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INTRODUCTION
With the sudden explosion at the media scene of the country with new channels coming up every now and then, there has been a dire need to classify these channels according to the viewership they are raking and how successful they are in reaching and holding on to their audience. This study is important because media agencies and organizations need pocket loads of cash to be used for advertising on the media but only those channels will get the lion s share that manage to attract and retain a large chunk of their target audience. In the entertainment channels category, the four channels fighting for top spot are GEO TV, ARY TV, HUM TV, and TVONE. Although every channel has a different approach to targeting their audience and retaining their interests and building loyalty, all of them have the same underlying goal at heart - to boost ratings. Therefore, this report has been carefully prepared by studying the aforementioned four entertainment channels by having one-to-one meetings with their sales and marketing personnel and digging deep into the details of these channels. To further substantiate the findings, secondary research has also been conducted to evaluate the content being aired and its quality. The advertising rates and CPRPs are also calculated to evaluate which channel offers the best rates while what channels offer the best compromise between cost and effectiveness. The report is intended to help media agencies and organizations alike to make a discerning decision regarding which channel(s) to use for their campaigns so that they can maximize their return from every single rupee they spend on advertising.
GEO TV
Background
Geo is Pakistan s first private satellite channel that began its transmission on 14th August 2002. It has become a prime source of news and entertainment for the people of Pakistan. It is the first South Asian Urdu language channel to provide content comparable with world-class television broadcasters. Geo is the fastest growing TV Channel in Pakistan with ratings exceeding all satellite delivered TV channels in the market Geo has the widest distribution on cable systems in Pakistan with 100% carriage within 90 days of launch.
Affiliations
It is owned by Independent Media Corporation and is part of the Jang group of companies. The channel was founded by Mir Shakil Ur Rehman and he is the Group Chief Executive and Group Editor in Chief of the Jang Group while the current CEO of Geo Network is Mir Ibrahim Rehman. Jang Group has a variety of channels each with a unique focus; Geo News was the first ever 24 hour dedicated news channel in Pakistan, Geo TV is an entertainment channel targeted towards families and housewives, Aag is another entertainment channel targeted towards youth, whereas, Geo was also a pioneer to start the country s first ever dedicated sports channel Geo Super. Geo TV is also an active member of the Pakistan Broadcaster s Association (PBA).
Geo TV Content
Geo TV is an entertainment channel targeted to families and households. It has a wide spectrum of programs that target the different household members in different parts of the day. Some of the programs aired on Geo TV are discussed below. Talk Shows Geo TV airs a number of talk shows that target a wide spectrum of audience. From morning shows to late night shows and comedy shows, GEO TV has programs lined up for every member of the household. Utho Jago Pakistan Utho Jago Pakistan is an interactive morning show that is aired on Geo TV. Geo hired Shaista Wahidi to host who was already an established morning show host on ARY Digital to host it morning show. The aim of this program is to offer a morning show that becomes the life style of its audience. The segments in the show offer beauty solutions, advice, gifts and a chance to win and be on the show along with the host. The show has three regular segments and six weekly segments. It is one of the most popular shows in its category. The Sahir Show Sahir Lodhi hosts his famous The Sahir Show four days a week exclusively on Geo. He talks candidly to a host of celebrity guests from the world of showbiz, sport and politics; not only coaxing them to lay bear the truth about rumors and controversies surrounding them but also getting them to dance, prance, sing and act, all in an effort to bring a smile to the audience s face. The Shareef Show In true late night show style, The Shareef Show brings the very best in celebrity guests. This show is all about having fun and laughing the heart out. Tum Ho Kay Cup A serial that spans over two generations and continents and highlights the striking contrast between two very different ways of life.. Ladies Park A comedy serial revolving around the lives of four couples and their trials and tribulations. They meet in a park every day and share each other s problems as they take their evening walk.
Hum TV
Overview
Hum TV is Pakistan's Premier TV Channel Geared towards Providing Quality Entertainment TV Programs for the Entire Family with a Special Focus on Females of Pakistan. It was launched on 17 January 2005. Hum TV Offers Everything from Soap Operas and Game Shows, to Shows about Modern Women's Issues Such as Child Care and Careers. Hum TV Stands out as the Most Viewed Entertainment Channel in Pakistan with a Regular line up of Blockbuster Drama Serials and Soap Operas.
Background
The Drama industry in Pakistan was quite thriving in the PTV era, when there was only one entertainment channel and people use to view it because of quality entertainment content. But after the opening of new media channels like GEO, ARY and the Indian channels viewers started from PTV. Most of the audience found their interest in Indian soaps with ZEE TV being the most popular. In order to attract those audience Pakistani Channels also started making contents, especially dramas, similar to Indian. But the audience was not contended with entertainment content and they were missing the quality drama which used to be played on PTV. Then came Hum TV, and revived the drama and serials that audience used to relish. It focused more on Pakistani people and reduced the number of episodes to 12-13. Hum TV was so popular in this feat that, still if people are asked the first channel that comes to their mind with the word drama , Hum TV tops the list.
Affiliations
Hum TV is a part of Eye Television Network which consists of two more channels that are Style 360 & Masala TV. The Chairperson of Eye Network is Sultana Siddiqui, sister of prominent business tycoon, Jahangir Siddiqui. It plans to launch to more channels y International Music/Youth Based Channel (OYE) y A Regional Language Based Channel Furthermore, it owns a media magazine HUMSAY which is the first media magazine of Pakistan. Eye Network is the only channel network that is listed in the Stock Exchange and its financial statements are available to everyone.
Hum TV Content
Currently drama ideas are developed keeping in view the social problems, not with respect to defining TG first and then developing a story. Many times it s an adaption of famous novels and plays. Currently two production house (one of them being Moamer Production) are vey popular and the price and the quality of their content can be termed premium. So Hum TV strategy is to get hold of these premium dramas and play it in the prime time slot. Premium content plays in the premium slot. Loyalty is quite high with respect to its content. Primary recall for its prime time drama is very high. Hum TV has been targeting housewives but it also wants to offer every form of entertainment under our umbrella.
Morning with Hum Morning with Hum, the network s flagship breakfast show features a mixture of celebrity interviews, self improvement segments, expert talk, and philanthropic forays into world events, news, views, experience sharing, etc. It s a complete package for lifestyle, which highlights everyday issues to empower women of today, with special emphasis on grooming, wardrobe, health, nutrition etc. Ufone hum matinee maza It is a special afternoon transmission showcasing viewer's choice of a drama serial from Hum TV's archives. Mera Naseeb This is the story of two friends, Shazia and Nazia, who were born the same day and at the same time. Their fathers also die the same day and they grow up in the same house. An old Sufi baba predicts on their birth that their fates are entwined and they will bring each other misery and bad luck if they stay together. Mastana Mahi The story revolves around Adil, a respectable landlord of Sindh and the son of a martyred politician, living in South Africa. Desi Girls A hot and crispy reality show Desi Girl in which eight divas from the television fraternity arrive in a rural village, bringing with them their urban air and fashion to take part in a show that will mark one of the girl as Desi Girl of the show.
TVONE
Overview
TVONE started its journey in 2005 as a pure entertainment channel. It started as a media venture by Airwaves Media (Private) Limited. Airwaves Media (Private) Limited is Interflow Group s multi-media wing, focusing on managing and operating satellite television and FM radio channels and their marketing. Its activities are extended to comprise program development, including software content for television, radio and allied media.
History
Since TVONE entered the market before HUM TV and many other channels, it was actually the pioneer to many new trends that are being followed by most TV channels like morning shows, etc. This was not a surprise as Tahir A. Khan, the owner of the Airwaves group, is considered the media guru of Pakistan due to his part ventures like introduction of NTM as the prime entertainment channel of Pakistan back in the early 90s. However, after a couple of years of success, TVONE got stuck in financial troubles and lost its way. During this time TVONE s content quality and innovativeness slowed considerably and this allowed other existing and new channels to take its place as the prime entertainment channel. This was the time that HUM TV and ARY DIGITAL capitalized on the most to establish themselves as the best entertainment channels of the country.
Affiliations
Airwaves Media (Private) Limited is a subsidiary of the Interflow Group, the largest advertising group in Pakistan. Headquartered in Karachi, Pakistan, Airwaves Media has TVOne, NewsOne, Waseb & Radio1 FM91 as its media units. Airwaves Media has 3 regional offices with production facilities in Lahore, Islamabad & Multan; and a coordinating office in New York, USA.
TVONE Content:
TVONE has been the trendsetter in entertainment genre. The trend of Telefilms was also first introduced by TVONE and is being carried on since 2007 every Monday. Although TVONE doesn t have the financial muscle to advertise and market its telefilms shown under the title Telerama are still giving a tough time to competitors due to the fact that they are more reality-based as compared to the fantasy-based stuff of competitors. This fact was evident from the fact that TVONE aired episodes on rape cases and prostitution. Although TVONE was also criticized for airing such content, mostly it drew accolades from all quarters. TVONE s USP is, Reality programming that empathizes with the populace of Pakistan, ranging from our talk shows on societal issues to serials on taboo topics. The flavor of realism remains a constant throughout our programs, making us the preferred choice of entertainment.
Muskarati morning with Faysal - A show to entertain, educate and express every Pakistani woman s voice. Discuss and listen to health issues and their solutions, fitness advice, legal problems and relationship hiccups Telerama - TELERAMA by TVONE is the flagship series that has won the hearts of millions of viewers with its powerful scripts, strong performances and authentic locations. Aesthetically created by acclaimed directors and writers; every play is unique, capturing people in real life situations across all strata of society. Band Khirkiyon Ke Peechay - Band Khirkyon Kay Peechay , the bold serial that made an attempt at exposing the lifestyle of the rich and famous. Madhosh soap featuring babar ali and mona lisa Husn ara kaun was sequel to Husn Ara featuring Meera, another successful program from TVONE. Haryali banna featuring Moin Akhtar Koffee with Karan is also a very popular program that is exclusively being showed by TVONE as it has acquired the rights to the program. TVONE has also purchased rights to the latest season of the program and expects continue with airing of this popular Indian program. Pratigya - Set in the historic city of Allahabad, Pratigya follows the struggles of a brave woman against primitive, male chauvinistic norms.
As TVONE is coming out of its financial troubles, it is planning to team up with individual directors like Saud, etc. to deliver high quality dramas to be aired right after Ramazan. In other words, TVONE is planning to spend big on itself and become a major competitor to the entertainment channel category in Pakistan.
The Future:
y TvOne is also going towards freelance directors to try and build a fix base of audience. Moreover, TVONE also plans to spend on advertisement of its programs to boost ratings. TvOne is spending around monthly 8-10 million on its FPC and gets a return of 40 million while Hum tv is spending 40 million on their FPC but their return is 100. This shows TVONE s marginal productivity of investment is very high and this is because of its high quality content. TvOne is offering the lowest CPRP for the channels and products use it as the frequency builder because it offers the lowest rate. Moreover, given the diverse viewership of the channel and the inexpensive advertising rates translate into a constant source of revenue for the channel.
ARY Digital
Background
ARY Digital is a popular Pakistani television network available primarily for Pakistan and regions of South East Asia, Middle East, United Kingdom, Europe and North America. It is a part of the ARY Network, which is a subsidiary of the ARY Group. The ARY Group of companies is a Dubai-based holding company founded by a Pakistani businessman, Haji Abdul Razzak Yaqoob (ARY). ARY Digital Network is composed of the following channels: y y y y y ARY News ARY Musik ARY Digital Ary Zauq ARy Qtv
ARY Digital was the flagship channel of the network which started operations in the year 2000 when the group acquired a private television channel which catered to the Southeast Asian community in the UK and re-named it ARY Digital. Realizing its potential, ARY Digital stepped into the Pakistani market when the Government of Pakistan allowed licenses for private satellite television channels. Currently, Salman Iqbal heads the network as the Global CEO for all local and international operations.
Affiliations
y y y y y
Pakistan Broadcaster s Association: active member; ARY Digital is represented by the CEO, Salman Iqbal in all PBA meetings Fashion TV: Since the December of 2005, FTV which is a regional channel in Pakistan, has been airing on the ARY Digital network Al Jazeera: Plans are under way for Al Jazeera Urdu in affiliation with Al Jazeera targeting 110 million Urdu-speaking households worldwide HBO Pakistan: ARY Digital in association with HBO's south-Asian division Nickelodeon: With the ARY s help, Nickelodeon is also planning to kick-start its operations in Nick Pakistan where it would be beamed into 2.5 million households with kids
Nadia Khan was ARY Digital s first investment in making a morning show host. She was an actress of different sitcoms and had favorable reputation and outlook of an accepted Pakistani woman figure. She was seen as a potential candidate because she related to many everyday Pakistani women in reality. Therefore, ARY created a strategy and brought her in as an morning host, developed the time slot and created an ARY morning show brand. Thus it increased the need for a morning time slot which was considered as a dead slot by all channels previously. IMPORTANT DISCOVERIES POINTED:
y y
Males are more motivated to watch morning shows than women due to the slice of life Males often go to office and watch TV if they can and usually see morning shows
Morning shows show slice of life, advice, tells you nice family oriented, culturally accepted and morally rights things to do or things from the society. That why the content of morning shows must be very aligned to the average culturally acceptance is towards the content otherwise the channel and its brand suffers heavily in the long run. A noteworthy fact is that right now, many of the morning shows are not able to sustain themselves but channels are trying to build it and invest in them for the future. Matinee Day Part: It has repeats of prime time shows so that if viewers miss it, they can come back and check it out. Important point: Investment in making or acquiring fresh content is SO high that it is virtually impossible to have fresh content for all slots. Attitude of ARY with respect to giving importance to time and investment: Prime time: 8-9 but ARY treats the entire time of 7-10 as the prime time- it shows that the channel is giving importance to the that time viewership even if the rates rise and drop as per the time slots rates.
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governance of the family, resulting into a disgraceful incidence with their youngest daughter Nimra. And it marks the advent of turmoil in his life and his family. Bulbulay A story of three special and lunatic characters, out of whom Nabeel leads the plot as he has been disowned by his own father for his care-free attitude. Nabeel has been provided accommodation by his friend Ahmar but unfortunately his blessings turn into miseries when Khubsoorat, the friend of Ahmar's wife arrives at his place and finds out his double-cross planning. So the rest of the story rests on her blackmailing and the scenario of Nabeel getting blackmailed. Desi Kuryan A reality show which is based on a very interesting concept of creating a war of survival amongst urban girls in a village life. The show has already completed its first season and now the excitement continues with 10 new urban girls in a much more culturally enriched ambiance of a village. Nachle Nachle is Pakistan s biggest reality show which has already completed its two seasons. It has competing contestant which contend on the basis of choreography. The process of elimination through votes leads to the winner of the contestant. There are two judges in the show as well which judge the contestants on the basis of their dancing capabilities. Alim or aalam A unique program with a differentiating essence of a peculiar blend between faith and life. An interactive program hosted by Dr. Aamir Liaquat Hussain where viewers call in and ask their respective questions from the scholars and present their special requests to their favorite host.
y y
y y
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Therefore it is advisable that the money spent must be reflected by the quality of the content broadcasted.
primary market is 18-45 females belonging to SEC A & B Secondary market includes people from all strata of society
Women who are looking quality entertainment
PHSYCHOGRAPHIC
People who are looking for good entertainment in their free time
Housewives and young women mainly who want to have quality entertainment once they get free from their house chores
-Audience
Perceptions
GEO A channel which is no longer viable without Indian content The content is not very attractive. Contains only few good programs which can be view GEO places greater emphasis on its news channel but the entertainment seems to be neglected as far as HUM Truly a self made channel with thorough hard work HUM is so far the best channel running on TV. Its content is based mostly on dramas It is highly viewed Has good quality products that can be watched with the whole family
About
ARY It s a good channel but has sporadic moments of audience attention ARY s content quality comes after HUM Better than that of GEO Still it s not as captivating as that of HUM
Channels
TV ONE Reemerging pure entertainment channel A channel which airs quality content that is based more closely on the real situation of the society than any other channel.
BRAND IDENTITY
CONTENT
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PRIME TIME
content is concerned Doesn t have a valuable content offering during prime time People have a low recall for the programs which shows that the prime time has a very low viewership
MORNING SHOWS
Dr. Shaista Wahidi does the show well but at times don t even she seems to be monotonous and doesn t have good ideas for the show.
It has the most viewership as all the programs are of high quality Audience prefer having a free time during the prime time slot so that they don t miss any of the programs It is mostly viewed all week long by the audiences A well designed assignment of slots to the programs throughout the week Actress Noor conducts the morning show but her rating is not very high Most of the people don t like her style and way of conducting the program
Few programs are good during this slot but still cannot beat HUM
Highly successful range of programs ranging from Indian content to the 4 years running telefilm series
DRAMA
Hardly there are any dramas which have audience recall Ye Zinadagi was good but soon became useless due to a long story Dolly ki Ayegi Baraat is a good show but just one of very few shows due to which GEO is liked
Market leader in this category Has no match when it comes its content Very good and experienced actors Great stories Many dramas running but all of them are winner People actually remember the day and time in order to keep a track of the episodes Came with innovations in the drama category
The morning show is conducted by Nida Yasir and had the most viewership as far as the comparison with the other shows is concerned People in general like her style The show is also liked due to its innovative ideas Few dramas are present which are exceptionally good But still cannot beat HUM in this respect
Has gained a lot of audience attention after hiring Faisal Qureshi as the host The show is good due to its hosting and lively feel
fan following weak Madhosh doing good.Husn Ara Kaun, the sequel to Meera s Husn Ara, doing particularly well. Indian content, Pratigya, getting strong ratings. Late Moin Akhtar s program also got a good response
INNOVATIVENESS
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Nachle.
Shows and Telefilm Awards.The content is more closer to the societal reality than on any other channel. Primary market is females 18-45 belonging to SEC A & B as it gets good ratings in that segment. Secondary market is all SECs. Famous Indian shows like Coffee With Karan & Pratgiya are being shown but people are not really interested and don t even know that if they are being shown.
TARGET AUDIENCE
INDIAN CONTENT
Feels like GEO is depending itself more on the Indian content than its own to run the channel All the content shown is interesting but doesn t build up viewership loyalty
Seems to cater all through its dramas The stories in the dramas are so much from the real life that people from all the classes can feel that they are related to the situation Cannot think of any Indian content that the channel shows
ARY has the target audience somewhat similar to that of HUM But mostly they are belonging to lower middle and middle class society due to its content variety Shows movies and some reality shows The content is good but don t really follow it
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Individuals-Net Reach
17.80% 13.00% 8.40% 16.70%
GEO Ent
TV one
Hum
ARY DIGITAL
In entertainment genre, GEO has the highest reach which is closely followed by ARY and then HUM. 17.8% of the target market is covered b GEO entertainment which quite high because of the fact that there is less competition within this industry unlike news genre.
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It can be seen that Geo TV dominates the morning show segment amongst the four entertainment channels followed by ARY, whereas, TVONE and Hum have the least rating in this segment. The ratings remain almost the same for the two top channels for the afternoon matinee slot, however, ARY s ratings have increased but are still lower than that of Geo. TV One s rating for the Afternoon Matinee deteriorates further done and hits the bottom most rating for any time slot in TV One. ARY tops the ratings in the evening prime time slot followed by HUM and Geo. The evening prime time has highest ratings compared to the other time slots; however, the ratings for TV One are still low for evening prime time slot. The prime time and late prime time ratings decrease substantially for all the top three channels. It is however noticeable that the evening prime time has an overall higher rating than any other time slot for all the four channels.
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CPRP's
800000 700000 600000 500000 400000 300000 200000 100000 0 ARY GEO TVONE
If we look at the rates for the entertainment channels, TVOne becomes quite high. This is because they have a fixed rate for Prime time that is 15- 18,000 and the rest at any spot for10,000. As a result of the slots with a very low rating, like morning slots the price charged still remains very high and hence making it not vey economical. The rates charged by GEO TV is quite high but they are equally compensated b its rating, hence making it a smart choice for advertiser in entertainment genre. We couldn t get the rates for HUM TV as it was removed from their website some days back.
Conclusion
The entertainment scenario in a country is the manifestation of a society s culture, heritage and uniqueness. Cable television is just another form of entertainment of the masses but it s very clear that it is very difficult to translate its message to a local market. Local networks usually take up this position to cater to the people on a micro level. However, by analyzing and understanding the entertainment industry with respect to the Pakistani Television industry, it is quite evident that the level of sophistication and dedication required is far above average. Creating high value content and programs has been the most challenging aspect of this business, financially and philosophically. The local indigenous sensitivities need to be kept in mind while keeping abreast with the current trends and in most situations dictating the upcoming trends; a winning proposition for any entertainment network. This is the reason it is so clear that every other channel is trying to come up with newer and innovative ways of providing entertainment to its audience. As a result, this growing industry has seen major changes and it is expected that further improvements are yet to come. The select few entertainment 17
channels; HumTV, ARY Digital, Geo Entertainment & TVONE all have played their parts in not only providing a competitive yet productive environment for this industry for flourish and grow but also maintaining a balance between our culture, identity and pride.
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Appendix
Viewership and rating analysis: Day part wise details
10 AM -11 AM Geo Hum TV ONE ARY Digital Monday 0.3 0.1 0.1 0.2 Tuesday 0.2 0.1 0.2 0.2 Morning Wednesday 0.3 0.1 0.1 0.2 Afternoon Wednesday 0.2 0.1 0.1 0.2 Matinee Wednesday 0.2 0.1 0.0 0.1 Thursday 0.4 0.1 0.1 0.2 Friday 0.3 0.1 0.1 0.2 Saturday 0.3 0.1 0.1 0.2 Sunday 0.2 0.2 0.2 0.2
Early Prime Time 8:00 PM to 9.00 PM Geo Hum TV ONE ARY Digital Monday 0.3 0.5 0.1 0.9 Tuesday 0.5 0.6 0.1 0.4 Wednesday 0.3 0.5 0.1 0.4 Thursday 1.0 0.8 0.1 0.6 Friday 0.4 1.2 0.2 0.8 Saturday 0.5 0.6 0.1 0.9 Sunday 0.7 0.4 0.1 1.3
Prime Time Wednesday Thursday 0.3 0.5 0.3 0.4 0.1 0.1 0.6 0.5 Late Prime Time Wednesday Thursday 0.2 0.3 0.1 0.2 0.1 0.1 0.4 0.3
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y y
Comedy shows
Comedy king
Reality shows
Big boss
y y
Concerts
y
Cricket
Pak-India series
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