Zee Entertainment Enterprises Ltd said it has acquired the UAE’s leading radio station, Hum 106.2 FM, for an undisclosed amount.
A company statement said Zee now becomes the only entertainment network in the region to provide an extensive media solution to its partners through television, radio and digital.
After pioneering India’s first Hindi satellite channel, Zee TV in 1992, Zee Entertainment was the first to launch a Bollywood TV channel, Zee Aflam for the Arab audience in 2008, as well introduced the Arab world to Hindi programmes dubbed in Arabic with Zee Alwan in 2012.
Amit Goenka, CEO – International Broadcast Business, ZEEL said, “At ZEE, we are always looking at strategic acquisitions across the globe to increase our footprint and market share in the entertainment industry. Radio has been an area of interest for Zee for quite some time and after extensive planning and studying of the brand values, ratings and revenue generated by various stations, we felt that an investment in Hum FM was the best option. Hum FM has a legacy of almost two decades and with a current market share of 26 per cent it is the top Hindi radio station in the UAE. ZEE is confident that it can leverage its very strong South Asian brand connect onto radio, and offer a synergy of Television, Radio and Digital that could revolutionise the entertainment industry in the UAE.”
Goenka said, “radio comes immediately after our foray into film production and distribution where movies like Rustom and The Flying Jatt have done extremely well globally and specifically in the UAE and West Asian markets. The acquisition of Hum FM in the UAE is a step in that direction and we are upbeat about its prospects in the coming years”.
Commenting on ZEE’s plans for the region, Mukund Cairae, CEO – MENA and APAC, ZEEL said, “This move is a diversification to our entertainment business portfolio. Now we can offer media across television, radio and digital platforms, leading to a great synergy between content and mediums. “
With an extensive library of music content that includes singing reality shows such as ‘The Voice India’, ‘SaReGaMaPa’, ‘Antakshari’ and ‘Asia’s Singing Superstar’ which have produced great singers in Bollywood, an ongoing relationship with the big names in the industry and with one of the biggest music labels in Bollywood, Zee Music Company as a part of its portfolio, the new venture has all the ingredients needed to redefine the radio industry in this market.
106.2 Hum FM was previously owned and operated by Shamal Media Services. The station 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 first Hindi and Urdu language frequencies to hit the UAE airwaves in the 1990’s. It redefined drive time and boasted of many celebrity radio jockeys. It also went on to popularise live cricket commentary on radio and has a lot of pioneering firsts in the radio business.
Shahid Jamal, Founder & MD, Shamal Media Services said, “Hum FM pioneered FM Radio in the UAE and over the years, we have made it the No. 1 radio station. It is now a great opportunity for us to hand over our successful radio legacy to a media network that 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.”