The group is in advanced talks with DTH operators in Malaysia and Singapore, which has a sizeable south-Indian origin population. RTNL is also in negotiations with VSNL to provide Tamil film content for the latter's subscriber base in Mumbai.
RTNL currently runs two Tamil channels, Raj TV, the entertainment and news channel, and Raj Digi Plus, the movie channel. Another entertainment channel is also on the cards. RTNL plans to pool entertainment, news and movie content from all the three channels and use it to beam it across various global markets.
"While Malaysia and Singapore are natural markets owing to a large number of people who understand Tamil, markets like Europe and South America have not been tapped before and we plan to do that by offering dubbed and subtitled content through DTH," M Raajhendran, MD, RTNL told Business Standard.
If the proposed plan to set up DTH network in Europe and South American countries takes off, it would be the first by any regional language network in the country.
The content would more or less contain 70 per cent of Tamil programming and 30 per cent of the receiver country's modules. For this, RTNL plans to create local programmes in interactive formats in the language of the particular country.
RTNL has copyrights of around 1368 old and new Tamil films, which it plans to air in international markets in various formats.
Although Raj TV is a paid channel, the network is planning to air its channels free-to-air for a short period. The free-to-air broadcast would also be undertaken in Gujarat, Maharashtra, Punjab, Uttar Pradesh and Kolkata in the coming few months, said Raajhendran.
RTNL has undertaken a pilot project in collaboration with VSNL to provide its content to VSNL subscribers in Mumbai. If it works out, it plans to take the project across various states including Gujarat, Maharashtra, Uttar Pradesh and others in tie-up with major telecom providers.
Movie clips, songs, comedy scenes and other Tamil film content would be offered to the telecom subscribers.
In a bid to venture out of the markets in south India, Raj TV, which reportedly has a base of 2 million households in Chennai and placed second behind Kalanidhi Maran-owned Sun TV, is in negotiations to acquire two north-based religion channels. It is also set to enter into production of multiplex movies.
It plans to produce around five movies every year with emphasis on introducing new faces with an eye on non-Tamil speaking viewers in the country.
