Janam TV

Janam TV is an Indian Malayalam-language free-to-air news channel operated by Janam Multimedia Limited and headquartered in Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala. It began broadcasting on 19 April 2015 after a prolonged regulatory clearance process. The channel was established by a promoter group that included Indian and non-resident Indian businesspeople and developed a public identity closely associated with Hindu nationalist and Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) perspectives in Kerala. Its editorial relationship with the BJP has been a recurring subject of public discussion, although figures associated with the company have denied that the channel was formally politically backed. The proposed channel first sought permission in 2012. Clearance from India’s Ministry of Information and Broadcasting reportedly remained delayed for approximately two years. The delay was linked in reporting to alleged connections between members of the promoter group and the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) and BJP. Janam TV’s chief operating officer, Rajesh Pillai, denied that those links explained the delay. After the National Democratic Alliance formed the central government in 2014, Information and Broadcasting Minister Prakash Javadekar supported movement on the pending clearance. A Ministry of Home Affairs assessment acknowledged the reported connections but did not identify an adverse concern involving the company or its promoters. Janam Multimedia Limited was intended to operate the channel. Reporting also described efforts to raise the company’s authorised capital to ₹50 crore, while the company’s directors said the required capital had been raised. Film director Priyadarshan was appointed chairman of the board. In February 2015, director U. S. Krishnakumar said the capital had been secured, while Priyadarshan rejected claims that the channel had formal political backing and described the ownership as being spread among approximately 5,000 shareholders. Janam TV subsequently went on air in April 2015. The channel’s programming covers Kerala and national political, social, cultural and current-affairs news in Malayalam. Its editorial positioning has been particularly visible in coverage of issues connected with religion, identity and Hindu nationalist politics. Janam TV promoted the interpretation that the Hadiya case reflected the alleged “love jihad” conspiracy theory. During protests connected with the 2017 Unnao and Kathua rape cases, it also broadcast extensive coverage of a purported hartal in Kerala that was described in reporting as a “hoax hartal” and was presented as involving violence by Muslim organisations. The channel became especially prominent during the 2018 Sabarimala temple-entry dispute. It adopted a strongly opposed position toward the entry of women of menstruating age and ran continuous coverage presenting its account of events at the temple. One report falsely claimed that women had entered the temple carrying blood-stained sanitary napkins and intended to throw them at the idol. The claim was repeated by other websites and was later referenced by then Information and Broadcasting Minister Smriti Irani in remarks about alleged desecration of a sacred site. Janam TV’s audience share rose sharply during part of the Sabarimala controversy. Broadcast Audience Research Council data placed it as Kerala’s second-most-watched news channel between 3 and 9 November 2018. The RSS-affiliated magazine Organiser interpreted the result as evidence of increasing acceptance of Hindutva and as potentially beneficial to the BJP’s electoral prospects in Kerala. Former parliamentarian and media critic Sebastian Paul questioned whether the increase represented a lasting popularity shift and raised concerns about the methodology behind the ratings data. The channel was later mentioned in reporting surrounding the 2020 television ratings manipulation investigation involving BARC. Leaked WhatsApp conversations attributed to the BARC chief executive reportedly included discussions with Janam TV’s then chief operating officer about the channel’s ratings during the Sabarimala dispute. The reported messages also referred to alleged attention from the Prime Minister’s Office. These developments made Janam TV part of a wider debate about television measurement, editorial influence and political media ecosystems in India, without establishing that the channel itself was legally responsible for the broader ratings case. Janam TV remains a Malayalam news brand focused primarily on Kerala. Its wider media expansion has included Tamil Janam, a separate Tamil-language channel operated by Marudham Multimedia Limited and reported as launching in 2024. The group has also indicated plans for Kannada, Telugu and other South Indian language services, although those plans do not change the identity of Janam TV as the Malayalam channel described in the canonical Wikipedia subject.

Janam TV emerged from a proposed Kerala news venture that sought government permission in 2012. The promoter group included Indian and non-resident Indian businesspeople. The application remained pending for about two years, and reporting connected the delay to alleged relationships between members of the promoter group and the RSS and BJP. Rajesh Pillai, identified as the proposed channel’s chief operating officer, denied that the promoters’ alleged affiliations explained the delay. The regulatory situation changed after the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance formed the central government in 2014. Information and Broadcasting Minister Prakash Javadekar took up the pending approval, while a Ministry of Home Affairs report acknowledged the reported connections but did not consider them an adverse issue for the company or promoter group. Janam Multimedia Limited was established as the operating company. Reports said the company was seeking authorised capital of ₹50 crore. In February 2015, director U. S. Krishnakumar stated that the capital had been raised. Film director Priyadarshan became chairman of the board and denied that the company had formal political backing, saying that ownership was distributed among about 5,000 shareholders. Janam TV launched on 19 April 2015 as a Malayalam free-to-air news channel based in Thiruvananthapuram. Its programming concentrated on Kerala, national politics and current affairs. From its early years, the channel acquired a reputation for presenting positions sympathetic to Hindu nationalist politics and the BJP in Kerala. This perception was reinforced by coverage of politically and religiously contentious stories. Janam TV promoted the claim that the Hadiya case was connected to “love jihad,” a conspiracy theory associated with Hindutva politics. During demonstrations related to the Unnao and Kathua rape cases in 2017, it provided sustained coverage of a purported Kerala hartal that reporting characterized as a hoax event and associated with violence by Muslim organisations. The most important period in Janam TV’s public profile came during the dispute over women’s entry into the Sabarimala temple. The channel took a hardline position against entry and devoted continuous programming to the dispute. Its reports presented an account of events that differed sharply from accounts by critics and other observers. A particularly controversial report falsely alleged that women had entered the temple carrying blood-stained sanitary napkins and sought to throw them at the idol. The claim spread through other online outlets and was later invoked by Information and Broadcasting Minister Smriti Irani while discussing alleged desecration of a sacred site. The controversy coincided with a reported increase in Janam TV’s television ratings. BARC figures placed the channel second among Kerala news channels for the week of 3–9 November 2018. The RSS magazine Organiser celebrated the result and argued that it could signal wider acceptance of Hindutva and electoral advantages for the BJP in Kerala. Sebastian Paul, a former representative and media critic, disputed the interpretation, arguing that the rise could be temporary and that the ratings methodology warranted skepticism. In 2020, Janam TV was drawn into reporting on the BARC ratings manipulation case. Leaked WhatsApp conversations attributed to the BARC chief executive reportedly showed discussions with Janam TV’s chief operating officer about the channel’s performance during the Sabarimala dispute. The messages also included a claim that the Prime Minister’s Office had noticed Janam TV’s ratings increase. The episode placed the channel within a broader controversy about television audience measurement and the possibility of ratings influence, although the available reference material does not establish a criminal finding against Janam TV itself. The broader Janam media presence later expanded beyond Malayalam. Tamil Janam, a separate Tamil-language channel owned by Marudham Multimedia Limited, was reported as launching in 2024. Plans for Kannada, Telugu and other South Indian services were also reported, alongside development of a technologically upgraded studio. These initiatives indicate an ambition to create a wider regional-language news network, while Janam TV remains the group’s Malayalam flagship and its best-known Kerala-facing service.

• 2024

  Associated Tamil-language expansion

  [1]Janam TVen.wikipedia.org

  Tamil Janam, a separate channel operated by Marudham Multimedia Limited, was reported as launching, with additional South Indian language services planned.

• 2020

  Ratings controversy

  [1]Janam TVen.wikipedia.org

  Leaked messages reported during the BARC ratings investigation referred to discussions about Janam TV’s ratings during the Sabarimala dispute.

• 2018

  Sabarimala coverage drives audience attention

  [1]Janam TVen.wikipedia.org

  Janam TV’s opposition to women’s entry at Sabarimala and its continuous coverage of the dispute coincided with a reported rise to second place among Kerala news channels for one BARC measurement week.

• 2015

  Janam TV launches

  [1]Janam TVen.wikipedia.org

  The Malayalam free-to-air news channel began broadcasting on 19 April 2015 from Kerala.

• 2014

  Regulatory clearance advances

  [1]Janam TVen.wikipedia.org

  After the National Democratic Alliance formed the central government, Information and Broadcasting Minister Prakash Javadekar took up the delayed clearance process.

• 2012

  Application for a new Kerala news channel

  [1]Janam TVen.wikipedia.org

  A promoter group of Indian and non-resident Indian businesspeople applied for permission to launch Janam TV.

A Kerala-focused Malayalam news channel with a strong Hindu nationalist and BJP-aligned editorial reputation.

• Malayalam news television · 2015

  Janam TV

  Janam TV is a free-to-air Malayalam news channel serving Kerala and Malayalam-speaking audiences. Its schedule consists of breaking news, political coverage, current affairs, social reporting, cultural programming and analysis. The channel is particularly identified with strongly framed coverage of religion, identity and Kerala politics, including extensive reporting on the Sabarimala temple-entry dispute.

• Online media

  Digital news content

  The Janam TV brand also maintains an online news presence associated with its television operation. The available reference material confirms the official website but does not provide a complete inventory of digital products, applications or subscription services.

• 2020

  BARC ratings manipulation controversy

  Leaked communications discussed in reporting on the BARC ratings case reportedly included the BARC chief executive’s conversations with Janam TV’s then chief operating officer about the channel’s ratings. The episode raised questions about television measurement and ratings influence, but the supplied material does not establish a final legal finding against Janam TV.

  Source

• 2018

  False Sabarimala sanitary-napkin report

  During the Sabarimala dispute, Janam TV falsely reported that women had entered the temple with blood-stained sanitary napkins and intended to throw them at the idol. The claim was repeated elsewhere online and became part of political commentary about alleged desecration.

  Source

Read more

• 2018

  Adopt intensive opposition coverage during the Sabarimala disputeStrategy

  Background

  The Supreme Court-related dispute over women’s entry into Sabarimala became a major political and religious issue in Kerala.

  Action taken

  Janam TV took a hardline position against entry and ran continuous programming presenting its interpretation of events at the temple.

  Aftermath

  BARC data showed a sharp temporary rise in the channel’s reported audience share, while critics questioned the durability and reliability of the result.

  Source

• 2015

  Launch a Malayalam free-to-air news channelProduct launch

  Background

  The promoter group pursued a Kerala-focused Malayalam news service after a multi-year government clearance process.

  Action taken

  Janam Multimedia Limited launched Janam TV on 19 April 2015 with headquarters in Thiruvananthapuram.

  Aftermath

  The channel established a distinct regional news identity and became associated with Hindu nationalist and BJP-aligned viewpoints in Kerala.

  Source

1. 1Janam TVen.wikipedia.org
2. 2Janam TV referencekeralatv.in
3. 3Janam TV official websitejanamtv.com