NDTV's entertainment initiative, NDTV Imagine, by year end

New Delhi, Apr 9 (UNI) The end of the year will witness NDTV achieve another milestone in television programming with the launch of 'NDTV Imagine' Ltd, marking its foray into entertainment space.

Spearheading the group's foray into entertainment space, starting with a general entertainment channel, and expanding into specialised channels airing movies, regional, youth and kids programming, will be Sameer Nair who was today announced as the CEO of NDTV Imagine Ltd.

Announcing, at a press meet in the Capital this evening, the appointment of Nair as ead of a creative team comprising Vikram Chandra, Narayan Rao and Raj Nayak, chairman of NDTV, Prannoy Roy, said,''it has been a dream for us to start a full fledged entertainment channel. And who better to have on board the channel than Sameer, who is India's most successful media personalities. Also, Sameer is not just an outstanding leader, he also brings with him a creative genius that has transformed mass entertainment in the country.'' Aiding NDTV in its endeavour will be filmmaker-cum-TV show host Karan Johar who will be the creative consultant and the ambassador of the NDTV brand.

''I am a filmmaker and two reasons I exist is to imagine and to entertain. Till now, I have strived to entertain audiences through my films. Now, my endeavour will be to do the same through television,''Karan Johar told newspersons.

Pointing to the vastly huge potential for entertainment that television promised, Karan said,''the immense impact of television in providing wholesome entertainment to the audiences is something I have realised only in the recent past. I personally feel that a lot of potential for entertainment promised by television is yet to be tapped.'' As the creative consultant for NDTV Imagine, Karan will bring to the channel the entertainment expertise of his home production Dharma Productions.

Sameer said the first channel of NDTV's new entertainment venture - a General Entertainment channel comprising soaps, dramas and comedy shows - was scheduled for launch by the end of this year or early next year.

He said they would be working in tandem with Karan's Dharma productions.

''I hope Karan will do some shows for us,''he said while quickly adding that the shows would, however, be different from the Koffee with Karan show being hosted by the filmmaker on Star.

''Koffee with Karan is a show whose copyright is held by Star TV. So the show produced by Karan will be different from 'Koffee with Karan' in format,''Sameer said.

Speaking on the issue, Karan said,''I am looking to do a show with NDTV which will have me interacting with celebrities. However, it will be of a totally different kind from my chat show 'Koffee With Karan' being aired on Star one currently.'' Earmarking his priorities, Sameer said as the CEO of the channel, it would be his endeavour to make NDTV Imagine the Number one or Number two channel in the next 15 months.

Already, he was in talks with various television producers, including Balaji telefilms, to produce a variety of soaps for the new channel.

''We are working with a whole range of producers including Ekta Kapoor. We hope to have an exciting mix of programmes for the channel which will be different from what is being shown on the other general entertainment channels,''Sameer said.

On the NDTV's relatively late foray in entertainment space, NDTV chairman Prannoy Roy said,''We wanted to do it properly, do it just right. Also, today when there is an altogether new look to Indian cinema, its time to bring about these winds of change on the small screen as well.'' UNI