GECs
MTV Intl, Swedish agency to produce Aids TV movie
MUMBAI: The Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency (Sida), MTV International and MTV Europe are launching two initiatives addressing HIV/Aids and the trafficking in persons.
The projects include the first-ever made for TV movie for MTV’s Staying Alive HIV/Aids awareness campaign. It will premiere on MTV internationally on 1 December 2005.
The two hour TV movie Transit will use fiction to deliver HIV/Aids prevention messages to young people. Co-written by Murilo Pasta and Niall MacCormick, the film explores themes of emotion and sexuality in a candid manner to engage young people and encourage them to practice safer sex.
The other television initiative is more Europe specific. It is the first campaign of the MTV Europe Foundation and is called End eXploitatIon and Trafficking (Exit). The aim is to combat the trafficking in persons – specifically women – for sexual exploitation in Europe.
The above mentioned projects will be offered free to all TV broadcasters worldwide to get the messages of the campaigns out to the widest audiences possible.
As far as Transit is concerned MTV and Sida will work together to develop teaching materials related to the film. This will be available in schools and to any community-based organisations interested in adapting the materials for local use.
Launched in 1998, MTV’s Staying Alive campaign seeks to help prevent HIV/Aids by empowering youth to protect themselves, fight stigma and discrimination, and engage businesses, media and organisations to form their own response to HIV/AIDS.
The campaign includes documentaries, concert events, discussion programmes and made for TV movies, public service announcements, sexual behaviour polls, a dedicated, multi-lingual Web site www.staying-alive.org, and off-air marketing and grassroots promotions. Last year’s campaign reached 74 per cent of the world’s TV households – or 938 million households.
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.
