by Nava Thakuria
Recognized as the first 24x7 Assamese news channel of the region, bordering Bhutan, Tibet (China), Burma and Bangladesh, was inaugurated by the Assam chief minister Traun Gogoi on the Christmas Day. In a brief function held at its premise at Ulubari, Guwahati, the State government head touched the mouse of the master computer and the test signal tag gone vanished.
The news channel launched by Brand Value Communications Ltd under Rose Valley Group of Companies, Kolkata started its experimental telecasting as test signal since December 4 and since then the news and other programmes remain available through cable network in the region. Soon the programmes will be available in various DTHs.
NewsTime Assam is the fourth satellite news channel of Northeast India to cater the immediate need of around 50 million population in the region. The other news channels of the region namely NE Television, News Live and DY365 beam news and other programmes in different languages including English, Hindi, Bengali and other dialects.
In his message, the State government chief Mr. Gogoi expressed hope that the new channel would pursue journalism with all ethical norms and maintains its credibility. Gautam Kundu, the Chairman-cum-Managing Director of Rose Valley Group was also present on the occasion. Kundu assured that NewsTime Assam would continue its mission with all honesty, transparency and credibility.
The project has been completed in six months with all the permissions from the Central and State governments. The channel has begun with a motto to uplift the aspirations of the rural people. With its launch, the NewsTime Assam has become a major player as a media organization in the North East as recently there has been an increasing demand for factual, impartial and analytically presented news with all round social, economic, political content.
Pratap Bordoloi, Editor-in-Chief of NewsTime Assam, Shivomoy Dutta, Rose Valley Group Director, Soumendo Das, Business head of Brand Value Communication Ltd, Sachidanda Singh, Chief Technical Officer were also present in the auspicious occasion.
The inauguration was followed by a grand cultural evening at Hotel Brahmaputra Ashok, which was graced by the legendary Assamese singer Asom Ratna Bhupen Hazarika, APCC chief Bhubeneswar Kalita, AGP chief Chandra Mohan Patowary with many others.
Mentionable that Rose Valley Group has expanded its' footprints to cover multiple verticals and is poised to service the needs of the modern customers. It's a fast growing business conglomerate with more than ten thousand employees. The group has proved its unmatched capabilities in leveraging diversity in business, ranging from insurance to housing finance, from real estates and construction to chain of hotels, resorts and shopping malls, from amusement parks to manufacturing of fast moving consumer goods and from film production to operating TV channels.
"The USP for the channel (NewsTime Assam ) is its fair and balanced sensitively treated news with creative and original programming. It will be a mirror to the rich traditions and cultural heritage of the people in this region, particularly that of its various ethnic groups. The channel will also organize educational competitions with awards, reality shows, promote scholarships and customer care oriented programmes to attract viewers," disclosed Pratap Bordoloi, the chief editor of the channel.
