GECs
ZEEL’s APAC territory launches ATL Media APAC
MUMBAI: The APAC region of Zee Entertainment Enterprises Limited (ZEEL) announced the launch of ‘ATL Media APAC’, a new division that will represent varied Indian and South Asian media businesses in the region for advertising sales.
‘ATL Media APAC’ will work with both mainstream and retail clients targeting the South Asian populations in the key markets across the region. A similar model is currently operational in the MENAP (Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan, and Pakistan) region where Zeel has tied up with several channels including Geo TV, Imagine Movies, Cartoon Network apart from its own portfolio of Zeel channels.
Commenting on this new division, Zeel International Broadcast business CEO Amit Goenka said, “Our APAC business is on a fast track and ATL Media APAC will help us to consolidate and add new clients into the segment. We believe this initiative will be beneficial in helping us grow the overall Ad Sales pie for the South Asia channels.”
Revealing further details on ATL Media APAC, APAC business media Sushruta Samanta said, “The new unit will be led by Deepali Gupta, Revenue Head, ATL Media APAC, who has more than 13 years of experience in advertising sales across media in India and APAC markets. I strongly believe that Deepali, whose new role is effective immediately, is the ideal candidate to lead this new division”.
Zeel’s APAC’s region currently distributes eleven South Asian channels in the region targeting the India diaspora, apart from five localized channels for the local mainstream viewers. Zeel has an existing sales network across key APAC markets including Singapore, Bangkok, Kuala Lumpur, Sydney & Jakarta.
Deepali Gupta from Zeel’s Singapore office added, “The decision to launch this new division stems from the need to address the growing market fragmentation in the ethnic media space. The new service is a one stop shop for all media solutions which will help clients achieve significant results for their marketing campaigns and at best prices. We have already initiated discussions with other leading networks across media to represent them”.
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.
