Sahara Samay Mumbai to roll out on September 26

The Sahara group is ready to roll out the Sahara Samay Mumbai channel on September 26. Headed by Rajiv K Bajaj, former president of the Hinduja-owned IN Network and editor-in-chief of The Daily, the Mumbai news channel will cover the old Bombay Presidency region including Maharashtra, Gujarat and parts of Goa with specific focus on the city of Mumbai.

Says Bajaj, There is a huge need for a channel that actually allows people to articulate their views, brings them news that they can actually use and makes the channel a part of their daily lives. The channel will be driven by its specific regional/local focus along with traditional and specially planned events that will drive branding and revenue for it.

According to a prepared note from the company, A total of 32 bulletins (including updates) interspersed with local programming including talk shows, events, music, product launches, campus color and investigative programmes will provide the channel that extra edge required to take over eyeball time in the city and elsewhere. The logic for the channel is very simple. This is because not only Mumbai but the entire country, and indeed the entire Indian Diaspora in the rest of the world has this great fascination for everything and anything to do with Mumbais rich and famous, with Bollywood, with Mumbais fashion world, the dance bars, discos, night clubs, beach parties and the like.

The line-up includes special weekend programmes including women-related talk shows, Ganeshotsav Awards, Durga Pooja, Navratri, Christmas celebrations, Goa Carnival, Miss Mumbai and Miss Pune contests. Also included are special shows for school children including inter-school sports, inter-school festivals, inter-ward sports tournaments, the Kanga League etc. In the pipeline is perhaps the biggest ever traditional Indian sports event that this part of the world has ever seen. Traditional Indian sports including kabbadi, kho-kho, wrestling, bullock cart racing will have pride of place. The competition will begin at the village level and then go right up to the state level with the main event being held in Mumbai.