THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: A new news channel, ‘NEWS18 KERALA’ is being launched from the capital city on Tuesday into the chaotic world of Malayalam television channels. The team behind ETV- News18 network informed that they are the biggest satellite television group in the country with two National (CNN-IBN and IBN-7) and 13 regional channels (Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Chhatisgarh, Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Bihar,-Jharkhand, Haryana- Himachal, Bangala, Kannada, Gujarati, Assam and Tamil Nadu).
The new channel will be launched by Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan on Tuesday at Hotel Taj Vivanta at 5 pm in the presence of several union BJP ministers and other State leaders cutting across political parties. T. J. Sreelal, National affairs editor of NEWS18 KERALA told DC that the Universal Selling Point of NEWS18 KERALA is that a national platform is coming to Kerala.
“Kerala is a potential market. It will be a different experience for the viewers altogether. We are trying to encash what a national television channel can cater to the viewers in the form of news and current affairs programmes”, said Sreelal.
Television industry sources told DC that NEWS18 KERALA has roped in several ‘known’ faces from other existing channels with huge salary. But a senior journalist who is not known in the industry is expected to be the ‘face’ of NEWS18 KERALA.
It has to be remembered that several channels like Indiavision, TV New, Today TV have shut doors in the last two years while others such as Reporter TV and Jeevan TV are facing crisis. The only television news channels that are doing good in terms of revenue generation are Asianet News, Manorama News and Mathrubhumi News.
A senior television personality informed that it is due to the exorbitant transmission rates that few of the channels had to be closed down leaving several journalists and technicians jobless. “Government has no role in the running of television channels. Recently TV Today’s work had come to a halt after the transmission rate was hiked to Rs 2.5 crore from Rs 1.5 crore without prior notice. Similarly the much hyped television channel, TV New mooted by Kerala Chamber of Commerce and Industry was also closed down”, said an industry expert.
Those journalists and technicians who have been left jobless have found a place in upcoming television news channels like 24 News belonging to Flowers TV as well as Mangalam TV, both expected to be launched during the Malayalam month of Chingam.
