Republic Media Network to launch Republic Kannada

Republic Media Network has announced Republic Kannada. Republic’s aggressive entry into the Kannada news market comes on the back of the strategic asset purchase agreement through which Republic Media Network has acquired the entire broadcast news division of respected media conglomerate VRL News Media. Republic Kannada will be a fully-owned channel of the Republic Media Network and will be on-air very soon.

The acquisition comes alongside a complete asset purchase of the broadcast news section of VRL Media, the figure of which remains undisclosed.

This major asset acquisition of the broadcast business of VRL News Media brings with it significantly large properties and assets. Republic Kannada will have 300 professionals, including over 100 on-ground journalists, who are deployed across all 31 districts of Karnataka, an additional stringer base of over 500 journalists, 73 cutting-edge in-house news production tools, an expansive newsroom, multiple studio spaces that span over a buzzing 28,000-square-foot facility in the heart of Bengaluru.

With the announcement of Republic Kannada, Republic Media Network becomes the largest news network of India.

Sounding the entry of Republic into Kannada news, the rapid expansion of his Network into its 4th TV channel and the foray into its 2nd vernacular operation, founder & editor-in-chief Arnab Goswami, “Republic Media Network is young and restless. We want to break through all language barriers and reach the people of India as widely and as quickly as we can. So, for the very first time, this Network has chosen to grow inorganically. Anand and Vijay Sankeshwar of the iconic VRL Group are people who we deeply respect and admire. We share the same Core values of Nationalism and Integrity. It is a privilege for us to welcome this valued channel they created with so much love in the Republic Media Network.”

Goswami said, “I have great respect for the Sankeshwar family and, for me, this is not just a business acquisition by the Republic Media Network but also a culmination of a great friendship with Anand Sankeshwar and respect for his father Vijay Sankeshwar Sir.”

On the rapid and landmark expansion of his Network in just 6 years, Goswami said, “Republic Media Network is making history in every project it undertakes. We are destined to be the largest media organisation in India and by reaching approximately 438 million Indians on television alone we have achieved our target. However, we have a long way to go and our teams are working relentlessly to get there. The most important aspect of our growth is that it makes us the largest journalist owned and run news organisation in the world today. This is the most significant part of who we are and why the Republic Media Network is a household name across the country today.” Afaq