GECs
Star Plus reopens 5.30pm primetime band with Jana Na Dil Se Door
MUMBAI: Known for experimenting with programming strategies and bold moves, Star India’s Hindi general entertainment channel (GECs) Star Plus once again has decided to experiment with its time slot and open for early prime time programming. Starring Aparna Ghoshal, Vineet Kumar and ShilpaTulaskar in key roles, Jana Na Dil Se Door will start airing from 9 May every Monday to Sunday.
The show makers believe that love when backed with motivation, courage and confidence gives the ability to discover oneself. Jana Na Dil Se Door is Vividha’s journey in Atharva’s love, where ‘Love Empowers’. At the 5.30 pm slot the show will be pitched against the repeat telecasts of other Hindi GECs.
And it’s not the first time that the channel has opened up a new slot by extending its early prime time from 5.30 pm onwards. Last year on 15 June, the channel opened the slot for its new show Mere Angne Mein (MAM) at the 5.30pm time band.
Initially, Star Plus aired MAM for one hour, but later it changed the time slot and made it a half hour show and started airing it at 6pm. According to sources, the show at the 6.00-6.30 pm time band had failed to garner positive ratings and it had not worked well for them for combined higher prices.
Speaking with Indiantelevision.com, a media planner opines that early prime time (600- 6.30pm) rates at Star range from Rs 55-60 thousand for 10 seconds, whereas for the audience the 5.30pm slot delivers, it could easily demand a 10-second rate of Rs 34,000.
The media planning fraternity believes that the placement of a show majorly depends on the content. “Star Plus has done a lot of as a first mover’s thing and if the show is good you will find the audience. There is a sizable audience at 500 or 5.30pm, though it’s not as big as the prime time audience, but I think the slot offers a lot more potential. If the show is good then I am sure it will find the audience as well,” explains the media planner.
Another media planner adds, “Advertisers pay for the audiences and if the channel has good amount of audiences at 5.30pm, then Star Plus will get a good rate for that slot too. The entire universe watching television at that particular time slot is low, so it would be unfair to say that it might reach the level of a prime time show. But when the question comes to how much advertiser will pay, it all depends on how the show rates.”
Produced by Beyond Dreams Production, Jana Na Dil Se Door is the story of Vividha and Atharva, two distinctly different individuals, raised in completely different environments and how when they meet their world changes forever. The channel says that Jana Na Dil Se Door is a powerful story of empowerment through love.
The show is set in Ajmer Rajasthan, in a beautiful town, that is steeped in culture and social traditions that evoke strong emotional connect. The story is shot across famous places in Rajasthan such as the scenic saltpans of Sambhar, Ajmer’s holy Dargah and Jaipur’s historical Jal Mahal Lake. The show makers have recreated the popular and famous Pushkar Mela to capture the vibrant and colourful landscape of Rajasthan and its rich culture in Jana Na Dil Se Door.
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.
