GECs
Star Ananda readies for 11 May launch
MUMBAI: The name has been fixed, and so has the launch date (at least targeted). The Bengali news channel from the ABP Group-Rupert Murdoch stable, Star Ananda, has zeroed in on 11 May as its date for debut.
This has been confirmed to indiantelevision.com by a sources close to the developments.
Uplinking clearance for the channel came through on Tuesday (26 April) so barring unforeseen technical problems, Star Ananda should start beaming from 11 May. As was reported by indiantelevision.com earlier this month, the 24-hour Bengali news channel will be co-branded and hence it carries the Star brand name.
Media Content & Communications Services India Pvt. Ltd (MCCS), a 74:26 per cent joint venture between the Aveek Sarkar-controlled ABP Group and Murdoch-promoted Star Group, manages the Star News channel.
Suman Chattopadhyay will be the executive editor for the proposed free-to-air Bengali channel.
BBC’s design arm BBC Broadcast Design, which was instrumental in providing a new look for Star News in February, will also be responsible for the graphics and on-air look of the Bengali channel.
On the programming front, the proposed channel will have a blend of programming that is aimed at attracting Bengali speaking audiences nationally. However, due focus on local (West Bengal-specific) news would also be given as MCCS would like to capitialise on the ABP Group’s strong presence in eastern India.
The Kolkata-based company publishes The Telegraph in English and the widely circulated Bengali newspaper Ananda Bazar Patrika, both of whom have the ambition to be national dailies.
GECs
Z launches ‘Dilfluencer Moments’ to boost brand engagement across screens
New omnichannel format blends TV characters, storytelling and digital reach to boost engagement and affinity
MUMBAI: Zee Entertainment Enterprises Ltd (‘Z’) has unveiled ‘Dilfluencer Moments’, a new omnichannel media format designed to help brands cut through the clutter and turn audience attention into brand love.
With media access increasingly democratized, visibility alone no longer drives results. Shrinking attention spans and rising content noise have made memorability, emotional connection and action the real currency. Dilfluencer Moments addresses this by embedding brands into character-led, culturally resonant storytelling that travels seamlessly from TV to digital, social and creator ecosystems.
The format debuted with the “TumHoLovely” campaign on National Girl Child Day. Anchored in Hindi and Marathi shows, the campaign’s narrative extended organically across digital platforms, amplified by creators and community participation. A brand film featuring Sanya Malhotra further showcased how TV-originated cultural cues can spark broad engagement and virality. Within 24 hours, the campaign racked up 35 million total impressions, 20 million digital views, 2.5 million engagements and over 1,000 comments.
Laxmi Shetty, head – advertisement revenue, broadcast & digital, Zee Entertainment Enterprises Ltd, said, “As consumers turn away from interruption-led communication, advertisers need moments that feel culturally earned and emotionally authentic. Dilfluencer Moments delivers reach at scale through character-first content systems that connect with audiences personally, transforming storytelling into brand love.”
Kartik Mahadev, chief marketing officer, ‘Z’ & Zee 5, added: “Access alone is no longer an advantage; affinity is. Affinity comes from storytelling, familiar characters and moments that stay with audiences across screens. Dilfluencer Moments lets brands participate meaningfully in moments audiences already love, travelling organically across linear, digital and social platforms at scale.”
By anchoring campaigns in high-trust television moments and extending them into digital and social ecosystems, Dilfluencer Moments enables brands to generate organic engagement, amplify virality and convert attention into long-term emotional equity.
With its national scale, deep emotional storytelling and character-first approach, Z is offering marketers a powerful new way to build affinity, cut through clutter and create culturally resonant brand moments that stick.
