Channel NewsAsia International launched on Tata Sky

Ranked among the top three most preferred English news channels in Asia, Channel News Asia International's launch on Tata Sky will enable the channel to reach over 14 million households in India

Aanchal Kohli | Mumbai | November 20, 2015

Tata Sky, the DTH player in India, launched Channel NewsAsia International on its platform. The pan-Asian channel is now available to Tata Sky subscribers on channel number 535.

Ranked among the top three most preferred English news channels in Asia, Channel News Asia International's launch on Tata Sky will enable the channel to reach over 14 million households in India.  The channel was established in March 1999 by MediaCorp, the leading media organisation headquartered in Singapore and is an English language Asian TV News channel.  It is now available in over 58 million households across 27 territories in Asia.  It offers news every hour on- the- hour, business programmes, current affairs, documentaries and lifestyle programmes, showcasing Asia from within Asia.

While talking to BestMediaInfo, Paolo Agostinelli, Chief Content and Business Development Officer at Tata Sky, said, “This is a strategic decision and we have always believed in offering a wide range of global news content and are delighted to offer our subscribers the award-winning Channel NewsAsia International. With a significant mix of both international and India-specific news, we are certain that our subscribers will continue to enjoy our latest addition to the news genre.”

When asked about the plans and whether there will be more alliances coming up, Agostinelli said, “Our customers have an inclination towards new content and we certainly have plans to add more to that genre. There is a lot to offer in the coming year with a little more focus towards getting international news channels.”

“We are delighted to be entering the DTH market in India exclusively through Tata Sky, and I would like to take this opportunity to welcome all our new viewers to Channel NewsAsia International.  Over the years we have devoted more resources to cover India, not only through the news, but through hard hitting investigative documentaries which have won international acclaim.  India is key to the present and future of Asia.  We believe we are well placed to understand, present and interpret how India's role in the global economy will depend on changes in its political and economic climate.  But more importantly, the channel is about Asia, and helping to foster understanding and insight across Asia.  We look forward to offer our unique, content to all viewers across the country through our partnership with Tata Sky,” said Debra Soon, Head, News Segment, MediaCorp, the channel's parent company.

Expansion:

India is a big market for Tata Sky. When asked to explain more, Agostinelli said, “Since we are only present in India we believe as of now India itself has so many verticals and areas that are unexplored. We are just present in 14 million households and we want to add more customers to our kitty.”

DTH market:

With digitization taking a toll, the DTH market has evolved a lot in the last few years. Speaking on the same, Agostinelli said, “The market has evolved extensively over the years. The way the content is consumed has evolved. Out of the content part the Hindi and English General Entertainment categories have evolved and are much more in demand.”

He also believes that good entertainment travels across platforms and hence it was important to give what was in demand. He added, “We expanded our bouquet of English Entertainment channels and movie channels.”

Channel NewsAsia Offerings:

Beyond news and current affairs programmes, viewers of Channel NewsAsia International on Tata Sky can enjoy the channel's popular travel and lifestyle shows, for example a taste of the travel, food and culture of the renowned destinations of Japan and Taiwan, in 'Japan Hour', and 'Welcome 2 Taiwan'; and 'Luxe Asia', for an exclusive look inside the intriguing worlds of Asia.  Business programmes such as 'Asia Connect' keep people who live and work in Asia, updated on the latest  in news and the financial movements and trends; and 'Money Mind' tells you how to make the most of your money and achieve your financial goals.

With the introduction of Channel NewsAsia International, Tata Sky has now expanded its bouquet of news channels to 96, which include 14 English news channels, 22 Hindi news channels and 57 regional news channels.

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