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Add
one more to the list of TV channels that are trying to get
the attention of viewers belonging to the Indian diaspora
across the globe. Sri Adhikari Brothers Television Network
(SABTNL)-promoted Hindi entertainment channel SABe TV is
all set to start airing in the United Kingdom from Friday,
22 February.
The
move marks a major advance in the global ambitions that
Markand Adhikari, vice-chairman and managing director, SABe
TV, has for his channel. Adhikari said today his company
had entered into a joint venture agreement by acquiring
a 50 per cent stake in a UK-based channel – MATV Channel
6 – the only operator among Asian channels to have secured
a restricted service licence (a requirement for terrestrial
broadcast).
MATV
is a Leicestershire based free-to-air Asian channel that
was launched in 1999 as a terrestrial broadcaster. From
April 2000, MATV has been broadcasting through cable networks
as well. MATV has achieved cash break even so there are
no liabilities that SABTNL has to take up as part of this
transaction.
Elaborating
on the rollout plans that he has set forth, Adhikari said
that initially, as a transitionary step, the channel will
have both logos (MATV and SABe TV's) displayed on-screen.
The channel's coverage will be spread across the entire
United Kingdom, Adhikari said, while adding that every day
the channel would have a one-hour slot devoted to news and
current affairs. The unique feature of this one-hour slot
is that local flavour has been brought in by demarcating
content that differs from one county to another. Each county
will have its own half hour news show with the remaining
half hour devoted to happenings in that particular county.
This could be in the form of events, interviews, profiles
of individuals, all with a local flavour to it, Adhikari
said.
Queried
as to the kind of money that had gone into the venture,
Adhikari said an initial investment of $1 million had been
pumped in to acquire the channel. One of the clauses in
the deal that works well for Adhikari is that a major chunk
of the content on the channel will be sourced through SABTNL.
This means a guaranteed revenue source and Adhikari expects
to garner revenues of somewhere in the region of 500,000
pounds (Rs 35 million) through providing roughly 2,000 hours
of programming a year to the channel.
Adhikari
said this was the first major initiative on the part of
SABTNL to leverage internationally the programming that
it had built up over the years. SABTNL already has joint
ventures in Sri Lanka and Indonesia for providing programming
but that is small change when compared to what is planned
for the UK.
One
area where SABe TV UK will differ from its Indian counterpart
is that it will be showcasing Hindi films, something that
Adhikari has avoided here.
Asked
whether there were other international markets he was looking
to beyond the UK, Adhikari said the US as well as Australia
were possible areas where SABe TV might have a presence
at some point.
About MATV:
*Launched on 27th May 1999 through terrestrial broadcast,
MATV has started broadcast through cable networks in Leicestershire
from 1st April 2000.
*The channel MATV has already achieved a cash breakeven.
*Currently MATV reaches about 50,000 homes which accounts
for about 200,000 viewers.
*Joint Venture plans to expand its reach through NTL cable
network in nearby counties Nottingham, Derby, Coventry Manchester,
Bradford and London city during the current year.
*The expanded reach will provide for connectivity to around
250,000 to 300,000 households with around a million to 1.25
million viewers.
*MATV has an alliance with SKY Television for the broadcast
of SKY News.
*MATV broadcasts about 63 hours of new content a week in
Hindi and Gujarati language of which about 18 hours of content
is produced inhouse.
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