TNT & Cartoon Network, a 24-hour cartoon channel, has decided to dub its programmes in Hindi from the first week of January. The move aims at increasing the viewership base and advertising revenue for the channel, which airs such popular cartoon characters as the Flinstones and Scooby & Scrappy Doo.
"Our study showed that children want certain programmes in Hindi and so we decided to introduce programmes dubbed in Hindi from January 4," the channel's vice-president (programming) Kathy Hu McClure told Business Standard yesterday. She said the Network would try to tap the vast market for children's programmes more effectively. The channel has local language programmes in Mandarin and Thai. In India, the programmes dubbed in Hindi would be available for two hours daily from 3 pm on weekdays and 1 pm on weekends. Cable operators will have the option to transmit either the Hindi or the original English audio.
"Dual audio would ensure that if viewers in South India don't want the Hindi version, the cable operators can air the English audio," vice-president and general manager, network distribution, South Asia, of Turner International India Anshuman Misra said. Turner International are the operators of TNT & Cartoon Network.
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The Network also plans to introduce more India-specific programmes.
"The new programmes will include an interactive show for children," McClure said, adding contracts are being finalised for more new programming on the channel which would be unveiled over the next few months. Three years after its launch, TNT& Cartoon Network has earmarked India as an area of expansion and investments. "Though we cannot give you investment figures, but let me assure that for us this is an important market," McClure said.
TNT & Cartoon Network's advertising revenue increased 80 per cent over last year's figure and the entertainment channel has added over 10 big advertisers to its list, including Columbia Tristar of India, Coca-Cola India, SmithKline Beecham, Weekender Kid Stores and Hero Cycles. This is in addition to the 38-odd advertisers who already have been advertising on the channel.
The channel would increase the telecast time of dubbed programmes after gauging the reaction in the first year of the Hindi version shows.
The Network, launched by Turner Broadcasting System Inc in the Asia-Pacific in October 1994, made its debut in India a year later. Cartoon Network airs 16 hours of animation from Turner's library of more than 10,000 MGM, Warner Bros and Hann-Barbera cartoons. TNT follows every night with eight hours of top Hollywood movies from Turner's collection of over 2,500 pre-1984 MGM motion pictures as also movies produced by Warner Bros.