Turner decides to close down Imagine TV

As of now, the channel will continue to be on air, expectedly with content repeats. However, once the official obligations are over, the channel will go off air.

Turner Broadcasting System Asia Pacific (Turner) has decided to cease the business operations of its Hindi general entertainment channel, Imagine TV, along with its international feed, Imagine Dil Se, from April 12.

As of now, the channel will continue to be seen on air, expectedly with content repeats. However, once the official obligations are over, the channel will go off air.

Siddharth Jain, managing director, South Asia, Turner International India Private Limited, says, "Imagine TV has not performed and grown as per expectations. While some programmes delivered satisfactory ratings, overall, the channel was unable to achieve the ratings consistency needed to sustain the business and support continued investment. As a result, Turner made the carefully considered decision to cease operations of the channel."

"We are grateful to the Imagine team, which includes some of the most talented and creative people in the Indian media industry. We will use our best endeavours to make this as smooth a transition as possible for them," he adds.

Originally launched in January, 2008 as NDTV Imagine, Imagine TV was acquired by Turner Asia Pacific Ventures (92 per cent stake), a wholly-owned subsidiary of Turner Broadcasting System, in December, 2009. After the acquisition was completed in February 2010, the channel was rechristened as Imagine. For the record, Turner bought Imagine from NDTV for US$117 million in 2009.

Turner currently operates HBO, CNN, Cartoon Network, Pogo, Warner Bros, Turner Classic Movies and Boomerang in India.