Chennai : Star India’s plans to launch a secondary GEC in Tamil regional market is struck with the license issue with Information & Broadcasting ministry.
Talks of Star India’s plan to launch a secondary GEC in Tamil language line of Suvarna Plus and Asianet Plus in Kannada and Malayalam, was quite abuzz since past one year. The sources from Vijay TV confirms that the roll-out of Project ”Vijay Plus” by last December is on hold, as they are yet to procure the necessary license from the government agencies.
Sources also confirm that ‘Vijay Plus’ will be an Entertainment channel with new line of Fiction content that will be targeting the young audience exclusively which will also have a re-run of the shows from the main channel ”Vijay TV”.
Moreover, Star India is also eyeing to use the new channel as a vehicle to promote the regional feed of their main sports events happening in Star Sports channels similar to that of ICC World cup where in the matches where aired in Suvarna Plus and Asianet Plus in Karnataka and Kerala, whereas it was aired on Vijay TV in TN market, disturbing its morning & afternoon FPC schedules.
Star India hopes that a secondary channel would come in handy in many such occasions, virtually playing the role similar to that of SET MAX for Sony Group.
Having acquired the broadcast rights of IPL from next season onwards along with bunch of cricketing and non-cricketing sports events already under their kitty, they would definitely require an additional channels in Tamil for the regional feed, which might run for many months in an year.
Sources also confirm that Star India is also charged up with its distribution plan for the new channel to be positioned in all major DTH and Cable platform from the day one.
