This week's 'Biz Exec' feature's an interview with STAR Network Vice President of Europe - Nick Thind, who talks about the success of the STAR channels in the UK, including the launches of STAR One and STAR Gold.

When did you join STAR UK?
I started work at STAR UK in the middle of January 2001.

What has been the biggest coup for you since joining the UK operations?
I would have to say the launch of our two new channels in the UK, namely STAR Gold and STAR One both of which have been received positively by the public. Also recently, we have launched into Europe and are looking forward to catering for the entertainment needs of the South Asian Diaspora located in Europe.

Another coup has been the rise in our advertising dollar.

What has been the biggest challenge for you since joining the UK operations?
A key challenge has been working within a specialist market and the need to be one step ahead of the game than everyone else. We have to be very market oriented, in tune with the needs of the global South Asian Diaspora and constantly create new avenues through which to speak with our target audience.

STAR Plus’ dominance as market leader in India for the past seven years shows no signs of diminishing, how has STAR managed to sustain this despite immense competition from rivals?
Our philosophy at STAR is a simple one – no compromise on the quality of programming. We have delivered innovative formats such as 'Nach Baliye', 'The Great Indian Laughter Challenge' and have bought big blockbusters such as 'Krrish' and 'Don' to the small screen. Last year 50 out of the top 50 shows in India were all on STAR, and consistently week on week, month on month, STAR Plus has stayed in the number one slot. STAR has become a brand that people have come to trust, and we work hard to deliver on that promise everyday.

The STAR channels in the UK have one over its rivals with them being widely accessed to subscribers of Sky Digital, how has this helped STAR build its profile since being available a part of the Sky monthly packages?
The fact that we can be accessed by over 7.5 million subscribers who have subscribed to the Style and Culture Mix puts us in a unique position. No other South Asian television channel can talk about those kind of numbers and we are able to offer our customers value for money.

Also, being part of News Corporation helps strengthen the brand in the market place.

Other Asian TV giants like ZEE Network and Sony Entertainment Television Asia can look at subscriber statistics to see how their channels are performing, how does STAR do this with its four available channels?
ZEE and Sony work off a very different matrix, and there are a number of factors we need to consider. Since we’re part of the Style and Culture Mix, we have to evaluate on the back of how the platforms perform.

Viewers who do not subscribe to Sky’s monthly packages are deprived of viewing the STAR channels, they might then subscribe to a rival TV channel, don’t you feel they are left out?
I don’t agree with this statement as viewers are not deprived. In fact they get more value for money.

Could there be a similar strategy on Virgin Media like STAR’s availability on Sky Digital, i.e. joining a monthly package?
No Comment.

STAR One and STAR Gold launched last year, what sort of response have you received from these two new additions?
The response has been phenomenal. STAR One has proved extremely popular with a younger demographic of audienceship - namely third and fourth generation Asians, who constitute over 50 per cent of the Asian population. Responding to their desire for popular culture programming, STAR One's broadcast remit covers such successful shows as 'Antakshari', 'Nach Baliye' and 'Koffee With Karan'. 'Koffee With Karan' has become a television institution in its own right, with a strong and loyal audience, that also spans a wider demographic, just as all of the programmes that are a part of the STAR One schedule do.

With regard to STAR Gold, audience feedback has shown that they have been extremely pleased with the calibre of films we have presented, and at such a short time period to follow the films' theatrical release dates. We are very selective of the films we acquire for transmission on STAR Gold - they have to be box office success stories, that appeal to both older and younger audiences. Compared to other film channels, audiences have expressed how STAR Gold has continually showcased films from the higher end of the output spectrum.

In a poll conducted by BizAsia.co.uk earlier this year, viewers expressed their annoyance at the repeat pattern of your movies on STAR Gold, have you got any plans to show other Bollywood related content (live concerts, news shows, interview-based shows) to reduce the amount of repetitive movies?
The reason why we repeated several movies on STAR Gold earlier this year was that there had been an express desire by a proportion of our viewers to be given the opportunity of watching these films, having missed them the first time round. We are very selective of the films we broadcast on the channel and aim to showcase the biggest Box Offices success stories of any given year. Many viewers also like to be able to have the choice of watching these hugely successful movies on more than one occasion, hence STAR's decision to repeat broadcast of certain, select movies.

That said, we will also be extending the portfolio of STAR, to include showbiz magazine format shows, industry awards ceremonies, such as the Idea IIFA Awards, for which we have exclusive broadcast rights, celebrity interview and chat shows, and the likes. STAR is very conscious of the output of our channels. It is our primary aim to establish the desires of the consumer, and to tailor our broadcast remit and schedule accordingly.

The show 'Jhankar Beats' is shown numerous times on STAR Gold, will there be other type of shows launched on the channel?
Watch this space!

Beside 'Babul', 'Krrish', 'Don' and 'Bhagam Bhag', which other movies will you be showing this year?
Another one of the key films to be broadcast on STAR Gold this year is 'Rang De Basanti' - a huge cinema success story, multi-award winning and BAFTA-nominated. The film had huge appeal across the board - from older to younger audiences. It is this universal appeal of the film, that led us to acquire its broadcast rights, knowing that its appeal will extend across the entire cross-section of our audienceship. We endeavour to showcase the very best of Indian cinema, and 'Rang De Basanti', as well as all of the films we will be showcasing, is a prime example of this.

With ZEE Network launching its radio station this summer, could STAR be following suit after all you do hold a 20% stake in India’s Radio City station?
No Comment.

How do you think the UK Asian TV market has changed since your time at STAR UK?
It is good to see that tastes have evolved to a large degree, and the audiences are less passive insofar as what they are willing to watch. They are much more interactive, and we get a lot of feedback from consumers, which is paramount to STAR's evolution as one of the leading Asian channels available through satellite. We are constantly refining our programming to reflect to and cater for the constantly changing desires and tastes of consumers. As well as the staple of dramas and soap operas that continue to be extremely popular with a contingency of our viewers, many game, talk and chat shows that have taken inspiration from western TV programming have become popular with younger audiences, and STAR has fine-tuned its programming accordingly, as well as taking the proactive role of putting dynamic programming out there, to shape viewers' tastes and levels of expectancy.

There have been several key personnel from STAR India who have quit to join rival channels lately. The most notable is Sameer Nair who has joined NDTV. How do you feel about NDTV foraying into general entertainment television?
No Comment.

How do you see STAR UK in a year from now?
With the plans we have for STAR's ongoing evolution, I envisage us reaching the point of being the leading Asian channel available through satellite. Our audienceship is continually growing, and we are continually expanding, refining and developing our portfolio of programming, to reflect and cater for changing consumer tastes and desires. STAR prides itself for being among one of the most dynamic TV channels within its market, and we see ourselves as becoming the number one choice, compared to other channels that may be guilty of putting forward stagnant and somewhat archaic programming.

Quick fire:
- Kyunki... / Kahanii – both
- Antakshari The Great Challenge / Laughter Challenge - both
- ZEE TV / Sony TV – STAR TV
- Cricket / Football
- Night In / Night Out
- Amitabh Bachchan / SRK – both stars in their own right
-Indian Idol / Sa Re Ga Ma Pa – Antakshari [on STAR]
- Comedy / Drama