Exclusive Interview: Reliance’s Tarun Katial

November 29, 2010 World Screen
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PREMIUM: Tarun Katial, CEO of India’s Reliance Broadcast Network, reveals details about the company’s three CBS co-branded networks: Prime, a general-entertainment channel; Spark, for the 15-to-24 set; and Love, geared at women.
 
In August, Reliance Broadcast Network (RBNL) announced plans to partner with CBS Studios International on three networks for India. BIG CBS Prime, which just launched, is a general-entertainment channel for men and women aged 18 to 34 that are “upwardly mobile, young professionals,” Katial says. BIG CBS Spark, which rolls out in December, will target those aged 15 to 24 who want “edgier content.” BIG CBS Love premieres in February and will cater to 18- to 34-year-old women. Katial talks to World Screen about the joint venture’s ambitious plans.
 
WS: What led to the joint venture?
KATIAL: CBS’s strength is their rich content and expertise. Reliance brings in significant muscle in sales, marketing and distribution, along with a key understanding of the local market and consumer dynamics.
A core team has been put in place as part of this JV. The team will act as brand custodians in India as they oversee the marketing, programming, on and off air branding and more. The content will come from CBS. RBNL will look after revenues through ad sales, subscriptions, technical infrastructure, strategic finance and support services.
 
WS: BIG CBS Prime was the first to launch. How is it being positioned?
KATIAL: The launch of BIG CBS Prime marks a revolution in English television entertainment in India, with top international shows being telecast almost concurrent to the U.S. broadcast. BIG CBS Prime’s carefully crafted [target]—18- to 34-year-old English-language-entertainment-seeking audiences—promises to work excellently for India.
India is one of the youngest countries with over 40 percent of its population under the age of 30. Youth form an avid television consumer base. There is an increasing conversion of the English-speaking population into an English-viewing population. There is a growing upwardly mobile audience who seeks English entertainment. There are several newer categories coming up which appeal to the younger mindset. Advertisers today are looking at platforms to connect with this audience base.
 
India is also seeing an exciting and growing entertainment space, with an enormous audience but inadequate English-language entertainment channels in the marketplace. The [unique selling point] is that the shows will air in India, almost concurrent to the U.S. India does not need to wait for the past seasons any longer.
 
WS: What are your target markets?
KATIAL: Our target markets are the [metropolitan cities, such as Delhi, Mumbai], however we also will see a lot of focus in the tier II [smaller] cities, which have a large potential audience base.
 
WS: Where do you see Big CBS five years down the road?
KATIAL: We see BIG CBS Prime as well as Spark and Love revolutionizing the way English entertainment is consumed in India, with world class, clutter breaking and fresh content attracting a larger audience base.


 

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