For a long time, popular Telugu television news channel TV9 had been the most hated channel for the Telangana Rashtra Samithi leaders.
They used to call it Andhra channel and accuse its chief executive officer Ravi Prakash of being a puppet of Andhra rulers.
During the Telangana movement, TRS chief K Chandrasekhar Rao used to give a call to the people not to watch the channel, as it was spreading hatred against Telangana.
Even after the formation of Telangana, the TV9 was accused of carrying anti-Telangana stories like exaggerating the suicide deaths etc.
In fact, soon after coming to power, KCR made the cable operators black out the channel for several months. However, the channel was restored after the management later succumbed to the government pressures.
Yet, the TRS continued to treat it as an Andhra channel whenever there was on occasion. But the stand seems to have changed now, after it was decided that the channel changed hands.
New investors, supposedly My Home Group of J Rameshwar Rao and Megha Infra headed by Krishna Reddy are set to take over the channel shortly. Both are said to be backroom boys of KCR.
However, Ravi Prakash will continue to be the CEO of the channel and control the day-to-day operations of the channel.
Since the investors are closer to KCR, he has also become a close friend of the TRS bosses. He is now hobnobbing with the TRS bigwigs.
The other day, he laid foundation stone for a new school at Rangadampalli of Siddipet district under the banner of Ravi Prakash foundation.
The function was attended by KCR’s nephew T Harish Rao, minister for irrigation and he heaped praises on Ravi Prakash for his social service. He said Ravi Prakash should be appreciated for his efforts to extend quality education to the poor.
And Ravi Prakash, too, was all praise for Harish Rao for his support. He said he was extremely happy to be a part of government’s efforts for the Golden Telangana.
So, when a person surrenders to KCR’s family, it doesn’t matter if he is Andhra or Telangana!
