Trivandrum: Kottayam-headquartered Mangalam group, which publishes a daily newspaper and several magazines, has said it will soon launch a News channel in Malayalam.
The channel will be an addition to the already crowded Malayalam TV news space with 12 private news channels in existence and in line with the trend of vernacular publications foraying into electronic media.
“We will be on air very soon. by August 2016, pre Onam,” R. Ajithkumar, CEO and editor in chief of the channel, told. He said that pre-onam release will able to fetch them good ad-revenue amidst tough competition.The round-the-clock news channel would be based in Thiruvananthapuram and have bureaus in all the 14 districts of the state besides metros in the country, he said.
The initial investment is 32 crores. For the record, the flagship company of the group, Mangalam Publications, was started in 1969 as a monthly journal, which turned to a fortnightly and later became a weekly. The group also owns Mangalam Hospitals, Mangalam Confectionery, Mangalam Homes and Resorts and The Mangalam Foundation, apart from the publishing division.
In print media, Mangalam has been competing with giants like Manorama and Mathrubhumi, besides Deshabhimani (CPI-M’s party organ), Madhyamam and Kerala Kaumudi.
