Renowned journalist and broadcaster Arnab Goswami personally owns over 82 per cent stake in Republic TV, the company that runs one of the country's most-watched news channels said on Wednesday, clearing the air around its ownership.
In a statement, Republic Media Network said Goswami holds over 82 per cent of ARG Outlier Media Pvt Ltd -- the firm that owns and operates Republic TV.
His company also owns 99 per cent equity in the downstream digital entity that controls the digital assets of the network.
Without disclosing other shareholders, Republic Media Network said the statement was being issued to "clarify the details of its promoter shareholding" in view of "misleading" media reports making "false and malafide claims about the exact ownership of the consolidated network."
Also, "his company of which he sole promoter, owns 99 per cent equity in the downstream digital entity that controls the digital assets of the network under the URL www.republicworld.com."
The company said Goswami's three legal and corporate entities are all registered in India. "His present controlling equity of 82%-plus makes him one of the largest individual shareholders in the Indian news media landscape and the first journalist to achieve this feat."
"Arnab Goswami, the Editor-in-Chief of the Republic Media Network is the sole promoter and Chairman of the Board of the Republic Media Network (RMN)," the company statement issued on Wednesday said. "This makes the Republic Media Network aside from being solely promoted, a career journalist owned network, which is unique in the context of Indian News Media ownership."