Four Calcutta groups to pick up stake in Sky B

CALCUTTA, DEC. 23. Four Calcutta-based corporate houses would pick up equity in the new information and entertainment company, Sky B (Bangla) Pvt. Ltd. (SBPL), which would make its debut with a Bengali television channel in February next. The four partners, all new entrants in the booming entertainment industry, have planned to pick up equal stake in Sky B through associate companies of respective groups, according to chairman of the new company, Mr. Arun Poddar.

The promoters - Mr. Arun Poddar of Poddar group of companies, Mr. Umang Kejriwal of Electrosteel Castings, Mr. R. G. Bansal of Bansal Mechanical Works, and Mr. Kajal Sengupta of Senbo group - have earmarked an initial investment of Rs. 10 crores. Allotment of shares to the promoters, however, was yet to be made, Mr. Poddar, also the managing director of Poddar Projects, told PTI here. The new channel marking the entry of the company in the sector, would race for a share of the pie in the competitive Bengali viewers market with an edge.

It would be the only channel to have an uplinking facility from Calcutta and also the first one among local channels to telecast live its news programmes, he said.

The channel would also air programmes of other vernacular languages and have digital decoders in Delhi, Maharashtra, Bihar and Orissa.

The company has acquired the premises of the West Bengal Electronics Industry Development Corporation (WEBEL) multimedia on lease and its transponder has been located in Chennai. With the satellite link up with VSNL and other infrastructure being in place, the 18-hour Bengali channel is set to go on air on February 15.

Besides the new channel, the company planned to develo contents for media usage, telefilm making and online shooting, Mr. Poddar said.

- PTI

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Section  : Business
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