GECs
UTV looking at putting four lifestyle shows on air this year
MUMBAI: One television genre that is catching on in the country is the lifestyle brand. Last year Discovery had launched the Discovery Travel and Living channel. Zoom also launched from the Times stable. Production house UTV is looking to take advantage of this trend.
Speaking last evening to Indiantelevision.com on the sidelines of a shoot for BBC World’s Business Bites UTV CEO Ronnie Screwvalla said, “We are looking at putting on at least four lifestyle shows this year. We are doing a project for Sahara. Overall we do about 22 hours of programming a week. This is the second largest in terms of output that any Indian television producer does. In that mix non-fiction constitutes about four hours. We are also talking to Star regarding doing a lifestyle show.”
Screwvalla added that it was important for UTV to break the mould as far as lifestyle programming is concerned. It is therefore looking to go beyond the page three phenomenon. “I however don’t believe that the lifestyle segment will mature in 2005. Maturing takes time. As a genre it is quite new. Even Hindi films are taking time to mature from just being about pure entertainment. The audience may not immediately take to lifestyle shows but it does not mean that you don’t do it. If you continuously produce a high level of output they will take to it over a period of time.”
KEY USPs OF ‘BUSINESS BITES’ ARE RESEARCH, INFORMAL SETTING: SCREWVALA
Talking about the BBC show, Screwvalla said that during conceptualisation the aim was to make the show very different from the other talk shows and business based shows on Indian television. “We wanted the talk to happen between two competitors in the same sector. This way we can discuss the challenges happening. We were also looking for a different setting.”
“That is why we decided not to do it in a normal studio surrounding. We did not want a formal look. In an informal setting like a restaurant you are able to get a lot of issues out. The basic premise is that business when it is transacted over an informal occasion like lunch or dinner you tend to build bigger bridges and have a much more healthier relationship. The format has not been changed since we started out. We have gone industry by industry.”
Screwvalla added that as it was a BBC show the production values by necessity have to be high. “We are careful about picking the restaurant. While we talk about five or six core issues spread over 16 or 17 questions there is a tremendous amount of research that goes into each episode. We have a research team.”
“While I am generally aware about the sectors by and large what happens is that I have about 300 pages of research to just glance through. It gives me a very good idea about the industry. From there I narrow down my thoughts and discuss issues.”
“The research done along with the informal setting are the two things that set the show apart from other talk shows and business programmes. Also when you watch the programme every week you get different perspectives. You get a layman’s view in a half an hour snapshot. Otherwise you would get a more high tech discussion. Our discussions are more broader.”
UTV also has another show for the BBC called Back To The Floor. This sees a CEO going back to the basic level. “This is not a mock kid of thing. It is very participatory. The CEO gets to see what is right and what is wrong about basic systems and processes. We are also doing a show for National Georgraphic. This takes a look at stunt men. We also have two game shows on Hungama. One is a cricket show while the other is set on a giant wheel. These are the kinds of formats we are working on as far as non fiction is concerned.”
Business Bites airs every Sunday at 11 am on BBC World with a repeat the same day at 10 pm.
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.
