Malaysia's Astro to launch 7 new channels on Friday

KUALA LUMPUR, Aug 10 (Reuters) Malaysian pay-TV operator Astro All Asia Networks Plc will announce plans on Friday to add 7 new channels to its current line-up of 56, a customer service official said.

Astro, controlled by Malaysian billionaire Ananda Krishnan, is set to announce an Indonesian drama channel 'Aruna', an Asian and European movie channel called 'Kirana' and a domestic cartoon channel named 'Ceria', the official said on Thursday.

Astro will also unveil 'CCTV4' and 'WATV', two channels devoted to Chinese-language programming, besides Zee TV, an Indian channel providing entertainment in Hindi, and Japanese cartoons on Animax.

Astro has scheduled a news conference for 0645 GMT on Friday to announce the channels, and the date they are to go 'live'.

Astro shares, unchanged at 4.68 ringgit, were slightly above their year-low level of 4.42 ringgit as at 0827 GMT on Thursday.

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