The Hindu Business Line : UTV upbeat on World Movie channel

New Delhi, Feb. 8 UTV is confident of finding an audience for Bosnian, Japanese and Argentinean movies amongst others to be telecast on its new World Movie channel, and is betting on winning over at least 30 per cent of the audiences of English movie channels in a year’s time.

The third channel from the network, which is expected to air a business news channel and Hindi movie channel soon, had eight advertisers on the first day of launch.

“Essentially there has been a big change in terms of ideas, the way we travel, the social cultural side of India. We have done extensive research and recognised that there is a big opportunity as India globalises, for the best of world movies,” said Mr Shantonu Aditya, Executive Director. “These are movies that are contemporary, modern and box- office hits.” With its current library of 450 titles, the paid channel will be available in metros and south India where movie viewing habits are stronger, he added. The company has also tied up with Tata Sky to offer titles on its video-on- demand service, and will be announcing its partnership with home video companies, and multiplex chains for movies, for which it also has theatrical rights.

UTV, however, is not interested in the general entertainment category which it says is actually shrinking. “Hindi GEC accounts for 30 per cent of the total channel share today, as compared to 60 per cent five years ago for whatever reasons, and the leader and second channel control about 80 per cent of this. Movie viewership is far more fragmented, so is news and kids. Strategically we are in an area where the channel can grow in the future,” said Mr Aditya.

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