Zee Keralam, the Malayalam channel from India’s second biggest TV broadcasting company, will launch in exactly ten days on Nov 26, the company has revealed.
Zee will compete with Malayalam offerings from Star India, Sun Network and local channels like Flowers and Amrita.
The group, which entered the adjoining Telugu and Tamil markets over the last two years, has been planning an entry into the Malayalam market for several years.
This leaves Network18 as the only major group without an entertainment channel in the Kerala market.
Going by the line-up of programs, Zee Keralam will be largely similar to the other competitors.
Among the initial line-up will be ‘Swathi, Nakshathram Chothi’, a serial based on the life of a plus-sized woman, Alliyambal — a romantic series, Kuttikurumban — based on the life experiences of a naughty kid.
The line-up will also feature ‘Chembarathi’, which is created more on the lines of the traditional mother-in-law vs daughter-in-law story line.
One of the key advantages for Zee Keralam will be its access to the pan-India repertoire of soaps and serials from its parent group.
It will, however, be a challenge for the new channel to hold its own against tough competition from the likes of Asianet (Star India), Surya, Flowers and others.