GECs
Now a talent show for the differently-abled
MUMBAI: There are reality shows and then there are reality shows. This one’s about celebrating differently-abled people and showcasing their talents to the rest of the world.
Already on air, Champions will be telecast in all four South Indian languages – Tamil, Telugu, Malayalam and Kannada on the respective Sun GECs including Sun TV, Gemini TV, Surya TV and Udaya TV.
The one-hour show will have four rounds where differently-abled people will display their talents such as singing, dancing, pantomime, martial arts, stand-up comedy, acrobatics, gymnastics and magic among others. Every second of every round will have a monetary value attached to it so that participants will take home some prize money, no matter which stage of the show they get eliminated at.
Produced in-house, Champions has Aldam Jacob as its creative director along with individual directors for each of the four languages including Jeyakumar (Tamil), Saravanan (Telugu), Naufel (Malayalam) and Bhuvan Shastri (Kannada).
The judges include Pattimandram Raja for Sun TV, Gauthami and Naga Babu for Gemini TV, Laxmi and MG Sreekumar for Surya TV, and Laxmi and Srinath for Udaya TV. While the anchors are: Tejeswani for Sun TV, Shamala and Abhinaya Krishna for Gemini TV, Deepa and Rahul for Surya TV, and Deepa and Anand for Udaya TV.
Sun TV viewers can watch the 13-episode Champions on Sunday from 12:00 to 1:00 pm; Udaya TV viewers on Saturday from 7:30 to 8:30 pm; Surya TV viewers on Friday from 8.00 to 9.00 pm and Gemini TV viewers on Wednesday from 9:00 to 10:00pm.
Exults Jacob: “Champions is the brain child of Sun Network chairman Kalanithi Maran. We want to make a positive impact in the lives of people who are physically challenged and celebrate them.”
With SEC ABCDE 4+ as the TG, V Care and Dabur Vatika are the sponsors of Champions on Sun TV while the remaining three channels have Dabur Vatika as sponsor. Red FM, Suryan FM, Dinakaran and the whole of Sun Network has been roped in to promote the show. “We are also going seamlessly into season two,” Jacob rounds off.
Whatever the audience reaction, Champions gets a loud hoot of approval from indiantelevision.com
GECs
Sebi sends show-cause notice to Zee over fund diversion, company responds
Regulator questions 2018 letter of comfort and governance lapses; company vows robust legal response
MUMBAI: India’s markets watchdog has reignited its long-running scrutiny of Zee Entertainment Enterprises, issuing a sweeping show-cause notice that drags the broadcaster and 84 others into a widening governance storm.
The notice, dated February 12, has been served by the Securities and Exchange Board of India to Zee, chairman emeritus Subhash Chandra and managing director and chief executive Punit Goenka, among others. At its heart: allegations that company funds were indirectly routed to settle liabilities of entities linked to the Essel Group.
The regulator’s probe traces its roots to November 2019, when two independent directors resigned from Zee’s board, flagging concerns over the alleged appropriation of fixed deposits by Yes Bank. The deposits were reportedly adjusted against loans extended to Essel Group entities, triggering questions about related-party dealings and board oversight.
A key flashpoint is a letter of comfort dated September 4, 2018, issued by Subhash Chandra in his dual capacity as chairman of Zee and the Essel Group. The document, linked to credit facilities availed by certain group companies from Yes Bank, was allegedly known only to select members of management and not disclosed to the full board—an omission SEBI believes raises red flags over transparency and governance controls.
Zee has pushed back hard. In a statement, the company said it “strongly refutes” the allegations against it and its board members and will file a detailed response. It expressed confidence that SEBI would conduct a fair review and signalled readiness to pursue all legal remedies to protect shareholder interests.
The notice marks the latest twist in a saga that has shadowed the broadcaster since 2019. What began as boardroom unease has morphed into a full-blown regulatory confrontation. The final reckoning now rests with SEBI—but the reputational stakes for Zee, and the message for India Inc on governance discipline, could scarcely be higher.
