News Broadcasting
Zee takes on ‘Kahaani…’ with ‘Kittie Party’
Fortune favours the brave. That could well be the tack that Zee Telefilms is taking as it attempts to pick itself off the floor as far as the ratings are concerned.
With the full cast in tow and the show’s celebrity writer Shobhaa De present, Zee Telefilms director marketing Partha Pratim Sinha yesterday announced the launch of a daily soap Kittie Party slotted in the 10 to 10:30 pm band. Launching Monday, 19 August, Kittie Party is pitched directly against the Balaji blockbuster soap Kahaani Ghar Ghar Ki that airs on Star Plus.
From left Poonam Dhillon, Deepshikha, Kavita Kapoor, Maya Alagh, Preeti Dayal, Shweta Salve, Pyomori, Achint Kaur The serial revolves around the lives of eight women who meet every month fore their kittie party. The serial explores their individual lives through these meetings. And what is it that Zee hopes will connect with the viewer. According to the release issued, “Since the situations are from every day life, audiences will be able to identify the characters and the conflicts they deal with.”
“But if there is one key factor that Zee hopes will bring in the audiences it must be one of aspiration. For though De was at pains to point out that it was not only people of a “certain class” (the rich and upwardly mobile) that would relate to the show, the evidence of the AV that was screened did not indicate otherwise. De also took a swipe at the kind of fare that dominates prime time television, saying that the story was about issues relevant to today’s women and not the “saas-bahu sagas where the protagonists’ mindsets were 50 years behind the times.”
On the plus side, producer Manish Goswami’s Siddhant Cinevision has left no stone unturned to give the show top notch production values. The look as well as the background score is of a uniformly high quality and certainly seems to have done justice to the estimated Rs 450,000 per episode cost of the series. One cannot forget the high profile lead cast with the likes of Poonam Dhillon, Kavita Kapoor, Achint Kaur, Deepshikha and Maya Alagh, among others adding to the glam appeal.
News Broadcasting
BBC to cut up to 2,000 jobs in biggest overhaul in 15 years
Cost pressures and leadership change drive major workforce reduction plan
LONDON: BBC has unveiled plans to cut up to 2,000 jobs, roughly 10 per cent of its global workforce, in what marks its biggest downsizing in 15 years.
The announcement was made during an all-staff meeting led by interim director-general Rhodri Talfan Davies, as the broadcaster moves to tackle mounting financial pressures and reshape its operations.
Between 1,800 and 2,000 roles are expected to be eliminated from a workforce of around 21,500. The cuts form part of a broader plan to save £500 million over the next two years, aimed at offsetting rising costs, stagnating licence fee income and weaker commercial revenues.
In a communication to staff, BBC interim director-general Rhodri Talfan Davies said, “I know this creates real uncertainty, but we wanted to be open about the challenge,” acknowledging the impact the move would have across the organisation.
The restructuring comes at a time of leadership transition. Former director-general Tim Davie stepped down earlier this month, with Matt Brittin, a former Google executive, set to take over the role on May 18, 2026.
While some cost-cutting measures are being implemented immediately, the majority of the structural changes are expected to roll out over the next few years, with full savings targeted by the 2027–2028 financial year.
The broadcaster had earlier signalled its intent to reduce its cost base by around 10 per cent over a three-year period, warning of “difficult choices” as it adapts to shifting economic realities and audience expectations.
With operating costs hovering around £6 billion annually, the BBC’s latest move underscores the scale of the financial challenge it faces, as it balances public service commitments with the need for long-term sustainability in an increasingly competitive media landscape.
