Barely a year into operations, the relatively new team at Star News has been thrust into its first Lok Sabha elections ever. Since that is more or less the scenario with competitors, barring NDTV, as well, the buzzword at Star currently is innovation.

"Aapko Rakhe Aage," That's the mantra

The only news channel to be headquartered in Mumbai, Star News' operations is what one would label as a corporate affair. While they may go blue denying it, the approach is definitely upper crust. With its election properties designed under an umbrella programme Kaun Banega Pradhanmantri, the channel is all about pithy, pacy, prudent reporting.

Even as other channels were quick to follow NDTV’s successful spoof based programme, Gustakhi Maaf, Star News distanced itself rather than following suit. Instead, it readied what it labels a 'first of its kind political satire' show, Poll Khol. "We aren't mimicking or imitating anybody. We just bring the real picture behind the scene. It is our attempt to make you understand, why people behave the way they do. What have they said earlier, and what are they contradicting," reveals brand director Keertan Adyanthaya.

Star News president Ravina Raj Kohli

"What we are giving people is a very innovative coverage of the elections. We have a psepholgy show anchored by Gaurav Banerjee with Yashwant Deshmukh- Tol Mol Ke Poll, we are organizing live debate shows; have on-ground surveys Super Elector. But we are not giving you the digested form of the news, what we bring to you is the reflection of your own voices," pitches in channel president Ravina Raj Kohli.

Let's get real!

Competition between news channels is a lot like music channels, it is a neck and neck fight with almost similar content going around. With news coverage circling around a singular property like the general elections, news channels are under the risk of looking and sounding alike. So while NDTV has its known faces to bank on and Aaj Tak has its mass appeal to fall back on, what's unique to Star News?

Star News brand director Keertan Adyanthaya

"Our strategy, in the recent past, has not been about over analyzing things or giving out a really digestive form of news. We report all the angles of the story, and you can decide what you want to take. In our entire election strategy, we have not relied on experts as we have relied on our own experience and our own reporters to get the news from everywhere possible," says Adyanthaya.

"We don’t want to tell them whether a party is better or a politician is worse. We just want to show every little side, unknown facets, and news that other media gloss over. We just want to investigate, dig and present the whole spectrum," offers editor and director of news Uday Shankar.

The interactivity factor is brought in through the debate programme- Humse Achcha Kaun. That apart, the channel has revived Chaupal, a daily segment canned in different parts of the country, where the channel assembles people at one place and asks them questions like what affects them and what they are looking for.

Let's talk money honey

Let's have a look at the list of advertisers roped in for the elections by Star News. The company has tied up with a number of reputed brands across categories: electronic major Samsung, auto car manufacturer Maruti, paint company Asian paints, garment manufacturer Raymond, Astral pipes, detergent brand Surf, electronics company Bluestar, car battery manufacturers Base Terminal, Inverted batteries Sukam, chocolate major Cadburys, insurance company Cholamandalam, glass manufacture Saint Gobain, suiting and shirting company Peter England, Corporation Bank of India, and first timers - undergarment brand VIP and mineral water brand Oxyrich.

Star News senior VP ad sales Joy Chakkraborthy

The election programmes are being sold at a premium, the reason being that general elections happen once in five years. "Also since Star News has a fixed commercial time to be sold and in keeping up with the demand and supply scenario, the ad slots are sold at a premium," says Star News senior vice president ad sales Joy Chakkraborthy.

"In fact, our election properties are divided into two batches and sold to two sets of advertisers," puts in Adyanthaya.

"Elections translate into prime property and hence come with an ad clutter risk attached. We have strict guidelines in terms of number of minutes per hour of advertising that we take. We have 11 minutes per hour and we don’t exceed that. Also, we are seriously thinking about not tagging promos on prime time to avoid the clutter," adds Adhyanthaya.

Election, the money spinner!

Both Adhyanathaya and Chakraborthy insist that election properties Kaun Banega Pradhanmantri and Poll Khol are really hot. So if normally, the channel commands a rate of around Rs 6800 per 10 seconds during prime time (5 pm to 1 am) and a rate of Rs 3000 per 10 seconds on an ROS basis in the morning prime (6 am to 1 pm), a big ticket item like the general election draws a rate of around Rs 55000 per 10 seconds prime time and Rs 21000 per 10 seconds for an ROS time band. Whew! That’s steep.

And why would any one pay so much? "The channel is positioned as a mass channel with a premium image. It is a great value addition to advertisers, especially looking at the wide reach. Our target audience is 15+ SEC A, B, C and it will only increase during the elections," says Kohli.

"It is the only Indian news channel that has, under its banner, presented the 1999 general elections to the viewers. The viewer, at large, associates programming with a channel, a knowledge that Star News is banking on and hoping will be an edge over other channels.

Since the language of the channel is Hindi, it moves from being a niche channel to being a mass channel. But due to its programming content and extremely high profile, advertisers attain a very premium image," adds Chakkraborthy.

"The reason for Star News being sought after by clients is great content, low clutter levels and premium advertising ambience," he sums up.

What's in it for me?

They say they understand the pulse of the common man. So there is a plethora of programmes, each with a catchy name like an election segment KBPM - Dilli Ke Daavedar, election bulletin KBPM - Kisme Kitna Hai Dam, a debate- KBPM - Hum Se Achcha Kaun, an interactive show KBPM - Hum Aapke Hain Kaun, a psephology show KBPM - Tol Mol Ke Poll.

That apart, on election days, the channel will air KBPM - Poora Din Poora Desh, just election related programming all the time with a headlines update every hour. They have exit polls KBPM - Kaisi Hain Tasveer, a look at the government formation KBPM - Kahi Kursi Kahi Gam, post poll analysis - KBPM - Koi Mil Gaya Koi Hil Gaya and a tongue-in-cheek look at politicians Poll Khol.

But it does not have the names that bring in the credibility. Quoting a recent AC Neilson study, Kohli says, "We are ranked as the most credible news channel." Adding to that statement, Adyanthaya offers, "There are hardly two or three faces in the country that can be called credible. There is Prannoy Roy, but he is very well known in the English speaking circles, which is a small segment in our country. In fact, during one of the Star News surveys we found that no one in the junta areas recognised him, and that’s the audience that we are trying to attract."

"News television is still in its infancy and unlike American television, there are no personalities, no political analysts that have a stamp of authority like a David Letterman or a Jay Leno. We have a Jay Leno similarity with Shekhar Suman, though!" quips Adyanthaya.

The name of the game is promotions!

Shekhar Suman in Star News' political sattire 'Poll Khol'

The channel has been doing a quite a few on air promotions since March 2004 on the Star network. Besides, big money has been invested in a huge outdoor activity for Poll Khol and then there is merchandising being done, apart from using various media to promote the election slots. But the channel has distanced itself from content sharing options. With an exception of Poll Khol, which is produced by their regular content provider BAG Films’ production, rest of the programmes are done in-house."

What have been the logistics of the entire affair?

Star News editor & director of news Uday Shankar

About 400 staff reporters will be working round the clock; everybody is likely to be working double time minus the pay, of course. Although the channel has hired a few stringers and freelancers to aid in the technical side, none of these are for the editorial side. "Our technology is advanced and short term hiring does not suit us. The training process itself- learning to cope with the technology, imbibing editorial learning’s- takes a fairly long time. Also, trained work force is not available off the shelf," offers Shankar.

Vote for a better tomorrow! Pic courtesy: Tribuneindia.com

As for the technical logistics, operations director Vynsley Fernandes offers, "The operation basically works in three shifts. Previously, during the assembly election we went live 75 days, from ten stations at one time, without a hitch on the counting day. But we will be treating the general elections slightly differently as we concentrate more on public opinion."

"We are already pretty strong in terms of OB vans. We are looking at other media like broadband to provide links, video feeds, and live pictures," he adds.

With a cool blue look and a decidedly cosmopolitan approach, Star News' reporting is akin to ‘contemporary’ cinema- intelligent, likeable yet very niche. While the channel hopes to have contributed towards the better understanding of the Indian political process and in the process bag itself a committed set of viewers, it is left to be seen if viewers deem it fit to keep it "sabse aage" in their viewing list too.

Click here for Star News editor & director of news Uday Shankar's interview