MUMBAI: The Malayalam channel space is becoming increasingly crowded. After Jeevan TV, which is all set to go on air from 1 August, it will be the turn of India Vision TV to launch on 17 August.

India Vision TV is promoted by Kerala state Public Works Department minister Dr MK Muneer and has its head office in Kochi, from where the channel would be uplinked.
With Asianet, Surya, Doordarshan and Kairali channels already operating in the state, the two new kids on the block are going to find it quite tough (to put it mildly) to mop up any advertising revenue.

Among the four channels already on air, Kairali is desperately short of funds. Even Asianet, which had first mover advantage in the private channel space, has had to go in for a major course correction to counter the threat of the Sun Network‘s Surya channel.

MUMBAI: South Indian language Sun Network is aiming to start test marketing its transition towards pay TV services in Andhra Pradesh. This was revealed by network chairman Kalanithi Maran to the Financial Express. Maran added that the test marketing would be followed by a campaign wherein digital IRDs would made available nationally, so that "every cable operator has our decoder".
He said the decision to go pay was based on the fact that viewers were paying for channels they did not want to see. "They certainly would not mind paying for channels they want to see," he pointed out. "But if we find our subscriber base is dwindling by even five per cent, we will not go ahead with the plan."

Maran‘s cautious stance apart, indications are that the entire Sun Network will be going pay by next year. First up will be its two Telugu language channels Gemini and Teja, both of which are expected to go pay latest by October.

Maran said that his group was in favour of CAS. "Our channels occupy the No 1 spot in every market they are present."

MUMBAI: G Venkatesh Babu, director and COO, Pentamedia Graphics Ltd, has resigned from the company from 22 July, according to a communication from the company to the stock exchanges yesterday.

MUMBAI:Renowned composer-playback singer Sudhir Phadke passed away in Mumbai this morning.
Phadke, who was admitted to hospital last week after he suffered brain haemorrhage, died at 10:30 am.

Among the last major works that he was associated with though was not on the music front but the movie Veer Savarkar, on the life of
freedom fighter Vinayak Damodar Savarkar, which he produced. Of course, he composed the music as well.

Phadke was among those felicitated during the Sahyadri Navratna

Phadke receiving the Sahyadri Navratna Puraskar 2002 for lifetime achievement in music from Pt Jasraj in April this year

Puraskar 2002 awards presented by indiantelevision.com in association with DD Sahyadri. The awards were instituted to celebrate excellence achieved by Maharashtrians in various fields. The awards ceremony was held on 27 April at the Juhu Centaur Hotel in western Mumbai‘s Juhu suburb and was telecast on DD Sahyadri on Maharashtra Day, 1 May.

Phadke was presented the Swar Ratna Puraskar for outstanding achievement in the field of music.

MUMBAI:Sahara TV‘s kids‘ fantasy serial Chacha Chaudhary will now air four days a week.

The show that has been airing from Mondays to Wednesdays at 7 pm, will now be telecast on Thursday as well. Chacha Chaudhary, that claims to be the first serial based on the Indian cartoon character by the same name, is portrayed by Raghubir Yadav.Speaking on the initiative, Sahara TV vice-president (publicity, promotions & PR) Priya Raj said: "Backed by Raghubir Yadav‘s sterling performance and aided by the latest computer graphics and innovative special effects, Chacha Chaudhary has gained a tremendous following. We have therefore decided to increase its frequency based on viewers‘ feedback."

Ketan Mehta‘s Maya Entertainment produces the serial, with Mohit Jha wielding the director‘s baton.

MUMBAI:Marriages are the in thing on television, it would seem.
Zee Television has joined the bandwagon with a new series Love Marriage directed by Manisha Sharma that will air Mondays to Thursday at 8 pm. The show, that starts today, is produced by Mohanjit Mozez Singh and deals with four girls who come to Mumbai with dreams in their eyes and are looking for independence and excitement.
While encountering the highs and lows of life in the big city, they are also try to find their perfect match in life. The girls‘ contrasting personalities promise drama; for instance, one girl gets her drive from the need to excel and be a perfectionist while another has run away from home after being forced into marriage with a man twice her age.

Interestingly, the girls are paying guests with a landlady called "Mrs Dixit", played by Kyunkii... fame Apara Mehta.