Asianet Plus
Launched:
1999
Owned by:
Zee Group
Country:
India
Headquarters:
Kolkata, West Bengal, India.
Sister channels:
24 Ghanta, Zee News.
Website:
www.aakaash-bangla.com
Asianet (Malayalam: ഏഷ്യാനെറ്റ്)
is an Indian general entertainment channel broadcasting in Malayalam language.
Based in Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala, the channel is part of Asianet
Communications Limited (ACL), owned by STAR TV/Fox International Channels.
Asianet
was the first privately owned television channel in Malayalam and the second to
broadcast in the language.
Channel history:
Asianet commenced operations by the end of 1992 and started transmission by
August 1993, at a time when the only Malayalam-language television channel
available was the government-owned Doordarshan. The channel had hired a
transponder on the Russian Ekran satellite, with an uplink from the USSR. Later,
the company hired a transponder on the Rimsat satellite, and shifted the uplink
to Subic Bay in the Philippines and then to Manila. Initially, the transmission
time was only three hours per day which was gradually increased to 12 hours per
day by the end of 1994 and later to round the clock broadcasting. In early
1995, the uplink was shifted to Singapore where it attained full operational
status. With a change in the broadcasting policies of the Government of India,
Asianet started an uplink from Chennai through VSNL. From July 15, 2002,
Asianet had its own earth station at the Asianet Studio Complex in
Puliyarakonam, Thiruvananthapuram. Over the course of more than two decades of
operations, Asianet has developed its own in-house production facilities and now
has full-fledged production studio in Thiruvananthapuram
The
registered office of Asianet Communications Limited was shifted to Chennai on
December 3, 1997. ACL's majority share was then acquired by Jupiter
Entertainment Ventures Private Limited, owned by Rajeev Chandrashekar. In 2008,
the News Corporation-owned STAR TV/Fox International Channels became a majority
shareholder in ACL.[1][2] In 2013 star announced buying of remaining shares of
asianet channels to get 100% ownership.In July 2012, Asianet, launched Asianet
Movies, the first Malayalam satellite TV channel for movies.....More >>
