9X Media?s 2nd Hindi music channel Jalwa to launch on 25 Feb

MUMBAI: 9X Media, which operates Bollywood music channel 9XM, is gearing up to launch another Hindi music channel, 9X Jalwa, on 25 February.

9X Jalwa, touted as a ?timeless Bollywood music channel?, will follow the same business model of playing back-to-back Bollywood music with humour-led character?s interstitials and trivia-based slate-shows.

The new channel, with a tagline Koi Shaq, will air songs from the mid-sixties till 2000.

?We are launching 9X Jalwa on 25 February. The channel will play timeless hit music with melodies from 1965 till 2000. Competitors are airing either half-hour or one-hour slots. Our viewers will get a 24-hour channel to consume timeless Bollywood hits. We see a tremendous opportunity here,? 9X Media Sr VP and head ? new business Punit Pandey told Indiantelevision.com.

With the addition of 9X Jalwa, the genre will have 20 players fighting for an ad pie between Rs 3.5-4 billion yearly and a share of 200-240 GRPs (gross rating points) on a per week basis.

9X Jalwa, which will be tapping 25+ age group audiences in the Hindi speaking markets, will compete mainly against Adhikari Brothers? channel Mastiii, B4U Music and Sony?s Mix.

?With the new channel, 9X Media might be trying to capture more market share which channels like Mastiii, B4U and Mix are eating into by playing retro music. As of now, 9XM only plays new Bollywood music, while other pure play music channels also have significant amount of old songs,? a senior media executive who did not want his name to be revealed said.

Mastiii plays 50 per cent of retro music, while Mix also has late evening time bands dedicated to the old songs.

Some of the shows on 9X Jalwa will include Halkat Sawal, Kassette Kahaniyan and Bolly Brands. These shows will provide viewers with anecdotes from Bollywood?s golden and timeless era.

The channel will also have special bands dedicated to various moods of music. Some of the bands on 9X Jalwa include Melody Zindabad, Dil Se and Blockbuster Beats.

9X Media Sr VP and head of programming Amar Tidke said, ?We have handpicked over 2000 songs for airing on the channel initially. Viewers will relive the golden era of Bollywood melodies on 9X Jalwa. You will have to see it to believe it.?

9X Jalwa will be an encrypted channel with a free-to-air window and in first phase of launch, will be available on cable and satellite homes in India. Similar to other channels in the 9X Media bouquet, 9X Jalwa will also have a live streaming facility through its website ? www.9xjalwa.in.

9X Media recently launched Punjabi music channel 9X Tashan and Marathi music channel 9X Jhakaas.