MUMBAI: As MTV India strategically decides to move into 2009-10 with a higher dose of non-music and long-format programming, it is time to shed flab. The channel says 25 positions are immediately impacted, while the final shape of a new positioning is being formulated.
"We have decided to reduce our music content as we have realised that the long-format shows have been showering us with ratings and revenue. We have brought down our staff strength from 180 to 155. We haven't yet frozen on how much of music, short and long-format content we will exactly have. But the direction we are going to take is clear now," says MTV VP communications and consumer products Sandip Dahiya.
MTV currently has 60 per cent of its content from music, but it is reality shows like Roadies and Splitsvilla which have brought in record ratings for the Viacom18 channel. In the last few weeks, MTV Roadies has done an average of 3.65 TVR and the ratings of Splitsvilla have touched as high as 1.75, taking the channel's overall GRPs to 83.
"We have seen an unprecedented growth in revenues and ratings with our shows achieving highest-ever ratings in our 15 years of existence in India. We've set ourselves some very aggressive goals for the ongoing financial year. This realignment will help us drive a healthy double-digit growth and maintain the momentum we've generated over the last year," quips Dahiya.
MTV India has felt the need to realign its strategy and business at a time when music channels in India have been struggling to up revenues. The realignment process would involve changes in the organisation-structure, reporting relationships and a few middle and junior level positions across a few teams.
"We chose the new financial year as the right time to announce our plans to realign ourselves - both structurally as well as strategically for 2009-10. Though 25 positions have been impacted, many among them will continue working on specific projects and genres as outsourced resources," says Dahiya.
"We chose the new financial year as the right time to announce our plans to realign ourselves - both structurally as well as strategically for 2009-10. Though 25 positions have been impacted, many among them will continue working on specific projects and genres as outsourced resources," says Dahiya.