ABP, Star venture plans new English news channel

Media Content & Communications Services India, a 76:24 joint venture between ABP TV and Star group, which broadcasts the Star News channel, is evaluating a plan to launch an English news channel shortly.

A industry source said, "The venture would be seriously worked once the Bengali news channel stabilises." Stabilisation of a news channel typically require six to twelve months, said the source.

Currently, New Delhi Television (NDTV) and Headlines Today are among the major players in the segment.

The long awaited 24-hour Bengali news channel from MCCS went on air from June 1, Uday Shankar, chief executive officer and editor, Star News said.

"The 24-hours Bengali news channel has been named 'Star Ananda'," said Shankar.

"This would a first news channel of its type with domestic and international news delivered in the regional language," added Shankar.

MCCS has set a target of emerging as the 'most preferred' news channel in the region, he said.

"The channel will be coming up with innovative presentation style, contains with more interaction provisions for viewers. We will be looking at the response and accordingly customise our products," he added.

The company has significantly invested in providing technical training to the 120 people who have been recruited, he informed.

"We have substantially invested in launching this news channel. Highly sophisticated software, written and customised specially for MCCS will be used," he added.

Suman Chattopadhya (executive editor of Ananda Bazar Patrika) would be executive producer of the news channel.

The channel would also be available for viewers in the UK and the US through B Sky B and DirecTV over a period of time, Shankar said.

Shankar said MCCS was open to the idea of launching news channel in other regional languages, including English.