CHANNEL V LOOKS AT DISTRIBUTION OPTIONS

Apart from revamping its image and programming, Channel V is also looking at improving its penetration in the Indian market. Channel V Asia managing director Steve Smith says that there is a proposal that ESPN-Star Sports India, which has successfully distributed Star Sports in India, takes over the distribution of Channel V too, apart from other Star TV channels. Hitherto the ISkyB team was marketing the channel to India's much fragmented cable TV industry. But that's something that could happen in the future.

Currently, the cable TV distribution team has been strengthened to 12, from just one manager earlier. Smith says he doesn't want to buy distribution like rival MTV has done in India. "We prefer to service our partner, the Indian cable operator, better," he says.

Smith admits that there was a talk of a merger between MTV Asia and Channel V but it was a thing of the past. "It makes sense to have a common business as it can definitely mean lower costs," he says. "Who knows, it may revive in future."

On the programming front Smith says that Channel V has 18 months to prove that the positioning as a youth channel is working. He has left the administration of the revamp for the channel to its Indian team of two consultants, Shashank Ghosh and Mahesh Murthy, both of whom who have drawn up the revitalisation blueprint. At the time of writing, a new general manager was on the verge of being hired, to take on the management of the channel, in coordination with Ghosh and Murthy.

"We will have a rapid turnaround of programming," Smith, however, says. "The channel will consistently have something new to offer an audience that craves novelty. We cannot afford to stay in the same place."