The Hindu Business Line : NDTV Imagine to bring ‘freshness’ to general entertainment

New Delhi, Dec. 7 NDTV Imagine, the new general entertainment channel from the New Delhi-based media company, will along with other new entrants like 9X, expand the general entertainment category, says CEO, Mr Sameer Nair. The date for launch for the Hindi general entertainment channel (GEC) is yet to be finalised. Promising to be on air in January, the company unveiled previews of its shows on Friday.

The “highlight” was the 11 consecutive day running show with producer-director Mr Karan Johar as judge. The show is to celebrate the channel’s launch, said Mr Nair.

‘Say shaava shaava,’ whose title has been lifted from one of Mr Johar’s film’s song will feature television stars, singing and dancing, in a “feel good” reality show. The director will be hosting a show for the entertainment venture, in which he holds stake, towards the beginning of 2009. Mr Johar will be busy completing his next feature film, whose title, star cast or theme he was not ready to disclose. “I meet a lot of people who have stopped watching general entertainment channel because of the sameness of content offered. The television is however, still the living room for many families, drawing the whole family together,” said Mr Nair.

Imagine is hoping to bring freshness within the same milieu of general entertainment to its audiences. It also expects to launch two other channels in the second half on next year.