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Real readies for launch with five shows
The latest entrant in the GEC space promises to bring fresh programming targeted at the audience
Real, the latest entrant in the general entertainment channel (GEC) space by Real Global Broadcasting (RGB), which will be launched on March 2, has lined up five fiction and non-fiction shows.
RGB is a 50-50 joint venture between Alva Brothers Entertainment and Turner International.
The channel has roped in Swastik and Panama Productions, apart from its in-house production unit, Miditech, to generate content. The channel is in talks with many other production houses.
Talking to afaqs!, Sharada Sunder, president, RGB, says, “Real marks Alva Brothers Entertainment’s foray into broadcasting and Turner International’s entry into the Hindi entertainment space. We will soon launch a heavy marketing initiative across all verticals including print, outdoor, television and below-the-line (BTL) activities.”
Nikhil Alva, chairperson, RGB, explaining the creative vision of the channel, says, “Real is a new kind of Hindi entertainment channel which will be dramatically differentiated, yet relevant and aspiring to Indian viewers. The channel will have fun, positive and joyful programming that will reflect real people, real situations and will be a mirror to our everyday lives.”
He adds, “We believe that the Indian audience is ready for entertainment that it can relate to and not stereotypical. From its launch, the channel will be beamed to more than 10 million homes across the country.”
Targeted at the neo-Indian audience in the age group of 15-34 years across all demographics, Real will begin with three hours of original programming every week, with movies, music and kids' programming forming a large chunk of the content.
The programmes on the channel will include Sarkaar Ki Duniya, a reality show produced by Miditech, which will have 18 Indians performing tasks to make an island habitable under the watchful eyes of its autocratic ruler, Sarkaar, played by actor Ashutosh Rana. The show will be aired from Monday to Friday at 10 pm.
Namak Haraam by Panama Productions is a story of a husband and wife driven apart by their conflicting value systems, which will be aired from Monday to Thursday at 9.30 pm.
Vicky Ki Taxi, produced by Miditech, is a show where unusual stories unfold in the setting of a taxi, with the taxi driver, Vicky, playing the role of a reluctant messiah. The show will be aired every Friday at 9 pm.
Other shows to be telecast on the channel include Hindi Hai Hum, which captures the mood and vision of a younger India and Poker Face, an international game show.
In an email interview, Sunil Lulla, director, Real Global Broadcasting, says, “RGB will work along with leading production houses which fulfill the content brief and resonate with our kind of audience. The content is in alignment with the positioning of the channel, which is in tune with Indian consumer insights.
“Real is for people like you and me. It is positioned for the neo-Indian, the urban oriented, outward looking and ambitious Indian seeking an alternative which is not the current stereotype. It is for men and women who enjoy watching television together.”
Real is a digitally encrypted pay channel and will be distributed through the Zee Turner bouquet. It will be available across the country on cable systems and digital platforms.