Star News to be renamed as ABP News

The 24-hour news channel STAR News will soon be renamed ABP (Ananda Bazar Patrika) News, Media Content and Communications Services (MCCS) announced Monday.

MCCS is a joint venture (JV) between Kolkata-based ABP group and STAR India. The company owns two more 24-hour news channels — Bengali STAR Ananda and Marathi STAR Majha. The two regional news channels will be renamed as ABP Ananda and ABP Majha.

The development comes as entertainment giant Star India and ABP agreed to discontinue the Star’s brand affiliation with MCCS’s channels.

“The core business of the ABP is news and it wishes to promote and establish its own brands in the broadcast news space through its subsidiary company – MCCS,” the company said in a statement.

“Going forward, Star wishes to focus on building their brand on their core business that is general entertainment.”