Movie Channels
‘People’s Reporting’ rains down on the People’s Channel
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Mumbai, July 7, 2006: STAR News which first started the trend of Viewers turning Reporters in as early as 2003 with STAR Reporter, has consequently consolidated on ‘people’s reporting’ with a roster of such timely viewer reported stories, taking the mandate of its positioning as the ‘people’s channel’ that much further.
The recent heavy downpour on the 4th and 5th of July in Mumbai also provided a platform for people participation with hundreds of viewers sending in their narratives to be featured on the STAR News special feature “Aap Ka Bulletin”, which is only the most recent instant of people participation in an otherwise long roster of other such initiatives.  The roster includes stories and videos brought in on the devastating Tsunami of December 2004, the London Blasts of July 2005, the infamous Delhi blasts of 29th October, the ‘raging’ Meerut Fire of April 10th, the crushing earthquake in Pakistan-occupied-Kashmir at the turn of the New Year 2006 and numerous other instances reported via mobile clips, video footage, sms’ and emails reported in and telecast on STAR News. People’s Reporting has taken on a life of its own on STAR News, very often moving beyond reporting on facts into positive activism. At all the above instances people have sent in their reports in large numbers.
During the 26/7 Mumbai Deluge last year viewers braved flood waters and watery cesspools to bring in up-to-the-moment footage on life from the farthest corners of Mumbai. STAR News had then provided viewers an interactive platform, together with its own journalists to report on the happenings in Mumbai. STAR News’ reporting format had then redefined the parameters of crisis reporting. Viewers played an important part in reporting on missing persons, offering advisories on ground-level realities at different locations and reporting in to the studios with often personal messages, seeking to connect with families. These were featured under two campaign formats at the time on STAR News – ‘Aap Bane Reporter’ and ‘Hum Par Jo Gujre.’ One viewer had even shot images and composed a tongue-in-cheek song on the Mumbai rains! Amateur video footage, in-studio interviews, mobile video clips, sms’, emails and brave STAR News reporting had completed the first real-time viewer-led reporting on news television – a widely acknowledged feat.
People’s Reporting has been institutionalized on STAR News with email ids pictures@starnews.co.in and starnews@vsnl.net accepting stories, pictures and MMS clips while the phone numbers 022-66630137 and 022-66630099 serving as hotlines to receive viewer inputs.
Recently, on the successful completion of the 3rd Anniversary milestone for STAR News, the channel launched a new and unique service for it’s viewers – Khabar Hamari, Faisla Aapka; a 24- hours feedback mechanism that allows people to call in and express their views, opinions, suggestions or questions on a news story. A method of eliciting viewer interactivity, this service reinstates STAR News’ position as the ‘People’s Channel’, a promise it has made since its launch three years ago. Rain or shine, STAR News keeps its promise of ‘Aapko Rakhe Aagey’!
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Movie Channels
Zee5 launches five free FAST channels on Samsung TV Plus India
New genre-led channels bring comedy, drama, horror, classics and South films to Smart TVs.
MUMBAI: Zee5 just turned Samsung Smart TVs into a free entertainment buffet because when premium content costs nothing, even the remote control starts smiling. Zee5 has launched five curated free ad-supported streaming TV (FAST) channels on Samsung TV Plus India, making high-quality, genre-specific entertainment available subscription-free to millions of Samsung Smart TV owners across the country.
The five channels now live are:
Zee Comedy Nation – Popular comedy shows and movies
Zee Dil Se – Compelling drama series
ZEE Horror Nights – Horror and supernatural content
ZEE Cine Classic – Timeless Indian films
ZEE South Flix – High-energy South Indian films dubbed in Hindi
All content is drawn from Zee5’s extensive library and programmed in a lean-back, always-on format ideal for large-screen viewing. This launch strengthens Zee5’s Connected TV strategy at a time when 64 per cent of its premium content watch time already comes from connected devices.
Zee5 chief business officer Siju Prabhakaran said, “At Zee5, we believe accessibility and scale will define the next phase of digital entertainment growth in India. Our presence on Samsung TV Plus strengthens our Connected TV strategy, enabling viewers to discover curated, genre-led content in a seamless, free, and premium environment.”
Samsung TV Plus India head of partnerships Kunal Mehta added, “Local partnerships are at the heart of how we grow Samsung TV Plus in India. Zee Entertainment is one of India’s most iconic media brands, and bringing their channels to our service means millions more Samsung Smart TV owners can enjoy premium local content, subscription-free.”
The channels are available directly through the pre-installed Samsung TV Plus app with no login or subscription required. This marks another milestone in Zee5’s CTV expansion and builds on its growing international presence, with Zee channels already available on Samsung TV Plus across Southeast Asia, Australia and New Zealand.
In a streaming world where paywalls often block the fun, Zee5 and Samsung have quietly opened the gates, proving that sometimes the best things in life (and on your TV) really are free especially when they come with a side of comedy, drama, horror, classics and South Indian blockbuster energy.
