GECs
Zee News to start video streaming on its website zeenews.com
NEW DELHI: Getting tech savvy and in a bid to attract those more prone to watching news using their computers than the TV set, Zee News will be starting video streaming on zeenews.com.
Laxmi N Goel director, News Group Zee Telefilms
“The process of streaming news on the news portal with live videos is ready to be launched. If not today, over the next few days we will introduce this feature on the Zee News site,” Laxmi N Goel, director, News Group of Zee Telefilms, told indiantelevision.com yesterday.
Goel, one of the brothers of Zee promoter Subhash Chandra, took over as the head of Zee News a few months ago after its then head Sanjay Pugalia quit the company to join the Rupert Murdoch-controlled Star’s news division as director news in India.
Though others like NDTV, contracted to supply content for Star News channel, had started streaming video on their sites (ndtv.com), Zee News has woken up to the wonders of technology now.
Pointing out that it better to be late than never in doing it, Goel said that on an average the Zee News’ site got between 90-95,000 hits daily. “After we introduce streaming, we are confident that the hits would increase tremendously,” he added.
Though a country-wise break-up of hits was not available, it is learnt that the Zee News site gets more hits from the US. “Since it is our aim to cater to the needs of Indians within the country and the Indian diaspora around the globe, video streaming would add another dimension to that effort,” Goel said.
Goel, though a bit guarded on the plans and designs that he has for Zee News, admitted that over the next few months the look of the news channel would change and some new programmes would be added.
At one time considered the uncrowned king of news broadcasting, catering to the Hindi-speaking populace of India, Zee News in recent times has lost some ground. Especially with the entry of newer players like Aaj Tak from the India Today Group stable. At least various studies on market share indicate this.
GECs
Sahara One reports financial results, notes director exit and business realignment
Muted revenues, steady expenses and strategic adjustments shape company’s current phase
MUMBAI: In a tale where the sands seem to be slipping faster than they can be gathered, Sahara One Media and Entertainment Limited has reported another quarter of wafer-thin income and widening losses, even as a boardroom exit adds to the unease.
The company informed the Bombay Stock Exchange that its board, in a meeting held on April 4, approved its unaudited financial results for the quarter ended September 30, 2025. The numbers paint a stark picture. Total income for the quarter stood at just Rs 0.13 lakh, unchanged sequentially and sharply down from Rs 0.26 lakh a year earlier.
Losses, meanwhile, deepened. The company posted a net loss of Rs 24.16 lakh for the quarter, compared to Rs 18.81 lakh in the June quarter and Rs 39.69 lakh in the same period last year. For the six months ended September 2025, the cumulative loss stood at Rs 39.69 lakh, while the full-year loss for FY25 was reported at Rs 60.72 lakh.
Expenses continued to outweigh income by a wide margin. Total expenses for the quarter came in at Rs 24.30 lakh, led by employee benefit costs of Rs 6.51 lakh and other expenses of Rs 17.78 lakh. Earnings per share remained in the red at Rs (0.11) for the quarter.
The balance sheet reflects a company with significant assets on paper but limited operational momentum. Total assets stood at Rs 23,065.57 lakh as of September 30, 2025, broadly unchanged from March 2025. Equity share capital remained steady at Rs 2,152.50 lakh, while total equity was reported at Rs 18,004.85 lakh.
Cash and cash equivalents saw a modest uptick to Rs 6.75 lakh from Rs 4.68 lakh earlier, supported by a positive operating cash flow of Rs 180.01 lakh for the period.
Yet, beneath these numbers lies a more complex narrative. The company’s auditors flagged their inability to obtain sufficient evidence to form a conclusion on the financial statements, citing lack of access to records. They also raised concerns over the company’s ability to continue as a going concern, pointing to insufficient funds, delayed recoveries, and stalled content investments.
Adding to the governance overhang, the company disclosed that Rana Zia has resigned as whole-time director, effective October 16, 2025, citing other professional commitments. The resignation, noted and accepted by the board, also brings an end to her role across company committees.
Regulatory pressures continue to loom large. The Securities and Exchange Board of India has already initiated penal actions for non-compliance with listing norms, with trading in the company’s shares remaining suspended. There is also a risk of promoter demat accounts being frozen.
Legacy legal issues remain unresolved. A substantial deposit of Rs 694,027.88 thousand linked to the long-running OFCD dispute involving Sahara group entities is still under the purview of the Supreme Court of India. Restrictions on asset disposal continue to weigh on the company’s financial flexibility.
Operationally, challenges persist across multiple fronts. Advances worth Rs 1,92,916 thousand given for film content remain stuck, with delays in project completion and uncertain recoverability. The company’s YouTube channel, despite being operational, has generated no revenue for over three years due to compliance lapses. In a further twist, management has indicated that revenues may have been fraudulently diverted through unauthorised changes to its AdSense account, with a police complaint in the works.
There are also missed revenue opportunities. Television content rights continue to be used by a related party despite the expiry of the licence agreement, with fresh negotiations still underway.
For now, Sahara One Media and Entertainment Limited appears caught between legacy disputes and present-day operational hurdles. As losses linger and governance questions mount, the road to recovery looks less like a sprint and more like a slow trudge through shifting sands.
