Television in Tamil language
Television in the Tamil language traces its origins back to the 1990s.
The prominent TV channels include Sun TV, Star Vijay, Raj TV, Jaya TV, Kalaignar TV, and Zee Tamil. The majority of the prominent television studios are situated in Chennai, Tamil Nadu. As of 2022, there are over 50 channels broadcasting in the Tamil language, making it the second-largest television industry in the country after Hindi-language television.[1][2]
Key genres of television shows encompass serials, news programs, variety shows, game shows, movies, and documentaries. Many Indian-Tamil television programs are accessible on satellite and multicultural channels in overseas territories such as Sri Lanka, Malaysia, Singapore, Europe, the Middle East, and Australia. The pioneering private channel was Sun TV from India.[3]
History
[edit]The inception of Tamil language small-screen programming began in 1963 in Singapore and the 1980s in India. Initially, broadcasts ran from 7:15 pm to 11:15 pm daily, featuring programs in Singapore's four official languages (Tamil, Malay, Chinese, and English). Tamil programming initially aired on Channel 5 and later also on Channel 8. On 30 March 1973, Channel 8 became the dedicated Tamil-language service, with limited programming, after a decision taken by RTS to streamline the language sof the two channels.[4] When Channel 8 started on 31 August 1963 with a pilot schedule, it aired the Tamil film Naan Petra Selvam.[5] In India, there was only one national channel, the government-owned Doordarshan, which commenced broadcasting programs in Indian languages in the 1980s.[6] Dubbing of Hindi series to Tamil became mandatory at DD Chennai in 1985.[7]
The 2000s marked the golden era for the Tamil language television industry, witnessing phenomenal growth in every dimension.
Television by Country
[edit]India
[edit]The first Tamil television channels, Sun TV and DD Podhigai,[6][8] were launched on April 14, 1993, in India. Businessman Kalanithi Maran established the first Tamil language TV station, Sun TV, which commenced broadcasting on April 14, 1993,[9][10] initially offering four-and-a-half hours of programming per day under a time-sharing agreement with ATN. However, in January 1997, it transitioned to a 24-hour programming channel. The Sun TV Network recently launched a DTH service, making its channels available in several countries outside India.[citation needed]
On October 14, 1994, Raj TV[11] was launched by Rajendran and became the second most popular channel in Tamil in the early 2000s. The same year, another channel called Golden Eagle Communication was launched by N. P. V. Ramasamy Udayar,[12][13] which was later acquired by Star India in 2001. Star India took over the channel and rebranded it as Star Vijay.[14]
On August 22, 1999, Jaya TV was launched in honor of the former Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu, J. Jayalalithaa.[citation needed]
The most recent channels and networks in the Tamil-based Indian broadcasting industry include Jaya TV, Kalaignar TV,[15][16] Zee Tamil,[17] Polimer TV,[18] Colors Tamil,[19] Vendhar TV,[20] Makkal TV and Puthuyugam TV.[21] Currently, the major four cable general entertainment channels that dominate the TRP rivalry are Sun TV, Star Vijay, Zee Tamil, Kalaignar TV, and Colors Tamil.[citation needed]
Singapore
[edit]Singapore Television Twelve split the former Channel 12 on September 1, 1995, with the existing channel being replaced by Prime 12, including Tamil-language programming on its schedule. The first Singapore Tamils channel, Vasantham Central, was launched on January 30, 2000. It was founded and is owned by MediaCorp. On October 19, 2008, Vasantham Central was relaunched as Vasantham.[22]
Malaysia
[edit]The first Tamil Malaysians channel was Astro Vaanavil.[23] It was launched on June 1, 1996, and created by Astro. The second general entertainment channel was Astro Vinmeen HD. It was launched on October 18, 2013. The channel is co-owned by Southeast Asia's second richest man, Ananda Krishnan, and Astro Malaysia Holdings.[24][25]
Sri Lanka
[edit]The Sri Lankan Tamils channel emerged in the early 2000s. On October 20, 1998, Shakthi TV was launched by Capital Maharaja.[26] It quickly became the most popular channel in Sri Lanka.
France
[edit]The first France-based Tamil language satellite television channel, Tamil Television Network, was launched in June 1997. Its main audience was Sri Lankan Tamils living in Europe, the Middle East, and Australia.[27] It was the first Tamil-language TV station outside India. The channel ceased broadcasting on May 2, 2007, when Globecast stopped relaying the channel.[28]
Canada
[edit]The first Canadian-based Tamil language channel, Tamil One, was launched on September 6, 2001. Its main audience comprised Sri Lankan Tamils. The second entertainment channel, Tamil Vision International, based in Toronto, Ontario, was launched on September 7, 2001. It stands as the largest Tamil media outlet in North America.
The third entertainment channel, Tamil Entertainment Television, was officially launched on December 13, 2012, on Bell Fibe TV. It holds the distinction of being the first 24-hour Tamil channel in North America to broadcast in HD.
United Kingdom
[edit]IBC Tamil Television was launched in April 2015 at a ceremonial event in London.[29] It became the second Tamil channel in the United Kingdom after Deepam TV. The channel was inaugurated with over 1500 people in attendance. Deepam TV had been launched in June 2000 and broadcasts round the clock from its studios in Hayes.
In 2015, the company announced an investment of £2 million in state-of-the-art digital studio equipment. As a result, the channel now produces nearly all its video content in HD through its studios in the UK, India, and Sri Lanka.
Australia
[edit]The first Australian-Tamil television channel, Sigaram TV, was launched in the early 2000s. However, in September 2006, due to bankruptcy, Sigaram TV ceased operations, and its existing subscribers were acquired by Tharisanam TV.[30] In Europe, for a brief period in mid-2008, Tharisanam TV changed its name to Thendral TV due to a change in management.[31] However, in Australia, the channel continued to operate as Tharisanam TV.
In October 2008, the channel rebranded as Global Tamil Vision.[32] Today, Global Tamil Vision stands as one of the largest Tamil TV networks in the world.
Streaming Service (OTT)
[edit]Online video streaming, also known as Over-the-top (OTT) services like Hotstar, Sun NXT, ZEE5, Amazon Prime Video, Mediacorp, MX Player, and others, gained popularity among Tamil people after 2020 due to the COVID-19 Pandemic. This trend posed a threat to the Tamil television drama industry.[33]
Channels by Country
[edit]General Entertainment
[edit]| Channel | Launch | Owner | Country |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sun TV | 14 April 1993 | Sun TV Network | India |
| Raj TV | 14 October 1994 | Raj Television Network | |
| Star Vijay | 24 November 1994 | Disney Star | |
| Jaya TV | 22 August 1999 | Jaya TV Network | |
| Makkal TV | 6 September 2006 | Makkal Tholai Thodarpu Kuzhumam Ltd | |
| Kalaignar TV | 15 September 2007 | Kalaignar TV Private Limited | |
| Mega TV | 19 November 2007 | Mega TV Network | |
| Vasanth TV | 5 May 2008 | Vasanth & Co Group | |
| Zee Tamil | 12 October 2008 | Zee Entertainment Enterprises | |
| Captain TV | 14 April 2010 | Captain Media | |
| Polimer TV | 2009 | Polimer Media Private Limited | |
| Super TV | 2011 | Unknown | |
| Puthuyugam TV | 23 October 2013 | SRM Group | |
| Vendhar TV | 24 August 2014 | ||
| Vaanavil TV | 14 February 2016 | Unknown | |
| Colors Tamil | 19 February 2018 | Viacom18 | |
| Blacksheep TV | 15 January 2023 | Kalaignar TV Private Limited | |
| M Nadu TV | 15 January 2023 | TN Networks private limited |
See also
[edit]- List of Tamil-language television channels in India
- List of Tamil-language television channels
- Tamil television drama
References
[edit]- ^ "The amazing rise of Sun TV". Rediff.com.
- ^ Vijayakumar, Sanjay; Kandavel, Sangeetha (22 October 2018). "Sun group bets big on second channel to take on competition". The Hindu.
- ^ "Sun TV history". Economic Times. Retrieved 28 November 2015.
- ^ "NEW TIMES FOR TV SCREENING FROM FRIDAY". The Straits Times (retrieved from NLB). 27 March 1973. Retrieved 14 August 2023.
- ^ "Television Singapura The Straits Times". The Straits Times. 31 August 1963. Retrieved 29 July 2020.
- ^ a b "About the Kendra". Archived from the original on 6 January 2019. Retrieved 6 April 2018.
- ^ Southern Comfort, TV and Video World, September 1985
- ^ "Regional Language Satellite Service". Doordarshan. Archived from the original on 22 June 2011. Retrieved 10 July 2011.
- ^ Menon, Jaya (8 November 2005). "Karunanidhi wife pulls out stake in Sun TV". The Indian Express.
- ^ "Rediff India Abroad, April 28, 2006 – Kalanithi Maran: A 'Sunshine' story, by Sanjiv Shankaran and S. Bridget Leena in New Delhi". Rediff.com. Retrieved 24 January 2012.
- ^ "The Economic Times". indiatimes.com.
- ^ "From Booze To News". Outlook India.
- ^ "Why UTV bought Vijay TV". Indian Television.
- ^ "Star India buys out UTV's stake in Vijay TV". The Economic Times.
- ^ "Kalaignar TV set to attract viewers with new launches". www.afaqs.com. 29 October 2009.
- ^ "TV series on DMK patriarch Karunanidhi's life from Nov 2". www.hindustantimes.com. 31 October 2019.
- ^ "Zee launches Tamil channel". financialexpress.com. 12 October 2008. Retrieved 22 April 2014.
- ^ "The battle for original Tamil TV content". The Times of India. 17 August 2016. Retrieved 7 August 2020.
- ^ "Viacom18 enters Tamil market with launch of Colors Tamil". The Economic Times. 9 February 2018. Retrieved 21 February 2018.
- ^ "Vendhar TV begins". Dinamalar. 25 August 2014.
- ^ "Puthuyugam spruces up prime time". The Times of India. 21 September 2015. Retrieved 8 October 2015.
- ^ Wong, Alicia (1 March 2008). "Dedicated Indian and kids TV channels". Today (retrieved from NLB). Retrieved 24 March 2020.
- ^ Sankaran, Chitra; Pillai, Shanthini (2011). "Transnational Tamil television and diasporic imaginings". International Journal of Cultural Studies. 14 (3): 277–289. doi:10.1177/1367877910391867. S2CID 145197401.
- ^ "Singtel TV : Channels & On Demand : Channels : CH626 Astro Vinmeen HD". Archived from the original on 12 October 2015.
- ^ "Astro debuts S.E.A.'s first 24-hour Tamil HD channel | OnScreenAsia.com". Archived from the original on 22 November 2015. Retrieved 2015-11-22.
- ^ "Shakthi TV". Dialog. Retrieved 19 August 2015.
- ^ Anbarasan, Ethirajan (February 2000). "Sri Lankan expats find a guardian angel". UNESCO Courier. Archived from the original on 17 May 2008. Retrieved 20 December 2009.
- ^ "France suspends TTN broadcast". TamilNet. 2 May 2007. Retrieved 20 December 2009.
- ^ "Asian Television Network – Canada – Multicultural – South Asian TV – ATN IBC Tamil". Asiantelevision.com. Retrieved 16 December 2017.
- ^ "Tharisanam TV Channel 1 Commences on THAI PONGAL DAY in Australia and Newzealand". Tamil Sydney. 12 December 2006. Retrieved 22 December 2009.
- ^ "Breaking News: The LTTE TV Tharishanam goes off the air from today onwards". Asian Tribune. 22 June 2008. Retrieved 22 December 2009.
- ^ "Television Broadcast Licensing Update October 2008". Licensing updates. Ofcom. Archived from the original on 2 May 2009. Retrieved 19 December 2009.
- ^ Puthiyakath, Hashim Hamza; Goswami, Manash Pratim (6 May 2021). "Is Over the Top Video Platform the Game Changer over Traditional TV Channels in India? A Niche Analysis". Asia Pacific Media Educator. 31: 133–150. doi:10.1177/1326365X211009639. ISSN 1326-365X. S2CID 235405617.
