MUMBAI: Malayalam Communications Ltd (MCL), which owns the Malayalam satellite television channel Kairali TV, will launch its second television channel in August this year. The yet-to-be named channel has chosen 17 August as the tentative launch date.

After covering the general entertainment space with Kairali TV, MCL is launching an infotainment channel now. Confirming this to indiantelevision.com, Kairali TV MD & editor John Brittas said the programming would have a ratio of 60 per cent news and 40 per cent entertainment.

"The channel will have an emphasis on news and current affairs programmes. We will have a dedicated band for business news, which will cover areas ranging from agriculture to automobiles. Though we won't be telecasting movies, we will have film-based programmes as part of our entertainment section," says Brittas.

Brittas adds that, with the new channel, MCL hopes to tap the tremendous market potential for news programming in Kerala. The new channel will also have English news bulletins in its line-up.

MCL has roped in N P Chandrasekharan, who was earlier with Malayalam channels Asianet and Indiavision, as the executive editor of the new channel. According to Brittas, the new venture will initially make use of Kairali TV's news division and will look for hiring more professionals in the next phase.

Malayalam television's news channel space presently has two players: Indiavision, which is mainly funded by people from the Muslim community in Kerala and the Middle East and the Asianet Communications promoted Asianet News. While Indiavision is a dedicated news channel, Asianet News has entertainment programmes also in its line up.