TV18 Broadcast-controlled ETV News Network is planning to launch three news channels in election-bound Tamil Nadu, Kerala and Assam. Incidentally, the channels will be launched under the News18 brand and not ETV, as has been the case until now. The channels are to be called News18 Tamil Nadu, News18 Kerala and News18 Assam/North East.

The network is awaiting regulatory clearances to launch the channels. “We are waiting for regulatory clearances to launch channels in Tamil Nadu, Kerala and Assam. We plan to launch the channels in April,” ETV News Network head Jagdish Chandra told TelevisionPost.com. According to a source close to the development, the network was planning to launch the channels on 25 March. As per the revised plan, the channels are most likely to go on air in the first week of April, coinciding with the state assembly elections.

The assembly elections in West Bengal, Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Assam and Puducherry will be held between 4 April and 16 May. The results will be announced on 19 May. Tamil Nadu and Kerala are crowded TV news markets with well-entrenched players. In Tamil Nadu, Sun TV Network’s Sun News rules the roost. Asianet is an old player in Kerala. Both states have strong news channels owned by print publications. In Tamil Nadu, Puthiya Thalaimurai, a Tamil magazine from SRM Group, and Thanthi TV, a daily newspaper from Thanthi Trust, are strong players. In Kerala, Malayalam print majors Malayala Manorama and Mathrubhmi have TV presence through Manorama News and Mathrubhumi News respectively. Channels with political connections also dot the TV landscape in the two states. Examples include Kalaignar TV (DMK), Jaya News (AIADMK) and Lotus TV (BJP) in Tamil Nadu. In Kerala, it is Jaihind TV (Congress) and Kairali TV (CPM).

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http://www.televisionpost.com/television/tv18-to-launch-3-regional-language-news-channels/