GECs
Libyans ecstatic over Arab ‘Idol’ outcome
MUMBAI: The ‘Idol’ phenomenon is making waves all over the world. While the Indian Idol from Sony Entertainment Television’s stable has kicked off its ground activities in various Indian cities, the Middle East’s Arab Idol – Super Star has just been announced, however, not without its share of controversies.
The two finalists for the Super Star were a Libyan dental student – Ayman al-Attar and a Palestinian singer – Amar Hassan, of whom Attar emerged the winner. While the Libyans are ecstatic with the outcome, some Palestinians ascribed their defeat to underhand tactics by the Libyan leader, Colonel Muammar Gaddafi, who allegedly boosted his contestant’s vote by allowing free telephone calls in Libya.
Palestinians are alleging that Gaddafi was instrumental in backing a costly nationwide publicity campaign and also arranged for free phone calls for Libyans who wanted to vote.
The poll of almost six million was won by al-Attar 54 percent to 46 percent. According to a report published in The Jerusalem Post, Hassan’s success was viewed as a barometer of Arab support for the Palestinians, after the Palestinian Authority endorsed him as an important symbol of the struggle against Israel. Official celebrations planned across the territories were immediately cancelled when Hassan lost, to widespread local disbelief. Many said they expected him to win the title, not only because he was a better singer, but because Arab viewers would sympathise with him as a Palestinian struggling against Israel.
According to another media report, one Palestinian computer expert said that he had devised a shortcut that would allow easy multiple voting for Ammar Hasan.
Hassan was among the 6,000 aspiring singers who had auditioned for “Super Star”, of whom 17 were chosen. Out of the 17, two were chosen for the final and deciding round.
On the other hand, some Palestinian militants objected to the hoopla that was spun around the talent hunt. Islamic groups like the militant Hamas said that it distracted the public from a two-week-old hunger strike by some 2,000 Palestinian prisoners demanding better conditions in Israeli jails.
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.
