History TV18 all set to go local

The channel has announced that it will target rural and small town India with revamped content.

History TV18 plans to go local with its programming strategy. A fresh set of 'Indianised' programming content will make way into the television sets of viewers from various parts of the country, with the aim to grow stickiness in Tier 2 and 3 markets.

The channel plans to have 100 hours of local production in the next three to six months. Leading the bandwagon will be the new show 'OMG! Yeh Mera India', which will launch on March 10, at 8 pm. The show will take audiences across the length and breadth of the country, showcasing 'OMG' facts about people and places. Packaged in 30-minute weekly episodes, the show will be hosted by stand-up comedian Krushna Abhishek. The content will be in Hindi, and will be dubbed across regional languages.

Sangeetha Aiyer, vice-president and head of marketing, A+E Networks TV18, says, "While India-related content exists in the genre, the key differentiator for History TV18 is that we plan to create a lasting India franchise through our shows, which is a first-of-sorts for our category."

The channel has set aside a marketing budget of Rs 1.5-1.7 crore for the promotion of the new show which includes digital, as well as TV promos on the Viacom18 network and beyond.