| MUMBAI: Zoom has been primarily associated
with Page 3 content on and around celebrities. But now the non-fiction lifestyle
and entertainment channel wants to become broadbased and create an urban mass
appeal to attract maximum viewership. For starters, it has gone
completely Hindi from being partially English in its initial stages as it plans
to look at a wider audience.
Zoom has also initiated several
activities to create properties around events. Currently focusing more on the
entertainment news, they have just relaunched their show Popkorn News in a new
form.
Says Zoom business head M K Anand, "The channel has
become more centrist now. Initially, the shows were a little
edgy. Today we are the only service filing 200 Bollywood stories
per week. With our initiatives like Popkorn News we compete
straight with news channels."
 To
extend the entertainment news section, Zoom would be launching
a half hour entertainment news-based show in the first quarter
of next year. Unlike Popkorn News, this one won't be pre-recorded
but would go live.
Says Anand, "Currently
we don't have an infrastructure to go live but we certainly plan it for the next
year. This will be a big step to further our target to compete with the news channels."
The other show Page 3 has also roped in new anchors Supreet
Bedi and Pooja Sharma who take the viewers into the world
of the most talked about socialites, stars, fashion gurus
and corporate big wigs. And Weekend Page 3 is a compilation
of week's parties, events and exhibition.
"Today there is an inate
requirement to look and learn. Peoplr pick up fashion trends and style from a
channel like Zoom and with such initiatives we are just staying true to the urban
appeal," says Anand. Zoom is looking at gaining distribution. As a
strategy to improve sampling, it has introduced 2 se 5, an afternoon slot dedicated
completely to movies.
 Talking
about this initiative Anand says, " Movies is just a
short time initiative. We don't plan to do a decibel marketing
of movies by acquiring big titles. Its just to improve our
viewership. We plan to flash the promos of our shows during
the slot so viwers can know more about the shows."
For
this month, Zoom has lined up movies like Shabd, Hazaaron Khwaishein Aisi, Kabhi
Haan Kabhi Naa and 7 1/2 Phere.
The coming year would see Zoom engaging in various events.
There would be Banoongi Main Miss India in February-March,
followed by Zoom Holi party in March and the Zoom Glam awards
in March-April.
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