Speaking to The Financial Express CNN International senior vice president Rena Golden said the channel would step up its marketing activities in the country to complement its on air activities. "We are prepared for more investment in this regard," Golden said.

According to Turner International India managing director Anshuman Misra, the network will upgrade its current analogue signal to the digital mode.The company is in the process of putting in place a marketing plan for the new-look channel which would involve brand positioning as a regional channel. Mishra said the channel will soon start distributing digital set top boxes to the cable operators in the country.

Golden said that to begin with the South Asia feed would focus on regional news and weather. The channel has initiated talks with several software production houses in Delhi and Mumbai for sourcing programmes locally, she added. The company would be in a position to shortlist its programming affiliates over the next couple of months.

Golden said the channel is open to the idea to start a specific India channel at a latter date. "We are currently focused on the South Asia channel. We may look at an India channel if we get the right partner," she added. Though the arrangement for local programming will be on a non-exclusive basis, Goldens did not rule out one of the programming partners graduating to become a full-fledged partner when the channel decides to go for India channel.

The South Asia feed will be the fifth sub-regional channel for CNN. CNN currently transmits four separate channels that broadcast to the Asia-Pacific, Europe, Latin America and the United States. Golden said CNN would be strengthening its affiliate programme for news exchange in the country. Doordarshan is one of the leading partners in this respect and CNN officials did not rule out strengthening of this relationship.

Golden said that in the last three years CNN has more than doubled its budget for regional programmes relating to Europe and Asia with investments in the region of $36 million. In May 1999 the network doubled its Hong Kong based production staff and its Asian programming roster from 14 hours to 30 hours of regionally produced programmes per week. Any further investments for the South Asia channel will be additional to this, Golden said.

Industry analysts point out that India is the only market where CNN was trailing behind BBC World in terms of viewership and revenue. With an aggressive CNN, the Indian market is expected to hot up in coming months with the two traditional rivals battling it out for Indian audience and advertising rupee, analysts added.