B4U Movies was the first all-Asian movies TV channel to launch in the UK in the late 90s. After a successful run of nearly ten years and the change in market dynamics, we caught up with B4U's Vice President of UK and Europe Bala Iyer to find out how it felt being one of the first Asian digital channels to launch to now being in the centre of an Asian TV channel clutter.

When did you join B4U Network UK?
August 2005

What has been the biggest challenge for you during your tenure at the network?
How to monetise the huge popularity of B4U Network.

B4U Network was the first digital movies channel when it launched in 1999, however the popularity has waned over the years (according to polls and public perception), why do you think this is?
On the contrary, the popularity is growing. This has been confirmed by the research results conducted by Continental Research in 2006.B4U Movies comes out as the favourite Movie Channel.

B4U Music remains one of the most watched Asian TV channels in the UK, what do you think the reason behind its success is?
The reason for B4U Music numero uno position is because we consistently live up to our core promise to the viewers, i.e. showcasing latest Bollywood songs and movie trailers and deliver this in a superior environment- graphics, VJ’s , Digital picture & sound etc.

Recently B4U Movies has acquired some big movies but your marketing has been low-key compared to your initial years – why is this?
The activity in the initial years was based on the requirements of the launch phase and the migration of sky analogue subscribers to Digital platform. At this juncture our Movie Marketing is primarily executed on B4U Music, which we all acknowledge, is one of the most watched and most relevant channel.

You are bound to a contractual agreement with Sony Entertainment Television Asia to be sold as a package, are there plans to move away from that to join another bundle?
The B4U – Sony package is a great success and we intend to continue with our partnership.

When B4U Movies first entered the UK market you had a hold over your rivals, however the market dynamics have now changed with five movie channels being offered to viewers – how do you plan to compete?
B4U Movies has been a forerunner in understanding market dynamics; hence we have collaborated and partnered or adapted business models (Free To air) to the demands of our consumer. In fact we are confident that increasing choices will precipitate the consumer’s preference to stick with known and popular brands like ours. Above all no other channel has the leverage of B4U Music at their disposal.

Many channels are showing the same sort of movies (on a non-exclusive deal), in what way could you package B4U Movies to be different to your rivals and stand out from the crowd?
B4U has one of the largest libraries in the Bollywood Industry. This gives us ample opportunities to slice and dice our programming output. Secondly it is proven fact that the width and depth of the library which will distinguish the winners from the losers.

B4U Music has recently tried attempting innovative new strategies such as B4Ui (interactive juke box) and locally recorded shows, however these were wound up after a few months on-air, why was this?
Because it diverted our attention and resources from our core promise to our viewers

What changes are there in the pipeline to revamp B4U Music?
It is a work in progress, in the last 12 months, we have launched new VJ’s (Khushboo & Asad), New shows , B4U Express , B4U 10 on 10 , new graphics and new formats (Talk of Town) etc.

Some movies on your channel have been constantly repeated since 1999, what would you say about the rotation pattern on B4U Movies?
Firstly Movie Scheduling is interplay between movie bundling, time slots and repeat pattern. I believe that B4U movies has maintained a good balance and avoided viewer fatigue. Secondly repeats are also a factor of popularity of the title and addressing the needs of your new subscribers.

What new movie acquisitions have you made for B4U Movies?
In the beginning of the year we acquired three big titles and we are in the process of acquiring more. But I would like to reiterate that we believe in building a rich library, not necessarily an expensive one.

Have you got plans to launch anymore channels in the UK?
We definitely see gaps in the current offering and are planning to capture those opportunities

How do you see B4U Network in a year from now?
B4U will continue to ride the wave of Bollywood’s popularity and will be the leader in Bollywood entertainment.

Quickfire
Saat Phere / Kahani Ghar Ghar Kii
Salil / Asad
STAR Plus / Sony TV
Cricket / Football
Night In / Night Out
Amitabh Bachchan / SRK (Both!)
Indian Idol / Sa Re Ga Ma Pa
Comedy / Drama