News Broadcasting
Govt not considering permitting news on private FM channels
NEW DELHI: The Government is not considering any proposal to permit news broadcasts on private FM Radio channels.
This was stated by Information and Broadcasting secretary Sushma Singh, when answering a question on the sidelines of the Second Indian News Television Summit organised by indiantelevision.com.
Singh noted that the government had studied the reports of the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India as well as the Ficci in this connection.
Answering another question, she said the government was considering the report on television audience meters received recently from Trai.
She said the government was under pressure from the judiciary to finalise and enforce a Content Code for television broadcasters, but regretted that the one finalised by a group of stakeholders from all sectors set up by her ministry had not been accepted by the news channels.
She said all stakeholders would be consulted before any Content Code is finalised. Draft codes had been prepared by the News Broadcasters Association and the Indian Broadcasting Foundation, but these were now being considered with legal experts and stakeholders.
She said the government was bound by certain orders of the courts and had to submit reports on this at regular intervals.
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.
