ITV

Tag: regional entertainment

  • Government updates list of mandatory must-carry cable TV channels

    Government updates list of mandatory must-carry cable TV channels

    MUMBAI: The ministry of information and broadcasting has issued a revised notification mandating changes to the list of channels that cable operators, including multi-system operators (MSOs) and local cable operators (LCOs), must carry under the Cable Television Networks (Regulation) Act, 1995. 

    In the latest directive, six existing mandatory channels have been updated, including:
    * DD Assam (Regional Entertainment)
    * DD Odia (Regional Entertainment)
    * Sansad TV-1 HD and Sansad TV-2 HD (Lok Sabha & Rajya Sabha News)

    Additionally, four new channels have been made mandatory:
    * DD National HD (Hindi Entertainment)
    * DD News HD (Hindi News)
    * DD Sports HD (Sports)
    * DD India HD (English News)

    The ministry emphasised strict compliance with the updated requirements, warning that violations would invite punitive action under the Act, associated Rules, and registration terms. Cable operators have been instructed to ensure proper categorisation and transmission of the channels within their network offerings. It issued the advisory to cable ops and MSOs on 30 January 2025.

  • Bikash Kundu transitions to JioStar as head of agency partnerships

    Bikash Kundu transitions to JioStar as head of agency partnerships

    MUMBAI: Bikash Kundu has moved on to JioStar as the  head of agency partnership, effective January 2025, from Viacom18 Media, following its merger with Star India. 

    Kundu held senior leadership positions at Viacom18 Media, where he spent 17 years. Most recently, he served as the senior vice president & head of revenue (regional entertainment), overseeing revenue operations for 14 regional channels across six languages. He also previously led sales and syndication for Viacom18’s kids cluster.

    With over 23 years of diverse experience in the media and entertainment industry, Kundu has  a wealth of expertise across broadcasting, digital, print, and advertising domains.

    Kundu’s extensive career spans reputed organisations such as Sahara One Media, UTV-Disney, Satyam Infoway, India.com, and Bennett Coleman & Co Ltd. His professional journey has covered various stages of business growth, including startups, steady-state enterprises, hyper-growth phases, and mergers and acquisitions.

    Known for his strategic thinking, problem-solving abilities, and adaptability, Kundu is highly regarded as a leader who builds and mentors high-performance teams. His innovative approach and unwavering commitment to integrity have defined his career trajectory.

    Kundu is a postgraduate in marketing management from the Times School of Marketing and holds a bachelor’s degree in economics from Delhi University.

  • Tata Sky Binge partners with ShemarooMe to bring Hindi classics, regional entertainment

    Tata Sky Binge partners with ShemarooMe to bring Hindi classics, regional entertainment

    MUMBAI: Tata Sky, India’s leading content distribution and Pay TV platform, announced its partnership with leading content powerhouses Shemaroo Entertainment Ltd. The partnership will see a wide array of film and non-film entertainment through the ShemarooMe app available on Tata Sky Binge, Tata Sky’s unique OTT platform that aggregates premium content from a variety of leading OTT apps on a single-user interface inducing ease in content discoverability and a superior viewing experience.

    The collaboration will give Tata Sky Binge subscribers access to ShemarooMe’s vast content library of over 15,000+ hours of multi-genre, multi-regional content including Bollywood premiere, Bollywood classic, kids, devotional, comedy and regional content spanning over 3700+ titles.

    Tata Sky chief commercial and content officer Pallavi Puri said, “At Tata Sky, we are always endeavouring to expand our content offerings and present best in class entertainment choices to our viewers. We have always believed in creating an enhanced and agile ecosystem of entertainment and our OTT aggregator platform, Tata Sky Binge has been a step towards that direction. To that end our partnership with ShemarooMe will not only help their content reach a wider set of audience but also give our Tata Sky Binge subscribers an even richer bouquet of quality content to choose from.”

    Shemaroo Entertainment COO Kranti Gada said, “We at Shemaroo always believe in delivering the best of entertainment to our audiences in the most preferred format and mediums. Our latest association and longstanding relationship with Tata Sky is a testimony to the same promise where together we will be delivering top notch entertainment through the most consumer centric value proposition and user-focused technologies. We are elated to partner with like-minded brands that resonate our ideologies and help us enhance end to end viewing experience for the consumers.”

    Subscribers will now be able to access content from ShemarooMe along with already-existing OTT apps on the Tata Sky Binge platform, including  Disney+Hotstar, Zee5, SunNXT, Eros Now and Hungama Play, through a single subscription fee of Rs 249 every month, which also includes a free  three-month trial of Amazon Prime membership and an Amazon Firestick-Tata Sky Edition to enjoy the large screen content experience.

    ShemarooMe content can also be accessed on the Tata Sky Binge App via the Tata Sky Binge+ hybrid Android Set top box.

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