MTV strengthens evening time-band

The channel gets a new look and a slew of new shows

A year after it changed its look and positioning, MTV has decided that it’s time for some more change. The channel now sports new shows, a few new VJs and new packaging and design.

The new programming initiatives are being implemented to boost evening viewing between 7 pm and 9 pm. Some of the new programmes are MTV GTalk, MTV Loveline Reloaded, MTV Dance Crew, MTV Star Scraps and MTV Fantastic Five.

"We want to leverage this time-band because there are no major offerings on the GECs (general entertainment channels) at this time. We hope to build on appointment viewing," says Ashish Patil, general manager and vice-president, creative and content, MTV India.

The channel will position these properties as Heaven at 7 on weekdays. To provoke a contrast, the new season of Roadies will be positioned as Hell at 7 on Saturday. "We are introducing new design and packaging for the channel using MDS Design, which is MTV's in-house design agency," reveals Patil.

The new packaging has been implemented in Brazil and Canada also. It includes attributes such as on-screen graphics, activities and tune-in messages on the screen. "This international graphics and packaging environment is such that it lends itself to interactivity and dynamism," he states. This, he believes, will ensure tune-ins for all the shows, which will be telecast back to back.

The channel will also focus on the Internet. Most of the programmes, Patil informs us, are telecast first on the Net. "Programmes such as Roadies and MTV GTalk, which have a lot of content that can’t be aired on television, are available online," he says. Uncut, unedited versions of its various shows are telecast on the MTV India website, www.mtvindia.com. The website has six lakh registered users.

The channel’s new avatar and offerings will be promoted extensively through the Viacom-18 network channels, as well as the MTV website.

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