'Nothing knee-jerk about our initiatives': Deepak Segal, Sr. VP, STAR India

Four years after shaking up the ratings chart with the trailblazing KBC, the honchos at STAR Plus believe it's time for an encore. While the existing shows on the channel have figured in the C&S Top 100 with monotonous regularity, bringing in some change is what officials at STAR are betting on this year. Channel honchos have, in fact, charted out an ambitious programming strategy that is geared to take the market leader to new heights.

First on the list is a national talent hunt titled Indian Superstar that is slated to go on air by end-May or early-June this year. The talent hunt, which is a search for good actors, will result in the selection of six stars - a lead pair and four supporting cast - who will be given a break in a movie directed by a noted Bollywood filmmaker. Deepak Segal, senior vice-president, content and communication, STAR India, maintains that the channel is in talks with Raju Hirani (director of the Sanjay Dutt-starrer Munnabhai MBBS) to direct the film featuring the selected newcomers. The director of the televised talent hunt, however, will be Goldie Behl of Rose Movies, he adds.

Alongside, the channel is revamping children's show Shakalaka Boom Boom, telecast at 7.30 pm on weekdays, with the new episodes set to go on air by end-April this year. Kinshuk Nitin Vaidya, the child star who played the role of Sanju in earlier episodes of Shakalaka Boom Boom, will be back in a new storyline titled The School of Magic, Segal informs. Vaidya, along with other regulars in Shakalaka Boom Boom, was dropped from the show late last year, with new characters and artistes including popular child star Hansika Motwani (Tina in Des Mein Nikla Hoga Chand) taking centre stage. Vaidya was popular, explains Segal, which is why he is back.

Viewers of Sonpari, the kids show telecast at 8.00 pm on Wednesdays, will see a brief deviation from the good-versus-bad tale when the birthday of protagonist Fruity will be celebrated with much fanfare on April 21. The channel has launched an innovative contest around the episode, with children invited to create birthday cards on the occasion. Creators of the best three cards will get an opportunity to feature on the show along with Fruity. "They will participate in the birthday celebrations," says Segal. Meanwhile, Karishma Kaa Karishma, the Hindi adaptation of English show Small Wonder, telecast at 7.30 pm on Fridays, will be replaced with a new programme in May, titled Kabhi Kushi Kabhi Dum. While Hatim, the one-hour costume drama telecast at 8.00 pm on Fridays, will run up to Diwali. "Kiddie slots need change," explains Segal. "Children are flexible and look forward to something new all the time. Hence, the churn level among kiddie shows will be high."

The strategy with shows that target older audiences (read daily soaps), on the other hand, is to innovate within the storyline. "These audiences are more rigid and prefer to stick to their staple diet of programmes. In such a case, the show is given a new lease of life by relevant twists and turns," Segal explains. So Kumkum, telecast at 1.00 pm from Monday to Thursday, for instance, saw the introduction of a "slightly unique plot", with the result that the show has emerged as the frontrunner in the afternoon band notching up a TVR of 13.41 for the week ending April 3, 2004. Shagun, the long-running afternoon serial telecast at 2.00 pm, has been replaced with Balaji soap Kesar on April 19, while the 1.30-pm slot has UTV show Bhabhi, and the 2.30 pm one has the Deepti Bhatnagar-produced Kabhi Aaye Na Judaai.

Segal's rationale for the replacement of Shagun is that the channel needed to maintain its commanding position in the afternoon band with a strong property. "Shagun brought in the afternoon audiences for us, but it is Kumkum which is leading the way right now. At one point, Shagun was delivering a TVR in the region of 7.5 to 8, which is now down to 4.5 to 5 ratings points. We needed something which could maintain our commanding position, which is why we have slotted Kesar at 2.00 pm."

Shanno Ki Shaadi (a comedy from UTV), Tele-Duniya (a tele-magazine), the return of Khulja Sim Sim and the replacement of late night show Kahin Kissi Roz, are the other STAR shows in the pipeline. According to Segal, the new shows will be launched later this year. "There is nothing knee-jerk about our initiatives," he says. "We always take cognisance of viewer fatigue and keeping innovating all time." © 2004 agencyfaqs!