NDTV Imagine
Encyclopedia
Imagine TV is a Hindi
general entertainment channel, owned by Turner Broadcasting System
based in Mumbai
.
under the stewardship of former STAR India
CEO Sameer Nair
. The channel, was launched in India
on January 21, 2008 as NDTV Imagine. Imagine TV has tied up with Karan Johar
, who is the creative consultant and ambassador of the Imagine TV brand.
On 8 December 2009, it was announced that Turner Asia Pacific Ventures (a wholly owned subsidiary Turner Broadcasting System
) had acquired a 92 per cent stake in NDTV Imagine Ltd. NDTV’s 76 per cent stake in NDTV Imagine would be given to Turner for $67 million, the Time Warner
company would acquire fresh equity worth $50 million to get 92 per cent control. NDTV Imagine Ltd. runs NDTV Imagine, NDTV Lumiere and NDTV Imagine Showbiz television channels and film production and distribution company, NDTV Imagine Film Co. The purchase received approval from the Time Warner board on 17 December 2009. At the end of the $126.5 million deal, Turner holds 92% in NDTV Imagine Ltd. while 3.2% is retained by NDTV Networks and the remaining 4.8% is held by its chief executive officer Sameer Nair
and other Imagine employees. In December 2009, Online and mobile video service NyooTV.com
join hand with NDTV Imagine for procuring the on-going and past TV shows.
NDTV announced on 24 February 2010 that it has received all the regulatory approvals and the transaction has been concluded on 23 February by transfer of shares, amounting to 85.68 per cent of NDTV Imagine Ltd, by NDTV Networks Plc to Turner Asia Pacific Ventures. The three channels will be under Turner General Entertainment Networks, a holding company that will infuse fresh capital to fund the network's growth. The 'NDTV' brand will drop out and the channels will be labelled Imagine TV, Lumiere Movies and Imagine Showbiz.
. Due to copyright issues, the channel was unable to use 'Imagine TV' in the region, therefore it was rebranded as Imagine...Dil Se, from NDTV Imagine, on 1 November 2010.
As of February 4, 2009 Imagine is available in the US on the Dish Network
platform. Imagine is also available on Nilesat
in the middle east free-to-air. In November 2009, NDTV Imagine launched in Canada in partnership with Canadian broadcaster Ethnic Channels Group
and is available on Bell TV. The channel was rebranded as Imagine Dil Se in early 2011.
Hindi
Standard Hindi, or more precisely Modern Standard Hindi, also known as Manak Hindi , High Hindi, Nagari Hindi, and Literary Hindi, is a standardized and sanskritized register of the Hindustani language derived from the Khariboli dialect of Delhi...
general entertainment channel, owned by Turner Broadcasting System
Turner Broadcasting System
Turner Broadcasting System, Inc. is the Time Warner subsidiary managing the collection of cable networks and properties started and acquired by Robert Edward "Ted" Turner starting in the mid-1970s. The company has its headquarters in the CNN Center in Atlanta, Georgia. TBS, Inc...
based in Mumbai
Mumbai
Mumbai , formerly known as Bombay in English, is the capital of the Indian state of Maharashtra. It is the most populous city in India, and the fourth most populous city in the world, with a total metropolitan area population of approximately 20.5 million...
.
History
The channel was established by NDTV GroupNDTV
NDTV is an Indian commercial broadcasting television network founded in 1988. It was founded by Prannoy Roy, an eminent journalist and current chairman and director of NDTV Group. NDTV currently has more than 1,000 employees producing news from over twenty locations in India...
under the stewardship of former STAR India
STAR TV (Asia)
Satellite Television Asian Region is an Asian TV service owned by Rupert Murdoch's News Corporation.In 2009, News Corporation restructured STAR Asia into four units – STAR India, STAR Greater China, STAR Select and Fox International Channels....
CEO Sameer Nair
Sameer Nair
Sameer Nair was the CEO of Star Entertainment India, the entertainment wing of the STAR India Network. He is also the former CEO of Imagine TV. In 2001, Rupert Murdoch hired Nair as programming chief for Star TV in India as part of a revamping to get the network to appeal more to a middle-class...
. The channel, was launched in India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
on January 21, 2008 as NDTV Imagine. Imagine TV has tied up with Karan Johar
Karan Johar
Karan Johar is an Indian film director, producer, screenwriter and Television host. He is the son of Hiroo Johar and Yash Johar. He is one of the most successful filmmakers in Bollywood. He is most known for directing and producing some of Bollywood's highest grossing films in India and the...
, who is the creative consultant and ambassador of the Imagine TV brand.
On 8 December 2009, it was announced that Turner Asia Pacific Ventures (a wholly owned subsidiary Turner Broadcasting System
Turner Broadcasting System
Turner Broadcasting System, Inc. is the Time Warner subsidiary managing the collection of cable networks and properties started and acquired by Robert Edward "Ted" Turner starting in the mid-1970s. The company has its headquarters in the CNN Center in Atlanta, Georgia. TBS, Inc...
) had acquired a 92 per cent stake in NDTV Imagine Ltd. NDTV’s 76 per cent stake in NDTV Imagine would be given to Turner for $67 million, the Time Warner
Time Warner
Time Warner is one of the world's largest media companies, headquartered in the Time Warner Center in New York City. Formerly two separate companies, Warner Communications, Inc...
company would acquire fresh equity worth $50 million to get 92 per cent control. NDTV Imagine Ltd. runs NDTV Imagine, NDTV Lumiere and NDTV Imagine Showbiz television channels and film production and distribution company, NDTV Imagine Film Co. The purchase received approval from the Time Warner board on 17 December 2009. At the end of the $126.5 million deal, Turner holds 92% in NDTV Imagine Ltd. while 3.2% is retained by NDTV Networks and the remaining 4.8% is held by its chief executive officer Sameer Nair
Sameer Nair
Sameer Nair was the CEO of Star Entertainment India, the entertainment wing of the STAR India Network. He is also the former CEO of Imagine TV. In 2001, Rupert Murdoch hired Nair as programming chief for Star TV in India as part of a revamping to get the network to appeal more to a middle-class...
and other Imagine employees. In December 2009, Online and mobile video service NyooTV.com
NyooTV
NyooTV is a video on demand platform built using adaptive streaming and customized mobile applications which is claimed to work even with low bandwidths. It aggregates and offers Indian entertainment content across new media platforms and digital entertainment devices currently to Indian audiences...
join hand with NDTV Imagine for procuring the on-going and past TV shows.
NDTV announced on 24 February 2010 that it has received all the regulatory approvals and the transaction has been concluded on 23 February by transfer of shares, amounting to 85.68 per cent of NDTV Imagine Ltd, by NDTV Networks Plc to Turner Asia Pacific Ventures. The three channels will be under Turner General Entertainment Networks, a holding company that will infuse fresh capital to fund the network's growth. The 'NDTV' brand will drop out and the channels will be labelled Imagine TV, Lumiere Movies and Imagine Showbiz.
International availability
In the UK and Ireland, Imagine is broadcast on the Sky platform, where it is free-to-airFree-to-air
Free-to-air describes television and radio services broadcast in clear form, allowing any person with the appropriate receiving equipment to receive the signal and view or listen to the content without requiring a subscription or one-off fee...
. Due to copyright issues, the channel was unable to use 'Imagine TV' in the region, therefore it was rebranded as Imagine...Dil Se, from NDTV Imagine, on 1 November 2010.
As of February 4, 2009 Imagine is available in the US on the Dish Network
Dish Network
Dish Network Corporation is the second largest pay TV provider in the United States, providing direct broadcast satellite service—including satellite television, audio programming, and interactive television services—to 14.337 million commercial and residential customers in the United States. Dish...
platform. Imagine is also available on Nilesat
Nilesat
Nilesat is an Egyptian company, and the name of a series of Egyptian communications satellites. It was established in 1996 with the purpose of operating Egyptian satellites and their associated ground control station and uplinking facilities...
in the middle east free-to-air. In November 2009, NDTV Imagine launched in Canada in partnership with Canadian broadcaster Ethnic Channels Group
Ethnic Channels Group
Ethnic Channels Group is a Canadian television broadcasting, distribution and communications company, specializing in multicultural television channels for the Canadian and American markets. ECG has been in operation since 2004 and is owned by Slava Levin....
and is available on Bell TV. The channel was rebranded as Imagine Dil Se in early 2011.