After a successful year on air, Channel Punjab has announced it will be encrypting its service on Monday 25th June.

Channel Punjab has been available free to on Sky Digital since its launch last September.

Channel Punjab will be sold at £9.99 per month; however early birds will be able to receive the channel at the discounted rate of £8.28 (no connection fee). The clever marketing strategy sees the channel being sold at the digits of Channel Punjab's EPG number on Sky - 828.

The channel will be available also at an annual price of £99.99 (early bird offer), with one month extra being thrown in for free.

The broadcaster will be going all out to market the channel's encryption, branding it the '828 Tour'. The tour will also include a 'Talent Hunt' roadshow, whereby the channel will be scouting for new talent for its new UK programming. The roadshows will be taking place in Birmingham, London, Manchester and Glasgow. Channel Punjab has roped in media personalities Amarjit Sidhu, Channi Singh from Alaap and Apache Indian to judge the 'Talent Hunt'.

A handful of the channel's imported shows from India will be localised, which will see the channel increasing its UK recorded programming output. Shows like 'Trinjan' and 'Tadke Tadke' will be the first to get the UK treatment.

Furthermore, to boost its local feed, the channel will be opening up its UK studios on Monday 25th June. The studios will be based in the Sandwell region of the West Midlands. The new state-of-the-art studios include a 1,5000 sq ft shooting floor/studio, conference room, editing suites, graphics suite, make-up and dressing rooms, amongst other technical requirements for broadcast.

The new studios will also be available for hire to other broadcasters from Sunday 1st July.

Related link:
Channel Punjab makes Sky Digital launch