Two Asian TV channels make Sky launch

Two Asian TV channels have made their official launches on Sky Digital today with another expected to launch imminently.

Since Sky Digital announced last year that it will cease to provide additional EPG locations due to lack of hardware memory space on set-top boxes, a slew of Asian TV channels have aggressively been negotiating EPG spaces with current broadcasters.

NDTV Imagine, which has launched on Sky EPG 834 today is one of several broadcasters in the market today that has bought out an EPG slot, which was intended for use by another channel. Rumours suggest the channel NDTV Imagine s being distributed by a third-party broadcaster. If true, then NDTV Imagine, which has proved a runaway success in India, must have paid a huge undisclosed fee to launch its channel so soon in the UK after its India debut (January 2008).

Keep it with BizAsia.co.uk for more on NDTV Imagine’s switft UK launch in days to come.

Another channel, which has been in talks to launch for several months is Brit Asia TV (formerly The Sikh Channel). The all-locally produced channel has invested big sums to fill in a gap in the market by targeting British Asians with Punjabi-orientated shows. Brit Asia TV will be available on the Sky EPG shortly.

The UK’s first Asian Christian religious channel has also made its launch on Sky EPG 835. Glory TV has been broadcasting via BEN TV in separate strands for the past few months. It will now be available round the clock as a standalone channel.

Keep it with BizAsia.co.uk for more exclusive news breaks on new Asian TV and radio channels in the UK.

Updated: 14:40