GECs
Kermit Channel’s K2K plans for Y2K
The 40 year old Kermit Channel which entered India in 1999 has drawn up strategies for the year 2000. The Jim Henson Company’s and Hallmark Entertainment Television’s joint venture has drawn up a campaign which will be called “K2K” to design a creative platform to introduce viewers to the new programming that will be shortly premiered on the channel and to provide a timely and comtemporary platform to showcase the human characteristics of ‘Kermit the Frog’s’ personality which viewers can identify with as a positive role model.
The K2K campaign would be an image campaign and would have a seperate logo. It potrays Kermit as the world’s greenest friend, hero, heartthrob and a celebrity. New shows like ‘Jim Henson’s Construction Site’, ‘Brats of the last Nebula’ and ‘The secret world of Alex Mack’ would be introduced which have a blend of entertainment as well as educational value for the kids mainly aged between 2 and 12. The on-air and print campaigns for the K2K campaign have been designed in-house.
The 24 hour pay channel claims to have a penetration of over four million Indian households.
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.
