KOLKATA: Bengali infotainment channel Aakash Aath plans to launch a 24-hour Bengali news and current affairs channel in the next one year.

“We already have the set up and infrastructure for running a 24 hour news channel. Now we will be using it. We plan to start the 24 hour news channel and we are waiting for the nod from the MIB (ministry of information and broadcasting),” Aakash Aath COO Ashok Surana told indiantelevision.com.

Aakash Aath, which carries three news bulletins at present, will no more telecast news after it launches the news channel and it will strictly become a general entertainment channel (GEC) going forward, Surana said.

Aakash Aath airs news bulletins at 4.30 pm, 6 pm and at 9.30 pm.

“We will also make further investments for the new channel,” he said.

Aakash Bangla was re-launched as Aakash Aath from October last year.

Surana said Aakash Aath will be launching an array of new shows and serials in the coming days, but did not reveal details.