Television Eighteen is India's leading business and consumer news broadcaster with a wide variety of content provider. TV18 was incorporated in September 1993 as Television Eighteen India Private Ltd and became a public limited company in November 1994. Mr. Raghav Bahl and Mr. Sanjay R Chaudhuri promoted the company. The company came out with a public issue in December 1999. That time Television Eighteen Mauritius Limited was a 100% subsidiary in Mauritius, in a JV with Business News Private Ltd, has launched CNBC India. TV18 supplies India dedicated content to CNBC India on a cost plus basis.

TV18 has a business-news content sharing alliance with e-Financial Express. Later, Its Internet focused subsidiary e-Eighteen Dot Com Pvt. Ltd., acquired moneycontrol.com. Television Eighteen scrapped its plans to launch its proposed entertainment channel. It has defined business and fianance news to be the core area of focus. TV 18 now handles the sales of advertisement time of CNBC India business news channel which was previously managed by Sony Entertainment Television. TV 18 relaunched moneycontrol.com with a completely new look and enhanced content, which received excellent audience response. Entertainment Programming Division was converted into a 100 per cent subsidiary company to allow greater concentration on business and operations.

Products & services:

Television Eighteen India Ltd generates business and consumer programming content for TV channels. It is involved in business news, entertainment news and popular consumer information programs. Company is now looking aggressively to expand its domestic and international operations. It is also increasing its marketing and promotions reach to domestic as well as international market. Company works to buy, sell, export, import or otherwise deal in television programs, television films, cinematographic films, video films, video software and to deal in computer software all over India.

TV18 now has a network of 4 channels viz. Channel 7, CNN-IBN, CNBC-TV18 and Awaaz in its bouquet. CNN-IBN launched in 2005, was made available in more than 40 million homes within two weeks of its launch. TV 18 subsidiary companies are Moneycontrol.com, in which TV 18 holds over 90 per cent, CNN-IBN with a holding of 74 per cent and commoditiescontrol.com where the company has an 80 per cent stake. The company intends to invest in projects spanning television, internet and triple convergence areas. While some of these investments will create greenfield projects, others are likely to result in acquisitions of operating companies.

Valuation:

Television Eighteen India (TV18) said it will raise USD 10 million by issuing preferred stock of a subsidiary to NGP II Mauritius. The proceeds will be infused into Web18 Holdings, Cayman, the internet arm of TV18, as strategic growth capital. Company is also looking at various options to expand its reach including setting up Greenfield ventures or acquiring a stake in existing ventures. At current market price, the stock is trading at 12.67 P/E multiple of its FY2011 estimated earnings par share. We recommend investors "BUY" "Television Eighteen India Limited" with a medium to long-term investment horizon.