Sydney Suissa, Executive Vp, Content, National Geographic Channel International
With a tagline that said ?dare to explore,? it is no surprise that crossing cultures has been a challenge the National Geographic Channel has done exceptionally well. That?s how borderless we are, explains Sydney Suissa, executive vice president, content, NGCI, a much envied man around the globe. For he gets the last say in deciding the programming for a channel that has helped define excellence in television programming around the world.
Suissa was in Delhi recently to announce the launch of four new channels in India. NGC, which is at the second position after Discovery in its rather niche category, is now aiming for the top slot. ?It is astonishing how DTH has opened up the platform,? he says about the Indian scenario. While three of the new channels, Nat Geo Wild, Nat Geo Adventure and Nat Geo Music will offer specialised content in their areas, Nat Geo HD is ?the future? explains Suissa, saying the world over, High Definition will replace Standard Definition with a stress on enhanced picture frame composition, sharper picture quality and surround sound system. ?Programmes on Nat Geo HD will be the same as that of the core channel NGC, ?but as 95% of our programmes are already shot in HD, the focus is on the way it is shot.? The difference is like that between a black-and-white and colour television, he stresses. And yes, till the HD world becomes the norm, there will be a simultaneous telecast of the standard and the HD channels.
Suissa is satisfied with the way the brand has grown in India. ?We have a strong base here, and there is awareness of what the brand globally stands for,? he says. ?We are conscious that we are a niche channel, with a significant 35+ viewership globally, with a strong male skewing,? he says. The new channels will help NGC address the gender imbalance, he hopes. The new channels, which will be seen in India as soon as the broadcasting licences are cleared, will be available in all the platforms ? cable, digital, DTH and IPTV. ?Our India office is in talks already with all of them and the response has been positive,? says Suissa. Though the pricing is yet to be finalised, he is confident of starting within a couple of weeks of getting the licences, and upping the present 0.7% channel share in the Indian market.
Roughly all the channels that are making their entry into India now, have done so within two years of their global launch. ?Wild and Adventure started 18 months ago in Hong Kong and Australia respectively, Music in October 2007 in Italy, and HD two years ago in France and UK. There is significant viewership among the 24-35 demographic for the NGC channels in India. And NGC channels, including the History Channel, have been in India for more than a decade now. ?For us the main revenue streams will continue to be advertising and subscription, which are fairly balanced at the moment,? he says.
?We are launching in territories where we have strong content,? he says. And given the larger philosophy of the group, the programming is for the world, rather than for just a market. So the scheduling may be local, but most programmes are shown across all territories. Nat Geo Music for example, will not be a pop-based channel, but instead provide a voice to local ?roots? based artists. And no, they do not want to get into popular music and are content to be niche. While Music is an entirely new channel, Wild will have about 350 hours new programming annually, while Adventure will have 180 hours. For sheer choices, the Indian viewer can perhaps justifiably agree with the tagline of the Adventure channel, ?let?s get lost?.