(1 December 2005 8:00 pm)

MUMBAI: Delivering on its promise of being a channel that caters specifically to the heartland after its relaunch under the Sony Entertainment Television umbrella, Sab has unveiled its first daily soap titled Maahi Ve.

The half hour show will be aired from Monday to Thursday at 9 pm from 5 December.

SET India CEO Kunal Dasgupta said, "Maahi Ve is our first initiative in order to complete the general entertainment offering on Sab. In the reinvention path of the channel, we are introducing a programme that will help us reach millions of Indians and build an emotional connect with them."

Sab senior vice president and business head Vikas Bahl said, "Sab has always offered its viewers innovative programmes, which provide a kaleidoscope of entertainment. In keeping with the light entertainment we offer our viewers Maahi Ve, Sab's first daily soap will also bring a hue of emotions with its close-knit family culture and values."

The channel is also planning to launch a couple of new shows before the end of this financial year, the first being in January. Speaking on the marketing initiatives, Sab TV marketing head Ajay Modgil said, "We will be aggressively promoting the channel in the Indian heartland since that is where our target audience is. With the beginning of the new financial year, we'll be getting more aggressive. Our aim is to provide a good enough platform for bigger shows that we will have on the channel in the future."

As far as movies on the channel is concerned, Sab will not be airing any of the movies that are in sister channels Sony and Max' kitty. Instead, Sab will air old hit Hindi movies like Chupke Chupke, Mili etc, "which one doesn't get to see these days on channels," informs Bahl. This has also been done keeping in mind the target audience of the channel.

On 7 November, Sab was repositioned as a "light entertainment channel" and a new show - Lo Kal-lo Baat - was launched.