The Ministry of Information and Broadcasting (MIB) has approved the name change application of 21 channels. The ministry’s database was today updated with the 21 name changes. ABP News HD, Sony Marathi HD, and MTunes+ are the major changes. News1st, Jehovah, Homeshop, B4U Bhojpuri, Power TV, Mahavira TV, Colors Cineplex, Colors Cineplex HD, MR TV, Jeet Prime HD, Homeshop, AM News, GoodTimes, Kairali News, Awakening News, Colors Rishtey, MKN, TV9 Bharatvarsh and Times Now World are the other changes.
Permitted name change application
| Channel | |
|---|---|
| ABP News HD (earlier ABP Kannada)​ | News​ |
| Sony Marathi HD (earlier Ten Golf HD)​ | Non-News​ |
| MTunes+ (earlier Lifestyle Asia)​ | Non-News​ |
| News 1st (earlier 1st News)​ | News​ |
| Jehovah (earlier 99 Entertainment)​ | Non-News​ |
| Power TV (ABN Network)​ | News​ |
| B4U Bhojpuri (earlier Aashirwad)​ | Non-News​ |
| Mahavira TV (earlier Boom Music)​ | Non-News​ |
| Colors Cineplex HD (earlier Cineplex HD)​ | Non-News​ |
| MR TV (earlier Cinema TV)​ | Non-News​ |
| Jeet Prime HD (earlier Discovery Jeet HD)​ | Non-News​ |
| Home Shop (earlier Home Shop18)​ | Non-News​ |
| AM News (earlier Live Today)​ | News​ |
| GoodTimes (earlier NDTV GoodTimes)​ | Non-News​ |
| Kairali News (earlier People)​ | News​ |
| Awakening (earlier Prerna)​ | Non-News​ |
| Colors Rishtey (earlier Rishtey)​ | Non-News​ |
| Colors Cineplex (earlier Rishtey Cineplex)​ | Non-News​ |
| MKN (earlier Shalini Plus)​ | News​ |
| TV9 Bharatvarsh (earlier TV9AP)​ | News​ |
| Times Now World (earlier Times Now HD)​ | News​ |
​ABP Network had in February and May received 5 new licenses namely ABP Ganga, ABP Sanjha, ABP Tamil, ABP Kannada, and ABP Andhra. The network has already launched ABP Ganga on 15 April. The channel will focus on Uttar Pradesh and Uttrakhand. The network plans to expand its network this year. If it launches ABP News HD, then it will be 2nd Hindi news HD channel after Aaj Tak HD.
While the database has been updated today most of these changes from the broadcaster have already taken place. Colors had made its plan to rebrand Cineplex and Rishtey with the Colors prefix in February itself. TV9 Bharatvarsh has also been broadcasting for few months. Times Network had rebranded Times Now HD as Times Now World a few months back. GoodTimes and Homeshop however recently rebranded. While GoodTimes shed its NDTV prefix, Homeshop has shed its “18” suffix after Network 18 exited it.
Munny Entertainment’s name change approval comes amidst the case filed by the broadcaster in TDSAT alleging inaction by MIB over its name change application. Earlier this year, MIB had been sued by 4 different broadcasters in TDSAT for inaction over name change approval. While two broadcasters have got what they wanted namely Veecon Media and Munny Entertainment, VS Broadcasting and Horizon Satellite applications are yet to be processed.
MKN and AM News are Marathi news channels that had been using the slots of Shalini Plus and Live Today. Sony Marathi HD is yet to be launched. Homeshop’s name change approval seems to have been approved pretty quickly. The broadcaster had recently only applied for a name change. ABP News HD, MR TV, and MTunes+ are channels that are yet to start broadcasting.
PEN India had recently started its test feed of MTunes+. The channel is currently airing Hindi music on loop.
The ministry’s website was on Monday updated with the name change grants of RK News, RT, and Gemporia to The Nation Plus, Sadhna Bhakti, and Indology respectively.
As per the website of the ministry, it is yet to grant any new license to any broadcaster in June. The ministry in May granted new licenses to Star Sports 1 Malayalam, Epic HD, and Showbox. The ministry had also processed the name change application of Nat Geo People HD and Nat Geo Music HD to Nat Geo Tamil and Nat Geo Telugu.
