GECs
Jaya TV attempts total makeover
MUMBAI: Exactly one month ago to this date, Tamil channel Jaya TV celebrated its fifth anniversary. Now having entered its sixth year, the channel has opted for a complete makeover and the first phase of the campaign was unfolded on 19 September.
The channel will unveil the second phase of the makeover in October targeting the festival season.
“The process had started some time back,” offers Jaya TV vice president marketing K Balaswaminathan. “Revamping and re-positioning have always been a part of our strategy. But this time we have attempted a complete makeover covering all the angles. Additions and alterations in the areas of presentation, visuals and graphics have been brought in. The whole aim is to make the look and feel of the channel crisper and more enjoyable.”
One major property being added to the programming line up as part of the makeover is dubbed Hollywood movies. Jaya TV will telecast dubbed Hollywood blockbusters on Saturdays at 9:30 pm. The ‘opening attraction’ is going to be the movie Deep Rising scheduled for 25 September. The channel has acquired the rights for approximately 50 Hollywood titles including Cliffhanger and Anaconda.
The channel has now dedicated its Sunday primetime movie slot for fresh movies. According to Balaswaminathan, new movies – not necessarily blockbusters – will be premiered in the channel. The 7 pm – 7:30 pm slot (Monday – Friday) has been given a fresh look by introducing new programmes including talk shows, youth programmes and film-based shows. Another addition to the programming line up is the primetime sitcom Krishna Cottage (Monday – Friday) launched on 20 September.
In October Jaya TV is launching a reality show hosted by popular South Indian actress Lakshmi. The show will have the actress interacting with people, listening to their problems and offering solutions. Another show in the offing is a game show for the Saturday primetime band. The show will be of one-hour duration.
Jaya TV is presently airing a gameshow Jackpot, hosted by popular South Indian actress Khushboo. The show which has completed 100 eipsode recently is one of the highest-rated programmes in Jaya TV’s line up.
The channel is also planning to expand its early morning band. The morning suprabhata will air at 5:00 am instead of the present schedule 5:30 am. At 5:30 the channel will air religious chants. During Navaratri, Jaya TV will telecast Karnatic music at 6 am.
“Apart from the new programmes, ongoing shows have also been given a fresh look as part of the makeover,” says Balaswaminathan.
Jaya TV has run an extensive campaign both on-air and off-air to publicise its new look. The outdoor campaign was powered by hoardings and posters deployed in major cities including Chennai, Coimbatore and Madhurai. The channel ran a teaser campaign in newspapers. The first in the teaser series said: !!199, the second: 19.9 and finally the third solved the mystery by giving the makeover date 19.9.2004. The on-air-campaign was launched on 14 September.
Jaya TV holds a distant second position behind Sun TV in the Tamil television market. Balaswaminathan says the channel has been doing extremely well in the recent times.
“The channel has completed five years overcoming many a roadblock. We have got more aggressive in the last two and half years and that is showing results now.”
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.
