Star Channel is a Greek

free-to-air Free-to-air (FTA) services are television (TV) and radio services broadcast in unencrypted form, allowing any person with the appropriate receiving equipment to receive the signal and view or listen to the content without requiring a subscripti ...

television channel that broadcasts a mix of foreign and Greek shows. It was launched in December 1993 and is owned by New Television S.A. (a company owned by

Giannis Vardinogiannis Giannis Vardinogiannis ( el, Γιάννης Βαρδινογιάννης, born 7 April 1962) is a Greek billionaire shipping magnate, the eldest son of petroleum tycoon Vardis Vardinogiannis. He is included in the Lloyd's List ''Most influential ...

). Star Channel is known in Greece mostly for its programming style, both in terms of live shows and news content, with an increased focus on lifestyle, showbiz, gossip, and fashion news, and on "comedic" presentation. In 2013, Star started combining information with entertainment, resulting in the channel's shift to a more serious tone. Star Channel generated

€ The euro sign () is the currency sign used for the euro, the official currency of the eurozone and unilaterally adopted by Kosovo and Montenegro. The design was presented to the public by the European Commission on 12 December 1996. It consists o ...

64 million in net profit in 2014 which represents a 32.2% increase from the previous year.

History

Star Channel was launched on 4 December 1993 to compete with Mega,

ANT1 Antenna, better known as ANT1, is a television network airing in Greece. The alternate spelling is wordplay in Greek; ''ena'' (ένα) is the Greek number ''1'' (one), thus ''ANT1'' is pronounced the same as ''Antenna'' (Αντέννα). It laun ...

Alpha TV Alpha TV is a Greek free-to-air channel, being one of the biggest stations in Greece. The station features a mix of Greek and foreign shows with an emphasis on information. The studios are located in Kifissia and Pallini. Alpha TV is owned by Alph ...

and ERT Channels. It began broadcasting children's programs as well as foreign series. In 1994 – Star Channel began to exchange family/children's programs from Alpha, then known as Skai (Greek spelling of Sky) with Star's children's programming. Star Channel made its international debut in 2005, joining the UBI World TV platform, which made Star available to viewers in Australia as well as in Asia and Africa. UBI World TV launched in New Zealand in 2008 making Star International available there. In March 2011, Star Channel began showing some of its programs in 16:9 – mostly television series and films – and as of April, it switched to 16:9 for all its programming, including its own shows and news broadcasts. In March 2016, Star Channel started its pilot broadcast of STAR HD (1080i) through Digea in Attica and Central Macedonia on 27 February 2016.

Programming

Star Channel airs 24/7 news, shows and reality shows, foreign series and many movies with premieres. The network also airs a seven-hour weekend morning animation block called "Starland" (formerly as Star Toons).

Current programs

Game shows

'' Wheel of Fortune Greece''

* Debut: March 23, 2015 * Replaced program: ''Greek Films'' * Taping location: Studio Pro, Pallini,

Attica Attica ( el, Αττική, Ancient Greek ''Attikḗ'' or , or ), or the Attic Peninsula, is a historical region that encompasses the city of Athens, the capital of Greece and its countryside. It is a peninsula projecting into the Aegean ...

* Host: Petros Polychronidis * Announcer: – * Production Company: Green Pixel Productions in association with

Sony Pictures Television Sony Pictures Television Inc. (abbreviated as SPT) is an American television production and distribution studio. Based at the Sony Pictures Studios complex in Culver City, it is a division of Sony Entertainment's unit Sony Pictures Entertainme ...

CBS Studios International Paramount Global Distribution Group or Paramount Global Content Distribution is the international television distribution arm of American media conglomerate, Paramount Global, originally established in 1962 as the international distribution divis ...

* Producing Team: Pegy Holy (executive producer) * Directing/Writing Team: Tasos Sinapis (director)

'' Shopping Star''

* Debut: November 21, 2016 * Replaced program: ''FM Live'' * Taping location: Karamanos Studios, Ilion,

* Host: Vicky Kaya * Announcer: Baggelis Harisopoulos * Production Company: Green Pixel Productions in association with Erdi Yapim/Global Agency * Producing Team: Pegy Holy (executive producer) * Directing/Writing Team: Dimos Pavlopoulos (director)

Soap operas

''Tria Milia (Three Miles)''

* Debut: April 4, 2022 * Replaced program: ''Elif'' * Taping location: Ilion,

* Creators: Aggelos Hasapoglou * Production company: GreenPixel Productions in association with Karamanos Studio * Producing team: Michalis Daskalakis (

Executive Producer Executive producer (EP) is one of the top positions in the making of a commercial entertainment product. Depending on the medium, the executive producer may be concerned with management accounting or associated with legal issues (like copyrights ...

), Nikos Christoforou (Producer), Akis Haralampidis (Channel Supervising Producer), Savvas Velas (Head of productions) * Directing team: Kostas Kimoulis, Vasilis Douros, Panagiotis Koutras, Simos Korexenidis *

Head writer A head writer is a person who oversees the team of writers on a television or radio series. The title is common in the soap opera genre, as well as with sketch comedies and talk shows that feature monologues and comedy skits. In fictional comedy o ...

: Aggelos Hasapoglou * Script Editor: Vivi Nikolopoulou * Associate head/breakdown/script writers: Kostas Semertzakis, Asimakis Alexiou, Dimitris Evlabidis, Theoni Skaleri, Eleni Typou, Tania Harokopou, Alexandros Sispidis *

Casting director In the performing arts industry such as theatre, film, or television, casting, or a casting call, is a pre-production process for selecting a certain type of actor, dancer, singer, or extra for a particular role or part in a script, scr ...

: * Cast: Evgenia Panagopoulou, Nikolas Makris, Yannis Poimenidis, Haris Sozos, Stella Kazazi, Tony Dimitriou, Evagelia Moumouri, Dimitris Liakopoulos, Haris Grigoropoulos, Yolanda Balaoura, Konstantina Tzortzi, Anthi Savvaki, Yannis Roussos, Haris Hiotis, Maria Damasioti, Stella Kosmopoulou, Michail-Aggelos Kritikos, Stefania Hampilomati

Talk shows

''Alithies me ti Zina (Truths with Zina Koutselini)''

* Debut: October 5, 2015 * Replaced program: ''Mia with Tatiana Stefanidou'' * Taping location: Studio Pro, Pallini,

* Host: Zina Koutselini * Production Company: Green Pixel Productions * Producing Team: Pegy Holy (executive producer)

''Breakfast At Star''

* Debut: September 20, 2021 * Replaced program: ''Sti Folia ton Kou Kou'' * Taping location: Studio Pro, Pallini,

* Hosts: Eleni Hatzidou, Eteoklis Pavlou * Production Company: Green Pixel Productions * Producing Team: Pegy Holy (executive producer)

Former shows on Star Daytime

Soap operas

*''O antras ton oneiron mou'' (2017–2018) *''Arena'' (2017) *''9 mines'' (2015–2017) *''Orkos Siopis'' (2014–2015)

Game shows

*''Blind Taste'' (2015–2017) *''Oi Klironoi'' (2004) *''Monomahos'' (2002–2004)

Talk shows / Variety shows

*''Sti Folia ton Kou Kou'' (2017–2021) *''Just Cooking'' (2015) *''Mia'' (2014–2015) *''Live U'' (2013–2017) *''Meletise to'' (2013–2014) *''Stin Kouzina me ti Dina'' (2012) *''Mila'' (2011–2014) *''Made in Star'' (2011–2012) *''Axizei na to zeis'' (2010–2011) *''FM Live'' (2009–2016) *''Nistikoi Praktores'' (2009–2012) *''Parea me ton Andrea'' (2009) *''Proini/Mesimeriani Meleti'' (2008–2013) *''O kairos me tin Petroula'' (2008–2010) *''Kilise o tentzeris'' (2008–2009) *''Yparhei Logos'' (2008–2009) *''Boro'' (2007–2009) *''Mesa s' ola'' (2007–2008) *''Ti tha fame simera'' (2006–2008) *''La Sousourela'' (2006–2008) *''Ola Kala'' (2005–2006) *''Ole'' (2004–2005) *''Kathe Mera Kalimera'' (2003–2009) *''Exo Thema'' (2003–2004) *''Super Star'' (2002–2011) *''Star Magazino'' (2002–2003) *''Me tin Elda'' (2002) *''Logia Starata'' (2001–2004) *''Mera me ti mera'' (2001–2002) *''I ygeia xtizetai kathe mera'' (2000–2002) *''Malvina Rixten'' (1999–2000) *''Ta Mystika tis Agapis'' (1998–2000) *''Star Cafe'' (1997–2000) *''Mia nea arhi'' (1997–1998) *''Gefsi Zois'' (1996–1997) *''Pes to sti Semina'' (1995–1996)

Star International

Star International was launched in November 2005 and airs the "best of" Star Channel programming to Greeks in the Asia Pacific region, Africa and North America. Star International is currently available to viewers in

Australia Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a sovereign country comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands. With an area of , Australia is the largest country by ...

New Zealand New Zealand ( mi, Aotearoa ) is an island country in the southwestern Pacific Ocean. It consists of two main landmasses—the North Island () and the South Island ()—and over 700 smaller islands. It is the sixth-largest island coun ...

South Africa South Africa, officially the Republic of South Africa (RSA), is the southernmost country in Africa. It is bounded to the south by of coastline that stretch along the South Atlantic and Indian Oceans; to the north by the neighbouring coun ...

and

Asia Asia (, ) is one of the world's most notable geographical regions, which is either considered a continent in its own right or a subcontinent of Eurasia, which shares the continental landmass of Afro-Eurasia with Africa. Asia covers an are ...

through TV Plus; it operates on a 24-hour schedule. In October 2009, Star International officially launched in North America, available exclusively on RCN Cable in the

United States The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country Continental United States, primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 U.S. state, states, a Washington, D.C., ...

but in June 2010, RCN Cable dropped the channel due to the low number of subscriptions. In May 2011, Star International re-launched in the US and was made available via

satellite A satellite or artificial satellite is an object intentionally placed into orbit in outer space. Except for passive satellites, most satellites have an electricity generation system for equipment on board, such as solar panels or radioiso ...

on the Home2US platform. In late 2012, Home2US ceased operations. The channel is currently available in North America through IPTV provider Ellas TV. On 23 September 2014, Star International launched in Canada via

Bell Fibe TV Bell Fibe TV is an IP-based television service offered by Bell Canada in the provinces of Ontario and Quebec. It is bundled with a FTTN or FTTH Bell Internet service, and uses the Mediaroom platform. Bell Fibe TV officially launched on Septem ...

. On 10 December 2020, Star International launched on

Bell Satellite TV Bell Satellite TV (french: Bell Télé; formerly known as Bell ExpressVu, Dish Network Canada and ExpressVu Dish Network and not to be confused with Bell's IPTV Fibe TV service) is the division of BCE Inc. that provides satellite television ser ...

, making the channel available across Canada.

References

External links

* {{Authority control Television networks in Greece Greek-language television stations Television channels and stations established in 1993 1993 establishments in Greece Television channels in Greece