GECs
Times’ WWM steps into TV prod with Jio as Filmfare wows Punjab & Femina digitises
MUMBAI: WorldWide Media (WWM) CEO Deepak Lamba had last year announced his company’s intentions to foray into TV production with a slew of productions. His wish has become a reality with the launch of the company’s first-ever chat show Famously Filmfare premiering on Jio TV today (12 May) followed by telecasts on Colors Infinity from 14 May.
Jio has created a seamless digital life experience for the Indian audience and we believe this premiere will present an exciting on-the-go experience for the movie fans. This innovation will also allow film enthusiasts to engage with their favourite stars on a variety of digital platforms, a Jio spokesperson said.
Also, with Lonely Planet and TopGear, WWM is launching its first one-of-a-kind travel and adventure series ‘Nexa Journeys on Asian Highway 1’ in association with Nexa which will be telecast on the Discovery network come 21 May 2017.
Says Lamba: “At WorldWide Media, our strategy is to be the leader in lifestyle and entertainment content. As a result, our focus is on increasing our presence in the video content and intellectual property (IP) space through long-format content, and with, Famously Filmfare, we are bringing our first such show on digital and television platforms. Soon after this, we will also be launching other versions in Tamil, Malayalam, Bengali, Marathi and Punjabi.”
Filmfare.com generates around 25 million page views a month, and Lamba has opted to partner Jio TV for all language versions of its chat shows. He reveals that preference is being given to the media firms’ previous partners such as Star network for all its southern India chat shows.
To a question, Lamba said that through digital business they aim at trebling its profits (from 5% at present) in the next financial year. “Sixty to 70 per cent of our reach takes place through mobile devices as observed by comScore and Similarweb,” Lamba added.
The Bengali and Marathi Filmfare awards found a home on Colors Bangla and Colors Marathi while the Punjabi version was telecast on Mh1 on 28 April. He is hoping to spike Filmfare’s page impressions to 50 million impressions by the end of next year.
Amongst the other WWM properties he is also looking at extending the iconic brand Femina into video content space, which generates close to 37 million page views a month. Under this umbrella, around 60 events are held — annually. And, Lamba is hoping to add to that number in the coming year.
Says he: “We are seeking alternative revenue streams and looking for new media platforms to exploit the IPs that we have in a different way. There are different revenue streams which are traditional ad sales, event business, digital media, content syndication, TV and web shows and circulation revenue.”
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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.
