CNBC TV18 makes a point with Change Leaders

"Business coverage is niche but business is not niche. It is the ‘soft edges' of business reporting that gets people not so interested in hardcore business news, tuned in," highlights a Delhi-based media analyst.

No wonder an increasing number of business magazines in India are finding value in associating with surveys on the quality of work environment in organisations, health concerns of executives, gender issues and the like.

In line with this trend, CNBC TV 18 has unveiled a programme Change Leaders, featuring ‘a new breed of thinkers affecting positive change in their respective work areas'. This kind of programming is not new on CNBC TV18 though. On August 15, 2002, the channel had featured a special, Women on the Move, investigating the impact of the economy on the daily lives of the non-business segment women.

Elaborating the strategy behind this new programming slant to agencyfaqs!, B Saikumar, head, sales and marketing, and director, strategic alliances, CNBC TV18, says, "The idea is to stretch the audience profile, to include more viewers as we have been doing with Trendmill, Good Life, The Art Show, The Auto Show and Young Turks. Change Leaders is a mix of people who are known, and people who are not that well known, who have been making a substantial difference in their workplace."

The first episode of Change Leaders was telecast on August 15. Celebrities being featured in this series include journalist-cum-activist Teesta Setalvad, who was recently awarded the Nuremberg International Human Rights Award, IT Secretary, State of Karnataka Vivek Kulkarni, who has driven the state to chase new frontiers, Jaykar Jerome aka demolition man of Bangalore Development Board, Sunita Narian of Centre for Science & Environment, Tarun Tejpal of Tehelka, Sam Singh of DuPont, and 2003 Magsaysay awardee for Government Service James Lyngdoh. In addition, Citi Scape, an organisation devoted to making sure that public space is not encroached into, would be showcased in Change Leaders.

Managing India, Storyboard, Trendmill and Cutting Edge have been adapted to feature the 100-hour Change Leaders. "CNBC TV18 is also trying to find out what India thinks about these Change Leaders, in the form of vignettes called Winds of Change," informs Saikumar.

Change Leaders is of immense significance to the channel - more so for two key issues. The first, of course, is the fact that it serves as an entry point for non-CNBC viewers. The second is getting serious attention from the marketing fraternity. The channel has invested close to half a crore in promoting Change Leaders outside the channel. It has roped in three promoters. IBP is the presenting partner for Change Leaders, while Mitsubishi Lancer and Amity Business School are the other two promoters.

The grand finale of Change Leaders will be spread over three cities - Kolkata, Bangalore and Hyderabad. Usually not the cities covered for such forums, but Saikumar explains, "The logic is to get more and more people into the fold." While the name of the event is still undecided, it will be a brainstorming session where some of the Change Leaders and likeminded people will participate to figure out what it takes to be a catalyst for change. © 2003 agencyfaqs!