News Broadcasting
Republic Bharat, Arnab Goswami’s Hindi offering, to debut on 26 January
MUMBAI: The Hindi offering of the Arnab Goswami-led network Republic is set to hit the airwaves on 26 January, a source close to the development informed Indiantelevision.com. Republic TV CEO Vikas Khanchandani, in a recent interaction with Indiantelevision.com, however, had side-stepped queries about Republic Bharat’s (in short format it would be known as R Bharat) launch, though he added it would materialise in the first quarter of 2019.
Hersh Bhandari, the former national revenue head for India Today Television, is all set to join the brand new Hindi news channel. With him onboard, R Bharat aims to start strong as far as revenue performance and grow exponentially from there. He spent six years at Times Network. Bhandari has also had effective stints at the Star Group, NDTV Media, Mastiii and TV Today Group, collectively translating in 20 years of experience in the media industry. He has played a key role in helping channels boost their presence and revenue over the years and aims to replicate the same with R Bharat.
"We are pleased to have Hersh Bhandari on board and he is now a part of the Republic Network. With a proven track record of being a powerhouse and implementing strong customer focused strategy, he will lead the team to scale up the Republic Bharat advertising business. We wish Hersh all the very best in his new role," Khanchandani added.
The Hindi sibling of Republic TV will have Shamsher Singh as its editor. Singh has over 20 years of experience and has worked with leading television news channels, including India News, Zee Hindustan and Aaj Tak.
According to media reports, earlier in June this year Republic TV had circulated a note through a financial consultancy firm based out of Gurugram stating that the company was planning to raise capital of around Rs 120 crore (Rs 1,200 million) to set up a Hindi news channel. The investor note also stated Republic TV had “overachieved” its projected revenue and profitability estimates to close FY18 with Rs 155 crore (Rs 1550 million) in revenue and planned to close FY19 with close to Rs 2 billion in revenues.
Pointing out that `India’ is equated with `Bharat’, Khanchandani previously said, “Republic Bharat or R Bharat resonated with all of us and we were instantly drawn to it. It has stood out as a differentiator and as a name that smashes the clutter. The name is powerful and will connect with the audiences across HSM markets. The audiences will embrace Bharat.”
News Broadcasting
UDF poised to return to power in Kerala, says Manorama-CVoter survey
Massive opinion poll projects shift in Kerala politics ahead of 2026 Assembly elections.
MUMBAI: The winds of change appear to be blowing through Kerala’s political landscape and this time, they seem to favour the United Democratic Front. A comprehensive mega opinion survey conducted by Manorama News in partnership with CVoter projects a potential comeback for the UDF in the upcoming Kerala Legislative Assembly Elections 2026. The survey, covering all 140 constituencies with a massive sample size of nearly 90,000 respondents, predicts the UDF could win between 69 and 81 seats.
The ruling Left Democratic Front (LDF) is expected to secure 57 to 69 seats, a significant drop from the 99 seats it won in the 2021 elections. This would mean the LDF losing 30 to 42 of its sitting seats. Meanwhile, the National Democratic Alliance (NDA), which drew a blank in 2021, is projected to open its account with 1 to 5 seats.
Region-wise, the UDF is expected to make strong gains in Malabar, winning 25 to 34 out of 48 seats, and in Central Kerala, where it could bag 29 to 33 out of 53 seats. In South Kerala, the LDF is likely to retain an edge with 21 to 25 seats, while the UDF may improve to 12 to 16 seats. The NDA could pick up 1 to 3 seats in the southern region.
The survey was conducted between 14 and 26 March 2026, with additional tracker and snap polls carried out from December 2025 to March 2026. A total of 89,693 respondents participated, ensuring representation across all demographics and social segments.
Manorama News has a strong track record of accuracy, with its previous projections closely matching the actual results of the 2019 and 2024 Lok Sabha elections as well as the 2021 Kerala Assembly polls.
In Kerala’s famously fierce political battles, this survey suggests the pendulum may be swinging back. Whether the final verdict matches these numbers or throws up another surprise, one thing is clear, the 2026 Assembly elections are shaping up to be one of the most keenly watched contests in the state’s history.
