GECs
Siti channel dons a new, improved look
MUMBAI: From 24 February Entertainment Ka Naya Funda, Interesting! is Siti Channel’s new catch line. Siti, which “upgraded” from a cable channel to a satellite channel last year, is targeting both youth & family audiences with its brand new look.
Zee Telefilms had converted Siti to a satellite-delivered channel with the intent to expand its reach by setting up affiliates across the country.
The format with new improved graphics & packaging, would provide a fresh looking Siti Channel to viewers, a company statement says.
The channel will now address the aspirational values of non- metro cities and the smaller townships along with viewers in Sec B, C and D in metro cities. The channel has something for each and everyone in the family. Specific time bands have been created, focusing on different age groups – morning for the old, early afternoon for the women, evenings for the youth and more with focus on weekend entertainment for the entire family.
Siti head Gaurav Goel said, “The business logic for getting into an already crowded genre is simple. This is the largest genre in TV viewership pie and accounts for more than 50 per cent share in viewership. Recent success of second level of general entertainment is a live example of latent demand in this genre and is still the most viable genre to venture into. We intend to provide wholesome entertainment to our viewers and break away from cliché of sticking to one particular flavor like humour or newsy content.”
Movies will be packaged and presented in a very unique and “interesting” format according to the target group.
The sources in the company are confident that viewers that will sample the channel will definitely come back for more. With the same concept they have targeted their logo with a tag line saying “Interesting”, hoping to get the audience to try them out.
Siti has been launched with a multi media campaign across targeted markets and an extensive communication campaign positioned around its new tag line.
Launched after consolidating the independent cable operators in 1994, Siti channel was the first organized cable channel of the country. It started as a community channel, relaying movies and local content. Then, the main objective for this city specific channel was to provide city specific programming and content.
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.
