Call Hovers In Narrow Band

Channel V, a part of Rupert Murdoch's News Television India, hopes to breakeven in the next 18 months.

Steve Smith, managing director, Channel V, who is based in Hong Kong, said the channel will seriously explore the possibility of starting a FM radio station along with other brand extensions which include promoting merchandising and Internet. The Indian content produced will also be exported to US and UK.

On the occasion of the relaunch of the channel, Smith said that the channel will soon introduce 12 new veejays. It has already introduced 20 new programmes. Excerpts from the interview:

On the Indian market: We have made significant penetration in India. However, the retail presence has not grown.

The revenue through the cable networks is at $2 a month is not enough. We need advertising revenues to boost our bottomline. As a result a lot of money is spent in programming and other promotional campaigns.

We have invested about $100 million in the channel over the past three years. We have also raised additional funding to the tune of $35 million from our shareholders to boost these campaigns across all our businesses.

On the brand-building exercise: The revamp exercise in India is a te