Home >companies >Imagine TV to shut down as viewership declines


Real, a joint venture with Alva Brothers Entertainment and Turner’s first bid to run such a channel, was closed in 2010. Turner International India Pvt. Ltd announced its decision to close Imagine as well as Imagine Dil Se, the channel’s international feed.

Turner, a unit of Time Warner Inc. that operates television channels such as Cartoon Network, Pogo, CNN, HBO and WB in India, acquired Imagine from NDTV Networks Plc in 2009 for an estimated $126.5 million. The Hindi GEC came with Lumiere, a world cinema channel, and Imagine Showbiz, a film entertainment and music channel. Both were shut down earlier.

Rakhi Sawant in Swayamvar



A senior Imagine executive, who quit some time ago, said the channel was losing approximately 200 crore a year. Jain declined to comment on the losses.

Turner’s other businesses in India are profitable. “The other businesses are mature, clocking a healthy double-digit growth with 50% margins," Jain said.




Aminah Sheikh contributed to this story.


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