MUMBAI: Broadcast News, Rajdeep Sardesai's new venture in collaboration with Television Eighteen Group, has sought permission to uplink a news channel.

A government source confirmed the move, but did not give a time frame for the clearance of the proposal. "A working name (of the proposed channel) is mentioned in the uplink application," the official admitted, when quizzed on the issue, adding that the permission would be given subject to clearance from other government agencies.

After obtaining a green signal from the I&B ministry, the proposed channel will have to get several other clearances from various agencies, including the department of telecommunications.

The yet-to-be-named channel is targeting a launch later this year. It is also expected that the new channel would be in English, while another news channel is being planned for an early 2006 launch, according to information available with Indiantelevision.com.

The proposed channel's operations will be carried out from an office-cum-studio complex to be located in the Film City in Noida, on the outskirts of Delhi.

At the moment, Sardesai and associates are scouting professionals for the news channel. Some production people, associated with NDTV 24x7's Big Fight that used to be hosted by Sardesai, have already quit to join forces at Broadcast News.