Yash Raj Films to launch TV channel

Yash Raj Films (YRF) is planning to launch a general entertainment channel (GEC) by the second half of 2008. Ravina Raj Kohli, who was earlier president of STAR News, has been roped in to head the channel. She was head of programming and marketing at Sony Entertainment Television (SET) and also responsible for setting up Nine Gold on DD Metro.

The content of the YRF channel will be different from the typical ‘saas-bahu’ shows and will include programming such as reality shows, documentaries, human interest stories and issue oriented shows. Besides, the channel will feature the movies and music releases that Yash Raj Films has produced over the years. The company is currently in talks with leading television production houses for its TV debut.

YRF aims to become an integrated entertainment company. Television apart, it will venture into multiplexes. It is estimated that multiplex owners earn 60-70 per cent of the box office revenues from films produced by YRF. Last year, the company ventured into film distribution, and a few years ago, it launched Yash Raj Music to release audio CDs and DVDs of its films under the Yash Raj Films Home Entertainment label. Entry into the television and movie theatre space will complete the circle for the organisation in the entertainment segment.