After a barren period, channel launches appear to be again happening. In the offing is a new digital Telugu regional language channel - Maa TV.

The channel is being launched by Maa Television Network Ltd, a Hyderabad-based broadcaster and entertainment company that plans to unveil the new channel very soon. Test transmission will commence from 11:42 am on Sunday.

Disclosing this D Rajendra Prasad, executive director and spokesperson for Maa TV, informed that the channel will be a combination of programming that ranges from dramas, serials, long plays, sitcoms, chat shows, music, current affairs, interactive programmes, documentaries, movies and live performances. The channel will telecast for 18 hours a day.

An initial investment of Rs 250 million is going into the launch of Maa TV which will be a pay service from Day 1 of operations.

The channel is promoted by Ramakrishna, the founder of Siti Cable in Andhra Pradesh, an official release says. The promoters expect to generate a total business of Rs 220 million in the first year of operations.

On the sales and distribution front, Maa TV hopes to reach 75 per cent of viewers in the state in the first three months of its launch. The promoters claim that their long experience in the cable industry will enable them to reach the targets that they have set themselves.

The channel will be beamed off APR -1 (Insat 2E) satellite and 3/3 (Zonal Beam) transponder.

Together with Maa TV, a cable channel - Maa Cinema - is also in the pipeline. The company claims it already has more than 2650 films in its kitty and is planning to procure rights of more films.

Whatever be the plans of the channel, it will be taking on two well established free-to-air channels in Gemini TV (part of Kalanithi Maran's Sun Network) and Ramoji Rao's Eenadu TV. And how subscribers are expected to take to a brand new pay channel when there are two free channels offering quality fare already in existence is anybody's guess.