GECs
Zee Muzic on revamp mode with best of Bollywood
NEW DELH: Zee Muzic channel is once again in a revamp mode. This time its glossier and positioning itself as an aspirational channel, riding the Hindi film bandwagon in a big way, according to a TV executive.
The Zee management has taken a decision to position Zee Muzic as an aspirational channel showcasing the best of Bollywood, along with some zany veejays, said Irshwin N Balvani, the music channels business head.
According to Balvani, SEC A audiences too are being targeted now along with those in SEC B and C in tune with the channels repositioning. The music channel has access to a huge number of Hindi film songs owing to the networks big movie library.
Speaking to journalists at an event here on Wednesday, organised to unveil an all-new programming line-up, Balvani said that the distribution problem is being addressed very aggressively keeping the ground realities in mind.
If the all-India market share of Zee Muzic is to be seen, then it would be in the region of 65 per cent, but easy visibility is an issue because of lack of adequate bandwidth with cable operators everywhere.In some pockets of the country the channel is very strong, while in some others its not on tunable bandwidth at all, he explained, adding that in Chennai, for example, because of conditional access the music channel has almost 100 per cent presence in cable homes.
According to information available with Indiantelevision.com, the Zee management has given the music channel managers approximately nine months to turn around the channel into a decent competition for the likes of MTV and Channel V, both of which have big groups backing it.
Of course, there is competition and we must strategise accordingly, but to say Zee Muzic is a forgotten product would be wrong, said Balvani, whos been brought in from Zoom TV after Pradeep Guha (a Times of India group strongman) took over as the CEO of Zee Telefilms some time back.
So, what does the new line-up at Zee Muzic look like? Its certainly packaged well with lots of gloss, loads of Bollywood and increased interactivity.
Model-turned-TV anchor Nina Manuel, model Aparna Kumar, Roshni Chopra , Mayank Anand and actor-singer Vikas Bhalla form the hip anchors of Zee Muzic.
Nina, who could also be seen on some other channels like NDTV 24×7, hosts Midnite Manual, Aparna is the presenter for Bollywood Tonight, while self confessed movie buff Roshni anchors Cinemascope. Vikas hosts Bollywood This Week and Mayank will be the anchor for the soon-to-be-launched Cine Song.
Zee Muzic is a 24-hour free-to-air music channel from the Zee stable. The channel is available in places like Australia, New Zealand, Bangladesh, Fiji, Hong King, Indonesia, Philippines, Sri Lanka, Japan, Maldives, Thailand and the Middle East. A separate beam of Zee Muzic is also available in the UK and the US.
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.
