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NDTV
sets sight on entertainment sector
 For
the last few months, NDTV has shown interest in expanding
its business activities. A few days back, the company signed
a deal with UTV promoted Vijay TV, according to which NDTV
will be producing news programmes in Tamil for Vijay TV
Popular TV personality
Prannoy Roy who has been producing news and current affair
programmes for STAR News and BBC is planning to expand his
software production.
NDTV, the software company of Prannoy Roy is all set to enter
the entertainment sector. According to sources in NDTV, the
company is producing a humour/satire based weekly serial,
probably for STAR Plus.
The serial which has Farooque Sheikh and Jayant Kriplani in
the lead roles is being shot at Film City in Noida. This untitled
serial is based on the popular English series Yes Minister.
Farooque Sheikh is playing the role of a minister while Jayant
Kriplani plays the bureaucrat. It’s being directed by
Delhi-based Sunita Chaudhary.
The entire staff of NDTV is tight-lipped about this new venture.
No one is allowed to enter the premises of Marwah Studio where
the serial is being shot.
For the last few months, NDTV has shown interest in expanding
its business activities. A few days back, the company signed
a deal with UTV promoted Vijay TV, according to which NDTV
will be producing news programme in Tamil for Vijay TV.
The Tamil news will be beamed from 8.30 pm onwards every day
starting August 15.
Vijay Seidhigal as the programme is called, will have live
telecast from regional hubs which will have uplinking facility.
Sources in NDTV say that NDTV is investing in a state of the
art production facility and infrastructure and there is no
question of news being sent by tapes.
Meanwhile, in an effort to increase penetration of STAR News
to smaller towns and cities, a marketing initiative is currently
on. In the pipeline is a marketing idea to spread the channel’s
message through initiatives such as video-on-wheels in association
with FMCG Companies.
In the pipeline are a host of new current affairs related
programmes including a stock market round up in Hindi every
evening.
Sources in NDTV say that a Hindi editorial team is currently
being put in place. However, the editorial policy will be
the same as that of English news. Also interesting is the
fact that the bilingual mix is expected to stabilise in a
60:40 ratio with Hindi enjoying precedence. A total change
in the policy from the time when English news dominated STAR
News and Hindi news was used like fillers.
There are also rumours that NDTV is coming up with a business
channel. A marketing executive of an established TV software
company says that there is some truth in the news. He says
that following its grand success in the news production, NDTV
has become ambitious and plans to come up with its own channel,
probably a business channel. The term of the contract between
STAR and NDTV for the STAR News runs till 2003.
But STAR is reportedly not happy with the idea of NDTV setting
up a business channel because STAR has its own plans to start
a business channel very soon.
Amitabh Parashar
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