Asianet Star Communications, formerly Asianet Communications, is an Indian media company headquartered in

Trivandrum Thiruvananthapuram (; ), also known by its List of renamed Indian cities and states, former name Trivandrum (), is the Capital city, capital of the Indian state of Kerala. It is the most populous city in Kerala with a population of 957,730 as ...

owned by

Disney Star Disney Star Private Limited is an Indian media conglomerate and a wholly owned subsidiary of The Walt Disney Company India. It is headquartered in Mumbai, Maharashtra. Disney Star network runs more than 70 TV channels in eight languages, rea ...

, a wholly owned subsidiary of

The Walt Disney Company The Walt Disney Company, commonly known as Disney (), is an American multinational mass media and entertainment conglomerate headquartered at the Walt Disney Studios complex in Burbank, California. Disney was originally founded on Octobe ...

. Asianet Star Communications operates Malayalam channels Asianet, Asianet HD, Asianet Plus,

Asianet Middle East Disney Star Private Limited is an Indian media conglomerate and a wholly owned subsidiary of The Walt Disney Company India. It is headquartered in Mumbai, Maharashtra. Disney Star network runs more than 70 TV channels in eight languages, rea ...

, and Asianet Movies. Malayalam and Kannada news channels,

Asianet News Asianet News (formerly Asianet Global) is an Indian free-to-air Malayalam-language news channel owned by Asianet News Network. Asianet News Network operates as a subsidiary of Jupiter Entertainment Ventures (Jupiter Capital Ventures). The chan ...

(formerly Asianet Global) and

Suvarna News Asianet Suvarna News is a Kannada news channel owned by Asianet News Network, a news media subsidiary of Jupiter Capital Private Limited. The majority shareholder of the company is Rajeev Chandrasekhar, who is a Rajya Sabha member from the Bha ...

(formerly Asianet Suvarna), are wholly owned by Asianet News Network (ANN), a subsidiary of Jupiter Capital. Asianet News Network channels, Asianet Digital Network are wholly owned by Asianet Satellite Communications divisions under (

Cable TV Cable television is a system of delivering television programming to consumers via radio frequency (RF) signals transmitted through coaxial cables, or in more recent systems, light pulses through fibre-optic cables. This contrasts with broa ...

Broadband In telecommunications, broadband is wide bandwidth data transmission which transports multiple signals at a wide range of frequencies and Internet traffic types, that enables messages to be sent simultaneously, used in fast internet connections. ...

& Teleshopping,

Consumer Electronics Consumer electronics or home electronics are electronic ( analog or digital) equipment intended for everyday use, typically in private homes. Consumer electronics include devices used for entertainment, communications and recreation. Usuall ...

, OTT,

Pay television Pay television, also known as subscription television, premium television or, when referring to an individual service, a premium channel, refers to subscription-based television services, usually provided by multichannel television providers, b ...

Broadcasting Broadcasting is the distribution of audio or video content to a dispersed audience via any electronic mass communications medium, but typically one using the electromagnetic spectrum (radio waves), in a one-to-many model. Broadcasting began wi ...

) is a

Telecommunication Telecommunication is the transmission of information by various types of technologies over wire, radio, optical, or other electromagnetic systems. It has its origin in the desire of humans for communication over a distance greater than that ...

Company. Asianet News Network channels, Asianet Satellite Communications Telecommunication Company, Asianet Star Communications channels use the brand-name and the "Asianet" logo.

History

Asianet Communications was the first entertainment television company in Malayalam.

STAR India Disney Star Private Limited is an Indian media conglomerate and a wholly owned subsidiary of The Walt Disney Company India. It is headquartered in Mumbai, Maharashtra. Disney Star network runs more than 70 TV channels in eight languages, rea ...

started discussions with the then owners of the Asianet in August, 2008. STAR India eventually bought a 51% stake in Asianet Communications and formed joint venture with JEV in November, 2008. The joint venture, called "STAR Jupiter", comprised all general entertainment channels of Asianet Communications ( Asianet,

Asianet Plus Asianet is an Indian Malayalam language general entertainment pay television channel owned by Disney Star (formerly ''Star India''), a subsidiary of The Walt Disney Company India. Asianet and its channels are operated by Asianet Star Communicat ...

Asianet Suvarna Star Suvarna is an Indian Kannada language general entertainment pay television channel owned by Disney Star (formerly ''Star India''), a subsidiary of The Walt Disney Company India. The channel telecasts Kannada language programmes such as dra ...

and Asianet Sitara) and

Star Vijay Star Vijay is an Indian Tamil language general entertainment pay television channel owned by Disney Star (formerly Star India), a subsidiary of Asianet Star Communications. The channel's headquarters is in Chennai, Tamil Nadu. Star Vijay change ...

. Star India had reportedly paid $235 million in cash for the 51% stake and assumed net debt of approximately $20 million. STAR India increased its stake in Asianet Communications to 75% in July 2010 (for which STAR India paid around $90 million in cash), and to 87%, by acquiring 12% stake for $160 million in June, 2013. The later move was by virtue of acquiring a 19% equity stake in Vijay TV from

Rajeev Chandrasekhar Rajeev Chandrasekhar (born 31 May 1964) is an Indian politician of the Bharatiya Janata Party. He is the incumbent Minister of State for Skill Development and Entrepreneurship and Electronics and Information Technology of India. He is also an ...

and Asianet Communications MD Madhavan. Following the June, 2013 investment, Asianet Communications was valued at $1.33 billion. STAR India acquired 100% stake in Asianet Communications (buying the remaining 13% stake) in March, 2014. Upon Disney acquiring Fox, Asianet Star Communications, along with all of

Star India Disney Star Private Limited is an Indian media conglomerate and a wholly owned subsidiary of The Walt Disney Company India. It is headquartered in Mumbai, Maharashtra. Disney Star network runs more than 70 TV channels in eight languages, rea ...

's subsidiaries, became subsidiaries of

, and restructuring put them under

Disney India The Walt Disney Company India Private Limited, known simply as Disney India, is the Indian subsidiary of the Indo Pacific region of the American media and entertainment conglomerate The Walt Disney Company and headquartered in Mumbai, Maharasht ...

. Now Asianet, Asianet HD, Asianet Plus, Asianet Middle East, Asianet Movies, Asianet Movies HD, Star Vijay, Star Vijay HD, Star Vijay Super, Vijay Super HD, Star Vijay Music, Star Suvarna, Star Suvarna HD & Suvarna Plus are Completely owned by Asianet Star Communications wholly owned by

Radio

Best FM 95, is run by Asianet STAR Communications. Best FM 95 has two FM radio stations in Kerala, Thrissur and Kannur. It broadcasts music in three languages (Malayalam, Tamil and Hindi). Best fm 95 was launched on January 13, 2008.

References

External links

Official site
{{Fox Entertainment Group Disney India Disney Star The Walt Disney Company subsidiaries Mass media companies of India Television networks in India Companies based in Thiruvananthapuram Television stations in Thiruvananthapuram Television channels and stations established in 1991 Television stations in Kochi Mass media companies established in 1991 Indian companies established in 1991 1991 establishments in Kerala Indian subsidiaries of foreign companies Television broadcasting companies of India