Disney to launch 24-hour Hindi pay channel

Nivedita Mookerji in New Delhi

Winnie the Pooh, House of Mouse, Lizzie McGuire, Even Stevens....are all getting ready to speak desi lingo and make an entry into your drawing rooms. Walt Disney, one of the biggest media and entertainment groups in the world, is planning to launch a 24-hour Hindi pay channel in India soon, perhaps around the new year, according to sources. This TV channel is expected to showcase the Disney portfolio of products and programming in their full glory.
The channel is being set up through a 100 per cent fully-owned subsidiary in India. The immediate investment proposed to be made in the Indian channel is around $30 million, said sources. In Asia, India will be the third market to be tapped by the Disney group, the other two being Hong Kong and Japan.

Even as no fresh investment is being made in the media and the broadcasting sector at this point, Disney is viewing India as a lucrative market.

Interestingly, this project is said to be close to the heart of Information and Broadcasting Minister Sushma Swaraj.
Ms Swaraj had recently visited the Disney Studios in the US, and deliberations on this channel had been initiated during that trip itself.
The Disney proposal, which is in the process of being cleared by the Indian government, envisages setting up a studio for animation products, a theme park and a publication business related to Disney, besides the TV channel.

The channel, sources said, is being launched individually and not on any other broadcasting platform. Disney is also eyeing the radio and movie business. The annual turnover of the group is around $25.4 billion. It has presence in 40 countries around the world and employs 1,20,000 people in its several offices.