Entertainment - Discovery to launch 3 new channels

Discovery Networks India, part of leading non-fiction media firm Discovery Communications, on Thursday said it will launch three new channels by next year as part its expansion plan in the country.The company plans to launch its three niche channels Discovery Science, Discovery Turbo and Discovery HD and it is mulling over bringing more global channels to India in future. "We have already applied for permission to the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting to launch the three 24 hour channels," Discovery Communications India Senior Vice- President and General Manager Rahul Johri told reporters here. He said the company expected to launch the three channels by the first quarter of next year subject to government approval. Presently, Discovery airs three channels in the country -- Discovery Channel, Animal Planet and Discovery Travel and Living. Asked if the firm planned to bring more of Discovery's global channels, Joshi replied in the affirmative. "In Asia we have seven channels. The only one left in India would be Discovery Home and Helth, which we will look to bring here," he said. Johri also said out of the 14 global brands, Discovery would also bring a few here "as and when the market develops for those channels." On the investment plans for launching the new channels, he declined to comment. "We will make appropriate investments for launching a channel," he said. Discovery which has around 86 million overall subscribers in India expects to increase its viewership with the launch of these new channels. "It will strengthen our growth in India," Johri said without giving any specific numbers. The company has 1.5 billion cumulative subscribers in over 170 countries and has a total of 14 brands.