GECs
Star-backed private FM station Radio City launching 3 July
The first anniversary of Star India’s flagship channel Star Plus becoming a 24-hour Hindi channel – 3 July – has been chosen as the kick-off date India’s first private FM radio station, Radio City.
Star India CEO Peter Mukerjea confirmed this on the sidelines of a press conference at south Mumbai’s Taj Mahal Hotel celebrating his team’s achievements in taking Star to the top of the satellite television heap.
With Radio City’s scheduled launch in Bangalore, capital of the southern Indian state of Karnataka, Star completes all but one part of its “grand vision to become a multimedia company into radio, Internet partnerships, cable partnerships and films.” Film production now remains the only activity that Star is not currently involved with.
Mukerjea is gung ho about the prospects of FM in India and says: “Radio will expand the market significantly. We expect a whole new set of advertisers to enter the field once FM really takes off.”
“I have always been positive about radio,” Mukerjea said, pointing out that in India only 1 per cent of the ad pie went to radio while abroad it was 10-12 per cent. This was what was waiting to be tapped, he said.
Queried on Star’s stake in Radio City, Mukerjea said content, ad sales and marketing support was its responsibility. The PK Mittal-promoted Music Broadcast Pvt Ltd (MBPL) is the licence holder for the new radio station while the operational part is reportedly with Digiwave, a 50:50 JV between Star and the Ispat group.
The radio station was initially christened Radio 1 but the Mumbai-based Mid-Day publishing group raised objections as it held the rights to the name, after which Star plumped for Radio City.
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.
