GECs
Punit Goenka wins ‘Person of the Year 2014’
MUMBAI: Zee Entertainment Enterprises Limited (ZEEL) MD & CEO Punit Goenka was awarded the prestigious IMPACT Person of the Year 2014 on December 05, 2014 at a glittering function held at the ITC Grand Central, Mumbai. The Governor of Maharashtra, Chennamaneni Vidyasagar Rao felicitated Goenka with the award in the presence of Essel Group and ZEEL chairman Dr. Subhash Chandra and exchange4media chairman Group Annurag Batra.
Goenka won this award for his efforts in bringing about change in television audience measurement in the country, driving profitability in the broadcast sector and steering ZEEL to a steady rise.
On accepting the award, Goenka said, “It is always a pleasure to get an award which recognizes your achievements, and for making a difference to the industry. But for me, this is a special one, since it also recognizes and applauds the human side and hence titled as ‘IMPACT Person of the Year’.”
Goenka further added, “I would also like to take this opportunity to thank our Chairman, Dr. Subhash Chandra, for it is his pioneering vision and guidance, which makes us stand tall today ; my wife, Shreyasi, who has been a great support to me ; and of course my entire team at ZEE.”
The Governor of Maharashtra, Chennamaneni Vidyasagar Rao, in his keynote address, congratulated Goenka, saying, “Goenka has not only risen through the ranks to head ZEE but has expanded its global footprint by offering an amazing variety of content through its channels.”
The nominees for the 10th edition of the IMPACT Person of the Year were Sam Balsara, Chairman and Managing Director, Madison World, Piyush Pandey, Executive Chairman and Creative Director – South Asia, Ogilvy & Mather India, Prasoon Joshi, Chairman, McCann WorldGroup APAC & CEO, Punit Goenka, MD & CEO, ZEEL, BD Park, President & CEO, Samsung S West Asia and Sachin Bansal & Binny Bansal, CEO & COO, Flipkart. The selection process for IMPACT Person of the Year 2014 was handled by IMRB International. After receiving nominations, the final voting was done by a select few from across the advertisement, media and marketing fraternity. IMPACT’s editorial team then analysed the results to arrive at IMPACT Person of the Year 2014.
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.
