GECs
CETV secures limited China broadcast rights
MUMBAI: AOL Time Warner has announced that its Mandarin-language China Entertainment Television Broadcast (CETV) channel has won a limited nationwide broadcast licence.
CETV will be distributed from China’s central satellite platform via Sino Satellite. CETV, which was earlier limited to about one million households in southern China, will now also be available on additional cable TV systems in Shenzhen and Guangzhou, doubling its penetration in those two cities to more than two million homes.
Besides CETV, 30 foreign channels earlier won approval to broadcast to three-star or higher-rated hotels, foreign compounds and other select areas in the mainland.
CETV sees this as a chance for an increase in viewership of programmes. AOL said CETV’s advertising revenues had increased 470 per cent year-on-year from the fourth quarter of 2001. Of course this hardly means anything since the base from which these projections have been made are pretty small.
It is one of the four channels that have both landing rights in southern China and hotels and other specified venues. The others are Xingkong Weishi, Phoenix Chinese and the Movie channels. These are all directly or indirectly controlled by Rupert Murdoch’s News Corporation.
GECs
Samsung TV Plus launches Kings of Comedy channel
New free FAST channel brings iconic Hindi comedy shows to millions of Samsung Smart TV owners.
MUMBAI: Samsung TV Plus has just turned up the laughter volume and it’s completely free. The leading free ad-supported streaming television (FAST) service in India has launched Kings of Comedy, a premium comedy channel featuring some of the country’s most beloved primetime shows. Available exclusively on Samsung TV Plus, the channel delivers back-to-back hits including Comedy Nights with Kapil, Khatra Khatra Khatra, and Comedy Nights Bachao, with no login or subscription required.
The launch marks a milestone for free streaming in India, offering audiences a dedicated comedy destination directly from their Samsung TV home screen. It arrives as Samsung TV Plus India celebrates its 5th anniversary, during which the service has grown its monthly active users by 42 per cent and more than doubled its total viewing hours. The platform now offers over 180 free channels across 14 languages.
Samsung TV Plus India general manager and head of business development Kunal Mehta said, “Comedy is the heartbeat of Hindi entertainment, and Kings of Comedy brings together the shows Indians already love, completely free on their Samsung TV. Our focus remains the same take the content people know and make it effortless to access.”
Globally, Samsung TV Plus has surpassed 100 million monthly active users across more than 4,500 channels, solidifying its position as one of the world’s leading free streaming services.
Kings of Comedy is now available on all compatible Samsung Smart TVs. For viewers seeking non-stop laughter without any cost, this new channel delivers a royal treat proving that sometimes the best entertainment really does come with no strings (or subscriptions) attached.
