Dubai is proving to be a fertile ground for various Malayalam media, with newspapers, television channels and radio stations all catering for the Keralites in the UAE.
Four leading Malayalam dailies Gulf Madhyamam, Malayala Manorama, Middle East Chandrika and Arabia are published in Dubai.
The latest to enter the market is Siraj, a newspaper.
"We plan a full-colour Dubai edition, which will sell for Dh1. As all other newspapers in black and white are sold at Dh2 per copy, Siraj is confident of penetrating the market We will start with 10,000 subscribers and a lot of reporters to cover the entire UAE," said KM Abbas, the editor in charge.
Arabia, the first Malayalam evening tabloid, which began about six months ago, claims it sells 15,000 copies a claim disputed by other newspapers.
There are no audited circulation figures and each media house claims leadership status. "Three months after we started the Dubai edition in 2005, Manorama has become number one in terms of circulation and marketing," said an official of Malayala Manorama.
"The maximum number of Malayalam newspapers sold per day in the UAE is 25,000 copies. The market leader is Gulf Madhyamam followed by the Malayala Manorama, Mathrubhoomi and Middle East Chandrika.
Only three per cent of the Malayalis here buy a newspaper. One newspaper is often shared by 15 to 20 people," said Sajjad Hassan, director of the Press Centre, the main distributor of the Malayalam newspapers.
"More newspapers are starting Dubai editions, but in terms of circulation, they will not make any major breakthrough," said Hassan.
"MMTV, our TV channel will start operations soon and we are looking for distribution partners," the Malayala Manorama official said.
"Newspapers and newsbased TV are more popular. Malayalam media thrive here on the nostalgic back-home feeling of the large Keralite community," said Moideen Koya, a programme co-ordinator for Jeevan TV.
By VM Sathish
© Emirates Today 2006
