Warner Bros to launch entertainment channel in Asia

Warner Bros is launching general entertainment channel WarnerTV across Asia.

The network will launch at the start of 2010 and follows the success of the channel in Latin America and India. The channel will air series from Warner Bros studio including The Mentalist, Fringe, Gossip Girl, Southland and The Big Bang Theory.

Distribution will be handled by HBO Asia, which has carriage across the region and is currently in negotiations with a raft of pay TV operators.

Separately, Turner Broadcasting said it is launching a new entertainment channel in Asia. It will roll out crime channel TruTV across Asia next year. The international channels arm of the US media firm will launch the channel in early 2010 and it will be run by EVP, Turner, Asia Pacific Ian Carroll.

The channel, which will feature a raft of factual and reality crime series, will target men and women between 29 and 39. Series on the US channel include Rehab: Party at the Hard Rock Hotel and Operation Repo.