Hungama TV To Begin From August 2004  ( June '15,2004, FE)

Hungama TV, a kids channel to be launched in August, will be priced between Rs 4-8 per subscriber a month.

STAR India will distribute the pay channel and will have a 50:50 revenue share pact on the distribution income with United Home Entertainment Ltd, the company which is launching Hungama TV. “This is the first time we are distributing a third-party channel, where we don’t have ownership at all. The kids channel will complete our distribution bouquet in each genre,” said STAR India chief operating officer Sameer Nair. The Financial Express had reported on Monday that Hungama would be a pay channel to be distributed by STAR India.

United Home Entertainment is in talks with two Indian investors for divesting a part of its stake through private placement. “We are planning to raise Rs 50 crore. Two Indian funds are conducting a due diligence. We would prefer to have a single investor in the company,” said UTV promoter Ronnie Screwvala. In United Home Entertainment, both Mr Screwvala and UTV will hold stake.

Hungama TV will have dual feed in Hindi and Tamil. “The Tamil version of the channel will be introduced soon, probably a month after the Hindi launch,” he said.