GECs
MAK TV ready for rollout, plans to start 4-channel test feed 24 August
MUMBAI: It’s been a long time in the incubator but Manoranjan Aur Kya (Mak) Television Network is apparently ready to roll. The test signal starts 24 August for four of the channels of the six-channel pay network, says Mak chairman and managing director Karan Saluja.
The four channels are Mak Prime (Hindi entertainment), Mak Telugu, Mak Music and Mak Bangla Movies and are expected to be broadcasting with a full-fledged eight hours of fresh programming daily in digital free to air mode from 16 September, according to Saluja. By mid-October Mak Sindhi and Mak Style (fashion) will also be up and running as digital FTA, which is when the other four channels will become encrypted feeds, Saluja says.
By mid-November all six channels will have completed their encryption and would be a completely pay-driven network, he asserts.
On the distribution front, Saluja says Mak will be seeding about 15,000 Technosat set top boxes across the country and pricing them at Rs 15,000 per STB. Mak will be uplinked out of Singapore and has taken 21 MHz transponder space on the Telstar 10 satellite for downlink, Saluja says.
The industry had written Mak off but Saluja says work has been on at a feverish pace keeping the status of the project out of the public eye. Saluja, formerly head of Reminiscent Television, was the man who set up the Gujarati Channel ‘Gurjari’ and Punjabi Channel ‘Lashkara’.
Saluja has been working away these past months even as network directors like Satish Menon (ex-Zee and now Sahara TV president), Prashant Sanwal (ex-Sony and now director of the Zee Group’s Alpha regional channels) and Hitesh Sabharwal (Sony’s former distribution head) upped and left. Saluja has put together a new team with Vishnu Patel (he was the programming head of Zee TV for brief stint till March 1999) heading programming and Sanjeev Fernandes heading distribution. One person who has been associated with Mak from the beginning in an advisory capacity and is still with them is Amit Ray, executive vice president, media, Mudra Communications.
Regarding finances, Saluja said he has put together $ 10 million for the first phase of funding. Queried as to who were Mak’s promoters, Saluja says besides himself, there are three other promoters – Deepak Agarwal (he’s in the impost export business), Sunil Kishorepuria (of the Kolkata-based Jeevan Sagar Group) and Somnath Battacharya (running a pharmaceuticals company). Saluja clarified that his was not sweat equity but funding, as was the case for the other four.
For three of the channels, Mak Prime, Mak Telugu and Mak Bangla, Saluja has the following as attractions that he says will immediately draw in viewership. For Mak Prime Saluja says he’s in serious talks for concepts that are being developed around a few of Bollywood’s brightest. Aishwarya Rai, Urmila Matondkar, Manisha Koirala, Rekha, Sunil Shetty, Ajay Devgan are some of the names that he throws around.
Mak Telugu will have a blockbuster show featuring Telugu film star Krishna as its channel driver, Saluja says. As for Mak Bangla Movies, Saluja claims he has the rights for 750 Bangla films, including rights for one year to “all 13 movies of the legendary filmmaker Satyajit Ray.”
Saluja is certainly not thinking small. Now it remains to be seen how successful he is in seeing his vision through.
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.
