THE GEC QUESTIONNAIRE!!!

In our recent  Consulting Job at Reliance Industries Limited (RIL) , We spent some good time with their National Creative  Director and one of the best Cartoonist India has got –Neelabh Banerjee!!!

It was our First ever experience to see someone reacting to the surroundings and their happenings so fast and so sharply !!!

His Cartoons!!!

The Neelabh Toons on all Digital Plateforms now!!!  (He doesn’t need our Endorsement!! J J  )

Neelabh Bhai,As we affectionetly call him , has entertained us for more than Twenty years through Times of India,

There at RIL , We learnt one thing from him : The Power of OBSERVATION

Few Days back ,We met one of the biggest GEC Executives and observed few of his  GEC observations ,

Realised ,

Observations should be shared.

That very day,We thought of putting our own recent  and disconnected GEC observations here in this Blog ,

But not in the form of a statement being passed , Or an advice being given; (We avoid that.)

We just question on Trends and Themes , You will create  your own answers!!

Here goes ;

 THE 51 QUESTIONS :

 Question 1 : Is it just a coincidence that many or most of the GECs today have got historicals in their top ranking shows?

Question 2 : If its not , Why are they working so well now?

Question 3 : Can we guess or research the viewers emotional response on these Historicals in comparison to ongoing Dramas ?

Question 4 : Are “Positivity” or “Feel Good” factors  powerfull enough to become the tool of change?

Question 5: Why do we find less number of  Hardhitting and Hardcore shows on GECs these days ?

Question 6 : Is it focussing more on “Semi Urban” cities,rather focussing on “Village Cities” ?

Question 7 : Don’t we find relatable issues exhausting on GECs?

Question 8 : Do we need to expand the orbit of the factor “Relatibility” ?

Question 9 :Are we still surprising the viewers with our Content?

Question 10 : What could be the future of various genres in GEC space?

Question 11: Are we sure that the existing and the shrinked selection of Genres should continue on GECs?

Question 12 : Are we really entertaining the female viewers?

Question 13 : Are we sure that we are not just carrying forward the  allready exhausted content offerings to female viewers ?

Question 14 : Are our Research Tools properly intigrated into the expanding markets ?

Question 15 : Why are we not moving beyond the mark of 350 in our GRPs ?

Question 16 : Are we sure that It’s a case of segmented and cluttered market ?

Question 17 : What should we make to bring the new viewers in ?

Question 18 :Cant we mix match the forgotten and ignored genres into the mainstream content of GECs?

Question 19 : Does  the form of our narratives need experiments ?

Question 20 : How do we do experiments with the on air narratives to have a reality check on them ?

Question 21 : Are we over stressing on  allmost  exhausted “Look and Feel” factors rather inventing newly defined factors of “Look and Feel” ?

Question 22 : Are we sure that our “SETS” don’t make all our shows look same ?

Question 23 : Do we really give time to the writing process of Scripts ?

Question 24 : Cant we bring in a Restriction Cap on the number of TV shows a writer writes ? (With bigger and better Fee Structure)

Question 25 : How can we get the viewers back on Weeklies ?

Question 26 : Will a One Hour Daily show work ?

Question 27 : Can Interactive be the next phase of Fiction Content ?

Question 28 : What could be the possible forms and formats for this ?

Question 29 : Is there a contradiction in “Aspirational” and “Relatable” content ?

Question 30 : Does the Mature Drama exist anywhere ?

Question 31 : Cant we create a “TRACKS INTIGRATION” way of serving different viewers through the same story ?

Question 32 : Is there really no way of thinking beyond the “GIRL” in our stories ?

Question 33 : Can  the arrival of an Elephant in a TV series (And We congratulate them on this) trigger a trend of exploring daring steps ?

Question 34 : Are we too exhausted creatively to innovate ?

Question 35 : Is it so that the greater content ideas are existing around us but not reaching to us ?

Question 36 : Can we reduce the time spent in Channel-Production House communications to invest it into the better making of the shows ?

Question 37 : Who could be better : The ESTABLISHED ones  or the  NEW ones !!!

Question 38 :Why are we finding lesser  number of Female Executives in decision making roles at GECs?

Question 39 : Does it make any difference in our Creative Outputs ?

Question 40 : Does the larger content vision provide a better focus to content decisions ?

Question 41 : Does the  larger content vision restrict  the content  Innovation ?

Question 42 : Is the Production Community and the Channel Community ideating enough to innovate new content paths together ?

Question 43 : Does the “GUT FEEL ” still help in getting numbers ?

Question 44 : Can we make a Dead Show Alive using Content Tools ?

Question 45 : What is that “Ekta Kapoor Touch” ,  that brings magic to allmost all of her shows? (Positively,It has to be researched and learnt J )

Question 46 : Why did the Content of MAHABHARAT work so well this time ?  (Though  It failed only few years back  ) (A formula might be hidden inside the answer)

Question 47 : Are we sure about the real impact of Big TV stars in a TV show ?

Question 48 : Is it a right practice to avoid naming the artists in the show ?

Question 49 :Have we taken away the individual stamp of the shows by removing the Title Montages ?

Question 50 : What have we lost in Television during all these years ?

Question 51 : What have we added in Television during all these years?

 

We are sure that you will be able to add Hundreds of your Questions,and infact better Questions to this list of Questions;

Please do that;

Questioning  creates  a Matrix of  Cluttered Ideas  within ourselves;

A Chaos of Ideas!!!

And,As Shekhar Kapoor says : “ Creativity Exists in Chaos”

 

That’s the idea of writing;

 

THE GEC QUESTIONNAIRE!!!!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

THANK YOU Dr SUBHASH CHANDRA !!!

Dr Subhash Chandra!!!

I,Khalid of Samidha- Khalid, started my career on October 20,1994 with  his Zee TV in its Delhi office.I became a student belonging to his school;

I  still consider him a great teacher;

His company gave me entry into Television,His company gave me entry into Mumbai ,His company gave me my first business as a Producer;

And his life gave me inspirations;

So when he teaches  to  young students now through his “Dr Subhash Chandra Show” on Zee Network , I still sit in front of TV and listen to him just like a student;

Wondering,Who will be our next Dr Chandra!!

Who will create something out of nothing!!!

Today,Dr Chandra is teaching and inspiring today’s generation to invent something new;

But where is that person who is going to surprise us!!!

Television is waiting for him!!!

Today’s Dr Chandra!!!

And what will he offer us!!

We don’t know!!!

Only he knows!!

But something  in Television which is not just a channel , Something which is not an extention of programming , Something which is not converting it all into Digital;

This something will be a new something;

Like Google became to us when it came;

Like Facebook and Twitter became when it came;

This something in Television is expected now!!

 Someone has to dream something!!!

 

Dr Chandra was saying it today in his show ;

“Collective Mind is considered a Force in Corporate world , But Creativity belongs to an individual,Two persons together don’t create anything,Its just a singular individualistic identity that creates something out of nothing.”

He says;

“Conciousness and Compassion lead us to Creativity.”

“If you dream,You might be able to convert a non existing dream into a new reality.”

Dr Chandra brought a New Technology in India;

That became a media empire today;

We all have learnt from him;

It’s the duty of today’s generation to say “Thank You” to Dr Chandra;

And this “Thank You” can only be said through an action;

Action of Inventing something new into Television;

Action of bringing some non existing thing into Television;

Action of creating a new dream;

And lets be very clear;

This cant be another TV show,Another stream of programming,Another channel,Digitalisation Process..Nothing on this line..This all is an extention of existing things;

As Dr Chandra says;

“Not everyone can create,Very few has got the ability to create something that was non existing,Teams are formed to run it only.”

1 person created Twitter;

Thousands of people run it now;

This,The power of ONE , is again needed in Television;

 

Thank you Dr Chandra for “ Dr Subhash Chandra Show”;

You said it today in you show that “This is not business for you,You want to share your life to inspire the youth of India.”

And we understand it;

Your presence on Television as a Teacher is highly inspiring for all of us;

You gave us a new way of life : The Cable Television!

We promise you on behalf of our generation;

That the generation of today will take it forward;

Someone somewhere;

Dreaming a Non Existing Ambition;

Will bring out something new;

WHAT EXACTLY!!

Might be a Hardware divice;

Might be a way of viewing Television;

Might be Hybrid Software;

Might be a Star Trek Technology;

Might be a Village Broadcasting System;

Might be a User Generated Broadcast System;

 We really don’t know;

What we surely  know;

Is that we need a new Dr Chandra of today;

 Someone;

Who might  be a creative person;

Who might  be an inventer;

Who might be  a business person;

Who might be a Scientist;

Who might be a Digital Innovator;

Who might be a dreamer;

 Someone;

Who will give us this;

THE NEXT BIG THING IN TELEVISION!!

We all are waiting for this to happen again;

This is a new dream in process;

That person might be seeing it in his or her todays;

We will see it when he share it with us;

 

Whenever it happens;

We will be thankfull to him;

But first;

We will again say;

THANK YOU Dr SUBHASH CHANDRA!!!!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

EMPOWERING THE VIEWERS !!!

 Television is for viewers.

It wants to interact and engage the viewers,Sometimes the traditional viewers,Sometimes inviting the new viewers,Viewers and the Viewership is the biggest thing for Television.

We make Fiction and Non Fiction shows for them,We report News for them,We cover Sports for them…We do all this in the name of viewers and viewership;

Where are they!!!Where do they exist in our Scheme of things!!

They exist in the Research Methods of companies which are asked to do the Research;

They exist on the stale and not so active and interactive Web Sites of various Television organisations;

They exist in the Mobile Codes of shows and programmes;

They exist in the ground activities of shows and programmes;

BUS!!!

Viewers need a Live Interactive Digital Rocket of Communication;

A Rocket that can travel with Interactive Communication between a TV programme and the viewer so fast that It almost has the capacity to adjust,control or alter the product;

Is it possible!!!

Very Easily;This is a digital age,We are able to send communication signals to billions of miles away in other galaxies,So nothing big to create this line of communication.

What could be the shape of it!!

Something that empowers the viewers LIVE!!!

Viewers should have a Button,They should have a target for their communication,And there has to be a mechanism on the other end.

It should move beyond providing Mobile Numbers and Codes;

Viewers reacts,The other end replies,The data is stored,Its automatically analysed,A paper sheet is printed,A report is mailed,A Ticker announces the action on Screen,It all happens in seconds.

We should not depend on Rating agencies,They are for different purposes,They tell who watches what,We need to hear the voices of the people directly;

Its possible only when we create something for the viewers;

WHAT and HOW!!!

We are sure that It has to be a Technological plateform;

Something beyond Twitter,Something beyond Facebook;

Something that is created for the specific need;

Why It has not happened so far!!

Because Techno Guys are not interested in creating something for the world of Broadcasters,It’s a world not that big,They will prefer the direct world of  Millions or Billions of Consumers for their Technology products;

Or

We might be wrong;

Someone Somewhere might be working on an Idea;

An idea that will change the outdated communication systems between the Television organisations and the Viewers;

Viewers  are the reason of Television;

Viewers are the reasoning of Television;

Viewers cant be left at a corner of our scheme of things;

They have to be brought at the centre stage;

Earlier It was difficult;

Today Its very easy;

We just need  A SOMEONE who has the power to do it,Who has the vision to do it,Who has a desire to say ;

Lets do it;

Lets do something bigger about

Empowering the Viewers!!!!!