Kids
Pogo goes pay from 1 November
MUMBAI/NEW DELHI: Pogo, the Cartoon Network’s sibling kids’ channel from the Turner stable, has gone pay from 1 November. The monthly maximum retail price is fixed at Rs 10 per month.
Pogo, which as per company estimates is beaming across 17 millions homes, was a digitally encrypted channel but was available free till now.
Confirming this move, Siddharth Jain, new CEO of Zee-Turner Ltd, which distributes Pogo in India, said, “We are very clear that we want to keep the price at a realistic level, while continuing to provide quality content to the viewers.”
According to him, “The introduction of Rs 10 will include a distribution margin for the cable operators.”
Pogo is distributed by Zee-Turner, a Time Warner and Zee Telefilms Ltd joint venture as a stand-alone channel and will not be packaged along with other bouquet channels. Zee-Turner’s comprehensive bouquet comprises 25 channels.
Keeping in mind the distribution cost involved at every level, an attempt has been made to safeguard the business interest of the cable affiliates, Jain said, claiming that , probably, this is the first time that a broadcaster is sharing distribution margins with the cable operators.
“We hope, this price arrangement would ensure that the broadcaster gets a fair share of the consumer spend,” Jain said, hinting that such a move should arrest the trend of rampant under-declaration in the broadcast and cable industry.
Though Jain was not forthcoming on the dealer margin, a company source said that the maximum retail price of Pogo has been pegged at Rs 10, but an effective rate of Rs 6 will be charged from subscribers.
This would also mean that Zee Turner would have to spin out a different distribution strategy for Pogo as it will be distributed and marketed amongst cable ops as a standalone channel owing to a Telecom Regulatory Authority of India recommendation that new pay channels couldn’t form part of existing distribution bouquets after a price freeze was put in place from 26 December, 2003.
Pogo joins Hungama TV in an environment which is increasingly going to be tough for pay television. Hungama TV, distributed by Star India and priced at Rs 6 a month per subscriber, is according to industry reports already seeing a slip in carriage after the launch of Star One.
Pogo is distributed by Zee-Turner, a Time Warner and Zee Telefilms Ltd joint venture. Launched on 1 January 2004, the channel has content specially designed for Indian audiences like Tiny TV, Prime Pogo and Family Movie Zone. Pogo will double its Hindi language content to 80 per cent by the end of the year.
Kids
Gokuldham Goes English with 3D Series Launch
Hindi version hits 80 million views in six months, English premiere drops 12 Feb on dedicated channel.
MUMBAI: Gokuldham Society just got a bilingual upgrade and it’s speaking fluent fun. Neela Mediatech is rolling out the English version of its hit Taarak Mehta Ka Ooltah Chashmah 3D animated series, hot on the heels of the Hindi edition’s runaway digital success.
Launched just six months ago, the Hindi 3D avatar has already racked up over 80 million views, proving that Jethalal’s antics, Bhide’s lectures, and Popatlal’s endless bride hunts translate brilliantly into animation especially for a new generation of young viewers who’ve never caught the live-action show on TV.
The English-language premiere lands on 12 February on the freshly minted Taarak Mehta Ka Ooltah Chashmah 3D Animated Series English channel. The move opens Gokuldham’s doors wider to English-speaking families across India and the diaspora, letting non-Hindi speakers dive straight into the neighbourhood chaos without subtitles.
Neela Mediatech founder Asit Kumarr Modi captured the spirit behind the expansion, “Taarak Mehta Ka Ooltah Chashmah was created to celebrate togetherness and shared happiness. The response from audiences across India has strengthened our belief in these stories. Presenting the 3D animated series in English allows us to connect with families who may not speak Hindi but relate to the same values and emotions.”
This isn’t a one-off experiment. Neela Mediatech is quietly building a full Gokuldham universe beyond the small screen. TMKOC Rhymes already sings in 12 Indian languages, with more international versions in the pipeline. On the gaming front, TMKOC Play offers 12 interactive titles, headlined by the addictive Gada Electronics Game that keeps kids (and nostalgic adults) tapping away.
From prime-time TV to animated shorts, nursery rhymes, mobile games, and now bilingual streams, Gokuldham has morphed into a multi-platform, multi-language family empire. Whether you grew up laughing at Sodhi’s Sardar jokes or you’re just meeting the gang for the first time, the Society’s doors are officially open in English and the views suggest plenty of people are walking right in.
