GECs
Viacom18 announces financial aid to production workers
MUMBAI: In the wake of the fast-spreading Covid-19, Viacom18 will financially support all daily-wage earners engaged with the production of all its original content across India, said a company release. The company will now make select content available for public broadcaster Doordarshan’s viewers, thus keeping them entertained with the very best of stories
This is part of a slew of measures to ensure that audiences continue to remain entertained while being socially responsible.
Additionally, Viacom18 has partnered with GiveIndia to roll out a nationwide fundraising campaign to support daily wage earners across industries. Frontlined by contribution from its own employees, the company will be launching a social media campaign to encourage Indians to contribute, and will match the corpus collected.
In an attempt to make content easily available to its viewers across the country, Viacom18 will be making Colors Rishtey available as a Free-To-Air channel until further notice.
Viacom18 will also continue to amplify awareness and messaging around best practises during these times through its new public sector awareness campaign #RahoSafeGharPe. The campaign will stress on the need to stay home, wash hands frequently, and practise social distancing. The PSA will run on all Viacom18 network channels, its OTT platform VOOT and its social media channels.
Speaking on the numerous efforts being made at an organizational level, Viacom18 Group CEO and Managing Director Sudhanshu Vats said: “Unprecedented times like these demand for measures that are special, generous and speedy. The COVID-19 outbreak has created tremendous disruption across the nation. Even during such times, constant efforts are being made to ensure that our viewers are being entertained while being educated about the situation. Despite the risks, a few of our employees have stayed back at our offices thus ensuring that viewers get their daily dose of entertainment. We have been ensuring they are safe and are following safety measures. We have always believed that the onus rests upon us in giving back to society in times of need. We have extended support to all those daily wage workers that have been supporting us round the clock during production schedules. As a media company, we will continue to play a responsible role in echoing the larger message and extend support in all possible manners to help curtail the pandemic.”
Furthermore, supporting the Cellular Operators Association of India’s (COAI) massive efforts in ensuring that the existing bandwidth is not over-stretched, Viacom18’s over-the-top platform, VOOT, has temporarily reduced its HD and (ultra-HD) streaming to SD quality to prevent infrastructure overload. This effort is being made considering the potential impact on the cellular network infrastructure caused by the unpredictable surge in mobile network consumption as people are staying indoors.
GECs
Asianet Television Awards 2026 celebrates women power in Malayalam TV
“She is the Colour” theme honours icons as ceremony airs on March 14 and 15 at 7 PM.
MUMBAI: If television lights up living rooms, this year Asianet decided to let women provide the colour. The Asianet Television Awards 2026 turned the spotlight firmly on women empowerment with the theme “She is the Colour”, celebrating the strength, resilience and achievements of women who continue to shape society and the Malayalam entertainment industry.
The ceremony honoured several distinguished personalities whose journeys have left a lasting cultural imprint. Among them was legendary playback singer Vimala Varma, widely recognised as the first Malayalam playback singer. The evening also paid tribute to Padma Shri awardees Devaki Amma and Vimala Menon for their exceptional contributions in their respective fields.
Leading women from the Malayalam film industry were also recognised during the event, including actor Shweta Menon, who currently serves as president of the Association of Malayalam Movie Artists, and National Award winning actor Surabhi Lakshmi.
The awards ceremony brought together a glittering lineup of actors and industry figures, including Jayasurya, Vijay Babu, Asha Sarath, Lena, Esther Anil, Anumol, Akhila Bhargavan, Sarayu Mohan, Prajod Kalabhavan, Gayathri Suresh, Sabumon Abdusamad, Swasika, Tini Tom, Sijoy Varghese, Kailash, Veena Nandakumar, Sabareesh Varma, Ansiba Hassan and Dinesh Prabhakar. Kishan Kumar, executive vice president Malayalam at JioStar, was also present at the event.
Beyond individual recognitions, the awards celebrated excellence across Malayalam television, acknowledging artists and technicians whose work continues to drive the industry forward.
The evening also offered plenty of spectacle, with elaborate dance performances, stunt acts and comedy skits performed by popular television and film personalities, turning the ceremony into a full fledged entertainment showcase.
Viewers will get to watch the celebrations when the Asianet Television Awards 2026 air on Asianet on March 14 and 15, Saturday and Sunday, from 7 pm onwards, bringing the star studded tribute to homes across Kerala and beyond.
