Discovery Channel eyes Bhadralok; Launches Bangla feeds!

Non-fiction entertainment channel, Discovery, announced the launch of its Bangla feed for millions of viewers ofWest Bengal and the rest of India. The viewers of West Bengal will now be able to watch their favourite channel in their preferred language ' Bangla.

With this launch, Discovery Channel will now be available in five languages ' Bangla, Hindi, Tamil, Telugu and English. All the programmes and their airing schedule will remain identical in all the language feeds. Viewers will be able to choose their preferred language through the remote control.

Commenting on the launch, Rahul Johri, senior vice president and general manager -South Asia, Discovery Networks Asia-Pacific said, "I am delighted to announce the launch of Discovery Channel in Bangla. I am confident that the launch of Bangla feed will give viewers a deeper and more fulfilling viewing experience."

Johri further added, "We have been customisingcontent as per viewers' demand and preferences. Offering highest quality and engaging content, Discovery Channel will now be availablein five languagesin India - Bangla, Hindi, Tamil, Telugu and English."

In 1998, Discovery Channel launched its 24-hour parallel Hindi feed, which boosted the channel's nationwide viewership. Continuing with its promise to delight its viewers across India, Discovery Channel launched a 24-hour Tamil feed on January 1, 2010. Post Tamil launch, Discovery Channel moved up its rank by 25 positions and its time spent increased eight times (source: TAM, CS4+, Period- Jan- Sep, 2009 vs. Jan 'Dec 2010). After gaining a strong foot hold in Tamil Nadu, Discovery Channel continued to penetrate the southern market with the launch of the Telugu feed on January 1 this year, increasing its viewership in Andhra Pradesh by 175% within four months of the launch.

In conjunction with the launch of the Bangla feed, Discovery Channel will be featuring a robust line-up of programmes with 13 premiere series, six returning series and engaging topical specials across all its key genres ' adventure, survival, science, engineering, natural history, wildlife, topical events, investigation, technology, astronomy and exploration.