Mathrubhumi Group to make television foray in January ’13 with news, music channels

Print major Mathrubhumi Group is set foray into the satellite television space in Malayalam with two new channels - Mathrubhumi News and a specialty channel Kappa. Both channels are slated for launch in January 2013.

According to Shreyams Kumar, director, Mathrubhumi Group, Mathrubhumi News would be the first to go on air. The 24-hour news channel, which will compete with the likes of Asianet News, Manorama News, Reporter TV, India Vision and others, will go on air the first week of January 2013. Mathrubhumi unveiled the logo of the channel recently.

Mohan Nair, a former CEO of Asianet, will head the Group’s foray into television as CEO. Nair also had a stint with Sri Lankan media conglomerate Maharaja Broadcasting Corporation. Meanwhile, Unni Balakrishnan has been roped in as editor of the news channel.

Kumar said that Mathrubhumi would attempt to make a mark in the news space with its ‘unique and distinctive’ style. “The news presentation and delivery (on the channel), we will be based on the USP of the newspaper - sincerity and credibility,” he said.

Music channel

The second channel from Mathrubhumi stable has been christened as Kappa. Kappa is an entertainment channel with the heady mix of entertainment, music, lifestyle shows and trivia. Kappa will go on air from the second week of January 2013, informed Kumar.  Both the channels are free-to-air and will be available on multiple DTH platforms, according to the group’s director.

Kappa’s packaging would be unique and different from all the other existing channels, explained Kumar. It will cater to the ‘upwardly mobile young’ audience.