The countdown for creation of Telangana State has also triggered feverish activity in the Telugu television channel industry. Talk is that entertainment, news and current affairs channels are exploring possibilities of catering separately to both the States.
The industry at present is rife with speculations on different channels working with blueprints to create separate channels for Telangana and Andhra States. Though the general entertainment channels offering serials, movies and song and dance, could take some time to have a separate offering for the two States, news and current affairs channels are seriously considering separate networks to be launched at the earliest.
More prominent among those is ETV, which is actively working at having a new and separate news channel to exclusively cater to the Telangana region. Speculations range from the media group all being set to start the new channel very soon to launching the new offering around the time Telangana State comes into being i.e., the first week of June.
Seniors in the television industry concede that most of the news channels did consider the point of providing exclusive content to both the States, but economic viability happens to be the major criteria to ponder upon.
“Down the line in two to three years, there might be such exclusive channels but as of now, the viability factor will force most to keep the plans on hold,” an industry senior points out.
Another says that in terms of revenue, the 13 districts that will be Andhra Pradesh contribute hardly 30 per cent at present. “The capital i.e., Hyderabad is important and providing a major revenue base at present and starting and running a new channel for the coastal districts will mean a struggle for two to five years,” he argues.
The best possible solution for the channels in the present scenario is to have separate bulletins for two States. “Hyderabad is going to be a common capital for at least a decade and till then there is no hurry as such. The show for different States can go on with exclusive bulletins and programming from the present available platform,” he adds.
