GECs
ETC Punjabi claims victory in live telecast battle
MUMBAI: ETC channel Punjabi’s live telecast of the historic celebration of 400 years of Sri Guru Granth Sahib’s installation on 1 September beat Star Sports’ live telecast of the India-England match on the same day, claims the channel.
Quoting TAM figures the channel says during its 18 hours live telecast, ETC Channel Punjabi had a share of 54 per cent whereas Star Sports and Star Plus combined channel share was 35 per cent.
According to an official release, ETC Channel Punjabi registered a channel share of 54 per cent while Star Plus and Star Sports had a channel share of 30 per cent and 5 per cent respectively and Sony Entertainment had a share of 11 per cent (Punjab, Haryana, Chandigarh and Himachal Pradesh, Total Market, C&S, 15+ABC, All Day) on 1 September. ETC Channel Punjabi can already boast of having more than 80 per cent channel share during its live telecast of Gurbani from Golden Temple, in the morning and evening.
Says ETC Channel Punjabi business head Rabindra Narayan, “This was a historic occasion for all Sikhs and keeping in mind the sentiment we decided to telecast the whole event LIVE so that the entire world could view the historic proceedings from Amritsar on that auspicious day”.
“These figures reaffirm the fact that the wisdom of Gurus is more powerful than any game of Cricket or any soap opera,” says, programming VP Rajiee M. Shinde. She also adds, “We had deployed 12 cameras to cover the various locations in Amritsar”. This itself speaks for the enormity of the coverage on a day when an estimated number of more than 2 million devotees visited the city, including the Prime Minister, President, Dalai Lama, Sri Ravishankar and many other political and religious dignitaries.
ETC Networks Ltd. CEO Jagjit Singh Kohli expressed, “It was a bold decision for us to not to run a single second commercial and thereby let go our day’s earnings. But the occasion demanded this sacrifice and our viewers have reasserted their faith in us.”
GECs
Asianet Television Awards 2026 celebrates women power in Malayalam TV
“She is the Colour” theme honours icons as ceremony airs on March 14 and 15 at 7 PM.
MUMBAI: If television lights up living rooms, this year Asianet decided to let women provide the colour. The Asianet Television Awards 2026 turned the spotlight firmly on women empowerment with the theme “She is the Colour”, celebrating the strength, resilience and achievements of women who continue to shape society and the Malayalam entertainment industry.
The ceremony honoured several distinguished personalities whose journeys have left a lasting cultural imprint. Among them was legendary playback singer Vimala Varma, widely recognised as the first Malayalam playback singer. The evening also paid tribute to Padma Shri awardees Devaki Amma and Vimala Menon for their exceptional contributions in their respective fields.
Leading women from the Malayalam film industry were also recognised during the event, including actor Shweta Menon, who currently serves as president of the Association of Malayalam Movie Artists, and National Award winning actor Surabhi Lakshmi.
The awards ceremony brought together a glittering lineup of actors and industry figures, including Jayasurya, Vijay Babu, Asha Sarath, Lena, Esther Anil, Anumol, Akhila Bhargavan, Sarayu Mohan, Prajod Kalabhavan, Gayathri Suresh, Sabumon Abdusamad, Swasika, Tini Tom, Sijoy Varghese, Kailash, Veena Nandakumar, Sabareesh Varma, Ansiba Hassan and Dinesh Prabhakar. Kishan Kumar, executive vice president Malayalam at JioStar, was also present at the event.
Beyond individual recognitions, the awards celebrated excellence across Malayalam television, acknowledging artists and technicians whose work continues to drive the industry forward.
The evening also offered plenty of spectacle, with elaborate dance performances, stunt acts and comedy skits performed by popular television and film personalities, turning the ceremony into a full fledged entertainment showcase.
Viewers will get to watch the celebrations when the Asianet Television Awards 2026 air on Asianet on March 14 and 15, Saturday and Sunday, from 7 pm onwards, bringing the star studded tribute to homes across Kerala and beyond.
