Star to give a face lift to its FTA channel Star Utsav

While the broadcaster is yet to share any details and a formal announcement is expected later today, sources in the channel have confirmed that the channel will sport a revamped logo and have new packaging.

Launched on 7 June 2004 as an FTA service, Star Utsav started by offering re-runs of content aired on Star Plus, the flagship channel of Star India. It later added content from the now-defunct Star One and now offers content of Life OK.

Star Utsav is one of the top-watched channels on Prasar Bharati’s FTA DTH service, DD Freedish.

Till 2013, Utsav had no competition. However, now Zee Anmol and Viacom18’s Rishtey are also in the same space.

Sensing the competition, Star India started working on a revamp strategy. Last year, it had named former Life OK marketing head Pratik Seal as business head of the channel to give more focus on the channel. But after Seal left towards the end of the year, the company elevated Jyotsna Viriyala to take charge of the channel.

Viriyala told TelevisionPost.com that apart from the logo, there are more changes on the cards. She, however, declined to divulge more details.

In an earlier interaction, Star India COO Sanjay Gupta had told TelevisionPost.com that as an FTA channel Star Utsav is doing quite well in the Hindi heartland. “Star Utsav requires a lot of focus and attention because a large number of advertisers are keen to talk to the consumers. That’s why we appointed Pratik Seal as the business head of the channel.”

Asked if the channel would offer fresh programming, he had said that repeat is a very wrong word for the content that Star Utsav provided. “I think there is no difference between Star World and Star Utsav. Star World also repeats content. But Star World’s content is new to us Indians and Star Utsav’s is not. For many viewers who do not have access to Star Plus or Life OK, Star Utsav offers fresh content. In a sense, therefore, Star Utsav is the Star World of India,” he had said.

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