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A senior executive of NDTV Ltd. confirmed to indiantelevision.com
that the business news channel “has been delayed till Q1 2005,”
while a TV-18 executive indicated that the present effort would
be to put the Hindi channel on air “anytime between 1-10 December.”
As things stand today, Zee Business (managed by a newly floated
Zee News LTD) is likely to be the first to get off the block on
30 November amongst a slew of new business channels in the pipeline.
Zee group news director Laxmi N. Goel had confirmed this launch
to indiantelevision.com earlier this month.
The reason for NDTV further delaying its business news channel
is because Dr. Prannoy Roy, whose family promotes the channel’s
parent company, doesn’t want to put on air any half-baked stuff.
“Dr. Roy wants to make absolutely sure that the details are
fine-tuned to the last nut and bolt,” a company executive said.
He added that such precautions are being taken as the ratings for
the business programming in the day part on NDTV 24x7 have been
good vis-à-vis competition and everybody wants to “live
up to the public expectation.”
“If some others in the company had their way, the business
channel, yet to be named, would have got launched in 2004 only.
But Dr. Roy is insistent that before the channel is put on air for
public consumption, all aspects are finalised, including a phased
media blitz and sale of ad inventory,” the NDTV executive said.
The New Delhi Television LTD (NDTV) board had approved launch of
a separate business news channel in May. The company had made an
application to the information and broadcasting ministry for uplinking
permission for the same in September and, as per an earlier launch
schedule, the new fare was expected to start beaming in 2004.
Information available with indiantelevision.com indicates that
the NDTV business channel's differentiating pitch will be that it
covers a far wider canvas than the focus on stock markets that CNBC-TV18
is still perceived as having.
Meanwhile, though a final name for TV-18’s Hindi news channel,
which would carry pre-dominantly business news, has not been finalised,
one of the options being bandied around in the company is 'Awaaz',
Mumbai-based broadcast industry sources said.
Interestingly, TV-18’s Hindi channel, to be beamed via an
Insat satellite, is also likely to carry non-business news to broadbase
its viewership. According to industry sources, the company has hired
even few reporters to be on the crime beat.
Also read:
NDTV seeks
uplink OK for business news channel
NDTV
clears way for business news channel
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