Acquires UAE's first and leading Radio Station, Hum 106.2 FM

Dubai, UAE | September 29, 2016:

Zee Entertainment, the leading media conglomerate present in 171 countries with over one billion viewers globally and over 75 television channels confirmed the acquisition of UAE’s first and leading radio station Hum 106.2 FM. Being pioneers in launching the first Hindi Satellite channel in India in 1992 to introducing the first Bollywood TV channel for the Arab audience with Zee Aflam, to introducing the Arab world to Hindi programs dubbed in Arabic with Zee Alwan, Zee Entertainment’s foray into radio is expected to bring fresh ideas to the forefront in this industry. Synergy of Television, Radio and Digital could revolutionize the entertainment industry in the UAE. With the acquisition of Hum FM, Zee becomes the only entertainment network in the region to provide an extensive media solution to any partner through television, radio & digital.

Mr. Amit Goenka, CEO – International Broadcast Business, Zee Entertainment Enterprises Limited, points out “New and strategic investments in media and related business has always been at the forefront of Zee’s business strategy. At Zee International, we are looking at strategic acquisitions across the globe to increase our footprint and market share in the entertainment industry. The acquisition of Hum FM in UAE is a step in that direction and we are upbeat about its prospect in the coming times.” Amit also adds “we are excited with our new business ventures. Radio comes immediately after our foray into film production and distribution, Rustom and Jazbaa have done extremely well globally and specifically in the UAE and Middle East markets”.

The addition of UAE’s first Hindi Radio station to its bouquet of TV channels makes Zee Entertainment one of the strongest players in the UAE’s entertainment space. More announcements are expected in the coming weeks on the future channel programming and its positioning

Mukund Cairae, CEO Zee Network (MENA and APAC), said, “This move is a diversification to our entertainment business portfolio, adding to the numero uno position we possess in Television among South Asians in the Middle East. Now we can offer media across Television, Radio and Digital platforms. This investment also shows our commitment to the region and its business landscape.” He also said “there can be a great synergy between content and mediums that will now be possible. A common initiative can now have a 360-degree Audio Visual exchange through platforms owned by Zee.”

Radio has been an area of interest for Zee for quite some time and this investment comes with extensive planning and studying the brand values, ratings and revenue generated by the station, Hum FM comes across as the best option. Hum FM has a legacy of almost 2 decades & with a current market share of 26% making it is the top Hindi radio station in the UAE. Zee is confident that it can leverage its very strong South-Asian brand and connect on to Radio, further it feels that it can also leverage its people and content across TV and Radio mediums.”

With a library of great music content which includes singing reality shows like The Voice India, SaReGaMaPa, Anthakshari and Asia Singing Superstar which has produced great singers in Bollywood, an on-going relationship with the big names in the industry and with one of the biggest music labels in Bollywood under its wings (Zee Music Company), the new venture has all the ingredients needed to redefine the radio industry in this market.

His Excellency Ali Jasim Ahmed, General Manager of Umm Al Quwain Broadcasting Network (UBN) says “We are proud to hold the partnership with Zee Entertainment, the leading global company in the media industry with a strong presence in the UAE and across Middle East. Zee Entertainment will provide content of new concept in the world of entertainment and marketing, and will provide station media expertise of highly effective and competitive value. We will give all the facilities and support for Zee to achieve strategic station goals and we will work to support the qualitative superiority of the programs with more expertise to achieve excellence in the concept of the modern media and to meet the wishes and aspirations of the esteemed listeners, and support to communicate with them according to the latest communication media.”

106.2 Hum FM was previously owned and operated by Shamal Media Services, it is a frequency originating from the emirate of Umm Al Quwain and forms a part of Umm Al Quwain Broadcasting Network (UBN). The frequency was one of the 1st Hindi and Urdu language frequencies to have hit the UAE air in the 1990’s. It redefined drive time and boasted of many celebrity Radio Jockeys. It also went on to popularize live cricket commentary on radio and has a lot of pioneering firsts in radio business.

Shahid Jamal, Founder & MD Shamal Media Services said, “Hum FM pioneered FM Radio in UAE since the inception of the same. Over the years we have made it number 1 and now it’s a great opportunity for us to handover our successful radio legacy to a media network who has been a pioneer of South Asian entertainment globally and in the region. Zee Entertainment, who themselves have had a great legacy in the media business will only take the success of Hum FM to the next level.”

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About Zee Entertainment Enterprises Limited (ZEEL)
Zee Entertainment Enterprises Limited is one of India’s leading television media and entertainment companies. It is amongst the largest producers and aggregators of Hindi programming in the world, with an extensive library housing over 222,000 hours of television content. With rights to more than 3,818 movie titles from foremost studios and of iconic film stars, ZEE houses the world’s largest Hindi film library. Through its strong presence worldwide, ZEE entertains over 1 billion viewers across 171 countries.

ZEE and its affiliate companies have leading presence across the media value chain including television broadcasting, cable distribution, direct-to-home satellite services, digital media and print media amongst others. ZEEL also operates multiple digital offerings like dittoTV, OZEE, and india.com. More information about ZEE and its businesses is available on www.zeetelevision.com

About Zee Entertainment Middle East FZ LLC (ZEME)
Regionally headquartered in Dubai, the network caters to the South Asian diaspora through its General Entertainment Channels Zee TV and &tv along with its movie channel Zee Cinema which have Middle East beams.

With a base of over 5 million households in the region, these channels are available on DTH, IPTV, Cable TV and Mobile pay platforms through OSN Pehla, E Vision and Qtel.

Zee Entertainment also reaches out to the Arab viewers in the region with its pioneer movie channel, Zee Aflam and General Entertainment Channel, Zee Alwan. These Free-To-Air channels are available on both Nilesat and Arabsat and reach out to over 60 million households.

Pioneer of the television entertainment industry in India, ZEE’s well-known brands include Zee TV, &tv, Zee Cinema, Zee Action, Zee Classic, &pictures, Zee Anmol, Zee Anmol Cinema, Zee Cafe, Zee Studio, Zee Salaam, Zing, Z ETC Bollywood, Zee Q, Zindagi. The company also has a strong offering in the regional language domain with channels such as Zee Marathi, Zee Talkies, Zee Yuva, Zee Bangla, Zee Bangla Cinema, Zee Telugu, Zee Cinemalu, Zee Kannada, Zee Tamil and Sarthak TV. The company’s HD offerings include Zee TV HD, Zee Cinema HD, &tv HD, Zee Studio HD, Zee Café HD, &pictures HD.

Media Contact:
Vijay Sud / Hiten Umrania
Zee Entertainment Middle East FZ LLC
Landline: +971 4 4264 100
Email: vijay.s@zeenetwork.ae / hiten.u@zeenetwork.ae

© Press Release 2016