'Sur-Kshetra' gets firepower of Colors and Sahara One

Singing reality show Sur-Kshetra  is set for launch with a simulcast on three entertainment channels, Colors, Sahara One and Pakistan's Geo TV.The show will feature 10 singers each from India and Pakistan. The participants will be mentored by singers Himesh Reshammiya and Atif Aslam. The jury on the show will comprise of industry veterans Asha Bhosle, Abida Parveen and Runa Laila.

The channels have roped in Videocon as the title sponsor and Dabur Amla Hair Oil as the presenting sponsor. The ad rates will be in sync for both the channels.

The show will go on air on 8 September 2012 at 7.30 pm, and subsequent episodes will be aired every Saturday and Sunday on Colors, Sahara One, and Geo TV.

We spoke to Raj Nayak, chief executive officer, Colors and  Suresh Mishra, assistant director worker,  Sahara One,  to find out more about Sur-Kshetra.

Campaign India: Why did you opt for a rival general entertainment channel Colors, when normally most of the simulcasts happen with Doordarshan?

Suresh Mishra (SM): Because of the scale of the show, we wanted to ensure that such a big show must reach each and every house. And two large GECs offer at least each and every house in India and even beyond India, in fact they provide a worldwide platform to meet our goal to reach maximum number of people. So this was the reason we opted for Colors.

Campaign India (CI): How do you plan to promote this show? What are the marketing spends going to be like?

Raj Nayak (RN): This show will be one of our biggest launches. It will be promoted in the same way as Jhalak Dikhla Jaa. We have a huge outdoor plan; we will be on the front page of every newspaper and we will do digital marketing as well. Radio Mirchi is already doing a whole lot of things and we will rope in other radio stations as well. So, it is going to be a 360 degree marketing campaign.  On a big impact property, we normally spend around Rs 7-8 crores besides the marketing on our own channels and networks. So the marketing budget for this show will be in the same bracket.

CI: What kind of ad inventories are there for the show? Would there be in show product placement or vignettes?

RN: There are no in show product placements. But the title sponsor and the presenting sponsor will have branding during the show. The ad inventories have been sold on a huge premium, we can’t afford a show like this if we don’t think about the money. I cannot reveal any numbers at present.

CI: With three channels involved, the show will be on a grand scale. Could you elaborate on the simulcast?

RN: Keeping the premise of the show in mind where you have participants from two countries, then we should broadcast the show in the other country as well. So we approached Geo TV and they were very keen to do it.

CI: What is the viewership that you expect for this show?

RN: Given the massive platform of ‘Sur-Kshetra’ and the simulcast, we expect it to be one of the biggest shows. With Sahara One and Colors, we will reach almost 100 per cent of the C&S audience of the country. Apart from this, both channels broadcast in other countries as well, so it will be one of the biggest launches ever. And incidentally, Colors has launched a new channel in the UK. So this show will be simulcast on RishteyTV as well.  

SM: We expect a phenomenal response to this show. Colors has 90 million plus audience and Sahara One has 50 million audience, so we expect it to be one of the biggest shows in history. There is a universal audience for a music show. Anybody who is in the age group of two upwards is our target audience. There are no boundaries for music as it has always fostered a common and harmonious bond across all age groups and nationalities.

CI: Will 'Sur-Kshetra' help you compete with KBC6 which will also air on weekends from 7 September onward?

RN: With Jhalak Dikhhla Jaa going strong on weekends, the inclusion of Sur-Kshetra will further strengthen our weekend content lineup providing our audiences with variety entertainment that appeals to them.