Turner Unveils New Indian Channel

NEW DELHI: Turner International and Alva Brothers Entertainment are set to launch a new Hindi-language general-entertainment channel in March targeting "Neo Indians."

The channel, named REAL, will be operated by Turner and Alva’s 50/50 joint venture company, Real Global Broadcasting (RGB). Its target demographic, according to a press release, are "urban oriented, ambitious and outward looking" Indians. The channel is Turner’s first in the hotly contested Indian general-entertainment space, and comes a few months after Viacom launched Colors with its joint-venture partner, Network18. In this segment, other players include STAR Plus, SET India, Zee, NDTV Imagine and 9X. The general-entertainment channel category accounts for 35 percent of the total TV viewership in India. The digitally encrypted pay channel will be distributed through the Zee Turner bouquet and will be available across the country on cable systems and digital platforms. 

REAL’s slate will include Sarkaar Ki Duniya, a reality series where 18 Indians meet on a remote island and must live under an "autocratic ruler"; the youth-skewing drama Hindi Hai Hum; a local version of the Poker Face format; and Vicky Ki Taxi.  Sunil Lulla, the director of Real Global Broadcasting, noted: "REAL’s focus with the ‘Neo-Indians’ enables it to offer fresh choice to Indian viewers, with programming which is a dynamic blend of reality and fiction."

Announcing the launch of REAL, Steve Marcopoto, the president of Turner Broadcasting System Asia Pacific, stated: "Turner International is very excited about REAL and Turner’s entry in the Hindi GEC genre. Given the market’s strong growth, extremely young population, penchant for media consumption and improving distribution delivery systems, India is one of our biggest growth opportunities. Having established many successful Turner brands and ventures in the last 18 years, including our production partnership with Miditech, we’re now excited to take our next step with Alva Brothers Entertainment with the launch of REAL."