As debates around AI, burnout, and exploitation intensify across entertainment, Chera TV is positioning itself as a premium vertical platform built “production-integrated” from day one. In this interview, COO Calvin Singh breaks down the company’s lean, project-scalable operating model, explains how guaranteed residuals and on-set safety were embedded into the business foundation, and shares why mobile-native storytelling is poised to redefine streaming.
From an operational standpoint, what most differentiated the building of Chera TV from other streaming platforms?
Chera TV was built differently by design. We structured the platform to be creator/artist forward and production integrated from day one. Our strategies for development, production, distribution, and marketing allow us to move faster and control costs. Unlike traditional streamers, we operate with a lean infrastructure that scales by project and there is not a lot of overhead. This enables us to launch premium content efficiently while giving creators clearer pathways from concept to premiere.
Chera TV sets standards like guaranteed residuals, diversity requirements, and on-set safety. What were the biggest challenges in implementing this from the ground up?
The biggest challenge was setting these standards into the foundation of the business rather than tacking them on later. Guaranteed residuals, diversity benchmarks, and on set safety protocols all impact budgeting, scheduling, and contracting…so we had to design systems that were both clear and financially sustainable from the start of the company. Doing this from day one required close coordination across production, legal, finance, and marketing, but it ultimately allowed us to align our values with our operations, not treat them as afterthoughts.
How do you translate ethical principles into concrete, scalable policies that actually work?
By embedding them directly into our contracts and production workflows. That means defining clear, measurable standards and tying them to budgets and schedules. We are also holding ourselves and our partners accountable through consistent oversight rather than informal promises.
The platform positions vertical storytelling as the future of content consumption. What insights or data support that vision?
Our stance on vertical storytelling is grounded in clear audience behavior and platform data. People are consuming the majority of short form content on mobile devises and engaging longer when stories are designed natively for that format rather than adapted from horizontal. Audiences naturally discover and emotionally connect with content today through phones, social feeds, and episodic viewing patterns. By building narratives specifically for vertical consumption, we’re meeting audiences where they already are while unlocking more efficient production models and faster production cycles.
As COO, how do you balance innovation, growth, and accountability to creators and production teams?
I anchor every decision to long term sustainability for both the platform and the people creating the content. Innovation is only meaningful if it can scale responsibly, so we build systems that allow creative risk while maintaining clear operational standards and transparency. When creators and production teams know the rules are consistent and their work is valued…they stay invested and help the platform grow naturally.
Chera TV is launching amid intense debates around AI and authorship. Where does the platform stand on these issues?
We believe technology should support creators, not replace them. Our position is that authorship, ownership, and creative credit must remain at the human level, with AI used only as a tool where it is transparent, ethical, and consent driven. We are building policies that protect writers, performers, and production teams while allowing innovation to enhance workflows without compromising creative rights.
Looking ahead, how do you see Chera TV influencing industry standards and reshaping the entertainment landscape?
We want to be a catalyst for meaningful change in how vertical content is made, distributed, and valued. By proving that creator first economics, ethical production standards, and vertical storytelling can scale successfully, we really are aiming to set new benchmarks the industry can adopt. Long term, our goal is to reshape the entertainment landscape into one that is more inclusive and transparent for creators and audiences alike.
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