Discovery launches kids channel in AP

Currently the channel is launched only in english, with no plans to air it in other regional languages

Nasdaq-listed non-fiction media company Discovery Communications has formally launched its eighth channel in its India portfolio –– Discovery Kids –– in Andhra Pradesh, targeting kids in the age group of 4-11 years.

“Discovery Kids is all about entertainment embedded with learning, and igniting kid's imagination. The channel is still in the launch phase and is currently available in English, Hindi and Tamil. We are happy with these three languages and are keeping that as a strategy, with no such plans to air the channel in other Indian languages,” Rajv Bakshi, vice-president (marketing), Discovery Networks Asia-Pacific, told Business Standard.

Stating that kids’ genre is one of the three most-viewed television genres in India and has a market of over Rs 300 crore in terms of advertisement revenue, he said Discovery Kids’ availability across the country, both on analogue and digital platforms, showed a bigger sign of strength and that it was still early to talk about viewership numbers for the channel.

Discovery Network’s portfolio for India, comprising Discovery Channel, lifestyle channel TLC (erstwhile Discovery Travel & Living), Animal Planet, Discovery Turbo, Discovery Science, Discovery HD World, Discovery Channel Tamil and Discovery Kids, currently reaches out to 180 million households in India.

Positioned alongside 10 channels in the kids genre like Disney Channel, Cartoon Network, Hungama and Nickleodeon, Discovery Kids will air live-action and animated programmes, including ‘Howzzatt’ and ‘Sally Bollywood: The Legend of Enyo’, Bakshi said.

“Our core is television ...and that’s what we understand the best. But, kids is a genre which ideally has a parallel merchandising option. We, however, are not looking at that option at the moment, he added.