GECs
Zee takes charge of its southern destiny and satellite channel Asianet
Zee has pole-vaulted its way into the southern language market by signing a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with Asianet Communications Ltd, the company that runs the Malayalam language service the same name. Under the MoU, Zee Telefilms will go in for a share swap with Asianet which will see it acquiring 51 per cent of the latter, effectively gaining control. Asianet will be given Zee Telefilms shares which will give it an equity position of less than 1 per cent in the company.
Zee TV has placed an enterprise value of Rs 4,000 million on Asianet, which means its outgo (in terms of Zee TV equity) to take the 51 per cent stake will be around Rs 2,000 million. Dr Raji Menon, the chairman of Asianet will get a seat on the Zee TV board. Ditto with Zee chairman Subhash Chandra who will hop on to the Asianet board. Asianet’s name will not be changed, as it has quite a lot of cachet with its viewing audience.
Under the MoU, Asianet will be the southern language partner for Zee TV and develop content and channels for other southern tongues such as Kannada, Tamil and Telugu. In fact, a Kannada language channel is to be launched in the very near future.
Asianet reportedly has a library of 4,000 hours of programming and 1,200 Malayalam movies. Zee TV is looking at dubbing its software library and pumping it across the four languages. It will also help in the distribution of the channels across its digital bouquets in various countries.
The acquisition of the channels will help Zee TV jumpstart – in fact bulldoze – its way into the southern maket where Sun TV and Eenadu TV have a significant lead . Asianet will continue to be managed on a daily basis by Menon with more and more Zee TV expertise and creative and business talent coming into the company over time.
GECs
Asianet Television Awards 2026 celebrates women power in Malayalam TV
“She is the Colour” theme honours icons as ceremony airs on March 14 and 15 at 7 PM.
MUMBAI: If television lights up living rooms, this year Asianet decided to let women provide the colour. The Asianet Television Awards 2026 turned the spotlight firmly on women empowerment with the theme “She is the Colour”, celebrating the strength, resilience and achievements of women who continue to shape society and the Malayalam entertainment industry.
The ceremony honoured several distinguished personalities whose journeys have left a lasting cultural imprint. Among them was legendary playback singer Vimala Varma, widely recognised as the first Malayalam playback singer. The evening also paid tribute to Padma Shri awardees Devaki Amma and Vimala Menon for their exceptional contributions in their respective fields.
Leading women from the Malayalam film industry were also recognised during the event, including actor Shweta Menon, who currently serves as president of the Association of Malayalam Movie Artists, and National Award winning actor Surabhi Lakshmi.
The awards ceremony brought together a glittering lineup of actors and industry figures, including Jayasurya, Vijay Babu, Asha Sarath, Lena, Esther Anil, Anumol, Akhila Bhargavan, Sarayu Mohan, Prajod Kalabhavan, Gayathri Suresh, Sabumon Abdusamad, Swasika, Tini Tom, Sijoy Varghese, Kailash, Veena Nandakumar, Sabareesh Varma, Ansiba Hassan and Dinesh Prabhakar. Kishan Kumar, executive vice president Malayalam at JioStar, was also present at the event.
Beyond individual recognitions, the awards celebrated excellence across Malayalam television, acknowledging artists and technicians whose work continues to drive the industry forward.
The evening also offered plenty of spectacle, with elaborate dance performances, stunt acts and comedy skits performed by popular television and film personalities, turning the ceremony into a full fledged entertainment showcase.
Viewers will get to watch the celebrations when the Asianet Television Awards 2026 air on Asianet on March 14 and 15, Saturday and Sunday, from 7 pm onwards, bringing the star studded tribute to homes across Kerala and beyond.
