GECs
Star poaches Sanjay Pugalia from Zee News
Star India today announced the appointment of Zee News executive editor Sanjay Pugalia as news director Star News. His appointment will be effective 1 July and he will report directly to Star News president Ravina Raj Kohli.
This the first major appointment that Kohli has made since taking charge of the Star News venture and would appear to indicate a clear focus on Hindi in the new scheme of things so as to directly take on Aaj Tak and Zee News. The speculation on what the content mix would be like languagewise has been on ever since Star announced it would be taking over the running of the channel when the present deal with Prannoy Roy’s NDTV ends in March 2003.
Asked whether Pugalia’s appointment was the clearest indicator yet of Star News shift towards Hindi, Kohli said Pugalia had been taken on not just for his background in Hindi but for his overall aptitude as far as television journalism was concerned. Queried as to whether a decision had been taken as far as the language mix was concerned, Kohli said: “I haven’t crystallised my plans on that yet.”
According to a senior executive of Zee Telefilms : “We were aware Pugalia was leaving as he had put in his papers some time back. Now we will have to rethink our strategy and look for new people and the search is on.”
In accepting the appointment Pugalia was officially quoted as saying: “It’s a great challenge to be part of a team that readies itself to establish a new news channel in a competitive environment. I feel privileged.”
Pugalia was earlier with Aaj Tak when it was a one-hour news slot on national broadcaster Doordarshan before moving to Zee News as executive editor. He has over 20 years experience in print, television and radio journalism. Pugalia has covered and written on a range of topics covering politics, and business.
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.
