GECs
Zee targets September launch of Khalsa World
MUMBAI: Zee Network is targeting last week of September for launch of Khalsa World, the third Punjabi language channel from its stable.
Zee obtained uplinking permission from the government last week, says ETC Channel Punjabi and Zee Punjabi president and business head Rabindra Narayan.”We are targeting to launch the channel in the last week of September or first week of October.”
The dedicated 24-hour religious channel will telecast live Gurbani from the Golden Temple. It will also have regular programmes like Katha, Kirtan, Kavi Darbars and discourses. The programming will include documentaries on Sikh saints. “Khalsa will have evening Gurbani live. We will also be having other religious programming including those shot from overseas,” says Narayan.
ETC Punjabi will replace the live Gurbani content, which was the distinguishing feature of the channel, with more music and music-based shows. The morning Gurbani will, however, continue with the channel. “ETC Punjabi will have music, interactive and bigger entertainment shows,” says Narayan.
The positioning of Zee Punjabi will continue to be different and it will have serials, soap operas and news and current affairs.
Zee Telefilms has dominated the Punjabi TV channel language market ever since it acquired ETC Networks in 2002 with a combination of two channels. With Khalsa, it hopes to further narrow the space for competing channels.
Khalsa will be simulataneously available in UK the day it is launched in India, but as a band on Alpha Etc Punjabi. In the UK, Zee’s Punjabi channel is called Alpha ETC Punjabi.
Khalsa World will have the same team which is in charge of ETC Channel Punjabi and Zee Punjabi, Narayan added.
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.
