NDTV launches 'NDTV MetroNation'; starring Delhi

The first city specific channel from NDTV

NDTV today announced the launch of 'NDTV MetroNation,' India's first English city channel. NDTV Metro Nation gives Delhi and the NCR a high-end 24-hour channel that covers breaking news, and user-friendly information on where to shop, what to eat, and how to work out. Daily programming includes: traffic reports on routes to avoid during rush hour; shows on Delhi's schools and colleges; and programs on Parenting and Food. The channel will offer four broad genres of programming- News and Current Affairs, Lifestyle, Entertainment and Youth with a contemporary and dynamic team of reporters and anchors covering Delhi with energy and spirit.

Announcing the launch of the channel, Dr. Prannoy Roy, Chairman, NDTV Ltd., said, "We firmly believe that the future of news lies in going local. Local news is the rule of thumb in America. And in India, NDTV is the first mover. The few vernacular channels that exist for local news in India are quite different in their appeal. This is a high-end easy-access channel aimed at the young Urban Indian."

Sanjay Nigam, CEO, NDTV MetroNation, said, "Delhi is evolving at a break-neck speed and yet there is no English channel catering exclusively to this vibrant city. NDTV MetroNation will broadcast the non-stop action of Delhi with our young, new and dynamic team of reporters and anchors. The channel will work with our viewers to fight for a city we love. It will showcase the modern Delhi life and the change it is forcing."

NDTV MetroNation pioneers yet another broadcasting benchmark. With its USP of 'Starring Delhi, Every Second, Every Day', the channel will be highly interactive with the MetroNation Bus, the MetroNation Taxi and the MetroNation Helicopter to enable citywide coverage.

For the first time, a channel will operate not out of a studio but out of a bus "� "The MetroNation Bus." The customized all-glass MetroNation Bus will move across Delhi, as the anchors will bring in the latest news from different locations with guests hopping on for some brainstorming sessions.

That's not all. A fleet of "MetroNation Taxis" will move around the city to interact with people to gather their thoughts, opinions and confessions to be broadcast live on the channel. The channel will also provide live feeds of traffic reports every twenty minutes, with the help of the Delhi-Heli shot, as the "MetroNation Chopper" shoots aerial pictures of the key parts of the city.

Designed as a highly interactive channel, NDTV MetroNation will partner the top schools of Delhi for the weekly show titled 'I Spy with My Digital Eye'. The show will feature students from different schools with NDTV cameras reporting stories for NDTV. The channel will also offer a show, aptly called, 'This Delhi Life' that will let Delhiites speak their minds and have anchors and experts explore the issues faced by the common man in Delhi. Infotainment shows like 'Let's Go Delhi' will come loaded with entertainment, lifestyle, and other tips in three-hour bands (in the morning and evening prime time) and will guide willing denizens around the NCR. 'A Hipster's guide to Delhi' on the other hand will focus on where the movers and shakers of Delhi frequent and what they do.

With its wide range of programming the channel aims to cater to every age group with programmes ranging across genres and has been presented in a style that will capture the imagination of Delhiites.