(2 March 2009 6:45 pm)

MUMBAI: Real, the Hindi entertainment channel which launched today, is available on the DTH platforms - Dish TV and Tata Sky.

The pay channel, a joint venture between Turner and the Alva Brothers, is also available on several cable networks.

Says Real Global Broadcasting director Sunil Lulla, "The expansion of digitization across Indian metros and hinterland has more than doubled in terms of viewing homes. Dish TV and Tata Sky provide us with an ideal platform to reach our target viewer."

Meanwhile, the channel will be expanding its original programming slot to three and a half hours with two new shows - Sitaron Ko Choona Hai and Ninja Pandav. The channel launched with three hours of original content.

Starting 9 March, Sitaron Ko Choona Hai will air every Monday to Thursday at 8 pm. The show will be hosted by Raghu Ram (MTV Roadies fame) along with singer Neha Bhasin (of the Viva fame) and voice coach Prashant Samadhar. Created by Miditech, Sitaron Ko… will witness 12 participants contest to win the best singer title.

Real will launch Ninja Pandav, a tale of good vs evil, on 13 March. The weekly, also created by Miditech, will air every Friday at 8 pm.

"With Sitaron Ko Choona Hai, Ninja Pandav and Sarkaar Ki Duniya - Andekhe Pal, our original programming will increase to three and a half hours with a dynamic blend of fiction and reality shows," Lulla adds.

Real targets Neo Indians between 15-34 years with a mix of reality, fiction, movie, music and kids content. It is distributed by Zee Turner.

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Turner-Alva Bros' Real to launch on 2 March