KOLKATA: The north eastern region of the country has been an ignored lot. And it is not just the people, who are asking for attention, but the channels as well that are now vying for more visibility. One such channel is Assam-based Prag News, a 24×7 satellite News channel, which is looking at pan-India presence. The channel has signed a deal with direct to home (DTH) operator Tata Sky to further enhance its distribution in other parts of the country.
“We have already signed the deal with Tata Sky and as soon as the operator finds the bandwidth, Prag News will be included on the platform,” informs Prag News chairman and managing director Sanjive Narain.
The News channel which is already available on Airtel Digital TV and Dish TV is also in talks with other DTH operators to ensure better reach. “We will disclose the information about the other players once the deal is finalised,” he adds.
“It will be a win-win situation for any DTH player if it ties up with Prag News. The arrangement will also benefit the Assamese viewers of the platform,” opines Vinod Jhaveri of VKJ Advisory Services.
The channel also enjoys a good reach in cable TV homes, across the country. While it is being distributed across the country via multi system operator SitiCable, in parts of Bihar it is distributed through Darsh Network, in J&K by 7 Sea, in Punjab with FastWay and in West Bengal via CTVN.
Prag News, one of the oldest local news channels of the north east region which was launched in 2000 and operates out of Guwahati, has other plans as well. Taking cue from the tie-up between Times Now and Guwahati based News Live during Lok Sabha election, Prag News is also looking at content tie-up opportunity with a national News broadcaster.
“Nothing has been finalised as yet on this front,” informs Narain.
Post Assam chief minister Tarun Gogoi’s decision to step down after his defeat in the general elections and BJP-led government deciding to monitor the states closely, the region has become a hub of new.
“Mainstream media especially TV has always ignored the north east. While clubbing all stories under the section ‘North East’ is an easy way out for channels, it is completely unfair to the people there. It is good to know that local channels like Prag News are looking for content tie-ups. If this happens, we can hope to see substantial increase in coverage from different states of north east in the media space,” says a Kolkata based television expert.
The channel is currently available across Assam and other north-east states and enjoys a viewership of over 10 million.
