Star Lines Up Clutch Of Hindi Programmes For India

As part of the gameplan, STAR Plus will have about three hours of Hindi programming daily in the afternoons and evenings including airing on-air English serials dubbed in Hindi and blockbuster movies on Saturdays and Sundays which would be expanded to about six hours.

STAR TV also plans strategic alliances with regional and other satellite broadcasters to beam regional language programme for its direct-to-home (DTH) network.

Basus strategy includes a move to make peace with Subash Chandra-promoted Zee TV with which it is planning a joint DTH network despite the market being small.

STAR has also decided against shifting its uplinking operations from Hong Kong to India, hints of which were dropped during Rupert Murdochs last visit to India after an assurance on cooperation from the Chinese government.

 

Speaking to Business Standard, R Basu said, The idea is to reorient the programming on STAR Plus and introduce more Indian programming which will keep the Indian sensibilities in mind and also attract advertisers.

The Hindi band being created for STAR Plus is expected to start from October 21 whereby about two hours between 7 to 10 pm will be devoted to Hindi serials, Hindi and English news bulletins and dubbed serials. In the afternoons, STAR Plus plans to air serials like Ramesh Sippys `Buniyaad and `Khaandan.

In addition, Saturdays and Sundays will have Hindi feature films and serials like `Chandrakanta and `Alif Laila.

The market for English serials are different from those in Hindi which the advertisers too understand. So we are taking a close look at the content of programmes on STAR Plus and how to increase the Indian component, Basu said, adding our aim is to increase the revenue at the rate of 25-30 per cent annually and cut the losses.

Rupert Murdoch had admitted that STAR TV is incurring huge losses and if international reports are to be believed, during 1995-96, Star TVs operating losses was close to $90 million.

Though the Zee TV-STAR TV relationship has been showing signs of decline, STAR has made peace moves by initiating a dialogue with Zee for a joint DTH network in India. A DTH network will have to start off with atleast 40-50 channels with about 10 of them being premium/gold channels.

We are talking to regional broadcasters like Sun TV to come on to the DTH platform, Basu said. Though he did not want to put a time frame to Stars DTH project, STAR certainly would want to be the first player in the arena even if that means working together with Zee TV, he said.

Consolidation of activities seem to be the buzz word in STAR TV these days. The satellite broadcaster is staying put in Hong Kong for the present instead of shifting base when next year China takes over HK. China has assured us of all cooperation ... why should we move out ? Basu said.

The idea is to reorient programming on Star Plus and introduce more Indian programming which keeps the Indian sensibilities in mind and attract the advertisers.

Turn Star Plus into a hybrid channel by airing Hindi serials and dubbed serials daily for about three hours. Hindi feature films on weekends.

Strike strategic alliances with regional satellite broadcasters to work together instead of fragmenting the cable and satellite market.

Make peace with Zee TVs co-promoter Subhash Chandra by offering to jointly launch a DTH network thereby being the first entrant in the field.

Target an annual advertising revenue growth of 25 per cent annually to arrest losses.

Consolidate activities as Star TV does not plan to move out of Hong Kong with the Chinese government having assured Star of cooperation.