(S.Ravi Seshu)

Acid attack victim Sheik Kareemulla alias Kareem is back to the studios, as the Chief Editor of Sneha TV, another 24/7 news channel, owned by a former Indian Revenue Service officer Dr.K.Siva Bhagya Rao, ex Deputy Commissioner of Income Tax. Except in Hyderabad, the channel is able to telecast its news in the last one month. The tag line of the channel is, News is Right.

“Due to technical reasons, we are unable to telecast in Hyderabad. In the next ten to fifteen days, the channel will come in Hyderabad too,” an employee of the channel told Telugu 360.

Kareem, one of the trusted lieutenants of the modern Telugu TV journalism guru Ravi Prakash, almost confined to his bed following the acid attack carried out by his wife Sirisha’s dad and brother in October 2008. Kareem was in TV5 at the time of attack and he reportedly married to his former colleague in TV 9, Sirisha, on March 22 of the same year against the wishes of her parents. This attack left Kareem confined to his bed for a long and Telugu TV industry lost the services of one of the most promising news anchors.

Kareem, who had worked with Zee, Sun Network, TV-9, TV-5 and Studio N, puts in 20+ years of journalistic experience and was honoured with almost every media award in all through his journalistic career, if the Sneha channel’s website is to be believed. He is leading a team of 600 media personnel, it said. The Hyderabad office of the channel is located in the third floor of Doulat Plaza in Lakdi-ka-pul in Khairatabad.

Unlike other channels, Sneha TV declared its mission as:

“The participation of common man in information gathering and news reach is the key principle of Sneha TV. The folklore in Sneha philosophy will strengthen the democratic process to liberate the shackles of economical, social and cultural woes.”

IAS officers like Kaki Madhava Rao and Vidyasagar Rao are also in the advisory board.

“The channel got started with a low budget and Kareem is going to play a vital role in making it a hit,” a journalist said.