The Hindu Business Line : Sahara One’s Firangi bets on alternative programming

Chennai, March 3 Firangi, the new television channel from the Sahara One stable, aims to build viewership by ensuring its main programming does not clash with prime time on other channels. This way, viewers will spend time on the channel, which will go a long way in building loyalty for it, says Mr Rajeev Chakrabarti, Business Head, Firangi.

Speaking to Business Line, Mr Chakrabarti said Firangi would air its day’s original programming from 5 to 8 p.m. so that viewers of prime time programmes (typically 8 p.m. onwards) on other channels would get a chance to watch this channel. The rest of the programming would be repeat telecast of previously telecast programmes so that those who work late can watch them, he said.

Firangi is the first Indian channel to bring audiences world television in Hindi, and none of the content is more than three-years old, Mr Chakrabarti said. Content from all over the world, especially Latin America, Europe and the US, would be telecast on the channel, which positions itself as ‘world ki best kahaniyan’. Indian audiences’ acceptability of world content, as well as the fatigue that sets in with the seemingly never-ending soap operas, gives the channel the confidence that its alternative programming will click. “It’s not about the language but about the content,” he said, pointing to how most of the programming for children’s channels is in Hindi, and how the Hindi versions of Hollywood blockbusters are “phenomenally successful”.

However, the channel is aware that mindsets don’t change overnight, and hence the strategy of not clashing with prime time on other channels, Mr Chakrabarti said. As part of its different offering, Firangi will air one-hour shows rather than half-hour episodes, which are the norm, and its serials and soap operas would end in 6-8 months, he said. “Firangi will be a brand new experience for heavy viewers,” he added.

Target audience

Firangi’s typical audience comprise adults male and female in the 20-45 age group in the SEC A and B cities, but more importantly, it targets the young at heart who are looking for a change from the routine kind of programming, Mr Chakrabarti said. As for advertising and marketing, the channel is looking at a lot of strategic alliances and such efforts will go beyond the mass media, he said. The channel is negotiating with various DTH platforms and aims to be present in all C&S (cable and satellite) homes.

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