GECs
Vijay TV launches ‘Airtel Super Singer’
MUMBAI: Ultimate search for the best voice of Tamilnadu “Airtel Super Singer” was going on through out Tamilnadu for the past few weeks. The first audition was taken place and Coimbatore during the first week of April and the second one at Chennai on 16th April and the final audition at Madurai on 23rd April.
Thousands of talented singers took part in the 3 level auditions at all these three places. The promotion for the programme began nearly a month ago and thousands of singers have sent in their CDs and tapes and also through mobile phone dialing an Airtel number.
Besides this, the participants also registered their voice through the mobile vans, which was organized by the channel through the main parts of the city. This is was the first time a contest of this magnitude was being conducted by Vijay TV. Renowned playback singers were part of the show as the judges at the auditions.
Starting with Malaysia Vasudevan, Mahati, SP. Shailaja, Malathi, Music director Iman, Dr. Sirkazhi Sivachidambaram and Jensi were judges for this ultimate voice hunt show.
The selected 60 participants (20 from each zone) will undergo various rounds of tests in Chennai at a specially created set. The main juries of judges are Srinivas, Anuradha Sriram and Unni Krishnan who would have the toughest task of eliminating the talented 60 singers.
Watch out for “Airtel Super Singer” which is launching on 28 April 2006. The show will be aired every Friday and Saturday at 8 pm as a one-hour show.
GECs
Sebi sends show-cause notice to Zee over fund diversion, company responds
Regulator questions 2018 letter of comfort and governance lapses; company vows robust legal response
MUMBAI: India’s markets watchdog has reignited its long-running scrutiny of Zee Entertainment Enterprises, issuing a sweeping show-cause notice that drags the broadcaster and 84 others into a widening governance storm.
The notice, dated February 12, has been served by the Securities and Exchange Board of India to Zee, chairman emeritus Subhash Chandra and managing director and chief executive Punit Goenka, among others. At its heart: allegations that company funds were indirectly routed to settle liabilities of entities linked to the Essel Group.
The regulator’s probe traces its roots to November 2019, when two independent directors resigned from Zee’s board, flagging concerns over the alleged appropriation of fixed deposits by Yes Bank. The deposits were reportedly adjusted against loans extended to Essel Group entities, triggering questions about related-party dealings and board oversight.
A key flashpoint is a letter of comfort dated September 4, 2018, issued by Subhash Chandra in his dual capacity as chairman of Zee and the Essel Group. The document, linked to credit facilities availed by certain group companies from Yes Bank, was allegedly known only to select members of management and not disclosed to the full board—an omission SEBI believes raises red flags over transparency and governance controls.
Zee has pushed back hard. In a statement, the company said it “strongly refutes” the allegations against it and its board members and will file a detailed response. It expressed confidence that SEBI would conduct a fair review and signalled readiness to pursue all legal remedies to protect shareholder interests.
The notice marks the latest twist in a saga that has shadowed the broadcaster since 2019. What began as boardroom unease has morphed into a full-blown regulatory confrontation. The final reckoning now rests with SEBI—but the reputational stakes for Zee, and the message for India Inc on governance discipline, could scarcely be higher.
