Print, TV media to see raft of new launches

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Action in the print and television media industry is heating up with several
new dailies and satellite channels being planned for the Indian market. The
Chennai-based media group Sun Network will launch a English newspaper by
mid-April 2004. Sources close to the deal said that the yet-to be named
paper will have four editions in the south - in Tamil Nadu, Kerala Andhra
Pradesh and Karnataka. Parabanking and airlines group Sahara is gearing up
to launch the Mumbai edition of its weekly English paper Sahara Times. The
Hinduja Group, with interests in cable television distribution, is also said
to be toying with the idea of launching a newspaper, first in English and
later in vernacular languages. The Hindujas had in the 1980s unsuccessfully
sought to bring "The International Herald Tribune" to India. Expect a burst
of activity in the television broadcasting industry too. CNBC-TV18 is
contemplating a separate business news channels in Hindi. Media industry
sources say that encouraged by CNBC's improved advertising during stock
markets coverage, NDTV 24X7 is also planning to focus on stock market
trading and business news during the trading hours. According to advertising
industry experts, the rush to launch new products in print and television
media is understandable. Says Gopinath Menon, vice president at the
advertising agency TBWA-Anthem, "The economy is looking up, sales have
improved, and we expect the advertising industry to grow in double digits."
Source:
http://www.business-standard.com/today/story.asp?Menu=2&story=29550