GECs
Mukerjea, Sarkar meet top BJP leaders; discuss Star News
NEW DELHI: Star India CEO Peter Mukerjea and the owner-publisher of the Anand Bazar Patrika (ABP) group Aveek Sarkar paid a courtesy call to senior government officials in Delhi today.
The Kolkata-based Sarkar is set to pick up 74 per cent equity stake (estimated at Rs 750 million) in Media Content and Communication Services (MCCS) that oversees the functioning of Star News in India, including the uplinking of content from Indian soil.
Mukerjea, Sarkar and some senior executives from Star and the ABP group visited the deputy prime minister LK Advani as well as senior information and broadcasting ministry officials.
After several deliberations and closed-door confabulations, Star India has managed to bring the ABP group aboard MCCS – the holding company for Star News. The meetings with BJP leaders today looks like a part of Star’s endeavour to lay to rest a controversial case and allegations that Star News is being held by dummy companies and shareholders with no real powers. ABP will pick up 74 per cent of the equity, with Star holding the remaining 26 per cent – in line with the governments new rules for TV news companies.
It has been reported that Sarkar had informally briefed the senior members of his team about his intention to pick up the stake in MCCS.
Previous investors in a controversial dummy company with Rs 40 million equity, including Seth, TV personality Maya Alagh, former Bollywood actor Jeetendra and DSP Merrill Lynch’s Hemendra Kothari, will presumably be bought out. Sarkar was slated to meet Hindustan Times editor and MCCS investor Vir Sanghvi over dinner yesterday – incidentally, Sarkar was described by Sanghvi as “an old friend.”
It is, however, not known whether Star, directly or indirectly, would have some business interest in ABP or a subsidiary that may be interested in bringing out an edition of Telegraph from Mumbai, the stronghold of Times of India.
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.
