Zee launches second Hindi entertainment channel in June

India’s media giant Zee Entertainment has announced the June launch of its new channel Zindagi that will broadcast content from Pakistan, Turkey, Latin America and Egypt.

“The reason why we have identified these markets is that the content made there is adaptable for the India market culturally,” Punit Goenka, managing director and CEO of Zee Entertainment Enterprises, told DNA.

“Today, we are sourcing content and the future is in producing this content – buying ideas, buying stories from these markets and producing them either locally or within those markets where setting is much better and conducive,” he added.

Zee has already commissioned 12 films for television, six produced in India and six from Pakistan. The media group is also in negotiation to co-produce shows based on popular novels, which should materialize by the end of 2014 or the beginning of 2015, Rapid TV News reports

Zindagi will target Hyderabad, Bangalore and Chennai as well as the Hindi-speaking markets, said Goenka.

The 24-hour channel will be available on both analogue and digital cable and direct-to-home (DTH) satellite platforms in India from 23 June.