GECs
Telcos call for comprehensive legal framework on convergence
BANGALORE: Telecom companies are in favour of a comprehensive legal framework to deal with various issues arising from convergence of technologies and devices.
Participating at the TRAI (Telecom Regulatory Authority of India) open house on its consultation paper relating to convergence and competition in broadcasting and telecommunications, Tata Teleservices chief officer corporate regulatory Rakesh Mehrotra said that there was need for a comprehensive legislation. “Today, the broadcasting and the cable industry are quite fragmented. We have to take that into proper regulatory framework.. If you look at the Communication Convergence Bill, it was good at that point of time. But it has no relevance now. There should definitely be comprehensive legislation for that,” he added.
Agreed Kulin Sanghvi of Reliance Infocomm: “Our submission is primarily that all players should be at an equivalent level to keep up a comprehensive legal framework. So, maybe what can be done to develop an alternative legal framework is to allow the development of broadcasting services to develop on a stand alone basis to reach a maturity from where a common structure can be evolved,” he said.
The Trai panel consisted of Dr. Devendra P S Seth, Satya N Gupta, Dr. S K Haleja and Rakesh Kacker.
The regulator feels there is need to consider several issues in the light of increasingly converged technologies, services and markets as well as international experience – comprehensive legal framework; unified licensing; spectrum related issues; rationalisation of differential custom duty regime; restriction on use of protocols; institutional funding; foreign direct investment limits; and right of way to cable operators providing digital services.
Regarding carriage, Mehrotra said this should be brought under one ambit, be it telecom or broadcasting, and the rules should be framed in such a manner that would foster uniformity. “As far as content is concerned, there should be two different departments – one responsible for broadcasting and the other for telecommunications. This is necessary because if there are two different regulators, there will always be a hitch and conflict of jurisdiction,” he remarked.
As far as the licensing regime is concerned, Mehrotra urged for some changes which would take care of carriage and content separately. “There should be some flexibility in the spectrum for allocation to the equal advantage of two services. Mobile TV and broadcasting are going to converge. If you go to the information and broadcasting ministry, it has an entirely different set of rules there. This could be a major bottleneck,” he pointed out.
Commenting on institutional financing, Mehrotra said it should be left to market forces. “If the bank finds it viable, let them finance the cable operators. As far as FDI limits are concerned, there was certain reasoning and requirement for different slabs. Hence rationalisation is not required. The various slabs should continue,” he added.
Cable operators, however, felt that the sector should get support from institutional financing. They had difficulty in arranging funds for convergence licenses and upgradation of cable networks, according to Ponnacha, former spokesperson of the Karnataka State Cable Operators Association. Citing instances where cable operators had to pay interest rates as high as 60 per cent per annum, he urged the government to direct banks to make financing easily accessible to cable operators.
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.
