NEW DELHI: Three different channels operating in different markets are trying to work out content that would work and advertising revenues that would make them profitable. Struggling to succeed against their bigger rivals, they have a task cut out for them.

CNEB News, part of the HBN Group, is up against the mightier Hindi news channels such as Aaj Tak, India TV and Star News.

“Distribution is the main problem for us. The government also should be strict in handing out permissions for news channels,” said CNEB COO Anuranjan Jha, while speaking at the 4th News Television Summit.

Maurya TV, operating in Bihar and Jharkhand, has managed to find space for itself. “We became the No. 1 channel in these markets. Bihar is a very political market. We are also expanding to Uttar Pradesh,” said Maurya TV executive editor Kumar Raajesh.  
     
  The channel is 74 per cent owned by Prakash Jha and 26 per cent by Manmohan Shetty. Though it may have got ratings, the channel is finding it tough to rope in advertisers. The hope is that a wider footprint would help. Entering into Uttar Pradesh, however, would mean coughing out higher carriage costs as MSO Den Networks dominates that market.

Day & Night News is also finding the going tough. Blocked initially by a leading MSO in Punjab for coverage of political news, the multi-lingual channel (Punjabi, Hindi and English) is fighting back and has sealed distribution deals with the DTH operators.

“We have carved a space for ourselves by being politically neutral. The other channels in the state are politically aligned,” said Day & Night News managing editor Kanwar Sandhu.

The channel is from Chandigarh with primary focus on Punjab, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, Jammu & Kashmir, Delhi & NCR.