GECs
Zee Telefilms claws its way back on the bourses
Zee Telefilms Ltd (ZTL), while still struggling to attract viewers, is in the middle of a determined fightback worthy of some appreciation. At least that’s how the stockmarkets are perceiving it. The ZTL share has been clawing its way back – it rose by more than 10 per cent last week.
And in today’s trading it registered an increase of around Rs 7 when it closed at Rs 142.40 after surging to an intra-day high of Rs 144.25. Its low during day trades was Rs 133.00 with the share chalking up a volume of 3.8 million shares.
So what’s perking up ZTL? Two pieces of news. One that its viewership ratings are looking up, even as Star TV and Sony Entertainment have been grappling hard to retain their grips on audiences. According to Intam data for all cable and satellite homes for the month 26 February-25 March 2001, three of its shows Koshish, Amanat and Mehandi Tere Naam Ki have consistently been figuring in the Top 10 shows chart with television rating points of between 4.5 and 5.5.
The gains have mainly come at the expense of Sony Entertainment Television which has seen a rapid erosion of ratings for its Jeeto Chappar Phaad Ke game show. Even Star Plus’ Kaun Banega Crorepati has gradually been losing its grip while other family dramas such as Kyunki Saas Bhi Kabhi Bahu Thi and Kahani Ghar Ghar Ki have been holding on to theirs.
The second piece of news that the market is looking favourably at is the fact that the Zee Network is finally getting its digital direct to operator bouquet together with its leading channel Zee TV expected to encrypt and go pay by next month. Cable TV operator pricing for the Zee bouquet – including Zee Cinema, Zee English, Zee MGM, Zee News, and Alpha Marathi, Gujarati, Bengali and Punjabi – has been fixed at around Rs 25. The pay TV model is expected to add substantial subscription revenues to ZTL’s books and profits to its bottomline.
The key question is: is the market once again getting carried away and, once again, much too early?
One will have to wait and watch the ratings sheets in the coming weeks to see if the upward audience grabbing movement of Zee TV’s shows is maintained. On the pay TV front, subscription revenue collections from cable TV operators for its bouquet are not going to be easy. Even if one considers that its Siticable network has a captive five million subscriber base. One can expect payments from only one-third of cable TV operators taking a feed from Siticable headends as has been the record so far in the cable TV trade.
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.
