It‘s hoping to act as a guide in the maze that is Indian cable & satellite television today. Channel Guide a specific preview and menu channel which began its test run on 12 April 2001 may go for a formal launch tentatively on 15 August 2001, "We are in talks with major companies, the outcome of which will decide its formal launch," informs Ravi Deshmukh chief operating officer, Channel Guide India Ltd.

The channel is programmed to provide couch potatoes with a ready reckoner on TV shows. Its interactive menu allows viewers to explore, select and watch a variety of programmes, while browsing listings. "Channel Guide airs the programme listings of different channels between 9 am and 11:00 pm, reminding viewers about their favourite programme timings," says Deshmukh.

Currently the free to air channel has a million strong viewership, and receives inputs from 27 major channel among which are Star, Zee, Sony, HBO, ESPN, he reveals. The channel is available in nine states nationally: Maharashtra, Gujarat, Karnataka, Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Andra Pradesh, Delhi, Goa and Assam.

"So far we have received a good response, and we will do better after the channels which have been reluctant in providing us with information drop their inhibitions," emphasizes Deshmukh. "But the response is improving. English, Hindi entertainment and infotainment channels like Discovery and National Geographic, and other sports channels are already supporting us. Next month Bengali and Punjabi channels will join our bandwagon and the rest of the regional languages will soon be added."

Currently, the channel is carrying TV promos and listings gratis for its broadcasting partners. In time to come, it plans to start charging for its air time wherein channels like Sony or Zee or Star would be in a position to sponsor their own promo and interstitial programming blocks. Five of the 10 hours the channel will air will be free to air. Of the remainder, three will be set aside for broadcaster-sponsored promos, while local commercial advertising will go to account for the remainder two hours.

With an initial investment of Rs 100 million (10 crore), the channel has also plans to foray into to webcasting and cater to web savvy viewers and international audiences interested in Indian television fare.

"We have a long term vision for Channel Guide India. We cannot really commit when we will really break even, but our target has been set as June 2002," points out Deshmukh.

Fire & Ice, the popular nightclub in Mumbai‘s Parel suburb, now has its own in-house channel. Launched last Friday as Fire & Ice Weekend TV, the name given is because content is being developed over the weekend and the programmes are subsequently played throughout the week.

The content changes on a weekly basis. It is essentially in-house TV with music videos being played on the screen. "Though you won‘t get to hear what is being played as the DJ is playing music of his own, you can read interesting tidbits and background about the concerned artiste rolling at the bottom of the screen," says Clyde D‘Souza, president of Immersive Television, which produces the content for the channel. "You can also check out the action at foreign nightclubs, which have their own brand of merchandising - like leather jackets. For instance Ministry of Sound in the U.K.," D‘Souza said.

D‘Souza calls the concept "club TV" and hopes to take it to discos across India. D‘Souza pointed out that international sponsors have already shown interest and the ads for sponsors are done in an innovative manner. Citing an example, he said the ads for popular soft drinks have three-dimensional images "which kind of interact with the viewer and is a welcome change from the dry and drab audio video commercial."

The programming block also covers a wide array of events. From the Ritu Beri fashion show in Paris to the just-concluded Love Parade in Germany. There is also a small movie section where trailers of Hollywood films are shown along with the top three recommendations. The trailers are outsourced from film companies abroad. Adventure sports like bungee jumping are also featured.

D‘Souza said there was also an interactive element involved. For this he has tied up with UK-based OpenTV, the leading interactive television and media solutions company. However, before rolling out the service, he was waiting to see what kind of set top boxes would be introduced. D‘Souza said he had the expertise to develop the content for interactive television but there were still some final technicalities to be resolved.

The 4th Cable TV India Show 2001, a trade event for the cable industry, will be held in New Delhi‘s Pragati Maidan beginning 13 September.
Dr AK Rastogi, promoter of Aavishkar Business Network, cable operator and publisher of cable trade magazine Avishkar is one of the main people behind this annual event. The 4th Cable TV India Show and All India Cable TV Operator‘s Samagram will be held in over three days on 13, 14, 15 September.

Rastogi says the show will provide the ideal platform to delve into issues related to cable industry and also cater to the needs of all cable TV operator in India.

The event will cover issues like: Entertainment Tax, Film Piracy on VCR Channels, Government Policies, DTH, Future of Cable TV Operators, Convergence Bill, Pay Channels, Technical Perspective, and Value added services like Video on Demand, Internet over cable, optical-fiber and telephony service.

Cable TV operators, hardware manufacturers, suppliers, traders, dealers, broadcasters, satellite channel distributors, infotech organisations, internet service providers and companies related to ground networking distribution are expected to attend the Samagram, Rastogi adds.

The organisers are also seeking sponsorship for the event. About 13 avenues are open for sponsorship with Rs 5000 per sq.ft as tariff for setting up stalls. The stall tariff varies according to the stall size and location.