In overhaul mode
SANGEETA BAROOAH PISHAROTY
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This August, the animation channel from Sony TV, Animax, has gone for a revamp to attract new viewers.
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RE-PRESENTED A scene from the award-winning animation film, "Appleseed" to be aired on Animax this Saturday.
Cartoons on the TV screen invariably make us think they are mainly for kids. That some animation series can be particularly for the grown-ups is an idea that has still not quite taken root among viewers here in general. So a niche 24-hour animation channel like Animax, launched on the Indian airwaves a little over two years ago, took the easy way to draw attention. It didn't spell out who actually were its target viewers, and instead followed what other cartoon channels were already doing here to grab eyeballs - provide Hindi feed. Albeit for two hours daily. But what started as an experiment continued. Seeing cartoons, little kids tuned in. Finding most content not up to their understanding, they changed channels soon. Animax didn't lose hope even then. To get the children's attention, it quickly roped in popular cricketer Irfan Pathan as a mascot. But real success in roping in viewers still eluded it. A problem of wrong focus clearly.
Now it seems realisation has dawned on the channel. This August, it has woken up to refocus itself. This time not on kids but on teenagers and above. Says Sunder Aaron, Country Manager, Animax, "From this August 15, we have stopped the Hindi feed. Instead of doing any good, it had become confusing for viewers when suddenly the English programming would go Hindi." Also, Aaron says, "Most of our shows have dramatic conflicts and are not really for kids."
Then whom are they for? "Our new target audience is between age 14 and 25. We want to position ourselves as a lifestyle channel," he says. Having said this, he adds that the channel is aware animation is not just any tele-soap viewers would stick to it if they found the storyline gripping enough. One already has to have some fascination for animation series, and only then would a viewer think of being loyal to the programming.
"I agree that it is an ultra niche field. But animation is getting bigger in India. So many animation series and movies are being made in India now. So we believe there is already a ready audience," he says.
"Ani-Flix"
Among other things new, the channel has begun airing award-winning animation movies on Saturdays from this month. Called "Ani-Flix", it has already shown blockbuster animation movies like "Cowboy Bebop", "Ghost In the Shell" and "Akira". Next in line for the evening of August 26 is "Appleseed".
Aaron says the channel has quite a few branded blocks like "Ani-Flix", such as "Ani-Sutra" and "Ani-Blast".
Being from the Sony bouquet, distribution has never been a problem for Animax. But Aaron adds, "Very soon you will see a lot of promotional activities."
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