GECs
‘Semi Girebaal Returns’ to MTV
MUMBAI: MTV is all set to launch the second season of Semi Girebaal. Semi Girebaal Returns would premiere on 12 November at 9:30 pm.
Coming back with a completely different format, the new Semi Girebaal Returns will include a whole lot of new segments. Each episode will come with elements like celebrity chats and confessions – and this time with some real celebrities, shot in Semi’s new White House, asserts an official release.
Semi is accompanied by her trusted hired help Atmaram, to ride beside her in her white car and also to enter into her mind and dream sequences. This time she is also coming outdoors with trips to the bazaar, charity auctions as well as the houses of celebrities to meet their cooks, cleaners and their pets – all sterilised for her.
This season will even see Semi launch her own line of beauty products and merchandise on air. She is also giving out advice on matters of the heart, conducting poetry sessions titled semi literate and giving lifestyle tips like the art of crying.
Season one of Rendezvous with Semi Girebaal received a good response when MTV VJ Cyrus Sahukar donned the avatar of Semi Girebaal and interviewed look-alikes of leading Indian celebrities in his, err… her tender manner, giving audiences mostly bakwaas information about the stars’ lives, loves and controversies.
“You can run, but you cannot hide as the first lady of talk shows returns for the wackiest, craziest, zaniest season of interviews, gags and insanity on television. So pull out those white kerchiefs, pucker up for those air kisses and enjoy Semi Grebaal Returns,” says MTV India VP and GM creative and content Ashish Patil.
Semi Girebaal Returns is presented by Sprite and associate sponsors Charlie Outlaw, Cadbury Éclair Crunch and Johnson and Johnson Stayfree, adds the release.
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.
