Raj TV to enter Malaysia, Singapore by March '07

New Delhi, Dec 24 (UNI) Chennai-based Raj Television Network Ltd (RTNL) has said it will foray into the unexplored markets of Malaysia and Singapore by offering dubbed and sub-titled content through direct-to-home (DTH) by March-end 2007.

''All formalities to enter into foreign markets are in the final stages and are expected to be over by March next year,'' RTNL Senior Vice President B Sathya Prakash told UNI here.

Mr Prakash said the Rs 410-crore-company is ready to launch its first free-to-air youth channel having multi-lingual programmes including Hindi by mid of June next year, which will be broadcasted pan-India.

''This is the first step towards tapping the huge non-Tamil speaking viewers,'' Mr Prakash said.

The company would raise Rs 100 crore through the initial public offering (IPO), he said, adding that the IPO would hit the capital market by January last next year.

The company would offer 35.6 lakh shares of face value of Rs 10 each, Mr Prakash said.

He said if the proposed plan to set up DTH network in Europe and South American countries takes off, it would be the first by any regional language network in the country.

The content would more or less contain 70 per cent of Tamil programming and 30 per cent of the receiver country's modules.

RTNL has copyrights of around 1,368 old and new Tamil films, which it plans to air in international markets in various formats.

It is also planning to produce around five movies every year.

''We will produce minimum five films yearly post-IPO'' RTNL Managing Director M Raajhendhran said.

Presently, RTNL runs two Tamil channels -- Raj TV and Raj Digi Plus.

RTNL, having a base of 2 million households in Chennai is placed second behind Kalanidhi Maran-owned Sun TV, with a net profit of Rs 3.56 crore and a turnover of Rs 33.5 crore in FY 06, Mr prakash said.

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