Zee drives into Rajasthan with Zee Rajasthan Plus!

Among the first of these is the regional offering, Zee Media Corporation Ltd has launched Zee Rajasthan Plus on 31st July, 2013. The channel will have an equal balance of news and entertainment and is being bundled under something its Alok Agrawal, CEO calls the "terrestrial entertainment network (TEN)."

"Agreed, that the investment needed for it is going to be more than that needed for a general news channel, but it's something we believe has a lot of potential” says Mr. Alok Agrawal, CEO, Zee News Limited.

The new channel will be targeting the Hindi speaking audiences in India with a programming mix in Hindi and Rajasthani dialects. With the slogan 'mera shaan mera abhimaan', the channel plans to integrate many genres in one channel with 'something for everyone.'

Its entertainment offering will have both fiction and non-fiction shows touching on a bit of travel, automobile, real estate, shopping, food, and investments. Its news programming slate will have both half hour shows and smaller news bulletins covering regional, national and international developments and will be fed by news bureaus and news representatives and crews in almost all major Rajasthani cities (even at the block level). Its existing infrastructure for the various Zee News channels will, of course, be of great help.

Its target audience ranges from children to the elderly with specific shows for each during the day. The weekend will have more feature shows and a lunch time movie will be telecast which is either set in the state or about the local people. Additionally, popular shows from the Zee group's catalogue are to be telecast for a few weeks but in due course, original commissioned and localised programming, keeping the state's vibrant culture in mind, will be added to the FPC.

A big bang marketing and promotional campaign has been planned post-launch. It includes promos on the network channels, billboards, radio, print, online and below the line activities in Rajasthan.

Zee Rajasthan Plus is being beamed off Asiasat 3S (105.5 degrees east) and will be available free during a six month preview period on both cable TV and satellite.