MUMBAI: Guwahati-based media company Positiv TV is planning to launch a bi-lingual national news channel 'Focus.' The target date is 26 January, 2008.

"We will launch the news channel after the initial dry run. We are aiming at a 26 January launch if there are no procedural delays," says Positiv TV promoter Manoranjana Sinh.

With bureaus spread across the country, Focus' head office will be in located in Noida.

Positiv TV currently operates a bi-lingual news channel in North-East 'NE TV', a bi-lingual entertainment channel NE 'Hi-Fi' and a Bengali infotainment channel NE Bangla in West Bengal.

Sinh says NE Bangla will be re-launched as a news channel on 2 December. NE Bangla operates out of Kolkata. Headed by Ramesh Gandhi, NE Bangla gets its content from Rainbow Productions. Earlier Rainbow Productions provided content to ATN news and DD.

As reported earlier by Indiantelevision.com, Positiv TV will be also launching two news channels for Jharkhand and Hyderabad.

The company will first launch Hamar TV in Jharkhand followed by HY TV in Hyderabad.

North East Multimedia, the radio venture of the company, operates three FM stations in Guwahati, Shillong and Agartala. By the year end, it will roll out the fourth station in Itanagar to complete launching all stations of which it has obtained license.