The Hindu Business Line : History Channel aims at broadening base

New Delhi May 3 The History Channel, less than a year after having broadbased its programming, has planned a series of marketing initiatives for its upcoming programmes to cater to a larger audience base.

For its upcoming series called `History Rocks,' which features rock legends like Pink Floyd, The Doors and the Rolling Stones in concerts and documentaries, the channel is planning cover versions in pubs in Bangalore, Mumbai and Delhi.

It is currently also in discussions with Satyam Cinemas for on-ground events targeted at the film-club audiences.

The channel claims that its share of viewers in the English entertainment genre has increased by 150 per cent since last May, with the monthly time spent having grown 168 per cent.

Absolute channel reach, according to Mr Rajesh Sheshadri, Vice-President (Marketing), has gone up from 16.3 million in May 2006 to 22.5 million in March 2007.

"We broadbased the content in tune with the DNA of the channel, and proved that the documentary style doesn't have to be black & white and boring, but can make for sticky content that keeps viewers hooked," he added.

Of the History Channels playing across 70 countries, the Indian version is the only one to have expanded the genre of the programmes, to include fiction, in non-documentary formats such as serials and movies, consciously shifting into the entertainment genre. The channel also introduced India-specific programmes such as Bollywood Bosses.

In the pipeline are programes like Reilly: Ace of Spies, Jewel In the Crown and Yes Minister, as well as movies like Hunchback of Notre Dame.