ZEE’s Akash Chawla Replaces Pradeep Hejmadi

ZEE has elevated Akash Chawla & Deepak Rajadhyaksha for key roles in Zee TV to drive the organizations goals. In addition to his current portfolio as Business Head – Essel Vision Productions Limited / Zee Studios, Chawla will now also take charge as the Business Head of Zee TV. In his earlier broadcasting stint, Chawla has successfully spearheaded the marketing function for the flagship & National channels like ZeeTV, Zee Cinema & Zee Classic. He has also played a pivotal role in the launch of channels like &pictures, Zee Anmol & Zindagi. All the functions of Zee TV like marketing, research & PR will align with Chawla. Meanwhile, Deepak Rajadhyaksha, who has been successfully leading the role as the Business Head of Zee Marathi, will now take charge as the Deputy Business Head, Zee TV. He will report to Akash Chawla. The entire programming, OAP & Operations team would align and report to Rajadhyaksha. The duo will work closely with ZEEL – MD & CEO, Punit Goenka to bring Zee TV towards its leadership journey.

Colors To Air Shakti…Astitva Ke Ehsaas Kii From 30th May 2016

Prejudice is a burden that confuses the past, threatens the present and renders the future inaccessible. But, what if a prejudice is so strong that it damages a family beyond repair; so harsh that it makes parents discriminate between its own blood relations; so forbidden that it changes the fate of 2 young children? Colors brings to viewers a tale of conscious prejudice meted out by a family against its own kin with Shakti…Astitva Ke Ehsaas Kii. Putting blood relations in a quandary, Shakti portrays the strength & power of a family to dictate the destiny of its children – Soumya (Mahira Khurrana) & Surbhi (Tasheen Shah). Produced by Rashmi Sharma Telefilms Ltd, Shakti is all set to unravel the truth behind their family’s behaviour towards them, starting 30th May 2016, every Mon to Fri at 8:00 PM on Colors.

Life OK Carries Sci – Fi Trend With Nagarjuna

At present, Indian television is going through a phase of super natural, mythical and larger than life shows. After the steaming success of many such shows, Beyond Dreams is all set to air the all new Mahabharata inspired show Nagarjuna – Ek Yodha on Life OK from 30th May 2016 at 900 PM. The show replaces Piya Rangrez. The makers have high expectations from Nagarjuna – Ek Yodha. Will this show work for the channel, fulfil these expectations – only time will reveal. Nagarjuna – Ek Yodha has been inspired from incidents from the Mahabharata. Explaining the connection, the makers say that there is an incident in the Mahabharata in which a fight between the Pandavas and snakes had happened. The show is a sci – fi fantasy take on this incident. Nagarjuna, played by Anshuman Malhotra, is a reluctant superhero in the show. He is half snake & half man, and the force between human land Amboli & Nag Lok. He is the man who stands between both the worlds.

Anil Kapoor Acquires Prison Break Rights

Anil Kapoor, who is currently busy finishing the 2nd series of his television series 24, has acquired the rights of another American TV series Prison Break. The actor, who had earlier taken the rights of Modern Family, said he normally went with a gut feeling that Indians would love a story when he acquires it to adapt it to Indian situation. Prison Break, of which the 5th season is about to commence, revolves around 2 brothers. One has been sentenced to death for a crime he did not commit while the other devises an elaborate plan to help him escape and clear his name. The actor said he had only acquired the rights of the 1st season. In a statement, Kapoor averred, “The show is about sibling love. It has just the right amount of emotions and of course some mind blowing action. In the past, films like Do Aankhen Barah Haath & Umar Qaid, which revolved around jailbreak, have been appreciated by the audience.”

Dr. Subhash Chandra Resigns

Subhash Chandra has stepped down from the post of director & non – executive chairman of Zee Media. According to a report on BSE, Zee Media announced that its board meeting held on 24th May 2016 took on record the resignation of Dr. Subhash Chandra as director and non-executive chairman of the company with effect from 24 May 2016. With this announcement, R K Arora has been appointed as the CEO as an additional director of the company with immediate effect. Zee Media has a lavish portfolio of news channels under it which includes Zee News, Zee Business, India 24×7, Zee Punjab Haryana Himachal, Zee Madhya Pradesh Chhattisgarh, Zee 24 Taas, 24 Ghanta, Zee Kalinga News, Zee Purvaiya & Zee Rajasthan News.

Vishal Srivastava Quits

Network 18 is seeing a major reshuffling with several elevations, appointments & resignations across its portfolio of channels. Adding to the list is CNBC TV18 executive VP & Head global business Vishal Srivastava who has stepped down from his position. In his past role, Srivastava used to head the Government & International sales for all the channels under the network.  incidentally speaking Network 18 does not have a replacement for Srivastava as of yet. He has been associated with the company for more than 13 years.

300 Hours Eligibility Criteria For E – Auction Of slots

300 hours eligibility criteria for e – auction Of slots on DD National Doordarshan, which recently decided to invite eligible producers to create & market fresh content on the channel for a fixed tenure extending up to 3 years by buying slots through e – auction, recently said the offer was open for production houses which have produced at least 300 hours of Hindi General Entertainment Programming in the last 2 years. Moreover, the production houses should have a turnover of minimum Rs 5 crores per annum in regard to TV & film production in the last 3 financial years.
Successful bidders will produce fresh programmes in various genres of General Entertainment Programme for Doordarshan will be required to adhere to the programming / broadcasting codes of Prasar Bharati. Request for Proposal (RFP) of the Slot Sale Policy is available and can be downloaded from the website:
www.ddindia.gov.in. The policy encourages private entrepreneurs to produce cutting edge General Entertainment Programming with a commitment for providing wholesome family enjoyment.

IBN7 Launches Entertainment Show

Entertainment news is an important content area for news television. There are several shows in the Hindi News genre that garner high ratings and have a loyal viewership especially amongst female audiences. The show has started and airs every Mon to Fri at 2 pm. With a view to disrupt this space, IBN7 will launch a new show Bhabhi Tera Devar Deewana. Typically, most shows in this space are anchored & driven by female anchors who bring their perspective on the latest happenings from the world of television. In order to break away from this format, IBN7 will introduce a unique character – the devar who will look at the twists & turns of the most popular TV shows from a distinctly male perspective. Delving into the lives of the television celebrities, the devar will also aim to become an inseparable part of viewers’ lives. From characters’ on & off screen persona, and various events, to on – location shoots and highlights of TV serials, the desh ka devar will take the viewers on a captivating journey bringing them closer to understand their favourite characters better.

Reduced DD terrestrial Viewership Has Led To Decline In IEBR

Prasar Bharati has admitted that declining trend of terrestrial viewership, non -implementation of professional marketing division, aggressive competition, curtailment of advertisement budget of the erstwhile heavy spending by Government Ministries like Health & Agriculture et al, in Doordarshan had led to decline in the Internal & Extra Budgetary Resources (IEBR) of Prasar Bharati since 2014 – 2015.
The Parliamentary Standing Committee for Information Technology which goes into issues relating to Information & Broadcasting appreciated steps being taken to reverse this trend which include monetization of resources, reorganization of commercial revenue divisions, change in content sourcing model, exploration of new revenue models from auction of slots on DTH platforms, and Digital Terrestrial Transmitters having multiple channel capacity et al. The Committee recommended that Prasar Bharati should continue to explore avenues to augment revenue generation so that the public broadcaster achieves self – sustenance gradually and becomes less dependent on government support. The Committee also noted that during the year 2015 – 2016, the I & B ministry had spent Rs 2827.75 crore under Non – Plan fund to meet salary & salary related expenses. Separately, Prasar Bharati allocates Rs 200 crore annually from its IEBR for Content Development Scheme as per the 12th Plan Scheme.

Zee TV Brings Season 2 Of Dance Singapore Dance

Zee TV, the flagship channel of Zee Entertainment Enterprises Limited (ZEEL), has announced the return of its highly popular reality dance competition, Dance Singapore Dance Season 2. The open category competition is open to all residents of Singapore aged 16 and above, and aims to provide a platform for amateur & experienced dancers to showcase their talent. Pre – registration for the show has begun on www.apac.zeetv.com/dsd and auditions will take place on 28th May 2016 at 9 am onwards at the La Salle College of the Arts, 1 McNally St, Singapore 187940.
Zee TV Senior vice president International business Tripta Singh said, “We are delighted to return with Dance Singapore Dance S2 after a highly successful launch Season. This year we have increased the prize money for the winner to $15,000 and included cash and other prizes for the 1st & 2nd runners – up. After the finale of Season 1, we continued to groom the dancers and provided them with on – ground opportunities in the Asia Pacific region to perform & showcase their talents. Dance Singapore Dance is not just a TV show but a platform for aspiring dancers to take their talent to the next level”.

Danny The BBC Television Director Resigns

After a stint of 8 years, BBC director of television Danny Cohen has stepped down from his post to pursue a new leadership challenge.
Cohen will leave the pubcaster at the end of Nov, 2015. BBC controller of entertainment commissioning Mark Linsey will take on his responsibilities until an appointment is made.

Zee Cafe launches ‘The Criminal Minds’

America’s suspense – thriller show ‘The Criminal Minds is all set to get you to #ThinkLikeACriminal starting on 14th Oct, 2015 at 10pm on Zee Cafe. Led by special agent Aaron “Hotch” Hotchner, each member of the BAU (Behavioral Analysis Unit) brings in their unique art of profiling to track – the predators’ motivations and identify their emotional triggers in an attempt to stop them. Based in Quantico, Virginia, the BAU is a subsection of the FBI and are called in by the local police departments to assist with crimes that are of an extremely violent nature where the perpetrator is unknown. The highlight of the show is the fact that, viewers not only get to watch the profilers solve the crime, but also get to understand the criminal’s psychological intention while he commits it. The BAU uses evidence from the case and matches that information to historic precedents & psychological analyses as a means to solve the case.

Ashish The Executive Director & CEO Of ZMC Resigns

Zee Media Corporation’s executive director & CEO Ashish Kirpal Pandit has resigned from the company with effect from 12 Oct, 2015. He handled senior management roles for more than 27 years in industries ranging from telecom to retail. He has been associated with brands like Alcatel, Efirst Technologies, Fortis Healthcare Limited, Reliance Webstore & Tata Teleservices. Pandit joined Zee Media Corporation in Oct, 2014 and looked after senior management team. Pandit was with Digicall Global for 3 years before joining Zee.

Colors Firms Up Weekend Programming

After launching the new season of Bigg Boss, Colors is gearing up to firm up its weekend programming with the launch of another show titled ‘Naagin’starting from 31st Oct, 2015 the show will be aired on Sat & Sun at 8 pm. It will replace the channel’s celebrity talk show ‘The Anupam Kher Show – Kuch Bhi Ho Sakta Hai’ at 8 pm hosted by Anupam Kher. The concept of ‘Naagin’ is not new to India. There have been multiple movies based on the Ichhadhari Naagin like the Sridevi starrer ‘Naagin’, ‘Nagina’,’Sheshnaag’ and more recently, Mallika Sherawat’s Hiss. Moreover, in 2007 Zee TV launched a show on the same concept titled ‘Naagin – Waadon Ki Agnipariksha’, which was produced by A K Films. The series ran for 3 years and completed 219 episodes.

Big Magic & Big FM All Set To Launch ‘Fakebook With Kavita’

Reliance Broadcast Network’s entertainment channel Big Magic & 92.7 Big FM is all set to launch an integrated satirical comedy show called ‘Fakebook With Kavita’ with TV actress Kavita Kaushik. The show, which will be aired as a simulcast on television & radio for the 1st time in the industry, is a fresh take on the hypocritical Indian society, focusing on topical issues, which make you sit up, think & introspect, albeit with a pinch of humor. Starting from 19th Oct, 2015 ‘Fakebook With Kavita’ will be aired at 9 pm on Mons & Tues on Big Magic & from Mons to Thurs on 92.7 Big FM. In line with the programming strategy, the content will be sarcastic, irreverent, relatable & cutting edge. Kaushik will be seen doing sketches where her character will vary depending on the situations.

Sony Turns 20 In India

Glory, agony, poison, panacea…….As Multi Screen Media (MSM) (erstwhile Sony Entertainment Television India) completes 2 decades in the Indian broadcast space, it has witnessed it all. The broadcasting company, which started with 1 channel, is now 16 channels strong with even more additions in the pipeline. In a rapidly changing scenario, where the entire ecosystem is moving towards the digital platform, there are challenges & opportunities alike. And MSM CEO N P Singh is ready to take them all head on. A Sony veteran, Singh has been privy to the business affairs of the company for as many as 16 years since first joining the organisation in 1999 as chief financial officer (CFO).

Epic To Celebrate 1 Year Mark

In the entertainment world abound with clutter, niche television channels have to fight an uphill battle in order to get the necessary traction from viewers. As the Indian cable & satellite industry slowly but surely moves towards digital addressable systems (DAS), more & more niche channels will be viable with digitisation cutting distribution costs. One such niche channel that’s in it for the long haul, is The Epic Channel, which is on the brink of completing a year on air. Launched on 19th Nov, 2014, The Epic Channel will be celebrating its 1st anniversary by offering 2 news shows to its viewers. What’s more the channel also went High Definition (HD) on the Tata Sky DTH platform recently.

‘Aaj Ki Raat Hai Zindagi’ All Set To Air From 18th Oct 2015

Star India’s Hindi General Entertainment Channel (GEC) Star Plus is all set to launch its new show ‘Aaj Ki Raat Hai Zindagi’ (AKRHZ) with Amitabh Bachchan as the host on 18th Oct, 2015. The show will be aired on Suns at 8 pm. AKRHZ will replace the channel’s reality show Dance+, which concluded on 11th Oct, 2015. On Suns at 8 pm, Star Plus’ AKRHZ will be pitted against the following programmes across other Hindi GECs: While Colors’ airs ‘The Anupam Kher Show – Kucch Bhi Ho Sakta Hai’ in the 8 pm slot on Suns, Zee TV airs Hindi movies from 7.30 pm onwards. On the other hand, Star’s other Hindi GEC Life OK airs ‘Dafa 420’, Sab airs ‘Police Factory’, &TV airs the game show ‘Deal Or No Deal’ hosted by Ronit Roy & Sony Entertainment Television airs ‘Deva Shree Ganesha’.

Zing Launches ‘Bad Company’

Zee Entertainment Enterprises’ youth entertainment channel Zing launched a talk show called ‘Bad Company’ that will bring Indian television stars closer to the viewers. The show started airing from 10th Oct, 2015 in the 7 pm slot every Saturday. The no-holds barred talk show is being hosted by Vikas Gupta. The show will feature television stars like Ranvijay Singh, Gurmeet Choudhary, Karanvir Bohra, Kushal Tandon, Divyanka Tripathi & Prathyusha Banerjee amongst others.

Zee Pledges To Go Green

ZEE Entertainment Enterprises Limited (ZEEL) once again leads the way by pledging to go Green with the launch of its ‘ZEE Is Green’ initiative recently. As a pilot project, ZEE has successfully transformed the set of &TV’s ‘Gangaa’ as a ‘Green’ set.