Walt Disney is to launch a satellite TV channel in India next year.

Andy Bird, president Walt Disney International met Indian Minister for Information and Broadcasting Ravi Shanker Prasad in Mumbai yesterday (Mar 15) to discuss investment plans for the service.

The station has been given the government go-ahead.

Disney plans to spend $10 million launching the channel, which will be aimed at kids and family audiences.

The company says it also plans to screen local content on the channel.

Doug Miller, senior vice-president and managing director (Asia Pacific), Walt Disney Television International told ScreenDaily.com: "We don't want to import the American channel to India. We want to take the best assets of Walt Disney including animation and movies and mix it with content which we will acquire locally".