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Mr Subhash Chandra, Chairman & Managing Director, Zee Telefilms Ltd, with Mr Ashok Kurien, Director, at the company's AGM in Mumbai on Tuesday. - Paul Noronha

Mumbai , Sept. 28

ZEE Telefilms Ltd (ZTL) has received necessary regulatory approvals to launch a sports channel, Mr Subhash Chandra, Chairman and Managing Director , said.

"We have received uplinking approvals. The test signals should be available in a day or two," Mr Chandra told shareholders of ZTL at the annual general meeting on Tuesday. The company had earlier said that its sports channel, Zee Sports, would go on air from October 2.

He declined from specifying what ZTL's contingent plans would be if the company does not bag the telecast rights of cricket matches to be played in India over the next four years.

"I would like to say that we are committed to sports, not just cricket," he told shareholders, adding that foreign channels have profited from cricket property. The legal expenses to be incurred by ZTL will be around Rs 1.5 crore, he said.

Responding to a query on the future of Zee-MGM, Mr Chandra said that ZTL had already ceased its arrangement with MGM three months before Sony acquired the Hollywood studio. "We have already started acquiring movies from other studios. Therefore, Sony's acquisition of MGM has no impact on our English movie channel," Mr Chandra said.

During the current fiscal, ZTL's focus would rest on growing its subscription base. In that direction, it will lay emphasis on DTH and broadband, Mr Chandra said. "Zee is well placed to take advantage of the potential growth in DTH," he said. Zee's DTH operations under the brand name Dish TV is available in 1.50 lakh homes.

Television, according to him, will grow on the back of technology. "Today no cable operator can give more than 60 watchable channels. But digitisation of cable operation will take place shortly," he said.

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