|
NEW
DELHI: Metro Goldwyn Mayer (MGM) is all set to enter India
in 2008 with a library English movie channel and licensing
deals as a first step.
Worldwide
Television Distribution, MGM, Co-President Gary Marenzi said
at NATPE in Las Vegas that “India is a very important
market for us, and different divisions of MGM are geared to
make a mark there.”
MGM’s
international television division is headed by Bruce Tuckman.
Marenzi said “MGM is planning a branded channel in India
soon. It would be a 100 per cent MGM product to start with,
a self-contained movie channel. We are beginning as a library
English movie channel. We have over 4,000 titles and the idea
is to be able to bring that to India. The indications of the
Indian market are bright. The market is looking bigger for
western programming.”
Marenzi
said MGM was in the process of finalising a business model
to enter India. It would enter into joint ventures with local
partners.
Another
activity from MGM for India is in the licensing domain. Marenzi
said that the aim was to bring a lot of software to India.
Some joint venture may be signed as a result of the NATPE
Conference.
MGM
already had a presence in India some years back in partnership
with Zee Entertainment in the channel Zee MGM. But then Sony
bought out MGM and following this Zee went on to launch English
movie channel Zee Studio.
|
