GECs
UTV deal with CNN indiadotcom extended for 20 episodes
The Ronnie Screwvala-promoted UTV Entertainment – which produces two of CNN International’s “made in India” programmes – has extended its production contract for CNN indiadotcom for another 20 episodes.
CNN indiadotcom had completed 31 episodes at the end of May when the contract was extended. The original contract with UTV was for 40 episodes, executive producer Jaya Mahajan has said.
CNN indiadotcom is presented by Anish Trivedi and covers every aspect of information technology. The weekly show looks at the information technology (IT) industry and how it affects both corporate and personal lives and bring viewers expert opinions, interviews and the latest news on this rapidly-growing industry. CNN indiadotcom has a team of three reporters in Mumbai, one in Bangalore, one in Delhi, two in Hyderabad and two in Chennai, Mahajan said.
When queried about the ubiquitous TRPs, Mahajan said the issues at stake for niche programmes like CNN indiadotcom were not so much ratings as effective distribution, since it directly affected the programme’s reachability.
“They are good just the way they are at the moment. It is unfair at this stage to compare these shows with those on other fairly established channels,” Mahajan states.
But the show is catching on and making a difference Mahajan says, citing an instance where the programme had a positive impact while covering the influence of e-network in the rural areas.
“About three months ago we had covered the impact of information technology in the villages,” recalls Mahajan. “The programme featured how e-networking was changing the lives of the people in Varna, a district in Maharashtra. Varna had received a special grant from the prime minister’s special relief fund to e-enable its network. A programme highlighting this was aired in December. The collector of Dhar district in Madhya Pradesh (central India) happened to watch this programme while he was in Delhi. After noting the changes that IT connectivity had brought about in the villages, it inspired the collector to lead his district towards becoming IT enabled and making it an e-network savvy place.
“A television show should not be only about entertainment, providing information superficially. It is a medium which can bring about changes,” says Mahajan, quite satisfied with the impact the programme has had with audiences.
“We are not changing people’s lives but sometimes we make a difference, which is what the show is all about,” says the 26-year-old executive producer. “You know the work is actually reaching people and the difference is truly being felt.”
Queried as to how well the show’s presenter Anish Trivedi went down with audiences, Mahajan said: “CNN is an American channel and stands for a certain production quality. Given his background and presentation style, Anish Trivedi comes across as polished, suave and has a bit of credibility behind him.” (Trivedi spent 15 years in the investment banking industry – starting as a trader, and moving through various areas including research, mergers & acquisitions, and investment banking. Trivedi was a former partner at the New York-based investment bank, Oppenheimer & Co, Inc., where he served as the firm’s director of Indian research, and as country head for India.)
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.
