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After
a barren period, channel launches appear to be again happening.
In the offing is a new digital Telugu regional language
channel - Maa TV.
The
channel is being launched by Maa Television Network Ltd,
a Hyderabad-based broadcaster and entertainment company
that plans to unveil the new channel very soon. Test transmission
will commence from 11:42 am on Sunday.
Disclosing
this D Rajendra Prasad, executive director and spokesperson
for Maa TV, informed that the channel will be a combination
of programming that ranges from dramas, serials, long plays,
sitcoms, chat shows, music, current affairs, interactive
programmes, documentaries, movies and live performances.
The channel will telecast for 18 hours a day.
An
initial investment of Rs 250 million is going into the launch
of Maa TV which will be a pay service from Day 1 of operations.
The
channel is promoted by Ramakrishna, the founder of Siti
Cable in Andhra Pradesh, an official release says. The promoters
expect to generate a total business of Rs 220 million in
the first year of operations.
On
the sales and distribution front, Maa TV hopes to reach
75 per cent of viewers in the state in the first three months
of its launch. The promoters claim that their long experience
in the cable industry will enable them to reach the targets
that they have set themselves.
The
channel will be beamed off APR -1 (Insat 2E) satellite and
3/3 (Zonal Beam) transponder.
Together
with Maa TV, a cable channel - Maa Cinema - is also in the
pipeline. The company claims it already has more than 2650
films in its kitty and is planning to procure rights of
more films.
Whatever
be the plans of the channel, it will be taking on two well
established free-to-air channels in Gemini TV (part of Kalanithi
Maran's Sun Network) and Ramoji Rao's Eenadu TV. And
how subscribers are expected to take to a brand new pay
channel when there are two free channels offering quality
fare already in existence is anybody's guess.
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