ZEE TV LAUNCHES TV MAGAZINE

Is the Indian market ready for a consumer-oriented TV guide? Zee TV chairman Subhash Chandra and the co-promoter of Zee Publishing Deepak Shourie are gambling that it is. Last week, the duo introduced TVWorld, a monthly TV viewing guide-cum-features magazine with a cover price of Rs 20 (less than US 50 cents). Earlier, TV magazines from large publishing houses such as The Times of India (E-Times), India Today (TV Today), Mid-Day floundered sooner than later. "Agreed the track record has not been good," says Chandra. "But the time at that stage was not ripe. Today however, there are more than 25 million cable and satellite homes and the number of channels has exploded to 90 plus. TV stars are also emerging. Hence, we think this magazine should do well."

Chandra is extremely bullish about TVWorld. His missive to Shourie is: make it the largest circulated magazine in the country in the same mould as TV Guide of the US. The launch print run: 75,000 copies, but the number is to go up from the next issue. Rs 50 million has been set aside for investment the magazine.

Advertising rates range from Rs 62,500 for a full page to Rs 125,000 for the back cover. Highlighters in the TV programming guide are being offered at between Rs 2,000 and Rs 5,000. Shourie is keeping a tight rein on costs and the publication will have to generate about Rs 3-4 of advertising per copy per issue, he says, to break even.

The magazine should do well, considering the promotional clout that Zee brings with it courtesy its bouquet of channels. Language versions to make it appealing to more readers and more mass-based are planned for later.