Brittas returns to Kairali as its head

By Ashraf Padanna/Thiruvananthapuram

John Brittas, the former head of the Malayalam Communications Limited which runs the Kairali Malayalam TV channel, is back in the company promoted by the Communist Party of India (Marxist).

Brittas will take charge as its managing director and editor of its news division, the posts he held before leaving the company to take up the plum post of business head and chief operating officer of Asianet, the pioneer of Malayalam satellite television industry.

“The decision to appoint him was taken at a meeting of the board of directors held in Palakkad on February 27,” company’s chairman and Malayam actor Mammootty said in a statement here yesterday.

“Brittas was given a sendoff two years back on the condition that he would come back and take up the responsibility whenever required.”

The superstar explained that the directors and promoters wanted Brittas’ back given the stiff competition among the television channels and the changes taking place in the industry after the recent launch of new channels by newspaper establishments.

Kairali is the flagship channel of the company which also runs a news channel People and youth and entertainment channel WE. It posted a profit of Rs131.6mn last fiscal year.

Brittas was handpicked by CPM state secretary Pinarayi Vijayan while he was working as a journalist with the party mouthpiece Deshabhimani in New Delhi a decade ago and the credit for the meteoric rise in the company’s assets and streamlining business is attributed to him.   

Mammootty said Brittas would assume charge soon. There were reports that the actor was upset at the unprofessional behaviour of the present management and that he was planning to quit.

The channel which has its programme studios in the heart of the capital city here, recently announced plans to build another complex in Kochi and to set up studios in Dubai for expansion in the Middle East region.