News Broadcasting
STV to launch three regional news channels
NEW DELHI: STV Enterprises Ltd will launch three regional news channels, group chairperson J K Jain told Indiantelevision.com. The company, which already runs Punjab Today, will formally announce the launch on 30 August.
The channels – Goa News, Haryana News and UP News – are on test signals. While in Goa and Haryana, the channels have achieved almost total connectivity, in UP there are distribution issues which are yet to be sorted out.
The three channels will function independently for their day to day work and operations will be headed by executive director Gokul Kumar in Goa and Dharampal Dhankar will look after Haryana while Pradeep Sharma will look after Punjab Today. The CEO chief editor Sanjay Dwivedi will be in charge of all the three channels.
“Regional channels are the most happening thing today and I believe that advertisers will flock to them because of higher penetration into all areas of the state. Hence we are avoiding going national at the moment,” Jain said.
When asked how a small state like Goa would manage to run a 24×7 news channel, he said, “Local content is exploding and there are so many things that are specifically Goan, like football, local culture. Hence programming is not an issue that is of worry.”
Meanwhile, STV has already applied to run on DD Direct Plus, Prasar Bharati’s DTH service platform. “When that happens we shall be seen everywhere in the country and outside,” Jain said, adding that he is in discussion with the private DTH players Dish TV and Tata Sky.
Punjab Today, the news channel that had faced political repression, is recovering gradually, Jain said, adding that it has been forced out of the local cable operators only in some places of the state. “They did so initially, but gradually many LCOs have returned because it is a hugely popular channel in the state,” he said.
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.
