Next Step for Indian Television

This is not exactly a suggestion/comment for IF in particular. It is more of a suggestion comment in general for Vijay, those who run IF and/or anyone who feels this idea deems merit. India-Forums started off as a small forum and is not one of the India's largest entertainment portal. With blogs, celebrity interviews, Telly Buzz, Zing Magazine - the offerings have expanded for the Indian television viewer and entertainment enthusiast. So I think IF may have the potential to do for Indian television what other services have done in USA.

Indian Television needs to expand into internet and streaming video like Hulu. I think there is a good demand for something like this and plenty of opportunity.

- For one it is extremely difficult to find good quality Youtube videos of Indian television shows. Sites like Zshare and others on which updates are shared are buggy and full of advertisements and popups and such (at least I don't find them as clean vendors like youtube or hulu).

- Online television is the future. There is a shift from expensive cable providers to cheaper alternatives like premium subscription services on Netflix and Hulu.

- Even with a small subscription fee a television service like Hulu would be lucrative to desis abroad as an alternative to expensive satellite services. Especially for students, apartment dwellers and those people who cannot install a satellite.

- There are desis all over the world and this would be a means for desis in areas that don't get Indian programming to watch our shows.

- Maybe if not immediately, I am sure production houses would be interested in broadcasting digital editions of shows a few weeks after air and cash in on advertisers in online video. Since many Indian shows don't do season DVD's, online video might be a good option.

- Online television would be a good option for niche programming. A lot of shows with unique concepts cannot compete with soaps on regular television. For example shows like Rishta.com and Mahi run only a short period and are taken off despite popularity because of their inability to generate revenue for the channel. Perhaps online television would be an alternative compared to being on Zee or Star. Also shows that cannot compete with soaps on the channel, maybe able to gather enough people to watch it online later.

- Since the inception of online videos many small budget web series have been broadcast and have been highly successful. In the very bottom line oriented, hierarchical television industry, online television can give smaller talent and ideas a break.

Maybe it is just me. Being an internet junkie, I think that everything can be converted for the internet and be better, cheaper, easier. I've just been thinking how much I miss being able to have a Hulu experience for Indian television and wanted to make the suggestion.