The history of Asianet has its roots in the late 1980s, when Dr Raji Menon, a doctor from Kerala, was appointed to manage the network. He later died of lung cancer. After his death, his office in Chennai became the headquarters of Asianet. To address the cable networking issue, Asianet Satelite Communications (ACSC) was formed. The company’s chairman was P Bhaskaran. Dr Raji Menon was not available to work full-time in India, so his nephew Sashikumar took over the role.
Asianet Digital TV is a subsidiary of Asianet Satellite Communications Limited, a multi-system provider in Kerala and South India. Asianet is owned by the Rajan Raheja Group, and provides cable television, internet, and other non-satellite TV channels to subscribers. Asianet’s cable network, as well as its satellite service, reach over 60 countries in India, Sri Lanka, China, South East Asia, the Middle East, the USA, and the lower half of the former Soviet Union.
Asianet’s parent company, Jupiter Capital, owns a majority of the company. Rajeev Chandrashekar, a media mogul, purchased 51 percent of Asianet in 2006. He also owns the Kannada news channel Suvarna News. Asianet has long been known for its balanced journalism. In fact, many critics have compared the network to Star’s OTT services. In November 2008, the two companies formed a joint venture. In 2014, Star India assumed ownership of the company.
