Business – STAR Jalsha and STAR Ananda to go pay

The two Bengali channels from the STAR stable, STAR Jalsha and STAR Ananda, will go pay from November. While STAR Jalsha is the GEC (general entertainment channel) offering, STAR Ananda is the ABP Group-STAR India news channel being distributed by STAR DEN.

STAR Jalsha and STAR Ananda will be priced at Rs 12 and Rs 6 respectively. However, the package deal including both the channels will cost only Rs 12.

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Speaking to afaqs!, Gurjeev Singh Kapoor, chief executive officer, STAR DEN, says, “Both channels are popular and we expect a good declaration from the ground. The two channels have been reasonably priced. Being the No. 1 channel, STAR Jalsha is the STAR Plus or Colors of the Bengali market. Above all, the combo offer, with the GEC and news channels available at Rs 12, makes an attractive package.”

Without sharing the expected shift in the number of subscribers, Kapoor emphasises that they are expecting a high declaration from cable operators. With the two channels going pay, there will be a renewed effort in making them available across the market, turning them into a mass product.

Listing the markets being targeted by STAR DEN as part of its distribution strategy, Kapoor says, “Kolkata is a big market. Our focus is not only on West Bengal but we have set our sights on covering the entire eastern region as well. At the same time, we are tapping markets such as Assam as well.”

The STAR DEN bouquet already includes channels such as STAR Plus, STAR One, STAR Gold, STAR Movies, STAR World, Vijay TV, STAR Utsav, STAR News, STAR Pravah, STAR Jalsha, Channel V, National Geographic Channel, The History Channel, Disney, Jetix, Hungama, Zoom, Times Now, CNBC TV 18, CNBC Awaaz, CNN-IBN, IBN7 and The MGM Channel.