The Hindu Business Line : CNBC India keeps options open on deal with Sony

The channel's distribution deal with SET comes to an end next year. Mr Haresh Chawla, CEO, CNBC India said, "We will have to evaluate the option of whether to continue with the existing arrangement or align ourselves with one of the other bouquets. A decision will be taken later in the year".

CNBC had recently decided to end its tie-up with SET for advertising sales. "From mid-April this year, Television Eighteen's (TV18) sales team has been marketing airtime of the channel," said Mr Chawla.

He said that the channel had been able to attract a whole range of advertisers which included auto companies, finance companies, banks, insurance companies and even white goods.

It is also planning to beef up its content to make it more mass-based. Currently the audiences for the channel are people in the high-income bracket.

"We would definitely like to expand our audiences and increase our viewership base," Mr Chawla said. For this, it is looking at starting new programmes on entrepreneurship, young managers, personal finance and even technology.

Currently, the channel has about 11 hours of India programming. However, it has no plans of making the channel a 24-hour Indian business news channel. Also, most of the content from the channel is being produced by TV18. CNBC India has no plans to outsource content from any of the other production houses.

As part of brand-building exercise, the channel held Managing India Brainstorm IV in the Capital. Mr Chawla said that such forums helped the channel in interacting with eminent personalities in business and industry.

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