Z Living Hones in on Health Entertainment

About a year ago, the wellness-focused U.S. network Veria Living rebranded as Z Living, which reflects its affiliation with the India-based Zee Entertainment Enterprises. Along with changing its name, the channel also shifted its programming ethos, moving from health-related information to health-oriented, entertainment-driven content.

Rafe Oller, the general manager of Z Living, says that the new emphasis on health and wellness entertainment “broadens the audience and takes us from snackable content to compelling, tune-in content.”

The average viewer demo for the network is 25 to 49, according to Oller. “Our network has a much younger average age than most networks, so we are very attractive to advertisers in that way,” he says. “We’re also in the process of greatly increasing our distribution. In addition to our current carriage on DISH and Cablevision, as well as various regional MSOs, we’re now fully distributed on Verizon FiOS, and we’re pending with many others.”

Entertainment is now the centerpiece of what Z Living wants to offer its viewers, according to Tim Krubsack, the network’s executive VP and head of programming. “We are not going to do stand-and-stir cooking shows, we are not going to do walk-and-talk travelogues—they are just not compelling stories,” he says. “We are really going to focus on great characters and great stories, giving audiences something that makes them want to keep coming back to see what happens to these people. Viewers should have a connection with the people on air.”

With health entertainment as the overarching theme, there are different segments that Z Living is targeting within the genre. “Obviously shows in the weight-loss/makeover/transformation space are a no-brainer for us,” says Krubsack. “The challenge is that there are a lot of other networks that play in that space, so we have to find a way to reinvent it and come up with something that’s going to be very different and make some noise. We can’t be derivative of what other networks are doing.”

Another key category is food and cooking. “It makes perfect sense for us, but it also has that challenge of how to create something that’s different and how to not make a show that’s basically just spray-on health,” Krubsack adds.

He also identifies some other programming genres that are perhaps less obvious when it comes to health, including series about relationships, pets, the home and the workspace. “We are also looking for a celebrity-driven show,” Krubsack says. “We don’t want to just parachute a celebrity in as a generic host; they have to have a connection to health in some way. We would even be interested in a game format—something that’s simple, repeatable. We are trying to find our own version of a game show that is unusual and can create some noise for us.”

The channel currently airs 100 percent original programming, but is now starting to add acquisitions to the mix. “In the short term, it’s going to be very easy to get acquisitions on the air quickly,” says Krubsack. “Original development takes more time to get going, but we are really cranking things up. Ultimately, we will do as much original programming as we possibly can. The company wants to make a big investment in it.”

Oller adds: “We are looking at working with top production companies that are going to bring quality to the screen. We are going to make less, but make it even more engaging. Our library right now of 1,700 hours is doing very well in the international market. For example, one European company recently bought our entire HD catalogue because they are launching a new health network.

“We have a great starting-off point. It is by no means a teardown [of the previous network]; this is a revitalization. By shifting our focus from health information to health entertainment, through acquisitions and originals, we are moving very quickly. Next year, Z Living is going to be a whole new network.”