Media in Kerala


Media in Kerala, India are widely accessible and cater to a wide variety of audiences.

Print media

Dozens of newspapers are published in Kerala. The principal languages of publication are Malayalam and English. The most widely circulating Malayalam-language newspapers include Malayala Manorama, Mathrubhumi, Madhyamam,Suprabhaatham, Siraj Daily, Kerala Kaumudi, Veekshanam, Desabhimani, Deepika, Mangalam, Janayugam, Thejas, Varthamanam, Chandrika, Janmabhumi, Udaya Keralam and Metro Vaartha.
Among list of Malayalam periodicals major Malayalam periodicals are Mathrubhumi weekly, Madhyamam weekly, India Today Malayalam, Dhanam,Chithrabhumi, Balarama, Thejas, Kanyaka and Bhashaposhini.
The following table is according to the Indian Readership Survey 2019 Quarter 1.
RankName of the magazineAverage Issue Readership
1Vanitha7028
2Mathrubhumi Arogya Masika2683
3Mathrubhumi Thozhilvartha2605
4Balarama2542
5Grihalakshmi2423

Television

the state-owned television broadcaster started the commercial television broadcast in Kerala with the channel 'DD Malayalam 'on 1 January 1985 from Kudappanakkunnu,Trivandrum.DD Malayalam started with a one-hour slot daily followed by a 10-minute news bulletin in malayalam.During initial phase,malayalam programs that originated from Doordarshan were available only within 15 km radius of the station.
Multi system operators provide a mix of Malayalam, English, and international channels. The first group to enter the television field was Asianet in 1993, followed by Surya TV in 1998. Kairali TV started broadcast in the year 2000. Multiple channels then started broadcasting including general entertainment channels like, Jeevan, Amrita, Jai Hind, Asianet plus, Kiran TV, Kairali We, Janam TV news channels like Indiavision, Asianet News, Reporter TV, Manorama News, Kairali People, Mathrubhumi News, Media One TV, and religious channels like Harvest TV, Harvest USA TV, Harvest Arabia, Harvest India, Shalom, Powervision TV. The only government owned channel in Malayalam is Victers TV, an edutainment channel which is working under KITE of General Education department, Kerala

Radio

In Kerala, Radio had a very vital role in communication.During colonial rule, the erstwhile Travancore state set up the first Radio Station in Kerala.The Princely State of Travancore has granted sanction for setting up a radio broadcasting station at Thiruvananthapuram on 30 September 1937.The radio station was called 'Travancore State Broadcasting Station' and was inaugurated on 12 March 1943 by Sri Chithira Thirunal Balarama Varma.During Initial phase of transmission two hours of radio broadcasting on Friday evenings were aired by the station.After Independence when state of Travancore joined in Indian Union, the 'Travancore State Broadcasting Station' was merged with All India Radio from 1 April 1950. Radio Alakal, the first Community radio in the state, started narrowcasting from Trivandrum on 1 May 2006.Kerala's First private FM station, , was launched on 29th, November 2007 in Calicut, sparking off the FM revolution in the state. Today, Kerala has a host of private FM channels that are fast gaining influence among its population.

Private FM Stations inside Kerala

  1. Club FM 94.3
  2. BIG FM 92.7
  3. Radio Mirchi 98.3
  4. Red FM 93.5
  5. Radio DC - Community Radio Station
  1. Radio Benziger 107.8 - Community Radio Station
  1. Ente Radio 91.2 - Community Radio Station
  1. Global Radio 91.2 FM- Community Radio Station
  1. Radio Mango 92.7
  2. Club FM 104.8
  3. Radio Neythal 107.8 - Community Radio Station
  1. Radio MACFAST 90.4 - Community Radio Station
  1. Radio Mangalam 91.2 - Community Radio Station
  2. 90.8 - Community Radio Station
  1. Club FM 94.3
  2. Red FM 93.5
  3. Radio Mango 91.9
  4. Radio Mirchi 104, Kochi
  1. Club FM 104.8
  2. Radio Mango 91.9
  3. BEST FM 95
  4. Red FM 91.1
  5. Hello Radio 90.8 - Community Radio Station
  1. Ahalia Voice 90.4 - Community Radio Station
  1. Radio Mango 91.9
  2. Red FM 93.5
  3. Radio Mirchi 92.7
  4. Club FM 94.3
  1. Radio Mattoli 90.4 - Community Radio Station
  1. Club FM 94.3
  2. Radio Mango 91.9
  3. Red FM 93.5
  4. BEST FM 95

    Private AM/FM/SW Stations outside Kerala

  1. Asianet Radio 657AM
  2. Radio Asia 1269 AM
  3. Club FM 99.6
  4. Radio Me 95.3 FM
  5. Hit FM 96.7
  6. Oxygen FM 102.4
  7. Radio Mango 96.2
  1. Vatican ShortWave Radio daily at 8:40pm IST

    Public sector Radio Channels

  1. Thiruvananthapuram -101.9
  2. Kochi 102.3
  3. Kochi FM Rainbow 107.5
  4. Thrissur - 103
  5. Devikulam - 101.4
  6. Kozhikode - 103.6
  7. Malappuram -102.7
  8. Kannur - 101.5
  1. Thiruvananthapuram - 1161
  2. Alapuzha - 576
  3. Thrissur - 630
  4. Kozhikode - 684
  5. Kavaratti - 1584
  1. Thiruvananthapuram - 5010,7290

    Internet

Internet service was started by ISPs like Kerala Telecommunication and VSNL in the year 1998. In the same year BPL, a private mobile service provider introduced mobile telephony in Kerala.

Popular Social and Online News channels in Kerala

Cinema

The history of Malayalam cinema begins with Vigathakumaran a silent film made by J.C. Daniel in 1928. The first Malayalam talkie, Balan, came out in 1938.
Udaya Studio, the first professional film studio of Kerala was set up in Alappuzha by Kunchako in 1947. Another landmark was the release of Chemmeen in 1966, directed by Ramu Kariat, which won the President's Gold Medal for the best Indian film.
The first co-operative society for film production, Chitralekha Film Co-operative was promoted by Chithralekha Film Society. This first film society of Kerala was started in 1964 by Adoor Gopalakrishnan and Kulathur Bhaskaran Nair.