NEW DELHI: After the three new channels being announced to be launched from NDTV Networks, the company's expansion plan now takes its Metro Nation channel down south.

Sources told indiantelevision.com that NDTV's internal memos have told staffers that the process of launching the new channel is on the countdown mode, and that Metro Nation will be launched in Chennai soon, expectedly middle of this year.

A top official from the PCR at Metro Nation (Delhi) is being sent to Chennai in the middle of February to start recruitments for setting up a full team, as well as creating the infrastructure, sources said.

The next step would be to start the Metro Nation from Bangalore, Hyderabad and Kolkata, which would be early next year, if plans work out well with the Chennai edition.

Though NDTV is keen on the new content of music and Hollywood films, the expansion would be faster in the Metro Nation channels, sources said, as the company's internal assessment finds its Delhi reception very encouraging.

The distribution office has reportedly received very favourable response from the Delhi cable mandarins, where the niche, city-based channel was launched last year.

More than 60 per cent cable networks in Delhi have started streaming NDTV Metro Nation, the internal assessment note says.

There is a minor issue with the DTH platform, as at the moment, NDTV Metro Nation is seen on the backburner channels of TataSky.

Sources said that the "hard launch" on TataSky's premier bands will follow from the middle of next month.