GECs
Reality TV’s action packed X’mas
MUMBAI: This Christmas, Indian viewers get to see many new series, Transplant Tourism, Bulletcatchers, G-Man: Making of an FBI Agent and Scavengers of the Savannah – all to be aired on Reality TV.
Reality TV marketing manager Flecka Picardo says said, “It has been Reality TV’s conscious attempt to provide meaningful, real life entertainment filled programmes our Indian viewers. We are confident that these new programmes will further strengthen the position of the channel in India and will be appreciated by our viewers.”
Transplant Tourism is a series on devastating shortage of organs in the industrialised world and how a growing number of patients are turning to the international black market dealing with human body parts. It is a market that is literally exploding, as more and more people from Europe and North America are drawn into the secret, lucrative and sometimes dangerous world of transplant tourism. The series highlights the opinions of medical professionals who not only admit to such practice, condemning the circumstances of the transplants but also often find themselves as the reluctant participants of post-surgery care.
Standing in the line of fire every day and responsible for the protection of some of the world’s wealthiest, most famous and most powerful faces are the Bulletcatchers. Viewers can get up close and personal with footage of the bodyguards protecting high profile celebrities like Sean Connery, Julia Roberts and Madonna. The show provides an insight into what it is like to be a bodyguard for some of the most popular stars in the world and those who are chased by some of their most dangerous fans.
G-Man: Making of an FBI Agent offers an insight into the induction process, with behind-the-scenes access into each area of this state-of-the-art training compound. The FBI is famous for the exacting standards it requires from prospective agents. This special looks at the single-minded determination needed to forge a successful FBI career.
Scavengers of the Savannah features the largest wildbeast migration of the century: a drought following an extreme El nino pushed all the beasts toward the green plains of Kenya. Some material has been gathered during this epic shoot, like the footage of hippos removing wildbeast carcasses from the Mara River’s oxbows or several young zebras caught in the dangerous river flow. Over a period of five months, using the latest techniques of macro and aerial photography, this film will follow the life and death of wildbeast, to reveal the world of the scavengers on the plains of Tanzania and Kenya.
Meanwhile Wildlife Film Makers: Mishaps & Dangers takes you behind the scenes of wildlife filmmaking to reveal the unpredictable behaviour of uncontrollable animal actors. Sharks cutting the cables of the cages protecting underwater cameramen; elephants charging at vehicles; leopards entering the cameramen’s hiding place; hippopotamuses driving zealous cameramen out of the water; male dugongs mistaking photographers for females of their own species to perform a vigorous love parade; cameramen drifting away on an iceberg – these are some of the sequences featured in this documentary.
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.
