Zee TV shows do not shift focus from middle-class related issues: Aparna Bhosle
Newly appointed business head of Zee TV on her plans- both immediate and long-term, and strengths and challenges of the network
Aparna Bhosle was recently appointed as new business head of Zee Entertainment Enterprises Ltd's (ZEEL) flagship Hindi general entertainment channel, Zee TV. Bhosle has been with Zee since 2012 having joined the network in 2012 as business head of ZeeQ and Zee Anmol. Before moving to the new role, she was heading ZEEL’s English channels cluster. In an exclusive conversation with exchange4media, Bhosle talks about her new role and challenges. Excerpts:
On her new role
Within Zee, I have handled very different businesses (over the years). I started with kids channels, which could be 10 to 75 towns and urban, largely. Later I shifted to ZEEL’s free to air (FTA) channel, which was completely different from the kids space. Running Zee Anmol, which was largely rural, takes a lot of understanding as well. After that, we got Big Magic, which was another ball game so I handled that as well. Therefore, if you look at it, running a business is largely managing a P&L, so whatever may be the content offering of the channel, technically my job still stays the same. I have to just understand the scale of the business and how to manage the numbers to keep it all going.
Challenges across HGEC
It's only one week that I have taken the mandate. I am spending much time observing everything. These two launches (new shows Tujhse Hai Raabta and Guddan Tumse Na Ho Paayega), were largely worked on by Deepak (Rajadhyaksha, former business head of Zee TV). Starting this month, we will figure out what strategy should be applicable going forward. Currently we are set between 9pm to 10.30 pm. We have good shows in the same time slot, there is Kundali Bhagya, Kumkum Bhagya and Ishq Subhan Allah and they are all performing very well. The next time slot that we worked on was to have these two shows between 8pm-9pm. Therefore, now how I take the business that has been handed over to me to newer heights is what my job is all about.
Content on Zee TV
If you look at all the other channels, everyone is trying different things. The thing about Zee is that the channel is rooted to issues related to the middle class. We don’t move away from that. We have a giant research engine, as in we have an in-house insight team. Ongoing work is to reach out to different cities all over the country to gather insights from real people and empowered women. We dealt with triple talaq through Ishq Subhan Allah, which was such a topical issue. So largely listening to the audience and then designing and identifying shows which relate with them is the strength of Zee TV.
Whats’ next?
It is too early to comment. The first thing I will do is to identify the most apt time slot for the shows which are already in the process. This is largely an FCP management game, of course from April 2019, when we will have more shows, I will be working closely with my fiction team.
On her new role
Within Zee, I have handled very different businesses (over the years). I started with kids channels, which could be 10 to 75 towns and urban, largely. Later I shifted to ZEEL’s free to air (FTA) channel, which was completely different from the kids space. Running Zee Anmol, which was largely rural, takes a lot of understanding as well. After that, we got Big Magic, which was another ball game so I handled that as well. Therefore, if you look at it, running a business is largely managing a P&L, so whatever may be the content offering of the channel, technically my job still stays the same. I have to just understand the scale of the business and how to manage the numbers to keep it all going.
Challenges across HGEC
It's only one week that I have taken the mandate. I am spending much time observing everything. These two launches (new shows Tujhse Hai Raabta and Guddan Tumse Na Ho Paayega), were largely worked on by Deepak (Rajadhyaksha, former business head of Zee TV). Starting this month, we will figure out what strategy should be applicable going forward. Currently we are set between 9pm to 10.30 pm. We have good shows in the same time slot, there is Kundali Bhagya, Kumkum Bhagya and Ishq Subhan Allah and they are all performing very well. The next time slot that we worked on was to have these two shows between 8pm-9pm. Therefore, now how I take the business that has been handed over to me to newer heights is what my job is all about.
Content on Zee TV
If you look at all the other channels, everyone is trying different things. The thing about Zee is that the channel is rooted to issues related to the middle class. We don’t move away from that. We have a giant research engine, as in we have an in-house insight team. Ongoing work is to reach out to different cities all over the country to gather insights from real people and empowered women. We dealt with triple talaq through Ishq Subhan Allah, which was such a topical issue. So largely listening to the audience and then designing and identifying shows which relate with them is the strength of Zee TV.
Whats’ next?
It is too early to comment. The first thing I will do is to identify the most apt time slot for the shows which are already in the process. This is largely an FCP management game, of course from April 2019, when we will have more shows, I will be working closely with my fiction team.
