Sony Entertainment Television (India)

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Sony Entertainment Television (India) (popularly known as Sony TV or SET) is one of India’s popular Hindi language based general entertainment broadcasters. Based in Mumbai, it is a venture promoted by Sony Pictures Television International (a subsidiary of Sony Pictures Entertainment based in the US) since 1995.

SET's programming is targeted towards audiences between the 25-34 age groups. The programming covers genres including dramas, reality shows, comedies, thrillers, bollywood movies and events etc.

Most of the channels' programming has been based upon adaptations from the western television world. Some of its successful programmes include Indian Idol - an adaptation of the hit British reality format show Pop Idol produced by Fremantlemedia, and Jassi Jaissi Koi Nahin ("There is no one like Jassi") which is an adaptation of a Colombian soap. Apart from these, the channel has produced other hits such as Kkusum and Kutumb (dramas) in recent years and Aahat (thriller), Boogie Woogie (dance show), C.I.D (crime and mystery series), Hum Sab Ek Hai (comedy), Thoda Hai Thode Ki Zaroorat Hai (drama) and Movers & Shakers (based on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno on the US based NBC) to name a few in its early years. Currently the channel airs Deal Ya No Deal (an adaptation of the original game show, Deal Or No Deal), Kandy Floss (a bollywood magazine style format show), "Kaisa Ye Pyar Hai," (a love story appealing to youth starring Mohammad Iqbal Khan and Neha Bamb), the new season of Boogie Woogie, a host of new family based dramas Thodi Khushi Thode Gum, Aisa Des Hai Mera, Kabhi To Nazar Milao, Rishton Ki Dor, Vaidehi - Ek Aur Agni Pareksha and a new thriller/dramedy series called Akela . The channel's current season of reality shows are mostly adopted from Endemol's shows and are produced by the Indian company Miditech. Later this year, the channel plans to bring an Indian version of Extreme Makeover and Big Brother. SET continues to face stiff competition from the other key players in the market, especially STAR Plus and Zee TV.

Recently, the channel announced a restructring plan and its interest in venturing the Indian capital market to bring in investments to produce new content.

SET's family of channels in India includes SET SAB, SET MAX, SET PIX, AXN and Animax, distributed by SET Discovery (A distribution joint venture between SET and Discovery Communications India).

It is also popular among South Asians throughout the world and can be seen under the brand name Sony Entertainment Television Asia.

[edit] Challenges faced by SET

In its early years, SET was known for airing bollywood blockbusters like Hum Aapke Hai Kaun and Mughal-E-Azam along with events like Lata Live - The Queen in Concert. But it still faced subtle competition from its rivals Zee TV and STAR Plus, as the market was beginning to mature. During this period it also launched successful programming and was acclaimed for the same.

A big blow came to the channel in 2000 when competitor STAR Plus rocketed to the number one position when it started airing Kaun Banega Crorepati (an adaptation of Who Wants to Be a Millionaire?). But what kept the channels flagship high was the introduction of two shows Kkusum (a story about a middle class girl named Kkusum) and Kutumb produced by the Ekta Kapoor owned Balaji Telefilms.

Since then, SET has seen a lot of ups and downs, and constant restructuring activities have taken place at the company. SET tasted success with the ICC Cricket World Cup 2003 (on its network channel SET MAX) and Jassi Jaissi Koi Nahin (a story of a middle-class girl with ordinary looks working in a fashion house) in 2003. In the interim it miserably failed to capture the audiences' attention with flops like Jeeto Chappar Phad Ke (game show), Kahi Na Kahi Koi Hai (reality format show) and Kahani Terri Merri (drama). Kkusum and Jassi Jaissi Koi Nahin succeeded due to there appeal to younger middle-class working audiences in India. This provoked SET to change its target group to the 25 to 34 ages in the wake of competitor STAR Plus's soaring popularity of the saas-bahu (concerning mother-in-law and daughter-in-law relationships in joint families) dramas, appealing to older audiences (especially women).

In 2004, Tarun Katial (former Vice-President of programming at STAR) joined SET as Executive Vice-President, Programming. He helped grab rights to Fremantlemedia's Idol format, which later catapulted Indian Idol's grand finale to the 3rd position on the ratings chart. This followed up with the success of Fame Gurukul (a music based reality format show adapted from its Spanish and British counterparts). In all, the channel saw growth at the number two position just behind STAR Plus.

In 2006, Tarun Katial quit SET. Currently, the channel continues to face its challenges and fight competitors STAR Plus, Zee TV and the recently launched STAR One (a channel from the STAR bouquet of channels targeted towards the same age group of audiences as SET) following the recent successes of Kaun Banega Crorepati 2 , Sa Re Ga Ma Pa Challenge 2005 and Nach Baliye respectively.