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MUMBAI:
Star Den, the 50:50 distribution joint venture between Star
India and Digital Entertainment Network, is adding the channels
of TV18 group into the bouquet.
CNBC
TV18, CNBC Awaaz, CNN IBN and IBN7 will be distributed by
Star Den with effect from 1 April. Zee Turner was distributing
the three pay channels while IBN7 was handled by Set Pro (part
of the TV18 group).
"We
are creating a formidable bouquet of pay channels. We will
be distributing the four TV18 group of channels from 1 April.
Only IBN7 out of this is a free-to-air (FTA) channel,"
says a source in the company.
Star
Den will now have an English business news channel in the
form of CNBC TV18, a Hindi consumer business channel (CNBC
Awaaz), an English general news channel (CNN IBN) and a Hindi
general news channel (IBN7). The company already handles all
the channels which were earlier distributed domestically by
Star India.
Network18
was getting a subscription revenue of around Rs 500 million
from its family of pay channels. Star Den expects to up this.
Den
is a cable network set up by Global Broadcast News joint MD
Sameer Manchanda as lead promoter and TV18 MD Raghav Bahl
as founding partner.
Meanwhile,
Zee Turner is in the final lap of negotiations with Ten Sports
to distribute the sports channel. Currently with MSM Discovery
(earlier known as Set Discovery), Ten Sports is in talks as
its distribution contract is coming to an end. Incidentally,
Zee has acquired a 50 per cent stake in Ten Sports.
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