Another calamity has struck as UTV Stars, the Disney owned channel is now shutting down its operations. Yes you have read this right; UTV Stars has called it a day.
UTV Stars, was an invitation to be part of the dream world of Bollywood to give its viewers an insight to the never seen and guarded lives of their favourite stars. It was an original content channel featuring shows, news etc. on Bollywood . This decision of shutting down the channel and rebranding it, as a pure music channel will come into effect at the end of May 2014.
According to sources about eighty people were handed the pink slip today, May 08, 2014 and the UTV Stars team is up in arms as there was no prior intimation given to them.
Officials at the UTV Stars had a meeting with The Disney UTV Management and they have asked for three months salary, their provident fund along with the insurance, which was removed for the company employees and their staff till 2015.
Said the source “Since the company is making us leave we asked for three months salary and other pending financial commitments that were made to us. Also we have pending holidays of sixty days.
UTV Stars launched in the UK and Ireland on June 11, 2012. In the region the channel was known as UMP Stars (UTV Motion Pictures Stars) due to legal issues over the UTV Brand, which was already in use by the Northern Irish broadcaster UTV Media in Europe. However the channel struggled to attract viewers in the region and closed on December 23, 2012.
Earlier UTV Digital Chief Executive Officer, Sameer Pitalwalla, also had quit to start his own venture.
When contacted the Disney UTV team they denied reports of the same but we hear that a press release announcing the same is due to release soon.
UTV Stars was officially launched in India on August 19, 2011.
