GECs
Zee to phase out ‘Awaz’ in three weeks
MUMBAI: Zee’s most ambitious show for 2003 is winding up just seen months after it began with a bang. Awaz – Dil Se Dil Tak, that started in August last year on a high note, ends in the first week of March 2004 with a whimper.
Awaz… will make way for Kaun?, a thriller show that premieres 7 March on Zee TV. Kaun? incidentally will be reruns of the popular Thriller at Ten, that was telecast on Zee in 1998-99. While insiders say Kaun? will be a repeat of the original at the outset, original episodes are likely to be added as the serial gathers steam.
Kaun?, incidentally, is being launched almost at the same time that nearest rival Sony Entertainment Television plans to premiere its new Optimystix produced thriller show Yeh Life Meri Hai.
Awaz…, produced by Zee favourite Gajendra Singh (who also does the long runnng Antakshari and Sa Re Ga Ma Pa) told the tale of a clutch of unrelated people who are thrown together by destiny when the aeroplane they are travelling in is hijacked and later crashes on an island. It recounts how their relationships go through a plethora of changes once all of them are rescued and return to their earlier lives.
Awaz…, which displaced the Siddhant Cinevision produced Kittie Party from its 10 pm slot, did reasonably well in the earlier phase, but ratings started to fall as the story brought the characters back into their city lives, say sources. With Kaun?, a series that had different producers making independent episodic tales, Zee probably aims to bring back the viewers who had received it enthusiastically, as well as the ratings success that goes with it.
Co producer of Awaz…., Ashwini Karandikar however professed ignorance of Awaz….’s impending departure, when contacted last week.
GECs
ZEEL overhauls sales structure to chase growth across TV and digital platforms
New structure sharpens digital push as viewing habits fragment fast
MUMBAI: Zee Entertainment Enterprises Ltd. is reshuffling its sales playbook as it looks to keep pace with a fast-changing media landscape, where audiences are scattered, screens are multiplying and advertisers are following the data.
According to media reports, the rejig is anchored in the company’s push to build a more integrated, data-led monetisation engine, one that can straddle both traditional television and fast-growing digital platforms with equal ease.
At the heart of the move is a reworked sales architecture designed to deliver cross-platform solutions. With connected TV gaining ground and digital consumption surging, ZEEL is aligning its teams to move quicker, think broader and sell smarter.
The restructuring is being led by chief operating officer, advertisement revenue, Sandeep Mehrotra, at a time when the company says it is seeing tremendous growth. The idea is simple: match the right talent to the right opportunity in a market that is anything but static.
As part of the overhaul, several long-serving executives have been elevated to chief sales officer roles across regions and content clusters. Sanjoy Chatterjee will head the east market, while Gunjarav Nayak takes charge of the west along with high-margin verticals such as hmg, brand works, intellectual properties and digital sales. Rajnish Gupta will oversee bengaluru and chennai markets alongside the kannada and tamil clusters.
In other key moves, Divjyot Dhanda will lead hyderabad and kochi markets and manage zee tv, zee keralam and the telugu cluster. Roshan Vasu Kotian will supervise a diverse portfolio including Zee Marathi, &tv, Zee Punjabi, Zee Anmol, Big Magic and Zee Biskope.
The company is also strengthening its bench, appointing national sales heads across retail, regional clusters, digital and brand solutions. Ankur Kapila’s appointment to lead digital sales signals a sharper push into a segment that continues to outpace traditional formats.
Behind the scenes, dedicated strategy and operations roles have been carved out for both linear and digital businesses. Nitin Shetty, Rajkiran Shrivastav and Priya Nambiar will take on key responsibilities to ensure the new structure runs with precision.
The broader aim is clear. ZEEL wants a bigger slice of advertising budgets that are steadily drifting towards digital and connected TV ecosystems. By integrating its offerings, the company hopes to deepen client relationships while unlocking new revenue streams.
The new structure takes effect immediately, with Mehrotra continuing to report to chief executive officer Punit Goenka and steer the company’s advertising revenue strategy. Senior executive Laxmi Shetty will support the transition, with her revised role expected to be announced soon.
In a market where content is everywhere but attention is scarce, ZEEL’s latest move is less about rearranging the org chart and more about staying in the game.
