Naxatra News

About Naxatra News

Naxatra News is a 24-hour Odia-language news and current affairs channel based in Bhubaneswar, Odisha, operated by NK Media Ventures. Launched in 2009, it was the first 24-hour Odia current affairs and news channel in Odisha and the maiden media venture of its promoter, businessman Prabhat Ranjan Mallick. Headquartered at Indradhanu Market, Nayapalli, Bhubaneswar, the channel airs local, national and international news with a heavy emphasis on Odisha, alongside infotainment programmes, talk shows and panel discussions on current issues. Operating under the motto "Power of Truth," it remains on air across television and digital platforms.

History

Naxatra News was promoted by Prabhat Ranjan Mallick, a businessman with several business interests in Odisha for whom the channel was a first venture into the media space. Contemporary trade press in mid-2008 reported that the channel — headquartered in Bhubaneswar and already in possession of its licence from the Information and Broadcasting Ministry — was scheduled to go on air from 4 July, while company profiles describe 2009 as the channel's inception year and its establishment in Bhubaneswar. It was set up as the first 24-hour news channel of NK Media Ventures, with the group signalling ambitions to grow beyond the channel into a converged media presence across electronic and other media.

The launch filled a clear gap. At the time, Odisha had only two Oriya television channels of note — OTV and ETV, both general entertainment channels — and no dedicated 24-hour news channel in the language. Naxatra News arrived as the state's first round-the-clock Odia news service, a pioneering position in a market that would later become one of India's most crowded regional news battlegrounds.

Launch and Early Operations

For its launch, Naxatra News assembled a professional news operation. Ashok Mohapatra, a print journalist with 16 years of experience who had worked with Sambad, the leading Odia daily, was appointed editor-in-chief. The channel tied up with Associated Press Television News (APTN) for international and national news content, engaged Lamhas of Mumbai for teleport services, and announced plans for a bureau in New Delhi followed by bureaus in Kolkata, Mumbai and Bangalore. The satellite footprint was established on INSAT-4A at 83 degrees east on the C-band, and the channel was carried by cable operators across eastern India as well as on DTH platforms including Dish TV and Videocon d2h.

The Odisha News Market at Launch

When Naxatra News was being planned, Odia television was still young. Satellite and cable history in Odisha began in 2001 with the launch of ETV Odia, the Eenadu group's regional infotainment channel, followed by Ortel Communications' OTV — the satellite venture of the state's premier cable operator — which cut into ETV's advertising and market share. Within a few years about 14 regional channels had entered the Odisha market, but the fatality rate was high: three channels closed and two opted out within three years, according to contemporary media analysis. Naxatra News launched into this volatile landscape as the first channel devoted entirely to news, betting that a 24-hour Odia news service could succeed where general entertainment ventures had struggled.

Technical Footprint

Naxatra News established its satellite presence on INSAT-4A at 83 degrees east on the C-band, with published reception parameters guiding direct-to-home dish owners to the feed. The channel tied up with Lamhas of Mumbai for teleport services — the uplink infrastructure that carries the channel to the satellite — and with Associated Press Television News (APTN) for international and national news footage, giving a Bhubaneswar-based newsroom access to global news content from day one. Planned bureaus in New Delhi, Kolkata, Mumbai and Bangalore were announced to extend its newsgathering footprint beyond Odisha.

Ownership

Naxatra News is owned and operated by NK Media Ventures (N.K. Media Ventures Pvt. Limited), promoted by Prabhat Ranjan Mallick. The group's registered contact address is F/4, 3rd Floor, Indradhanu Market, Nayapalli, Bhubaneswar, Odisha 751015, with phone numbers 0674-2553033 and 0674-2551665 and email addresses including info@naxatranews.com and feedback@naxatranews.com. The channel was the group's maiden foray into media, and company profiles describe it as having "taken giant strides ever since its inception."

Programming

Naxatra News airs local, national and international news around the clock, with the focus firmly on local Odisha news. Beyond bulletins, the schedule includes infotainment-based programmes, talk shows and panel discussions on current issues. The channel's reporting leans heavily into Odisha-centric stories — from state politics and governance to health, education and rural affairs — a focus reflected in its recent digital output, which includes in-depth special reports on subjects such as maternal healthcare in the state's hospitals. Its motto, "Power of Truth," frames an editorial identity built on raising social issues through impactful stories and shows.

Editorial Identity

The channel describes itself as committed to unbiased, hard-hitting journalism, dedicated to shedding light on the challenges and concerns faced by the people of Odisha. Trade and directory profiles credit it with playing a vital role in creating awareness and initiating conversations that lead to positive change in Odisha society. Its positioning as a fearless, truth-first newsroom — "Power of Truth" — has been central to its brand since launch, distinguishing it in a market where several rival channels are backed by newspaper groups, entertainment conglomerates or political interests.

Market Position

Naxatra News pioneered 24-hour Odia television news, but the market it created soon filled with competitors. The channel that followed include OTV's news operations, Kanak News (backed by the Sambad newspaper group), News18 Odia, Zee Odisha, MBC TV, Prameya News7, Kalinga TV and, in 2021, Argus News — which, like Naxatra, grew out of a digital news operation before going to satellite. Against these rivals, Naxatra's calling cards remain its first-mover status, its Odisha-first news agenda and its long standing as an independent, Mallick-promoted broadcaster rather than an arm of a larger media or political house. Industry histories of Odisha television note the high fatality rate among early Odia channels — several launched and closed within a few years — making Naxatra's continued presence since 2009 a notable record of survival.

Distribution

Naxatra News transmits via satellite on the C-band and has historically been available through cable operators across the eastern part of India and on DTH platforms including Dish TV and Videocon d2h. The channel's satellite parameters have been published for direct reception, and its broadcast area covers India, serving Odia-speaking viewers across the country.

Digital Presence

The channel has embraced digital distribution alongside television, offering live streaming of its broadcasts so viewers can watch from anywhere in the world. Its website, naxatranews.com, anchors the digital operation, complemented by active YouTube, Facebook, X (Twitter) and Instagram channels. The YouTube channel carries the channel's special reports and video news — recent uploads include detailed ground reports on Odisha's healthcare system — extending the "Power of Truth" brand to on-demand audiences.

The digital push reflects a wider shift in Odia news consumption. Where Naxatra News began as a purely satellite proposition in 2009, it now operates as a multi-platform newsroom: the television channel for appointment viewing, the website and live stream for viewers outside Odisha and abroad, and social video for the mobile-first audience. That evolution has kept one of Odisha's oldest private news channels relevant into its second decade on air.

Official Website

The official website of Naxatra News, with live streaming and the channel's news coverage, is naxatranews.com.