KBC has Sony TV scurrying for cover

The runaway success of Star Plus’ Kaun Banega Crorepati has forced Sony Entertainment Television to cut back its revenue target from Rs 800 crore to Rs 500 crore for the current fiscal.

"We are hurt and our earnings will drop by almost 38 per cent. Every channel including Zee TV is finding it difficult to counter Star Plus’ driver show," said Kunal Dasgupta, chief executive officer of Sony Entertainment Television.

Dasgupta’s response to the challenge consists in: multiple events, bigger movies and mythologies. Strong soaps as a counter measure is out. "Prime time viewing will be driven by spectacle. High-energy shows, events, stars and big money will dominate," he said.

Sony has lined up event shows with film stars like Hrithik Roshan and the Deol family later this year. Besides, the channel will telecast exclusively the Filmfare and Femina contests.

Dasgupta is playing the defensive game first. He has shifted his top shows which were facing direct attack from KBC to the 10 pm slot. He had the choice of moving Aahat and CID to the 8-9 pm band but that would have pitted them against Zee TV’s prime shows like Amanat.

In the 7.30 pm slot, Dasgupta will have sitcoms while 8 pm will be for soaps. New shows like Choodiyan and Haal Kaisa Hai Janab Ka are being placed in the 7.30-9 pm band.

For the moment, Dasgupta has no immediate plan to directly take on KBC. He has moved Ek Mahal Ho Sapano Ka from 11 pm to 9.20 pm but it is a weak effort. Movers & Shakers has moved from 10 pm to 10.40 pm. Said Sony TV chief operating officer Rajesh Pant, "It has a more adult-oriented viewing and so we pushed it to a late hour".

But Dasgupta knows he has to attack. He has played that game earlier when he took on Zee TV. A clever tactician, he is building up a proper range of weapons: events, two mythological shows and kids programming. Will he have a game show on the KBC format? "We are not playing that game now," he said. Sony is strengthening the Sunday morning lineup from 8 am with mythological programmes Ramayana and Shree Ganesh (to be aired from September 17), followed by the one-hour Disney show which it took away from Zee TV. Sony’s strategy is to move from light to heavy entertainment in the evening. "We will start from Disney, move to sitcoms and progress to heavy entertainment. Our heavy entertainment products like CID and Aahat which began in 9.30 pm have gone to the late hours," said Mr Pant. Sony is hoping to get the Disney Channel for distributing in India, though Star TV is also in the race. The plan to acquire portals has been deferred thanks to bad market conditions. Said Dasgupta, "We expect the dotcom prices to fall further. Though I had announced the acquisition of two portals, we are not going ahead with it now".

With Ravina Kohli joining Channel Nine, Sony has recruited Rekha Nigam to head programming. Prashant Sanwal will head marketing. "We have lost several staff. But we are setting our house in order," said Das-gupta.How strong is Sony TV? "We have acquired the children’s band. Earlier, our core audience was the young, upscale adult. Now the channel is for upscale family viewers," said Mr Pant.

Sibrabrata Das

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