Chennai : Dakshin Media Ltd, the wholly-owned subsidiary of Zee Television Ltd (ZTL), is launching its Tamil satellite television channel Bharathi on Friday. It is also scouting for strategic partner to revive its ailing Kannada channel Kavery, which has failed to take off since its launch last year. Dakshin Media is also planning to launch its third south Indian channel in Telugu soon.Mr Arvind Kumar, senior vice-president and business head (southern channels) told media persons here that Bharathi would be a 24-hour channel from the day one onwards and the company is positioning it as a full-time entertainment channel. The content programming has been done keeping in mind the taste, preferences and values of the region, he said adding Bharathi would have a unique 24-hour programming mix of mega serials, weekly serials, films, film-based programmes, educational and health programmes, break fast show, children's programme and game shows.
Leading content developers like Tamizhmani and Citadel Video are producing various programmes to be aired on the channel, he said. The channel would use the Asiasat 3s satellite and would be beamed from Singapore. News and news-based programmes would be aired from next month on a phased manner, he added.
He said, Zee is planning to groom the channel as the number two channel in Tamil in terms of viewership and revenue. At present, Sun TV is the number one in the market with a host of others trailing far behind in terms of viewership and revenue.
Mr Kumar said, the company has entered into agreements with cable operators for distributing the channel state-wide. He, however, did not go into the details of the quantum of investment Zee has made in Bharathi.
He said, Bharathi would use the logo of Asianet, the popular Malayalam channel promoted by Asianet Communications Ltd, with which Zee has entered into a strategic tie-up after its bid to buy a substantial stake in the company fallen through. "Zee has no equity stake in Asianet. Nor does Asianet has any stake in Dakshin Media. We only have technical collaboration agreement but no revenue sharing arrangements", Mr Kumar has said.He said ZTL is planning to give a new lease of life to its Kannada channel, Kavery, which has been languishing since its launch last year. He said the company is on the look out for a possible suitor to bring the channel back on heels. "We are in talks with a couple of interested parties. But, I cannot disclose their names now", he said.
Copyright © 2001 Indian Express Newspapers (Bombay) Ltd.
