MAM
Zee TV returns to top spot after 19 weeks as Zee Cine Awards clicks
MUMBAI: After stepping into the second rank in the Hindi GEC (general entertainment channel) hierarchy, Zee TV has taken a week to climb to the tentpole position as its four-hour Bollywood awards show Zee Cine Awards on 20 January attracted audiences.
Zee TV‘s upward crawl to the No. 1 position has come after 19 weeks in the fourth week of 2013.
The awards show rated a whopping 3.9 TVR, contributing 31 GRPs (gross rating points), as Zee TV collected 237 points in the week ended 26 January. The channel’s overall viewership was up 22 GRPs from a week earlier.
Zee TV had ranked No. 1 last in week 36 of 2012 when it had aired the ‘mahasangram’ of three of its fiction shows. This is also the first time after digitisation in the four metros that the flagship Hindi GEC of Zee Entertainment Enterprises reached the top position.
The 13th edition of Zee Cine Awards had rated 4.38 TVR in 2012. Apart from Zee Cine Awards most of the fiction shows of the channel including Fear Files (1.6 TVR) saw a dip in viewership in the fourth week.
“Such award functions are premium properties and have always delivered, giving good mileage to the brands associated. However, there was audience fragmentation because of which the show (Zee Cine Awards) could not perform as well as it did last year. There was ‘Kaun Banega Crorepati’ on Sony and repeat telecast of ‘Colors Golden Petal Awards’ on Colors, both coinciding with one-and-a-half hour airing time of Zee Cine Awards,” a senior media planner said.
The other annual Bollywood awards function that was telecast this year was Colors Screen Awards, which too had recorded 3.9 TVR over four hours on 19 January.
Meanwhile, Star Plus slipped to the second spot with a loss of 13 GRPs at 228 GRPs in week 4. The channel’s leading shows like ‘Diya Aur Bati Hum’ (4.1 TVR), ‘Ek Hazarome Meri Behena hai’ (1.4 TVR) and Nach Baliye (2.4 TVR) lost viewership.
Colors too lost six GRPs to register 204 GRPs. The fiction shows of the channel have seen marginal change in viewership. The channel had repeat telecast Colors Screen Awards (1.5 TVR for three hour run) and Colors Golden Petal Awards (1.6 TVR for two-and-a-half hour airing) in week 4 that helped the channel compensate the loss of viewership. In the earlier week Colors had earned 31 GRPs from Colors Screen Awards.
Sony Entertainment television (Set) added 16 GRPs in week 4 on the back of the television premiere of Karan Johar‘s recent flick ‘Student of the Year’ on 26 January. The film notched a TVR of 4.2 for three-and-a-half hour airing. The movie contributed around 29 GRPs to the total of 203 GRPs that the channel collected in week 4.
Set also winded up the sixth season of its biggest reality show ‘Kaun Banega Crorepati on‘ 26 January. The grand finale of the show clocked 3.1 TVR for two hours telecast, contributing around 12 GRPs to the channel.
The second Hindi GEC of Set, Sab clocked 151 GRPs (previous week 146 GRPs) while Star Plus’ sister channel Life OK ended week 4 with 120 GRPs (previous week 128 GRPs).
Sahara One with 23 GRPs (previous week 25) remains at the bottom of the ladder.
Brands
Jubilant FoodWorks faces Rs 47.5 crore GST demand, plans appeal
Tax authorities flag alleged misclassification of restaurant services
MUMBAI: Jubilant FoodWorks Limited has landed in a tax tussle after receiving a GST demand of Rs 47.5 crore from the office of the additional commissioner of CGST and central excise in Thane, Maharashtra.
The order, issued under the provisions of the Central Goods and Services Tax Act, 2017, relates to an alleged incorrect classification of certain services under the category of restaurant services. According to the tax authorities, this classification resulted in a short payment of goods and services tax for the period between the financial years 2019-20 and 2021-22.
The demand includes Rs 47.5 crore in GST along with an equal amount as penalty, in addition to applicable interest. The order was received by the company on March 13, 2026.
In a regulatory filing to the BSE Limited and the National Stock Exchange of India Limited, the company said it disagrees with the order and believes its arguments were not adequately considered.
The company is preparing to challenge the decision and plans to file an appeal. It added that once the redressal process is complete, the demand is likely to be dropped.
Despite the sizeable figure attached to the notice, the company said it does not expect any material impact on its financials, operations or other activities.
The disclosure was signed by Suman Hegde, EVP and chief financial officer, who confirmed that the company received the order at 19:06 IST on March 13 and has already initiated steps to contest it.
The development places the quick service restaurant major in the middle of a tax debate that could hinge on how certain restaurant-linked services are classified under GST rules. For now, the company appears ready to take the matter from the tax office to the appeals desk.
