GECs
Zee Music banks on interactive shows
MUMBAI: Zee Music, hit by low penetration, is planning to get its distribution act together. The channel is banking on interactive programming like dial-in shows to improve its reach.
Zee Music has an average 13 per cent reach in November, according to TAM data in cable and satellite 4+ Hindi-speaking markets. MTV’s reach is much higher at 24.23, followed by Channel [V] and ETC Music (20 per cent).
The channels two live and interactive shows, Suniyon Re airing 3 pm and another Please Toh Play at 7 pm, have shown the managers of Zee Music that good properties can drive reach. In both these shows, viewers can request for songs through a toll free number and also chat with celebrities real time.
Zee Music is also considering whether a joint promotion/packaging with ETC channels would help increase its viewership base.
Emphasising on the interactivity factor, Zee Music and Zee Cinema business head Bharat Ranga admitted to indiantelevision.com, Connectivity is a problem, but that problem is being addressed through various initiatives, including our live shows that have got us positive feedback.
Recently, Jagjit Singh interacted live with viewers/listeners on Suniyon Re. A first of its kind for Singh, the feedback was positive enough for the channel to think of effectively marketing such properties to increase viewership in C&S homes.
Zee Music is also bothered about increasing its audience share. It has a 12 per cent channel share, putting it behind MTV (20 per cent) and Channel (V) and ETC Music (17 per cent each). This is based on TAM data for 1 November to 12 December, in C&S 4+ Hindi-speaking markets. B4U Music has a five per cent share.
Though a major portion of Zee Musics content comprises of Hindi filmi music, pop music too is aired. However, Ranga feels that this exclusive access to film music owing to the rights of films that Zee as a network buys would be a driver and help the channel in a big way to get its distribution in place.”
Dwelling on the significance of acquiring film rights for a music channel, Ranga feels that it is done with a definite strategy in mind. Zee Music is interested in servicing the definitive need for pure Hindi filmi music in a format of playing the whole song, which the other music channels cannot do as they have access to short trailer clips only.
Zee has more Hindi film music rights than its rivals, claims Ranga. The only other channel that can lay claim to having access to Hindi film music is SET Max, but the Sony bouquet doesnt have an Indian music channel within its fold. Ranga also pointed out that earlier MTV would buy film music form Zee, but the practice has been discontinued.
Meanwhile, Zee Music is making efforts to groom new talents too. Towards this end, the channel has recently constituted a Talent Artiste Repertoire (TAR) division with an aim to locate talents and provide them with a platform.
GECs
ZEEL overhauls sales structure to chase growth across TV and digital platforms
New structure sharpens digital push as viewing habits fragment fast
MUMBAI: Zee Entertainment Enterprises Ltd. is reshuffling its sales playbook as it looks to keep pace with a fast-changing media landscape, where audiences are scattered, screens are multiplying and advertisers are following the data.
According to media reports, the rejig is anchored in the company’s push to build a more integrated, data-led monetisation engine, one that can straddle both traditional television and fast-growing digital platforms with equal ease.
At the heart of the move is a reworked sales architecture designed to deliver cross-platform solutions. With connected TV gaining ground and digital consumption surging, ZEEL is aligning its teams to move quicker, think broader and sell smarter.
The restructuring is being led by chief operating officer, advertisement revenue, Sandeep Mehrotra, at a time when the company says it is seeing tremendous growth. The idea is simple: match the right talent to the right opportunity in a market that is anything but static.
As part of the overhaul, several long-serving executives have been elevated to chief sales officer roles across regions and content clusters. Sanjoy Chatterjee will head the east market, while Gunjarav Nayak takes charge of the west along with high-margin verticals such as hmg, brand works, intellectual properties and digital sales. Rajnish Gupta will oversee bengaluru and chennai markets alongside the kannada and tamil clusters.
In other key moves, Divjyot Dhanda will lead hyderabad and kochi markets and manage zee tv, zee keralam and the telugu cluster. Roshan Vasu Kotian will supervise a diverse portfolio including Zee Marathi, &tv, Zee Punjabi, Zee Anmol, Big Magic and Zee Biskope.
The company is also strengthening its bench, appointing national sales heads across retail, regional clusters, digital and brand solutions. Ankur Kapila’s appointment to lead digital sales signals a sharper push into a segment that continues to outpace traditional formats.
Behind the scenes, dedicated strategy and operations roles have been carved out for both linear and digital businesses. Nitin Shetty, Rajkiran Shrivastav and Priya Nambiar will take on key responsibilities to ensure the new structure runs with precision.
The broader aim is clear. ZEEL wants a bigger slice of advertising budgets that are steadily drifting towards digital and connected TV ecosystems. By integrating its offerings, the company hopes to deepen client relationships while unlocking new revenue streams.
The new structure takes effect immediately, with Mehrotra continuing to report to chief executive officer Punit Goenka and steer the company’s advertising revenue strategy. Senior executive Laxmi Shetty will support the transition, with her revised role expected to be announced soon.
In a market where content is everywhere but attention is scarce, ZEEL’s latest move is less about rearranging the org chart and more about staying in the game.
