MUMBAI: Big RTL, the television JV between Reliance Broadcast Network (RBNL) and Europe?s entertainment firm RTL Group, has named its new channel as Thrill.

The new channel marks RTL Group?s entry into the Asian television market. This is Reliance ADAG?s second International JV in the broadcasting space, the first being with CBS Studios International.

Positioned as the ?first action entertainment? channel, it will be launched by the end of June. The company believes that there is a void in the action space. Thrill will serve international content from across the globe, dubbed in Hindi.

The target audience that the channel will cater to is males in the age group of 15-44, across metropolitan and non-metropolitan areas in the Hindi-speaking markets, who are action and adventure lovers.

RBNL CEO Tarun Katial said, ?We are excited to offer India its first action entertainment Channel, Thrill which will showcase world-class international content, dubbed in Hindi. The channel fills a need gap that exist in the entertainment landscape and we are confident that our proposition, backed by consumer insights, will resonate excellently with viewers and marketers alike.?

In order to provide diverse programming content, the channel has signed strategic deals with various leading international content providers for successful global formats and series across a variety of genres: action reality, action thrillers, fighting and wrestling championships, shocking, never seen before films, extreme sports, late night entertainment and a robust library of hit Hollywood action movies, all dubbed in Hindi.

Big RTL has teamed up with DTH service provider Reliance Digital TV, a Reliance ADAG company, to distribute Thrill. The company says that this will help in giving the channel access to 3 million digital television homes across India. It is in the process of closing deals with other operators.

Thrill will be distributed as part of a 7-channel bouquet of RBNL which includes Big CBS Prime, Big CBS Love, Big CBS Spark, Big CBS Spark Punjabi, Big Magic and UTV Bloomberg.

MUMBAI: India has 44.21 million private DTH subscribers as of 31 December 2011, the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India said in its quarterly report.

The total number of registered subscribers is from the six private direct-to-home operators - Dish TV, Tata Sky, Airtel Digital TV, Videocon D2H, Reliance Digital TV and Sun Direct.

Digital cable TV, however, is growing slowly in the Cas (conditional access system) notified areas.

Cable TV operators have marginally increased the seeding of set-top boxes (STBs) in the Cas areas of Delhi, Mumbai, Kolkata and Chennai during this period.

According to Trai, the total number of STBs installed increased to 853,737 in the quarter ended December 2011, as compared to 819,960 STBs in the previous quarter.

Trai has also released the data on the number of TV channels in India till 31 December 2011. There are a total of 825 private satellite TV channels permitted by the Information and Broadcasting Ministry, out of which 163 channels are pay, as per the sector watchdog?s report based on the data received from 25 broadcasters and distributors across the country.

The maximum number of channels being carried by any of the reported multi-system operator (MSO) in digital mode is 277. In analogue form, however, the maximum number of channels being carried by any of the reported MSOs is 100 channels.

Trai also said that the number of private FM radio stations in operation remained at 245 till the end of Dec 2011.