A file image of Arnab Goswami who is now coming up with a news channel to be called ‘Republic TV’.
Bengaluru: The news channel to be launched by Arnab Goswami will now be known as ‘Republic TV’ and not ‘Republic’ as earlier proposed, according to a fresh application filed with the Union Ministry for Information & Broadcasting.
A few weeks ago, BJP MP Subramanian Swamy had written to the ministry objecting to the new channel’s name, requesting it to look into the use of the word ‘Republic. He had claimed it would be violative of the Emblems Act, 1950.
According to the fresh application, which has been reviewed by News18, Goswami, in his capacity as the managing director and Editor-in-Chief of ARG Outlier Media Pvt Ltd that will run the new channel, has requested that all references to ‘Republic’ in their previous applications be now read as ‘Republic TV’.
Goswami didn’t respond to emails and text messages sent by News18 asking if the name change was in response to Swamy’s objections.
However, Swamy claimed Goswami was forced to change the name because of his objections.
“The nation wants to know if Arnab Goswami knows the law. I know the law, and because of that he has been forced to change the name of his channel. I am still studying it,” he told News18.
Earlier, in his letter dated January 13, 2017, sent to Secretary, Ministry of I&B, Swamy had argued that that as per the schedule accompanying the statute, under Item 6, there is an express prohibition from using the phrase ‘Republic’.
Goswamy, former Editor-in-Chief of ‘Times Now’, had quit last November to found ARG Outlier Media Pvt Ltd.