Channel Nine Gold‘s loss has been Star‘s gain. Star Plus, which started airing two soaps from the library acquired from the now defunct company, will commence airing Sanjay Khan‘s Jannat , from 8 December at 7 pm.
Jannat is part of the Nine library bought by Star after Channel Nine Gold fell out with pubcaster Doordarshan and stopped operations in September this year. Kabhie Souten Kabhie Saheli and Kundali, the two other serials from the Nine stables, have started telecast on Star Plus from November and are reportedly doing well. indiantelevision.com had reported earlier this month that Star had paid only 20 per cent of the actual valuation of the library. The library is valued at around Rs 120 million.

Most of Channel Nine Gold‘s soaps were doing well on DD Metro before they were stopped abruptly. Star stands to gain from the telecast of these serials which already had a loyal following among DD Metro‘s audiences.

The bad times in the television business have got to Cinevista Communications as well.

Cinevista, a leading television programme producer, has reported negative results with a net loss of Rs 34.50 million in the first half (H1) ended September 2001. Total income for the half-year ended 30 September 2001 stood at Rs 110.2 million as against Rs 253 million for the same period last year.

The company has posted a net loss of Rs 34.5 million, against a net profit of Rs 30.80 million for the same period last year. Cinevista had posted a sales growth 55 per cent and a growth of 44 per cent in profit after tax for the half year ended September 2000 over the same period the earlier year. The current year‘s figures stand out in stark contrast with these figures.

The Cinevista scrip was down 4-7 per cent yesterday on the Bombay Stock Exchange. The scrip moved beteen Rs 45 and Rs 42 and closed even lower at Rs 42.50 with close to 6200 shares changing hands.

The television industry has started feeling the heat of deteriorating market conditions as is evident by the half yearly results shown by many media related companies. The bad times are probably just beginning for the industry.

National Geographic Channel plans to go wilder. But if you thought they are going to introduce more wildlife programming, think again!

The channel that is about to turn three in India, has a slew of plans up its sleeve to relaunch itself as an ‘entertainment channel‘ in the subcontinent. "I am tired of seeing NGC listed under the educational programme category in the newspapers", says newly appointed senior VP, content & communications Dilshad Jal Master.

That is precisely what the channel is doing with SuperCroc, a two hour special that will be aired on 9 December at 8 pm. Four years of research have gone into the making of the programme that delves into the discovery of a prehistoric mammoth - Sarcosuchus imperator, in the parched sands of the Sahara. The show does not only traces the way the SuperCroc lived and died, it also traces its descendants in swampy Australia, Florida and even in India.

Gerry Martin makes his first NGC appearance on SuperCroc

The in-house team of Dr Paul Sereno and Dr Brady Barr is joined by Indian herpetologist Gerry Martin during their exploration in India. The extensive research, the rigorous travels and the life size models of the 40-foot long reptile created for the SuperCroc, have all contributed to making it one of the costliest NGC shows produced so far. The show will be followed by a 13-part series on crocodile chronicles, three of which are filmed in India.

NGC is also planning to trace the National Geographic Society‘s grantees who are working on several wildlife projects in remote corners of the country like Garhwal or Coorg, and using the inputs for making more shows on the channel.