Asianet is an Indian pay television channel which broadcasts mainly Malayalam-language television series. Headquartered in Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala,[1] the channel is part of Asianet Communications, owned by Star India. It was the first privately-owned Malayalam-language channel in the country.
Asianet | |
---|---|
Launched | 30 August 1993 |
Owned by | Star India |
Picture format | 1080iHDTV (downscaled to letterboxed576i for the SDTV feed) |
Slogan | Ahead with change, ahead of others. |
Broadcast area | World wide |
Headquarters | Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala, India |
Sister channel(s) |
|
History[edit]
The channel was launched in 1993 with a broadcast of only three hours per day, with the rest of the Tie showing selective programs from the Australian Broadcasting Corporation and CNBC. By late-1994, the channel increased its broadcast time to 12 hours per day and later to round-the-clock broadcasting. Asianet was the first private TV channel of India to do 'live' news broadcasting from its Subic Bay uplink centre. In early-1995, the uplink was shifted to Singapore where it attained full operational status. With a change in the broadcasting policies of the Government of India, Asianet started an uplink from Chennai through VSNL. From 15 July 2002, Asianet had its own earth station at the Asianet Studio Complex in Puliyarakonam, Thiruvananthapuram.
Its headquarters were located in Chennai. Its first owners were Raji and Sashi Kumar Menon. Asianet Communications's majority share was later bought by Jupiter Media and Entertainment Venture, owned by Anoop Sree Ayroor. In 2008, Star India purchased the majority of shares in Asianet Communications.[2][3] In 2013, Star completely acquired the channel.
Coverage and viewership[edit]
Asianet has a presence in over 60 countries worldwide including the Indian sub-continent, China, South East Asia, Middle East, Europe, United States and the lower half of the former Soviet Union.[2][4]
Asianet is the no.1 malayalam general entertainment channel according to Broadcast Audience Research Council
Programming and shows[edit]
Asianet is a general entertainment channel with programmes in a wide variety of genres including Malayalam-language movies, soaps, reality shows, talk shows, news programmes, travel shows and music-based shows. While programming is mainly targeted at family audiences, there are several programmes aimed towards specific audiences such as shows for children, teenagers, young working professionals and elders.The channel also broadcast a successful musical talent reality show - Idea Star Singer.The channel also hosts and broadcasts the Asianet Film Awards and Asianet TV Awards.
References[edit]
- ^'Archived copy'. Archived from the original on 12 January 2015. Retrieved 2015-01-27.CS1 maint: Archived copy as title (link)
- ^ ab'Star buys majority in Asianet; forms JV with Rajeev Chandrasekhar | Reuters'. In.reuters.com. 17 November 2008. Retrieved 16 July 2010.
- ^'Star TV buys majority in Jupiter Entertainment'. Business Standard. 16 November 2008. Retrieved 20 October 2013.
- ^VCCircle (17 November 2008). 'M & A Star Buys Majority In Asianet; Forms JV With Rajeev Chandrasekhar'. contentSutra. Retrieved 16 July 2010.
External links[edit]
Watching Malayalam TV Channels whenever you wish is a blessing for the Malayalam speaking people living Offshore. Any Malayali person who loves entertainment will be in love with Entertainment in his mother tongue. Be it the drama in the soap opera, the action in movies or the emotion in the advertisements, nothing excites Indians more than good Desi Entertainment.
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Asianet News | |
---|---|
Launched | 2001 - as Asianet Global 2003 - as Asianet News |
Network | Asianet News Network (ANN) |
Owned by | Jupiter Entertainment Ventures |
Picture format | 4:3/16:9 (576i, SDTV) |
Slogan | Nerode Nirbhayam Nirantharam |
Country | India |
Language | Malayalam |
Broadcast area | Indian sub-continent |
Headquarters | Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala, India |
Formerly called | Asianet Global |
Sister channel(s) | Suvarna News Republic TV Republic TV Bharat Kannada Prabha (newspaper) Republic TVAsianet newsable tamil Asianet newsable telugu |
Website | http://www.asianetnews.com/ |
Availability | |
Satellite | |
Sun Direct (India) | Channel 222 |
Airtel Digital TV (India) | Channel 852 |
Tata Sky (India) | Channel 1811 |
Reliance Digital TV (India) | Channel 769 |
Videocon d2h (India) | Channel 628 |
Dish TV (India) | Channel 1961 |
Zing digital (India) | Channel 626 |
Cable | |
Asianet Digital TV (India) | Channel 121 |
Kerala Vision Digital TV (India) | Channel 022 |
Den Digital Kerala (India) | Channel 622 |
Etisalat Digital TV (United Arab Emirates) | Channel 831 |
Asianet News (formerly Asianet Global) is a Malayalam-language news channel from Asianet News Network (ANN). Asianet News Network operates as a subsidiary of Jupiter Entertainment Ventures (Jupiter Capital Ventures).[1] The channel is based in Thiruvananthapuram (Kerala).[2][3]
Amit Gupta is the current CEO of Asianet News Network (ANN) and Asianet News Media and Entertainment.[2][3] Amit Frank P Thomas is the Director and Business Head of Asianet News Network (ANN), M G Radhakrishnan is the current Editor-in-Chief of Asianet News Malayalam Network and Kaushik Ghosh is the Chief Revenue Officer of Asianet News Network (ANN).
As per Jupiter Capital, the channel is the market leader in Malayalam television news sector.[4]
Malayalam Live Tv
- 1History
History[edit]
The Asianet channel company and Asianet cable company were promoted by Sashi Kumar with seed capital provided by Reji Menon. Kumar was a former head of Press Trust of India's television division and his relative Menon was a Moscow-based businessman.[5]
Origins[edit]
Asianet Communications was toying with the idea of a news channel - there was none in Malayalam - for a long time.[6][7] It was with this intention that Asianet Global - their second channel - was launched in June, 2001. The channel was targeting the huge expatriate Malayali population in the Middle East and Europe. However, as it turned out, there were very few news-based programmes in the channel and most of it later gave way to film-based entertainment programmes.[7][6]
With Asianet Global not fetching returns, the management decided to go in for an entertainment channel called 'Asianet Plus' and terminate Asianet Global. Midway through the launching and wind up process, there was a rethink and the concept of a news channel was revived.[6][7] It was initially reported in the media that the a news channel will be launched by December 2002. The channel was expected have news programmes in the evenings after which there would be a variety of entertainment programmes. Hourly news bulletins were also expected.[6] Asianet Global was eventually renamed as 'Asianet News' on 1 May 2003.[6] Company MD K Madhavan told the media that the entire channel had also been restructured in the process.[7]
Exit of Sashi Kumar[edit]
When Asianet channel company and Asianet cable company faced a financial crunch, the real estate firm Rahejas was given 50% stake in the cable operations. The channels were still owned by Sashi Kumar (50% shares) and Reji Menon (50% shares).[5] The Rahejas later wanted a stake in the channel operations too. While Kumar resisted overtures from the Rahejas, Menon negotiated a deal with them, and under the deal, the Rahejas got full control over the cable company. Menon used the consideration the Rahejas paid him to provide Kumar a 'golden handshake'.[5]
Asianet Tv Malayalam Serials
Kumar's exit from Asianet created a sense of loss in the Marxist leadership. The party soon started promoting a company to set up an alternative Malayalam channel.[5]
Afterwards an attempt by Zee Group to acquire Asianet from Menon fell through. This was apparently because the severance agreement with the cable company prohibits the channel's takeover by a company with interest in cable operations.[5]
Rajiv Chandrasekhar era[edit]
It was in February–April 2006 the first speculations about Rajeev Chandrasekhar's interest in Asianet broke out. Chandrasekhar was a Bangalore-based businessman of Kerala origin. In late 2006 Menon - after months long speculations - partially pulled out of Asianet turning over control to Chandrasekhar.[5] At the time, Asianet was the leader amongst the Malayalam channels accounting for 35% of Kerala's total advertisement market.[8]
Chandrasekhar had acquired a 51% stake in the Asianet channels (Asianet, Asianet News, and Asianet Plus) through Jupiter Entertainment Ventures (JEV) in October 2006. While there was no official word from Asianet on the size of the investment, the figure is thought to range between INR 120-150 crore. The remaining 49% stake was still held by Menon and Asianet MD K Madhavan with Zee Group holding a small 3% stake. Madhavan continued as the MD of Asianet, while Chandrasekhar took over as the Chairman of the company.[8] JEV soon launched its foray into Kannada and Telugu television industry.[5][8]
STAR India acquisitions[edit]
Asianet was restructured into four companies in June 2008 (general entertainment, news, radio and media infrastructure). This move was to allow separate investments in each company.[9]STAR India started talks with the owners of the Asianet channels in August, 2008.[5] While the negotiations were going on, the CPI-Marxist leadership in Kerala famously called for 'a revolt against the entry of media mogul Rupert Murdoch's STAR TV network into the [Kerala] state'. The party called the move a 'cultural invasion'.[5]
STAR India eventually bought a 51% stake in Asianet Communications (Asianet and Asianet Plus) and formed joint venture with JEV in November, 2008.[10] The joint venture, called 'STAR Jupiter', comprised all general entertainment channels of Asianet Communications and Star Vijay. Star India had reportedly paid $235 million in cash for the 51% stake and assumed net debt of approximately $20 million.[9][5] In the wake of media reports about the STAR takeover, Asianet Vice-Chairman Madhavan issued a media release saying: 'There is no basis for the speculation that the policies of the Asianet News Network (ANN) will fall under foreign [STAR] control'.[5]
STAR India increased its stake in Asianet Communications to 75% in July 2010 (for which STAR India paid around $90 million in cash), and to 87%, by acquiring 12% stake for $160 million in June, 2013. The later move was by virtue of acquiring a 19% equity stake in Vijay TV from Chandrasekhar and Asianet Communications MD Madhavan. Following the June, 2013 investment, Asianet Communications was valued at $1.33 billion. STAR India acquired 100% stake in Asianet Communications (buying the remaining 13% stake) in March, 2014.[9][10]
In 2016 Jupiter Capital was accused by the media of interfering with editorial freedom. The accusation was triggered by a leaked email sent from Jupiter Capital Chief Operating Officer Amit Gupta to editorial heads of Asianet News, Suvarna News, and Kannada Prabha.[11][4] M G Radhakrishnan, Editor-in-Chief of Asianet News, told the media he was not aware of the email and that he had never faced pressure of any kind from the management.[4][11]
Investments in Republic TV[edit]
Chandrasekhar is one of the largest investors in ARG Outlier, the parent company of the English-language news channel Republic TV. Chandrasekhar, through Asianet News Network, has invested over INR 30 crore in ARG Outlier.[11][12] SARG Media Holding Private Limited (owned by Arnab Goswami himself) is other major investor in ARG Outlier.[13][14]
Editorial freedom[edit]
Asianet News and Suvarna News are currently run by Asianet News Network (ANN). ANN operates as a subsidiary of Jupiter Entertainment Ventures (JEV), a subsidiary of Jupier Capital Ventures.[3] As per the media critics, Asianet News enjoys a good 'reputation' among the news channels in Malayalam. It is often described as 'a widely trusted' brand and 'top player' in the Malayalam media space.[4]
According to Jacob George, a prominent commentator, Asianet News has had a 'secular and progressive stance' since the time of its inception in 2003. In his opinion, the current editorial leadership at the news channel is 'not easily malleable' and has 'immense credibility'.[4]
Channels and web portals[edit]
Name | Language | Type |
---|---|---|
Asianet News | Malayalam | News channel & portal |
Asianet Newsable | English | News portal |
Asianet News Telugu | Telugu | News portal |
Asianet News Tamil | Tamil | News portal |
Suvarna News | Kannada | News channel & portal |
Asianet News Bangla | Bangla | News portal |
Kannada Prabha | Kannada | Newspaper |
References[edit]
- ^'Company Overview of Asianet News Network Private Ltd'. bloomberg.com. Retrieved 21 October 2018.
- ^ ab'Archived copy'. Archived from the original on 24 September 2016. Retrieved 17 September 2016.CS1 maint: Archived copy as title (link)
- ^ abc'Chinta Shyamsundar returns as CEO of Asianet News Network'. 29 May 2013. Archived from the original on 6 November 2018. Retrieved 2 October 2013.CS1 maint: BOT: original-url status unknown (link)
- ^ abcdeNewslaundry. 'Newslaundry | Sabki Dhulai'. Newslaundry. Retrieved 12 November 2018.
- ^ abcdefghijk'Rupert Murdoch's grand takeover in Kerala'. Archived from the original on 6 November 2018. Retrieved 13 February 2014.CS1 maint: BOT: original-url status unknown (link)
- ^ abcde
- ^ abcd[2]
- ^ abc[3]
- ^ abc'STAR India acquires 100% Stake In Asianet Communications - MediaNama'. medianama.com. Retrieved 9 November 2018.
- ^ abKulkarni, Raghuvir Badrinath & Mahesh (17 July 2013). 'Interesting tussle on to gain control of 'Kannada Prabha'' – via Business Standard.
- ^ abc'Kerala NDA vice-chairman Rajeev Chandrasekhar investor, director in Arnab Goswami's Republic'. The Indian Express. 13 January 2017. Retrieved 12 November 2018.
- ^Team, BS Web (13 January 2017). 'MP Rajeev Chandrasekhar biggest investor in Arnab Goswami's Republic?'. Business Standard India. Retrieved 12 November 2018.
- ^Jha, Lata (2 April 2018). 'Rajeev Chandrasekhar resigns as Republic TV board director'. livemint.com/. Retrieved 6 November 2018.
- ^'Rajeev Chandrasekhar resigns from Asianet's board'. The Hindu. Special Correspondent. 2 April 2018. ISSN0971-751X. Retrieved 6 November 2018.CS1 maint: others (link)