SAB plays to its strengths

Being second-tier has not dented the performance of this MSM channel, which just refreshed its popular shows in different ways

Even though it plays second-fiddle to its parent's primary Hindi general entertainment channel (GEC), Sony, SAB TV has held its own over the years. Some of its shows, mostly fictional, score high in overall GEC viewership shares on Indian TV. Recently, it unveiled a brighter look and timed it with a new season, bolder motifs and the return of popular characters on some of its shows.

Sticking to its distinct positioning as a comedy channel for five years, Multi Screen Media's (MSM's) Hindi GEC has outlasted competition and seen new ones in the second rung from other networks, which fight it out among themselves on the first rung of GEC channels. On an average, SAB hovers at the fifth spot in viewership rankings of GECs, at a time when even the second spot sees GECs like Colors and Zee trade places, depending on their programming.

The channel roped in Argentinian agency, Steinbranding, to create the new look of the channel. Anooj Kapoor, SAB TV business head says, "We have remained steadfast on our proposition of being a comedy channel for the family and at the same time, have managed to remain newsy through engagement initiatives. This is one more such effort. We are the same channel with the same shows and characters, but we look brighter and fresher." The channel spends a third of the amount spent by leading GECs on marketing and nearly the same on programming.

When MSM took over the channel from Shri Adhikari Brothers in 2005, it had been wallowing with 19 gross rating points (GRPs, the sum of TV rating points or TRPs). Since 2010 onwards, it has consistently returned 132-136 GRPs. That was after SAB's parent had toyed with targeting the channel at the youth to no avail and returned with gusto to its original genre - comedy. The insight was that housewives lorded over primetime rights to TV-watching, leaving men and kids in the lurch. "We thought of offering programmes that would bring together all the three in front of the TV, without alienating the women," Kapoor had said in an earlier interview. The channel took the key elements of daily tear-jerkers and turned them on their head - female protagonists who were strong but not evil and light-hearted but insightful content.

Shows born as a result of the repositioning proved to be sticky. 'Taarak Mehta Ka Oolta Chasmah', 'Lapatagunj' and 'F.I.R.' are some of its longest running shows and ones which are seeing more action in recent weeks. With a mix of campy, slaptstick and good-hearted humour, these have recorded ratings of 1.5-2.5 (per cent of cable and satellite homes that watched its shows or TRPs), according to TAM, the TV rating agency. 'Taarak Mehta...' has helped the channel take on blockbusters on SAB's counterparts. The FICCI-KPMG Indian Media and Entertainment report for 2013 mentions that Ormax Media, which tracks the preference (favourite) share of programmes, rated the show as the third most popular in 2012, at 14.6 per cent share, after Sony's 'Bade Acche Lagte Hain' at 24.7 per cent and Colors' 'Balika Vadhu' at 18.1 per cent. SAB's prime-time shows let it beat the second-tier GECs like NDTV Imagine and Star One in 2010 to take the fifth slot, a position it has held on to since then.

SAB's consistent branding has kept it ahead of its current competitor, Life OK, the second-tier GEC from Star India, by six-eight GRPs. "Even though Life OK has a lot of varied content, it has just one-two shows that have done exceedingly well - 'Mahadev' and 'Savdhaan India'. That is not the case with SAB. While 'Tarak Mehta...' has a clear lead over the rest of the shows, there are shows like 'Lapatagunj', 'F.I.R.', 'Chidiya Ghar' and 'Jeanie and Juju' that are also holding their own on the channel," says a media planner. While Life OK has weeks when its ratings shoot up to mid-140s, owing to a 'maha episode' on its flagship show, Mahadev, before dipping to 125-127 GRPs, SAB does not see such fluctuations. Its 'Tarak Mehta...' maintains ratings in the range of 2.1-2.5 TRPs.

It also sells ad inventory at a 5-10 per cent premium to Life OK, according to experts, at around Rs 1 lakh for 10 seconds on 'Tarak Mehta...' and Rs 25,000 for 10 seconds on its other prime-time shows. With a slight skew towards SEC C,D,E (54 per cent of its audience), it is also poised to cash in on the trend of reaching down the pyramid that is driving the business of regional GECs as well. Its stronghold is in the west, such as Gujarat and Maharashtra. Allied Media CEO Shripad Kulkarni says, "SAB TV has achieved the classical mix of good positioning, successful tent-pole properties, innovative content srategies and good GRPs." Kulkarni also points out that its humour-based content that draws a sizeable male audience, makes it complement mainstream GECs because "men form a large chunk of any advertiser's target audience".

To cash in on characters such as Jethalal and Daya Gada in 'Tarak Mehta...', the channel has a paid service called SAB Ki Sawari that takes fans on a tour of the sets of the popular shows to interact with the actors. In digital, the app series called SAB Ke Apps furthers the engagement, with five animated characters.

The character-based popularity of the shows has led the channel to launch a second season of the social drama, 'Lapatagunj' this month. 'F.I.R.' is seeing its original protagonist, Chandramukhi Choutala, played by Kavita Kaushik, return on screen. Her absence from the show due to creative differences had seen a sharp dip in ratings of the popular property.