For an international channel that was rebranded last August, Australia Network has come a long way. The cable/satellite service (formerly ABC Asia Pacific) reaches 15 million homes in more than 40 countries as well as 200,000 hotel rooms and is watched, on average, by 1.1 million viewers per month. In addition, the channel is available in 10 million homes in 22 major cities in India, thanks to a distribution agreement with Setpro Holdings, an arm of the TV18 Network. “India is the most competitive television market in the world, with 300 channels competing for 100-150 slots in multiple cable systems,” says Chief Executive Ian Carroll. “It’s also one of the most unregulated markets for foreign broadcasters, so it’s a market of opportunity.” Carroll says he chose Setpro because of the level of expertise it had demonstrated in making CNN-IBN the most–watched English language service in India six months after launch. Setpro, a joint venture between TV18 and Sameer Manchada, also distributes CNBC TV 18, Awaaz and pan-India Channel 7. Australia Network began rolling out on cable systems last September, massively expanding its reach, which had been limited to Dish TV’s DTH