Despite economic gloom elsewhere, India's major broadcasters are continuing with expansion plans, with local reports claiming Zee TV is considering launching a number of niche services.
A home shopping channel is one of the proposals on the table – a genre yet to really make its mark in India. Also under consideration are golf, food and extreme sports services. The channels would take advantage of what Zee thinks will still be another boom year for Indian broadcasters. The company is reportedly forecasting revenues up 25% in this fiscal year.
News Corp’s Star TV is also thought to be looking at home shopping, with a wedding channel also in the pipeline.
But those broadcasters’ plans are in sharp contrast to UTV Software’s decision in November to sharply reduce investment plans in TV subsidiary UTV Global Broadcasting. UTV, in which Disney owns 15%, forecasts revenues down by 15% and is not yet in profit.
