GECs
TV ratings issue listed for cabinet discussion on 9 Jan
MUMBAI: The year 2013 saw quite a ruckus being raised about the ratings process being followed in the country. The Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) in September 2013 came out with a recommendation paper after receiving suggestions from stakeholders on its consultation paper regarding the same.
The paper got the ministry of information and broadcasting’s (MIB) nod in mid-November. Now it has been listed for consideration and approval by the cabinet committee on economic affairs on 9 January.
Complaints about TV ratings in India have been aired for several years now. However, the TRAI released its recommendations only late last year on the way forward. In its paper it gave several suggestions to improve the quality of the ratings, one suggestion was that ratings agencies should register themselves with the MIB and no one from its board of directors should be involved in the business of broadcasting or advertising. They will have to give Rs 10 lakh as registration fee and produce a bank guarantee of Rs 1 crore.
The minimum number of houses was recommended to be doubled to 20,000, to be increased by 10,000 till it reaches 50,000. 25 per cent of the viewership panel being monitored should be rotated every year.
If the ratings agencies failed to follow the guidelines they would be penalised, the severest being cancellation of the registration.
If the new ratings guidelines do get the cabinet’s nod, it means that the existing ratings agency TAM Media will have to invest anywhere between Rs 200-250 crore to scale up its panel and get itself registered with the MIB. The Broadcast Audience Research Council – which currently has the full backing of the broadcast, advertising and marketing industries and is racing to start its services by mid-2014 – will also have to follow the same course of MIB registration.
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.
