GECs
Zee Business to launch three live interactive shows
MUMBAI: Zee Business, the business news channel from Zee Telefilms stable, has planned three new interactive based shows.
The bidding, chat and opinion poll shows are all set to launch in August. According to a media release, Zee Business is using state-of-the-art technology from a British firm, which allows real-time on-air display of messages sent on a mobile platform.
The first show to be launched is named Boli No. 1 and it will go on air on 8 August. The bidding show has been designed using the unique and lowest bid concept. Through Boli No. 1, the participants can win refrigerators, TVs, mobile phones and lots of other exciting goods for as low as Re 1. Typically, these products will go under the hammer for below Rs 5. Viewers will have to send in their bids on 7575, using the keyword WIN.
News Tonight, which will beams at 9 pm to 10 pm on Zee Business, will also go interactive, with viewers getting a first time opportunity to participate in a discussion. Viewers will first need to register their name using the keyword REG. Once their names are registered on the system, they can use the keyword CHAT and send in their messages/comments/questions to the show. The lower half of the screen will display their messages the moment they get a delivery report on their phone.
On Zee Business Special, which airs at 8:30 pm, the viewers will be asked their opinion on a question on the biggest news of the day. The reply either has to be “Y” for Yes or “N” for No, which will automatically change the bar graph on air. The keyword to be used here is POLL, informs the media release.
GECs
Sebi sends show-cause notice to Zee over fund diversion, company responds
Regulator questions 2018 letter of comfort and governance lapses; company vows robust legal response
MUMBAI: India’s markets watchdog has reignited its long-running scrutiny of Zee Entertainment Enterprises, issuing a sweeping show-cause notice that drags the broadcaster and 84 others into a widening governance storm.
The notice, dated February 12, has been served by the Securities and Exchange Board of India to Zee, chairman emeritus Subhash Chandra and managing director and chief executive Punit Goenka, among others. At its heart: allegations that company funds were indirectly routed to settle liabilities of entities linked to the Essel Group.
The regulator’s probe traces its roots to November 2019, when two independent directors resigned from Zee’s board, flagging concerns over the alleged appropriation of fixed deposits by Yes Bank. The deposits were reportedly adjusted against loans extended to Essel Group entities, triggering questions about related-party dealings and board oversight.
A key flashpoint is a letter of comfort dated September 4, 2018, issued by Subhash Chandra in his dual capacity as chairman of Zee and the Essel Group. The document, linked to credit facilities availed by certain group companies from Yes Bank, was allegedly known only to select members of management and not disclosed to the full board—an omission SEBI believes raises red flags over transparency and governance controls.
Zee has pushed back hard. In a statement, the company said it “strongly refutes” the allegations against it and its board members and will file a detailed response. It expressed confidence that SEBI would conduct a fair review and signalled readiness to pursue all legal remedies to protect shareholder interests.
The notice marks the latest twist in a saga that has shadowed the broadcaster since 2019. What began as boardroom unease has morphed into a full-blown regulatory confrontation. The final reckoning now rests with SEBI—but the reputational stakes for Zee, and the message for India Inc on governance discipline, could scarcely be higher.
