Koffee with Karan to debut on STAR One soon

Had the show been in Hindi, it could have been a money-spinner for STAR Plus, feel media planners

‘Koffee with Karan’, the popular chat show on STAR World, is going to make a debut on STAR One soon. Samir Nair, COO, STAR TV India, has confirmed the development.

Nair says, “Koffee with Karan is a good property. And, it’s doing very well on STAR World. We are now planning to launch it on STAR One. We are also planning to re-telecast some of the old episodes of the show.”

The show, which surfaced on STAR World in mid-November last year, has had the who's who of tinseltown walking in. In fact, the show was flagged off by the hit on-screen couple Shahrukh Khan and Kajol. Other notable stars who have chatted up with film director-turned-chat show host Karan Johar include Amitabh Bachchan, Aishwarya Rai, Rani Mukherjee, Kareena Kapoor, Saif Ali Khan, Preity Zinta, Abhishek Bachchan.

The top-performer episode in terms of TVR is the one which featured Rani Mukherjee and Kareena Kapoor; it got a TVR of 0.91. The episode with Amitabh Bachchan-Abhishek Bachchan has been the second most successful with a TVR of 0.76. The Shahrukh Khan-Kajol show came in third with a TVR of 0.58; its repeat telecast managed to draw a TVR of 0.25.

To relaunch 'Koffee with Karan' on STAR One makes ample sense since the show is in sync with the brand positioning of the channel. For starters, it’s definitely funky and cool. The channel targets premium viewers at the age group of 15-34 years.

Industry analysts believe the show's viewership would have been much more, if it was telecast on STAR Plus. That's because of the inherent popularity of film-based shows and the presence of top-notch cinestars as Karan Johar’s guests.

When agencyfaqs! disclosed the STAR strategy to Sandeep Tarkas, chief executive - Media Direction, he said, “This one seems to a good strategic move by STAR India. STAR One certainly has a broader viewership base than STAR World, although both cater to a similar target group of upwardly mobile urban people. However, had Koffee with Karan been in Hindi, it could have been a money-spinner for STAR Plus.”

But Nair is not interested in exercising this option at all. “The show is in English, and it will not work on STAR Plus because that channel is for the Hindi-speaking viewer. That’s the reason why we are planning to take the show to STAR One.”

While the programme may have been designed for upmarket viewers, in reality, a wide array of viewers from SEC A to E is currently lapping up the show. Not being very conversant with the English language does not seem to be much of a bother for many of the show’s ardent fans.

© 2005 agencyfaqs!