MUMBAI: Several Bengali language channels have recently hit the market, fighting for space in an expanding environment. The latest is Bangla Music Television, floated by UK-based SG Dastagir.

The company has tied up with Saregama India to have access to the music company's Bengali audio library. Bangla Music will be allowed to produce exclusive videos from this library and show them on the channel. Saregama will have the rights to jointly distribute them worldwide.

"We have joined hands with Saregama to provide exclusive content for the channel. We will be able to give our viewers access to one of the largest and most exclusive Bengali music repertoires in the world," says Dastagir.

Bangla Music has launched on the Telstra 10 (Apstar 2R) satellite on the global beam as a free to air channel covering India, Bangladesh, Middle East, Africa, Far East, Australia, Japan and a major part of China. The channel also plans to launch in UK on the BSkyB direct-to-home (DTH) platform, Europe and the US.

The company plans to invest around Rs 500 million in the first phase. In Kolkata, it is being carried on Cablecom network. But it has yet to sign up with SitiCable and Manthan, the two largest MSOs in the state.

Bangla Music will have to play catch up with Rathikant Basu-promoted Broadcast Worldwide's Tara Muzik, a Bengali music channel which also airs telefilms. The Bengali market recently saw the launch of Star News' Bengali sibling Star Ananda on 1 June while Sun Network is planning to launch Surjo in September.