GECs
Music, Hindi news genre on top in OTS week 2
MUMBAI: It seems the New Year celebrations are not going to fade away so easily. The TV viewers gave thumbs up to the music channels as they claimed the first position in the week two of the opportunity to see (OTS) as per Chrome Data Analytics & Media. Either too many good songs were released that kept the adrenalin-pumping of the music lovers, or they couldn’t get enough of the older songs. The genre rose by 1.3 per cent with MTV toppling over Sony Mix to top the charts with 89 per cent OTS.
In fact, the genres catering to the Hindi speaking market (HSM) were on a roll this week.
Call it the AAP effect or something else; the Hindi news channels too turned tables. From being in the bottom four, last week, the genre in the HSM took the second place in the top four with 1.1 per cent. Aaj Tak remained the undisputed king of the genre as week after week it has topped the ranks. This week, the channel garnered 93.9 per cent OTS.
Hindi movies too saw a marginal rise with 0.4 per cent in the HSM with Sony Max being the blockbuster with 96.5 per cent OTS. Hindi GECs also didn’t stay behind and rose 0.1 per cent with DD National showing who is the boss when it comes to entertaining with 97.6 per cent.
As for the bottom four, English entertainment channels failed to impress its viewers even after launching new shows. The genre saw the maximum drop with 3.5 per cent in OTS with AXN continuing to rule the roost with 79.4 per cent OTS.
English movies channels too didn’t do well. The genre saw a drop of 3.1 per cent with Pix again topping the charts with 86.1 per cent OTS in the eight metros.
English news as well as Business news in the eight metros were in the bottom four by registering a drop of 2.5 per cent and 2.4 per cent OTS respectively.
Arnab’sTimes Now, however, never fails to impress its viewers. This time too it topped the list in the genre with 91.2 per cent OTS. As for the business news, CNBC Awaaz garnered 85 per cent OTS to be ranked one in the genre.
GECs
Sahara One reports financial results, notes director exit and business realignment
Muted revenues, steady expenses and strategic adjustments shape company’s current phase
MUMBAI: In a tale where the sands seem to be slipping faster than they can be gathered, Sahara One Media and Entertainment Limited has reported another quarter of wafer-thin income and widening losses, even as a boardroom exit adds to the unease.
The company informed the Bombay Stock Exchange that its board, in a meeting held on April 4, approved its unaudited financial results for the quarter ended September 30, 2025. The numbers paint a stark picture. Total income for the quarter stood at just Rs 0.13 lakh, unchanged sequentially and sharply down from Rs 0.26 lakh a year earlier.
Losses, meanwhile, deepened. The company posted a net loss of Rs 24.16 lakh for the quarter, compared to Rs 18.81 lakh in the June quarter and Rs 39.69 lakh in the same period last year. For the six months ended September 2025, the cumulative loss stood at Rs 39.69 lakh, while the full-year loss for FY25 was reported at Rs 60.72 lakh.
Expenses continued to outweigh income by a wide margin. Total expenses for the quarter came in at Rs 24.30 lakh, led by employee benefit costs of Rs 6.51 lakh and other expenses of Rs 17.78 lakh. Earnings per share remained in the red at Rs (0.11) for the quarter.
The balance sheet reflects a company with significant assets on paper but limited operational momentum. Total assets stood at Rs 23,065.57 lakh as of September 30, 2025, broadly unchanged from March 2025. Equity share capital remained steady at Rs 2,152.50 lakh, while total equity was reported at Rs 18,004.85 lakh.
Cash and cash equivalents saw a modest uptick to Rs 6.75 lakh from Rs 4.68 lakh earlier, supported by a positive operating cash flow of Rs 180.01 lakh for the period.
Yet, beneath these numbers lies a more complex narrative. The company’s auditors flagged their inability to obtain sufficient evidence to form a conclusion on the financial statements, citing lack of access to records. They also raised concerns over the company’s ability to continue as a going concern, pointing to insufficient funds, delayed recoveries, and stalled content investments.
Adding to the governance overhang, the company disclosed that Rana Zia has resigned as whole-time director, effective October 16, 2025, citing other professional commitments. The resignation, noted and accepted by the board, also brings an end to her role across company committees.
Regulatory pressures continue to loom large. The Securities and Exchange Board of India has already initiated penal actions for non-compliance with listing norms, with trading in the company’s shares remaining suspended. There is also a risk of promoter demat accounts being frozen.
Legacy legal issues remain unresolved. A substantial deposit of Rs 694,027.88 thousand linked to the long-running OFCD dispute involving Sahara group entities is still under the purview of the Supreme Court of India. Restrictions on asset disposal continue to weigh on the company’s financial flexibility.
Operationally, challenges persist across multiple fronts. Advances worth Rs 1,92,916 thousand given for film content remain stuck, with delays in project completion and uncertain recoverability. The company’s YouTube channel, despite being operational, has generated no revenue for over three years due to compliance lapses. In a further twist, management has indicated that revenues may have been fraudulently diverted through unauthorised changes to its AdSense account, with a police complaint in the works.
There are also missed revenue opportunities. Television content rights continue to be used by a related party despite the expiry of the licence agreement, with fresh negotiations still underway.
For now, Sahara One Media and Entertainment Limited appears caught between legacy disputes and present-day operational hurdles. As losses linger and governance questions mount, the road to recovery looks less like a sprint and more like a slow trudge through shifting sands.
