UTV to launch World Movie channel in Dec

Targeted at upmarket audience, V&S Broadcasting, an affiliate of television and movie content production company UTV Software, will launch World Movie channel in the first week of December with a library of 400-contemporary movies from around the world.

The World Movie channel will be the third offering from V&S Broadcasting after its youth channel Bindass and Bindass Movies, which were launched recently.

The 24-hour World Movie channel will showcase the best of world cinema from the movie markets of Southeast Asia, Europe and South America.

The movies will have English sub-titles. Currently, there are six non-Indian language movie channels available in the country that generate Rs 170-180 crore advertising revenue per annum. The channels include Star Movies, Zee Cafe, AXN, and HBO among others.

"We see a big opportunity in presenting the best of world cinema to the upmarket consumers. Our target is to reach out to at least 20 million cable homes within six months of the launch," Shantanu Aditya, chief executive of V&S Broadcasting, said.

A media buyer of a Delhi-based media agency said: "It's a new offering. We are yet to see a channel dedicated to world cinema, therefore, it is difficult to say what impact it would have. Also it will take 15-20 days to make an impact on its target audience. We will have to wait and watch."

The media agencies, however, are in talks with V&S Broadcasting for placing its ads.

According to sources, these ads would be aired on all upcoming channels of V&S, except world cinema channels. "The pay channel will also be offered on direct-to-home (DTH) platforms of Tata Sky and Dish TV," Aditya said.

The company will launch another three channels by March, including a Hindi movie channel, an English business news channel and a special interest Hindi entertainment channel.

V&S Broadcasting was floated by UTV to launch a total of nine television channels. It has also set up its own distribution platform.

According to industry sources, V&S will pump in Rs 550-650 crore towards the launch of its nine channels, most of which will be introduced in 2008.