MUMBAI: With five days to go for the most-awaited event – Global Citizen Festival – on Indian soil this year, Viacom18’s music unit Vh1 prepares to undergo a revamp, from its appearance to its programming. The country’s go-to channel for English music content will live telecast the event from the ground thus proving the timing could not have been better for Viacom18 to execute its new effort.
Vh1 is not new to the idea of telecasting global-scale events, but Viacom18’s Business Head for English and Youth Entertainment, Ferzad Palia understands a whole new approach deserves to be implemented in carrying out an effort of this proportion. “With a whole new look and feel, we would be telecasting the Global Citizen Festival, and we also announce a range of programming on the channel. The company always indulges in research and understanding the consumers’ demand, Vh1 will venture into pop-culture and celebrity-based shows.”
Among the new programs announced, (refer here) the ‘Sound Nation’ initiative returns Viacom18 to a consumer base previously found on now ‘only digital’ channel MTV Indies. The program would be a vlog featuring Indian musicians on the show, a development MTV Indies fans would love to read. Although, venturing into pop-culture based shows and celebrity-focused lifestyle shows will dominate the intention behind the revamp.
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With existing international live award events and reality shows, the channel will incorporate more international programs in its schedule. “The 8.30 p.m. to 10 p.m. will be dedicated to primetime featuring content from pop, culture, entertainment, talk shows and music.
Emphasis on local programming will continue with addition of Vh1 Inside Access, a celebrity-based show hosted by Miss Malini. The show fills in the void of a genre that possesses the ability to reach out to a wide audience, similar to some of the iconic MTV shows of the 90s and 2000s, a trend quickly adapted by other networks.
“The plan is to be far more digitally integrated,” said Palia, who added that, so far, the plan is to live telecast only the international line-up of the Global Citizen Festival. “On our digital platform Voot, a few videos will be uploaded to summarise the experience of the festival.”
To conclude, Vh1’s new effort is obviously welcoming. So, expect a lot more documentaries, music videos, original content, local content, live telecast of concerts, pop culture emphasis, entertainment beyond music and international reality shows.
