Protestant Andhra CM Launching Evangelist TV Station

Posted August 16, 2004
Hyderabad
Aug. 15

A Christian television channel with emphasis on evangelism will be launched in the State with the blessings of Chief Minister Y S Rajasekhar Reddy, who is a practising Protestant Christian. Four close associates of the Chief Minister will meet on August 19 to give the channel a name and make a formal application, which they expect to get in 45 days.

The promoters are Rajasekhar Reddy’s friend Ramachandra Reddy, cousin Ravindranath Reddy and two of his close friends, industrialist Subba Reddy from Kadapa and veterinary medicine manufacturer Venkateswara Reddy. The initial investment is around Rs 10 crore.

The sources said the idea of launching a television channel stuck Rajasekhar Reddy when he faced problems in keeping his oath-taking day promise to a Christian priest to provide a one-hour slot in any of the existing channels for spiritual discourses. “We sent people to all channels’ head offices for a slot in the morning for the discourse, but prime slots were booked. Certain missionary organisations booked the prime slots for two years. It was then that YSR asked us to give a thought to launching new channel and we started the exercise.”

So is this Reddy’s channel? An official in the Chief Minister’s Office said Reddy was not directly involved in the project. “Maybe, his associates are launching a channel,” he maintained. Sources told Deccan Chronicle that the channel in all probability would be launched by Christmas or on New Year’s Day.

The channel, is being described as “one that is different from any of the existing entertainment and news channels”. It will have a combination of [Christian] spiritual discourses, discussions, religious events across the country and preach morals to youth, women and children. It will have three news bulletins at eight-hourly intervals and a news scroll running round-the-clock. It will also carry medical, environment and educative programmes.