GECs
Sahara One asserts 27% viewership rise
MUMBAI: Sahara One Television looks to be perking up. The channel’s viewership increased 27 per cent from 63 to 80 GRPs in the week ending 9 July, even as the general entertainment viewership saw an overall drop of 7 per cent.
Star Plus’ GRPs fell from 630.27 to 567.84; Sony’s from 176.62 to 154.46 and Zee TV’s from 145.78 to 142.29 as per the Tam data for the same week.
According to channel officials, it is the Rajshri show Woh Rehne Waali Mehlon Ki that has consistently been doing well for the channel. The show clocked an average of 2.9 TVRs for the week ending 9 July in female 15+ C&S Hindi speaking markets over last week’s 2.5 TVRs.
Woh Rehne Waali Mehlon Ki, in its sixth week, has been showing a substantial and consistent growth across Monday to Thursday. Says Sahara One Television COO Purnendu Bose, “This is the beginning of a long innings.”
Meanwhile, Sahara One’s latest show Hare Kkaanch Ki Choodiyan will be launching on 25 July in the 3.30 pm afternoon slot.
The big question for the present though, is whether Sahara One can continue the upward trend in its GRPs that it has garnered in the week ending 9 July.
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.
