Kochi, July 26: The Subhash Chandra-controlled Zee TV will launch a round-the-clock education channel, Zed TV, on August 15. `A learning channel by Indians for all Indians', Zed TV would beam programmes that will supplement the business of the Zee subsidiary, Zee Interactive Learning Systems Ltd, a 100-crore company specialising in IT-enabled education programmes and courses. Zed TV, which will be the first full-fledged educational channel to be launched in India, will feature programmes cantering to the `six-to-sixty' age group. Zed TV will initially be a free channel, which will be made into a pay channel at a later stage, top Zee TV officials told The Financial Express.The Rs 4,000-crore Indian media behemoth has also firmed up plans to launch a full-fledged IT newspaper by the end of the current year. To add support to its interactive education business, the company will launch four different portals aimed at different segments of society within the year.Positioned as the first 24-hour learning channel in India, Zed TV will air programmes on subjects ranging from training, computers, career, cookery, board exams, chat shows with academic luminaries, e-commerce, quiz and business. "The programmes will be structured in such a way that it suits the learning needs of students at different levels of education," Zee sources said.
The bouquet of programmes to be aired by the channel will take care of the learning needs of every segment of the students irrespective of their age profile. The programmes include `Nursery at home`, tuition from experts aimed at school going students, complete career guidence for youths, `Discover Your Potential' for women, `Upgrading Your Skills' for corporate executives, IT programmes, consumer programmes and various training programmes by experts.
The software for the channel will be developed in-house by a team of experts in each field culled from different institutions by the company, sources said. Zed TV will beam its programme through Asiasat 3 satellite on a 2V transponder, they added.
Zee Interactive Learning Systems will also launch four different portals, all under the Zee banner, for supporting its education business. The portals will be catering to the tastes of students, youths, women and corporate executives. Zee Interactive is in the process of spreading its wings in India by setting up a chain of franchisees in all major states.
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