Senior journalist Rangaraj Pandey has quit Tamil news channel Thanthi TV on Monday, where he had been serving as Editor-in-Chief for the past five years. Pandey joined the Tamil news network in 2012, and became the Editor-in-Chief in 2013. Prior to this, he had worked with the Tamil news daily Dinamalar. The television channel is owned by the Dina Thanthi group, founded by SP Adithanar in 1942.
Pandey conveyed his decision to the Managing Director, spoke to his team and left the newsroom on Monday evening. Pandey had always been credited with making Thanthi TV a formidable force among Tamil news channels.
“I wanted a break from the routine. I have been in the media industry for the last 22 years and I wanted to take a break. I will spend some time with my family,” Pandey told TNM.
Many rumours about his next step are floating around — some say that he will join Rajinikanth’s party, others claim he will head another Tamil news Channel called Cauvery News; yet others say that he will join the BJP. When asked about this, Pandey said, “There are many rumours. I belong to the media industry, this is where I will continue.”
Born in Srivilliputtur, Rangaraj Pandey is one of the most recognised news personalities in Tamil Nadu. Known for his no-nonsense anchoring, Pandey hosted two very popular shows on Thanthi TV. While “Ayutha Ezhuthu” concentrated on news debates on important discussions, another show he hosted titled “Kelvika Enna Baddil” (What is the answer to this question?) is a one-on-one interview with notable news-making personalities. A few months earlier, Pandey stopped hosting the live debate show on prime time.
Having completed 150 episodes, some of his notable interviews have been with then prime-ministerial candidate Narendra Modi and former BCCI head N Srinivasan. Having come out with a 32-page handwritten weekly magazine when he was in the eleventh standard, Pandey remained passionate about journalism from a very young age.
He did his MA Tamil from Madurai Kamaraj University and then joined Dinamalar in 1999. After 14 years, he joined Thanthi TV in 2012. Within a span of six months, he was promoted twice, becoming the editor-in-chief of Thanthi TV. He also used to pen articles while working for Dinamalar called “Doubt Thanabalu” – a popular satirical column.
Source: The News Minute