MUMBAI: Sun Network will launch its Tamil channel Sun TV on the Malaysian Astro Direct-To-Home satellite multi-channel television platform in July this year.

"Early this year, we had launched Sun TV on Astro, but as a Malayalam-Telugu channel. The new plan is to make it an exclusive Tamil entertainment channel," Sun Network VP sales Shanmugam told indiantelevision.com.

This is part of the joint venture Sun had signed with Malaysia's Astro All Asia Network in December 2004 to originate, aggregate and distribute television programming and channels for a global audience. As per the $ 25 million (Rs 1125 million) JV, Sun was supposed to launch a Tamil language channel for distribution on the Astro DTH platform in Malaysia and other South East Asian markets.

Shanmugam added that the network would provide the Sun TV Malayalam-Telugu content now through Astro Vaanvil, a family oriented channel from the network. Astro Vaanvil is targeted towards the Indian population and broadcasts mainly in Tamil and other South Indian languages.