AgTalk | We have created the necessary infrastructure to run five live news channels: India TV's Rajat Sharma

Rajat Sharma, Chairman and Editor-in-chief, India TV, is a man who has been known for his ability to nail that difficult question in the right spot and get answers from the powerful men and women in the country. However when tables turn and as Sharma is on the other side of the table, he handles questions with equal ease. In an exclusive conversation with Adgully, he talks about new channel launches, India TV's growth story and the special connection he has with his audiences. Excerpts:

Adgully (AG): Can you share with us the two key USPs of India TV?

Rajat Sharma (RS): Our channel has the highest number of hard news content as compared to the top three channels. We have introduced concepts like Speed News, Super fast News, Paanch Minute Pachees Khabre etc and these content innovations are delivering good ratings and have placed us at a No.1 position. The other USP is that compared to other channels which have become faceless India TV has a face that people can relate to.

AG: How has India TV evolved over the years?

RS: When we launched India TV we tried to establish an ideal news channel. We had content related to women welfare, animal welfare, health & education, rural development, etc. Hence there was lot of appreciation but we did not see a rise in our revenue and advertiser response. So our only option was to change the format of the channel into a popular channel, and we went ahead with a populist approach. The populist approach really drove India TV to the No.1 position. Last year we came back to news giving up on the populist approach. We took it up as a challenge that we will report on hard news and current issues, this garnered us the viewers' support. Moreover the gap between us and our closest competitor in terms of ratings has also increased.

AG: What is your core strategy going to be in the months to come?

RS: It is a highly competitive market; hence the strategies are changed month after month. There are times when strategies are made daily, and at times there is a need for a strong strategy every hour in a day. It is a war-zone and hence strategies are made by keeping a close watch on the competition. India TV's biggest USP is that we are a flexible organisation and we change according to the circumstances.

AG: Can you share with us the challenges for India TV and the news genre in general at this point in time?

RS: The biggest challenge before India TV is that because there are no copyright on the content, the style of promotion etc people copy us. Other channels have become clones of India TV. So it is a situation where we have to keep re-inventing ourselves.

The news genre in general has to battle the challenge of the perception that there is a lack of news content. As mentioned earlier we have tried to change the focus and concentrate on hard news, but it will take us awhile to change the perception. Moreover the challenge is grave because news cannot be sold as a commodity.

I think what is important for any news channel is credibility and trust of the viewer. Credibility and trust will follow when you are free and fair. There are channels which will come and go but the channel that stands the test of time will have to be credible and trusted.

AG: There is a buzz that India TV will soon have a business channel and that the team is looking at regional market too, would you like to share more on this front?

RS: Currently we are studying the market; we will certainly take a call when we need to. As of now we have not planned to enter the regional market. We are strategically planning for a business channel, an English news channel and two other channels in couple of other genres. All these plans are in the pipeline, but we have created the necessary infrastructure from where we can run five live news channels. We are in touch with media planners, viewer groups and research agencies and we will soon take a call and roll out potential launches.

AG: What is the core Target Group for Indian TV today?

RS: We are with everyone; we do not cater to a specific TG. India TV's biggest advantage is that it has a mass base and it also has a class base. We are present in all regions across the country and we have content for all audience categories.

AG: Aap Ki Adalat is a brand in its own right. Any plans to launch more audience-based content?

RS: I have been associated with Aap ki Adalat for almost 18 years now. And I am delighted that people still watch it and it still is the No.1 rated show. But I would not want to devise more programmes. Obviously when a situation will arise to do an audience-based show like Aap Ki Adalat I will surely do it.

AG: How has the year 2010 been for India TV?

RS: 2010 was one of the most satisfying years for us. In terms of revenue we did very well, in terms of rating we continued to be on top and all this growth has come from our focus on hard news programming. It is more satisfying for me because now I do not have to compromise to stay on top.

AG: What roadmap have you charted for the channel?

RS: My vision is that India TV should continue to be a leader and our growth trend in ad rates should continue. This year we increased our ad rates by 18-20%. Moreover my dream is that India TV becomes the most credible and trusted organisation in this country. And our infrastructure is so enabled that we can create perfect content for the next 10 years. We are looking at launching many more channels. I am also looking at launching a Television training institute because I think the number of television channels is increasing and there are not many trained professionals to run these channels.

AG: What are your plans on the web edition front and for the mobile platform?

RS: There is already a website for our channel called indiatvnews.com. We are looking at making it more vibrant and versatile. So some changes are likely to be made to website in the near future. Right now the bandwidth in the country is so low there is no point in putting content on the mobile platform. But we are prepared for it. Our infrastructure is so developed that seamless transmission of content through any platform like internet, HD and mobile will be easily enabled.

AG: Anchors play a very important role in a news channel's functioning today- Your take on the same.

RS: I think anchors are people through whom viewers identify a channel. What I have done throughout my career is that I have tried to always be with the masses. I have always spoken their language and their mind. I think for any anchor the most important thing is that the viewers have to reckon your name and presence with immense trust. A journalist has to always be honest with the masses, work hard, never try to cheat the viewer and be fair.

AG: What is your take on the News Broadcasters Association (NBA)? Is their sufficient representation from all the quarters?

RS: I think it is a well-created body and they have done a wonderful job. The NBA has brought all the news channels together. NBA in all has brought respect to news channels.

AG: Any message for young talent...

RS: Young aspirants should not come to this profession for money. They should join it if they are willing to have sleepless nights and commitment. | By Prabha Hegde [prabha(at)adgully.com]