MUMBAI: Big Magic, variety entertainment channel for the core Hindi heartland from the Reliance Broadcast Network (RBNL) stable, is bringing back ?Khulja Sim Sim? (KJSS).

The show is being produced by Big Productions, the television content production division of RBNL.

The game show is an Indian adaptation of the International format ?Let?s Make A Deal?. The channel has acquired the rights for the format from Fremantle.

The show was earlier aired on Star Plus in July 2001. It went on air for over two years and 105 episodes. The first season of the show was hosted by actor Aman Verma while the second season was hosted by Hussain Kuwajerwala that launched in 2004.

The channel has done a ?call for entry? promotion across multiple media, in the Hindi Heartland to invite consumers to participate and get a chance to be on the show. The entire show will be shot in UP and MP with local audiences from across the region participating.

Khullja Sim Sim will be promoted through a multi-media campaign, featuring TV, Radio, OOH, Print, Digital, Cable, Cinema across the Hindi Heartland.

It will be clubbed with 92.7 Big FM to offer an integrated media offering to marketers.

In the game show, the host randomly picks up participants from the studio audience. The participant has to trade between various options and gets the chance to win a jackpot. The participants usually have to weigh the possibility of an offer being made for a valuable prize, or a potential undesirable item, or a ?tai tai? fish.

MUMBAI: Big Magic, Reliance Broadcast Network?s music and entertainment channel for the Hindi heartland, is launching a new talent hunt show ?Mele Ke Big Star? across the markets of UP, MP and Bihar.

The channel has roped in Horlicks as the presenting sponsor, while it is powered by Nutrine. Mortien is the associate sponsor for the show.

?Mele Ke Big Star? provides a platform for local talents in singing, dancing, stunts, mimicry or acrobatics. The show will launch in the third week of May.

Prior to launch, the channel had conducted a pilot test at Magh Mela in Allahabad where over 100 performances were hosted over a two-day period with a live viewership of over 100,000.

The company spokesperson said, "Mela is the most basic form of entertainment which congregates the local inhabitants of a region. Melas put on display the true social fabric of a village. Through our show, we intend to take this talent from the grass root level and nurture it to present it to the country at large. We are not only encouraging local talent which is fast diminishing in the face of other forms of urban entertainment, but we are also connecting with local tastes and sensibilities. ?Mele Ke Big Star? is sure to excite not only the respective regional consumer but also the regional talent which has long sought its due recognition."

40 contestants from across various fairs will participate in the show, wherein 10 will be shortlisted for the grand finale to happen at Nauchandi Mela in Meerut (UP).

According to the official communiqu?, Mele Ke Big Star, is one of its kind opportunity which will not only help the channel to build a long term bond with the consumers but will also amplify this association beyond the host area through Big Magic.

The show will be promoted through TV, radio and print. The show will reach out to approximately 7 million viewers every week on Big Magic, and 2.5 million listeners per week on Big FM, the company said.

MUMBAI: Big CBS has transitioned its youth focussed channel, Big CBS Spark, into a music channel for the youth.

Big CBS, a joint venture between Reliance Broadcast Network Ltd, feels there is a gap in the upmarket audience that the channel can tap into; they want to hear and watch global artistes. Currently, the only channel that has Western music is Vh1.

Big CBS Spark, launched last April, already has a one-year deal with Sony Music. The deal, which can be renewed, will give access to the entire archive of music videos and concerts as well as Sony Music?s upcoming content.

Big CBS is also talking to other labels like Universal to expand the source of its content.

Big CBS business head Vishal Rally said, ?We started the process of beefing up music about a month back. Even earlier the channel had around 30 per cent of music content. We did research. Music is the lifeline of youth. There are very few options for Western music on television.?

With the amount of music content going up, shows like ?90210? have left the channel. The channel recently launched three music based shows - Hip Hop MCs (for rap, hip hop music), Indie Rock Mania (for rock music and independent bands) and Hot Hitz.

The channel defines primetime as 7 pm-midnight. ?We have created music blocks for different genres like pop, rock, world music. At the same time we do have some non music content like the reality show ?Cheaters?. We also have light and comic shows like ?Oblivious? and ?Real TV. Non music content forms around 30 per cent of our primetime lineup,? said Rally.

The channel already has 10-15 per cent local content and aims to increase this to 30-40 per cent. ?We have started to feature college festivals. We want to offer a platform for young and upcoming artists to be showcased in the channel. The focus will be on English rock and pop bands and singers in the country. We are also looking at folk music, which is sadly being ignored. We are also planning to feature musicians from the North East and will do a show around that,? averred Rally.
Big CBS Spark plans to bring international artistes down.

"We will spend the next couple of months observing how the channel fares with youth the core TG being 15-34 SEC A,B. As we are focussing on the youth, the channel will see a use of social media to connect with audiences," said Rally.

MUMBAI: Big Magic, the regional entertainment for Hindi heartland from the Reliance Broadcast Network (RBNL) group, has added a new show to its content lineup.

The channel which is available in UP, MP, Bihar and Jharkhand, has started a new Bhojpuri music band.

The band ? ?Hamaar Des Hamaar Sangeet? - will air everyday at 9-9.30 am.

The new band, Big Magic hopes, will cater to the audiences spread across the Hindi Heartland who enjoy Bhojpuri
Music.

This Music band will feature songs from the latest and popular Bhojpuri films. Apart from popular Bhojpuri Music, it will be interspersed with Bhojpuri gags to increase the entertainment quotient for the viewers.

The gags, performed by Bhojpuri comedians, will showcase typical characters from the region like a doodhwala bhaiya, policeman, and politician performing gags on local insights.

The band will keep introducing more interesting local characters over a period of time, the comoany said in a statement.

MUMBAI: Lucha Libre US has announced a long-term partnership with Reliance Broadcast Network (RBNL).

With the deal in place, the first season of Lucha Libre? Masked Warriors will air simultaneously on RBNL?s English entertainment channel Big CBS Prime, part of the Channels launched through its joint venture with US? CBS Studios International, and its regional entertainment channel - Big Magic - targetted at the states of Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Bihar and Jharkhand.

The show will air on Big CBS Prime each Friday at 9 pm and on Big Magic - each Saturday and Sunday at 7.30 pm.

This programme is a free style wrestling show. The series includes a roster of Mexican and US wrestlers, such as Lizmark Jr., Super Nova, Marco Corleone, Shane Helms and Tinieblas Jr.

RBNL said in a statement, "Sports programs are known to draw huge audiences in India. A deep audience insight mapping indicated an excellent opportunity to bring to India the Masked Warriors, showcasing the new and iconic warriors of Lucha Libre. We are confident that this offering will resonate well with our audiences across both channels, and are extremely pleased with the partnership".

Lucha Libre USA CEO Steven Ship said, "We are excited to be partnering with RBNL to bring this incredible tradition of Lucha Libre to audiences in India and allow them to view the program across demographics. We are confident, the reach and rich relevant audience base of Big CBS Prime and Big Magic will allow us to create sizeable impact in the Indian market".