India's Zee TV TW in talks over cable role
Programming expansion planned worldwide
The talks, which have been taking place in New York, are part of Zee's strategy of expanding its presence in the U.S. and Europe.
The arrangement with Time Warner is expected to become official in late March and will add between 10,000 and 15,000 subscribers to Zee's existing base of 25,000 cable homes in the U.S. over a period of two or three months.
Zee is already aboard the platform of direct-to-home (DTH) operator EchoStar. From the U.S., the plan is to spread to Canada and Latin America.
Zee is also planning to hit the Australian market next year, and is in talks with two DTH operations, backed by moguls Kerry Packer and Rupert Murdoch.
Zee expands
In Europe, Zee plans to go digital and add two more channels, Music Asia and Zee Cinema. Music Asia is already a radio channel in Europe.
At present, Zee operates through the BSkyB platform. In the U.K. -- which has a large Indian population -- Zee has 120,000 subscribers while in countries like France, Germany and Holland, the number is about 30,000.
Zee has also firmed up its position in Europe by inking a deal recently with TV Kabo, the largest cable network in Portugal.
On the African continent, Zee is keen to expand beyond South Africa to countries like Ghana, Uganda, Kenya and Tanzania. Zee is also looking at working together on the MultiChoice and Canal Plus bouquet in Mauritius.
South America, too
In South America, Zee is planning to focus on Caribbean islands like Trinidad and Tobago that have substantial Indian populations.
Zee's international operations are currently generating revenue in the vicinity of $35 million.
In India, the Zee stable of channels is owned by Asia Today (ATL) a 50:50 joint venture between Subhach Chandra and Rupert Murdoch. Its international ventures are wholly owned by Chandra.
