The Zee Network is to launch Channel Zed – a 24 hour educational channel – next month. This was announced today by Zee Interactive Learning Systems (Zils) chief Uma Ganesh. Channel Zed will have six hours of original educational programming and will be synchronised with www. zeelearn.com, a portal on education, which was flagged of by Zee group chairman Subhash Chandra. The whole learning concept is part of a multimedia effort that Zee Network is to gradually roll out in the coming months. It includes: television, interactive television, learning centres, E-Zee points (cyber cafes offering cheap access), Video, and publishing.

The Internet learning portal, www.zeelearn.com, has channels targeted at students, youth, women, senior citizens and the corporate executive. Each of the channels has comprehensive news, information, career guidance, interactivity, and educational tools to help each of these segments equip themselves better to learn.

Says Ganesh: “The portal and our education concept will allow each student to learn at his own pace and in his own style. Course content will be packaged accross these various media to give the student his own learning experience. There will be online 24-hour tutorial help for students who want to take what they have learnt in school further. Senior citizens can use it to equip themselves for the new economy at an age when they feel extremely lonely. Women can also log in and look at the career options they have during their mid-life when they feel like they have to contribute something.”

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Chandra says some Rs 600 million has already been invested in the multimedia learning project. “We expect the investment to finally touch Rs 1,000 million. We at the Zee Network consider education as an important part of the new economy.”