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NDTV launches MetroNation

September 26, 2007 11:34 IST
News and lifestyle channel broadcaster New Delhi Television is looking at launching more television channels, both domestically and internationally.

Speaking at the launch of 'MetroNation,' NDTV's fifth channel in the country, Prannoy Roy, chairman, said, "By this year, or financial year end, there will be more channels from NDTV." The channel is targeted at the five million Delhi citizens that read English language newspapers.

NDTV operates five channels within the country, including NDTV 24x7, NDTV India, NDTV Profit, NDTV Good Times and NDTV MetroNation. It has launched its channels in Indonesia, Malaysia and Dubai, through collaborations.

The broadcaster was looking to increase its presence in news-cum-entertainment channels across emerging markets such as north Africa, west Asia and south east Asia, Roy added.

NDTV's Bahasa Indonesia language channel in Indonesia, launched in 2006 in a joint venture with Astro All Asia, has broken even and even started making money.

It launched NDTV Arabia earlier this month with a focus on Dubai and UAE. It has also launched a Bahasa Malaysia language channel in Malaysia, in partnership with Astro All Asia.

Within India, the company launched its lifestyle channel NDTV Good Times, which has a branding tie-up with UB Group's Kingfisher.

NDTV will launch city channels focused on Mumbai, Kolkata, Bangalore and Chennai, under the brand NDTV MetroNation, similar to the channel launched in New Delhi, Chief Executive K V L Narayan Rao said.

More than 100 new TV channels are scheduled to be launched in India, the world's third-largest cable TV market, over the next 12 months.

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