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Siti offers 50% revenue sharing deal to One Alliance
NEW DELHI: Even as the channels distributed by One Alliance, a joint venture between Discovery India and Sony Entertainment TV India, continue to be off prime bands on Siti Cable networks, the latter has offered to One Alliance, fresh revenue sharing deals to join the headend in the sky (HITS) project.
According to sources in Zee Telefilms, the parent company of Siti Cable, the new commercial deal offer was sent yesterday. The deal offers One Alliance around 50 per cent of the revenue that the Sony, Discovery and HBO channels mop up at present as subscription revenue once they come on to the HITS platform.
The sources said that talks would be opened on similar lines with ESPN-Star Sports shortly.
The One Alliance channels, comprising Sony, AXN, SET Max, HBO, Discovery and Animal Planet, had been taken off the prime band on Siti Cable networks in various cities, including the metros of Delhi and Mumbai, owing to differences on the HITS project and Sony’s apprehensions on joining the platform promoted by Zee Telefilms’ cable arm.
One Alliance president Shantonu Aditya, however, pointed out that there was more than just commercial issues to be resolved. Aditya said, “We have asked them (Siti) for certain technical and legal clarifications regarding their HITS plan, for which we are still awaiting a response. It is only after this that the commercial aspects can be discussed.”
With the 1 September deadline for the first phase area-wise rollout of conditional access system almost round the corner, Siti Cable is aggressively pushing its HITS project through which it’s implementing addressability in Indian cable homes in a digital format. The HITS project is being marketed under the brand name Galaxzee.
One Alliance apart, even Star India has not yet agreed to join the Zee-promoted HITS platform citing reservations on ‘turning around’ of channels from India after they are downlinked at Zee’s master control room for CAS encryption, which would amount to uplinking from India, according to Star.
Star India CEO Peter Mukerjea had gone on record on 14 August after a meeting of the CAS implementation panel saying that Star and Sony channels had not yet agreed to join Zee’s HITS platform. The repartee from Mukerjea came after Zee Telefilms vice-chairman Jawahar Goel, standing in for his elder brother Subhash Chandra, had reiterated during the meeting that Siti cable would offer all pay channels for Rs 128 when CAS is rolled out.
Meanwhile, yesterday Zee also started the test signals of its KU-band television transmission through which a direct-to-home (DTH) service would be provided under the brand name Dish TV. Zee had said that it would ideally like to launch its DTH service along with CAS on 1 September.
NEW DELHI: Hamdard Laboratories gathered a cross-section of India’s achievers in New Delhi on Friday, handing out the Hakeem Abdul Hameed Excellence Awards to figures who have left their mark across healthcare, education, sport, public service and the arts.
The ceremony, attended by minister of state for defence Sanjay Seth and senior officials from the ministry of Ayush, celebrated individuals whose work blends professional success with a sense of public purpose. It was as much a roll call of achievement as it was a reminder that influence is not measured only in profits or podiums, but in people reached and lives improved.
Among the headline awardees was Alakh Pandey, founder and chief executive of PhysicsWallah, recognised for turning affordable digital learning into a mass movement. On the sporting front, Arjuna Awardee and kabaddi player Sakshi Puniya was honoured for her contribution to the game and for pushing women’s participation onto bigger stages.
The cultural spotlight fell on veteran lyricist and poet Santosh Anand, whose songs have echoed across generations of Hindi cinema. At 97, Anand accepted the honour with characteristic humility, reflecting on a life shaped by perseverance and hope.
Healthcare honours spanned both modern and traditional systems. Manoj N. Nesari was recognised for strengthening Ayurveda’s place in national and global health frameworks. Padma shri Mohammed Abdul Waheed was honoured for his research-backed work in Unani medicine, while padma shri Mohsin Wali received recognition for his long-standing contribution to patient-centred care.
Education and social development also featured prominently. Padma shri Zahir Ishaq Kazi was honoured for decades of work in education, while former Meghalaya superintendent of Police T. C. Chacko was recognised for public service. Goonj founder Anshu Gupta received an award for his dignity-centred rural development initiatives, and the Hunar Shakti Foundation was honoured for empowering women and young girls through skill development.
The Lifetime Achievement Award went to former IAS officer Shailaja Chandra for her long career in public healthcare and governance, particularly in the traditional systems under Ayush.
Speaking at the event, Hamdard chairman Abdul Majeed said the awards were a tribute to those who combine excellence with empathy. “These awardees reflect Hakeem Sahib’s belief that healthcare, education and public service must ultimately serve humanity,” he said.
Minister Seth struck a forward-looking note, saying India’s young population gives the country a unique opportunity to become a global destination for learning, health and wellness by 2047.
The ceremony also featured the trailer launch of Unani Ki Kahaani, an upcoming documentary starring actor Jim Sarbh, set to premiere on Discovery on 11 February.
Instituted in memory of Unani scholar and educationist Hakeem Abdul Hameed, the awards have grown into a national platform that celebrates those building a more inclusive and resilient India. For one evening at least, the spotlight was not just on success, but on service with substance.
