GECs
New programming, production head for Raj TV
MUMBAI: Raj TV has roped in Tamil television programming veteran V Chandrasekhar to give it a new look. The Tamil general entertainment channel brought Chandrasekhar as executive vice president programming and production, a newly-created post.
Chandrasekhar is the former director, operations, of the K Balachander-headed production house Min Bimbangal.
Chandrasekhar says his effort will be to shape the content differently at Raj TV. “The shift in strategy is based on a market study we had conducted. The aim is to target niche Tamil markets. We will be launching more daily soaps in the May-June period,” he says.
Programming strategies will be revamped, says Chandrasekhar, as the channel will be experimenting with new time bands. The channel is reserving its evening prime time band – 7 PM to 10:30 PM – exclusively for soaps. To start with, Raj TV is launching a soap titled Mundani Mudichu in the first week of May for the 9 PM slot, replacing a film-based show.
“The new strategy is not about bringing in different programmes. It is about doing programmes differently. We want to bring a change in the area of production values, turnaround time, timeliness of the content and the kind of people it reaches out to,” he says.
During his 14-year stint with Min Bimbangal, Chandrasekhar has worked behind various successful projects. He was responsible for one of the Sun TV channel drivers Kayyalavu Manasu, almost 12 serials for Raj TV and then the Vijay TV reality show Kadhayalla Nijam.
GECs
Sebi sends show-cause notice to Zee over fund diversion, company responds
Regulator questions 2018 letter of comfort and governance lapses; company vows robust legal response
MUMBAI: India’s markets watchdog has reignited its long-running scrutiny of Zee Entertainment Enterprises, issuing a sweeping show-cause notice that drags the broadcaster and 84 others into a widening governance storm.
The notice, dated February 12, has been served by the Securities and Exchange Board of India to Zee, chairman emeritus Subhash Chandra and managing director and chief executive Punit Goenka, among others. At its heart: allegations that company funds were indirectly routed to settle liabilities of entities linked to the Essel Group.
The regulator’s probe traces its roots to November 2019, when two independent directors resigned from Zee’s board, flagging concerns over the alleged appropriation of fixed deposits by Yes Bank. The deposits were reportedly adjusted against loans extended to Essel Group entities, triggering questions about related-party dealings and board oversight.
A key flashpoint is a letter of comfort dated September 4, 2018, issued by Subhash Chandra in his dual capacity as chairman of Zee and the Essel Group. The document, linked to credit facilities availed by certain group companies from Yes Bank, was allegedly known only to select members of management and not disclosed to the full board—an omission SEBI believes raises red flags over transparency and governance controls.
Zee has pushed back hard. In a statement, the company said it “strongly refutes” the allegations against it and its board members and will file a detailed response. It expressed confidence that SEBI would conduct a fair review and signalled readiness to pursue all legal remedies to protect shareholder interests.
The notice marks the latest twist in a saga that has shadowed the broadcaster since 2019. What began as boardroom unease has morphed into a full-blown regulatory confrontation. The final reckoning now rests with SEBI—but the reputational stakes for Zee, and the message for India Inc on governance discipline, could scarcely be higher.
