INX Network to launch more channels

INX Media, which has three channels – music, news and general entertainment space, is planning to launch seven more channels in India in the next 18 months.

The company will add one more Hindi music channel, three regional music channels and three metro specific channels in the next 18 months.

Replying to a question during a press meet in Chennai last week to announce the launch of ‘Kahaani Hamaaray Mahaabhaarat Ki’ on Raj TV recently, Indrani Mukerjea, founder and CEO, INX Media said, “We have established our presence in a short span of time and we want to offer more choice to the different segment of viewers. We will be adding one more music channel in Hindi and three regional music channels in Bengali, Punjabi and Gujarati.”

Realising the huge potential of metro specific channels, the company is also tapping this segment. “Our study shows that there is huge potential for metro and town-specific channels. Our model for metro channel will be different. It will be purely news format in all predominant languages in the specific metro. We will start with Mumbai and Delhi and other metros will be added later. Then we will go to the small towns,”Mukerjea said.

In the next phase of expansion, the company will enter in the southern market and English entertainment and movie channels. Mukerjea said the company would avoid a high risk ��� high investment model for the new launches. It will stick on to low-risk model.INX is also going for a second round of funding that will to raise $ 150 million. It is in discussion with investors and looking for right people who can offer the right price.

In the UK, INX Media is to bolster its current network of channels with NewsX launching later this year. There is also speculation about a regional channel coming from the INX Network, most likely a Punjabi one.