Mastiii is becoming 'must see'

The music-comedy channel from Sri Adhikari Brothers is the No. 2 channel in the music genre in the fifth week of its launch

Until a few weeks ago, the music tempo was rising with the war between 9XM, MTV and B4U Music. In Week 29, Sri Adhikari Brothers' music channel, Mastiii, was launched. The channel's unique proposition is a mix of music and humour. In the first week of its launch, Mastiii garnered a relative channel share of 10.5 per cent of the music genre (C&S, 15+, HSM).

Since then, the channel has been on an upward climb. From a relative share of 12.2 in Week 33, it went on to garner 14 per cent share in Week 37, its highest till now and at par with Bindass, which has been ruling the genre since the last few weeks. As of Week 37, Bindass and Mastiii are at No. 1 position with 14 per cent share each, followed by Channel V, which has garnered a relative share of 11 per cent. 9XM and MTV come next with relative shares of 10 per cent each.

What has worked in Mastiii's favour, according to Markand Adhikari, vice-chairperson and managing director, SAB Group, is the eclectic mix of music and comedy.

Adhikari says, "We launched Mastiii as a music channel and not as an entertainment channel first - and then added music to climb the ranks.

Most of Mastiii's viewership (31 per cent) comes from the 15-24 years age group. It is equally popular among the 35+ years age group and SEC C, D and E.

Adhikari plans to continuously innovate the channel's programming and not just rest on its laurels. Mastiii will have a spoof on Kaun Banega Crorepati (KBC), while the original will air on Sony in October. The spoof, titled Ab Bakwaas Chalu (ABC), will have comedian Raju Srivastava impersonating the host of KBC, Amitabh Bachchan, as well as pose as a contestant.

While there may be comedy programme slots on the channel, Adhikari is certain that there will not be any non-fiction/reality show.

Divya Radhakrishnan, president, TME, thinks it's a good start for the channel but is not certain about its sustainability. "If one observes the trend, the youth space has been flirtatious. MTV, Bindass, Channel V - all have seen fluctuating viewership. Unless the channel reinvents regularly, it won't be able to sustain its position," she states.

However, it looks as if the music genre has got a serious contender.