The proliferation has been attributed to viewers devoting more time to news amid greater uncertainty following last year's attacks on the US and tense relations between India and Pakistan. In 2001, the combined audience share of major news channel operators, including CNN, BBC and Hindi market leader Aaj Tak, jumped 235 per cent over 2000.
During the same period, news channels saw their ad revenue grow from US$42 million to $63 million.
The new entrants include Sahara India Media Communications, a 24-hour business news channel Bharat Business Channel and media conglomerate India Today Group. Sahara India will go live in November with a national channel Sahara Samay and two regional units Samay Uttar and Samay Mumbai. The group said it would leverage its network of news bureaus around the country for its planned investment of $52 million for its news operations. Sahara India president, Satish Menon, said: "The regional channels will go beyond news. They will cover local festivals and events."
Its rivals, Bharat will go live in January and India Today is planning an English-language service to complement its Hindi channel Aaj Tak.
