Arnab Goswami’s new television venture Republic TV is getting ready for launch in March-April. The top team at the channel is gradually being put in place. In the last few days, the channel has announced the appointment of its chief executive officer, distribution head, chief technology officer as well as editorial advisor. More announcements are in the pipeline. According to Indian Express, Rajya Sabha member Rajeev Chandrasekhar is a big investor in the channel. Among a host of other investors is Sameer Manchanda, chairman and managing director of DEN Networks, a multi-system operator in the cable TV industry. Manchanda had earlier helped launch Raghav Bahl’s English news channel CNN-IBN as part of the Network18 group in 2005.
While Goswami’s fans may be waiting for his reappearance on the TV screen, the question is if he will be able to recreate the magic of The Newshour, the show that he hosted on Times NOW, the English news channel from Times Network, a company of Times Group, and whether Republic TV will be a viable venture.
In case of Goswami’s Republic, the good news is that Sameer Manchanda has invested in the venture. So the channel may get the advantage of being on Den Networks, which is dominant in Uttar Pradesh, and has a presence in Delhi and Mumbai. It is likely to be assured 12-15% cable coverage. Yet TV news industry’s inherent problems, which include low ad rates and high news gathering costs, persist. Besides, there’s a 26% cap on foreign investment in this sector. Still, a credible news channel with a robust digital platform may get eyeballs. Right now all channels have a standardized look and feel. “Clutter-breaking programming is what is required for any new channel to work. It’s all about how differentiated the content is and how it is able to connect with people,” says Srinivas.
While Goswami’s fans may be waiting for his reappearance on the TV screen, the question is if he will be able to recreate the magic of The Newshour, the show that he hosted on Times NOW, the English news channel from Times Network, a company of Times Group, and whether Republic TV will be a viable venture.
In case of Goswami’s Republic, the good news is that Sameer Manchanda has invested in the venture. So the channel may get the advantage of being on Den Networks, which is dominant in Uttar Pradesh, and has a presence in Delhi and Mumbai. It is likely to be assured 12-15% cable coverage. Yet TV news industry’s inherent problems, which include low ad rates and high news gathering costs, persist. Besides, there’s a 26% cap on foreign investment in this sector. Still, a credible news channel with a robust digital platform may get eyeballs. Right now all channels have a standardized look and feel. “Clutter-breaking programming is what is required for any new channel to work. It’s all about how differentiated the content is and how it is able to connect with people,” says Srinivas.
