VCCircle

The channel will be fully operational by December 2009 and aims to reach 20 million homes by the first quarter of 2010.

Venture-backed What’s On India Media Pvt Ltd (WOIML) has launched the India's first consumer TV guide channel today. The channel, which is currently available to only Hathway users, will be fully operational by December 2009 and aims to reach 20 million homes by the first quarter of 2010.

The Mumbai-based company has been backed by Sequoia Capital India and Nexus Venture Partners. Among other investors in WOIML include Julie Peterson, who was earlier with STAR TV in Hong Kong, besides ITV/GranadaMedia in the UK.

The channel has an electronic programme guide (EPG) which aggregates programming information from hundreds of TV channels.

Whats on India was founded in 2005 by Atul Phadnis, who had earlier worked with media agency Rediffusion-DY&R, Mindshare, Starcom and TAM Media. It was originally set up as Aarohan Media Software Pvt Ltd. The company received its first funding from financial services advisory firm Wealth First Advisors in October 2006.

It has clients from both media platforms such as IPTV, DTH and cable (names like Big TV, WWIL, Hathway) besides the TV channels themselves including Star, Sony, Zee, MTV, Viacom, Times Now, UTV, Discovery, 9X etc.