MUMBAI: Channel [V], the music channel from the Star stable is all set to shift its focus by discontinuing all music slots in its programming from 1 July. With this transition, the channel will consolidate its position in the youth entertainment genre.

Launched primarily as a music channel 16 years ago, the paradigm shift in programming from music to general entertainment shows began nearly three years ago. While the channel has already introduced a couple of fiction shows, the music content has dropped down to around three hours a day.

In an effort to increase weekly hours of original content, Channel [V] will convert its teen crime show ‘Gumrah – End of Innocence’ into a daily. It also plans to launch new fiction shows like ‘The Buddy Project’ which will occupy the 6pm slot from Monday to Friday. By the end of 2012, the channel will roll out six daily shows and two weekend shows.

Channel [V] EVP and GM Prem Kamath said, “We have focused on targeting youth and Channel [V] has always been identified as a youth channel. We are completely moving away from Bollywood music as we have realised that music is a very poor way of targeting the youth audiences. Moreover, we have invested in original content over the last three years and specifically on daily fiction over the last 14 months, which has paid very good dividends in viewership. Yes, the cost of producing original content is significantly higher, but this content strategy is distinctly more sustainable as well.”

According to Kamath, in the last four weeks Channel [V] has clocked an average of over 50 GRPs (gross rating points) in the 15-34 ABC Hindi speaking markets, on the back of the original content that the channel is airing. Earlier, Channel [V] had announced a re-positioning in 2009 and 14 months later, upped its ad rates by 30-40 per cent with 24 new shows during the period.

While the cost of the fiction production is more than the music content, most of the fiction properties on the channel are acquired from production houses. The channel’s current lineup includes three fiction shows – ‘Dil Dosti Dance’, ‘Humse Hai Life’ and ‘Surveen Guggal’. It airs music only in the morning band accounting for 20 per cent of the channel’s current content lineup.

Channel [V] currently competes with the others including Bindass and MTV in the genre.