MAM
Fierce competition for Zee accounts
NEW DELHI: It seems to be boom time for the advertising agencies. Some of the top agencies are vying for various Zee channel accounts said to be worth approximately Rs. 400 million.
Those in fray for the accounts include Rediff DY&R, FCB Ulka, Lowe, Contract and Leo Burnett. According to advertising industry sources, various agencies, including existing ones, made presentations yesterday for the accounts up for grabs at Zee’s office in Mumbai. Efforts made to elicit a response from Zee Telefilms proved futile.
Though the official budget is not known, but industry sources indicated that Zee’s account, collectively, is one of the largest accounts in the media world. It is also estimated that the total account would be approximately Rs. 400 million.
At present, Rediff DY&R, along with Contract and other medium sized agencies handle Zee’s creatives. Rediff’s PR division also used to handle Zee TV’s publicity, which it had bagged during the time Sandeep Goyal was the group broadcasting CEO. Earlier this year the PR contract came to an end and was not renewed.
Zee News recently signed on Leo Burnett as its creative agency, which was behind splashing a new look across Zee News logo and channel promotion with the tag `Hakikat Jaise, Khabar Waise’. The ad pitches are being made as Zee, led by the flagship channel Zee TV, has lined up various programming and marketing initiatives that kick off with the festive season in October.
One of the marketing and communication initiatives also include coming out with a new-look FPC (fixed point chart) for the main Zee channels, excluding the Alpha regional channels and the third-party ones like Trendz.
The FPC chart that now comes, beginning October, in the form of a magazine not only has the timings of various programmes, but highlights and pictures from serials and movies to make the experience of rummaging through pages more pleasant.
MAM
Raghu Rai passes away at 83, leaves behind iconic legacy
Padma Shri-winning photographer documented history across 5 decades.
MUMBAI: The lens may have stilled, but the stories it captured will never fade. Raghu Rai, one of India’s most celebrated photojournalists, passed away on April 26, 2026, at the age of 83. He breathed his last at a private hospital in New Delhi after battling cancer and age-related health issues.
His son, Nitin Rai, revealed that Rai had been diagnosed with prostate cancer two years ago, which later spread to the stomach and, more recently, the brain. Despite multiple rounds of treatment, his health had declined in recent months.
Born in 1942 in Jhang, Punjab (now in Pakistan), Rai entered photography in his early twenties, inspired by his elder brother, photographer S. Paul. Beginning his career in the mid-1960s, he went on to build a body of work that spanned more than five decades, contributing to global publications such as Time, Life, GEO, Le Figaro, The New York Times, Vogue, GQ and Marie Claire.
His global recognition took a decisive leap in 1977 when legendary French photographer Henri Cartier-Bresson nominated him to join Magnum Photos, placing him among the world’s most respected visual storytellers.
Rai’s lens chronicled both power and poignancy. He photographed towering figures such as Indira Gandhi, Dalai Lama, Bal Thackeray, Satyajit Ray and Mother Teresa, while also documenting defining moments like the Bhopal gas tragedy later captured in his book Exposure: A Corporate Crime.
Over the years, he published more than 18 books, building an archive that blended journalism with artistry. His contributions were recognised early when he was awarded the Padma Shri in 1972 for his coverage of the Bangladesh War and refugee crisis. In 1992, he was named “Photographer of the Year” in the United States for his work in National Geographic, and in 2009, he was honoured with the Officier des Arts et des Lettres by the French government.
Rai is survived by his wife Gurmeet, son Nitin, and daughters Lagan, Avani and Purvai. His last rites will be held at Lodhi Cremation Ground in New Delhi at 4 pm on Sunday.
With his passing, Indian photojournalism loses not just a pioneer, but a patient observer of history, one frame at a time.
