ITV

Tag: Kirit Mehta

  • DirecTV expands intl prog to include India’s Aastha channel

    DirecTV expands intl prog to include India’s Aastha channel

    MUMBAI: DirecTV, Inc. today announced that it had expanded its South Asian programming lineup with the launch of Aastha Broadcasting Network, which is India’s most prominent spiritual network. Aastha will now be available on DirecTV channel 2005 on an a la carte basis for $14.99 per month.

    “We respect the fact that spirituality is integral to the very essence of the South Asian culture around the world and Aastha will now be able to fill those social and spiritual needs for the US audience,” said DirecTV Inc vice president, International Aaron McNally. “We are delighted to have concluded an affiliation agreement with Aastha, which is already a household name in India and throughout the South Asian diaspora. Aastha will provide a link to India’s cultural roots, customs and society to the more than two million South Asians living in the United States.”

    Aastha CEO Kirit Mehta said, “We have joined the DirecTV platform to be offered alongside other leading South Asian programming that DirecTV is bringing to United States. With our programming and DirecTV’s South Asian offering that spans all genres and languages of interest to the South Asian viewers, DirecTV will now offer the most comprehensive South Asian multi-cultural programming platform available in America. We look forward to the relationship we will have with DirecTV as a partner, affiliate and friend. With this expansion we will strive to satisfy the deeply felt need of spirituality from the vast community of Indian residents in the United States.”

    The multi-year agreement with Aastha brings to viewers in the United States the top-rated programs that have made Aastha India’s number one spiritual network and preferred network to Asian Indians in Asia, Africa, Australia and Europe. The Aastha lineup features spiritual discourses, socio-spiritual-cultural ceremonies and events, meditation techniques and devotional music. It charts the holy places of pilgrimage, elucidates on traditional festivals and focuses on Indian vedic sciences like ayurveda, yoga, astrology, crystal therapy and aroma therapy.

    Aastha broadcasts programming in Hindi, Gujarati and English. In 2005, the channel will air locally originated programming as well. DirecTV has developed two new base programming packages exclusively for customers who subscribe to the new international services — Basic – $9.99 per month and Preferred Choice – $29.99 per month. The Basic package offers up to 50 channels including local channels (where available), music and shopping channels. In addition to those channels offered in the Basic package, the Preferred Choice package includes a variety of relevant English-language channels such as ESPN, CNN, The History Channel, Food Network, TNT, MTV and the Fox Movie Channel.

  • Aastha channel to beam in UK, US, Canada

    Aastha channel to beam in UK, US, Canada

    Indian spiritual channel Aastha will soon be spreading its wings to the UK, USA and Canada.

    According to Kirit Mehta, promoter of CMM Broadcasting Network Limited, which runs the digital channel: “Plans are at an advanced stage to distribute Aastha channel in the UK, USA and Canada, since there is much demand for this channel in these countries.”

    “Currently these three countries are not being covered through the present global beam of Thaicom-3. Several interested parties from these countries have approached us with telecast offers, after we telecasted a few live programmes covering these regions.

    “We are also in the process of turning the Aastha channel into a pay service by teaming up with DTH and multiple system operators in these countries as well as in countries which are presently being covered through Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, West Asia, Hong Kong, Singapore, Mauritius, Maldives and Sri Lanka.”

    In India, Aastha has a higher viewership than CNBC, CNN, Hallmark and Jain TV, a company release states. Most of these numbers however, are not in the cities but come from the rural populace.

    On the international arena, CMM Music, the other channel under the CMM label, claims higher viewership than rivals Zee Music, B4U and Channel V.

    Aastha and CMM Music have a programme library of over 8,000 and 4,000 hours respectively, the release says.

    CMM has also announced that Ernst & Young has been appointed to value the intrinsic worth of the channels. The company is hopeful that the valuation exercise will help rope in more strategic investors.

    If this happens, the channels will be able to make good on their aggressive expansion plans.