3 broadcasters in race to launch Indian weather channel

Televisionpoint.com Correspondent | Mumbai
Three broadcasting networks are in the race to launch India's first dedicated weather channel expected to be on air in the first quarter of 2009.

The India Meteorological Department (IMD), which plans to launch the weather channel in public-private partnership mode, has short listed four channels, run by the three networks for the key initiative of the government.

IMD, which has weather stations all across the country, will provide raw data on the climatic conditions to the private party, which in turn will telecast it after making value addition.

To begin with, the weather channel will be on air for six hours every day and is expected to function round-the-clock in time for the Commonwealth Games.

The Ministry of Earth Sciences has drawn up plans to issue venue-specific weather forecasts for the Commonwealth Games scheduled to be held in the capital in 2010.

The channel will update weather reports every hour and will give a forecast for the next few hours. There will be medium-range forecasts for the next three days that will extend into the next week and month.

Developed countries like the US and the UK already have popular weather channels.