01
Leading Malayalam language channel Asianet is putting together plans to provide a fresh of life to its Kannada language channel Kaveri, which has been struggling to stay afloat ever since its launch in June 2000.
"We still have faith in Kaveri‘s potential but we have a lot of work on our hands," Asianet COO Mohan Nair said on Tuesday. "In the immediate term, we are trying to increase the programming content," Nair said.
Asianet and Zee telefilms each have a 50 per cent stake in Kaveri which has faced viewer recognition problems from the outset. A reason given is the fallout from the 108-day kidnapping drama of popular Kannada film star Rajkumar who was released on 15 November. During the kidnap period there was a virtual shutdown of the Kannada film industry, which led to a severe shortfall vis-a-vis fresh programming.
"Kaveri needs some dedicated nurturing because the market out there is till untapped and I see it as a challenge," Nair said. "We are planning a virtual relaunch. Just wait and watch," he added.
