The investment for the DTO project is Rs 150 crore. The balance will be funded through internal accruals. The Zee network is shifting its channels from the analog system to digitalisation. All the channels will turn pay except Zee TV, a general Hindi entertainment channel. "Zee TV will continue to be a free-to-air channel for at least three years. It can be supported by advertising revenue alone because of its high audience base," said corporate communication vice-president Ranjan Bakshi.

Zee network channels like Zee News and Zee Cinema will migrate from Asiasat-3 to Panamsat-4 by September-end. Music Asia is already on that platform. The network will also have three regional channels in that satellite. The Bengali, Marathi and Punjabi channels are to be launched soon.

There will be a period of overlap though, which means the channels willcontinue to be in the analog and digital systems. The `dual elimination' process, Bakshi says, will be for six months.

The uplinking facility will be at Noida, near Delhi. Zee TV will move its digital channels to the Music Asia satellite platform as it will have enough transponder space to accommodate all of them.