National Geographic, Discovery add more Indian language feeds Read more: National Ge

More regional feeds are planned for India from both National Geographic and the Discovery Channel; the former committing to Bengali and the latter to Telugu.

National Geographic will launch its Bengali version on 3 November, to coincide with the celebration of Durga Puja, and a marketing fanfare from the Star Jhalsa celebrities – deemed ‘icons’ of Bengali television.

“West Bengal is an important market for us as we have a large number of viewers in the state,” said Keertan Adyanthaya, managing director, National Geographic Network & Fox International Channels. “Bringing NGC in Bengali will give our viewers a flavour of compelling stories in their native language, aided by stunning visuals and credibility that people have come to expect from the National Geographic Channel.”

The 24 hour TV channel is already available in India in the Hindi, English and Telugu languages, through distribution affiliates and cable network operators. It currently reaches over 45 million homes, and claims an average of 54 million viewers a month in India.

Meanwhile, according to a local report, the Discovery Channel is also launching a Telugu language feed to add to its existing Hindi, Tamil and English offerings in India. In three months’ time the service, which is currently on air in Andhra Pradesh from 6pm until midnight, will be available 24 hours a day.

Speaking to afaqs!, Rahul Johri, senior vice president and general manager, India, Discovery Networks Asia Pacific, said: “Whenever we have added an additional language, it has worked for the channel. Worldwide, Discovery is available in as many as 40 languages. Regional language always helps to reach out to a larger section of the audience. The commentary and content in their language helps people connect better…Our strategy to go regional is backed by comprehensive research, supported by an efficient dubbing process and a strong distribution infrastructure.


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