Movie Channels
Kirk Douglas finances new Motion Picture & TV Fund facility
MUMBAI: In celebration of legendary actor Kirk Douglas’ 99th birthday, Motion Picture & Television Fund (MPTF) has announced plans to build a $35 million state-of-the-art care facility, to be named the Kirk Douglas Care Pavilion (KDCP), on its Woodland Hills campus.
MPTF Foundation chairman Jeffrey Katzenberg said, “We are grateful to Kirk and Anne for making this leadership gift of $15 million. It will kick the design and planning of this incredible new facility into high gear.”
Katzenberg added, “It is in keeping with Kirk’s philosophy of giving back to the entertainment community that he is the one giving us the gift on his birthday instead of us lavishing one on him. And with their recent commitment to MPTF, Kirk and Anne Douglas are some of the largest donors in the history of MPTF giving, with over $40 million of lifetime philanthropy. We will never be able to thank them enough for all that they have done.”
Douglas said, “Anne and I created Harry’s Haven in 1992 because we wanted to help families in the entertainment community struggling to care for and comfort their loved ones who have Alzheimer’s. What MPTF has done at Harry’s Haven over the past 25 years never ceases to amaze me. We wanted visitors as well as patients to experience a warm and loving environment, and MPTF has fulfilled our wishes admirably. He added: When Jeffrey Katzenberg explained the urgency of enlarging the current facility to accommodate more patients, we had to say yes! Jeffrey knows it is our philosophy to provide funding where it is needed most. The Kirk Douglas Care Pavilion is going to help a lot of families in our community.”
“The KDCP will allow MPTF to expand its care to more industry members with Alzheimer’s and those needing skilled nursing care,” said MPTF president and CEO Bob Beitcher. “The first floor of the KDCP will be the new home of Harry’s Haven, our nationally recognized Alzheimer’s unit.” Beitcher added: “Kirk was visionary when in 1992 he recognized the implications of dealing with Alzheimer’s not only for those directly impacted but for their family members as well. MPTF is honored to be a part of the legacy of caring for our own that Kirk Douglas embodies by his words and his actions.”
The KDCP is expected to break ground in late 2016. It will be a two-story home for 80 industry members struggling with Alzheimer’s as well as long-term skilled nursing care needs. Residents of the KDCP will thrive in small ‘neighborhood’ environments that look and feel more like home as opposed to the typical ‘hospital setting.’ The KDCP will also include a wandering garden and other contemporary amenities and programs for its residents.
To celebrate his birthday, Douglas and Katzenberg officially launched the KDCP website: www.mptf.com/kirkdouglas where visitors can take a virtual tour of the new building and learn how they too can participate in funding its design and completion. Katzenberg presented Kirk with a model of the KDCP, designed by Zakian Woo Architects in Culver City.
Movie Channels
Zee5 launches five free FAST channels on Samsung TV Plus India
New genre-led channels bring comedy, drama, horror, classics and South films to Smart TVs.
MUMBAI: Zee5 just turned Samsung Smart TVs into a free entertainment buffet because when premium content costs nothing, even the remote control starts smiling. Zee5 has launched five curated free ad-supported streaming TV (FAST) channels on Samsung TV Plus India, making high-quality, genre-specific entertainment available subscription-free to millions of Samsung Smart TV owners across the country.
The five channels now live are:
Zee Comedy Nation – Popular comedy shows and movies
Zee Dil Se – Compelling drama series
ZEE Horror Nights – Horror and supernatural content
ZEE Cine Classic – Timeless Indian films
ZEE South Flix – High-energy South Indian films dubbed in Hindi
All content is drawn from Zee5’s extensive library and programmed in a lean-back, always-on format ideal for large-screen viewing. This launch strengthens Zee5’s Connected TV strategy at a time when 64 per cent of its premium content watch time already comes from connected devices.
Zee5 chief business officer Siju Prabhakaran said, “At Zee5, we believe accessibility and scale will define the next phase of digital entertainment growth in India. Our presence on Samsung TV Plus strengthens our Connected TV strategy, enabling viewers to discover curated, genre-led content in a seamless, free, and premium environment.”
Samsung TV Plus India head of partnerships Kunal Mehta added, “Local partnerships are at the heart of how we grow Samsung TV Plus in India. Zee Entertainment is one of India’s most iconic media brands, and bringing their channels to our service means millions more Samsung Smart TV owners can enjoy premium local content, subscription-free.”
The channels are available directly through the pre-installed Samsung TV Plus app with no login or subscription required. This marks another milestone in Zee5’s CTV expansion and builds on its growing international presence, with Zee channels already available on Samsung TV Plus across Southeast Asia, Australia and New Zealand.
In a streaming world where paywalls often block the fun, Zee5 and Samsung have quietly opened the gates, proving that sometimes the best things in life (and on your TV) really are free especially when they come with a side of comedy, drama, horror, classics and South Indian blockbuster energy.
