GECs
Cabinet refers downlink policy to GoM
NEW DELHI: After uplink, it’s now time for downlinking a policy for a group of ministers (GoM) that would be headed by defence minister Pranab Mukherjee.
According to information and broadcasting minister Jaipal Reddy, the Cabinet today referred the proposed downlinking policy to the GoM, which is also examining the uplink policy.
Briefing newspersons today after a cabinet meeting, Reddy said the GoM would study the downlink issue too as some issues are common to both the downlink and uplink norms that the government is attempting to put in place.
The draft downlinking policy, prepared by the I&B ministry, requires that channels downlinking content into India from foreign soil must have offices registered in India so that such companies can be made accountable to local laws.
The draft downlink policy also looks at making it mandatory for private channels to share the feed of sports events of national importance, including cricket (or should one say particularly cricket?), with pubcaster Prasar Bharati.
Since the issue of sharing of feed with Prasar Bharati had split the Cabinet, the uplink matter had been referred to the GoM, which has now been constituted.
As if on cue, Doordarshan is trying to flex its muscles vis-a-vis Indian cricket team’s tour of Sri Lanka by asking rights holder Ten Sports to share the live feed on a revenue sharing basis.
The GoM comprises ministers of telecom, finance, I&B, home and law.
GECs
ZEEL overhauls sales structure to chase growth across TV and digital platforms
New structure sharpens digital push as viewing habits fragment fast
MUMBAI: Zee Entertainment Enterprises Ltd. is reshuffling its sales playbook as it looks to keep pace with a fast-changing media landscape, where audiences are scattered, screens are multiplying and advertisers are following the data.
According to media reports, the rejig is anchored in the company’s push to build a more integrated, data-led monetisation engine, one that can straddle both traditional television and fast-growing digital platforms with equal ease.
At the heart of the move is a reworked sales architecture designed to deliver cross-platform solutions. With connected TV gaining ground and digital consumption surging, ZEEL is aligning its teams to move quicker, think broader and sell smarter.
The restructuring is being led by chief operating officer, advertisement revenue, Sandeep Mehrotra, at a time when the company says it is seeing tremendous growth. The idea is simple: match the right talent to the right opportunity in a market that is anything but static.
As part of the overhaul, several long-serving executives have been elevated to chief sales officer roles across regions and content clusters. Sanjoy Chatterjee will head the east market, while Gunjarav Nayak takes charge of the west along with high-margin verticals such as hmg, brand works, intellectual properties and digital sales. Rajnish Gupta will oversee bengaluru and chennai markets alongside the kannada and tamil clusters.
In other key moves, Divjyot Dhanda will lead hyderabad and kochi markets and manage zee tv, zee keralam and the telugu cluster. Roshan Vasu Kotian will supervise a diverse portfolio including Zee Marathi, &tv, Zee Punjabi, Zee Anmol, Big Magic and Zee Biskope.
The company is also strengthening its bench, appointing national sales heads across retail, regional clusters, digital and brand solutions. Ankur Kapila’s appointment to lead digital sales signals a sharper push into a segment that continues to outpace traditional formats.
Behind the scenes, dedicated strategy and operations roles have been carved out for both linear and digital businesses. Nitin Shetty, Rajkiran Shrivastav and Priya Nambiar will take on key responsibilities to ensure the new structure runs with precision.
The broader aim is clear. ZEEL wants a bigger slice of advertising budgets that are steadily drifting towards digital and connected TV ecosystems. By integrating its offerings, the company hopes to deepen client relationships while unlocking new revenue streams.
The new structure takes effect immediately, with Mehrotra continuing to report to chief executive officer Punit Goenka and steer the company’s advertising revenue strategy. Senior executive Laxmi Shetty will support the transition, with her revised role expected to be announced soon.
In a market where content is everywhere but attention is scarce, ZEEL’s latest move is less about rearranging the org chart and more about staying in the game.
