National Geographic turns 10 in India and recently launched its channel in Tamil, less than a year after its Telugu and Bengali channels.
“This is a major part of our extension plan. The people of Tamil Nadu are interested in science, math… just about anything to do with the mind. They are curious,” says Debarpita Banerjee, senior vice-president marketing, National Geographic Network and Fox International Channels.
Through its Tamil feed, the channel will showcase some of its award-winning programmes in science, technology, history, culture, Nature and wildlife. Actor Shriya Saran, who launched National Geographic in Tamil, says, “I grew up watching this channel. Some of the best times I've had were watching wildlife shows with my father. I'm glad it's now available in Tamil. It will open the doors to new horizons for those who speak the language. It's a world of unlimited possibilities.”
National Geographic, which reaches 380 million homes, will beam its new ‘Inside' series too in Tamil. “Our channel is about combining infotainment with entertainment,” says Debarpita, adding, “Our channel has been planned taking into account viewership in Tamil Nadu. What we're doing now is getting the language right. We're working on diction and finding the right voices. There are some shows where we try to present a personality, though for most part the channel is about substance.”
“Nat Geo's new series on the armed forces is interesting,” says Shriya. “No one has been given permission to do something like this before. Besides, my brother is joining the Army soon. So it's nice to go behind-the-scenes and get to know more about the armed forces.”
