GECs
Suvarna Plus launches two new comedy shows
BENGALURU: The Star network’s recently added Kannada GEC Suvarna Plus announced the launch of two new daily (Monday to Sunday) comedy shows – Singari Bangari and Jam‘n’Jelly that will go on air from December 2013. Singari Bangari will go on air at 9:00 pm followed by Jam`n’Jelly at 9:30 pm.
Suvarna Plus business head Anup Chandrashekharan says, “The idea behind the two comedy shows is to provide a sense of relief to the audiences from their stressful lives. Jam‘n’Jelly is a first of its kind mute comedy offering in the Kannada market. Both these shows are light hearted comedies and I am sure that our audiences would enjoy them.”
Earlier, the channel re-ran the content broadcast by the Star Network’s first Kanada GEC Suvarna. Over a period of time the network plans to add more content exclusively for Suvarna Plus say sources at the channel.
“Since this is a new channel, we don’t have sponsors or new advertisers on board for the shows, but are sure to get them once the shows and the channel gain popularity,” revealed the sources, who also informed that generally the ad inventory in the case of Suvarna is fully booked.
The channel says that Singari Bangari is a fun riot between mother-in-law (Singari) and daughter-in-law (Bangari). The cat and mouse game between these two affects the family and leads them into comical situations more often than not. The never ending tussle between the two women is the crux of the show. The show is directed by Pavankumar and produced by Vasanthkumar.
Jam‘n’Jelly is a mute comedy, a first of its kind in Kannada entertainment. The two characters Jam and Jelly are the highlights of the show. The show has a lot of firsts in it and is all set to create a new trend in the Kannada market with its unique treatment. The show is directed by Sachin Shetty and produced by Shivadhwaj.
Besides these new shows, the channel already has shows like Campus Connect, Bindas Bakra and Namma Parivara that are becoming popular names in every part of Karnataka.
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.
