Happening

[V] Are Like This Only!

By Payal Anand

They've always made a song and dance about everything. But then, that's what they're all about. Or at least were about, until their much-hyped relaunch last month. Because, from August, Channel [V], till now synonymous with music, transformed itself, literally overnight, into a 'youth' channel.

[V] are like this only If youth makes you think Doordarshan-style programming, think again. This is going to be youth, [V] ishtyle, and you can't get much more irreverent, funky and downright bindaas than [V] intends to get. You've probably already seen the new look [V] on your screens, but it's only going to get better. It's all new-20 new shows, 12 new VJs and a whole new attitude.

But the changes go beyond the superficial. [V] has gone to the root of the problem, which is that, as a music channel, they don't have an exclusive market anymore. When they started out, a good six-seven years ago, there were one or at the most two music channels in the country. Channel surf today, and every alternate channel is dedicated to music, whether it's English or Hindi, Indipop or regional languages. Such a huge variety of choices for the viewer means falling revenues and falling viewership, which as everyone knows, is not the mark of a successful channel.

So, what do the smart guys do? They re-invent themselves. Which is what [V] has done. They took a good hard look at the Indian television scene and realized that there's nothing focussed at the youth. Yes, there are music channels, but then there's a lot more to youngsters than simply music-as Teens Today realized way back in '96! So now, you have Channel [V], the youth channel, or rather, what they claim is India's first and only youth channel.

So what's a youth channel about? It's about fashion, adventure, careers, entertainment, relationships, sports, technology... in short, it's about everything that youngsters are about. The new programming reflects that completely. So you have [V] Job Shop, which talks about career options, courses, entrance exams, interviews and everything related to careers that you wanted to know about, but didn't know whom to ask. Then there's [V] Gone India, a show that's based on the premise that you don't need loads of money or luggage to travel, you can do just as well with a rucksack, a little money, and good, sturdy walking shoes. Another interesting concept is that of Virtual [V], that seeks to demystify the cyber world for teens. So if you don't know your ICQ from your IRC, or think that chat is what ladies do at kitty parties, this is the show to check out. There's something here for everyone from the novice to the expert! There's Tea With [V], a three hour show that's got dedications, mush music, fashion talk, requests... you name it, it's there. There's Channel [V] On Campus, where [V] goes on campuses around the country to check out the attitudes, hangouts, achievers, fests, profiles and the like. There's also something for the slightly older, 19 2to 25-year-old audience, in the form of Late Night [V], a two hour show that talks about relationship problems, gadgets and gizmos, fiction, film, fashion, dance, art-anything relevant to young adults, as they are called. And in the midst of all this is the music, which is still at the heart of their programming.

These are just some of the shows, there's lots more happening. So, you have game shows, chat shows, entertainment shows, adventure sports shows and many many more. Now, you can't have a new look with old faces, can you? So, you have a whole new set of VJs as well-some known faces, but more unknown ones. And while most of the faces look good, only time will tell whether there's substance behind the style.

The channel itself is very upbeat about its new look. "We will excite, amuse, titillate, engross, activate, attract and retain youth audiences like never before. We have created programming that they will talk about the next day", says Suresh Bala, General Manager, Channel [V], India.

Well, we've started talking. But are we going to keep talking? You decide!