A new free-to-air television channel aimed at the British Asian audience, including those of Indian origin, will be officially launched on Monday.
Brit Asia TV, a Birmingham-based channel, says that its aim is to "broadcast and promote Asian culture amongst British Asians" in the UK and across Europe.
It will be available on the Sky Digital platform, but unofficial broadcast has already begun.
With a mix of feature shows, music, entertainment news, chat shows, drama serials, reality TV shows and more, the station hopes to capture the lucrative young British Asian market, joining similar rivals such as Raj TV.
Director of Brit Asia TV Jaz Bal said: "This is a unique and highly entertaining TV channel that will plug the gap for quality programming by British Asians for British Asians."
"This unique television channel is determined to put its UK British Asian audience first by giving them the television content that they want to see with original and exclusive shows. All material on the channel is relevant and focused on Asian lives in Britain," a channel spokesperson said.
Apart from several popular channels beamed out of the Indian sub-continent, there are many channels that are based in the UK and target the British Asian audience. These include the Leicester-based MATV.
{{/usCountry}}Apart from several popular channels beamed out of the Indian sub-continent, there are many channels that are based in the UK and target the British Asian audience. These include the Leicester-based MATV.
{{/usCountry}}The growth of channels within the UK targeting the British Asian audience reflects market research that the vast majority of British Asians and other ethnic minorities are not satisfied with the mainstream programming available on BBC.
The channels also broadcast advertising aimed at the prosperous British Asian audience that is identified with the "brown pound" the increasing economic clout in Britain of people from the Indian sub-continent, as consumers as well as entrepreneurs.