YSR Congress party general secretary and Rajya Sabha member V Vijay Sai Reddy, who made a grand announcement not long ago that he would launch a media house to counter the malicious campaign being unleashed by yellow media, particularly Eenadu, appears to have shelved his plan.
Initial reports in October said he had begun the exercise to launch the media house and that he had completed the formation of an editorial team and marketing wing.
The reports said the newspaper will hit the stands by February or March and that the channel would follow later.
However, according to sources close to him, there have absolutely been no talk about the launch of a newspaper or channel till date. There has been no information about the editorial or marketing teams and who has been appointed as the editor of the newspaper.
“It appears, Sai Reddy has dropped the plan, at least for now. The reasons for the same are not immediately known. He has been maintaining low profile these days and has even toned down his attacks on the political rivals,” sources said.
In October, Sai Reddy fretted and fumed at Eenadu group chairman Ch Ramoji Rao for its scurrilous writings on the alleged land deals in Visakhapatnam involving his family members. He said Eenadu had turned worse than a pamphlet for the Telugu Desam Party.
“Just because Ramu owns a newspaper and a television channel, he has been indulging in character assassination. Here is my challenge. I am going to enter the media field. I will launch a newspaper and a television channel with my own money,” he said, indicating that he needed a media house to counter-attack Eenadu.
Soon after his statement, people expressed surprise as to why he has chosen to launch a media house, which is a highly-cost intensive proposition and a loss-making venture.
A section of party leaders say Sai Reddy might have made the statement in a fit of emotion, as he knows how difficult it is to run a media house, after having seen the struggles of Sakshi to sustain.
“Sakshi has been able to sustain because of the advertisement support from the Jagan Mohan Reddy government, because it is owned by the chief minister’s family. If Sai Reddy launches a newspaper and channel, it is doubtful whether he will get the same support from the government,” a party leader said.
Maybe, the chief minister has refrained Sai Reddy from going ahead with the media venture, as it would only be a competitor for Sakshi, which is already countering Eenadu and Andhra Jyothy.
