Media in Chennai

The article speaks about the many print, television and radio networks that dominate Chennai city's mass media market.

Print media
Newspaper publishing started in Chennai with the launch of a weekly, The Madras Courier, in 1785. It was followed by the weeklies Azdarar, the first Armenian language newspaper ever published, in 1794, and The Madras Gazette and The Government Gazette in 1795. The Spectator, founded in 1836, was the first English newspaper in Chennai to be owned by an Indian and became the city's first daily newspaper in 1853. The first Tamil newspaper, Swadesamitran, was launched in 1899. The first Telugu journal printed in Madras was Satya Doota in 1835.

Chennai has six major print media groups that publish about eight major newspapers and magazines. The major English dailies are The Hindu, The Times of India, The New Indian Express and The Deccan Chronicle evening dailies, The Trinity Mirror and News Today. As of 2012, The Hindu was the city's most read English newspaper, with a daily circulation of 5.4 lakh copies. The major business dailies published from the city are The Economic Times, The Hindu Business Line, Business Standard, and The Financial Express. The major Tamil dailies include the Dina Thanthi, Dinakaran, Dina Mani, Dina Malar, Tamizh Ossai, Tamil Murasu, Theekkathir Makkal Kural and Malai Malar. Many local newspapers cater to particular localities and neighborhoods.

Magazines published from Chennai include Ananda Vikatan, Kumudam, Kalki, Nakkheeran Tamil Investigation Magazine, Kungumam, Swath (Telugu magazine), Frontline, and Sportstar.

Television
Doordarshan runs three terrestrial television channels, DD CHENNAI (DD-1), DD NEWS (DD-2), and DD Podhigai, and one satellite television channel, Podhigai TV, from its Chennai centre, which was set up in 1974. Private Tamil satellite television networks like Sun TV, Zee Tamil, Raj TV, Star Vijay, Colors Tamil, Jaya TV, Makkal TV and Kalaignar TV Thamizhan TV broadcast out of Chennai.

The Sun Network, a Rs. 4,395 crore public firm, is based in the city and is the country's second-largest broadcasting company, in terms of viewership share. Some of its TV shows have generated the highest television rating points in the country. In addition to owning 19 TV channels in all major South Indian languages, the group owns FM radio stations in over eleven cities and some Tamil magazines and newspapers.

SCV is the major cable TV service provider. Direct-to-home (DTH) is available via DD Direct Plus, Dish TV, Tata Sky, Sun Direct DTH, BIG TV, Airtel Digital TV and Videocon d2h. Chennai is the first city in India to have implemented the Conditional Access System for cable television.

Radio
Radio broadcasting started from the radio station at the Rippon Buildings complex, founded in 1930, and was shifted to All India Radio in 1938. The city has two AM and ten FM radio stations, operated by Anna University, All India Radio and private broadcasters.

Web media

 * Chennai News Wire: the first dedicated website for news wires in Chennai; contains the latest press releases and Chennai news
 * Local News Online: exclusive local news website; launched in 2013; penetrates into Chennai and neighborhood news
 * Neighbourhood Local Chennai News: the first dedicated website for Chennai's neighbourhood news; contains the latest press news and Chennai news
 * Press Release Website: the first dedicated website for press releases in Chennai; contains the latest press releases and Chennai news

Kollywood
The Tamil Film Industry, based in Kodambakkam and Vadapalani area of Chennai, is the second most popular branch of Indian cinema. The word Kollywood is a portmanteau of Kodambakkam and Hollywood. The AVM Studios located in this area is the oldest surviving studio in India.