BANGALORE: Sri Sankara TV, a national spiritual well being multilingual C&S TV channel, has signed a non-exclusive MOU with Bangalore-based MQ Networks for handling its ad sales (to corporates) at a pan India level.
"We have been selling airtime to clients directly and will continue to do so. The tie-up with MQ Networks is not an exclusive one,” says Hari Krishnan, one of the Directors of Kamadhenu Telefilms, (the promoters of Sri Sankara TV) Hari Krishnan. Suresh Kumar is the other director of Kamadhenu Telefilms.
Says MQ Networks Managing Director MS Mahesh, “We were closely monitoring Sri Sankara TV ever since its inception and find their content to be of high value, realistic and readily striking a cord with audiences who have experienced the channel. We feel the channel has the potential to grow into one of the finest spiritual well being channels in the sub continent.”
Adds MQ Networks CEO Arvind Kumar, “We have already started talking to large advertisers and media buying agencies at an all India level and have been receiving very positive responses."
Chennai-based Vas Media, an OOH media agency is among MQ Networks clients. Another client, Bangalore-based Real Estate TV, shut shop a few months ago.
Income from teleshopping directly or through sellers forms a reasonably big chunk of revenue earnings for religious channels in India. Tamil and Kannada language content Sri Sankara TV, which was launched nearly a year ago, has one teleshopping seller and is looking at other sellers to buy air time from it.
Explains Hari Krishnan, one of the directors of Kamadhenu Telefilms (the promoters of Sri Sankara TV), “Our concept is to provide enlightened entertainment in the modern context, which will allow audiences to revisit ancient Indian and world wisdom and tradition, reviving spiritual values that bring harmony to the soul."
Kamadhenu Telefilms has ambitious plans for future expansion and is bullish about the growth of Sri Sankara TV. The channel has already tied up with Tam and expects robust viewership ratings in the months to follow. Arvind expects GRPs of about 50 for this channel surrently. Come January, the channel says that it will be launching a host of new shows to attract and hold on to viewers.
