GECs
Bhutan’s BBS TV expands operations
MUMBAI: The Bhutan government has expanded the reach of its BBS Television by linking it to Insat 4A. The service is now provided through the cable service and those without cable connections can download the transmission with a dish and a receiver.
The International Telecommunication Union has aided the uplinking facility with US $ 300,000, while the Government of India has agreed to give BBSC the satellite transport hiring charges for three years, amounting to about Nu. 18 million. According to media reports, a total of 35 countries in Asia and the Middle East have confirmed that they are receiving BBS TV live transmission.
Speaking at the launch, BBSC MD Mingbo Dukpa expressed his hopes that the channel expansion would effectively fight the foreign TV channel invasion. “Today there are over 40 foreign channels available, inundating us with numerous foreign programmes, advertisement and news. With its nation-wide reach BBS TV can now counter the so-called audio-visual invasion by foreign channels,” he said.
Viewers in Kanglung and Yonphula in Trashigang, Yadi and Drametse in Mongar, Paro, Phuentsholing and Thimphu will also be able to catch the transmission on Yagi antenna through a terrestrial transmitter. BBSC, reportedly, plans to reinstall these terrestrial transmitters in remote areas that do not have cable television.
BBS television was launched on 2 June 1999, with a one-hour broadcast in Thimphu. It was merged with the radio in the initial phase.
GECs
Sebi sends show-cause notice to Zee over fund diversion, company responds
Regulator questions 2018 letter of comfort and governance lapses; company vows robust legal response
MUMBAI: India’s markets watchdog has reignited its long-running scrutiny of Zee Entertainment Enterprises, issuing a sweeping show-cause notice that drags the broadcaster and 84 others into a widening governance storm.
The notice, dated February 12, has been served by the Securities and Exchange Board of India to Zee, chairman emeritus Subhash Chandra and managing director and chief executive Punit Goenka, among others. At its heart: allegations that company funds were indirectly routed to settle liabilities of entities linked to the Essel Group.
The regulator’s probe traces its roots to November 2019, when two independent directors resigned from Zee’s board, flagging concerns over the alleged appropriation of fixed deposits by Yes Bank. The deposits were reportedly adjusted against loans extended to Essel Group entities, triggering questions about related-party dealings and board oversight.
A key flashpoint is a letter of comfort dated September 4, 2018, issued by Subhash Chandra in his dual capacity as chairman of Zee and the Essel Group. The document, linked to credit facilities availed by certain group companies from Yes Bank, was allegedly known only to select members of management and not disclosed to the full board—an omission SEBI believes raises red flags over transparency and governance controls.
Zee has pushed back hard. In a statement, the company said it “strongly refutes” the allegations against it and its board members and will file a detailed response. It expressed confidence that SEBI would conduct a fair review and signalled readiness to pursue all legal remedies to protect shareholder interests.
The notice marks the latest twist in a saga that has shadowed the broadcaster since 2019. What began as boardroom unease has morphed into a full-blown regulatory confrontation. The final reckoning now rests with SEBI—but the reputational stakes for Zee, and the message for India Inc on governance discipline, could scarcely be higher.
