MUMBAI: Branded entertainment has been tentatively explored by broadcasters Now here?s another attempt. But this time it looks like a lot of thought has been put behind it.

We are talking about Indian auto major Maruti Suzuki which launched a reality show last weekend on Star Plus called Ritz Jeele Ye Pal. Ritz is the premium hatchback car from the Maruti Suzuki stable. The show tracks six television celebrities and their mates as they travel in their Ritzs, facing and overcoming challenges over the 12 episode series which run Saturday, Sunday at 7.30 pm on India?s leading network.

 
Says Maruit Suzuki India chief general manager marketing Shashank Srivastava: ?The Ritz has a special place in Maruti Suzuki portfolio. Pegged for young couples, with a stylish and contemporary design and proven engine performance, the Ritz has gradually strengthened its position with the young Indian buyers and their families.?

Designed specially in association with LIN TV, a division of LMG, it has leading Star Plus faces like Kinshuk Mahajan, Annupriya Kapoor, Karan Wahi, Rati Pandey, Gaurav Khanna and Pavitra Puniya as contestants accompanied by a team mate who was selected after auditions in three metros. The teams have been called red, blue, green, grey, brown and silver ? probably keeping in mind the colours the Ritz is available.

The show is hosted by Roshni Chopra and Yudishthir Urs. The celebrity winner will receive the grand prize of Live the Moment - dream vacation and the teammate wins a brand new Maruti Suzuki Ritz.

According LMG content division Limelight president Kacon Sethi: ??The reality show will capture the thrilling and action packed journey of each contestant on the drive on the Ritz. The program structure is aimed to bring out each moment that the teams experience during the course of the show, making each moment worth remembering and living it to the fullest.?

She adds: ?Each challenge faced by the contestants creates situations which integrate the Ritz and emphasize features of the car that highlight the harmony of style and substance. The show will encompass emotion, drama and happiness which will bring out a fitting articulation of the brand Ritz?s promise ?Live the Moment?. Some of the tasks include ?tying authentic Rajasthani pagdi to breaking matkis while walking on a tight rope, to reciting Rajasthani poetry and much more."

Adds Srivastava: ?We are confident this programme will help us engage with the young couples even better. Ritz Jeele Ye Pal is a perfect platform where a family can sit together and enjoy the goodness of Ritz while being engaged with the adventure and action.?

LMG chairman and CEO Lynn De Souza points out that her agency has long believed in the power branded integration with content and media. ?Earlier this took the form of sponsorships and it is now taking new form and substance. The Ritz Jeele Ye Pal program is a great example of this synergy - where the content has been customized to amplify the promise of the brand as well as entertain and engage the audience.?

All that one has to do is wait and watch if audiences buy into that promise.

MUMBAI: PMI Entertainment is launching a new serial, Sukanya - Hamari Betiyaan, from 5 September at 2.30 pm every Monday to Friday.

Sukanya is based on the story of a girl Aakansha who wants to become an IAS officer and how she overcomes every hurdle. She follows the path of her principled father and maintains a balance between power and values even after becoming an IAS. She spreads the beans of equality and happiness in society.

After a role in Star Plus? popular serial Bidaai, Seema Kapoor is set to feature in this new show.

The serial also features other artistes from the Hindi television film industry including Mehul Buch, Amit Singh Thakur, Shashikantji, Neha Bam, Meenakshi Arya, Yamini Thakur and Ritesh Mobh.

Sukanya is based on the story of a girl Aakansha who wants to become an IAS officer and how she overcomes every hurdle. She follows the path of her principled father and maintains a balance between power and values even after becoming an IAS. She spreads the beans of equality and happiness in society.

After a role in Star Plus? popular serial Bidaai, Seema Kapoor is set to feature in this new show.

The serial also features other artistes from the Hindi television film industry including Mehul Buch, Amit Singh Thakur, Shashikantji, Neha Bam, Meenakshi Arya, Yamini Thakur and Ritesh Mobh.

MUMBAI: Zee Entertainment Enterprises Ltd (Zeel) has posted a first-quarter performance that smells of a slowdown in advertising revenues for the media sector as one of India‘s largest television broadcasting companies has guided to a below double-digit growth this fiscal.

Zeel has disappointed market estimates as it reported a 13.3 per cent slide in consolidated net profit, impacted by a slowing ad revenue growth while expenses jumped with the company anticipating buoyancy in the economy.

Advertising revenue for the three-month period ended June 2011 grew just 0.5 per cent to Rs 3.79 billion. The flagship Hindi general entertainment channel, Zee TV, came under pressure even as it held on to its third position way behind rivals Star Plus and Colors.

Zeel MD and CEO Punit Goenka feels there is a softening in the advertising economy. "While our business fundamentals remain strong, the environment for ad spends has been weak, in our view, and to an extent the change of pace was quite fast. We are hopeful that with the onset of festive season, we should see some normalcy in advertising spends," he said. 

Subscription revenue stayed strong but the 16.7 per cent growth couldn‘t quite make up the growth pace that Zeel was anticipating. Operating revenue rose 3.1 per cent to Rs 6.98 billion from Rs 6.77 billion a year ago.

Net profit fell to Rs 1.30 billion (from Rs 1.50 billion) while expenses grew by 10.7 per cent.

Meanwhile, the consolidated operating profit (Ebitda) for the quarter skid 16.6 per cent to Rs 1.56 billion, from Rs 1.87 billion in the year-ago period. 

Click here to zoom

Subscription revenue managed a strong double-digit growth. Domestic subscription revenue stood at Rs 2.07 billion, while international subscription revenue stayed at Rs 976 million.

Revenue from domestic DTH operators, part of domestic subscription revenue, was at Rs 1.11 billion, up 55.9 per cent. Subscription revenue from international operations dropped 3.5 per cent, while subscription revenue from domestic cable increased by 8.4 per cent.

Zeel chairman Subhash Chandra said, "The widespread adoption of satellite based television services via DTH is proving to be a big game changer for television business in India and creating a more sustainable business model for the industry. We expect some consolidation to take place in the television media space. Creation of MediaPro Enterprise is one step in that direction, which will help develop the pay revenue stream for the industry. New content formats, like HD and 3D, are being experimented with and will likely open up new revenue streams for the broadcasters."
 

Programming and operating cost for the quarter saw a 27.5 per cent rise to Rs 3.05 billion, from Rs 2.39 billion a year ago. Employee cost rose 53.2 per cent over the earlier year. Selling & other expenses for the quarter stood at Rs 1.25 billion, increasing by 55.1 per cent over the corresponding period of the previous fiscal. Total costs incurred by the company rose 36.5 per cent to Rs 4.90 billion.

Overall, programming and operating cost in the quarter rose 12.2 per cent to Rs 3.42 billion compared to Rs 3.05 billion a year ago. Employee cost increased by 25.1 per cent over the year-ago period. Selling & other expenses in the quarter were flat at Rs 1.25 billion, as compared to the corresponding period of the previous fiscal. 

This includes additional one-time expense on marketing and rebranding exercise undertaken during this quarter. Total costs incurred by the company in this quarter stood at Rs 5.42 billion, showing an increase of 10.7 per cent over the corresponding period last fiscal.