ZEE to launch new FTA channel 'Zee Anmol' on Sept 1

It will be India's first channel to launch simultaneously on mobile and TV

BestMediaInfo Bureau | Delhi | August 28, 2013

(L-R) Ajay Bhalwankar, Akash Chawla & Bharat Ranga

Expanding its reach to every television household in the country, Zee Entertainment Enterprises (ZEE) is launching a new channel, Zee Anmol, a free-to-air general entertainment channel (GEC) on September 1, 2013. Zee Anmol will be the first channel in Indian television to be simultaneously launched on mobile and television platforms.

Positioned as 'Dil Choo Jaaye', Zee Anmol is a channel that believes in touching people's hearts through real, genuine emotions that will be depicted through some of the best shows that Indian television has ever seen. Zee Anmol stands for the most invaluable things in life – love, family, memories.

Bharat Kumar Ranga, Chief Creative & Content Officer (CCCO), ZEEL, said, “ZEE has built a legacy of entertainment and emerged as the strongest brand on television over the last 20 years only through closely listening to the voice of our viewers – it is only through understanding them that we have been able to bring ZEE to where it stands today. We have easily the richest library of content in the country and our shows are products of people's love. Our insighting mechanism, which cuts across the length and breadth of the country, strongly indicates that the audiences today are craving for some of their all-time favourite shows from Zee's library and Zee Anmol is an attempt to bring these popular shows back in to their lives.”

Ranga added, “At the same time, the television viewing universe has expanded by leaps and bounds over the last few years. So, the content of Zee Anmol will be first-time consumption for a vast majority of viewers across smaller towns where C&S penetration is still picking up. Our shows will reach out to countless fresh viewers across every television household and immensely expand the reach of the network. So, the launch of Zee Anmol is an exciting, new beginning for us.”

Taking the route of 'Entertainment along with Value', the channel will interact with its viewers through interesting on-air contests that ask learning-based questions centered round its shows. The unique gratification for these contests is that winners' snapshots will be featured on the channel along with their family details, thereby giving viewers a chance to make their parents proud.

Already available across major MSOs, cable operators and key DTH platforms such as DD Direct and Dish TV, Zee Anmol will showcase some of the choicest, hand-picked content in the history of Indian television including the most unforgettable shows from Zee TV's repository. It will also feature some of the current popular fiction and non-fiction properties of Zee TV as well as entertaining movies and kids' content.

The programming line-up of Zee Anmol in its launch phase includes shows like 'Pavitra Rishta', 'Choti Bahu', 'Saat Phere', 'Naagin', 'Maayka', 'Kasamh Se', 'Sindoor', 'Jhansi ki Rani', 'India's Best Dramebaaz', 'Shabaash India' and 'Dance India Dance' amongst others.

On the channel's simultaneous launch on mobile and television, Akash Chawla, Marketing Head, National Channels, ZEEL, said, “With the mobile internet penetration in India reaching almost 100 million, a simultaneous mobile launch of Zee Anmol will significantly aid in increasing the reach of the brand. Viewers, even with 2G connections and non-smartphones, will be able to keep up with the channel through its WAP site, zeeanmol.tv. The idea is to present viewers with convenience of consumption. We will use repurposed content such as concise 2-3 minute webisodes of our shows, mood-based videos, most memorable dialogues of our show's artistes to facilitate convenient, on-the-go, snacking consumption of the channel.”

The marketing campaign for Zee Anmol will be audio-visual intensive with a slew of heart-warming promos that will hit the air, capturing how it stands for the most relatable situations at home and lively exchanges with friends and family that bring a smile to your face. Children's interest in the channel's shows will be piqued through extensive school contact programmes. Outdoors and transit media branding in select markets will optimise the buzz.

Ajay Bhalwankar, Head-Content, Hindi GECs, ZEEL, said, “It is immensely gratifying to know that some of the best shows of ZEE that people have followed religiously over the years will now reach out to every television household in the country. Countless viewers who constantly write to us demanding that we bring back these iconic shows will rejoice at the proposition of Zee Anmol. The launch of this FTA channel opens up new horizons of reach for ZEE.”

Info@BestMediaInfo.com

Info@BestMediaInfo.com