Stepping up the heat in the kids genre, Discovery Communications is strengthening its bouquet with the full-scale launch of Discovery Kids in India by the month-end. This will be the company’s eighth channel after Discovery channel, TLC, Discovery Turbo, Discovery Science, Animal Planet, Discovery HD World and Discovery channel Tamil.

“We have watched the onset of digitisation in many countries and when markets go digital, we get into the expansion mode. Our channels are specialised. Capacity constraints of analogue cable do not offer a complete choice to the consumers and that will change with digitisation in the country,” said Mr Rahul Johri, Senior Vice President and General Manager-South Asia, Discovery Networks Asia-Pacific.

Discovery Kids’ target audience will be between ages 4-11. The company has expanded its portfolio from two to eight channels available in five languages in the past four years.

The broadcaster is continuing with its localisation drive by launching an Indian makeover show with hair stylist Ms Adhuna Akhtar called ‘Be Blunt’, which starts from July 16 on TLC. “We are producing more India-based shows than ever before and that has helped us increase viewership,” he added.

> Meenakshi.v@thehindu.co.in

comment COMMENT NOW