MUMBAI: It's kiss and make up time looks like. French fashion channel FTV and estranged distribution partner Modi Entertainment Network today announced they were doing business together again.
A statement from FTV says it has ambitious and exciting plans for India having buried its differences with the Modis and is renewing its commitment to the market here.
I am happy to say that we have very amicably resolved our differences with the Modis and are looking forward to a long and uninterrupted period of co-operation in making our position in India simply unassailable, an official release quoted FTV bossman Michel Adam as saying. Echoing Adams sentiments, Modi Enterprises president Lalit Modi said: We have already taken great strides in unleashing the unique appeal and potential of FTV. I believe the best is yet to come.
FTV India with its soon-to-be-launched India-specific beam will now step-up its Indian content, by developing new shows and vignettes and showcasing Indian fashion, lifestyle and music. It will pump up its content for Fashion India in the coming months with an additional focus on fashion in Indian cinema, heritage fashion and fashionable destinations, the release says.
FTV, which had turned free-to-air after it broke away from the Modis, is expected to return to the pay mode once the reworked distribution arrangement has set in, some time towards the end of the year.
Additionally, encouraged by the resounding success of its F. Bar & Lounges, in Bangalore and New Delhi FTV India, with the technical expertise and support of FTV, will soon introduce the concept to the cities of Hyderabad; Mumbai; Pune; Chandigarh, Calcutta, Goa, Chennai, and add a second location in New Delhi, within the next 12-18 months, the statement says. FTV is presently in the process of finalizing prospective franchisees for these cities.
FTV is, also, in the year ahead, looking at launching F. Cafés and F. Salons, across India strengthening its leadership in the Fashion category and delivering its promise of a 360 degree fashion experience.
Globally, Fashion TV is the first worldwide 24-hour television network entirely dedicated to fashion, beauty and style. In just seven years, since its inception in 1997, Fashion TV has emerged as one of the five best-distributed channels in the world and an acknowledged medium of reference. It is present in 130 countries on 5 continents through 31 satellites and over 1000 cable systems. Broadcast by leading global media groups, such as Eutelsat, BSkyB and Astra C, Fashion TV has a confirmed reach of over 130 million households. Ftv.com, the on line version of the brand, is also the front-runner in its space, attracting over one million unique users per month.
