GECs
Labour court restrains Outlook group from terminating People mag employees
MUMBAI: It was last weekend that the Outlook group announced that it was shutting down three of its magazines – Geo, People, and Marie Claire. That announcement may end up being just a proclamation if the journalists working at People magazine have their way. They have managed to get the Mumbai Labour Court to issue a restraint on the Outlook group management from terminating its employees till the due process of law is followed.
In its order, the court, presided by small causes court judge P K Chitnis, directed Outlook to maintain status quo of the services of its employees. “Respondents are directed to maintain status quo and services of the complainants may not be terminated without following due procedure of law,” said the court order.
The copy of the court order has been sent to both Outlook management president Indranil Roy and editorial chairman, senior journalist Vinod Mehta.
The court took notice of a petition filed today morning by People magazine editor Saira Menezes along with 16 other employees. Advocate Anees S Kazi represented the complainants.
The Outlook management had through a public statement issued on 26 July announced the termination of its licenses with international magazines-People, Marie Claire and Geo.
Almost 60 employees will be affected by the shutting down of the three magazines. The petition was filed by the employees of People, India, but could apply to the employees across the three magazines.
At the time of writing the report, the Outlook management had not received the court order. “I have not received the order as yet, but have only heard about it,” informed Outlook Publishing president Indranil Roy.
“Outlook group has never held back anyone’s dues and neither do we plan to do it in this case. The dues will be cleared. After all we are all friends. No one should doubt our intentions,” he added.
When asked on the time frame within which the dues of the employees will be cleared Roy said, “Now that the matter has been taken to the court, we will talk to the court only.”
When Outlook Group editorial chairman Vinod Mehta was contacted, he refused to comment.
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.
