GECs
Discovery to examine the relationship between science and film
MUMBAI: In a bid to add diversity to its programming repertoire Discovery will showcase a series that examines the effect the cult classic Star Wars had on scientists.
The Science of Star Wars will premiere on the channel in April.
Speaking to Indiantelevision.com this evening Discovery brand director marketing Raja Balasubramaniam says, “It looks at how the Star Wars movies sparked off the imagination of a lot of scientists.
A lot of what they show in the films as science fiction is true today. Then there is Return to Flight. This looks at the workings of Nasa. It looks at how the space organisation regrouped after the disaster.”
Discovery will also be kicking off a localised show in April called Yatra. This will take viewers to exotic locales around the country. Then there is a show called Days That Shook The World. This will showcase days where importance events like Lady Diana’s death and Martin Luther King’s assassination. Each episode will focus on two days, which have a unique link with each other. Discovery, “
In addition for lovers of natural history the channel will air The Year Without Summer, This talks about an volcanic eruption that took place in the 1800s. The effect was s severe the sun was blocked out by particles. The show will look at how there was snow in some areas where the phenomenon does not exist.
However Balasubraniam adds that the channel is not looking to create new genres of programming. The channel already has blocks like history, wildlife, science and technology and mystery.
“This is what we specialise in. When you look at current history or ancient civilisation the treatment and the way we look at it will get changed. However we will not move away from our current template which is satisfactory.”
On the marketing front Balasubramniam says, “For Virtual history most of our promotion has been on air. We will be doing some print activity over the next couple of days and some radio spots. We are not doing a blitz. For Animal Planet we were able to create buzz last year with roadshows. This year the plans are at an evolving stage. Having said doing lots of marketing
and spending loads of money is often not the best way
to go about business.”
Potential for mobile limited: A few days ago indiantelevision.com had reported that Discovery had decided to jump onboard the mobile platform. It teamed up with Volantis. Volantis which supplies intelligent content adaptation solutions and services will develop, deploy, and host Discovery’s all-new
global mobile portal.
The rollout begins in Asia later this year. Discovery’s global mobile service will be available through the branded portals of mobile network operators, as well as ‘direct to device’ for subscribers who have Internet access via their mobile phone.
When asked what the plans for India were Balasubramaniam was doubtful whether Discovery would look at the mobile as a serious revenue source. “There are no immediate plans. The mobile works for SMS messages and contests. For content however my phone is so small that I do not know what you can see. I am more optimistic about broadband being a useful
delivery platform.
“With mobile my experience in India is that one might check something out if you are travelling and are bored.” As far as DTH is concerned Balasubramaniam said that the broadcaster has an open mind to joining a platform. When it was pointed that DD wanted channels to join for free he reiterated that a deal would be entered into if it was satisfactory. He also
maintains that there are no plans to bring in any more channels this year.
GECs
Sahara One reports financial results, notes director exit and business realignment
Muted revenues, steady expenses and strategic adjustments shape company’s current phase
MUMBAI: In a tale where the sands seem to be slipping faster than they can be gathered, Sahara One Media and Entertainment Limited has reported another quarter of wafer-thin income and widening losses, even as a boardroom exit adds to the unease.
The company informed the Bombay Stock Exchange that its board, in a meeting held on April 4, approved its unaudited financial results for the quarter ended September 30, 2025. The numbers paint a stark picture. Total income for the quarter stood at just Rs 0.13 lakh, unchanged sequentially and sharply down from Rs 0.26 lakh a year earlier.
Losses, meanwhile, deepened. The company posted a net loss of Rs 24.16 lakh for the quarter, compared to Rs 18.81 lakh in the June quarter and Rs 39.69 lakh in the same period last year. For the six months ended September 2025, the cumulative loss stood at Rs 39.69 lakh, while the full-year loss for FY25 was reported at Rs 60.72 lakh.
Expenses continued to outweigh income by a wide margin. Total expenses for the quarter came in at Rs 24.30 lakh, led by employee benefit costs of Rs 6.51 lakh and other expenses of Rs 17.78 lakh. Earnings per share remained in the red at Rs (0.11) for the quarter.
The balance sheet reflects a company with significant assets on paper but limited operational momentum. Total assets stood at Rs 23,065.57 lakh as of September 30, 2025, broadly unchanged from March 2025. Equity share capital remained steady at Rs 2,152.50 lakh, while total equity was reported at Rs 18,004.85 lakh.
Cash and cash equivalents saw a modest uptick to Rs 6.75 lakh from Rs 4.68 lakh earlier, supported by a positive operating cash flow of Rs 180.01 lakh for the period.
Yet, beneath these numbers lies a more complex narrative. The company’s auditors flagged their inability to obtain sufficient evidence to form a conclusion on the financial statements, citing lack of access to records. They also raised concerns over the company’s ability to continue as a going concern, pointing to insufficient funds, delayed recoveries, and stalled content investments.
Adding to the governance overhang, the company disclosed that Rana Zia has resigned as whole-time director, effective October 16, 2025, citing other professional commitments. The resignation, noted and accepted by the board, also brings an end to her role across company committees.
Regulatory pressures continue to loom large. The Securities and Exchange Board of India has already initiated penal actions for non-compliance with listing norms, with trading in the company’s shares remaining suspended. There is also a risk of promoter demat accounts being frozen.
Legacy legal issues remain unresolved. A substantial deposit of Rs 694,027.88 thousand linked to the long-running OFCD dispute involving Sahara group entities is still under the purview of the Supreme Court of India. Restrictions on asset disposal continue to weigh on the company’s financial flexibility.
Operationally, challenges persist across multiple fronts. Advances worth Rs 1,92,916 thousand given for film content remain stuck, with delays in project completion and uncertain recoverability. The company’s YouTube channel, despite being operational, has generated no revenue for over three years due to compliance lapses. In a further twist, management has indicated that revenues may have been fraudulently diverted through unauthorised changes to its AdSense account, with a police complaint in the works.
There are also missed revenue opportunities. Television content rights continue to be used by a related party despite the expiry of the licence agreement, with fresh negotiations still underway.
For now, Sahara One Media and Entertainment Limited appears caught between legacy disputes and present-day operational hurdles. As losses linger and governance questions mount, the road to recovery looks less like a sprint and more like a slow trudge through shifting sands.
