Finally, general entertainment channels are making efforts to lure the man on the couch

Never mind if the man of the house still takes key decisions, there is never any ambiguity over who gets to control the television remote. The general entertainment channels, aware of where the power rests, have always put women at the centre of their programming, lining up shows after shows with tear-jerking dramas, kitchen politicking or reality shows which are often stranger than fiction.

But with channels undergoing belated makeovers and tweaking their programming, many have begun to give a thought to the male audience as well. Says Colors CEO Rajesh Kamat: “Most Indian families are single-television set households. While women will always remain our core target audience, we cannot afford to alienate the men. In fact, when we started, we used shows like Fear Factor, which appeal to men, to draw women to our channel. Recently, we launched 100% De Dhana Dhan too a reality show on wrestling, to appeal to the male palate.”

Oddly, the programming designed to lure men is most often reality-based. Statistics reveal that Star’s Sach ka Saamna enjoyed nearly 60 per cent male viewership and Bigg Boss too, gets as many men as women switching to Colors for the primetime show. Danish Khan, the marketing head of Sony Entertainment, explains this phenomenon: “Men and even the younger audiences prefer thrill, adventure and knowledge as forms of entertainment whereas women like emotional dramas that they can connect with. Reality shows are a mix of both and hence draw the entire family.”

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