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Television  - the most powerful business in the world !

Television is the most powerful business in the world.  News, entertainment, education and religious preaching are reaching millions every minute and influencing our minds. Suddenly, millions become eye witnesses and public opinion is formed based on what is next best to being present at the scene in person. Nobody is untouched, not even children. The extent of education a child receives from television is far beyond the cartoons he is exposed to. Movies, soaps, comedies, documentaries, debates, live coverage of events and now the exposé operations are all influencing the way we think and act as a nation. No wonder the rich and famous in India are scrambling to own their own brand of space on the airwaves. But, be it revenue or clout, unless you have the viewers you don't have either. The result is the war for 'eyeballs'.

India has close to 100 TV channels beaming down at present. Many more are yet to come because of the technological advancements leading to a reduction in project cost for setting up a TV channel and the fact that there is actually appetite for more. The competition is stiff, but the opportunities are immense.

Like all industries that are in the growth mode there will be casualties and consolidations. But once there is a larger playground there will be space for many more players. Let's not forget that in the print media there are 44,000 publications in India with 4,900 dallies; all surviving and some doing very well.

A major factor that will change the dynamics of the industry in the future shall be the development of the distribution alternatives. Currently, the most popular is the cable operator driven downlink and distribution system and the terrestrial band - which requires only a small antenna to receive the signal but is reserved for the National Broadcaster, Doordarshan. TVIP, which uses a broadband telecom connection to deliver television, is yet to take off.. The DTH (Direct to Home) system is getting more popular, especially in the CAS notified areas, and is likely to gain popularity in the future. However, the space to watch is the convergence between the internet and television in the future.

The other big change that is likely to come about is the TV set itself. Flat screens may be coming in slowly but prices are heading South. Older limited channel tuner TV sets getting phased out. In the future we may see mobile TV sets.

However, the battle today is not so much in the hardware arena; it is a battle of viewer ship. Viewer ship means revenue for a TV channel While most TV channels don't differentiate on hardware as a selling proposition, they do brand their software and packaging.  

Most people would agree that one channel is considered to be a better news channel than the other not because of the cameras or satellite they use. It is the ability of the team to present quality content in a way that touches a chord with the viewers and that is what makes a channel popular. Smart marketing and distribution augment the programming and you have a success story.

So, we are back to the old maxim, 'Content is King'.

Some say that getting the numbers by good smart programming is the best way, but it is like fishing. You find the best spot, you use the best bait and you wait. Whether the catch is large or small is not really in your hands.  Every production house and channel is looking for the one big winner - the KBC or the Saas Bahu - to be their lead programme. But can we really put it all down to luck alone?

When one studies the success stories the only common denominator is that all of them have been conceived and taken to heights by a single person.  Teams may have been formed and the idea refined, but essentially it is the vision and the ability of one person to know what will touch millions. There is no logic to the magic, but a good creative idea, a team to execute the vision, with hard economics and marketing thrown in are essentials.

This is one industry where one has to be extremely creative with concepts, brave enough to believe in it while other knock it as bizarre,  know the skills of others and work in teams, have the economic sense to balance the risk and the marketing network and skill to sell a dream.  That is why people recognize that the biggest assets in Television are on two legs. The rich and famous from other industries testing the waters to launch a TV channel find this a difficult concept to fathom.

In fact, even some print journalists experience a culture shock when entering the world of Television. The sparse journalistic look is not for TV. This is all about show biz. Channels work out of swanky buildings with top of the line technology. The buzz of the newsroom is like that of an operations centre at the Pentagon. And working to keep these channels at the cutting edge are a new breed of hardcore young creative professionals who work hard and play hard.

Today, the TV war is being fought by the young and mainly for the attention of the young. The statistics show that there are 547 million consumers in India that are below the age of 25 years and it is this group that many advertisers are now targeting. While everyone is chasing a piece of the Rs.5000 Crores advertising pie, the TV business is much more than just profits and salaries. It is a passion and the rewards are far beyond the monetary benefits. This is a movement that is shaping the future of the country.

While Television today in India the power to touch the lives of the masses, there is one quote that Television professionals must know of - Uncle Ben from Spiderman, "Great power brings great responsibility."

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