GECs
Zee Group expands across South India; launches four regional news channels
Mumbai: Expanding its footprint across South India, Zee Group on Tuesday announced the launch of four digital news channels – Zee Tamil News, Zee Kannada News, Zee Malayalam News and Zee Telugu News to cater to the tech-savvy young viewers in the southern market.
“It is a great feat for us to enter the South Indian market with digital news channels that aren’t just selling debates. We see a gap in honest, unbiased, and extensive on-ground reporting in these markets, and hence these channels will cater to fulfilling that gap. We aim to be the most trustworthy news brand of these markets,” stated CEO of South channels Purushottam Vaishnava.
According to the data cited by the company, the internet penetration of South India is much higher compared to the rest of India. The time spent watching videos per day has also increased by 60–70 per cent over 2018–20, where 85 per cent of content viewed is non-English and 30 per cent in languages other than English or Hindi. “With 68 per cent of the population consuming news through digital platforms, Zee plans to address the need for a voice which can focus on the real on-ground situations,” it said in a statement.
Zee Media founder and Rajya Sabha MP Subhash Chandra said, “It is indeed a great pleasure for us that we are launching four digital news channels in South India. Helmed by Purushottam and very capable editors – Manjesh Gopal, Ravi, Sebi Stanley and Bharat Kumar – I believe that we will be one of the most trusted news sources and set new benchmarks in the news media. We will soon be launching a news channel in Kashmiri language too.”
The channels which will fall under India Dotcom Private Ltd have also launched a marketing campaign with a focus on the digital platform along with radio and TV.
Udaya Kumar, who was appointed as the sales head for the south digital channels said, “We have carefully curated programming that caters to all the needs and wants of an educated viewer. Our focus is not just politics but includes a plethora of other genres like crime scene investigation, political satire, lifestyle, health, etc. Looking forward to some great work with this dynamic team and contributing to the revenue growth across all four south Indic languages.”
The channels – Zee Tamil News, Zee Kannada News, Zee Malayalam News, and Zee Telugu News – will be available on the respective websites as well as YouTube platforms, social media platforms such as Facebook, OTT streaming platforms like Zee5 and others along with news aggregators like Dailyhunt, etc, said the company.
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.
