Channel Guide achieves turnaround; posts profit

Channel Guide achieves turnaround; posts profit

MUMBAI: Channel Guide India Ltd has posted a net profit of Rs 721,000 for the year ended 31 March 2003 as against a loss of Rs 15.28 million for the previous year.
The listed company runs what it says is India's first and only FTA digital info TV channel catering to the promotional needs of the entire entertainment industry - television, films, music and events.
The company also posted an income of Rs 14.59 million for year ended 31 March 2003 as compared to Rs 12.24 million for the previous year. A press release states that the turnaround can be attributed mainly to the commencement of revenues and stringent cost controls.
"Incidentally we are very upbeat about the opportunities than CAS will throw open to FTA channels in general and Channel Guide in particular," says Channel guide COO ravi Deshmukh.
The company has drawn up an ambitious plan that is proposed to be implemented in three phases:
Phase I - TV Info Channel (already on air)
Phase II - Info TV Channel.
Phase III - Interactive TV with t-commerce applications such as teleshopping, Video on Demand (VOD).
The company currently operates a 16 hours a day ( IST 9am to 1am) TV Channel providing a unique promotion platform for India-specific promotion of TV channels and content, films (both Hindi and English) intended for theatre release, music and events (both ground and televised). The statement says that the thrust is to ensure that the presentation is customised to meet the promotional needs of the broad spectrum of content providers on one hand and the information needs of the viewers on the other hand. The programmes and channels are classified as per language and genre at the primary level and time band at the secondary level.
The company has recently launched first ever satellite video delivery linked cable marketing services.