GECs
Zee to beam in HK, Philippines, Indonesia, Thailand & Japan
MUMBAI: After the successful launch of its dedicated Zee TV beam for Singapore, Zee Network has announced that it will further extend its South East Asia beam.
The Subhash Chandra promoted network will now have a customised feed to Hong Kong, Philippines, Indonesia, Thailand and Japan.
Speaking on the launch of the service, Zee Telefilms president Abhijit Saxena said, “Zee Telefilms is proud to announce the extension of the South East Asia beam of Zee TV to Hong Kong, Indonesia, Philippines, Thailand and Japan. It was the overwhelming response from our viewers in these regions that compelled us to extend our local beam with customised programming strategy for Hong Kong, Philippines, Indonesia, Thailand and Japan. The viewers of these regions will now be able to watch Zee TV shows at their local time and not deferred time as they were earlier receiving the India feed.”
“With this extension, Zee TV will now have a viewer-driven programming schedule. We will also be taking local programming initiatives for these countries. It also opens up opportunities for advertisers who currently face extremely high advertising rates on the India feed,” Saxena added.
The local feed to the rest of South East Asia will coincide with prime time in different markets and concurrently the values of airtime inventory will be according to locally relevant and competitive rates, says a company release.
The timings for Hong Kong and Philippines will be the same as Singapore, whereas Thailand and Indonesia will be an hour before Singapore and Japan an hour after Singapore.
According to the release, besides the programmes being aired at a time convenient to viewers, the entertainement channel will have a flexible program schedule to cater to the preferences of viewers in these countries.
Besides the entertainment feed, the channel will also air three news bulletins every day, Hindi pop and film music based programs, Bollywood based programs and local programs.
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.
