Television in Tamil language

Television in the Tamil language began in the 1990s, offering genres such as serials, news programs, variety shows, game shows, movies, and documentaries. These programs are available globally via satellite and multicultural channels in countries like Sri Lanka, Malaysia, Singapore, Europe, the Middle East, and Australia. Sun TV was the first private Tamil channel. Tamil television programming started in Singapore in 1963 and India in the 1980s. Initially, broadcasts were limited to specific hours and languages. In India, Doordarshan, a government-owned channel, began airing Tamil programs in the 1980s. Dubbing Hindi series into Tamil became mandatory at DD Chennai in 1985. The 2000s marked the golden era for Tamil television, with significant growth. In India, Sun TV and DD Podhigai launched on April 14, 1993, with Sun TV transitioning to 24-hour programming by 1998. Other notable channels include Raj TV (1994), Star Vijay (1995), and Zee Tamizh (2008). Singapore's Channel 8 became dedicated to Tamil in 1973, and Vasantham launched in 2000. Malaysia's Astro Vaanavil began in 1996. In Sri Lanka, Shakthi TV started in 1998. France's first Tamil channel operated from 1997 to 2007. Canada saw the launch of Tamil One in 2001 and Tamil Vision International in 2002. The UK's Deepam TV began in 2000, followed by IBC Tamil in 2015. In Australia, Sigaram TV launched in the early 2000s but ceased operations in 2006, succeeded by Tharisanam TV, now Global Tamil Vision. Online streaming services like Hotstar and Sun NXT gained popularity post-2020 due to the COVID-19 ...