A separate vertical will be floated for the television broadcasting business under the name of Big CBS.

Mumbai: Reliance Broadcast Network Ltd (RBNL) (previously Reliance Media World Ltd) plans to forge a 50:50 joint venture with US-based media conglomerate CBS Studios International to launch a series of television channels in India.

CBS Studios is the wholly-owned subsidiary of CBS Corporation.

It has proposed an investment of $100 million over five years. Initially, the joint venture will launch English language general entertainment channels and compete with Star World, AXN, Fox Entertainment and Zee Café.

A separate vertical will be floated for the television broadcasting business under the name of Big CBS. The channels will be launched by early next year. The joint venture would include certain programming rights across India, Nepal, Bhutan, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, the Maldives and Pakistan for now, and this could see further geographical spread on mutual consent.

CBS Corporation's television network is America's No. 1 Broadcast Network and has a track record of developing shows such as CSI, NCIS, Two and a Half Men, America's Next Top Model, The Oprah Winfrey Show among others.

With more than 200 television stations and affiliates reaching virtually every home in the US, CBS' total primetime network line-up was watched by more than 100 million people a week during the 2009/2010 season.

RBNL operates in areas such as Radio (92.7 Big FM), Experiential Marketing (Big Live), Out of Home (Big Street) and Digital (Big Digital) and specialises in creating and executing integrated solutions for clients, across the country.