Manage costs & maximise revenues to stay healthy: NP Singh

NP Singh, the COO of Multi Screen Media, has financial astuteness encoded in his professional DNA. Adgully asks him to describe the easy transition he made from the CFO perch to the COO position. Singh says he enjoys the thrill afforded by the creative side of operations. Excerpts from an exclusive interview:

Adgully: You have always been known for your expertise in finance, so how did you adjust to the role of leading an entertainment channel?

NP Singh: It has been an 11-year-long journey. I was the CFO for the first five years. For me, the transition from the CFO to the COO ” who handles multiple channels ” was smooth and easy because when I was the CFO, I played an active role in helping to manage the business. At that stage, the business was experiencing a flux, and that gave me a great opportunity to learn ” especially the creative side of operations. And when I got the chance to get out of my comfort zone, I decided to take the plunge and immerse myself in the other side of the business. So, this has been a fantastic journey. When I started, we had two channels; now we have several.

AG: Which brings us to the next question. How has Sony evolved since you took over?

NPS: When I took over, it was a single-channel company, which was a GEC. Then we launched Set Max, which was a unique combination of movies and special events. A lot of cynics said that this combination would not work. But we were confident because Indians are crazy about Bollywood and, of course, cricket. The channel is now nearly 11 years old, and is a market leader. As we moved forward, we acquired the rights for ICC World Cup matches, in 2003 and 2007. Subsequently, we acquired the IPL rights. Meanwhile, we also acquired SAB from Shree Adhikari brothers. The channels, which previously held the 7th and 8th positions in the Hindi GEC standings, are now in the top-five league. In fact, Set Max has grown by 300% over the past one-and-half years. Then we also launched the Hollywood movie channel, Pix, which was a library service, in April 2006. It became an instant hit and started to surge ahead of established players, like HBO, in just a few weeks. Last year, we decided to hold the TV premiere of "Slumdog Millionaire'; that was a huge success. This year, we are going to showcase a Oscar-winner, "Hurt Locker'.

AG: A fierce battle is being fought between GECs; where do you see Sony heading?

NPS: Yes, it's a highly competitive marketplace, but I can tell you with pride that Sony and SAB are in the top-five list of channels in the country. Look at the top-ten channels, and we have three of them there. So, we are very strong in the market. Going back to the GECs, yes, there is intense competition in this space and that poses many challenges. There is pressure to acquire good content and people. But so far we have been doing extremely well.

AG: What key areas will be your focus for the next two years?

NPS: We want Sony in the top-three list¦that is our prime focus. But that is not going to be at the expense of other properties. As I said, Set Max has grown by 300%, and we want it to continue challenging other channels. As for Pix, as I mentioned, it has beaten HBO. But we want to make it a clear Number 2 and then Number 1. We are currently strategising to achieve those objectives. We are also preparing ourselves to capitalise on the looming digital revolution.

AG: As a finance wiz, do you keep an eye on costs?

NPS: It is not easy to run a business. We have to keep an unwavering eye on costs and, at the same time, we have to effectively monetise content. We are looking at not only the traditional means of advertising and distribution in India and overseas, but also at the possibility of licensing our software and content to other players around the world. We are working to exploit emerging spaces, including mobile and the internet. Managing costs and maximising revenues keeps us healthy.

AG: Any plans for new channels?

NPS: Yes, there are. We will announce the details shortly. Our parent company acquired a regional channel last year; it is now called Aath. We are looking at few more emerging markets too.