NDTV to start Bollywood news and entertainment channel|| IMAGINE SHOWBIZ

[alamodein]

Mumbai, 11th August, 2008... Making swift strides in the entertainment industry, NDTV Imagine, the entertainment venture of NDTV Ltd. today announced the launch of its latest initiative, Imagine Showbiz, a comprehensive 24-hour Bollywood Business and entertainment channel. The Channel will go on air on August 15th, 2008. Imagine Showbiz Ltd. is a JV company between NDTV Imagine Ltd. and Cinestar Advertising Private Ltd.

Imagine Showbiz is a comprehensive 24-hour Bollywood Business and entertainment channel, which is driven by the guiding philosophy of ‘Celebrating Bollywood’. The programming of Imagine Showbiz will showcase updates and coverage of the latest happenings and will present complete features and presentations on the people, the products and the business of Bollywood. With a host of innovative and entertaining shows, Imagine Showbiz looks to break the mould and move beyond the “scoop and scandal” visage that Bollywood has traditionally been projected with and present a whole new side to the Hindi Film industry.

Announcing the launch of the channel, Harsh Rohatgi, EVP, Revenue Management and New Ventures, NDTV Imagine, said, “Today more than ever, Bollywood is a part of our popular culture in every possible way, from sports to business and from brand promotion to CSR. We believe that if it is treated and presented in a meaningful and entertaining manner consistently, Bollywood-based content will definitely find appeal across audiences. Imagine Showbiz has been created with the aim to deliver unique content in an engaging manner that will not only touch the heart of every Bollywood fan but also find appeal with the film industry as well.”

According to Abhimanyu Singh and Premnath Rajagopalan of Cinestar Advertising Pvt Ltd., “Imagine Showbiz will connect to audiences by providing them in-depth, unbiased, entertaining Bollywood content that goes beneath the skin of the industry and gives viewers a real insight into the world of Bollywood. It is a channel for the Hindi film lover. The pedigree of the NDTV brand and also the impact and awareness created by NDTV Imagine in such a short time, coupled with our experience in the entertainment business combines to create a unique and powerful partnership.”

The Indian entertainment sector is forging ahead at a tremendous pace in the Indian economy, clocking a robust 17% growth in 2007 over the previous year. Within this, Bollywood has seen an explosion in every facet: the nature & scale of movies being released, growth of the theatrical business through multiplexes and digital distribution and also the boom in home video. All of this has resulted in the Bollywood industry growing exponentially. Imagine Showbiz will tap into this potential, looking at the big ideas behind Bollywood Inc., talking to industry and celebrity stalwarts to find out how the Indian entertainment sector can truly achieve and sustain blockbuster growth. Imagine Showbiz will offer the platform for this dialogue.

“Our TG is not just the Bollywood buff, but anybody who has an interest in anything connected with Bollywood: stars, movies, music, directors… This would encompass most of India! In terms of viewership, we aim to be in the second tier of channels, below the mainstream Hindi GECs,” adds Harsh Rohatgi.

Imagine Showbiz Ltd. is a JV company between NDTV Imagine Ltd. and Cinestar Advertising Private Ltd. Abhimanyu Singh of Contiloe Films and Premnath Rajagopalan of Direct Access (India) Pvt. Ltd. are the promoters of Cinestar Advertising.

Apart from film and celebrity specific programming, Imagine Showbiz will present an interesting mix of shows and interstitials that will provide an insightful peek into Bollywood. These include:

No Biz Like Showbiz: A one hour weekly show that delves into the business of bollywood. With film-makers and industry experts as in-studio guests, our business anchor goes beyond the clichéd Box Office collections and explores the real strategies and tactics that will drive the Bollywood industry into the future.


Full Timepass: Move over film critics! Presenting a show where the audience itself reviews a movie. Full Timepass brings together a group of young friends who discuss the latest movie and then review it in their own inimitable styles.


Showbiz Up To Date: From filmy events and announcements to exclusive interactions with stars interspersed with some bollylicious trivia – Showbiz Upto Date keeps you in tune with Bollywood. Presented as a half-hour magazine show by our anchors and also as standalone vignettes featuring individual stories, it’s your daily update on Bollywood.


Angrezi Mein Kaise Kehte Hain: A hilarious show which will have you rolling on the floor with laughter. This show will present scenes from some popular Hindi films and will then re-play the scene translated in English!


Baba’s Cross Connection: Baba Sehgal will have you grooving and tapping your feet as he raps his way through some filmy connections that seem to be more far-fetched than you can imagine.


99 Films You Must Watch Before You Die: 99 films every Hindi movie buff must see! Each film is presented by our anchors in a crisp seven minute format.


Crash Course: Experts from the film industry provide an in-depth look various aspects of film making from set design to direction and the likes.


Look Hot And Fit Like Your Star: Meet the fitness instructors who have sculpted the bodies of your favourite film stars. For the first time on television, they will talk about the stars’ fitness regime, favourite exercises and gym habits.


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About Imagine Showbiz
Imagine Showbiz is a comprehensive 24-hour Bollywood Business and entertainment channel, which is driven by the guiding philosophy of ‘Celebrating Bollywood’. The programming of Imagine Showbiz will showcase updates and coverage of the latest happenings and will present complete features and presentations on the people, the products and the business of Bollywood. Imagine Showbiz Ltd. is a JV company between NDTV Imagine Ltd. and Cinestar Advertising Private Ltd.

[sameerdesai]

is it a available on any dth or cable.


REPLY<

[jaspreet20]

Yes this channel is available on inCablnet in West Delhi.

[Dish]

Well this channels is not on any DTH yet.

[ANANT GUPTA]

Imagine Showbiz channel is available on -
Satelliate - Intelsat 10 at 68.5°E Frequency - 4189 Symbol Rate - 12210 Polarisation - Vertical.
At present Imagine Showbiz channel is not available on any DTH. Imagine Showbiz channel is available on Siti Cable Conditional Access System in South Delhi.