In a major milestone, “JUS Punjabi TV,” the 1st American-Punjabi Television Network, has launched nationwide on Oct. 22, 2008 on DISH Network Ch. 809 joining other major South Asian channels including Zee TV, Alpha ETC Punjabi, SONY Entertainment Television, STAR INDIA One, STAR INDIA Plus and MH1 on the premier satellite platform for International Programming in the U.S. market.
“JUS Punjabi” is available as an a-la-carte channel for $9.99 to all DISH Network subscribers or as part of a newly created Punjabi Pack of three Punjabi channels – JUS Punjabi, Alpha ETC & MH-1 – at a special introductory price of just $17.99 for all existing and new DISH Network subscribers who already have any South Asian or Urdu chan
nel pack.
Penny Yogiraj Sandhu, Founder-President of JUS Punjabi LLC and its eponymous channel, hailed the launch on DISH Network, which reaches almost 14 million satellite households in all 50 states, as a true milestone for the channel.
“The U.S. market has a large concentration of Punjabi-speaking households who have been waiting for a long time for a Punjabi-genre channel like ‘JUS Punjabi’ that targets not only Indo-Punjabis and Sikhs, but also South Asians, Punjabi-speaking Pakistani-Americans, Guyanese-Americans, and other diverse ethnic groups,” said Sandhu. “‘JUS Punjabi’ offers unique and popular Punjabi programming including music, news, religious and spiritual programs, ‘LIVE’ talk shows aimed at every age group and gender up to three times a day, local and national coverage of the Punjabi-American community, and much, much more.”
Sandhu added, “We have signed long-term program licensing agreements with several top-rated Punjabi channels and independent production houses from India, giving us the exclusive U.S. and North American rights to a wide variety of programs from every program genre.”
“JUS Punjabi” will feature popular Punjabi language programs like VIRSA, TAWA.COM, PARAJI BACHKE, BOLLYWOOD CHASKA, PUNJABI POP, and most important DAILY GURABNI NITNEM, GURBANI KATHAS by well-known KATHAKAARS and daily ‘LIVE CALL-IN SHOWS etc. In addition, the channel will show daily Punjabi news bulletins direct from India covering all the latest news from Punjab, Haryana and New Delhi, as well as important national news from India.
As the first American-Punjabi channel, “JUS Punjabi” will also devote a significant percent of its daily program line-up to local content produced from its own broadcast facility in Long Island City, NY. Local features will include 'LIVE' talk shows on topical subjects and local issues, and coverage of community events in the Tri-state area and the United States/Canada. In a programming first for ANY South Asian TV channel on the DISH Network platform, “Jus Punjabi” will be the ONLY channel featuring 'LIVE' call-in talk shows at least three times per day Monday through Friday, and on weekends. The popular 'LIVE' programs airing every morning, afternoon and evening include “Har Raat Harry Ke Saath” with Harry Malhotra (10 p.m. Eastern M-F); “Khidi Dupehar” with Anjana Prasher (3 p.m. Eastern M-F) and a daily evening program focusing on news and current events, with a 'LIVE' host Harvinder Riar interacting with callers from all 50 states (8:30 p.m. Eastern M-F). In addition, there will be a 'LIVE' show every Saturday morning, “World Review” with the dual anchor team of Harpreet Singh Toor and Donald Kaplan talking about world events and how they impact the U.S. and the South Asian community. And Rabinder Bhamra will introduce you to a ‘Who’s Who’ of the Indian/Sikh community on weekly our program ‘Meet the V.I.P’ (Sunday 10 p.m. Eastern).
Another highlight of the channel is the religious and spiritual programming including daily Shabad Gurbani, Nitnem, Katha from India and from local Gurudwaras; interviews with local politicians and celebrities, and special programming aimed at women and young viewers.
Karl Khandalavala II, Sr. Executive Vice President of JUS Punjabi and a founding partner with Penny Yogiraj Sandhu, praised DISH Network for recognizing the importance of the community served by “JUS Punjabi,” saying, “DISH Network, led by Charlie Ergen and his entrepreneurial vision, will always be recognized as a pioneer for spearheading the outreach into dozens of ethnic markets; most notably the South Asian market, which has been one of the fastest growing segments of the population in the satellite TV market. We owe a huge debt of gratitude to Mr. Ergen, DISH Network and its entire international programming and marketing team for recognizing the importance of the entire South Asian community as a whole, and the Indo-Punjabi and Sikh community. We are confident that by offering ‘JUS Punjabi’ on DISH Network, the platform will attract thousands of new subscribers and will be welcomed by existing subscribers who will be introduced to our unique program line-up.”
Tracy West, vice president of International Programming for DISH Network, welcomed the new channel into the South Asian line-up saying, “We are delighted to welcome ‘JUS Punjabi’ to the DISH Network Punjabi line-up, a testament to our continued dedication to providing the best in international programming.”
For more information please contact Karl Khandalavala II or Penny Yogiraj Sandhu at
718-752-9290 or via e-mail: [email protected]; [email protected]
