GECs
Two Minute TV launches 3 original series for mobiles
MUMBAI: Two Minute Television Network, one of the lead players in the US-based will be available to anyone with a smartphone or PDA equipped with a media player. The free, ad-supported entertainment channel will put series such as Genius on a Shoestring; the first two-minute reality series, Adventures in Speed Dating; and News with a Punchline – in the palm of their hand.
The free, ad-supported entertainment channel will put series such as Genius on a Shoestring; the first two-minute reality series, Adventures in Speed Dating; and News with a Punchline – in the palm of viewers hands.
SmartVideo offers technology that enables fluid motion, fully synched live video and audio broadcasts, even on phones running on current 2.5G cellular networks, making it the only such service able to be called television in the true sense. Thanks to the successful launch of the more robust 3G networks in the US SmartVideo can provide 3G-capable phones with a minimum of 24 frames per second and virtual broadcast quality of at least 28 frames per second on Wi-Fi-enabled devices.
SmartVideo states that close to 70 million phones in the US are equipped with media players that support the SmartVideo system, which is compatible with all major wireless carriers in the world.
Two Minute Television has taken their experience bringing short form content to broadcast and cable television, as well as the Internet. SmartVideo states that Two Minute Television’s original, episodic television programs are ideal for the third screen.
In addition to the three two-minute series it has in production, Two Minute Television has six more series in development, including Cinderella Stories. This follows a person’s transformation in preparation for his/her big day. Emma in Two is the first two minute sitcom. The shows are all original and not re-purposed from long form TV, and all are being made available for three screens: television, the Internet and cellphones.
Two Minute Television and the recently announced Digital Music Video Network, (which will offer the latest music videos from top musical acts) are unique offerings in the emerging mobile television business, offering their services free to anyone with a current-generation media player installed on their device. The revenue for SmartVideo and Two Minute Television will come from brief, 15-second ads. These two channels make the promise and excitement of mobile television to a virtually limitless consumer audience, one that is not tied to any particular cellular service provider.
Two Minute Television chairman David Post says, “We are excited about our relationship with SmartVideo, and believe that our rapidly growing library of two minute television series is well-suited for smartphones. SmartVideo’s mobile television offering is easy and robust, and will help subscribers to enjoy our content, anytime, any place. We believe that TV is a perfect medium for cellphones.”
Two Minute Television claims to be a pioneer and leader in the short form video industry, with its content available on broadcast and cable television, on the Internet, and on cell phones with TV capability. The company brings nearly seven years of experience in creating and producing two minute TV segments, for networks and local stations, for news and entertainment shows.
SmartVideo Technologies offers the first and best-in-class services for broadcasting live, on-demand and download-and-play television content for mobile video consumers around the world. SmartVideo’s television solutions deliver video images with fully synched audio for broadcast to video-enabled cell phones and other handheld devices, via current and next-generation cellular and Wi-Fi systems.
SmartVideo’s proprietary technologies include a full suite of television content management services for wireless telco carriers as well as content owners, to provide an end-to-end mobile television broadcast and business solution. SmartVideo’s robust library of content includes news, weather, sports, children’s programming and more, from content providers like ABC News, NBC Universal, Fox Sports and The Weather Channel.
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.
