GECs
Former Prasar Bharati chief KS Sarma takes charge as Maa TV CEO
MUMBAI: Soon after restructuring its shareholding, Maa TV Network Ltd has roped in former Prasar Bharati CEO KS Sarma to head the company.
Sarma will chalk out the company’s expansion plans. Maa TV Network, which owns and operates a Telugu general entertainment channel, had plans to launch a music channel and spruce up the programming of its existing channel.
“I have joined Maa TV Network as the CEO. We are in the process of formalising our expansion plans. We would be ready with it (the plans) in a month’s time,” Sarma tells Indiantelevision.com.
The company will have a fresh infusion of Rs 500 million with the original promoter Murali Krishna Raju putting in Rs 100 million. Superstars Nagarjuna and Chiranjeevi have walked in as new investors along with Matrix Laboratories Ltd (a listed company) and will together be holding 60 per cent in a purchase deal worth Rs 400 million.
Sarma, an Indian Administrative Service (IAS) officer from the Andhra Pradesh cadre, recently retired as Prasar Bharati CEO. During his stint, Prasar Bharati launched a direct-to-home (DTH) service, DD Direct+, comprising free-to-air channels. Doordarshan also came out with a fine tuned self-financing scheme (SFS) and handled marketing of cricket, serials and movies.
MUMBAI: Lights, camera… connection because this time, the game isn’t just about winning, it’s about who’s with you. Sony Pictures Networks India is gearing up to launch a new reality game show, Tum Ho Naa, expanding its unscripted slate with a format that promises both emotion and engagement.
The show will premiere soon on Sony Entertainment Television and stream on Sony LIV, with Rajeev Khandelwal stepping in as host. Known for his measured screen presence and selective choices, Khandelwal’s return to television adds a layer of familiarity and credibility to the upcoming format.
While specific details of the gameplay remain under wraps, the positioning suggests a reality format that leans as much on emotional resonance as it does on competition, an increasingly popular blend in Indian television, where audiences are gravitating towards content that offers both stakes and storytelling.
Khandelwal, reflecting on his return, noted that his choices have often been guided by instinct rather than convention, describing Tum Ho Naa as a project that feels “close to the heart”. His association also signals Sony’s continued focus on anchoring new formats with recognisable faces who bring both relatability and depth.
The launch comes at a time when broadcasters are doubling down on original non-fiction formats to drive appointment viewing, even as digital platforms expand parallel reach. By placing the show across both linear television and OTT, Sony appears to be aiming for a dual-audience strategy capturing traditional viewers while engaging digital-first consumers.
As the countdown to premiere begins, Tum Ho Naa positions itself not just as another game show, but as a reminder that sometimes, the biggest prize on screen isn’t the jackpot, it’s the journey shared along the way.
