News Broadcasting
Star Hindi package on DirecTV priced at $ 30 a month
MUMBAI: News Corp controlled digital television service provider DirecTV today officially announced a multi-year agreement with the Star Group making available four Star India channels as part of its new suite of international services.
As first reported on indiantelevision.com, four Star channels – Star Plus, Star One, Star News and Star Vijay – launched in the US on 2 November on the DirecTV platform.
The United States logos for Star Plus and Star News will incorporate the word ‘India’ to denote the Indian origin of the programming.
Also announced was the launch of CricketTicket, which will be the first-ever season-long subscription TV package for international cricket.
The new Star channels are available to both DirecTV residential and commercial customers. The HindiDirect residential package that includes Star Plus, Star One and Star News, is $29.99 per month. The TamilDirect residential package (Star Vijay) is $14.99 per month.
As regards CricketTicket, the cricket programming available is the same (Bangladesh excluded) as what is currently on ESPN Star Sports in India. What DirecTV has rights to therefore is international cricket from Australia, South Africa, New Zealand and Zimbabwe. The deals run for the next four years.
The inaugural “CricketTicket season” runs till 31 March, 2005. The package is available for $199.
“The South Asian population in the US, which accounts for more than 2 million people and is one of the fastest growing communities, will now have access to the same top-rated, high-quality programming that is available in India,” said Direc TV president and CEO Mitchell Stern. “We are delighted to be able to provide programming for our South Asian viewers that is informative, entertaining and relevant to their lives. These are the first of several international channels that we are rolling out and we are looking forward to providing our ethnic customers with the most compelling programming lineup available.”
Star Group CEO Michelle Guthrie said, “We are excited to bring Star’s innovative and record-breaking Indian programming to viewers in the United States. Our relationship with DirecTV will enable more people to enjoy the shows that have made us a household name in India and it is in line with our aim of expanding and strengthening our distribution. I have no doubt that our Indian channels, popular already in countries outside of India such as the UK, Middle East and Singapore, will be well-received in the United States.”
Technical Specifications: Broadcast is from 95-degree West Longitude (WL) orbital slot, requiring customers to use a new 36-inch dish capable of receiving programming from 95 degrees WL, as well as DirecTV’s primary orbital slot at 101 degrees WL. In some markets, customers who subscribe to a local channels package will require a second smaller dish.
News Broadcasting
CNN-News18 to host Kolkata Town Hall on Hooghly River
‘Bhalobasa Bengal Inspiring Bharat’ event on April 20 brings cultural icons, trailblazing women and leaders aboard a cruise to celebrate Bengal’s enduring influence.
MUMBAI: Bengal is about to make fresh waves on the Hooghly and this time the current is pure conversation. CNN-News18 is taking its iconic Town Hall format to the waters of the iconic Hooghly River on 20 April 2026 with a special edition titled ‘Bhalobasa Bengal – Inspiring Bharat’. The floating event will celebrate the state’s rich cultural legacy and how its ideas, creativity and spirit continue to shape the rest of the country.
The unique riverside setting draws on Bengal’s history as a cradle of reform, art and intellectual thought. The speaker line-up mirrors that diversity: cultural heavyweights Mithun Chakraborty and Sreenanda Shankar will share the stage with trailblazing “Devis” such as Tanya Sanyal (India’s first woman firefighter in aviation), Ipsita Chakraborty (Kolkata’s first woman bartender) and Reshma Nilofer Visalakshi (Nari Shakti awardee and marine pilot). Music will flow through the celebrated pianist-vocalist duo Sourendro and Soumyojit, while public life and governance will be represented by Smriti Irani, Leander Paes, Saira Shah Halim, Keya Ghosh, Rekha Patra, Roopa Ganguly and Babul Supriyo.
CNN-News18, editorial affairs director, Rahul Shivshankar, said the event honours voices that carry Bengal’s legacy forward. Smriti Mehra, CEO – English & Business News, Network18, added that Bengal’s stories resonate far beyond its borders, especially as the state heads into polls.
From the first woman to battle flames in the skies to legendary actors who shaped Indian cinema, the gathering promises a rich mix of inspiration, courage and candid dialogue. In a city where culture has always flowed as freely as the river itself, CNN-News18 is turning the Hooghly into a floating forum for ideas that matter.
Tune in on 20 April on CNN-News18, CTV and YouTube to catch Bengal’s heartbeat in full flow.
