Asianet denies foreign control over its news channel

Thiruvananthapuram,Sep 2 (UNI) Asianet, a leading Malayalam television channel, today termed as ''baseless'' the reports that the control over its news network was being given to a foreign investor.

In a release here, Asianet Communications Limited Vice Chairman K Madhavan said the majority shareholders of Asianet News Limited had no intention to transfer the shares.

The statement came in the wake of the reported statement of CPI(M) State Secretary Pinarayi Vijayan that the leading news channel was being taken over by a media conglomerate controlled by media tycoon Rupert Murdoch.

Mr Madhavan said there was no proposal to change the ownership structure of the news channel, even if the Centre relaxed the norms for foreign investment in channels that telecast news and current affairs.

However, efforts were on to start general entertainment channels in various Indian languages. As part of its expansion at the national and international levels, negotiations were on with investors including those in the media sector, he added.

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