We kick off our new weekly 'Biz Exec' feature with a one-to-one interview with Rajan Singh, Executive Vice-President for International Business for one of the UK's most popular Asian TV brands - Sony Entertainment Television Asia & MAX.

When did you join Sony Entertainment Television Asia UK?
February 1998.

What has been the biggest coup for you since joining the UK operations?
To put SET Asia around the world along with multi million pounds cricket deals.

What has been the biggest challenge for you since joining the UK operations?
Sustaining a profitable business with heavy competition from other broadcasters.

With intense competition from the large number of UK Asian TV channels, Sony TV still remains a popular choice amongst viewers here, how do you maintain this?
Continuously providing new innovative programming along with blockbuster movies and cricket, we are probably one of a very few who invest substantial funds to acquire top quality programming such as 'Indian Idol', the biggest movies in Bollywood and the best cricket matches in the world.

Sony TV’s popularity has waned in India due to competition from ZEE TV (number 2) and Sahara One (number 4), has this affected your subscriptions in the UK market? The subscriber base in the UK has not changed and in fact it is growing as we continue to invest in different types of programming from that of India. One has to bear in mind it’s a cycle in India on which channels are on Top which are not but the International markets are far more stable and the customer in those markets are far more educated and selects its channel on the basis of value for money.

Two shows (Kulvuddhu & Jeete Hain Jis Ke Liye) have faced the axe after just three-four months on air, what do you think it was about these shows that didn’t connect with viewers?
The Senior Management team at Sony continuously evaluates and monitors all our programming and we also have focus groups that give us feedback on certain programs. The two programs that one mentions the feedback from focus group and also Television Rating Points (TRP) were insufficient to sustain the high levels of expenditure on these programs.

‘Indian Idol 3’ opened up well and ‘Viruddh’ continues to do averagely, what else can viewers expect from the channel in months to come?
We have just signed an exclusive deal with Eros International, which will provide us with some of the top Bollywood movies, with additional reality shows such as 'Extreme Makeover'. Our focus in the channel has to be to always strive for new and innovative ideas and continuously monitor on what we do. I believe the channel will once again be in the Top 2 channels in India.

While your rivals have been concentrating on building viewership with social dramas (soaps), Sony TV is known for concentrating heavily on reality TV shows. It has been proven that viewing patterns have been inconsistent for reality television whereas drama viewers have been loyal and longer term; do you think this is where the channel is going wrong?
First of all I don’t agree that the channel is going wrong. Secondly reality shows are just one of our facets. We were the first company to try a different drama serial as 'Jassi Jaise Koi Nahi' which viewers will be aware has become a huge success in the western world. As I have mentioned before, our viewers are loyal to us on the basis that they know we always try new things.

In the past Sony TV has aired numerous Ekta Kapoor soaps, since ‘Kkusum’ there has been no Balaji Telefilm soap on Sony TV, is there a reason why?
Absolutely, no reason.

Sony TV has recently bagged some huge movies from Yashraj Films and Eros Entertainment, when are you planning to telecast these?
In the very near future when we properly market them.

MAX has been on-air for nearly two years, how has the response been to this?
MAX has done extremely well and as I have mentioned in most of my previous responses, MAX will be going into a new and exciting phase very soon. [Announcement made on BizAsia.co.uk here]

It is known Sony TV and B4U Movies are contract bound to be subscription bundled together but does it not make sense for both Sony TV and MAX to be offered as a package instead?
That is a commercial decision that both companies have concluded. B4U are our partners with our general entertainment channel and we continue to honour that and positively market that to the general public.

There have been many freeview moments on Sony TV, especially during primetime, are there any plans to change the subscription charges of your channels?
None whatsoever.

You recently launched MAX’ Multi Room scheme, how does this work? And is it also applicable to your flagship Sony TV channel?
Multiroom has worked well. The way it works is for the second set up box, you get MAX subscription half the price. It is applicable to our flagship as well, along with our partners B4U.

There has been much talk about your youthful light-hearted channel SAB TV to launch in the UK, with it recently undergoing a huge programme revamp, is it not the right time now to launch it here?
SAB TV is obviously been groomed to be launched internationally. This will be another of my focuses in the coming year. As we have done with our other channels, we will only launch when we are comfortable and confident that the channel will meet the expectations of our subscriber base.

ZEE TV has recently launched its digital subtitles facility, STAR Plus burns its subtitles on its dramas, surprisingly Sony TV shows don’t carry any subtitling whatsoever for non-Asian viewers, are you planning on changing this?
We have no plans of this at this moment in time.

Which upcoming programme are you planning to launch, which could turn out to be a channel driver? Currently 'Indian Idol 3' has certainly been a channel driver and that is going on until September. We have a number of soaps in the pipeline along with 'Extreme Makeover'. This with the purchase of some great movies, I believe the channel has a great future.

How do you think the UK Asian TV market has changed since your time at Sony TV?
I believe that we have gone a full circle where certain channels come upto the mark in providing quality programming and quality channel but unfortunately many channels now available on satellite are quiet frankly not upto the mark. Could only loosely be defined as TV channels and the impression given to the main stream media is that South Asian Channels are cheap, tacky and unprofessionally run who also abuse their staff along with inadequate pay and appalling working conditions.

NDTV is planning to shake-up the Indian TV market with its entertainment channel, how do you feel about this?
For the last 10 years, since I have been at Sony, I have always been asked about new channels launching and I have always maintained that if the channels provide quality and something the Asian viewers can be proud of then I would be extremely happy. Those sentiments haven’t changed. I wish Pranoy Roy and NDTV all the very best in their new venture.

How do you see Sony TV UK in a year from now?
We will continue to grow, have more channels in the country will develop our young staff to be experienced Media Professionals and people like me will hopefully disappear in the distance and let the young fresh blood take over.

Quick fire:
- Viruddh / Durgesh Nandiini
- Indian Idol / Fame Gurukul
- ZEE TV / STAR Plus – No comments
- Cricket / Football
- Night In / Night Out
- Amitabh Bachchan / SRK
- KBC / Sa Re Ga Ma Pa – No comments
- Comedy / Drama