In a bid to attract more viewers in the prime time slot, Discovery Networks India is looking at showcasing some of the channel's high definition, multi-million dollar production series under a new programme band called Ultimate Discovery.
Starting this October this new programme band would be aired every night in the prime time slot between nine to ten and would showcase some of the most popular high definition series to attract higher TRPs.
“Some of these series are multi-millon dollar productions, with some developed indigenously and some outsourced, but all of them had delivered rise in ratings, for which they have been chosen”, said Rahul Johri, senior vice president & general manager, Discovery Communications India.
Some of the new offerings in the new band would be an exclusive six-episode series on NASA missions which would showcase some unseen footages and clippings from NASA archives captured by cameras onboard spaceships.
Discovery which would show episodes on former Indian cricket coach-Greg Chappel, a show on Diwali celebrations in India and on Kerala's traditional martial art form Kalaripayat.
“The channel would bring in more of high definition content which is the future of television space for DTH and digital platforms,” said Johri.
Discovery Networks asked the ministry of Information and Broadcasting three months back for permission to launch three 24-hour channels named Discovery Science, Discovery Turbo and Discovery HDW, now on air in the Asia-Pacific region.
Discovery HD would dedicated to high definition content since few Indian television productions were in high definition, he claimed. These would hit Indian screens only next year, since the channel had not yet received the green signal from the ministry.
The channel presently had three channels in India -- Discovery Channel, Discovery Travel & Living, and Animal Planet, with some feeds in regional language.
