GECs
ETV Marathi unveils election specials
MUMBAI: Marathi language channel ETV Marathi has announced its programme packaging targeted at the upcoming Maharashtra assembly elections.
Randhumali – Chanda teh Bandha, anchored by famous actor Prakash Inamdar will see Inamdar donning various get-ups and visiting different towns to get the view of the public on the upcoming state elections. He will be staging shows in a total of 35 different towns, including ones in the interior where the channel has a strong foothold.
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Ranshinga- Pragati pustak mantryanachi will have the local people rating the state ministers. Anchored by veteran journalist Kumar Ketkar, the chat show will have him rendezvousing with the ministers’, both former and present. While the invitees answer his incisive question, the audience will have a clearer picture of the politician, his ambitions, aspirations and potential.
During this interactive programme, audiences can SMS in their responses and their comments. The channel will then rate the minister’s progress and rank him. The result will be aired during the consecutive programmes
Ransangram – Dhobipachad presents face off between two political rivals debating on various issues. The show is anchored by popular actor Rahul Solapurkar, who is known for his towering personality and impressive politico-social knowledge.
Another new show Ranvir is divided into two sections:
1. Mahaneta
2. Yuva Neta contest
Mahaneta- The channel will urge the audience to urge suggest their favourite politician via postal letters, e-mails, SMS, fax or Integrated Voice Response (IVR) to ETV. The channel will then compile all the names and select the top ten choices.
The channel will install video polling booths in select 100 towns in Maharastra and will then urge the audiences to come to the booth and video record their sound bytes on “who is their favourite politician and why?” The selection however has to be from the top ten list that the channel will put out. The politician that bags most votes is awarded with a “Mahaneta” award.
Whilst with the Yuva Neta Spardha (contest), the channel aims to build its youth viewership base. The channel will organise a contest for the 15-25 years old, wherein the interested participants have to write a 250-word essay on topic “What would I do if I were the Chief Minister”. In addition to the essay the participants will have to send their photographs and age written clearly on their details. ETV will shortlist 100 entries out of these and select them for the next level.
The final round will be held in Mumbai where the contestants will have to come and narrate their essays. The jury will include two of Maharastra’s top-notch politicians and former chief ministers, who will select one entry and crown him/her the Yuva Neta .
Before the results of the state election, both the Mahaneta and the Yuva Neta will be awarded on a programme called Tickle teh political.
Talking to Indiantelevision.com, ETV Marathi programming head Sanjay Dabke claimed that the channel had been giving tough competition to Hindi channels the evening programming band in the Maharashtra market. ETV chief producer Manvi said, after making it big in West Bengal with ETV Bangla, the focus would be shifted to Marathi soon.
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.
