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India's premier television production house, New Delhi Television Limited (NDTV) has officially launched in the Middle East and North Africa.
NDTV's infotainment channel, NDTV Arabia, will become the region's first local and predominantly English infotainment channel aimed at the 'international Asian.'
Founded in 1988, NDTV is now one of Asia's largest private television producer of news, current affairs, business and entertainment channels.
It boasts a range of channels that include NDTV India, NDTV 24x7, NDTV Profit and Astro Awani.
It is among India's most reliable, reputed and watched news providers.
It has now moved into the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region's rapidly growing and high-potential television entertainment sector.
The 24-hour free-to-air infotainment-based channel, NDTV Arabia is available on Nile Sat and is estimated to reach between 70 million and 100 million homes in the region.
With this initiative NDTV Arabia has emerged as the region's first local and predominantly English infotainment channel.
Commenting on the launch, Dr Prannoy Roy, chairman of NDTV, said: "An estimated 31 per cent of the Gulf's total population and 56 per cent of the workforce consists of a heterogeneous population of expatriates, predominantly those from the Asian sub-continent.
"Further, driven by the unprecedented economic growth and diversification, this expatriate population is rapidly expanding and with it the need for quality localised infotainment catering to them.
"NDTV Arabia has been conceived with the aim of filling this gap. Given the pent up demand for such an offering, our expertise and our robust business model, we are confident of the absolute success of this channel and hope to break even very early."
Significantly, the Business World 2007 survey has recognised NDTV as India's 'most respected' media company. NDTV has won more than 100 prestigious awards since inception, including the 'Best Cable and Satellite Channel of Asia' award at the Asian Television awards, an Emmy award and several Promax and CNN Young journalist awards.
Aimed at achieving similar if not a more pronounced success in the Middle East, NDTV Arabia content will mostly be driven by news, current affairs, talk shows and investment and finance programmes for the international Asian. The presenters on the channel will be known NDTV presenters and officials say that in due course, regional talent will be introduced.
Elaborating on the programming, Shyatto Raha, CEO of Emerging Markets BV, NDTV Group, said: "Focused on superior quality programming, NDTV Arabia will be the first channel in the Middle East region to provide news in English and Hindi.
"The channel aims to cater to the growing interest in Asian current affairs and economy and the programming mix will be infotainment-based. In the long run, the channel aims to localise the content with a bureau in Dubai followed by presence in other regional markets as well."
