GECs
Govt turns down radio, TV license fee proposal
NEW DELHI: Finally the radio and TV licence fee issue has been laid to rest.
There is no proposal to re-impose licence fee on television and radio sets, minister of information and broadcasting Ravi Shankar Prasad told fellow parliamentarian D N R Wadiyar in Lok Sabha (India’s Lower House of Parliament) today.
To another question by Bhupendrasinh Solanki, the minister said that Prasar Bharati has no proposal to set up a channel related to spiritual programmes. As had been reported earlier by indiantelevision.com, though Prasar Bharati Corporation had petitioned the government to re-introduce the licence fee regime, in a bid to augment the Corporation’s revenue, the logistics did not favour such a move.
Moreover, the electronics goods manufacturers of the country were opposed to such a move as a licence fee levied at the point of sale of TV and radio sets would have given rise to excise problems as also raising the total cost of a TV or a radio set.
In a process that was stopped a few decades ago, the Indian government used to collect license fee for every radio set in the country through a mechanism wherein owners of radio sets deposited a designated amount in the nearest post office.
The whole process was closed down as it dawned on the policy makers that the cost of collection of the licence fee was much more than the revenue being generated through the fee, apart from other problems.
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.
