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Cellcast, India's leading participative media company that aggregates, develops and distributes a portfolio of mobile applications and produces live interactive pay-to-play programming on various Indian television channels is planning to launch India's first 24X7 'Participatory channel' in 2011. It will be a new wave in the entertainment industry as the channel will be exclusively for interactive game shows, wherein people can participate and win loads of prizes.  This will give entertainment a completely new avatar as it will be completely based on user generated content.

Cellcast now produces between 8 to 10 hours of live participative television programming every day. Its content is aired on news and general entertainment channels like ZEE, NDTV Imagine, Imagine Showbiz, E24, News24, and UTV Bindass & India TV. The genre of content ranges from shows on astrology, contests & trivia-based shows, shopping & auction shows and bollywood content and music based shows.

Pankaj Thakar, founder & CEO of Cellcast Interactive India Holdings with 25 years of experience in running digital businesses talked to www.mediamughls.com regarding the launch of his 'Participatory Channel'.

1. To start with, what was the inspiration behind your idea of a 24/7 participatory channel?

Cellcast Participative content is being accepted widely and we feel that there is lot of scope to expand our portfolio of products. This could be challenging as some of them are very niche and as a genre, not represented at all. For e.g. Jobs and quizzes. There is no TV channel that allows viewers at large to know about Job opportunities or allow companies to advertise various positions available. With our own channel, we can provide such content to young audiences. Similar is the case with matrimony, Edutainment etc.

2.Most of the interaction happens in reality shows or quiz shows where the audience either answers questions or judges the contestants. So are you coming out with some similar shows or are you going to make it on a strictly gaming basis throughout?

Our portfolio covers many genres and the focus is to let people interact with their mobile. We have reality shows, Quiz Shows, Astrology Shows, Matrimony shows, Fictional Shows, Job Shows etc. The one thing common in our shows is that they are viewer driven & the viewers at home control participate & are integral part of the content.
 
3. Deciding a contestant's fate on a show gives the audience a sense of power over them. How is your channel going to bring out this factor for the audience?

We are talking here about the viewers' participation and getting involved with the content. They are simply the part of the content and they can, to some extent influence the navigation within the show.

4. A lot of channels already have a loyal audience who watch their shows and participate in them. What is your strategy that is going to help you garner their loyalty towards you?

Cellcast content is participative in nature and the viewers are integral part of the content and hence their engagement level as well as involvement level is very high. The viewers have huge sense of belonging and they always feel that they are part of the show. Once that happens, the stay associated with the content.

5. What are the marketing strategies for your upcoming channel? Will you be tying up with some channels, like these days we see certain news channels broadcasting particular shows as part of their programs?

Cellcast content is unique and already has a unique user base of over 60 million participants! The first attempt will be to get those loyal users on board. Once they are on board, we will engage in viral marketing and get to people connected to them. Since our content is LIVE content, we cannot share the same with other channels. However, the archives will be available on the Internet and Mobile. We will also use other innovative ways to create awareness such as Mobile marketing etc.
 
6.Reality shows, Quiz shows, Astrology, Guess the winner etc. All these include the audience interacting via sms and include their money in return for attractive prizes or their judgment being heard. What are the contents in your shows that will lure them to come and take part 24/7?

Cellcast television shows are primarily showcases for its product & Services. We offer viewers high value proposition through our products & Services which are hugely appreciated by viewers at large.  Since these products & services can be consumed via mobile, the viewers end up using them round the clock repeatedly be it Astrology service or matrimony service or auctions or quizzes etc.

7.Action, emotions and a lot of drama everywhere these days? Will your shows include these verticals also?

Cellcast content is nice balance of entertainment and information. There is high quotient of entertainment but no dramas at all.

8.What is the estimated amount that Cellcast is going to invest in this new channel?

The majority of investment will be in distribution. Cellcast will reach 70% of the cable market and 100% of DTH market. On the production side, Cellcast already has four studio floors and hence we do not see major investment on infrastructure side.

9.Throw some light on the revenue generation model of your new channel. What are the sources of funding apart from the income from messages? How will you monetize this unique concept in the Indian broadcasting space?

Cellcast content is highly engaging and we are hopeful that various brands and advertisers will find high value in advertising on the channel. The good news is that we will have very restrictive advertisement on the channel and therefore all advertisers will get high visibility. Further, since Cellcast content is direct to consumer, the opportunity for brands here is to integrate their products & services with the content. In past we have done that successfully and we hope to offer even higher value by providing personal touch to the brands via mobile advertising.

10.Tell us something about the programming line-up of the channel. Also explain about the production set up for the content?

Most of Cellcast content is live and as stated earlier, we have four studios of our own. We have over 75 people involved in production process and each one of them is highly motivated by the sheer thought of having our own channel as they feel that we will be able to experiment more and thus churn better content every time.

11.Which are the platforms on which the 'Participatory channel' will be made available to the viewers? Do you have plans of offering the channels on both DTH and cable platforms?

We will be on all digital platform including DTH initially and gradually be on analog cable too. It will be free to air to start with.

12.Any big names from the domain of media associated with you in this initiative?

This is confidential till we sign on dotted line.

13.Have you conducted any prior research about the take of viewers on this channel before launching it?

Yes we have conducted our research and we have fairly good idea as to who are our viewers and participants.

14.How do you see the future of Participatory Channel in the gamut of so many established channels already competing hard in the Indian broadcast arena? What is your initial strategy for the acceleration of channel in first few months of launch?

An interactive participatory channel offers active viewing to millions who expect more from television. They are the ones who want to lean forward and participate. That in itself is a huge differentiator. We'll be putting some serious resources around distribution and reach out to the millions of existing participants on Cellcast. The idea is to build in virality in everything we do!