MUMBAI: With the launch date drawing nearer, Times Global Broadcasting Co Ltd, the joint venture news broadcasting company of The Times of India Group and Reuters, has inducted key executives to manage the distribution of its English news channel.

Times Global Broadcasting V-P and business head Partho Das Gupta confirmed the following appointments to indiantelevision.com:

Deepak Agarwal has joined Times Global Broadcasting as DGM affiliate network, west zone. He will be based in Mumbai. Agarwal had a long association with MTV Networks and Times of India Group. Agarwal was instrumental in launching channels such as religious channel Sanskar and the southern-music channel SS Music.

Managing the north and east is Tapas Roy who has joined as DGM affiliate network, North. Roy is an import from Sahara India Media & Entertainment's (SIME). He was previously associated with SitiCable and has also had stints with BBC World and Star India.

Ramesh N, yet another distribution professional from MTV Networks, would be based out of Bangalore, to take charge of the distribution business of the south market as group manager affiliate network. Ramesh has worked with the Zee Turner Group and MEN-ESPN.

The company is likely to inducted few more in due course of time.

Earlier this quarter, Reuters acquired 26 per cent equity stake in The Times Global Broadcasting Co Ltd. The industry media observers signify that the promoters wish to have a global presence with the proposed news channel.

To begin with, industry sources indicated, the yet-to-be named news channel would first spread its wings to South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) countries before embarking on further international expansion. Das Gupta would, however, offer no comment in this regard.

Meanwhile, in a bid to capitalize on the equity of the Times brand, one of the names being toyed with for the channel is Times Global, informed sources aver. According to sources, Times has received the green-signal for its uplinking licence and is eyeing a mid-September launch for the channel.