GECs
Shantonu Aditya takes charge as Sahara CEO 16 June
MUMBAI: SET Discovery president Shantonu Aditya, who quit the company last week, takes charge as chief executive officer of Sahara India Entertainment Management Co Ltd (SIEMCL) on 16 June.
Industry sources have confirmed the development to indiantelevision.com. It needs noting here that as per earlier indications, Aditya was expected to join Sahara on 1 July.
SIEMCL manages all of Sahara’s media and entertainment businesses (excluding news) and is the joint venture company that was formed last year along with with Percept IMC. As CEO, Aditya will be replacing Peter Isaac who has been operationally in charge of the JV since its inception. Isaac is returning to Percept and will be taking up a new responsibility.
Under Aditya’s ambit are entertainment channel Sahara One, the Sahara Filmi movie channel that launches later this year and the group’s motion pictures division.
Sahara has ambitious movie plans with 40 projects on the floor. Aditya will drive this as well as the domestic and international distribution of movies.
Directly reporting in to Aditya are Sahara One Television COO Purnendu Bose, Sahara Filmi business head Ashutosh and the motion pictures division head Sandeep Bhargava.
Aditya joined SET India in 2001 to lead Sony’s distribution business. He went on to head the distribution joint venture company between SET India and Discovery Communications India set up in 2002.
A management postgraduate from XLRI Jamshedpur, Aditya had worked with UB group (McDowell & Co) in sales and marketing in Delhi and luggage major Blow Plast in various capacities.
SIEMCL, meanwhile, is funded entirely by the Sahara Group. Percept IMC, the other 50 per cent partner in the joint venture, provides human resources and manages the operations.
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.
