FYI TV18 unveils big-ticket local productions with Chetan Bhagat & Vicky Ratnani as hosts

by Shrutee K/DNS

Mumbai, 7^th July 2016: FYI™ TV18 unveils two big ticket local productions, focusing on relationships: Real 2 States Couples and Rivals-in-law.Hosted by bestselling author, and hugely popular local celebrity, Chetan Bhagat, Real 2 States Couples follows the travails of a cross-cultural couple in a relationship, trying to adjust to each other’s families. 

Speaking on the occasion Chetan Bhagat said“India’s youth today are major change agents driving social transformation. One of the best examples of this are inter-cultural marriages which has been brilliantly captured in our new series: Real 2 States Couples. I’ve been personally very entertained by these confident young people and I’m sure our viewers will love them too.” While Real 2 States Couples explores the relationship dynamics of a couple and their respective families before a wedding, Rivals-in-law highlights that of couple well into their marriage. The series, hosted by celebrity chef Vicky Ratnani, features a ‘cook-off’ between a daughter-in-law and her mother-in-law, with the husband as the judge. 

Speaking on his show, Vicky Ratnani said“Food today is not just about taste but a fun recreation process. Add to it the spice of relationships and you have a heady mix of entertainment without parallel. It was great fun hosting the show and I think it will set a high benchmark for the industry, difficult to match.” The shows cater to a new-age India, providing a personalized viewing experience and avoiding the conventional “top-down approach,” addressing the viewer “as a friend, rather than preaching from a pulpit.”

Avinash Kaul, President Strategy, Product, and Alliances, Network18 and Managing Director A+E Networks®| TV18 said, “As the market dynamics in the media sector continues to evolve, it exposes niches waiting to be exploited. With general entertainment going increasingly rural and mass, there is an underserved demand for convivial and progressive content. We believe that in FYI™ TV18, with relationships at its core, we have a winner.” The launch of FYI™ TV18 was announced earlier this year at the APOS summit in Bali. It is the second channel from the A+E Networks | TV18 bouquet following the stellar success of its HISTORY™ TV18. Launched in 2011, HISTORY™ TV18 is a strong contender for the no. 1 position in the factual entertainment genre, riding on the success of blockbuster local productions like ‘OMG! Yeh Mera India’ and more recently ‘Man Vs Job’. On the distribution front, FYI™ TV18 will leverage its partnership with India Cast, to ensure connectivity unmatched in the genre. The channel will be launched with a high-decibel marketing thrust over the next few days.

Network 18 :Network18 Group is a media and entertainment group with interests in television, internet, films, e-commerce, magazines, mobile content and allied businesses. Through its subsidiary, TV18 Broadcast Ltd. [BSE: 532800, NSE: TV18BRDCST] (“TV18”), the group operates news channels such as CNBC-TV18, CNBC Awaaz, CNBC-TV18 Prime HD, CNN-News18 and IBN7. TV18 also operates a joint venture with Viacom called Viacom18, which houses a portfolio of popular entertainment channels such as Colors, Colors HD, Rishtey, MTV India, MTV Indies, Comedy Central, Vh1, Nick, Sonic, Nick Jr and Viacom18 Motion Pictures, the group’s filmed entertainment business. TV18 has also forayed into the Indian factual entertainment space through a joint venture with A+E Networks and operates History TV18. In the regional space, the group operates a Gujarati business news channel – CNBC Bajar, a Marathi general news channel – IBN Lokmat and operates ten regional news channels under the ETV umbrella and five regional entertainment channels under the Colors brand. The group also operates a 24 hour  Indian news channel in English – News18, targeting global audiences. TV18 and Viacom18 have formed a strategic joint venture called IndiaCast, a multi-platform 'content asset monetization' entity that drives domestic and international channel distribution, placement services and content syndication for the bouquet of channels from the group and third parties. Through 'Network18 Media & Investments Ltd.' [BSE: 532798, NSE: Network18], the group operates its digital, publishing and e-commerce assets including moneycontrol.com, ibnlive.com, in.com, news18.com and firstpost.com. 'Network18' also operates e-commerce properties like HomeShop18 and bookmyshow.com and publishes Forbes India, the nation's first local edition of a foreign news magazine in collaboration with Forbes Media. In addition, the group operates Network18 Publishing, a player in the special interest publishing space, which publishes magazines such as Overdrive, Better Photography and Better Interiors. 'Network18' also has strategic investments in Yatra, Colosceum, Topper, 24X7 Learning and Ubona. For more information, log on to www.network18online.com 

About A+E Networks®  : A+E Networks®, LLC.  is an award-winning, global media content company offering consumers a diverse communications environment ranging from linear channels to websites, gaming, watch apps and educational software. A+E Networks is comprised of A&E®, Lifetime®, History®, LMN®, FYI™, H2™, A+E Studios™,  History en Espaňol™, Crime + Investigation™, Military History™, Lifetime Real Women®, A&E IndieFilms®, A+E Networks International®, A+E Networks Digital® and A+E Networks Consumer Products™.  A+E Networks channels and branded programming reach more than 350 million households in over 200 territories.  A+E Networks, LLC. is a joint venture of Disney-ABC Television Group and Hearst Corporation.