There have been some media stories to demean the success of Hello Meghalaya OTT platform which was launched in July this year. The success is evident from the fact that soon after the launch, more than two lakh citizens have downloaded the app and started to view films and content. This is one of the unique and never before initiatives ever done by any previous government which aims to support local content creators/ film makers. It is agreed that more new and fresh content needs to be included to keep the momentum going and engage viewers.
The government is making all the efforts to make the app more entertaining by including Web series, New films, podcasts and entertainment shows. For the benefit of the readers, we must understand that any technology platform requires back end technical updating to make it stable and optimised. The technical team has been working tirelessly to make such functionalities robust and viewer-friendly by optimising streaming quality, mobile data consumption and easy navigation. Going forward in the next few weeks, the app will enable the content creators to register on the platform and review their analytics. The feature has already been developed and is going under testing phase.
To give readers a better picture on the engagement of the platform, the total views of all the content together stands at 37 million with an average watch time of 4 hours 30 minutes. This means people are spending more time in the Hello Meghalaya app on their phone compared to any social media platform like Facebook or Instagram. Going by the daily usage, there are 2000 active users for every 30 minute. Therefore, it can be concluded that the citizens have owned the home-grown entertainment channel. Some of the most viewed films are Ka Chithi, Pynngop, Ka-Daw, 9-Lad, Jingim and Ahor which have been viewed over a million times.
There has also been a report on the old content which is already available in YouTube channels and citizens may not like to view the same in the Hello Meghalaya, however this is to clarify that one of the major objectives of the app is to provide viewers one single platform for all local content. This means, the government is trying to conserve and preserve classic films/content which are not available in any form at the current circumstance. This will not only give newer generations an opportunity to watch those content in the modern era and make them aware of the evolving landscape of cinema.
One of the new features which have been included in the app is to provide live broadcast of some of the popular sporting events like the recently concluded Durand Cup and Sohra Half Marathon. This feature has also gained popularity with more than 1000 people concurrently viewing such never-experienced opportunities. Going forward, it has been planned to do such live broadcasts of popular musical events for the benefit of citizens from rural areas that otherwise do not have access to physically watch the shows coming to urban centres.
In the next phase, there shall be new and exclusive movies, web-series, food and entertainment shows. There have been progressive talks with many of the film makers to make new films for which the government shall provide financial assistance for production exclusively for Hello Meghalaya. The proposed films shall be of high quality, entertaining storyline and shall be produced with latest equipment. The same would be applicable for music videos and social media influencers.
The platform would also provide opportunity for young upcoming artists by way of contest and competition. These artists would be given regular opportunities to create new and innovative content. Producing any content or film generally takes 3-6 months, which involves scripting, cast, shooting and final editing. All these new contents would be made available in the coming months. Meanwhile, for the viewer’s interest, there are new contents and films coming every week.
It must be reiterated that citizens have shown wholehearted support in making the Hello Meghalaya platform a big success in such a short time. The government is committed to make the platform more entertaining and engaging for citizens. Citizens are advised to register themselves in the platform as Meghalaya residents and support local content creators. Every view will matter for the content creators. The views and likes would encourage content creators to make better videos/films and help in their earning capability.
(The writer is the Chief Administrative Officer, Meghalayan Age Limited)
