GECs
Discovery Travel and Living introduces the ‘Theme Week’ concept
MUMBAI: A little over a year has gone by since lifestyle channel Discovery Travel and Living (DTL) launched in India. The channel has announced that it will kick off a unique initiative Theme Week from 26 December 2005.
Every week a different theme will air. This will cover subjects like beaches, hotels, cuisines, health, wellbeing, interiors, fashion, romance from Monday to Friday at 9 pm.
From 26 to 30 December, 2005 the channel will air Great Hotels Week. DTL takes viewers on a trip around the globe. The weeklong journey will highlight big, luxurious hotels and resorts, intimate tropical getaways and hip urban playgrounds to relax castaway fantasies.
Meanwhile Beach Week from 2 to 6 January 2006 presents beaches around the world. The journey will take viewers on a tour of historical beaches, beaches with waves, black sand and snorkeling. Viewers also go on a fun adventure trekking to the most hidden and beautiful beaches in some of the most remote locations.
Gourmet lovers can check out Planet Food Week from 9 to13 January 2006. Planet Food takes the viewer on a culinary journey through regions of the world renowned for the richness and diversity of their food. Hosted by well known chefs like Padma Lakshmi, Merrliees Parker, Tyler Florence, Planet Food Week samples some of the most delicious dishes and makes informed recommendations on the best places to eat.
Long Way Round Week airs from 16 to 20 January, 2006. This captures a no-holds-barred account of an epic round the world motorcycle journey taken on by actors Ewan McGregor and Charley Boorman. The series follows the expedition through nine roller coaster months of planning. The three-month trip takes Ewan and Charley through Europe, Asia, Canada and US.
Those interested in matters of the body can watch Wellbeing Week from 23 to 27 January, 2006. It offers advice on what is needed to achieve balance of body, mind and spirit. With a holistic approach and covering a wide range of health topics including alternative medicine, medical advances, diet and exercise, this series takes a practical approach and makes these therapies available to each of us.
Jet Set Week from 30 January to 3 February, 2006 features helicopters, speedboats, private islands, specialised tours. It offers a sneak peak at the lives of the super rich and famous. Viewers go behind some of the most expensive closed doors in the world to discover how the wealthy spend their time, from enjoying heart-stopping views from 24,400 meters above the Earth in a supersonic fighter jet to gathering in Californias Napa Valley wine country for three days of non-stop partying.
Project Runway Week which airs from 6 to 10 February, 2006 is set in Manhattan. Project Runway is a hip and entertaining series that will break fashions next big name. Hosted by supermodel Heidi Klum, the reality show from FremantleMedia, gives 12 talented and hungry fashion designers the opportunity of a lifetime – a chance to have their line shown in front of the global fashion community in New York and displayed in the pages of Elle magazine.
Other People’s Houses Week from 13 to 17 February, 2006 brings the best in home design and dispenses advice to the homeowners when it comes to transformation. Design expert Naomi Cleaver sneaks a peek at Britain’s homes and share her ideas of what to do, and more importantly what not to do, when it comes to decorating your own home.
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.
