When Zee TV announced its relaunch in August group broadcast CEO Sandeep Goyal had stated that what the Indian viewer wanted in the shows that she/he would like to watch were exotic overseas locations, other marital relationships, music-based shows, tangled love stories and interactive show formats.

When Zee TV announced its relaunch in August group broadcast CEO Sandeep Goyal had stated that what the Indian viewer wanted in the shows that she/he would like to watch were exotic overseas locations, other marital relationships, music-based shows, tangled love stories and interactive show formats.

All the 24 shows that were launched at the time incorporated one or more of the above factors.

That formula fell flat and now Zee is hoping that two heavy-duty mythological shows that it is launching today will be showered with blessings from viewers who have hitherto been ignoring its programming initiatives.

Jai Santoshi Maa is a half-hour programme airing at 8 pm, while Mahabharat produced by film actor Sanjay Khan?s Numero Uno productions is a one-hour show going on air at 10 pm. The strategy: capitalise on Jai Santoshi Maa worshippers on Fridays and create a tune-in viewership for the expensive programme Mahabharat.

Industry sources confirmed that the per episode cost of Mahabharat is Rs 1.4 million, which indicates that Zee is sparing no expense to offer a new age series. Additionally, it is using religion - which is close to most Indian?s hearts - as a tool of programming differentiation. And it is being innovative about the time that it is dishing out the religious fare: Friday evenings and prime time.

Its chief rivals - market leader Star and No 2 Sony - are at loggerheads on Fridays with similar programming genres. Both the channels have game shows in the 8 PM slot culminating in a thriller at the 10:30 - 11 PM slot.

Zee TV on its part has also taken to off-air promotions in the form of road shows with vehicles carrying the cast of characters from the series beating the streets. Hoardings, ads in the print media and an internet promotion with indiatimes.com, are some of the devices it is using to tease viewers to sample its mythological programmes.

Now it?s up to viewers to fall in line. Are you listening, King Viewer?

CEOs of some of the top cable operating companies in North America, all members of the CableLabs board of directors? executive committee, are among more than 30 leaders from the cable industry who will attend the upcoming 2002 International Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas, Nevada.
CEOs of some of the top cable operating companies in North America, all members of the CableLabs board of directors? executive committee, are among more than 30 leaders from the cable industry who will attend the upcoming 2002 International Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas, Nevada.

Joe Collins, Chairman and CEO of AOL Time Warner Interactive Video, will lead a CableLabs contingent that includes Bill Schleyer, CEO of AT&T Broadband, Glenn Britt, chairman and CEO of Time Warner Cable, Jim Robbins, president and CEO of Cox Communications, Brian Roberts, president of Comcast Communications, Carl Vogel, president and CEO of Charter Communications, among others at the 2002 International CES - Your Source for Workstyle and Lifestyle Technology from 8-11 January, an official release states.

CableLabs is an R&D consortium of cable television system operators representing the continents of North America and South America. CableLabs plans and funds research and development projects and also transfers relevant technologies to member companies and to the industry.

CNBC India has instituted the equivalent of the Oscars for the Indian automotive industry.

The annual awards will reward excellence in car manufacturing in India and provide vital car buying information to the Indian consumer. The awards ceremony will be held in New Delhi on 14 January 2002. While the awards in the first year will focus on passenger cars, the scope will be widened in the coming years. The awards are being jointly given along with Autocar, the magazine for the auto industry.

A jury of 17 experts with a vast experience in the field of evaluating cars, including car designer Dilip Chhabria, leading auto historian Manvendra Singh, India?s leading female driver Navaz Bhathena, Indian National Rally champion N Leelakrishnan, Autocar editor Hormazd Sorabjee, associate editor Shapur Kotwal and Rajeev Khanna. The jury will be helped in its analysis by Autocar?s database on car performances aggregated from car tests through the year. They will then assess the vehicles and rank them in relation to their rivals. A Car of The Year award is also scheduled to be given away, among the different categories.

CNBC CEO Harish Chawla surmises the importance of the awards thus: "For CNBC, the launch of the auto awards has special significance. Historically, the fortunes of world economies have been closely intertwined with those of the automotive industry. This industry has served as the quintessential barometer of industrial production and consumption - two drivers of economic growth. These awards underline CNBC?s commitment to providing essential business insights and supporting the establishment of standards in leading industrial sectors."

While the Mercedes Benz C Class, Opel Corsa Swing, Hyundai Sonata and Honda Accord figure among the list of eligibles, stringent criteria have been laid down for the awards. These include - fitness, relevance to Indian market, value for money, design and styling, space, comfort and practicality, engine and performance, and overall safety.

The chosen cars shortlisted for the awards will be driven over thousands of kilometers to evaluate these parameters, CNBC officials say.