Viacom18 Media Pvt Ltd English Entertainment SVP and GM Ferzad Palia

How has the year been for Vh1, market-wise and revenue-wise?

The Vh1 audience reach grew further, from 80 Million to 92 Million. The growth is coming from smaller towns. In comparison to English general entertainment channels (GEC), Vh1 ended the year as No. 1 with 26 per cent market share. This is 30 per cent more than what the English GECs have earned. Vh1 has also built the prime time slot by 15 per cent as compared to last year, due to nonfiction shows like 'The X Factor' and 'Britain’s Got Talent'.

What was the year-on-year growth for Vh1?

We have grown ahead of the average industry growth.

What were the most rewarding live properties?

Among the most rewarding live properties are, the launch of Vh1 Sound Nation with 23 gigs in two weeks and 28 artists across six cities culminating in Vh1’s first award show for the best international music talent in India. Also, Vh1 Supersonic, a four day music festival in Goa, is reaching new heights in its second year. This year, Vh1 Supersonic has associated itself with over 10 college festivals. This year, we also introduced multi-city Vh1 Supersonic Arcades with artists like ‘The Chainsmokers’ and ‘Major Lazer’ performing. In addition to Supersonic, Vh1 has also partnered with more than 25 college festivals including IIT Delhi, St. Xavier’s College Mumbai, SRCC College Delhi, IIT Madras and others.

Which were the most viewed shows on the channel?

Awards shows like the Grammy Awards reached 6.9 million viewers and Golden Globe Awards reached 4 million viewers. The other shows like MTV Movie Awards, European Music Awards and American Music Awards were among the leading shows that propelled Vh1’s growth. Also, Vh1’s award shows have garnered the best television viewers per thousands (TVT) ratings for each airing in the genre. The other shows which are among the most viewed include ‘The X Factor’, ‘Good Morning Vh1’, ‘Britain’s Got Talent’ (Season 8) and ‘Catfish: The TV Show’ (Season 2).     

What are the plans for 2015?

In 2015, we aim to bring a larger focus on building relevance and scale by producing more Vh1 India Original Productions content. We will continue to build a strong platform for Indian talent with properties like Vh1 Sound Nation, Music Diaries and India Rules. Vh1 will continue to own and showcase the biggest award shows from around the world and we will increase our focus on building engagement on-ground with over 600 relevant partnerships across India. There will also be increased focus on taking the brand beyond television with the launch of multiple on-ground properties, digital properties and consumer products.

Palia started his journey with Vh1 in 2007 when he was chosen to head the channel, which was launched in India two years before. Between 2010 and 2012 he managed to double the channels revenue. Vh1 is now amongst one of the most profitable channels because of the growing demand for English language channels in smaller cities. After his success at Vh1, he started Comedy Central in India.