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In the times
of an IT downturn, US-based TechTV, a 24-hour cable and satellite
channel which provides technology news, information and entertainment
is planning to enter India through TechTV India channel. TechTV
is owned by Microsoft co-founder Paul Allen’s company, Vulcan
Ventures.
Vulcan Ventures is likely to tie up with an Indian partner for the
TechTV India channel. According to Mr Tom Grams, General Manager,
TechTV International, "India is a huge and complex market that
requires a local partner." Without naming any company, Mr Grams
said, "We expect to partner with an established media entity
or tech company, which has production, ad sales and distribution
capabilities." The company wants to work with a partner which
can help it cater to the unique needs of the Indian marketplace.
Elaborating
on the content, Mr Grams said, "TechTV India would ultimately
consist of a blend of our original programming and locally produced
Indian technology news and entertainment programmes."
On the timing of TechTV’s entry into India, Mr Grams said:
"The channel is already available to Indian cable operators
who can freely sample TechTV via AsiaSat 3S (transponder 4H)."
The channel will be marketed aggressively to cable operators, consumers
and advertisers once the Indian partner is selected, he added.
Commenting
on the market potential in India for the channel, particularly when
slowdown in the IT sector is a reality, Mr Grams took a long-term
view. He said: "India is widely recognised as a world leader
in technology innovation, service and manufacturing. India’s
technology sector has the potential to positively transform its
overall economy over the next decade."
Citing research
that the India IT industry is poised to grow to $140 billion by
the year 2008, he said that TechTV would like to contribute to that
transformation. Specifically speaking on the target audience, Mr
Grams said: "We think there is a significant number of Indian
viewers who are interested in the useful yet stimulating destination
that TechTV provides. Viewers which advertisers will want to reach
and which cable operators will want to please." On whether
TechTV is looking at the Direct-to-Home television market in India,
Mr Grams replied: "TechTV’s unique genre has proved successful
in direct-to-home markets in many countries." If India’s
direct-to-home market evolves as it has in other countries, TechTV
is expected to be appealing to direct-to-home subscribers here also,
he added. TechTV is a 24-hour cable and satellite channel providing
technology news, information and entertainment.
The channel
recently celebrated its third anniversary in the United States,
where the channel already has over 25 million subscribers, according
to Mr Grams. The channel has programming partnerships in Japan,
South Korea and Israel.
—Nivedita
Mookerji
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