GECs
‘KBC’ re-run to test waters for Bachchan’s return to Star
MUMBAI: Amitabh Bachchan is returning to Star Plus.
The channel, which plans to bring the superstar back to the small screen early in 2002, is testing the waters with a re-run of the best of Kaun Banega Crorepati episodes beginning 6 September. If the repeat series, made innovative with interactivity, clicks it could well herald a second season of KBC on the channel. Even if it doesn’t, Star already has a new game show, with Bachchan as host, readied for a 2003 launch.
Industry sources say UK-based Chatterbox has already developed a novel game show format with Bachchan envisaged as the anchor and hefty prize money involved. However, Star is yet to take a call on whether it should revive KBC in a new format in early 2003 or go for the show that Chatterbox has ready. The response to the KBC re-run should provide the answer to Star’s dilemma.
The re-run KBC series, that will air every Friday at 8 pm, is intended to whet viewer apetite and rekindle interest in the show that bid au revoir to viewers in the first week of January 2002. The 14-episode series will showcase notable moments, celebrities and jackpot winning participants and will also turn interactive, giving viewers the chance to win prize money by SMSing answers before Bachchan locks them on the show.
Star has tied up with Escorts-promoted CellNext Solutions, which will provide instant interaction between the game show and its viewers through various mobile operators’ networks. The channel has also tied up with all major cellular operators to set up an infrastructure for this interactive format. Star plans to deploy interactive televiewing to its entire bouquet in the coming months via SMS, Star COO Sameer Nair told mediapersons in Delhi on Tuesday. Some of the key offerings from the service include participation on shows/contests, astrology, song requests, bidding and so on.
Nair told mediapersons in Delhi yesterday that the SMS ploy would be employed for the new series as well. “The interactivity through SMS will bring viewers much closer to our network,” he has been quoted as saying.
Bachchan is still contracted to Star for 85 more episodes of KBC, so Star has the option of giving him a fresh innings in the show that brought him (and Star Plus) back into the reckoning or going in for a totally new format show.
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.
