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Ad numbers on the up for Zee English, MGM
NEW DELHI: Buoyed by an increase in advertising revenue in the second quarter ended 30 September, Zee Telefilms is getting into an overdrive with Zee English and Zee MGM.
What’s more advertisers are flocking to the two channels. To be precise, 47 corporates have come on the two channels in the past few weeks and they include Adidas, Airtel, Revelon, Samsung, LG, Mahindra Scorpio, Liberty, , HPCL, , Bajaj and Dominos.
Zee English, which launched in March 2000, has become a favourite of the young audience, the company claimed, saying that the gap between the competition would soon be bridged.
Ashwini Yardi, business head, Zee English and Zee MGM, told indiantelevision.com, “We have received a very positive response from corporates and are sure that the our two main properties will excite our viewers.”
Yardi further added, “We have been constantly innovating on the marketing front and the encouraging response from the market and advertisers has definitely motivated us in creating creative content for our sponsors.”
She pointed out that some other big clients on Zee MGM and Zee English were ICICI Prudential, Kellogs , Hutchison, Asian Paints, Cadbury’s, Killer jeans, Fiat, Kinetic , ICICI Bank, Phillips, MTV and BPCL.
The two properties that are attracting the clients are the news season of Friends on Zee English and the ongoing Bond movie special on Zee MGM.
According to Yardi, especially for the James Bond fest the response was “humungous”.
From the clients mentioned above, 90 per cent of the corporates have taken airtime on both the properties. The marketing spends on Zee MGM and English, for these two properties, has been between the range of 50 to 60 per cent.
With the festive season on, Zee English has recently launched the Friends Season 9. Some of the widely viewed properties on the channel include Full House, Benny Hill, Three’s Company, The Fresh Prince of Bel Air, Seinfeld, Black Scorpion, La Femme Nikita, The Sopranos, ER and The West Wing.
Though the company did not spell out the exact figures, Yardi did admit that Zee English has garnered a sizeable market share of the English viewing and speaking audience.
On the movie front, Zee MGM, launched in March 2000, may not be an HBO, but has admittedly gained from showcasing some good movies from Hollywood, India and even Bangladesh in recent times.
The on-air James Bond Spy fest includes movies like Dr No, Diamonds are Forever, The Spy Who Loved Me and Octopussy.
The channel caters primarily to the SEC AB, 15-34 years audience whose propensity to spend is high.
Zee MGM has access to more than 4,000 film titles of MGM. The channel seeks to air prime time movies in fixed theme slots such as Romantic Mondays, Thrilling Thursdays, Man Fridays, Movie Marathon on Saturdays and movie festivals on Tuesdays and Wednesdays.
As part of a recent initiative, the channel has broadcast movies that have had an excellent star cast but had not seen theatrical release in India — movies like If Only, The Martins, Greenwich Mean Time and An Ideal Husband.
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.
