The Marathi-language television industry was started in India in 1984. Although earlier confined to a half an hour slot in the national television
Doordarshan, the industry has now expanded with many commercial TV channels currently on air. Various dedicated categories like news and movies have been added and have considerably expanded the horizon of Marathi TV entertainment.
Marathi television got its first round-the-clock news channel in the form of
Saam TV in the year 2008 leading
Marathi language News channel in the state. Nilesh Khare is the Channel Head and Editor of the channel since 2018.
Zee 24 Taas was launched in 2007.
Disney Star launched its Marathi news channel
Star Majha in June 2007, which was later named as
ABP Majha from 1 June 2012.
Network 18 and
Lokmat together formed a joint venture to launch
IBN Lokmat in 2008 and which was later renamed as
News18 Lokmat. In 2008, Sakal Media Groups launched its first venture in television with
Saam TV. Firstly it was info entertainment, but from 1 January 2018 it became a leading Marathi news channel. In 2009,
TV9 Maharashtra launched. On 1 May 2013 another channel launched, namely
Jai Maharashtra, by Mumbai-based media group Sahana Films. Lokshahi News channel was launched on 26 January 2020 by Swaraj Marathi Broadcasting LLP. Pudhari News, a news channel by
Pudhari Publications Pvt. Ltd., was launched on 29 August 2023.[1]