07 May 2014 – 18:40 IST | by indiantelevision.com team
MUMBAI: When the Indian government decided to scrap the formation of a new state – Telangana – it cheered many, but many had to change their business operations. One of the first to launch a television channel in the state, the Ramoji Rao-led ETV group has decided to rebrand its two news channels.
From May 1, the recently launched ETV3 has been renamed ETV Telangana, while the existing ETV2 will be called ETV Andhra Pradesh (AP). “The decision to change the names was taken only after the announcement of separation of the two states,” says Eenadu TV CEO Bapineedu Chowdary.
News footage from both channels will now target their respective states. Will this interfere with the operation of the channel? Bapineedu says “No”. The head offices of ETV AP and ETV Telangana will still be in Hyderabad, with the existing offices split between them. “For TV broadcasting, space is not a problem. The offices will now report to their respective channels based on their location,” he says.
While some people from ETV AP have shifted to ETV Telangana, they have been added to the latter. A print advertisement announcing the rechristening of the channels was released in a sister newspaper Eenadu on May 1 and May 2, while TV promotions are running on ETV AP, ETV Telangana and ETV (the flagship Telugu GEC).