Saam unveils logo for Marathi channel

Saam, the associated television venture between Neo TV Ltd and the Sakal Group, has unveiled the logo and positioning for its Marathi channel, Saam Marathi. Saam Marathi is a Marathi general entertainment channel (GEC) expected to be launched mid-May. Saam also plans to launch a Hindi GEC by the end of this year.

The logo of the channel is shaped like a lotus. Commenting on the symbolic value of the logo, Sanjay Dabke, head, TV projects, Sakal Group, says, “The lotus flower transcends the boundaries of all religions and is recognised for its purity by everybody. It is also the flower that depicts our true Indianness. It is seen as a very generic symbol, yet has a meaningful connotation. The logo thus reflects the mass audience we are targeting and also encompasses the quality of our programming.”

Saam Marathi is targeted at Maharashtrians across all SECs and age groups. The channel will address the entire family and also feature news and current affairs in addition to entertainment. Dabke says about the positioning of the channel: “Most GECs in Maharashtra have content that is full of hardcore soaps. Even reality shows on these channels do not go beyond singing.”

He continues, “Maharashtrians are known to possess a sense of good humour, but comedy is missing from the existing channels. The only comedy that one gets to experience is laughter shows. Our aim is to create programming that will essentially have fresh comedy content. We also hope to introduce reality shows that address a wider range of talent and not just singing. Overall, the entire programming of the channel, including soaps, will be interactive and encourage grass-root participation at all levels from the audience.”

The promotion of the channel is expected to start by mid-March. Apart from print and outdoor advertising, the channel will have lots of ground promotions in various parts of Maharashtra.