GECs
Asianet to launch two primetime shows
MUMBAI: Malayalam channel Asianet will have changed primetime lineup from 13 September. Suryaputri, produced by PMI India Pvt Ltd, would fill the 7:30 pm slot as Stree oru Swanthanam goes off air while the 10 pm Comedy Show would be replaced by another humour-based show Daily Express.
With Suryaputri, the Mumbai-based entertainment company PMI India is making its foray into Malayalam as a production company. Daily Express is produced by Diana Sylvester who has also been producing Cinemala -the popular Sunday comedy programme on Asianet.
PMI India MD, CEO Ajay Patadia told Indiantelevision.com, “Suryaputri is our first production in Malayalam. This is in line with our expansion strategy in regional languages. Suryaputri is a family entertainer targeted at all age groups. Having got a set of creative people working behind the show, we hope that it will live upto the expectations.”
The channel is airing a curtain raiser of Suryaputri on 11 September from 4 pm to 5 pm. The live programme will be shot simultaneously from the studio and the shooting locations.
Asianet is winding up Comedy Show following a slump in ratings. Asianet vice-president programming Sreekantan Nair told Indiantelevision.com that the channel thought a change would be good since the show was almost three years old. The channel has a lot of expectations from the upcoming show Daily Express as its team consists of almost all the members of the successful Cinemala show. Cinemala is about to complete 675 weeks on Asianet.
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.
