Broadcaster NDTV Ltd is in talks with Bennett Coleman & Co. Ltd (BCCL), the diversified media company that publishes The Times of India, for a potential stake sale or strategic partnership in its Delhi-focussed channel NDTV Metronation, according to a senior executive at one of the companies with direct knowledge of the talks. Metronation Delhi was launched in September 2007 and the franchise, conceived to provide local news and lifestyle content and reap city-based advertising, was meant to be replicated in other cities.

Prior to the launch, NDTV had discussions with HT Media Ltd to possibly jointly launch the channel and have synergies across content as well as ad sales, but the deal did not work out. From what we understand, a similar deal is being pursued now, where BCCL’s strong ad sales relationships in Delhi can be put to good use to sell the channel. “We have nothing to say. This is speculative,” said BCCL CEO Ravi Dhariwal. BCCL has interests in broadcast through subsidiaries Times Global Broadcasting Pvt Ltd, which broadcasts Times Now and is set to launch ET Now, as well as Zoom Entertainment Network Pvt. Ltd, which broadcasts Bollywood-focussed entertainment channel Zoom. “We do not comment on speculation within the media about future strategies,” an NDTV spokesperson wrote in an email response to a request for comment.

Meanwhile, NDTV’s joint venture in Chennai with Kasturi & Sons Ltd, publisher of The Hindu, to launch Metronation Chennai, is still on, Kasturi & Sons joint managing director N. Murali said. “We are yet to decide the timing of the launch. But it’s on,” he said.