget is estimated at a cosy 2 million pounds as it makes an all-out effort to recapture cable subscribers and attract new customers to its DTH.
Zee TV also had events with the Pakistani band Junoon and a local band called ADF performing together, and a visit from Shah Rukh Khan. Aging megastar Amitabh Bachchan is also expected to visit London and do an event together with Zee TV. The network is also introducing more local programming with Brit-Asian anchors speaking in Brit-Hindi. And freebies like Zee TV caps, key chains, T-shirts, bags are being given by the dozens toviewers.
However, it's promotional offer of a lower subscription fee and the preview feed have ceased. It has also signed on a cable consultant to help get its cable franchise back. Apparently, the marketing exercise is working because a lot of the white youth that this writer spoke to on the streets of London had heard of Zee TV, while Sony Entertainment TV, was constantly confused with Sony Music.
Sony, meanwhile, is not too disturbed. "Zee TV will be ahead because they've started before us," says Pant. "We are there for the long term. We'll take one step at a time, and are in no hurry. We have not overextended ourselves at present. The battle has just about begun. We are sure of two things: first, we will not make things easy for Zee TV. Second, things are not going to be easy for both of us in mature European TV markets in which we both roll out."
Market sources indicate that even Sony is going to make a concerted marketing initiative in the UK market in the coming few weeks.
Guardian takes adig at Murdoch
The Guardian has been running a cheeky outdoor campaign in London. Huge billboards have been carrying the following copy with the visuals being figures cut out of a newspaper: "No proprietor. No ties. Free thinkers, welcome."
The jibe is obviously directed at rival newspapers, mainly those run by Murdoch's News Ltd. At those journalists who sport ties, who have strong ties with the proprietor, and are thus tied down in what they can report or not.
What is amazing is the amount of outdoor media that the magazines and newspapers use in both England and Paris to promote each issue. Posters in railway stations along the escalators, billboards, newsstand signs, you name the venue, are used for promotions. Newspaper stalls are converted into promotional media and space there is bought by publishers for promotional purposes. Wonder when, newspaper houses in India will take the same route and get a lot of bang for a few bucks, especially at the point of sale.
Meanwhile not one day goeswithout some tabloid or newspaper taking a bash at Murdoch, who recently acquired the Manchester United football club by coughing up an obnoxious $1 billion plus.
It sparked off a gamble by Carlton Television to buy another rival football club. In England, football is king. And all television channels know that if you have the rights to football events and own a football club, you have the eyeballs of millions, while they down a pint of Guinness in a sports bar or in their living rooms.
Naqvi right at last
The information and broadcasting ministry and its minister of state MA Naqvi have done it again. The latter blew the whistle on MTV India, which had used the Indian flag colours for its television logo, and demanded that the channel's management change it. Naqvi said that the flag's use was inappropriate.
While some may criticize him for taking a partisan stance, this writer believes that Naqvi has made a correct statement and taken a correct position for probably the first time. He hasannounced a ban on Pakistan TV quite futilely in the past. He has blamed cable operators and private television channels for the awful transmission of the World Cup football telecast by Doordarshan (DD), when it was DD which was mostly to blame.
However, Naqvi would have been ever more correct if he had rapped MTV on the knuckles for the use of the flag a long time back. MTV India had chosen to sport the Indian flag's colours only for the duration of India's 50th anniversary celebrations. As had several other channels like Star TV, Zee TV, and Channel V. But while most had discontinued the use of the flag colours long ago, MTV had not. MTV India, however, deserves praise for heeding the I&B's ministry's fiat and not confronting it.
The Indian flag coloured MTV logo has disappeared and ahs been replaced by a new one. A wise decision, after all, if it wants to be around for the long term in the country it has to toe the line of the politicians on issues that do not impact it too much.
The writer can bereached at anvari@giasbm01.vsnl.net.in or television@hotmail.com
Copyright © 1998 Indian Express Newspapers (Bombay) Ltd.
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