GECs
Key issues relating to broadcasting sector ignored in budget, says IBF
NEW DELHI: The Indian Broadcasting Foundation today expressed regret that the Union Budget 2016-17 had failed to look into key issues such as ‘carry forward of losses, in case of amalgamation or merger for service industry under the industrial undertaking under Section 72 A of the Income Tax Act 1961.’
Foundation Secretary General Girish Srivastava said in a statement that it was also ‘unfortunate that c industry, which has been playing a critical role in the digital initiative of the government, is being denied this benefit whereas other service sectors like Software, Telecom etc are availing these benefits.’
However, he thanked the Minister Arun Jaitley for addressing some of the concerns of the industry.
Describing it as an “inclusive and well-rounded budget which will not only help the Indian economy at large but also provide an opportunity to all in becoming part of the overall growth process”, Srivastava said, “Another point that broadcasters had raised in their pre-budget memorandum was on the tax withholding of transponder hire charges in which the sector had appealed for the alignment of the definition of royalty in DTAAs in line with the amended Finance Act 2012.
In the current Economic Survey, having acknowledged the significance of the ongoing digitization efforts and in turn Media and Entertainment Industry generating large scale revenue and employment, it seems that the budget inadvertently omitted the long- term pending demand of grant of infrastructure status to the sector, he said.
During the budget speech, Jaitley had stated that most of the recommendations made by Justice Easwar Committee on simplification of procedures and related issues shall be accepted in due course. “IBF will take up the issues as above with the Finance Ministry in its post budget consultations,” Srivastava added in parting.
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.
