11/3/12

IBS Case Studies

IBS Hyderabad
Date: 03/11/2012 Time: 23:51:34

IBS Center for Management Research

Zee Telefilms Competitive Strategies

This case was written by Aisha Khan, under the direction of N. Ruchi Chaturvedi, IBS Center for Management Research. It was compiled from published sources, and is intended to be used as a basis for class discussion rather than to illustrate either effective or ineffective handling of a management situation.

Lice nse to use for IBS Kolkata Se m-II, Class of 2014

2005, IBS Center for Management Research. All rights reserved. To order copies, call +91-08417-236667/68 or write to IBS Center for Management Research (ICMR), IFHE Campus, Donthanapally, Sankarapally Road, Hyderabad 501 504, Andhra Pradesh, India or email: info@icmrindia.org

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MKTG107

Zee Telefilms Competitive Strategies

"It is my ambition to make Zee the world's largest integrated convergence company and to achieve this we are building our business through a combination of access and content."[1] - Subhash Chandra, Chairman, Zee Telefilms Limited, in 2000. Star, the entire company, rests on three and a half hours of Star Plus. It is doing extremely well and so there is no debate on that. We are definitely trying to improve and work on the programming to raise the ratings of Zee TV itself. As a company, we are definitely far
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are definitely trying to improve and work on the programming to raise the ratings of Zee TV itself. As a company, we are definitely far more broad-based. We have many success stories. We have a successful overseas operation, we have successful Zee Marathi, and we have successful Zee Cinema. So, it is a little more broad-based than the other bouquets, which is a good thing in the long run. Yes, I will be a lot happier if Zee TV regains its old position.[2] - Pradeep Guha, CEO, Zee Telefilms Limited, in 2005. INTRODUCTION In 2005, Zee Telefilms Limited (Zee) owned Indias most broad-based TV channel network with an offering of 23 channels. The other major players like Star TV (Star) and Sony TV (Sony) offered less than half the number of channels offered by Zee. Zees flagship channel, Zee TV was launched in 1992 and by 1994 Zees prime-time[3] audience share was 37% compared to 39% of the national channel Doordarshan[4] and a meager 8% share of the Star channels. After its success in the domestic market, in 1995, Zee ventured into the overseas market to capture the Non resident Indian (NRI) audience. From its launch in 1992 till 2000, Zee commanded the highest market share. However, by mid 2000, competition from Star and Sony began to intensify, and in 2000 Zee recorded the lowest market share of 5.19%, with Star and Sony having a market share of 18.49% and 11.29% respectively. Zee needed to formulate new strategies to claw back its market share. The new strategies Zee adopted, such as brand extension, brand re-positioning and re-branding, pushed its revenues up once again (Refer Exhibit I for the growth pattern of Zee) and its share price rose steadily during the period 2003-04 too (Refer Exhibit II for Zees reviving stock market performance). In 2005, Zee re-branded a host of its channels to bring them under the Zee brand. Trendz was renamed ZEE Trendz, ZEE English was renamed as ZEE Caf, Smile TV was named as Zee Smile and all the Alpha channels were prefixed with the Zee brand name. It also repositioned Zee, with a new catch line-Jiyo Zee bhar ke. All these moves were aimed at expanding its viewership. BACKGROUND NOTE Zee, an Essel Group[5] company, launched Zee TV, the nations first Hindi channel by a private organization in October 1992. Zee TV evoked a massive positive response from Indian viewers, since it brought them a much wider choice of programs compared to Doordarshan . Zee TVs broadcast content ranged from film-based to educational programs. Zees mass appeal was in direct contrast to Star (launched in 1991) which aired programs exclusively in English. Catering to the needs of the vast Hindi-speaking Indian audience, Zee TVs popularity grew by leaps and bounds during the period 1992 to 2000. Zee TV won The Economic Times The Emerging Company of the Year award in 1998, for its remarkable success within 6 years of its launch. In the same year, Zee TV won the FICCI[6] award for creativity in visual media. Within a span of three years (1998-2001), Zee TV expanded its network further, introducing a number of channels both in India and overseas. By 2004, Zee was a fully integrated media corporate with a major presence in TV programming, Films, Music, Print, Broadcasting, Internet Portals, Internet Service Provider (ISP) service, Events, Cable Distribution etc.[7]Zee channels had a viewer base of over 250 million across the globe. It operated in 5 continents across 120 countries.[8] ZEES INITIAL SUCCESS In October 1995, Sony Entertainment Television[9] (SET) made its entry into India. Star, which was launched in 1991, was also making an effort to attract larger numbers of the non-westernized Indian viewers. Zee had to come up with a new strategy to counter this competition. While Star and Sony were concentrating more on improving their programming content, Zee planned the launch of two channels dedicated to news and cinema, respectively. Zee had its action plan ready but it did not have the funds for expansion. It therefore entered into a partnership with Rupert Murdoch[10] (Murdoch), in 1995 through which Murdoch acquired a 50% stake in Zee. Once the Zee-Star deal was finalized, Zee launched the nations first round-the-clock Hindi news Channel - Zee News and a Hindi movies channel - Zee Cinema. Zee News aired news every hour and its programs ranged from interviews with corporate personalities to discussions on the countrys social and political issues. In the course of time Zee News became quite popular grabbing a high viewership share (Refer Exhibit III for Zee News viewership in 1999). Zee Cinema was an instant hit with a movie-crazy nation. Zee Cinemas popularity soared as it aired movies for people of all ages. Whether classic movies for the older generation, latest flicks for the younger lot, movies on social issues or movies for children Zee Cinema had them all. Zees major concern after the partnership was to increase its viewership compared with its main rival, Sony. The major appeal of Sony lay in its fresh young look just like the one Zee had when it was launched. The year 1995 marked the launch of another pioneering venture Zee TV in the UK. Zee TV, UK, was Zees offering for NRIs who did not have access to Indian entertainment. Thus, when its competitors were trying to get a hold on the domestic market, Zee made a foray into the international market. Success was inevitable as this was an unrecognized segment and NRIs were longing for a connection with their homeland. Zee then started to diversify its operations by venturing into new areas. It inaugurated its Institute of Creative Arts (ZICA) at Hyderabad. This institute was the nations first full scale television and film training body. Zees idea was to have competent trained personnel to produce television software. In 1997, Zee launched its music channel Music Asia. This was the first channel to be launched without Zees brand name. However, in 1998, Zee revamped its music channel and renamed it as Zee Music bringing it under the Zee umbrella. In 1998, Zee emerged as a true global brand by extending its telecasts to the US and to Africa. Having captured the urban masses and the NRI audience, Zee now turned to the small town viewers. This triggered the launch of a bouquet of regional channels christened the Alpha Channels in 1999. The idea of the Alpha channels was to offer a range of regional channels under one bouquet. The Alpha bouquet was the second launch that did not use the Zee name, even though they were part of the Zee network. Zee struck gold by reaching out to that segment of the market which its competitors had overlooked. Zee was the only channel offering regional channels as an extension, whereas Star and Sony had not yet stepped into the regional channel segment. Until late 1999, Zee was riding on the wave of its success. On its home turf, it had extended its brands in the form of Zee News and Zee Cinema. Zees international ventures, Zee TV - UK, US, and Africa, worked wonderfully for there was virtually no channel catering to the entertainment needs of Indians abroad (Refer Exhibit IV for Zees overseas success). Its other subsidiaries Siti Cable, E-connect (a 100% subsidiary, which launched a horizontal portal - Zeenext.com), Zee Interactive learning Limited (ZILS) and Zee Interactive Multimedia limited (ZIML) also started gaining prominence. Moreover, the regional channels by Zee, the Alpha bouquet, gained quick popularity as no other channels had any regional extensions. COMPETITION FROM STAR AND SONY In September 1999, the Star and Zee partnership came to an end, and this left Star to go its own way. Sony, meanwhile, launched its sports-cum-movies channel SET MAX in 1999. Star tried its best to pull in the viewers. But the scene seemed uncertain for both Star and Sony, as all their efforts were not quite paying off. For Star, a major breakthrough came in July 2000 with the launch of a new game show - Kaun Banega Crorepati? (KBC) - on its flagship channel Star Plus. This show was modeled on the lines of a famous British game show Who Wants to Be a Millionaire? The chief draw, apart from the excitement of an ordinary person winning a huge

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British game show Who Wants to Be a Millionaire? The chief draw, apart from the excitement of an ordinary person winning a huge sum of money, was the shows host - film actor Amitabh Bachchan. The idea of getting an extremely popular movie star host for a TV game show was a brilliant move as tinsel town had always had a big hold on the average Indian viewer. The program had a massive opening. The prize money offered to the winner coupled with the opportunity to meet Amitabh Bachchan, the legend of Hindi cinema, was reason enough for the entire nation to go into a frenzy. The next on Stars agenda were tele-serials from the Balaji telefilms banner.[11] Star targeted these serials primarily at the average married Indian woman (in the 25+ age group). Thus Kyunki Saas Bhi Kabhi Bahu Thi, and Kahani Ghar Ghar Ki on Star Plus, became a national craze as they dealt with issues relating to the Indian household. Moreover, the protagonists in these serials were portrayed as epitomes of Indian culture and tradition, and this contributed immensely to the popularity of these serials. As a result Zee lost most of its viewers to KBC and the soap operas on Star. Meanwhile, Sony did not lag behind. It started an aggressive counter strategy to combat the competition from Star and launched 7 new shows. To tap in on the interest in game shows, Sony launched Jeeto Chappar Phad Ke (JCPK), with movie actor Govinda as the host, in January 2001. Though JCPK was modeled closely on KBC, it seemed more lively and entertaining. Media critic Sevanti Ninan said, The show should have appeal across the board. In JCPK, you are entertained. The participant and audience laugh, sings songs with Govinda who cracks all kinds of jokes and makes things lively.[12] The show was a success, with good viewership. A media portal stated, JCPK has already notched TRP ratings of 17.5, and is slated to settle down at 12, while KBC too is going steady at around 12.[13] Star was still going strong with the daily soap operas and did not seem perturbed by Zee and Sony. Star had successfully attracted the viewers in the 7:30 to 11:00 p.m. time slot, but a need was felt for a change from the tear-jerking family sagas. In 2003, Sony carried out a research project called Understanding Women in 7 cities across India to get an idea of what women really wanted to watch on television. Sony undertook this survey relating to women as women were the primary viewers of entertainment channels. Based on the results of this survey, Sony launched a new serial called Jassi Jaisi Koi Nahi,in September 2003. The target segment for this serial was the working middle class, particularly working women in the 25+ age category. Its story revolved around a middle class girl who sets out to make a mark for herself in the fashion world. Sony followed a fool-proof marketing strategy for this new launch. It broke the age-old tradition of creating curiosity among viewers by showing just a scene out of the new serial as a trailer. Instead Sony created hype around the protagonist in the serial - Jassi, by keeping the identity of the actor under wraps. Sony was successful in generating curiosity from the viewers through its pre-launch and post-launch campaigns. One of the media reports stated: Sony's marketing strategy has succeeded in arresting the viewers attention. Its a combination of conventional and contemporary media that presented Jassi in a compelling manner to viewers, urging them to log on to Sony TV to view the show.[14] ZEE FIGHTS BACK In order to compete with Star and Sony, Zee implemented a two-pronged strategy from September 2000 onwards. One element was to reform the programming content and the second was to redefine the prime time band (which was usually taken to run from 9 p.m. to 11 p.m.) by extending the programming slots to 45 instead of the existing 30 minutes. Explaining these moves, R. K. Singh, chief executive officer, Zee Network, said that this initiative was a continuation of Zees efforts to provide clean, wholesome family entertainment. Consequently in October 2000, Zee came out with Sawaal Dus Crore Ka (SDCK), two months after KBC was launched. Zee also launched two new channels Zee English and Zee Movies in 2000. Zee Movies was re-launched the same year as Zee MGM.[15] SDCK turned out abysmal for Zee. The idea of increasing the prize money compared to what KBC offered failed to attract the viewers. Analysts felt that host Anupam Kher[16] could not possibly compete with the huge fan following of Amitabh Bachchan. SDCK showed disastrous TRP[17] ratings and in a few months of its launch and had to be pulled off air. The other daily soaps by Zee were also not faring well compared to Sonys daily package. To make matters worse for Zee, the India Today group launched a 24hour Hindi news channel called Aaj Tak in December 2000.[18] This channel soon gained popularity and was giving Zee News a tough time. A media report said that within a month of its launch, Aaj Taks viewer ship shot up nearly five times. Early in 2001, in response to the competition from Aaj Tak , Zee gave its news channel a new look. Zee is at present facing a stiff test from Aaj Tak , the 24-hour news channel by media group India Today. Earlier, being the only major Hindi news channel, Zee News had a vice like grip on the TRP charts, said a media report[19]. In March 2001, a major controversy involving the then Union defense minister, George Fernandez, rocked the nation. An Internet portal called Tehelka launched a sting operation against corrupt government officials. They filmed their corrupt activities through secret cameras. In one such tape the defense minister was shown accepting a huge bribe. Zee bought these tapes from Tehelka and telecast them on all its channels for four days consecutively. Zee had estimated the audiences would be glued to the television sets to watch the revealing tapes and this would mean that the advertisers would make a bee line for their product promotion. However, Zee had grossly misjudged audience preferences (Refer Exhibit V for scenario before and during Tehelka). The idea did not click with the viewers and they got bored of watching the same tapes being telecast on all the Zee channels at the same time. The result was that the TRP of the other channels rose. Zee incurred huge losses on this account. At this same time, KBCs game fever also came onto a downslide. KBC started recording lower TRPs and in a desperate attempt to hold on to the dwindling TRPs Star launched KBC Junior for children. With TRPs slipping and soaps ruling the roost again like in days of yore, Star is going to cut down the frequency of KBC from four episodes to three on weekdays from next month. A Kiddies KBC is planned on the weekend, and will probably be slotted for Sunday[20] said Yash Khanna, head, communications, Star. Taking advantage of the situation, Zee evolved a revamping strategy, while its creative heads began simultaneously planning for improved programming content on their channels. In a media report, Madhavi Mutatkar (Madhavi), president, Zee TV (2001), said, Zees programming content is undergoing significant changes, providing the viewer with a channel which ensures a multiplicity of choice and viewing delight.[21] She added that some of the new shows on Zee TV like Chandan Ka Palana , Resham Ki Dori, Sansaar, Ek thi Rajkumari, Yeh Dil Kya Kare, and Pradhanmantri were launched to provide wholesome entertainment for TV audiences in India. In June 2001, Zee ventured into film production, releasing Bollywoods first corporate film Gadar.[22]According to Tarun Adarsh of Trade Guide, a leading industry paper that tracks the performance of the Hindi film industry, the film opened to 100 per cent collections on the first two days in Mumbai and several parts of North and North-East India.[23]Late in 2001, Zee entered into a joint venture with Turner International India (TII), a 100-per cent subsidiary of AOL Time Warner.[24]Zee and TII formed a new joint venture company called Zee Turner Pvt Ltd. Zees holding in this joint venture was 74 per cent, while TII held the balance 26 per cent. The objective was to provide the viewers a blend of international and local channels. However, Zees overhauling efforts did not have much impact. In October 2001 Aaj Tak still ruled as the number one news channel. As per the Indian Television Audience Measurement System (INTAM) figures for the week ended October 7,2001, Aaj Tak had a channel share of 42 per cent as against 37 per cent for Zee News. Confirming Aaj Taks success a media report stated, As per TAM figures for the week ended 20 October, Aaj Tak commanded a 50 per cent share as against Zee News 35 per cent share. BBC had a share of 5 per cent while CNN boasted a 3 per cent share. Aaj Tak maintained the channel share among the premium audiences (Sec A, B/25+) as well, while the channel share of Zee News dropped by 5 percent.[25] Aaj Tak still scored the highest in its reach and

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A, B/25+) as well, while the channel share of Zee News dropped by 5 percent.[25] Aaj Tak still scored the highest in its reach and viewership (Refer Exhibit VI for Aaj Tak Vs. Zee News). TVTNs CEO, G. Krishnan (Krishnan) said Aaj Taks dynamic programming wheel format coupled with the state-of-the-art technology and uplink facility from India allows it to break news immediately.[26] Though Zee did not have much luck with its news channel, things were getting better for its general entertainment channel Zee TV. A media report claimed that Zee TV was the confirmed No.2 channel of the nation. The INTAM reports for 2001 revealed that Zee had recorded higher TRPs than Star during its prime band (8 PM to 9 PM). In 2001, Zee won three Radio & TV Advertising Practitioners Association of India Awards (RAPA). Partha Pratim Sinha (Sinha), senior vice-president, marketing, Zee TV said, These awards are especially important for Zee in this highly competitive environment as they reiterate the channels efforts to offer the best to its audience. We are proud to get this recognition from an organization which consists of some of the leading luminaries from the media and advertising fraternity.[27] Zees financial report for the financial year 2000-2001 too showed positive results. It had a 59% increase in its net profit compared to the financial year 1999-2000. Its ad revenues also went up from Rs.5.74 billion in financial year 1999-2000 to Rs.6.77 billion in financial year 2000-2001. A media report said, Pretty healthy numbers for a channel that was supposedly in the dumps. All in all Zee seems to have done a neat number on all the naysayers who had written off its chances of making a comeback.[28] January 2002 saw the game show KBC going off air. This clearly showed that the game show was not performing too well. A media report said, Stars rivals can get set for a channel stakes battle with a far more level playing field - without the Big Bs shadow hanging over the proceedings. KBC now being off the air, Zee played fast to bring the viewers back to the channel, launching a few more new programs. It launched a talk show Jeena Isi Ka Naam Hai, a daily soap Tu Kahe Agar and a game show Khelo Number Khelo. The talk show was an instant success with famous actors like Shahrukh Khan and Aishwarya Rai, but the daily soap operas on Star still had their grip on viewers. Subhash Chandra (Chandra), Zees Chairman, then decided to personally take charge of Zees daily operations. The promoters direct involvement in the day-to-day business is a positive signal not only to the markets, but all and sundry, said a media analyst with a foreign brokerage firm. The first step he took was to introduce a movie slot on the general entertainment channel Zee TV. Zee started Thursday Blockbuster section for the telecast of popular Hindi movies. This was very successful. A media report commented After numerous misses this is the one time when Zee seems to have hit closer to the bulls eye with its Thursday blockbuster movies launched from the 10th of October 2002 at 20:00 hours.[29]In 2002, Zee bought controlling stakes in ETC[30] and Padmalaya Telefilms.[31] In April 2003, with increasing competition in the general entertainment sector, Zee made two innovative moves to boost its popularity. The first was the launch of Trendz- a premium Fashion & Style channel (launched in collaboration with Turner International India) which was targeted at the fashion-conscious Indian consumer. According to Dev Naganand, Director, Zee Telefilms Limited, (2003), With the launch of Trendz, we believe that we are entering a very niche segment of the entertainment industry and are filling the need gap of the Indian fashion industry in terms of superior quality content.[32] The second step was the decision taken in May 2003, to coproduce films in association with France TV[33] and Silhouette Films[34]. The first film was to be called One Dollar Curry, and the venture would set up a distribution network overseas to distribute its own films as well as other Indian films. In 2003, Zee launched five new channels - Action Cinema, Classic Cinema, MX, Premiere Cinema and Smile TV. Most of these channels did not carry the Zee brand name. Meanwhile, Sony was gradually fighting back against Zee. The creative team at Zee countered the competition from Sony effectively. As a defense against Sony's capturing of female viewership through Jassi Jaisi Koi Nahi,Zee launched a completely women-oriented serial called Astitva in 2003. When Sony initiated a talent hunt show for aspiring singers, Zee went ahead and launched Zee Cine Stars Ki Khoj,a talent hunt show for aspiring actors. In September 2004, Zee also launched a 24-hour comedy channel - Smile TV. Zee continued its focus on wholesome entertainment for the entire family. Early in 2004, Zee emphasized its global reach by conducting its Zee Cine Awards[35] event in Dubai. Yogesh Radhakrishnan, business head, Zee Cinema and Special Projects Manager, Zee Network (2004) said, The Indian film industry is now a global phenomenon with a fan base that extends not only to Indians, but to different nationalities of the world. This is why we have decided to shift the awards from India to Dubai to provide an international setting for this event. We will be able to provide the impetus of the crossover of the Indian cinema to the global audiences.[36] The show was a huge success (Refer Exhibit VII for Zee TVs viewership during Zee Cine Awards 2004). Zees TRP rating of 4.9 was the highest when compared to a TRP of 2.69 of Star Plus and 1.79 of Sony. This confirmed the fact that Zee had succeeded in attracting a large viewer response to its Awards show. By 2004, Zee had created a place for itself. Though Star was still at the No.1 position, Zee was nevertheless holding on strongly at No.2. Zee recorded a considerable increase in its subscription revenue (Refer Exhibit VIII for an overview of Zees Revenues). According to a report on its website Zee remained the leader in regional viewership too (Refer Exhibit IX for a comparison of Zees regional reach). With regard to its overseas operations, Zee was the clear leader with unparalleled reach. (Refer Exhibit X for Zees global reach). THE RE-BRANDING EXERCISE Early 2005, Zee initiated the re-branding of the entire Zee range of brands. In line with this strategy, all the channels of Zee sported a new logo, and new on-air packaging and promotions were introduced. This sprucing up was expected to increase the TRP of all its channels. As a part of this exercise, the three English channels were also renamed. Trendz was renamed ZEE Trendz, ZEE English became ZEE Caf and ZEE Movie Zone[37] was named Zee Studio. Also, Smile TV was now ZEE Smile. The regional Alpha channels were rebranded as Zee Marathi, Zee Bangla, Zee Gujarati, Zee Punjabi and Zee Telugu respectively (Refer Exhibit XI for Zees re-branded channels). Pradeep Guha, CEO, Zee (2005) said, This re-branding exercise is the first step in weaving a thread of common identity between our many diverse brands. And while each brand is a distinct entity of its own, now it is also an unmistakable member of the Zee family. Also, the re-branding is aimed at adding the extra zing and edge which reinvents the spirit of the brand and brings it closer to our younger audience cohorts.[38] In 2005, Zee took another step aimed at its global audience - it conducted its Zee Cine Awards ceremony in London. Commenting on Zees sales strategy, a media report stated, An interesting new sales strategy that is being attempted this year is to rope in telecast presenting sponsors region-wise. The plan is to have different sponsors for UK/Europe, US, Middle East, South Africa and, of course, India (South Asia comes under that). While last year the awards were sponsored by Pan Parag, this year the title sponsor will be ITC Sunfeast. Zee has also roped in All Out, LIC, Ghadi, Paas Paas and Provogue as the co-sponsors for the Indian territory.[39] A media report described the Sunfeast Zee Cine Awards 2005 as a truly memorable affair. Zee also launched Zee TV Gujarati in the UK in 2005. An official release at the time claimed that Zee Gujarati had already gained a loyal audience in India and was the most popular Gujarati channel in India in the five years since its launch. Speaking about the program content, the release said, Zee Gujarati

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popular Gujarati channel in India in the five years since its launch. Speaking about the program content, the release said, Zee Gujarati showcases judicious news and festival-centric programs like Navaratri and a mix of classic and contemporary programming, including current affairs, news, talkshows, serials, movies and much more.[40] Overall, Zee was a resounding success in Chandras view. In an interview, he said, The attempt to reach the top spot should always be the target - as it is with us - but without being emotional about the whole affair, especially the numbers game. I dont think its desirable to waste too much of precious time and get emotional mulling over the fact whether we could have been No.1 or No.2. Whats more important is that Zee is a key player in this sector and that we yearn to be the best.[41]

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Exhibit I Growth Pattern of Zee

Source: www.zeetelevision.com
Exhibit II

Zees Reviving Stock Market Performance: 2004

Source: www.thehindubusinessline.com

Exhibit III Zee News-Viewership 1999

Channels Zee News Star News BBC CNN CNBC TVI Viewership Share in Percentage 51 30 7 4 4 4

Source: Annual report, 1999, www.zeetelevision.com

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Exhibit IV Zees Overseas Success

Source: Zee Annual report, 1999, www.zeetelevision.com

Exhibit V

Scenario Before Tehelka

Zees viewership was larger than Sonys except on Fridays; and significantly larger than Star Plus
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Zees viewership was larger than Sonys except on Fridays; and significantly larger than Star Plus for Saturday and Sunday. Channels Thursday Sony Star Plus Zee TV 2.5 13.4 3.1 Average Television Rating Friday 5.7 5.3 3.5 Saturday 4.0 1.9 5.2 Sunday 2.9 1.4 3.1

Scenario During Tehelka

Constant fall in Zee TV ratings during the Tehelka telecast from Thursday to Sunday; overall low ratings compared to other channels. Channels Thursday Sony Star Plus Zee TV 2.4 10.8 2.8 Average Television Rating Friday 5.1 3.7 1.0 Saturday 5.2 3.3 0.8 Sunday 1.6 1.2 0.6

Source: www.agencyfaqs.com Exhibit VI Aaj Tak vs. Zee News 2001

Source: www.indiantelevision.com

Exhibit VII Zee TVs Viewership During Zee Cine Awards 2004
Channels Zee TV Star Plus Sony Viewership Share 53% 20% 27%

Channels Zee TV Star Plus

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Average Television Rating 4.9 2.69

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Sony

1.76

Adapted from: www.agencyfaqs.com

Exhibit VIII An Overview of Zees Revenues

Source: www.zeetelevision.com

Exhibit IX A Comparison of Zees Regional Reach

Source: www.zeetelevision.com

Exhibit X

Zees Global Reach

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Source: www.zeetelevision.com Exhibit XI Zees Re-Branded Channels

Re-Branding of the Zee Channels Then Trendz Zee English Zee Movie Zone Smile TV Alpha Marathi Alpha Punjabi Alpha Bengali Alpha Gujarati Alpha Telugu Now Zee Trendz Zee Caf Zee Studio Zee Smile Zee Marathi Zee Punjabi Zee Bangla Zee Gujarati Zee Telugu

Source: www.zeetelevision.com

Additional Readings & References: 1.

2.

Moorthi, YLR, Brand Management, New Delhi, Vikas Publishing house Private Ltd.,

1999.

Analysts laud News Corp-Zee deal, www.rediff.com, September 25, 1999. 3. Kapferer, Jean-Nol, Strategic Brand Management, Second edition, New Delhi, Kogan Page India Private Ltd., 2000. 4. Agarwal, Alok, Zee TV announces new programs to stave off Star TV threat, www.domain-b.com, September 5, 2000. 5. Agarwal, Alok, Zee targets to become the largest integrated convergence company, www.domain-b.com, September 26, 2000. 6. Agarwal, Alok, Will "Gadar - Ek Prem Katha" create magic for Zee? www.domain-b.com, June 30, 2001. 7. Zee TV readies to do battle with Star; and it is better armed Now, www.indiantelevision.com, July 10, 2001. 8. Wanvari, Anil, Star Plus: The looming threat, www.indiantelevision.com, September 24, 2001. 9. Zee and Turner form distribution joint venture , www.timewarner.com December 13, 2001. 10. Chandran, Praveen, JV with Turner to help enhance Zee , www.domain-b.com, December 18, 2001. 11. KBC signs off in stylewith star promising to bring it back , www.indiantelevision.com, January 9, 2002. 12. Subramaniam, Harsha, Innovation is the key to success in programming, Catalyst, www.blonnet.com, February 7, 2002. 13. Sony, Zee Tele fail to take on STAR, www.economictimes.com, August 9, 2002. 14. Ninan, Sevanti, Wake up Zee , www.economictimes.com, October 20, 2002. 15. Zee plans to set up film distribution network overseas, www.blonnet.com, May 14, 2003. 16. Indiantelevision.coms interview with Subhash Chandra, www.indiantelevision.com, January 13, 2005. 17. After Dubai, Zee sat to rock London, www.indiantelevision.com, March 18, 2005. 18. Zee TV goes in for a snazzy new look, www.agencyfaqs.com, March 28, 2005. 19. Faleiro, Nikhil, The rise and rise of Subhash Chandra and Zee Telefilms, www.rediffonnet.com. 20. Sony: The Big Picture , www.indiantelevision.com. 21. www.economictimes.com 22. www.trendstv.com 23. www.chennaionline.com 24. www.indiantelevision.com 25. 26. www.agencyfaqs.com www.scatmag.com
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26. www.scatmag.com 27. www.exchange4media.com 28. www.tribuneindia.com 29. www.blonnet.com 30. www.zeetelevision.com

[1] Agarwal, Alok, Zee Targets to Become the Largest Integrated Convergence Company,www.domain- b.com, September 26, 2000. [2] Interview, www.indiantelevision.com, May 23, 2005. [3] Prime-time refers to the time slot which generally extends from 9 p.m to 11p.m. wherein channels telecast its most popular television programs. [4] Includes Doordarshan National Network and Metro Channel. [5] Essel Group of companies, the parent company of Zee has operations in entertainment broadcasting, cable TV, films, theme parks, publishing, education, retailing, manufacturing and real estate. [6] Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry. [7] www.zeetelevision.com. [8] www.zeetelevision.com. [9] Sony Entertainment Television, first venture of Sony Pictures Entertainment, the biggest entertainment powerhouse of America. [10] Rupert Murdoch is the majority shareholder, managing director and CEO of News Corporation, one of the worlds largest media corporations. [11] Balaji Telefilms is a major Television Software Production House in India. [12] Entertainment, www3.estart.com. [13] Entertainment, www3.estart.com. [14] www.etstrategicmarketing.com, July-August, 2004. [15] Zee-MGM was a Joint venture of Zee and Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (Hollywoods famous movie production house). [16] Anupam Kher, a film actor by profession had acted in many regional and Hindi films. [17] Television Rating Point, Rating system used to judge the visibility of a Television Program. [18] Aaj Tak was run by TV Today Network (TVTN), a subsidiary of Living Media India Ltd. (LMI) which is part of the India Today group. [19] www.indiantelevision.com. [20] www.indiantelevision.com, March 5, 2001. [21] www.indiantelevision.com, March 4, 2001. [22] Gadar-ek prem katha, released in 2001. [23] Agarwal, Alok, Will Gadar-ek prem katha Create Magic for Zee? June 30, 2001, www.domain-b.com. [24] AOL Time Warner, a subsidiary of Time Warner group, is an international media company. [25] www.indiantelevision.com, November 15, 2001 [26] www.indiantelevision.com, November, 15, 2001. [27] www.zeetelevision.com. [28] Zee Telefilms Notches up Better Than Expected FY 2000-2001 Showing, www.indiantelevision.com, May 31, 2001. [29] www.agencyfaqs.com, November 26, 2002. [30] ETC Networks Limited, was a television network having two channels-ETC Hindi and ETC Punjabi. Zee had a 51% stake in ETC. [31] Padmalaya Telefilms was a major film production house in South India. [32] www.trendstv.com, April 28, 2003. [33] France TV is a popular public television in France. [34] Silhouette Films, is a production house based in London and New Delhi, with a strong presence in France. [35] Zee Cine Awards, were viewers choice awards launched by Zee in 1995 to felicitate the best talents in the Indian Film Industry. [36] www.domain-b.com, January 22, 2004. [37] Zee MGM was renamed as Zee Movie Zone in September 2004, following the buy-out of its partner Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM) by a group headed by Sony Corporation. [38] www.economictimes.com, March 28, 2005. [39] After Dubai, Zee Set to Rock London, www.indiantelevision.com, March 18, 2005. [40] www.indiantelevision.com, April l7, 2005. [41] www.indiantelevision.com, January 13, 2005

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