NDTV Lifestyle reviews agencies for lifestyle programming foray

As reported recently by agencyfaqs!, NDTV Lifestyle is all set to launch Life!, the first-ever lifestyle channel by the NDTV group, which will hit television sets by July this year. Reliable sources confirm that a pitch for creative agencies has been called for, and the agencies have submitted their presentations to the company.

The agencies learnt to be in the fray for the business are Rediffusion, Equus Red Cell and Brand Curry. The size of the business could not be ascertained, but considering that the product (the lifestyle channel, Life!) is to be launched from the NDTV stable, the spends would be sizeable.

The agencies have been briefed already -- the group wishes to position the channel as aspirational, to give the viewer a feel of what he/she can aim for in life. The channel will differentiate itself from competitors such as Discovery Travel & Living by providing content which is more contextual to Indians.

A while back, NDTV obtained an approval from the Foreign Investment Promotion Board (FIPB) to venture into the entertainment and lifestyle genre. NDTV Networks, a UK-based, wholly owned subsidiary of NDTV, announced the launch of six verticals, one of them being NDTV Lifestyle, an entirely independent company.

A complete lifestyle channel, which is targeted primarily at viewers above 15 years of age from SEC AB and plans to target 25 to 30 million of the country's entire population, assures to cover lifestyle in every way, ranging from travel, adventure, partying, leisure, luxury, to cuisine, health and even gizmos. A portal, NDTVLife, would supplement the television channel.