Epic TV gets licence approval from I&B Ministry

The channel was announced in May 2013 and was expected to be launched in August last year

The wait is finally over for ex-Disney India head Mahesh Samat's genre specific high definition Hindi entertainment channel Epic TV.

The Ministry of Information and Broadcasting has finally sanctioned the channel's licence after a year long wait.

The channel was announced in May 2013 by Samat and was expected to be launched in August last year.

However, due to regulatory hurdles, the launch has been delayed. The channel has investment from Anand Mahindra among other investors.

"We see a huge opportunity inmythological, folklore, and historical content. Our brand is rootedin the Indian past. We will be offering a modern take on Indianhistory and mythology. Our vision is to create a brand in television that will translate our vibrant past into entertainment with theobjective of creating new IPs, strong characters and new heroes thatstrike a chord with mass audiences," Samat had said whileannouncing the launch.

The channel's team includes Ravina Kohli, former head of YRF TV at Yash Raj Films (head of programming) along with former BIG CBS business head, Aparna Pandey (Business head).

The company has taken the rights for a series on Indu Sundaresan's Taj Triology (The Twentieth Wife, The Feast of Roses and Shadow Princess). The channel would have two-three hours of original fiction and one-two hours of non-fiction content.