Just before announcing the launch of the new programmes, Ms Golden spoke to Nivedita Mookerji on the channel's India initiatives. The excerpts from the interview:
What are the two new shows, CNN indiadotcom and Style South Asia, all about?
CNN indiadotcom is an information technology programme, catering to both businesses and also non-technical people. To be presented by the popular anchor Anish Trivedi, it will be dedicated to covering every aspect of information technology. It will analyse how the IT industry affects both corporate and personal lives. Style South Asia, to be anchored by the noted danseuse Mallika Sarabhai, will broaden the definition of style. The programme will deal with lifestyle, art, architecture, food, fashion and personalities. The two weekly programmes of 30 minutes each are being produced by UTV Entertainment. Both the programmes will debut on November 11.

There are so many IT and fashion shows on the Indian television. How are these two shows going to be any different?
First, although these are sub-regional programmes, they are international in outlook. And CNN is the only channel to bring this kind of a combination. Second, the production values of UTV are of high quality, which makes it compelling viewing for the audience. Also, UTV is very strong editorially, making the two programmes a cut above the rest. Third, the new programmes will have a presence on CNN's interactive Websites. Our competitors don't have that advantage.

Apart from these reasons, what motivated CNN to launch these India-specific shows?
Our aim is to bring more and more quality India-specific programmes in the prime-time slot. The two new programmes particularly make a lot of sense because India is one of the largest players in both IT and fashion.IT is a natural story in India. Therefore, we feel that the dotcom show will be something special for this audience. Similarly, in fashion, India is part of the international scene.

How's the advertising response to your new shows?
There are no major advertisements for the shows yet. But we're looking for advertisements. We have a very capable sales team in India and we're sure that we'll attract advertising interest soon.

Aren't you looking at the emerging areas such as DTH service and FM Radio, to widen your presence?
It's always a good idea to reach more people. But at present, we are not looking at such possibilities.

There's been some talk about CNN launching a Hindi channel in India? How far is that true?
Right now, we want to build the CNN English channel for the region. We launched the channel in July and are just about four-months old.For the Hindi channel, we have to first identify the right editorial partner. We are not ready to make any announcements on the Hindi channel. But we don't rule it out.

What about the industry talk of CNN hiring a lot of people from India?We have hired from India recently. But they are all for the marketing and sales team. We have hired from most metros in the country. It goes to show our commitment to cater to the Indian audience in a big way.

Do you have any plans for India-specific portal?
At present, no. We're, however, building up the CNN.com service. India-related news will increasingly find place in CNN.com. But we haven't tied up yet with any Indian company for an India-specific portal.

What kind of tie-ups does CNN have with Indian channels such as Doordarshan and Enadu?
Those tie-ups have nothing to do with the new CNN programmes. It's part of an ongoing relationship that we have with 70 channels in Asia and 200 around the world. As for DD and Enadu, we have a video exchange arrangement.

What's CNN's next plan as for India-specific programmes?
We have to assess how well our programmes are received in India. Going by that, we'll decide on new programmes. We're entertaining a lot of new ideas, but it's pre-mature to talk about them now. We'll, however, continue to focus on business in our future programmes, which may come sometime next year.