Rupert Murdoch’s Star TV exits India news business, channels rebranded

Friday, June 01, 2012
(Left) STAR News logo at the last moment when it turns to
ABP News (Right)
New Delhi: In a nostalgic move for its viewers the popular Hindi news channel STAR News has changed its logo on June 01, 2012 mid-night. Both Ananda and Majha are No 1 news channels in their respective markets since inception. 

Earlier on Thursday, Media Content and Communications Pvt Ltd (MCCS) has said Star News, Star Ananda and Star Majha TV channels will be known as ABP News, ABP Ananda and ABP Majha respectively from June 1 onwards.

MCCS, a joint venture between the Ananda Bazar Patrika Group and STAR India Pvt Ltd, had in April announced that STAR and ABP had decided to discontinue the brand agreement where STAR has lent the brand to MCCS. Going forward STAR wishes to focus on building their brand on their core business that is general entertainment.

"Nothing will change for them (channels) except the name on June 1, 2012, when Star News becomes ABP News, Star Ananda becomes ABP Ananda and Star Majha becomes ABP Majha," MCCS CEO Ashok Venkatramani had said in a statement on Thursday.

STAR, however, continues to be a shareholder in MCCS, it said.

Earlier this month MCCS had launched a TV and print media campaign to spread awareness among viewers regarding the name change.

The core message being sent out by MCCS is that programming, anchors, editorial policy, and look and feel of the channels will remain the same despite the name change.


The main business of the Ananda Bazar Patrika is news and it wishes to promote and establish its own brands in the broadcast news space through its subsidiary company - MCCS. MCCS has sustained its affiliation with STAR brand for 8 years and both organisations have benefitted from this association.
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Nitesh
1 June 2012 at 04:14 delete

In view, its better for STAR to stay away from the news segment and stick to what they are known for, i.e., general entertainment…………

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