GECs
Dec ’16: Private TV channels now number 899
NEW DELHI: The total number of private television channels has risen to 899, with nine new television channels cleared in December 2016.
The new channels are: Living Entertainment Enterprises Pvt. Ltd’s general entertainment channels Living Flavourz (GEC), Living Travelz (GEC), Living Rootz, and Z Living; Shop CJ Network Pvt. Ltd’s shopping channels Shop CJ Tamil and Shop CJ Telugu; Kerala Communicators Cable Ltd’s GEC Kerala Vision; Mass Telecasting Pvt. Ltd’s non-news MT; and Sony Pictures Network Media Pvt. Ltd’s movie channel Sony Pix 2 HD.
Of these, only Sony Pix 2 HD has got downlinking permission, as it is uplinked from overseas.
The clearance has been given by the Information and Broadcasting Ministry under the Uplinking and Downlinking Guidelines of 2011.
he total includes elevent channels whose licences had been cancelled as they failed to get security clearances but which got stay from different High Courts. These include two channels of Entertainment Television Network Pvt Ltd – M Tunes HD Hindi (earlier known as ETC Hindi) and Bhakti Sagar (earlier known as M Tunes Tamil/ETC Punjabi) – five channels of Mahuua Media Private Ltd – Mahuua, Mahuua News, First india, Mahua Music, and Mahua Music – and four channels of STV Enterprises Ltd – PUNJAB TODAY, STV JAMMU-KASHMIR NEWS, STV HARYANA NEWS, and STV UP NEWS.
The list of permitted private satellite TV channels is available in this ministry’s website i.e. www.mib.nic.in. and the list of permitted teleports as on date is enclosed.
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.
