GECs
Animal Planet Intl to broadcast programming trubute to Steve Irwin
New Delhi, September 09, 2006: As the world continues to mourn the loss of Steve Irwin, Animal Planet International will broadcast a special full day programming tribute beginning on Sunday, 10th September at midnight. The event will highlight Steve’s background and personal history, from his early days at Australia Zoo, to his worldwide fame as the Crocodile Hunter, as well as his boundless passion for wildlife and his family. This special programming marathon will feature some of the best episodes from the long-running Crocodile Hunter series, which showcase Steve’s dedication to conservation and his exuberant approach to educating viewers about the natural world.
Discovery Communications is deeply saddened by the tragic and sudden loss of Steve Irwin, who was beloved by millions of fans and animal lovers around the world and was one of our planet’s most passionate conservationists. He has graced Animal Planet’s air since October 1996 and was essential in building Animal Planet into a global brand.
Rebecca Batties, Executive Vice President of Creative Development for Discovery Networks International, overseeing Animal Planet International said, “Steve was a true pioneer and heralded a fresh and innovative approach to wildlife filmmaking. He invigorated the genre and introduced a new generation of viewers to the natural world with his joyful, enthusiastic style. We are celebrating his legacy by showcasing his unforgettable work on Animal Planet.”
Animal Planet is proud to broadcast the following programs as part of Sunday’s special tribute:
Start Time
Programme Title
00:00
Operation: Bunya Rescue
1:00
Lights! Croc! Action!
2:00
Crocodile Hunter Wildest Home Videos
3:00
Captured On Camera
4:00
They Shoot Crocodiles, Don’t They?
5:00
Search For A Super Croc
6:00
Steve’s Singapore Safari
7:00
Final Entry
8:00
Confessions Of The Crocodile Hunter
9:00
Steve’s Story
10:00
Crocodile Hunter Up Over The Down Under
11:00
Outback To Hollywood
12:00
Operation: Bunya Rescue
13:00
Lights! Croc! Action!
14:00
Crocodile Hunter Wildest Home Videos
15:00
Captured On Camera
16:00
They Shoot Crocodiles, Don’t They?
17:00
Search For A Super Croc
18:00
Steve’s Singapore Safari
19:00
Final Entry
20:00
Confessions Of The Crocodile Hunter
21:00
Steve’s Story
22:00
Crocodile Hunter Up Over The Down Under
23:00
Outback To Hollywood
To honour Steve and the enormous contribution he made to the world and to our company, DCI will rename the garden space in front of Discovery’s world headquarters in Silver Spring, Maryland, the “Steve Irwin Memorial Garden .”
In addition, DCI is planning to create the Steve Irwin Crocodile Hunter Fund. The Fund will be established to honour Steve’s passion and exuberance for conservation and the animal kingdom and is expected to provide a way for people from across the globe to make contributions in Steve’s honor to support wildlife protection, education and conservation.
Immediate contributions in the memory of Steve Irwin can be made to the Wildlife Warriors Fund at www.wildlifewarriors.org.au
Animal Planet grabs you. The world’s leading animal entertainment brand, Animal Planet reaches 195 million subscribers in more than 160 countries outside of the United States with programming customized in 24 languages. Offering intrigue, adventure, humor, relationships, life and death, Animal Planet is the only television network on the planet dedicated to people’s fascination with animals. A joint venture between Discovery Communications and BBC Worldwide, Animal Planet launched in India in 1998 and is currently distributed to 24 million subscribers in the region.
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.
