Mumbai: In a constantly evolving streaming landscape flooded with new content and numerous OTT providers competing for viewers’ attention, the plethora of choices can be overwhelming for consumers. In this era of expanding content options and increasing viewership, addressing the specific needs of our audience becomes progressively crucial.

As a key player in the global OTT industry, ZEE5 Global not only recognizes but actively prioritizes the importance of comprehending the intricacies of the global viewer. Acknowledging the strong affinity for South Asian content among the global diaspora, ZEE5 Global has taken intentional steps to curate an extensive and diverse library of titles, tailored to meet the varied preferences of our viewers.

Archana Anand is a high-performing business leader currently helming the Strategy and P&L verticals of ZEEL’s streaming business globally. She also spearheaded the launch of ZEE5 India, followed by ZEE5 Global across over 190 countries.

Anand has over 24 years of experience in the Media and Service space, she has managed three Streaming Platforms, two of which she oversaw from ideation to launch.

A recipient of the “Inspiring Woman Leader”, IIM Bangalore Alumni award for “Corporate Leadership”, she is known for her excellent people management skills with proven strength in pulling diverse teams to deliver on stretch goals for the organisation successfully. Anand is adept in all aspects of the OTT/Streaming Business, her specialities also lie in brand and performance marketing, business development, product marketing, and crafting pioneering consumer experiences.

Indiantelevision.com in conversation with ZEE5 Global chief business officer Archana Anand on tackling consumer expectations, understanding the Indian diaspora customising content and being price sensitive…

Edited Excerpts:

On ZEE5 Global’s take on the consumer being spoilt for choice with so many OTT platforms and content overload, and their plan to tackle this

The proliferation of streaming platforms and the abundance of content available has on one hand spurred the growth of the industry and thrown up opportunities. However, it has also surfaced multiple challenges. Too many platforms, too many options to search through, multiple subscriptions that are heavy on the pocket- all these are key concerns expressed by consumers and echoed by our diaspora audiences as well, which we too along with other platforms, look to address.

On strategising and targeting the diaspora audience across countries on various aspects, being a global player

It’s been one of our key challenges to target and market to the diaspora scattered across different markets and an extremely heterogeneous mix at that, making it impossible for us to stick to a single plan when designing our outreach.

To tackle this, we’ve looked at a very tailored strategy to reach our consumers by targeting them in key catchment areas like retail outlets and grocery stores across markets, local events etc. We’ve also had a targeted approach to reach students through a series of networking events conducted across 150 campuses within the U.S. to enable South Asian students to bond and feel more connected to home. Many of our outreach initiatives tie back to our culture and festivals but also to local events and special days e.g., Black Friday, amongst others.

On the most preferred content for the diaspora audience

Movies drive a significant chunk of our viewership across markets as diaspora audiences throughout the globe remain deeply tuned into the latest film releases. We also continue to see steady viewership for older hit movies. Our originals have also been performing extremely well across both movies and series.

In the US for example, our largest market, viewing increased 35 per cent year-on-year with original content having grown as much as 46 per cent over the last year. Globally, dubbed, and subtitled content has also picked up pace, with significant viewership coming for content outside of its original language. Additionally, viewers have also shown higher viewership across genres like thrillers, drama, and comedy.

On ZEE5 Global which has a wide range of South Asian content, other than the diaspora audience who are your customers that consume it heavily

Indian content especially Bollywood movies has always resonated well with mainstream audiences across markets from the USA to Germany, the Middle East and more. Today, audiences across the world are experimenting with content in international languages more than ever before, and much of this has been enabled through the availability of dubbing and subtitling. We have non-diaspora audiences as well across many markets enjoying the content on ZEE5 – be it movies and much-loved TV shows, and we only expect this trend to grow hereon.

On any insights on the viewing preferences of diaspora audiences across the US

The US is our largest market today, driving over 40 per cent of our total viewership and one where we command a strong leadership position among South Asian platforms. With the tremendous reach we have in the market, we have deep insights into the consumption habits and viewing preferences of South Asians. For instance, Movies and Originals are key viewership drivers, as are TV shows from across the Zee Network channels. When it comes to specific genres, dramas have done well, clocking 60 per cent viewership growth, followed by comedy and thrillers recording a 58 per cent increase in viewership.

When it comes to geographic viewership, markets with high aggregation of diaspora audiences like California, New York, New Jersey etc. record the highest viewership on the platform.

On the different innovations and marketing strategies to get more eyeballs and to get newer customers in the global markets like the US region

To amplify our presence in the USA, we have leveraged digital marketing and targeted media campaigns extensively to reach our audiences. Apart from this, strategic partnerships and community-driven initiatives like festival and cultural event connect, movie screenings, student connect programmes, and more are some of the key strategies we have used to reach our audiences. We also launched the Global Content Festival to give independent filmmakers across the globe a platform through which they could take their content to a wider audience.

On the global market, what works better AVOD or SVOD

It varies from market to market. Some markets are more price-sensitive than others as a function of their earning power, the economy and other factors. We therefore follow a hybrid approach – with our TV Shows largely being available free for users and monetized through ads while all premium content is SVOD and behind a paywall. Having free/ AVOD content also helps us attract larger audiences for top-of-funnel marketing. The US is one market where we are fully SVOD, and that strategy has worked well for us.

Mirror photo by Patt Keith /
George Radeschi shows off his wood turning at his Bedford Township home.

BEDFORD — George Radeschi’s award-winning segmented wood turnings are an intricate ode to trees — the majority grown on his 45-acre Bedford Township property — artfully mixed with carefully selected exotic woods from faraway.

Radeschi combines his love of trees, his understanding of how they grow and how they can be cut down with his accumulated knowledge, skill, patience and artistic vision in crafting unique wooden bowls, cutting boards and award-winning turnings.

The turnings have received awards at juried shows and been purchased for private collections and public museums up and down the East Coast. A vocational education teacher in New Jersey, the Brooklyn-born and raised Vietnam veteran and his wife of nearly 53 years, Loretta, moved to Pennsylvania 22 years ago.

At age 78, Radeschi’s turnings number more than 200 and range in height from 24 to 36 inches and feature intricate patterns and various woods in a variety of colors and shades. A 6-inch turning decorated the White House Christmas tree in 1991 and others are in prominent collections throughout the country, including a collection by the late Nathan Ancell, co-founder of Ethan Allen Inc. It was for Ancell’s art gallery that Radeschi created one of his largest turnings, a 4-foot tall piece he designed at Ancell’s request to “knock your socks off,” for his art gallery, Radeschi recalled. His pieces were also used in advertising for the gallery.

“That was something. I remember laying on the lathe and I had to take two steps to get to the switch to turn it off,” he said.

Mirror photo by Patt Keith /
Loretta and her husband George Radeschi look at one of his turnings in their Bedford Township home.

“It was huge,” Loretta said.

The turnings resemble oversized vases with repetitive patterns reminiscent of Native American, Greek and Egyptian art. A visual feast for the eyes, the pieces delight the fingers as the wood warms to the touch as patterns are traced on the highly polished, satin-like surface. Fluted necks and carved embellishments highlight some pieces.

While beautiful, his large bowls and cutting boards are made to be used and are food safe. He often gives them to friends as gifts, and they are often purchased as wedding gifts. Cutting boards of white oak and Brazilian cherry sell for $155 and his bowls of zebra wood and Brazilian cherry sell between $250 and $350. The fine art turnings are priced between $1,400 and $1,800. Each turning represents up to eight weeks of work.

“If you were to put a mirror on the inside, you would see exactly the same thing. It’s not an inlay — it’s a segmentation,” Radeschi said. “Woodworking has been a hobby of mine throughout my entire adult life. I started entering craft shows about 40 years ago.”

He constantly looks for patterns in other art such as pottery and even everyday items such as blankets and people’s sweaters.

“You have to be careful with that,” he said, laughing about following a sweater wearer around.

Turning No. 167 (he numbers each work rather than naming them) is exhibited in the Southwestern Pennsylvania Council for the Arts 28th Annual Regional Juried Art Exhibition at The Southern Alleghenies Museum of Art at Ligonier Valley.

Kristin Miller, site director and education coordinator at Ligonier Valley, said, “George is an outstanding artist, a true master craftsman. George uses different types of wood creating a symphony of design in each and every piece. You can feel the emotion and passion exuding from his work. George has a true gift as he is able to take something raw, harsh and through his highly skilled craftsmanship, an amazing transformation takes place. That raw timber becomes a warm intricate specimen of beauty.”

Radeschi works with Penn State forestry experts in managing his land from which he sources oak, maple, ash, hickory and walnut. He has his own sawmill and controls how the lumber is cut to bring out different features and grain patterns. He also special-orders exotic woods such as rosewood, goncalo alves and bubinga from Brazil and zebra wood from Africa using only ethical sources.

Radechi credits Loretta’s marketing efforts with his success. Loretta uses her background as a writer and in marketing to promote George’s art. She handles entries into shows, photography, publicity and the related logistics.

In 1989, he received first place at the New Rochelle (N.Y.) Art Association exhibit.

“It was made of rosewood,” Loretta recalled. “The judge said it was the first time in the organization’s 75-year history that first place was given to something other than an oil painting.”

The pieces are made in the large workshop behind their home.

“You really have to have an understanding of how the tree grows and how you cut the wood from the tree and put it to practical use and to an application step and understand what the wood movements are,” he said. “All the adhesives, the clamping methods, the angles and you have to have a knowledge just to put 100 pieces of wood together and come out completely round. There are a lot of technical aspects which are mostly self-taught. I’m a lifetime student of woodwork.”

He spent his working career teaching others automotive and diesel mechanics at a vocational school. One former student, William Walker, 43, who lives in El Paso, Texas, reconnected with Radeschi about a year ago after searching for him via the internet because he wanted to thank him for the difference he made in his life. Walker hadn’t known about Radeschi’s woodworking passion.

“The level and intricacy and detail in his work is just incredible,” Walker said. “He’s just amazing and that he’s self-taught is incredible. He built his own house and all his furniture, and it looks like something out of a high-end showroom. And his workshop is set up perfectly.”

But Walker’s admiration goes far beyond Radeschi’s fine art skills.

“He’s just amazing,” Walker said. “I didn’t realize it when I was a kid how much he cared and how he set me up for success in life.”

When Walker’s shop teacher became ill, his class was absorbed into Radeschi’s class.

“We were so far behind compared to his classes. His classes were doing everything and anything. He got us caught up to speed in about two months,” he said.

When Walker graduated in 1999, he left with two certifications in the industry, which allowed him to earn $2 more an hour in his first job. But he learned so much more besides auto mechanics as Radeschi also taught the students how to take responsibility for their actions, have a good work ethic, how to write a resume and how to get and keep a job.

Radeschi delights in telling stories in his still-thick Brooklynese accent, including his first meeting with the late Ethan Allen Inc. founder, Ancell, at a museum exhibit.

“It was a very quiet day; in fact it was a bit on the boring side. I was sitting there when here comes this elderly fellow,” Radeschi said of Ancell. “He walked around with an instamatic camera hanging around his neck. He was walking with a cane and had a limp. I guess I had nodded off … so he rattled the chair with his cane. He says, ‘what do you want for everything?’ I wasn’t prepared for the question. So he said he’d come back.”

While skeptical the man would return, Radeschi priced his pieces and when Ancel returned, they both wrote down their asking price and opted to flip a coin. Radeschi won.

“I don’t know if we agreed to his price or mine, but we were only $500 apart. So he hands me his card and says, ‘just take it to any one of my stores and they’ll ship them to me.’ I looked at the card and said, ‘you should have shown me the card before I wrote down the price.’”

The exchange was the beginning of a friendship that included the Radeschis being invited to Ancell’s Connecticut home and facilities and many phone conversations.

When Radeschi was being featured on a TV program, Ancell participated by talking about his work.

Ancell is quoted on Radeschi’s website where his wood turnings, bowls and cutting boards are for sale, describing Radeschi as “one of the most creative and imaginative artists in wood that I have ever found. The architectural structure, color arrangements, and the way George puts the piece together indicate his great talent for creating fine art.”

For more information about Radeschi’s work, visit www.georgeradeschi.com.

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CLASSIC CHRISTMAS – The Victorian Carolers provided some traditional holiday entertainment, singing a variety of classic selections.
— Craig Howell

WEIRTON — The hustle and bustle of the holidays spread through the city’s downtown Saturday as Christmas arrived on Main Street.

For the fourth year, the community kicked off the holiday festivities with Christmas on Main Street, featuring close to 50 vendors set up near the Millsop Community Center, along with an afternoon of live entertainment, games, food and other attractions.

“Weirton is a special town. West Virginia is a special place,” said Mayor Harold “Bubba” Miller, while presiding over the tree lighting which helped to cap off the celebration.

The event was organized by the Weirton Festival Committee, with support from 33 area sponsors. Officials estimated there were between 7,000 and 8,000 visitors to Main Street throughout the afternoon.

“This event began in the north end,” explained Assistant City Manager DeeAnn Pulliam, referring to a smaller celebration which ran for several years on the corner of Main Street and Pennsylvania Avenue. “It has grown to thousands of people.”

A LITTLE SPICE – Entries in this year’s Gingerbread House contest were on display in the Weirton Room of the Millsop Community Center. — Craig Howell

Major sponsors were Cleveland Cliffs, Nick’s Auto, Form Energy and Weirton Medical Center.

Entertainment included performances by the Special Olympics Cheer Team, Victorian Carolers, Casey Sisters Dance Academy, Dance by Hillary, Déjà vu and Two Friends Trio, Weirton Christian Center Signs of Hope and the St. Paul Church Choir.

Within the Millsop Community Center, residents could get their faces painted and enjoy some inflatable attractions, take part in a silent auction, view the six entries of this year’s Christmas tree contest and peruse the participants of the Gingerbread House contest.

Train rides were offered along Main Street, members of the city’s police and fire departments were stationed to collect food and toy donations which will benefit the Salvation Army, ice skating, LED mini golf, a mechanical reindeer and more were among the attractions on hand.

At the Top of West Virginia Convention and Visitors Bureau and Summit Art Gallery, the Top of West Virginia Arts Council featured the work of local artists with an art market and activities for children such as crafting a marbled ornament, coloring a gingerbread character and making bracelets.

WINTER FUN – Residents skated around a synthetic ice rink set up in front of the Millsop Community Center. — Craig Howell

“We’ve had a lot of traffic,” said Arts Council member Molly Mossor, who explained they had offered similar activities for the Fourth of July.

The day concluded with the lighting of the community Christmas tree, donated by Robert and Patty Capito, in front of the community center, and a fireworks show sponsored by Weirton Council and viewable from much of downtown.

GETTING CRAFTY – The Top of West Virginia Arts Council offered a variety of craft activities for local youth visiting Christmas on Main Street Saturday. — Craig Howell

LET THERE BE LIGHT – Residents gathered in front of the Millsop Community Center Saturday to view the lighting of the community Christmas tree and a fireworks display. — Craig Howell

HOLLY JOLLY – Santa and Mrs. Claus walked around Main Street, greeting children throughout the afternoon. — Craig Howell

CHOO CHOO – Sponsored by Nick’s Auto, this train was available for rides up and down Main Street. — Craig Howell

O TANNENBAUM – Six trees have been set up at the Millsop Community Center as part of this year’s Christmas tree contest. — Craig Howell