GECs
National Geographic Channel premieres ‘Microkillers Week’
“I National Geographic Channel premieres ‘Microkillers Week’ Kicking off this Sunday, 26 February with ‘Superflu’, an episode that examines the potential dangers of diseases like the Avian Flu
New Delhi, Friday, February 24, 2006: National Geographic Channel presents ‘Microkillers Week’, a series that looks at the increasingly lethal nature of new breed of viruses, hinting that the world may be poised on the edge of a global pandemic. The series premieres on Sunday, February 26, 2006 at 8:00 pm with ‘Superflu’, a programme that will capture the impact of a pandemic like the Avian Bird Flu on an un-expecting world.
Microkillers Week probes into the world of these microorganisms and their virulent nature explaining why and how a pathogen with 1/2500th width of a human hair causes the death of thousands of people.
Superflu, an hour-long special episode will focus on the deadly influenza virus. What makes these pandemics totally unique and frightening? In the 20th century alone, pandemic influenza broke out thrice – 1968, 1957 and the Spanish Flu of 1918. As many as 100 million people perished from the Spanish flu worldwide, making it the greatest natural disaster of all time. When this virus mutates to a pandemic state every single human being is susceptible. Experts say it’s only a matter of time before this could happen again.
A similar situation knocks at our door today with the deadly H5N1 virus or the Avian Bird Flu affecting Asia, Africa and certain parts of Europe. Join National Geographic Channel as they follow the story of a fictional woman- ‘Patient Zero’ who travels around the globe, unknowingly carrying the lethal virus inside her embattled lungs. The programme will show the impact of the deadly strain on the patient and the entire world with nations torn apart and economies in ruins.
What happens to Patient Zero? Why all the influenza viruses originate in South East Asia? What happens when Patient Zero travels to Europe? What happens when a virus brings the entire world to standstill? Superflu answers all these questions and examines the situations created at the outbreak of SARS and the Avian Bird Flu.
Rajesh Sheshadri, Vice President Marketing, National Geographic Channel, India, says, “Microkillers week makes you think again about the dynamic and fragile world we live in. One episode in particular, Superflu takes a completely new look at the challenge we are facing today with the Avian Flu.
The programme goes beyond the effect of the pandemic and looks at factors like origin, transmission and path forward, which are un-known to the common man.”
Microkillers Week will focus on other viral threats like Ebola, HIV and Tuberculosis. The series gives a glimpse of what future holds for us in outbreak situations depending upon the way they are handled. The three part series will air from Sunday, February 26 to Tuesday, February 28 with two episodes screened every night, back to back from 8:00 to 10:00 pm. The series will be repeated on March 1, 2 and 3 at 9:00 pm.
Note to the Editor
National Geographic Channel Asia
National Geographic Channel Asia launched on July 1, 1998. Its programming covers adventure and exploration, natural history, science, wildlife and people of the world. The National Geographic Channel is currently distributed to over 30 million 24-hour homes and over 50 million day-part cable homes in Asia Pacific. National Geographic Channel Asia is a business enterprise of National Geographic Television, NBC, and Fox Entertainment Group.
National Geographic Channels International National Geographic Channels International (NGCI) invites viewers to re-think the way they see television – and the world – with smart, innovative programming. A business enterprise owned by National Geographic Television & Film
(NGT&F), FOX Entertainment Group and the National Broadcasting Company (NBC), NGCI contributes to the National Geographic Society’s commitment to exploration, conservation and education.
Globally, National Geographic Channel (including NGC U.S. which is a joint venture of NGT&F and Fox Cable Networks Group) is available in
over 318 million homes (including day-part households) in 164 countries
and 27 languages.
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For further details, please contact:
Shrey Khetarpal / Niharika Sharma
Genesis Public Relations
Tel: 9811525715 / 9811947452
E-mail: skhetarpal@genesispr.com / nsharma@genesispr.com
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.
