Republic Kannada launches with Karnataka Asset Acquisition

Republic Media Network is proud to formally announce 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. Republic Kannada will be the 4th channel added to Republic Media Network’s quickly growing bouquet of broadcast operations over the last 6 years. Republic is now among the top distributed news brands across India, reaching one in every four Indians with a cumulative TV reach of more than 438  million across India. In addition, even before its digital launch, Republic Media Network on YouTube alone records 6 billion impressions per month, and a reach of over 130 million on Meta, which makes the Network’s pure reach on the digital-social-video medium among the most expansive.

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.”

Republic Media Network’s entry into the market of Kannada news comes alongside the expansive acquisition of all the television assets of one of the largest news players in Karnataka which runs the popular news channel Digvijaya News.

Anand Sankeshwar, MD, VRL Media Pvt Ltd said, “Arnab is a visionary and he’s taking the Republic Media Network in the right direction. I am confident and 100% sure he will take our channel in the right direction. Arnab started the Republic journey in 2017. And in a short span of 6 years, has grown the network to an unassailable height. As Dighvijay 24x7 News channel becomes Republic Kannada, I am happy to hand it over to him and the Republic Media Network. 

On the association with Arnab Goswami’s Republic, Sankeshwar said, “Arnab is an out-of-the-box thinker. He’s very innovative in thinking and he’s even setting up a massive state-of-the-art studio in Noida. The Republic Media Network is building next age studios and it’s mighty impressive. Arnab is a friend to me from many years. He’s a friend first. He even promoted a film on my father’s journey when I visited his studios in Mumbai. He’s like an elder brother and we share a special relationship. We hope takes the Dighvijay News channel to the next level via Republic Kannada. The Debate show hosted by Arnab is one of the most watched shows. He garners over 50% of the viewership in the English News genre. There’s something special about Arnab, the journalist, the debater that I admire. He’s extremely popular. 

Republic Kannada will burst into the Kannada news market with its tagline ‘ನಿಮ್ಮ ಧ್ವನಿ’ (Nimma Dhwani’ or ‘Your Voice’), putting the people of Karnataka at the forefront in the channel’s pledge to fight for people’s causes. Republic Kannada is set to disrupt the Kannada news genre with the Republic Media Network’s iconic news values. Republic Kannada will be accountability-driven. Republic Kannada will be investigation-focused. Republic Kannada will be citizen-oriented. Overall, Republic Kannada will reflect the impact-chasing DNA of the Republic Media Network..

On the tagline of Republic Kannada, Goswami said, “ Republic Kannada will change the news media landscape in Karnataka. We will be as always the voice of the people, ‘Nimma Dhwani’ and work to represent the aspirations of the people of this great state.

Republic Kannada’s launch slogan ‘ ನೇರ ಮಾತು ಕಣ್ಣಲ್ಲಿ ಕಣ್ಣಿಟ್ಟು’ ('Nera Maathu, Kannalli Kannittu' or ‘Straight-Talk, Eye-to-Eye’) thunders an unequivocal message that it will be the platform of the people, for the people and by the people to look the powers that be IN THE EYE and do the STRAIGHT TALK.

Republic Media Network’s announcement comes at a time when each of the Network channels have recorded stellar and historic viewership language by language. All 3 existing channels of Republic Media Network are on top of the charts vis-a-vis ratings, irrespective of language and genre. Republic TV continues its uninterrupted run of 329 weeks at the No. 1 spot of English news ratings, Republic Bharat has toppled all legacy competitors to be the solid No. 1 in the Hindi news genre and Republic Bangla has stormed the Bengali news genre by steamrolling the existing players through primetime and day slots. 

With the announcement of Republic Kannada, Republic Media Network also becomes home to India’s largest journalistic assets. Republic’s cutting-edge broadcast and digital technology will now have newsrooms headquartered in 4 cities, and beam in 4 languages including 2 vernacular languages in the Eastern and Southern belts of India. This comes in addition to the Network’s deep investment into ground reportage which has grown to the scale of having an intricate network of reporters across all of India’s 28 states and 8 Union Territories, as well as its ever-growing global reporter base.

After recording the fastest news television launch with Republic Bangla, Republic Media Network assures its audiences across the world and especially in Karnataka that Republic Kannada will be live very soon. Niranjan Narayanaswamy, Executive Editor - News, will head the editorial operations of Republic Kannada in addition to his other responsibilities at the Network.