Tata Sky launches edutainment service
The Hindu — September 15, 2006

Tata Sky, the joint venture of the Tata group with the Star Group, which launched its satellite services (Direct-to-Home) on August 8 nationally, achieved hardware sales of one lakh within 15 days of commencing operations. According to Vikram Kaushik, managing director and CEO, Tata Sky, "we are on track to cross the one million mark in the first year."

Addressing the media on the occasion of the launch of a unique edutainment service, Active Wizkids, targeted at children between the ages of three and six years, Mr Kaushik said the service had enhanced its product offering (75 television channels, including seven interactive services). Active Wizkids is the newest interactive service. It seeks to enhance a child's classroom learning through entertaining, yet educational games.

The company also announced the launch of another child-centric service available on the Tata Sky platform, the Parental Control service, which allows parents to regulate what their children watch on television. This not only allows an entire channel to be blocked out but also allows blocking of movies based on parental ratings across channels.

Mr Kaushik said the company was close to reaching an understanding with the Zee Group to broadcast Zee's bouquet of channel on the Tata Sky platform.

As an introductory offer, Tata Sky is providing the DTH service at Rs 200 a month (inclusive of taxes).

"This is only an introductory offer for a period of four months at least. Thereafter, a new pricing structure will be considered," said Mr Kaushik.

Further, Mr Kaushik said, the service covers 3,200 cities and towns and around 30 per cent of its connections were rural. "We will continue to grow this and have established B2B tie-ups with ITC's e-Chaupal and Godrej and will sell the set-top boxes through them."