Regional

Assembly polls: Regional channels in overdrive

Published

20 years ago

April 22, 2006

Elections are a matter of life and death for politicians and political organisations. Another section of society that approach elections with equal earnestness is the media.

With five states – Assam, West Bengal, Kerala, Tamil Nadu and Pondicherry – engaged in assembly elections in April – May, the regional television market has entered an exciting phase.

While Assam has already completed the formalities, West Bengal had the first and second phases of polling on 17 April and 22 April. Three more phases are remaining – 27 April, 3 May and 8 May. Tamil Nadu and Pondicherry have it scheduled for a single date, on 8 May. In Kerala it is three phases: 22 April, 29 April and 3 May.

Thus we have three important regional television markets of West Bengal, Tamil Nadu and Kerala, which command 50 per cent of the total language television revenues, trying to make the most of this opportunity for market expansion. Understandably, all these three ‘news hungry‘ markets have been witnessing a lot of churn recently, be it with channel launches or expansion of existing operations.

Tamil Nadu is one market that has been attracting attention for all the wrong reasons. Kalanithi Maran-headed Sun TV is enjoying a superior position in the market and we are not again talking about that viewership dominance. The channel is in an envious position of having no competition at all in the news space; or to put it better, no competitor at all. While Sun TV and its news channel sibling Sun News are making the maximum out of the elections, rivals Jaya TV, Raj TV and Star Vijay don‘t have the necessary permission to telecast news and live programmes.

Ever since its inception in 1999, Jaya TV has been fighting for a teleport licence, which would enable it to beam live news. This year, as the elections approached, the channel had intensified its efforts with the purpose of launching a separate news channel and the matter had even reached the Madras High Court. But, as per the indications, Jaya‘s plans of launching the news channel to capitalise on the election may not just get materialised. The channel is now concentrating on the election coverage by telecasting delayed news bulletins and current affairs programmes.

“At this crucial time, we can‘t afford to indulge in court battles. We don‘t want our attention to get diverted. We are making our best efforts possible covering the elections,” states Jaya TV VP News Sunil KP.

As already reported by indiantelevision.com, Raj TV‘s coverage of the elections is also restricted to delayed news bulletins and other non-live programmes. Star Vijay, meanwhile, sounds very pleased with what is has been doing as a general entertainment channel. “We are presently concentrating on bringing quality entertainment programmes to our viewers. Our audiences turn to us for entertainment and we are doing what we are supposed to do in the best possible manner,” quips a Star Vijay executive.

Looking west to Kerala, God‘s own country deserves a mention more for broken promises. Keralaites were promised two more news channels ahead of the elections: MM News from print giant Malayala Manorama‘s TV arm MM TV and Jai Hind TV from the state‘s Congress party. While MM News is now targeting a May-June launch for the channel, Jai Hind will be unveiled only by mid-May. However, MM News has already started its dry run partially.

“It is for sure that the channel launch will happen only after the elections. We want to enter the market fully prepared and we didn‘t want to launch the channel just for the sake of covering the elections. We have now started sending our team of reporters to cover election-related events, but it is not a full-fledged dry run yet,” says MM TV news director Johny Lukose.

However, unlike Tamil Nadu, Kerala is not short of news channels. The state already has three news channels in Asianet News, People TV and Indiavision. For the youngest of the three Malayalam Communications‘ People TV, the launch timing couldn‘t have got any better. The channel was launched in 2005, ahead of the state local body elections and now in 2006 follows the assembly elections.

To the up to West Bengal, both local as well as national players are showing equal aggresive intent in this market. Star India made its debut in Bangla last year by launching its news channel Star Ananda, in association with print major Ananda Bazar Patrika (ABP). Again in 2005, Rathikant Basu-promoted Broadcast Worldwide withdrew its GEC Tara Bangla from the market to launch news and music channels, Tara Newz and Tara Muzik. Both launches were timed to coincide with the local body elections.

Now, in April this year, Zee Telefilms found the time ripe to launch its Bangla news channel Chobbees Ghanta in association with Akash Bangla. Kolkata-based Xenitis Group of Companies also entered the market this year with its news channel Kolkata TV, keeping in mind the elections coming up. The latter has reportedly spent Rs 100 million on the pre-launch outdoor publicity campaign.

PROGRAMMING STRATEGIES

As soon as the government declared the polling dates, channels across these three markets had unveiled their special initiatives. The general strategy has been, covering the election in three phases: pre-elections, elections and post-elections.

In the West Bengal market, where the results are reportedly a foregone conclusion, issue-based programmes have stolen the limelight. “Here, there is no suspense attached to the election results. Hence, the effort has been to do more issue-based programmes. Apart from that, Tara Newz has been doing in-depth constituency analyses, live discussions and debates,” says the channel head Amit Chakraborty.

Star Ananda has branded its election coverage special as Lalbarir Lorai. “The series empowers the viewer with a ringside view of all the twists, turns, sub-plots and issues on hand with continuous updates, news, views, live on-ground debates, travelogues, interviews with the big names, scorecard of performances, opinion polls, exit polls,” claims an official communiqué from the channel.

Speaking on the channel‘s election coverage strategy, one Star News executive offers,” Star Ananda‘s election programmes are meant to empower the viewer to make informed choices. As a news channel, we give primary importance to this responsibility.”

According to Zee News director Laxmi Goel, the new kid on the block Chobbees Ghanta will try to lure viewers by offering unbiased coverage and fast delivery of news. Market leader ETV, meanwhile, has increased the duration of its hourly five minutes news updates to ten minutes. However, there are not many special programmes from the channel. “Being a GEC, we are addressing a larger audience. We will put efforts to cover what matters most, the results,” says ETV chief producer Manvi.

Speaking about the programming strategy being followed by Malayalam channels, the sub-genres followed are more or less the same as those of Bangla channels.

According to Malayalam Communications MD and editor John Brittas, the competition has helped the channels to raise the bar in election coverage. “Malayalam Channels are more matured now. The election-related programmes have turned more in-depth and issue-based. The reports are now more objective and the quality has really gone up. Technology upgradation has also improved the quality of delivery. With so many channels out there, channels have been making their best efforts possible,” says Brittas.

“We are trying our best bring in the quality and effectiveness of reputed national news channels to the regional language. We don‘t want to be here as just another Malayalam channel. Our aim is to deliver Keralites a channel that holds the national standards and we have been making the best use of elections to do that,” says Amrita TV director & CEO Sudhakar Jayaram.

Asianet managing editor KP Mohanan takes pride in coming out with a series of exclusive interviews when it mattered the most. “We have been doing a lot of exclusive stuff these days. We did a half an hour live interview with the prime minister Manmohan Singh recently and that was the first of its kind in Malayalam television,” says Mohannan.

INVESTMENTS

Election is also an occasion that television channels choose to make fresh investments in infrastructure and human resources. According to Zee‘s Goel, the company has earmarked Rs 90 million for the first three months operations of Chobbees Ghanta.

“Since the channel was launched just ahead of the elections, we have gone for the best of the broadcast technology and infrastructure. And of course, this is a long term investment,” says Goel.

Tara Newz has made investments to the tune of Rs 10 million to provide best services during the elections. The company recently installed the graphics set up offered by the Beehive Systems for about Rs 2.8 million. However, Chakraborty feels that the investments have been made with long term goals in mind. “We have upgraded our systems keeping in mind the upcoming Bangladesh elections also. Tara Newz is popular in Bangladesh also, and we will be covering the elections extensively,” he says.

According to Jayaram, Amrita TV has invested about Rs 7.5 million on its election-related initiatives. “The channel was given a facelift recently, as we completed one year of operations. We are now preparing software that will help the anchor to analyse each constituency to the minute details during the results. We are also associating with top election analysts of the country,” says Jayaram.

Malayalam Communications is spending about Rs 4 million on its election programmes. “This is something like a mega Onam (the most popular regional festival) and we are trying our best to make the most out of it. We have made fresh investments in technology and graphics,” states Brittas.

Meanwhile, Asianet News, the news channel from Asianet Communications, is gearing up for a major face lift. “We have spent quite a sizable amount on infrastructure. Investments have been made in various segments including graphics and server based production systems. On 11 May, when the assembly elections results will be announced, Asianet News will come out with various noticeable changes. The channel will be given a new look and feel, says Mohannan.

Rival Indiavision has used the opportunity to acquire new equipments. “We have been renting our equipments but now we have bought our own. We have also increased our live connectivity to 10 districts this time round. Originally we had only one OB van in Delhi, and now we have one for Kerala as well,” says Indiavision executive editor M V Nikesh Kumar.

However, for Surya TV Thiruvananthapuram bureau chief Anil Nambiar, the trick of the trade lies in using the limited resources and space to its utmost value. “Surya‘s news content duration is limited as we bank on sponsored programmes and other fiction initiatives. Hence, we are a team of 30 reporters, trying our best to come with quality coverage,” says Nambiar.

Post results, as politicians get busy deciding their future actions and doing the performance analyses, these television channel executives will also be spending a considerable time in the board rooms, analysing their performance.

After all, for regional channels, there is no business like the news business.

Up Next

British TV regulator Ofcom lifts ban on Freeview

Don't Miss

Starcom Worldwide North India & Pakistan MD Anita Nayyar

Click to comment

News Headline

Deepak CR joins BIG TV 24×7 as Chief Manager – Media Solutions

Published

3 weeks ago

February 2, 2026

indiantelevision.com Team

Kerala: Deepak CR has switched channels and pace. The broadcast-industry hand has joined Big TV 24×7 as chief manager, media solutions, betting on sharper monetisation as regional television and digital video chase the next ad dollar.

The move caps a steady climb across ad sales, digital strategy and distribution. Deepak CR brings experience spanning OTT, product analytics and management, UX, web development and hosting, digital marketing, and television and digital ad sales, a toolkit built for a market where content is plentiful but revenue is fought for.

He arrives from Bharat Media & Entertainment Group, where as senior manager, business development he worked the ad market and client pipeline. Before that, at Reporter Broadcasting Company, he handled media solutions and ad sales, from client onboarding and pitch proposals to payment cycles and yield management, helping the channel hold share in a crowded territory.

The longest stint came at Flowers TV, nearly seven years in digital ad sales and time sales. There he chased new business, worked with agencies, built cross-platform media plans and ran display and video campaigns through Google Ad Manager. He also developed working knowledge of web hosting, SEO and digital marketing, increasingly useful as broadcasters blur into digital publishers.

Earlier, at WebMobi Network Solutions, he sold content delivery network services, managing client relationships and hunting fresh revenue in the streaming ecosystem.

The timing is telling. As broadcasters juggle linear TV, streaming and hybrid ad models, media solutions roles are becoming commercial nerve centres. Big TV 24×7 is signalling it wants a bigger slice of that pie.

New chair, same game. Find the clients, grow the yields and keep the ads flowing. In a market that never sits still, neither does Deepak CR.

News Headline

Brand house Bigg Boss Marathi Season 6 turns the spotlight on sponsors

Published

1 month ago

January 14, 2026

indiantelevision.com Team

MUMBAI: When the house fills up, so does the brand roster. Bigg Boss Marathi Season 6 has signed on nine leading sponsors, underlining the franchise’s pull as one of Maharashtra’s most influential entertainment properties across television and digital. The latest season once again positions the show as a magnet for brands looking to blend scale with cultural relevance in a market that rewards regional nuance.

The sponsor lineup is spread across multiple tiers. Danube Properties and Santoor Soap come on board as co-powered partners, while MYK Laticrete, Pitambari, P. N. Gadgil & Sons, Gemini Cooking Oil and Cotton King have joined as special partners. Society Tea and Tunwal E-Motors complete the lineup as associate sponsor.

For returning sponsors, the appeal lies in the show’s ability to deliver repeatable impact. Danube Properties, which previously partnered Bigg Boss 19, said the Marathi edition allows it to deepen engagement with regional audiences built on aspiration and trust. Santoor Soap echoed that view, pointing to strong recall and engagement from past integrations and highlighting the show’s value in reinforcing its progressive woman narrative within culturally rooted storytelling.

Other brands see the show as a platform that goes beyond visibility. MYK Laticrete described the association as a way to build trust through sustained presence, while Pitambari said the partnership coincides with the launch push for its Dishwash Gel, leveraging the show’s reach into everyday households. Jewellery major P. N. Gadgil & Sons returns for a second consecutive season, citing the programme’s cultural stature and the added appeal of host Riteish Deshmukh.

From kitchen staples to clothing and EVs, the diversity of categories reflects the show’s broad audience base. Gemini Cooking Oil called the partnership a natural alignment between two No.1 brands in Maharashtra, while Cotton King sees the association as a springboard to build recall and relevance. Society Tea continues its long-standing relationship with the franchise, and Tunwal E-Motors is using the platform to push its message of affordable electric mobility to mass audiences.

With Season 6 assembling a crowded sponsor house, Bigg Boss Marathi once again demonstrates why regional entertainment has become prime real estate for marketers. In a cluttered media landscape, the show’s mix of scale, loyalty and cultural currency continues to make it one of the safest bets on the brand board.

Danube Group founder & chairman Rizwan Sajan said, “After the overwhelming response to our association with Bigg Boss 19, we are delighted to extend our partnership to Bigg Boss Marathi. At Danube Properties, we believe in meeting our audience where they are, and this collaboration allows us to connect more deeply with regional audiences who share our values of aspiration, trust, and progress. This partnership reinforces our commitment to building meaningful relationships across cultures and communities.”

Wipro Santoor (Wipro Consumer Care) CMO Prasanna Rai said, “Santoor’s growth to become the largest soap brand in India, has been driven by deep consumer connections. High-impact regional programs like Bigg Boss Marathi allow us to build these bonds authentically with culturally rooted audiences in ways that broader national properties miss. Our integration last year delivered strong engagement and exceptional recall. We are excited to partner with Bigg Boss Marathi once again, continuing to weave Santoor’s progressive woman narrative into the show’s storytelling and further strengthening our presence in every Marathi household.”

MYK Laticrete president of sales & marketing Amarbir Palta said, “Bigg Boss Marathi offers a deeply regional and culturally rooted audience. Our partnership with this show goes beyond visibility, it’s about connecting with culture and building trust through sustained visibility. This association reinforces one clear promise: Any tile, any surface, MYK LATICRETE delivers unmatched excellence in tile adhesives.”

Pitambari Products Pvt. Ltd. DGM Priya Prabhudesai said, “We are proud to be associated with Bigg Boss Marathi, a platform that truly connects with millions of Indian homes. Through this association, we are launching Pitambari Dishwash Gel with the aim of reaching every household. With its unmatched reach and strong entertainment value, this collaboration allows us to engage with consumers in a fresh and impactful way.”

P. N. Gadgil & Sons Limited CFO & COO Aditya Modak said, “We are proud to associate with Bigg Boss Marathi Season 6 for the second consecutive year. The show commands a distinct cultural stature with a loyal following, and the presence of Riteish Deshmukh as host has further elevated its appeal and scale. This partnership enables us to engage meaningfully with a new generation of discerning audiences while reinforcing our legacy of trust across Maharashtra.”

Cargill Foods India senior director for GTM Retail Shailesh Khurana said, “Gemini has always been the first choice of Maharashtra’s kitchens. Partnering with Bigg Boss Marathi, the state’s most loved show, is a natural fit when two No.1 brands come together, it creates a winning story for millions of households.”

Cotton King Pvt. Ltd. managing director Koushik Marathe said, “Cotton King is proud to associate with Bigg Boss Marathi for the first time. The show offers a powerful platform to connect with millions of viewers and strengthen brand recall. We’re excited to drive visibility, relevance, and deeper consumer affinity through this partnership.”

Society Tea senior marketing manager Chandrashekhar Bhosle said, “Our association with Bigg Boss Marathi has been a strong and rewarding journey. With the show’s growing scale and engagement, we are confident Season 6 will deliver an even bigger impact for Society Tea.”

Tunwal E-Motors chairman and managing director Jhumarmal Tunwal said, “Tunwal E Motors Limited has always been committed to making sustainable and affordable electric mobility accessible to the masses. This association reflects our vision of driving Bharat towards a cleaner, smarter future by bringing reliable EV solutions closer to consumers across the country.”

News Headline

Celebrating World Hindi Day: Guess which country besides India officially speaks Hindi?

Published

2 months ago

January 10, 2026

indiantelevision.com Team

MUMBAI: Every January 10, millions of Hindi speakers pause to celebrate a language that is far older than its official tags and far wider in reach than its South Asian origins might suggest. World Hindi Day honours the cultural legacy and expanding global presence of Hindi, a language that connects people across continents and generations.

The idea for World Hindi Day was born more than four decades ago at the first World Hindi Conference, held on January 10, 1975, in Nagpur, Maharashtra, with delegates from around 30 countries gathering to promote Hindi beyond India’s borders. Two decades later, in 2006, the Indian government formalised the observance, giving the language its own annual moment on the global calendar.

A language without borders
Hindi’s reach today is remarkable. Spoken by hundreds of millions, it ranks among the most spoken languages globally, trailing only behind Mandarin Chinese and English in sheer number of speakers. Estimates suggest that roughly 600 million people use Hindi in some form, whether as a first or additional language.

While India remains the heartland of Hindi, its influence stretches far beyond. Fiji stands out as a singular testament to the language’s overseas journey: in 1997, Hindi was enshrined as one of the island nation’s official languages, recognising the linguistic heritage of its Indo-Fijian community, whose ancestors carried Hindi dialects with them more than a century ago.

Across South Asia and beyond, Hindi resonates in everyday life. In Nepal, it is widely understood and spoken, especially in border regions; in countries such as Mauritius, Trinidad and Tobago, Suriname and Guyana, it lives on through generations of diaspora communities, where Indian traditions remain woven into the cultural fabric. In the United States, the UK and Singapore, Hindi classrooms and community hubs reflect a growing appetite among younger generations to engage with the language of their forebears.

Roots in history, wings in culture
Back home, Hindi’s story predates modern nationhood. As a descendant of Sanskrit and a mosaic of dialects such as Awadhi, Bhojpuri and Khariboli, the language evolved and spread over centuries, absorbing influences and adapting to local cultures. Its script, Devanagari, is recognised for its phonetic clarity and literary heritage.

In India, Hindi was adopted as an official language under Article 343 of the Constitution in 1950, written in Devanagari, and today it serves as a major medium of communication, administration and education across much of northern and central India.

World Hindi Day celebrates these roots and the vast cultural landscape built upon them. It is marked by seminars, workshops, poetry recitals, youth contests and academic exchanges not only in India but in embassies, universities and cultural centres worldwide. The aim is simple but ambitious, to honour Hindi’s heritage while encouraging its use as a vehicle of global communication and intercultural dialogue.

A language in the digital age
Hindi’s rise has not been confined to temples, lecture halls and diasporic festivals. In the digital age, Hindi content has exploded across the internet, from social media to video platforms, blogs to online publications. Hindi is now one of the most visible languages on the web, with millions of users creating and consuming content daily.

This digital presence reinforces Hindi’s living nature, it is not a museum piece but a language that continues to grow and adapt. Whether in informal chat, academic discourse, cinema, television or social media, Hindi remains vibrant, expressive and deeply connected to the lives of its speakers.

More than words
World Hindi Day is not merely an ode to vocabulary or grammar. It is a celebration of identity, memory and community. For many, Hindi is a bridge between past and present, home and diaspora, tradition and innovation.

Across classrooms in India and cultural forums abroad, the message is the same: Hindi is not just a language of heritage, it is a dynamic force in contemporary culture and global conversation.

Hindi in popular culture and entertainment
Hindi’s influence extends far beyond classrooms and diaspora communities; it thrives in everyday entertainment and global pop culture. Daily soaps on Indian television have played a major role in spreading the language, not just in India but across the world. Many popular serials are dubbed into local languages or subtitled to reach international audiences, airing in countries such as Nepal, Mauritius, the UAE, the UK, the USA, and parts of Africa and Southeast Asia. Diaspora communities often tune in to these shows to stay connected with Indian culture, while local audiences are drawn to the stories, music, and traditions portrayed. These soaps bring Hindi into homes daily, reinforcing vocabulary, idioms, and cultural references, while shaping social conversations and entertainment habits. From family dramas to mythological epics, Hindi television has become a vibrant vehicle for both cultural preservation and global reach.

The language has also captured the attention of global celebrities and influencers. Stars like Nick Jonas have been spotted jamming to Hindi tracks, while other international musicians and social media personalities incorporate Hindi music into performances and content. This crossover into mainstream global entertainment highlights Hindi’s appeal as a vibrant, expressive language that resonates across cultures, making it not just a language of heritage, but a dynamic force in contemporary global culture.

On January 10 each year, as events unfold from Nagpur to Nairobi, from Suva to San Francisco, that force is recognised and celebrated. Hindi’s journey from village speech to global stage continues, nuanced, powerful and unmistakably human.

In nations such as Mauritius, Hindi enjoys cultural significance and is commonly spoken, but it is not listed as a constitutional language. Similarly, in Nepal, Hindi is widely understood and used, yet Nepali remains the official language. In Suriname, the Indian-origin community predominantly speaks Sarnami Hindustani, a variant of Hindi. Other countries, including Guyana, Trinidad and Tobago, South Africa, the UAE, the USA and the UK, also have sizable Hindi-speaking populations, and in some cases, Hindi is recognized in limited contexts, such as court proceedings in Abu Dhabi, but it does not hold national official status.