Tag: latest Indian television news

  • Sun TV Network launches Marathi GEC Sun Marathi

    Sun TV Network launches Marathi GEC Sun Marathi

    Mumbai: Sun TV Network has launched its Marathi general entertainment channel (GEC) Sun Marathi on 17 October.

    The channel’s tagline is ‘sohala natyancha’ which translates to ‘celebrating relationships.’ The channel has announced three hours of original programming with six shows starting from 6:30 p.m to 9:30 p.m.

    The shows announced are “Nandini” at 6:30 p.m, “Sundari” at 7:00 p.m, “Jaau nako dur..baba!” at 7:30 pm, “Abhalachi Maya” at 8 p.m, “Kanyadaan” at 8:30 p.m and “Sant Gajanan Shegaviche” at 9 p.m.

    The channel has also announced ‘bagha roj jinka rokh’ (‘watch daily, win cash’) contest which every day offers an opportunity for more than 1,000 viewers to win up to two crores in cash prize from Dussehra to Diwali. Every day during the contest period, one question will be asked in each of the six shows and viewers will have to give a missed call to register their answers on the numbers provided, said the broadcast network in a statement.

    Sun Marathi is widely distributed and is available on all leading DTH platforms including DD Free, Dish as well as on all cable networks across Maharashtra for free. In terms of its placement, it is part of the Marathi GEC neighborhood on all the platforms.

  • SPNI publishes new RIO effective from 1 December

    SPNI publishes new RIO effective from 1 December

    Mumbai: Sony Pictures Networks India (SPNI) has published its new reference interconnection offer (RIO) issued under telecommunications (broadcasting and cable) services interconnection (addressable systems) regulations, 2017 for all distribution platforms.

    The RIO is subject to the final outcome of the special leave petition filed by the company before the Supreme Court. The new channel rate card will be effective from 1 December.

    According to the rate card, SPNI channels including Hindi GECs Sony Sab, SET, English sports channels Sony Ten 1, Sony Ten 2, and HD channels SET HD, Hindi movie channel Max HD, Sab HD, sports channels Ten 1 HD, Ten 2 HD, Ten 3 HD, Six HD, and Telugu and Tamil sports channel Ten 4 HD have an MRP greater than Rs 12.

    As per the new tariff regime 2.0 order, the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (Trai) has mandated that a channel’s MRP must not exceed Rs 12 for it to be included in any bouquet. The aforementioned channels will not be part of any of the 12 bouquets offered by SPNI.

    The implementation of the new tariff order 2.0 has been halted as broadcasters under the aegis of the Indian Broadcasting Foundation (IBF) have challenged the Trai order in the Supreme Court. The final hearing on the matter is scheduled for 30 November.

  • Disney Star India pulls 13 SD and 20 HD channels from bouquets

    Disney Star India pulls 13 SD and 20 HD channels from bouquets

    Mumbai: Disney and Star India network has published the new MRP of its channels as per the Tariff Order 2017 as amended and Interconnection Regulation 2017, as amended.

    As per the new rate card, the standard definition channels Star Plus, Star Jalsha, Maa TV, Asianet, Star Sports 1, Star Sports Select 1, Star Pravah, Vijay, Star Sports 1 Hindi, Star Sports 1 Tamil, Star Sports 1 Kannada, Star Sports 1 Telugu, and Star Survarna are priced more than MRP of Rs 12 which is the condition to be included in a bouquet.

    Similarly, its HD channels Star Plus HD, Star Gold HD, Star Jalsha HD, Jalsha Movies HD, Vijay HD, Star Suvarna HD, Asianet HD, Star Movies HD, Disney International HD, Disney International HD, Star Sports HD1, Star Sports 1 HD Hindi, Star Sports Select HD1, Star Sports 1 Tamil HD, Star Sports 1 Telugu HD, Maa HD, Maa Movies HD, Star Pravah HD, Star Kirano HD, and Asianet Movies HD will not be part of any bouquet.

    These channels will not be part of the 32 bouquets offered by the broadcaster under Star Value Pack (SVP) and Star Premium Pack (SPP).

    Additionally, the broadcaster plans to launch several new SD and HD channels between 1 December 2021 and 24 January 2022. These channels include Hindi movie channel Star Gold Thrills, Bengali movie channel Jalsha Josh, Marathi movie channel Pravah Pictures, Odia GEC Star Kirano, English movie channel Star Movies Select, Hindi movie channel Star Gold 2 HD, sports channels Star Sports 1 Tamil HD, Star Sports 1 Telugu HD, Star Sports 1 Telugu HD, kids channel Disney Channel HD, Odia GEC Star Kirano HD, Marathi movie channel Pravah Pictures HD, Tamil GEC Vijay Super HD, Malayalam movie channel Asianet Movies HD and kids channel Hungama HD.

    Marvel HQ will be renamed to Super Hungama effective from 1 December.

    For more details: https://www.startv.com/media/3915/rate-card.pdf 

  • Star Sports ropes in 18 sponsors for Ind-Pak match on 24 Oct

    Star Sports ropes in 18 sponsors for Ind-Pak match on 24 Oct

    Mumbai: Star India has unveiled the sponsors for the ICC T20 World Cup India vs Pakistan match to be held on 24 October starting at 7:30 p.m. The broadcast sponsors include ‘co-presenting’ partner Dream11, BYJU’s, PhonePe, Thums Up, Vimal Paan Masala, Havells, JioMart, Netmeds.com and ‘associate’ partner Aakash (BYJU’s), Skoda, White Hat Jr, Great Learning, Royal Stag, CoinDCX, Trends, Cred, Upstox, and Cadbury Dairy Milk.

    The match will be broadcasted on Star Sports channels and Star Gold as well as streamed on Disney+ Hotstar. Star Sports has launched a hilarious ad campaign ‘Buy 1 Break 1 Free Offer’ that has gone live on the broadcasters’ YouTube channels. The film has been conceptualised by Star Sports in-house team and continues with the concept of the Indian and Pakistani fans trying to get the better of each other.

    The ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup held in 2019 saw 273 million unique viewers tuning into linear TV to watch the India vs Pakistan match. Additionally, 50 million digital-only viewers saw the match on streaming platforms. The game became the most-watched match in World Cup history, according to ICC.

    “The India-Pakistan clash is one of the biggest matchups in the world of sports,” said Star and Disney India head of sports Sanjog Gupta. “The clash at an ICC event attracts core and casual Cricket fans as well as viewers who don’t watch any other Cricket. The historic on-field rivalry between both teams is unparalleled and we believe that the iconic ‘Mauka Mauka’ campaign captures the spirit of this rivalry, blending competitiveness, banter, and sportsmanship.”

    India and Pakistan renew their on-field rivalry. The ‘Men in Blue’ have never lost to Pakistan in either 50-over World Cup games or T20 World Cup games.  Team India has gotten the better of team Pakistan in five consecutive ICC T20 World Cup encounters – twice in the 2007 T20 World Cup, followed by victories in 2012, 2014, and 2016. 

    The group stage of the T20 World Cup begins on 17 October.

  • &flix to air ‘Peter Rabbit 2’ on 17 October

    &flix to air ‘Peter Rabbit 2’ on 17 October

    Mumbai: &flix will showcase “Peter Rabbit 2” for the first time on TV on 17 October, starting at 12 p.m.

    The film will be telecast in ten languages including English, Hindi, Tamil, and Telugu across 12 Zee channels including &flix, Zee Café, &PrivéHD, &Pictures, Zee Thirai, Zee Cinemalu, Zee Bioscope, Zee Picchar, Zee Bangla Cinema, Zee Sarthak, Zee Punjabi and Zee Yuva, said the statement.

    Written and directed by the Golden Globe nominee known for “Easy A” and “Friends with Benefits” Will Gluck, the film stars Rose Byrne, Domhnall Gleeson, and the eleven-time Primetime Emmy winner James Corden as the iconic voice behind Peter Rabbit.

    “With the festive season approaching, our endeavor was to provide a wholesome entertainment experience for families at home,” said a spokesperson from Zee English cluster. “Apart from being one of the most popular films in the family entertainment genre, the ‘Peter Rabbit’ franchise is special to &flix. This season, we, at &flix, are extremely delighted to present the world television premiere of the latest installment that will also be made available in multiple languages allowing a larger community of fans to enjoy the festive blockbuster on television.”

  • Zee Telugu to premiere ‘Agnipariksha’ on 18 October

    Zee Telugu to premiere ‘Agnipariksha’ on 18 October

    Mumbai: Zee Telugu is set to premiere its new show “Agnipariksha” on 18 October at 9:30 p.m. The show will air every Monday to Saturday on the channel.

    Bringing together a stellar cast including actors Thanuja Puttaswamy, Akarsh Byramudi, Maahi Gouthami, Navin Vetri, and Prabhakar, the show highlights the journey of two sisters compelled into a loveless relationship.

    Set in Hyderabad, the tale revolves around two sisters, Radhika, Priyanka, and their father who is against love marriages. Radhika, an obedient, graceful and kind girl, loves her long-time friend Amar who loves her back unconditionally. However, due to destiny’s play, Kailash enters into the life of Radhika, changing the dynamics of her relationship with Amar. Priyanka, the younger sister to Radhika, is a vivacious girl. Her life will take a 360-degree turn with her sister’s change of relationships. 

    The gripping plot, theatrical characterisation, and intense performances make Agnipariksha a roller coaster ride of emotions as Radhika, Priyanka, Amar, and Kailash meet at crossroads, creating the sense of anticipation on the twists and revelations that will transform equations among the characters at every stage.

    “I have always believed in experimenting as an actor and I found Amar’s character very promising. A layered character, Amar is a complex but interesting and intriguing person,” said Akarsh Byramudi. “I’m grateful and delighted to be working with Zee Telugu once again and connect with the audience through this new project. I hope that we reach remarkable heights with this show.”

  • Discovery set to premiere ‘Into The Wild with Bear Grylls and Ajay Devgn’

    Discovery set to premiere ‘Into The Wild with Bear Grylls and Ajay Devgn’

    Mumbai: Discovery India is all set to premiere “Into The Wild with Bear Grylls and Ajay Devgn” on 25 October on Discovery channels and digitally on 22 October via streaming platform discovery+.

    The broadcast premiere of the show is scheduled at 8 p.m IST on 14 linear channels including Discovery Channel, Discovery HD, Discovery Tamil, Animal Planet, Animal Planet HD, TLC, TLC HD, Discovery ID, Discovery ID HD, Discovery Science, Discovery Turbo, Discovery Kids, Eurosport, and Eurosport HD. 

    The broadcaster has also released a trailer giving a sneak peek into the episode.

    “This is my first ever expedition into the wild and I can tell you it wasn’t child’s play!” said Devgn. “My father was an action director and in my career span of 30 years in the Indian industry, I have had the fortune to play several roles including some dangerous action ones too. And, this was one of those times when I had to put those learnings to the test again.”

    The special episode has attracted marquee advertisers including Vini Cosmetics and Citroen as ‘co-powered by’ sponsors. While Dell, Omron Healthcare, Spotify, and Amazon Alexa have come on board as ‘associate’ sponsors, LIC is the ‘partner’ sponsor for the title.

    “Into the Wild with Bear Grylls is one of our most acclaimed and loved series and with the new episode, the motive was clear – to make it bigger, better and widen our audience base. The show has been appreciated worldwide and we expect to land big with this special season,” said Discovery Inc managing director – South Asia Megha Tata.

    Produced by The Natural Studios and Banijay Asia, the show will be available in seven languages including English, Hindi, Tamil, Telugu, Bangla, Malayalam, and Kannada. The episode will exclusively premiere on discovery+ India and the Philippines followed by other EMEA regions, including the United Kingdom, Netherlands, Poland, Italy, Denmark, Finland, Norway, and Sweden. It will also be showcased on Discovery’s network of channels in over 140 countries.

    “To get to take the legendary Ajay into the wild and have an adventure with him was a privilege,” said Bear Grylls. “Desert islands are always tough to survive on and Ajay showed total commitment to do what we needed to get out in one piece. He was also incredibly honest, sharing so many insights into his life and career and I value that honesty so much.”

    “Into The Wild with Bear Grylls” has featured many recognised faces in the Indian film industry including Rajinikanth, Akshay Kumar, and also featured India’s prime minister Narendra Modi.

  • Nikunj Garg appointed as editor of Mirror Now

    Nikunj Garg appointed as editor of Mirror Now

    Mumbai: Times Network on Thursday announced the appointment of Nikunj Garg as editor of Mirror Now. He will report to Times Network managing director and chief executive officer MK Anand.  

    Garg will lead the editorial mandate for Mirror Now and closely work with the channel’s business and leadership teams to drive the channel’s growth agenda, besides continuing his role as overall head of input and news-gathering at Times Network, said the statement.

    With a broadcast journalism career spanning two decades, “Nikunj brings sharp insights, political intelligence, judgement, and accuracy in his reportage,” it added.

    “Nikunj has been one of our key assets and has significantly contributed to Times Now’s leadership through his action-oriented news reportage,” said MK Anand. “I am confident that Nikunj’s in-depth knowledge, expertise, and experience will help the channel’s growth plans in serving its mission, ‘You First’.”

    Garg has been associated with Times Network for over a decade, covering national political and international high-profile stories for Times Now. He is known for investigating and breaking powerful stories including Bofors’s alleged middleman, Ottavio Quatorocchi’s arrest in Argentina, arrest of an Indian diplomat in Pakistan for spying charges in 2010, revealing the identity of lone surviving terrorist of Mumbai 26/11 as Ajmal Kasab and confirming his arrest, IPL match-fixing scandal in 2013, breaking important government decisions on Covid-19 pandemic and government’s action on former CBI director Alok Verma amongst others.

    “I am honored and thrilled to take over this new responsibility,” said Garg. “With a strategic segmented approach, Mirror Now has successfully created a whole new genre of content, centered around the viewer’s preference for impact. I look forward to harnessing my best efforts to fuel the brand’s purpose of focusing on issues that impact the lives of Indians.”

  • Pro Kabaddi League season eight to start on 22 December

    Pro Kabaddi League season eight to start on 22 December

    Mumbai: Pro Kabaddi League (PKL) season eight is set to return on 22 December, announced the organiser Mashal Sports.

    The player auctions for the season were conducted on 29-31 August. Keeping in mind the safety and health of players and stakeholders, this year the league will be held without spectators, at a single venue in Bengaluru, moving away from the traditional caravan format.

    Season eight of Vivo PKL will be broadcasted live on Star Sports Network and Disney+ Hotstar.

    “We are very privileged that Season 8 of the Vivo Pro Kabaddi League will be hosted in Karnataka, especially as this state is a very significant geography for kabaddi and PKL fans in India,” said Vivo Pro Kabaddi League league commissioner and Mashal Sports chief executive officer Anupam Goswami. “Bengaluru has all the facilities for the conduct of big competitive sports events with best safety practices, and we look forward to demonstrating this with PKL Season 8.”

    The league will implement protocols to comply with government regulations and guidelines and will work with specialized safety agencies to implement stringent safety practices and create a bio–secure bubble, a first for any professional indoor contact sports league in India.

    “Kabaddi is a genuine indigenous sport of India and very popular in Karnataka. We welcome and support the conduct of forthcoming Pro Kabaddi Season 8 in our state,” said Karnataka chief minister Basavaraj Bommai.

  • ET Now Swadesh will foment new investment revolution in the country: MK Anand

    ET Now Swadesh will foment new investment revolution in the country: MK Anand

    Mumbai: Times Network has launched its Hindi business news channel ET Swadesh on Monday. 

    The channel has unveiled its brand manifesto ‘Badlo Badho Desh Ke Saath’ and a special brand film that captures the brand genesis was released across the network channels and its social media handles.

    The launch event was graced by India’s eminent policymakers and India Inc leaders including union minister for housing and urban affairs and minister of petroleum and natural gas Hardeep Singh Puri; union minister of road transport and highways Nitin Gadkari; union cabinet minister for women and child development Smriti Irani; ace investor Rakesh Jhunjhunwala, and Kedia Securities managing director Vijay Kedia among others.  

    To mark the occasion of the launch, Times Network managing director and chief executive officer MK Anand shared a message with viewers on the brand’s social platforms.

    “The sweeping pace of change due to the Covid-19 pandemic in the past one-and-half years, has made it clear that those who do not adapt are bound to fail,” he said. “Despite all the challenges, India’s economy has shown tremendous growth. The stock market is at a new peak and a record number of demat accounts have been opened. India’s performance in the Olympics and Paralympics shows that the winds of change have been strong in the country.”

    “More aware than ever people are aware that traditional methods of investing such as savings accounts and gold won’t be able to fulfil their goals with respect to capital creation and fulfilling their dreams. It is in the spirit of this change, we have launched our new Hindi offering, ET Now Swadesh, to contribute to the financial well-being of every citizen of the country,” Anand further said.

    “We have unwavering faith in the growth story of India and hope to take our ‘Rise with India’ mission to crores of Hindi audience through ET Now Swadesh. With our expertise and the faith of our viewers combined, ET Now Swadesh with its motto ‘Badlo Badho Desh Ke Saath’ will become instrumental in fomenting a new investment revolution in the country,” he concluded.