GECs
Star lines up some more soapy nights
The decision has been taken. The once hugely popular Kaun Banega Crorepati is being phased slowly out of Star Plus, and family drama serials are taking pride of place on prime time once again.
From October 29, KBC will be aired only twice a week, while the channel will pull KBC Junior off the air from December. Star is now weaning audiences back to the family soap, with actor Aruna Irani’s maiden production venture, Desh Mein Nikala Hoga Chand, an NRI saga, taking over the Monday 9-10 pm slot. Balaji Telefilms’ Kasautii Zindagi Kay will start beaming from Monday to Thursday at 8.30 pm, from the end of October. Kundali, a popular serial that had to go off the air when Channel Nine Gold wound up, will be beamed on Star beginning October 25, 8 pm.
The Business Standard financial daily, quoting INTAM figures for KBC for the month of September, reports that while the cumulative programme viewership for the show is an impressive 2.01 million, its average programme viewership is only 828,000, compared with 1.8 million for the its top soap, Kyunkii Saas Bhi Kabhi Bahu Thi.
Sources in Star say that there are two to three more programmes lined up come November, but officials are not yet willing to divulge details. Discussions are still on where to slot these new shows. The possibilities are in the afternoon band, the late night band (post-11 pm) or the early evening band (7:30 pm – 9:00 pm).
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.
