(6 July 2005 1:30 pm)

MUMBAI: Zee TV, which provides a dedicated localised feed for the Middle East region, aims to be the only Hindi channel in the region with complete new local programming in the prime time (6 pm - 12 pm) segment.

According to Zee Network director (Special Projects) Yogesh Radhakrishnan, Zee's present efforts are driven by a research it conducted on consumer tastes, programming preferences and habits. "We are going through a 3600 overhaul of our programming content and grid, marketing and distribution points and communication strategies to address the changing needs of our target audiences," he said.

This month, the channel launched four fiction and eleven non-fiction programmes with an increase in focus on the GCC, Levant, North Africa and Pakistan region.

Speaking at a press conference to mark the announcement, Zee Network director (Special Projects) Yogesh Radhakrishnan said: 'Since its launch in 1992, Zee Network has been acknowledged with many firsts. The Middle East is going through a sea change with regard to people's lifestyles, tastes and sensibilities and there is an ever increasing demand for content and programming which is locally tailored to suit such audiences. We realise that there is a huge gap in what people would like to watch vis-à-vis what is currently being offered. Zee plans to bridge this gap and increase its market share by capturing a significant portion of the Middle East market."

The findings by a recent PARC research, titled 'Asian Media Survey 2004', has also inspired Zee. The research re-iterated the fact that Arabs and the Middle East population in general are increasingly tuning in to watch Indian movies and music with a preference for popular song and dance sequences.

As already reported by indiantelevision.com, Zee will be launching its music and lifestyle channel Zee Arabia targeted at South Asians in August this year. Zee has put in place a new team for its Middle East operations and this team will play a crucial role in the running of Zee Arabia with Radhakrishnan.

Among the senior members of the team are COO Ron Kapadia who has been instrumental in setting up channels such as Sony TV, CNBC - TV18, and Pehla's distribution network in the Middle East, head of creative and programming Kalyana Sundaram; senior V-P Iyer Shekhar, marketing and corporate communications V-P Manoj Mathew and finance and corporate affairs V-P H. Thiagarajan.