The government is planning to inject RM30 million via a grant to rescue troubled broadcaster Bernama TV (BTV) via a re-branding and re-launching exercise slated for later this year.

The Malaysian Reserve reported today that the Communications and Multimedia Ministry is currently drafting the grant request which will be presented to the cabinet next month.

The RM30 million will be used to refurbish BTV's technical equipment.

The working paper would also reportedly seek to turn the station into a English and Malay news channel, dropping its Mandarin and Tamil news bulletins.

"If the grant is approved by the cabinet, BTV would undergo an intensive overhaul before a massive re-launch expected to be in August this year," a source told The Malaysian Reserve .

It was previously reported in November last year that the government was planning to inject RM20 million into the station for technical upgrades.

It is not yet known if this figure has been adjusted to RM30 million or if the new figure will be given on top of the old injection amount.

BTV was previously run by private entity Bernama TV Synergy Sdn Bhd (BTV Synergy), which ran aground and had been unable to pay the station's employees.

Bernama has since taken in all BTV staff and given them six-month government contracts, rendering BTV Synergy defunct.

Bernama owns both the station's technical facilities and its broadcasting licence.