GECs
Star hires programming head for Channel [V], Star Movies & Star World
Keertan Adyanthaya – ex-Mindshare Fulcrum – has joined Star India. He will be in charge of programming at Channel [V], Star Movies and Star World.
At Channel [V], Adyanthaya replaces Devika Sharma, who was vice-president, and he fills empty slots at the other two channels.
Industry sources say Sharma has no immediate plans and will be taking it easy for a while before making her next move. Adyanthaya was earlier an account director at Mindshare Fulcrum – handling among other things, the premium fabric wash brands of Hindustan Lever.
Star India COO Sameer Nair confirmed that Adyanthaya would be joining the network and said he would officially start work on 3 June.
The moves seem to be part of the organisational restructuring that Nair had said he would be instituting over the coming months whan he was elevated to COO at Star India on 10 April.
An immediate change that Nair had put in place then was to place Tarun Katial, V-P, programming Star Plus, Star Movies and Star World, solely in charge of Star Plus.
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.
