India’s leading lifestyle channel NDTV Good Times launches in the UK with the aim to showcase a new, burgeoning India to the global audience
NDTV Good Times, India’s premier lifestyle television channel was officially launched in the UK last Thursday. The channel has been on air since last December via Virgin Media. NDTV is an Indian commercial broadcasting television network founded in 1988. NDTV Good Times is the flagship channel of NDTV Lifestyle, part of the NDTV Group; it was launched in India in September 2007.
The channel is targeted to urban viewers who aspire for a well-rounded, global lifestyle. “India is no longer about snake charmers and mystic. Today’s India is global, our urban population is well-traveled, knowledgeable and in tune with universal trends. We definitely want to show this new young India where people are aspiring for a more luxurious lifestyle,” said Rohit Jaiswal, associate vice president (sales & network distribution) on the reason behind coming to UK. The channel also aims to bridge the gap between the Diaspora living in the UK and the sub-continent.
Good Times has won numerous awards since its inception in 2007. It presents an aspirational lifestyle and its programming showcases best of India as well as the world. The lineup of shows covers every aspect of the lifestyle genre from food to fashion to travel.
According to Seema Chakrabarti, CEO of NDTV Lifestyle, the channel already enjoys a global presence with an US edition. “UK and especially London is the lifestyle capital of the world. So, it was obvious that we make our presence here. I think we will able to reach out to a larger audience and not just the Indian and Asian segment as the channel is very urban, edgy and displays a global luxurious lifestyle and since we are an English channel we will have no problem in connecting to a larger, British audience,” said Chakrabarti. “Frankly, there is a lot of things happening in India in the lifestyle sector whether it is in fashion or hospitality or travel, it is a burgeoning market and we definitely want to showcase this to the global audience,” said Chakrabarti.
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The Office for National Statistics last month said that its first estimate for gross domestic product (GDP) showed the economy grew 0.3% during the first quarter of 2013. It is definitely an encouraging sign for UK’s economy and the channel is upbeat that it will continue to grow despite the tumultuous economic weather in the UK. “We are definitely hoping that the channel will have enough advertising and subscription revenue on its own because we are reproducing the channel (and the content). So, when we are distributing it internationally it is not done at a vastly exponential cost. Once there is traction, we will definitely make more localised programs,” said Chakrabarti.
NDTV already successfully runs NDTV 24×7 on Sky Digital and Virgin Media and a license for NDTV Good Times was approved last November by Ofcom.
By Dhanya Nair
