22 new channels coming up..

With the Information and Broadcasting (I&B) Ministry giving permission to 22 new channels to downlink in the country, India has now got 458 television channels officially allowed to be carried across cable, direct-to-home (DTH) and IPTV platforms. Four new channels of National Geographic and three regional news channels of Network18 Group are among the 22 channels that have been given the necessary permission to broadcast in the country by the I&B Ministry.

After nearly one year of applying for the necessary permission to downlink four new channels, Fox Channels (India) got the nod from the I&B Ministry to bring in its channels - Nat Geo HD, Nat Geo Wild, Nat Geo Adventure and Nat Geo Music to India. With this, the NGC Network India will have a bouquet of six channels, including the Nat Geo channel and Fox History & Entertainment channel. However, Nat Geo's competitor and genre leader Discovery Networks India, that has also applied for permission to launch three new channels, does not figure in the overall list of 22 channels that have been given the nod by the I&B Ministry last week.

Network18 plans to launch three regional business news channels - CNBC South, CNBC Gujarati and CNBC Channel 3. In November 2008, the company had received the Foreign Investment Promotion Board (FIPB) approval for these channels. The Telugu news channel genre will also receive yet another new entrant, this time from the stable of the Telugu daily - Andhra Jyothi. The company has received the permission to launch ABN Andhra Jyothi. ABN stands for Amoda Broadcasting Network, the company that will bring out the news channel.

Kalaignar TV has also got permission for Kalaignar Asia, which will be for audiences in Singapore and Malaysia, according to Sharath Kumar, managing director, Kalaignar TV. The others include Raj Television Network for Raj TV Asia, Information TV for four channels including two city channels, Pavitar Entertainment, Pride East Entertainment, Priyamda Media, Vedic Broadcasting and Rama Associates, who have received permission for one channel each.