Gemini TV

This article is about the Indian television channel. For other uses, see Gemini (disambiguation).

Gemini TV is an Indian Telugu language general entertainment pay television channel. It was launched on 9 February 1995 by Gemini Group, owned by A. Manohar Prasad (grandson of L. V. Prasad), in association with Sun TV Network.^[a] In 1996-97, Sun TV Network acquired a controlling interest in the channel.^[b] Gemini TV is the first satellite TV channel in Telugu.^[6][8] The channel's programming consists of Telugu-language serials, films, film-based programs and game shows alongside some reality shows. The channel's HD feed, Gemini TV HD was launched on 11 December 2011.^[12]

జెమినీ టీవీ
Gemini TV

Country	India
Broadcast area	India, Singapore, Middle East, Malaysia and Thailand
Network	Sun TV Network^[1]
Headquarters	Hyderabad, Telangana, India
Programming
Language(s)	Telugu
Picture format	1080i HDTV (downscaled to letterboxed 576i for the SDTV feed)
Ownership
Owner	Sun Group
Sister channels	Sun Network Channels
History
Launched	9 February 1995 (27 years ago) (1995-02-09)
Links
Website	Gemini TV

History

Gemini TV was launched on 9 February 1995.^[13][14][2] It is founded by Gemini Group of Hyderabad (run by A. Manohar Prasad, grandson of L. V. Prasad), in association with Sun TV Network.^[a] In 1996-97, Sun TV Network acquired a controlling interest in the channel.^[b] Gemini TV is the first satellite TV channel in Telugu.^[6][8] Gemini TV began with only a four-hour service via a Rimsat satellite uplinked from Singapore.^[6][5] Later it expanded its broadcast time to 12 hours a day.^[7] By May 2000, Gemini was considered as a strong number two to the leader ETV.^[15]

The Sun Group started working in the television business through three companies of which Gemini Television Private Limited broadcast Telugu language channels, while Sun Television Private Limited and Uday Television Private Limited broadcast Tamil and Kannada language channels respectively.^[16] In November 2006, Kalanithi Maran merged Gemini TV Ltd with Sun TV Network Ltd along with Udaya TV Ltd for the IPO listing of Sun TV Network.^[17][18][19]

Sun18

Network18 Group has 50% dealing distribution with Sun TV Network, which led them to make Sun18. In July 2010, with the creation of Sun18, Sun TV Network became responsible for the South Indian market, while Network18 was responsible for the North Indian market.^[20][21]

Within a few years, Sun TV Network began distributing its channels as its own companies, while Viacom18 distributed its tracks through a single company named IndiaCast Media Distribution Private Limited.^{[citation needed]}

Market

By May 2000, Gemini was considered as a strong number two to the leader ETV.^[15] From early 2000s, Gemini remained the market leader until 2016. But in 2017-18, Gemini TV slipped to third or fourth positions, due to heavy competition from ETV, Zee Telugu and especially Star Maa. This situation further worsened during the years 2019, 2020 and 2021 and Gemini TV lost most of its market share. But sometimes it did regain its majority share, but it was not constant.

Sun TV Network, its parent company tried to regain its lost viewership by introducing some new reality shows. But it was only a partial success. As of September 2022, it still has not regained its lost viewership, with its situation worsening.

Sister Channels in Telugu

 

Gemini Network Channels

• Gemini Movies
• Gemini Comedy
• Gemini Life
• Gemini Music
• Kushi TV
• Gemini News (defunct)

Programming

Main article: List of programmes broadcast by Gemini TV

See also

• List of Telugu-language television channels

Notes

1. ^{[2][3][4][5][6][7][8]}
2. ^{[7][6][8][9][10][11]}

References

1. (PDF). SEBI. Archived from the original (PDF) on 28 September 2007. Retrieved 18 December 2019.
2. Business World, Volume 16. Business World, ABP Group. 1996. pp. 114, 115. Gemini TV (started in February 1995 by A. Manohar Prasad, a film and TV software producer) ....
3. Interaction. Vol. 15–17. National Council of Developmental Communication. 1997. p. 82. Gemini TV Telugu channel launched by a grandson of legendary film producer, the late L. V. Prasad.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: date and year (link)
4. Chatterjee, Anshu Nagpal (2003). Global Communication and Television Development: Community Mediation in Multicultural India. University of California, Berkeley. pp. 70, 71. Gemini TV, also started to broadcast in 1995, is a venture between the Prasad family, a film producer, and Kalanidhi Maran of the very successful Sun TV in Tamil Nadu.
5. Agarwal, Amit (28 February 1995). "As TV revolution unfolds, global & Indian players vie with each other promising greater choices". India Today. Retrieved 19 October 2022. Two platforms where several new regional players are coming up are the Rimsat satellites, G1 and G2. Sun TV has launched two more channels on G1: Gemini TV, a Telugu channel in association with the Gemini group of Hyderabad (run by Ramesh Prasad, grandson of the legendary film personality L.V. Prasad), ...
6. Kumar, Shanti (1 October 2010). Gandhi Meets Primetime: Globalization and Nationalism in Indian Television. University of Illinois Press. pp. 10, 11. ISBN 978-0-252-09166-7.
7. Thomas, Amos Owen (15 September 2005). Imagi-Nations and Borderless Television: Media, Culture and Politics Across Asia. SAGE Publications India. p. 117. ISBN 978-81-321-0359-2.
8. Desai, Mira K. (21 November 2021). Regional Language Television in India: Profiles and Perspectives. Taylor & Francis. ISBN 978-1-000-47008-6. The private satellite channels in Hyderabad began transmission with the launch of Gemini TV in Telugu on February 9, 1994, by a film production family but could not sustain it and later sold it to the media group Sun TV Network.
9. Juluri, Vamsee (2004). Becoming A Global Audience. Orient Longman Private Limited. p. 31. ISBN 978-81-250-2741-6. .... Gemini TV, a Telugu satellite channel that was acquired by the Sun TV group in 1997.
10. Warrier, Shobha (4 November 1998). "Business Special: Sun rises in the west". Rediff.com. Retrieved 19 October 2022. Now, within 18 months after taking over Gemini, the channel is close to ETV.
11. Heitzman, James (2004). Network City: Planning the Information Society in Bangalore. Oxford University Press. p. 244. ISBN 978-0-19-566606-9. The Sun group also acquired a controlling interest in the Telugu language Gemini TV which competed against Eenadu TV .....
12. "Gemini TV HD launched". BSE India. Retrieved 18 December 2019.
13. Bel, Bernard; Brouwer, Jan; Das, Biswajit; Parthasarathi, Vibodh; Poitevin, Guy (13 December 2005). Media and Mediation. SAGE Publications India. p. 331. ISBN 978-81-321-0269-4.
14. "We have turned one more year younger and completed 25 successful years!". Gemini TV. 9 February 2020. Retrieved 19 October 2022 – via Twitter.
15. Business World. ABP Group. May 2000.
16. Singh, Dr Paramveer (5 August 2021). Indian Silver Screen. K.K. Publications. p. 172.
17. Staff (27 November 2006). "SUN TV merger with Gemini TV, Udaya TV". Oneindia. Retrieved 18 December 2019.
18. "Sun TV Board approves Amalgamation & Merger". EquityBulls. 1 December 2006. Retrieved 18 December 2019.
19. "Sun TV Network Ltd". Business Standard India. Retrieved 18 December 2019.
20. "Network18, Sun form distribution JV". Indiantelevision.com. 13 July 2010. Retrieved 19 October 2022.
21. "Sun Network ties up with Network18 to form Sun18". The Hindu. 13 July 2010. ISSN 0971-751X. Retrieved 19 October 2022.

External links

• GEMINI TV Official Site (in English)