GECs
Natpe Conference to have an in-depth focus on mobile
MUMBAI: The National Association of Television Programme Executives (NATPE) in the US has announced the schedule for its annual conference. This takes place from 15-18 January 2006 in Las Vegas.
A highlight is the daylong NATPE Mobile++. This is is a specially focussed and separate conference addressing the impact and business opportunities for wireless, mobile and digital distribution platforms for television producers, developers, technology companies, broadcasters and advertisers.
The conference will analyse the rapid evolution occurring in the digital media industry, its impact on the traditional media industry and the many lucrative business opportunities it presents. It will explores cutting edge audience behaviours – the rapid consuming of mobile and digital entertainment. It will look at
– Branded entertainment and the important role of advertising in the digital media industry
– The ever-growing role of mobile media and mobile services
– Mobile technology’s role in social networking and community building
– Monetisation strategies for user generated content
– The importance of user-centric design in the digital media industry
Another session looks at The Long Tail. Online services carry far more inventory than traditional retailers. Even as consumers flock to mainstream books, music and films there is a real demand for niche fare found only online. To one degree or another, the same is true for all other aspects of the entertainment business.
These potential markets may be twice as big as they appear. If the biggest money is in the smallest sales, how do we get over the economics of scarcity? Attendees will find out more about the markets that lie outside the reach of the physical retailer – they are big and getting bigger says Natpe. The panelists are Wired Magazine editor-in-chief Chris Anderson; ICM (International Creative Management) vice chairman Robert Broder, USA Networks president Bonnie Hammer and Fox Interactive Media president Ross Levinsohn.
There will also be a sesion on IPTV in terms of the lessons learned from global Rollouts and what the implications are for the US. IPTV Natpe notes has already achieved significant penetration in both Asia and Europe; however, the degree to which IPTV will successfully penetrate the United States market is still anyone’s guess. With that said, insights into how IPTV has achieved this success overseas foreshadow the coming challenges for the US market.
What will compel subscribers to leave their existing provider and switch to IPTV. Is it interactivity? specialised programming? price? Will telcos find new revenue streams or simply a way to reduce churn?
There will also be a Shoot Out session that looks at Hollywood. This is a live extention of the TV show Shoot Out which is hosted by Variety editor Peter Bart and Mandalay Entertainment chairman/CEO Peter Guber. On the TV show which kicks off in India on Star World next month they take their best shots at the industry, the movies, and each other. If Hollywood is talking about it, they’re fighting about it.
Now at Natpe the two hosts will conduct a session in order to get an international perspective on the industry’s changing landscape. The speakers are MGM worldwide TV Group Harry Sloan and Lionsgate CEO Jon Feltheimer.
Another session is called The Currency of Content “In a time where content development and its marriage to marketing can cause chaos, adult supervision is at a premium,” says panel moderator Media Link’s Michael Kassan. How best to quantify, monetise and harness the explosive energy that is the result of ever more personalized and divergent content delivery?
That is the challenge faced by businesses who work in the field of cross-platform content delivery and marketing. This panel chosen Natpe says has demonstrated the ability to recognise opportunity, bring disparate creative forces to bear on initiatives, and convert the resulting content into business currency. The panelists include Microsoft corporate VP global marketing Jeff Bell; Cingular Wireless VP, advertising and marketing communications Daryl Evans; FremantleMedia North America CEO Cecile Frot-Coutaz, Digitas president Laura Lang and Unilever US head of worldwide media Alan Rutherford.
Another session looks at TV formats. From American Idol to Project Runway to Next Top Model, some of the most successful shows on TV today started as international formats and in some cases spawned their own international versions. Producers of hit shows have had to learn to adapt success for audiences that speak different languages, live in different cultures and even have different senses of humour.
Producers of some of these shows talk about what makes a successful format that can be taken worldwide and the challenges of adapting a format for multiple markets.
Another session aims to impaort knowlege on generations X, Y, and Z. Natpe notes that it is important for media firms to keep up with how our most wired, engaged and media savvy generation of consumers experience media content? Brian Seth Hurst, one of The Hollywood Reporter’s Digital 50, interviews members of this on-demand, user-engaged community. The panel of 18 -25 year olds will break it down for attendees – how they experience brands, consume content and, yes, even create their own networks for themselves and their peers. Where does traditional media fit in and how can firms capture this audience?
There will also be a chat with Elise Doganieri who co-created the reality show The Amazing Race.From the creative processes to strategic decisions to the seemingly infinite logistics, this hands-on executive producer oversees every single detail of The Amazing Race which airs in India on AXN. So, what is the recipe for reality TV success and how do you create award-winning programming that consistently beats the competition and is considered the real must-see TV? That is what the sesion looks to answer.
GECs
Sahara One reports financial results, notes director exit and business realignment
Muted revenues, steady expenses and strategic adjustments shape company’s current phase
MUMBAI: In a tale where the sands seem to be slipping faster than they can be gathered, Sahara One Media and Entertainment Limited has reported another quarter of wafer-thin income and widening losses, even as a boardroom exit adds to the unease.
The company informed the Bombay Stock Exchange that its board, in a meeting held on April 4, approved its unaudited financial results for the quarter ended September 30, 2025. The numbers paint a stark picture. Total income for the quarter stood at just Rs 0.13 lakh, unchanged sequentially and sharply down from Rs 0.26 lakh a year earlier.
Losses, meanwhile, deepened. The company posted a net loss of Rs 24.16 lakh for the quarter, compared to Rs 18.81 lakh in the June quarter and Rs 39.69 lakh in the same period last year. For the six months ended September 2025, the cumulative loss stood at Rs 39.69 lakh, while the full-year loss for FY25 was reported at Rs 60.72 lakh.
Expenses continued to outweigh income by a wide margin. Total expenses for the quarter came in at Rs 24.30 lakh, led by employee benefit costs of Rs 6.51 lakh and other expenses of Rs 17.78 lakh. Earnings per share remained in the red at Rs (0.11) for the quarter.
The balance sheet reflects a company with significant assets on paper but limited operational momentum. Total assets stood at Rs 23,065.57 lakh as of September 30, 2025, broadly unchanged from March 2025. Equity share capital remained steady at Rs 2,152.50 lakh, while total equity was reported at Rs 18,004.85 lakh.
Cash and cash equivalents saw a modest uptick to Rs 6.75 lakh from Rs 4.68 lakh earlier, supported by a positive operating cash flow of Rs 180.01 lakh for the period.
Yet, beneath these numbers lies a more complex narrative. The company’s auditors flagged their inability to obtain sufficient evidence to form a conclusion on the financial statements, citing lack of access to records. They also raised concerns over the company’s ability to continue as a going concern, pointing to insufficient funds, delayed recoveries, and stalled content investments.
Adding to the governance overhang, the company disclosed that Rana Zia has resigned as whole-time director, effective October 16, 2025, citing other professional commitments. The resignation, noted and accepted by the board, also brings an end to her role across company committees.
Regulatory pressures continue to loom large. The Securities and Exchange Board of India has already initiated penal actions for non-compliance with listing norms, with trading in the company’s shares remaining suspended. There is also a risk of promoter demat accounts being frozen.
Legacy legal issues remain unresolved. A substantial deposit of Rs 694,027.88 thousand linked to the long-running OFCD dispute involving Sahara group entities is still under the purview of the Supreme Court of India. Restrictions on asset disposal continue to weigh on the company’s financial flexibility.
Operationally, challenges persist across multiple fronts. Advances worth Rs 1,92,916 thousand given for film content remain stuck, with delays in project completion and uncertain recoverability. The company’s YouTube channel, despite being operational, has generated no revenue for over three years due to compliance lapses. In a further twist, management has indicated that revenues may have been fraudulently diverted through unauthorised changes to its AdSense account, with a police complaint in the works.
There are also missed revenue opportunities. Television content rights continue to be used by a related party despite the expiry of the licence agreement, with fresh negotiations still underway.
For now, Sahara One Media and Entertainment Limited appears caught between legacy disputes and present-day operational hurdles. As losses linger and governance questions mount, the road to recovery looks less like a sprint and more like a slow trudge through shifting sands.
