About ABCL
The Associated Broadcasting Company Ltd (ABCL) is one of the fastest growing media companies in India today.
We started with a 24-hour news channel (TV9 AP) in Andhra Pradesh in 2004, and quickly became a ratings leader there with our unique br and of bold and fearless journalism.
In just four years we've added five more channels to our bouquet, each a major player in its metier: |
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TV9 Karnataka - the first news channel in Kannada, and a runaway TRP topper |
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TV9 Gujarat - the only Gujarati news channel, and a resounding success |
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Indiavision - fierce competitor in the Malayalam news space |
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Kolkata TV - path-breaking Bengali news channel |
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Sanskriti - niche channel in Telugu devoted to faith and culture |
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| Four new channels are all set to beam up in 2008: |
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TV9 New Delhi (Hindi) - will make us a national player |
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TV9 Mumbai (Hindi) - our stake in the financial capital |
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Bangalore 9 (English) - a happening channel for our most happening city |
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TV9 Chennai (Tamil) - an independent channel for an independent people |
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| That will make ABCL a truly pan-Indian broadcaster located in every major metropolis in the country, and articulating the concerns of India 's millions in the language most accessible to them. |
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| ABCL is promoted by iLabs Capital, a $350 million India - focused venture capital f und. |
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| 'ABCL's Mission ' |
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| ABCL's Mission |
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| ABCL is a journalist-led media company wedded to the purpose of building a better society through free-spirited journalism. Nonpartisan journalism is a sovereign value to us. |
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| Mission Statement: For A Better Society |
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| ABCL st and s for a better society. Such an ideal resides in the depth of every heart but it becomes meaningful only if given forceful expression. We believe that by disseminating impartial, balanced and credible news in a creative and challenging format and by hosting a free and fearless conversation of ideas of all persuasions we help society in making info rmed choices. The citizen's interests are at the forefront of our concerns and we exist to articulate them. We shall carry out our watchdog function with alacrity, and try to find solutions to the problems we unearth. In times of citizen distress, we believe it is the journalist's duty to go the extra mile to facilitate relief and redressal. |
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| ABCL Policy |
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| All TV9 channels and their affiliates adhere to nine policies that are a means to realizing our mission. |
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| 1. News First |
As an aggressive news-gathering organization, ABCL TV channels tune all their systems to achieve one purpose: putting the latest news break on air no later than half an hour after its occurrence. Reporters in the field are directly linked to production control to sound the first alert to a news break. ABCL's channels aim to be the medium of first resort for a citizen in need of news. |
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| 2. Editorial Sovereignty |
| Journalism is effective only when it is free. ABCL hosts a free environment for journalists, and all its editorial decisions are taken in complete independence of commercial or other considerations. We believe that good journalism is good business. Like church and state, business and editorial functions are kept strictly separate in ABCL. We are fiercely protective of our editorial independence and resist any attempt by interested sections to influence our content. |
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| 3. People First |
| ABCL runs its channels as people's channels. The company upholds the primacy of the citizen in relation to the state. It sees him as the holder of non-negotiable fundamental rights, as a voter who creates the state, as a tax-payer who endows society's welfare, and as a consumer who is the master of the economy. All policies and actions by public and private institutions are relevant to ABCL only inasmuch as they serve the citizen. ABCL journalists avoid presenting the state as benefactor and the citizen as its beneficiary. |
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4. Respect for the Rule of Law |
| Corruption is India 's most serious problem. It can be rid only if the media promotes respect for the law. Big or small, every unlawful act by public figures stems from a lack of respect for the law. ABCL's channels examine the conduct of state functionaries in the light of this principle. Holding corruption up to the harsh light of day is a major component of our m and ate. But in doing so, our purpose is to lead to an underst and ing of the root cause of corruption rather than to be the instrument of a witch hunt. |
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5. Integrity |
| ABCL and all its employees will perform their functions in accordance with the highest moral and ethical principles of journalism, and by so doing become a benchmark for the industry. ABCL believes that in order to serve the public, it is important that all its employees share the appropriate moral st and ards. ABCL will take the necessary steps to ensure that integrity is a practised value at all levels of operation. ABCL requires its journalists to adhere to a stringent code of integrity and avoid all forms of illegal gratification. |
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6. Credibility |
| The media's primary role is the gathering of news. But its very soul would be in peril if the news it aired had the flaw of error or the taint of prejudice. Credibility accrues only to the painstaking media house. To earn it one would have to resist the facile conclusion and the easy soundbite. All the great media houses of our time are founded on the value of credibility. ABCL believes that it has the acumen to earn this cherished quality. |
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7. Nonpartisan Journalism |
| ABCL has no biases towards any political party, social group or individual. Its channels report the news in an unbiased manner and believes that this can be achieved by having balanced stories presenting all sides of an issue. ABCL does not provide political commentary but rather provides an honest, accurate, and unbiased depiction of the day's events. ABCL will ensure that the news it delivers is not coloured by any racist, sexist, homophobic, or fascist undertones. |
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8. Progressive Approach |
| ABCL st and s for change, improvement, and reform in Indian society. While giving due respect to our heritage, we celebrate all that is modern and liberal, all that is cosmopolitan and all that would lead us to a kinder society. We take an unshakeable stance against divisive religiosity, superstition and xenophobia. We believe that a liberal exchange of ideas can take place only in an atmosphere of tolerance. |
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9. Disaster Relief |
| ABCL's channels seek to assist those in need during a disaster, natural or man-made. The news is a very powerful source of communication and during times of need it is necessary that the channel be a source of crucial info rmation for those in need. Therefore, our disaster coverage will be designed to help people in distress, and all criticism and negative commentary will be withheld until after the incident has been sufficiently resolved. |
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