ive years ago, STAR�s Kaun Banega Crorepati (KBC) altered the programming scenario on mass television, giving it a rigid three-slot format: Monday-Thursday, Friday and Saturday-Sunday. There was drama in the first slot, and weekends were dominated by events, movies and movie-based shows. Fridays were reserved for experimentation with channels dabbling in a variety of genres - music shows and comedies to thrillers, horror shows and movies. "Fridays didn�t have a clear identity because the general attitude of channels toward it was one of indifference," admits a marketing hand in one of the top three channels.

But tighten your seat belts. The next few months will see more action on Fridays. Sony�s Fame Gurukul will have its gala rounds on Fridays, and the creator will be back to play destroyer: KBC returns on August 5 with a Friday-Sunday format. Ajay Vidyasagar, senior vice-president, marketing and communication, STAR India, says, "We have over 75 per cent channel share during prime-time on weekdays. What more could we have achieved?" Hence the decision to focus on weekends. Tarun Katial, business head, Sony Entertainment Television, agrees that the old formula of slotting is fast losing its relevance. "A network has to appeal to different audience segments through differentiated programming and slotting," he explains.... more