It’s raining channels in TN

CHENNAI: Television channels with unabashed political affiliations are proliferating in Tamil Nadu. While Kalaignar TV, a channel from the Raj Television Network and named after Chief Minister M Karunanidhi, will start beaming on September 15, two pro-Congress channels will join the fight for eyeballs soon.

In fact, all the Tamil channels offering news bulletins have been identified with or owned by political parties. Sun TV, Sun News and now Raj TV have been pro- DMK and Jaya TV has been the political loudspeaker of AIADMK leader J Jayalalithaa, while Makkal TV is owned by the S Ramadoss-led PMK.

The two new channels to be launched are Mega TV (on August 20) of Congress MP KV Thangabalu and Vasanth TV owned by Congress MLA and retail giant Vasantha Kumar.

While Raj TV managing director M Raajhendhran maintains that Kalaignar TV will be unbiased in its news presentation, the two Congress leaders are not so pretentious. "I cannot disassociate with the Congress and my channel will highlight the achievements of the UPA government," says Thangabalu. "However, the channel will have its own identity in preserving Indian culture and articulating regional concerns," adds Thangabalu.

Besides six news bulletins in Tamil and two in English everyday, Mega TV will have the usual entertainment mix. "Mine will not be a pro-Congress channel, laughs Kumar, "it will be a pro-Sonia Gandhi channel."

Vasanth TV, too, will be a news and entertainment channel with a mix of mega serials, film-based programmes and game shows. Kumar has a strong logic to predict his advertisement revenue: "Being the owner of a retail chain (Vasanth & Co), I have been doing business with 220 manufacturers. will come from them."

Despite the split between the Karunanidhi and the Marans, the Maran-owned Sun Network, albeit temporarily, continues to support the DMK.  With the state government  proposing to launch its own cable distribution system, the channel war may just get an additional dose of politics.

 

source : DNAindia.com