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Zee converts Siti into a satellite channel
MUMBAI: Zee Telefilms has converted Siti Channel from a cable into a satellite-delivered channel as it plans to expand reach by setting up affiliates across the country.
Positioned as an informative and interactive channel, it will reach the headends of cable networks through decoder boxes. The focus will be on showing local content while reducing movies on the channel.
“As a cable channel, there were issues on quality and reach. It is still a cable-oriented channel but is being delivered by satellite. We can reach out to non Siticable networks through our affiliate scheme,” says Siticable senior vice president, operations, Subhas Grover.
Siticable is working out affiliate deals with cable networks willing to take the channel for offering to their subscribers. “We have the ambitious target of building up 2000 affiliates across the country within two months. The affiliates will have to pay a nominal fee to us,” says Grover.
Local programming will be uplinked from Essel Shyam teleport at Noida and beamed from the satellite to the various headends. “The content is being organised with interactive programmes. We feel this will be attractive for other cable networks. We are now showing two movies which we plan to reduce to one a day. We were earlier screening three movies daily,” says Grover.
Siti Channel will not be able to telecast movies where Zee holds only cable rights. Zee has rights to a huge number of movies which it used to telecast in its cable channel.
So how will Zee utilise its cable movie rights? The individual headends will have access to these movies, says Grover. Rival multi system operators (MSOs) IndusInd Media & Communications and Hathway Cable & Datacom run cable movie channels CVO and CCC respectively.
Siti Channel had closed down operations in certain cities like Mumbai but was running in other places like Delhi. By taking it satellite, Zee hopes to not only rejuvenate the channel but also spread the influence of Siticable in other cable networks across the country.
NEW DELHI: Hamdard Laboratories gathered a cross-section of India’s achievers in New Delhi on Friday, handing out the Hakeem Abdul Hameed Excellence Awards to figures who have left their mark across healthcare, education, sport, public service and the arts.
The ceremony, attended by minister of state for defence Sanjay Seth and senior officials from the ministry of Ayush, celebrated individuals whose work blends professional success with a sense of public purpose. It was as much a roll call of achievement as it was a reminder that influence is not measured only in profits or podiums, but in people reached and lives improved.
Among the headline awardees was Alakh Pandey, founder and chief executive of PhysicsWallah, recognised for turning affordable digital learning into a mass movement. On the sporting front, Arjuna Awardee and kabaddi player Sakshi Puniya was honoured for her contribution to the game and for pushing women’s participation onto bigger stages.
The cultural spotlight fell on veteran lyricist and poet Santosh Anand, whose songs have echoed across generations of Hindi cinema. At 97, Anand accepted the honour with characteristic humility, reflecting on a life shaped by perseverance and hope.
Healthcare honours spanned both modern and traditional systems. Manoj N. Nesari was recognised for strengthening Ayurveda’s place in national and global health frameworks. Padma shri Mohammed Abdul Waheed was honoured for his research-backed work in Unani medicine, while padma shri Mohsin Wali received recognition for his long-standing contribution to patient-centred care.
Education and social development also featured prominently. Padma shri Zahir Ishaq Kazi was honoured for decades of work in education, while former Meghalaya superintendent of Police T. C. Chacko was recognised for public service. Goonj founder Anshu Gupta received an award for his dignity-centred rural development initiatives, and the Hunar Shakti Foundation was honoured for empowering women and young girls through skill development.
The Lifetime Achievement Award went to former IAS officer Shailaja Chandra for her long career in public healthcare and governance, particularly in the traditional systems under Ayush.
Speaking at the event, Hamdard chairman Abdul Majeed said the awards were a tribute to those who combine excellence with empathy. “These awardees reflect Hakeem Sahib’s belief that healthcare, education and public service must ultimately serve humanity,” he said.
Minister Seth struck a forward-looking note, saying India’s young population gives the country a unique opportunity to become a global destination for learning, health and wellness by 2047.
The ceremony also featured the trailer launch of Unani Ki Kahaani, an upcoming documentary starring actor Jim Sarbh, set to premiere on Discovery on 11 February.
Instituted in memory of Unani scholar and educationist Hakeem Abdul Hameed, the awards have grown into a national platform that celebrates those building a more inclusive and resilient India. For one evening at least, the spotlight was not just on success, but on service with substance.
