Media planners give thumbs up to ‘Indian Idol -2

Sony’s ‘Indian Idol’ was a money-spinner for the channel last year, as it sparked off a new trend of reality talent hunt shows. Now, the show’s second season, ‘Indian Idol Series 2’ is all set to launch on November 21 It will be telecast on Mondays and Tuesdays at the 8.30 p.m. time slot. But can ‘Indian Idol’ prove successful once again -- at a time when the telly scene is already crowded with a host of reality-based talent hunt shows?

Tarun Katial, executive vice-president, business head, Sony Entertainment Television (SET), says, “I think in the music industry there is still tremendous scope. Not to mention, this is an aspirational show that was hugely popular in the past, and I am hopeful that it should do well again.”

Describing the second series of Indian Idol, Katiyal says, “This time, the finalists will be equally divided into 14 boys and 14 girls, unlike the last time. In addition, we are also introducing new rounds, which we can talk about only later.”

The show’s tag line has also been changed from ‘Sab Kuch Bhula De’ to ‘Sapno Se Shohrat Tak’ The show will, however, have the same judges —Anu Malik, Sonu Nigam and Farah Khan — and will stick to Aman Yatan Verma and Mini Mathur as its hosts.

However, for the second series, the channel has decided to change the timings. Now, the show will directly compete with ‘Kasauti Zindagi Ke’ on STAR Plus. Katial says it is a deliberate strategy. “With Fame Gurukul, we have managed to generate a decent viewership in the 8.30 p.m. slot, so we want to continue leveraging on that,” he says.

Media planners are of the opinion that the sequel has a decent chance of doing well. As Ravi Kiran, CEO, South Asia, Starcom Worldwide, puts it, “It is true that sequels generally don’t do better than their predecessors. But another fact is that talent hunt and reality shows are becoming money-spinners for channels as they are successful in garnering viewers. The youth, especially, see these shows as an opportunity to get rich and famous quickly. I wouldn’t be surprised if ‘Indian Idol Series 2’ does as well, if not better, than the first season.”

Jeffrey Crasto, president, MPG India, Mumbai, is even more optimistic about the show’s popularity. He says, “The second series has a good chance of doing even better than the first. Sequels can do well, and ‘KBC 2’ on STAR Plus is a shining example of that.”

“Besides, one can’t ignore the fact that ‘Indian Idol’ was among the first music-based talent hunt shows in India. So naturally, it has the first-mover advantage. In addition, the events and shows that were telecast after Abhijeet Sawant became the first Indian Idol, were handled well with good visibility and coverage, unlike other shows which disappear from the scene once they are over,” he adds.

On the other hand, CVL Srinivas, managing director, MAXUS, India and Asia Pacific, feels that sequels generally don’t generate the same kind of euphoria as the first run. However, he adds, “The first season of ‘Indian Idol’ managed to get a loyal set of viewers. ‘Indian Idol Series 2’ will probably bring in a decent number of viewers.”

Srinivas also puts in a word of caution: “The ‘Indian Idol’ concept is still a fairly recent phenomenon. But if the show continues with a new series year after year, then sooner or later, the fatigue factor will undoubtedly set in. The channel must be careful that it doesn’t stretch the concept for too long, as it will prove unprofitable in the long run.”

For marketing the second series aggressively, the channel is using outdoor hoardings, events and road shows (involving the past finalists of ‘Indian Idol’ and its judges), in addition to several TVCs that are presently running on Sony.

© 2005 agencyfaqs!