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.
MUMBAI: Lights, camera… connection because this time, the game isn’t just about winning, it’s about who’s with you. Sony Pictures Networks India is gearing up to launch a new reality game show, Tum Ho Naa, expanding its unscripted slate with a format that promises both emotion and engagement.
The show will premiere soon on Sony Entertainment Television and stream on Sony LIV, with Rajeev Khandelwal stepping in as host. Known for his measured screen presence and selective choices, Khandelwal’s return to television adds a layer of familiarity and credibility to the upcoming format.
While specific details of the gameplay remain under wraps, the positioning suggests a reality format that leans as much on emotional resonance as it does on competition, an increasingly popular blend in Indian television, where audiences are gravitating towards content that offers both stakes and storytelling.
Khandelwal, reflecting on his return, noted that his choices have often been guided by instinct rather than convention, describing Tum Ho Naa as a project that feels “close to the heart”. His association also signals Sony’s continued focus on anchoring new formats with recognisable faces who bring both relatability and depth.
The launch comes at a time when broadcasters are doubling down on original non-fiction formats to drive appointment viewing, even as digital platforms expand parallel reach. By placing the show across both linear television and OTT, Sony appears to be aiming for a dual-audience strategy capturing traditional viewers while engaging digital-first consumers.
As the countdown to premiere begins, Tum Ho Naa positions itself not just as another game show, but as a reminder that sometimes, the biggest prize on screen isn’t the jackpot, it’s the journey shared along the way.
