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Cutting Edge to handle ad sales for Zee English and Zee MGM
MUMBAI: Zee Telefilms has appointed Cutting Edge Media to handle ad sales for Zee English and Zee MGM. Cutting Edge Media’s brief is to develop sales strategies and drive front end ad sales for the channels. The broadcaster has an option to buy strategic equity stake in the company in the future.
Cutting Edge Media is a company floated by Rohinton Maloo who founded Mediascope Associates. Cutting Edge has entered into a five-year agency commission based agreement with Zee, Maloo told indiantelevision.com.
Cutting Edge will be exclusively handling ad sales for television channels, says Maloo, and will therefore also have Hallmark Channel (currently managed by Mediascope), under its ambit alongside Zee MGM and Zee English.
Commenting on the alliance, director marketing ZTL Partha Pratim Sinha was quoted in an official release as saying: “This move is in line with the international trends where companies are entering into a pact with associates that cater to core competence especially for unique content channels. We cater to a critical mass and it is vital that we have the appropriate sales force that will consolidate our position and enable us to reach that crucial demographic. With the help of Cutting Edge Media we will be able to come up with innovative business opportunities and can provide brands with specific communication solutions.”
Maloo was quoted in the release as saying: “It is our privilege to be associated with Zee Telefilms. With our expertise in handling sales and promotions for international channels we are sure that with this partnership we shall create media opportunities and provide them with a complete communication service.”
The revenue of Cutting Edge is linked to performance delivery. It will be a fixed percentage of the income it is able to generate for the broadcaster. Queried whether any campaign had been readied yet for the two Zee channels, Maloo would not offer any specifics, but said an announcement would be made within the next three days.
Mediascope launched Star TV a decade ago, with Prime Sports being the first satellite channel launched by it. BBC, MTV, CNN and Cartoon Network were all launched in India by Mediascope, the release says
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.
