GECs
Zee eyeing 7 to 9 slot on DD Metro; Nine Gold noncommital
The Zee Network, which had initially been quite cool to making a bid for slots on national broadcaster Doordarshan’s Metro Channel, now says it is interested in making a pitch but only for the 7:00 PM to 9:00 PM slot.
HFCL-Nine Gold, which suffered a setback when national broadcaster Doordarshan threw open bidding for prime time slots on its DD Metro channel, was non-committal when queried how it would respond to Zee’s move. A senior official would only say they were keeping a track of the developments and would declare their intentions at the appropriate time.
Partho Sinha, senior vice-president (marketing) for Zee Network said: “After due assessment, we are definitely interested in bidding.” It may be recalled that Zee Network CEO RK Singh, while not ruling out making a pitch when bidding was initially opened, appeared to indicate that there was little likelihood of this happening.
Late last month Prasar Bharati (Broadcasting Corporation of India) had invited bids for the prime time band of 7:00 to 10:00 PM and for the 10:00 PM to 00:30 am slot on DD Metro for a period of three years. Dividing the time band into one-hour slots, it laid the floor price of Rs 225 million, RS 325 million, RS 425 million and RS 175 million for the four hourly slots between 7:00 PM to 11:00 PM
Prasar Bharti said the pre-qualification bids would be opened on 18 June and financial bids the next day and that bidders would be allowed to be present at the time of opening of both bids.
Nine Golds’ rights to the 7:00 PM to 9:00 PM slot comes to an end in September while rights to the 9:00 PM to 10:00 PM slot ceases in October. Last year it had bought up the prime time band on DD Metro for RS 1210 million.
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.
