Arnab Goswami, prime time star of Indian news channel Times Now, is rumoured to have quit the Bennett Coleman & Company Limited to start his own venture, according to Firstpost sources.

Times Now editor-in-chief Arnab Goswami has reportedly relinquished his position in the Bennett and Coleman Company Limited.

Goswami, who also heads the group's business channel ET Now announced his decision to a closed group of employees in an editorial meeting, The News Minute reported.

There is no official confirmation to this effect from the news channel or from Goswami himself so far.

The outgoing Times Now editor-in-chief has been known for his programmes NewsHour and Frankly Speaking with Arnab.

Goswami was recently also given "Y category" security cover from the government after the Intelligence Bureau perceived a threat to his life from "Pakistan based terrorists groups". The move to provide security cover to a journalist was questioned and criticised by many, including former Supreme Court judge Markandey Katju.

Goswami started his career with The Telegraph in Kolkata after which he moved to NDTV 24x7. He joined Times Now in 2006.

Goswami's brand of journalism has often come under flak, especially the daily NewsHour. However, it should be kept in mind that the brand Times Now and brand Goswami are almost synonymous. Like this Caravan article points out, "Discussions about Times Now are invariably discussions about Goswami, whose abrasive moderation every weeknight has inspired angst-ridden open letters, a stream of parodies, and even standup comedy routines."

His success let him run the show at his terms. The revenue pouring in purely on the success of his emotionally charged prime time show, kept the reins in his hand. As the article in Caravan points out, it was the revenue from advertisements in his show, that made up for the wages of the majority of employees. And Goswami well realised the value of an emotional reportage over an objective one. The article in Caravan further reads, "from the inner pages of newspapers he plucked events scantly explored but rich with emotional resonance." And as the channel caught up with Arnab Goswami's narrative, the channel assumed the face of brand Arnab rather than it being the other way round.

Disclaimer: Firstpost is from the same stable as CNN News18 which competes with Times Now.