1st Bengali entertainment channel, STAR Jalsha launches in the Middle East on the Pehla platform

Dubai, March 6, 2011 - STAR, Asia's leading media and Entertainment Company, announced the Launch of STAR Jalsha, the first Bengali general entertainment channel in the Middle East with Arab Digital Distribution (ADD) Pay TV platform. STAR Jalsha, will be exclusively available on the Pehla bouquet that caters to the expatriate South Asian population in the region. STAR Jalsha is the leading Bengali General Entertainment Channel and will be available to subscribers on PEHLA in addition to the other leader channels -STAR Plus, STAR One, STAR Gold, Star News and Channel [V] India. STAR Jalsha launched in 2008 in India and has consistently presented new show-formats & fresh stories on television commanding a loyal viewership across West Bengal. It featured innovative formats, talk shows and captivating storylines garnering instant connect with the audiences in Bengal. Shows like Ghosh & Co, Reality format show, 'I laugh U' captured the imaginations of young audiences while Bou Katha Kou (rating of more than 7), Maa (TVR touching 13), Bhalobasa.com (TVR more than 7.2) couple with events like Telly Shamman, STAR Jalsha awards, Mega Jalsha and Mon mane na concert became instant hits with the complete family audience and broke all records on Bengali Television. "In continuing to deliver & distribute the best in TV content across the STAR channels, we're proud to launch Star Jalsha - The world's no. 1 Bengali General Entertainment channel on the Pehla platform. This re-enforces our commitment to driving innovation and production quality in Bengali programming for over 3 million Bangla viewers who are present in the Middle East. Looking ahead, we look forward to working more closely with ADD to bring subscribers even more TV choice from our highly rated bouquet of South Asian channels" said Sumo Dutta, STAR's Country Head - Middle East, Africa & Pakistan. For further subscription details, please contact ADD at +971 4 806 1111. About STAR STAR has been in Asia since 1991, pioneering the growth of satellite television and providing millions of viewers in Asia with the latest, most popular entertainment from around the world. Since then it has been at the forefront of the media industry, consistently expanding into new markets and making use of innovative, new media technology. Today, STAR broadcasts over 32 channels in 10 languages, providing viewers with a comprehensive range of sports, music, movies, news, entertainment, and documentaries. Reaching more than 300 million people in 65 countries across Asia, India and the Middle East, STAR is watched by approximately 120 million viewers everyday. With over 20,000 hours of top-quality content, STAR offers diverse programming, which allows partners and marketers to enjoy unique and unprecedented opportunities around Asia. STAR businesses extend to filmed entertainment, television production, cable systems and distribution, direct-to-home services, terrestrial TV broadcasting, wireless and digital services. STAR is a wholly owned subsidiary of News Corporation (www.newscorp.com)