The magazine was launched at a function held at The Cricket Club of India on Saturday. The function was presided by chairperson of the Zee Network Subhash Chandra and director and Chief Executive Officer of Zee Publishing Deepak Shourie. The editor of the magazine, Saibal Chatterjee, was also present.

Given the dismal record of publications such as TV and Video World, TV Today and E-Times, all of which had to be wound up due to poor sales, the introduction of a new television glossy has come as a surprise. But publisher Deepak Shourie justified his faith in the magazine's commercial viability with some hard figures. ``More than 90 channels are currently beamed into homes across the subcontinent; next year this number could double. Nearly 2,000 movies are shown on television every month. During the year viewers will be treated to 4,000 hours ofcricket. And you could be spending an average of 800 hours annually watching television. With more and more channels joining the fray and jostling for a piece of the action, the need for a quality magazine has never been felt more acutely,'' he pointed out.

According to him, ``magazines like E-Times and TV Today were casualties of wrong timing. television did not encompass such a broad sweep of channels and viewers then. Nor had the world of television stars emerged. But today television rules our lives. Our perception of the entire world is ruled by this presence. TV World, which addresses the need for a quality television magazine, will therefore be a welcome addition to the print market.''

Subhash Chandra agreed: ``Increased television viewing has generated a lot of interest in the small screen. Today people identify more with television stars and want to know more about them. TV World will serve as an interface between the viewer and the broadcasters by providing the complete picture of the goings-onin the television world.''

The magazine, which has sitcom queens Bhavna Balsavar and Tanaz Currim on the cover of the first issue, is priced at Rs 20.