MUMBAI: Star India has received the 2014 West Bengal Tele Academy Award that celebrates the group's significant contribution to Bengali television, making it the first broadcaster to win the coveted recognition. 

The network’s CEO Uday Shankar was conferred the award by West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee. The award recognises Star's special contribution to Bengali television through two successful TV channels - Star Jalsha and Star Ananda (currently known as ABP Ananda).

“As a group, we are delighted to receive the West Bengal Tele Academy Award, as it clearly shows the society has embraced our focus on quality content,” Shankar said.  “I really believe socially sensitive content is the way forward for the future of a healthy society. The plaudits go to the entire team.”

Star Jalsha, the entertainment channel, has set new benchmarks in regional programming through innovative content and compelling storytelling. It enjoys an undisputed leadership position in the Bengali general entertainment space in terms of viewership, surpassing immediate competition by over 200 GRPs, according to recent TAM data.

Star Ananda (now known as ABP Ananda) is a Bengali TV news channel that was launched under the stewardship of Shankar when he was the CEO of MCCS India. The channel was an erstwhile joint venture between STAR and ABP TV.

The West Bengal Tele Academy Awards 2014 covers the entire gamut of film and TV, rewarding excellence in production, programming, photography and technology, among others. Headed by the Ministry of Information & Broadcasting, with Aroop Biswas as the chairman, the awards have been constituted as a token of respect and gratitude to the entire industry in West Bengal.