MUMBAI: Soon after restructuring its shareholding, Maa TV Network Ltd has roped in former Prasar Bharati CEO KS Sarma to head the company.

Sarma will chalk out the company's expansion plans. Maa TV Network, which owns and operates a Telugu general entertainment channel, had plans to launch a music channel and spruce up the programming of its existing channel.

"I have joined Maa TV Network as the CEO. We are in the process of formalising our expansion plans. We would be ready with it (the plans) in a month's time," Sarma tells Indiantelevision.com.

The company will have a fresh infusion of Rs 500 million with the original promoter Murali Krishna Raju putting in Rs 100 million. Superstars Nagarjuna and Chiranjeevi have walked in as new investors along with Matrix Laboratories Ltd (a listed company) and will together be holding 60 per cent in a purchase deal worth Rs 400 million.

Sarma, an Indian Administrative Service (IAS) officer from the Andhra Pradesh cadre, recently retired as Prasar Bharati CEO. During his stint, Prasar Bharati launched a direct-to-home (DTH) service, DD Direct+, comprising free-to-air channels. Doordarshan also came out with a fine tuned self-financing scheme (SFS) and handled marketing of cricket, serials and movies.