GECs
New Year bash on TV
This is one of such rare occasions when all players in the entertainment industry vie for the maximum eyeballs.Speaking about television‘s programming strategy for the New Year‘s eve, the formula includes back-to-back specials, extra celebrity dose, movies and lots of humour. Here, taking a look at what is in store for the viewers as 2005 bids adieu.
Star India
Star Plus has already kicked off its activities from 29 December. The pick of the lot, obviously, is going to be the KBC2 special. On 31 December from 9 pm, Big B will share glorious moments of celebrity special episodes of the year with the viewers. The festivities would then be carried forward on the channel from 10 pm to 11 pm, in an hour‘s special on Baa Bahu and Baby (BBB), where the Thakkar family will swirl on the theme – Nach Baliye, and battle it out in the in-family dance competition.
Star One has lined up a special re-telecast of Nach Baliye Mega Finals to spice up the occasion. On 31 December, Star Movies will telecast the Robomania finale movie I, Robot, starring Will Smith. In this run towards the new year, Star New will bring the show Zero No 1 at 10.30 pm. Star‘s Hindi movie channel Star Gold will telecast the blockbuster film Kya Kool Hain Hum at 10 pm.
Star India‘s Tamil general entertainment channel Vijay TV will telecast Sigaram Thotta Manithargal 2005, a show honouring the great achievers who have reached a pinnacle in the year 2005 at 10 pm. For the New Year‘s day, the channel has lined up a non-stop comedy show Kalakkiathu Yaar at 11 am.
ZEE Telefilms
Zee TV is celebrating the New Year‘s Eve with a mega bash titled Let‘s Rock. The show will run non-stop for four hours starting 8:30 pm. Compered by Malika Arora, Let‘s Rock boasts of performances some of the top Bollywood stars including Priyanka Chopra, Salman Khan, Akshay Kumar, Shilpa Shetty and Zayed Khan.
The channel will kick off the celebration with a two-hour show Temptation 2005 at 4:30 pm. It will lead the way to Zee TV Masti Mix 2005 where Nikhil Arya and Sangita Ghosh will entice the audience with performances by television stars such as Narayani Shashtri, Richa Sharma, Karishma Tanna, Rajshri Thakur, Rakesh Bapat, Sa Re Ga Ma Pa finalists and many more. Then, the comic relief will be provided by sitcom Hum Paanch at 8.00 pm.
Zee Cinema will join the celebrations with the telecast of the brand new Amitabh starrer Dil Jo Bhi Kahey at 8 pm on 31 December. Zee Studio will telecast Bad Company at 9 pm followed by Cruel Intentions at 11 pm on New Year‘s eve.
Zee News will welcome 2006 with a show hosted by well-known humorist Raju Srivastava. The show Zara Hat Ke Zara Bach Ke will air on Zee News all day long on 31 December. Srivastava would anchor segments within bulletins giving his take on events and people who made News in 2005.
Sony Entertainment Television (SET)
Sony promises loads of fun, laughter, excitement, music, masti & moolah on its New Year Special Programme Jashn 2005which includes Jashn Hansne Hasaane Ka & Jashn Karodon Ka.
At 8 pm, the Kudkudiya family special Jashn Hansne Hasaane Ka will set the pace for the Sony celebrations. Following this at 9 pm, is Jashn Karodon Ka, a three-hour New Year Eve‘s special programme that will have Indian Idol -Abhijeet Sawant along with Fame Gurukul‘s Rex together with Host, R Madhavan playing to win Rs. 10 million. Post the contest, Abhijeet Sawant, Amit Sana, Rahul Vaidya, Prajakta Shukre, Qazi and Rex will perform on the channel.
Closer to the midnight, Sony will telecast a one and half hour special where the viewers get to watch their favourite stars play the exciting game to win the prize money, Rs. 10 million. This ‘Celebrity Special‘ will offer deals to Amit Sarin & Tasneem Sheikh as their fellow co-stars participate with them and play along. The viewers will get to watch performances by Amit Sarin, Tasneem Sheikh, Amit Jain, Pooja Ghai & Vikram Acharya.
Sahara One Television
Sahara will kick off the proceedings with superstar Big B‘s recital of some of his late father Harivansh Rai Bachchan‘s poetry on Saturday 31 December 2005 at 10.30 am. At 8:30 pm, the crowning of Indian Diva will be unleashed. India‘s first Diva Zeenat Aman crowns the three beauties Kareena Kapoor, Koena Mitra and Udita Goswami on the occasion.
The show includes performances by Bipasha Basu, Katrina Kaif, Shamita Shetty, Rimi Sen and Parmita Kakkar who were vying for the Indian Diva 2005 title.
MTV & Vh1
MTV celebrations will revolve around the show Top 100 Tunes of the Year that will run from 7 pm to 12 pm. The show updates the viewers about the top 100 videos of the year 2005. Each one-hour show showcases themes such as the Top Bollywood scandals, Top MMS scandals, Top marriages and Top Break ups. Ten hot music videos of the year are featured in every episode, and the show will be anchored by VJs Cyrus Broacha, Cyrus Sahukar, Sophie, Ramona, Anusha and Rannvijay.
Starting from 4 pm on 31 December, Vh1 will telecast 10 countdowns back to back. Following this, the channel will air the premiere of Vh1 Big in 05 at 10pm. On the New Year Day, VH1 will telecast Fabulous 40 for 2006 at 10 pm.
ETC Music
The channel is wrapping up the year 2005 with a one hour long New Year Special show TOP 25 from 8.30 pm. The songs are selected on the basis of requests received for the two SMS based shows throughout 2005.
Asianet
The Malayalam general entertainment channel is banking on music and movie specials to celebrate the New Year‘s eve. One of the highlights of the channel‘s 31 December line up is a 15-minute skit participated by top Malluwood stars including Dileep and Kalabhavan Mani.
The channel has scheduled its special event The Dance Party from 11:05 pm onwards. The show will feature popular singers Anuradha Sreeram, Vijay Yesudas and Jassi Gift. For1 January, the channel has lined up the television premiere of the 2004 blockbuster film For the People at 3:30 pm.
Hungama TV
Hungama TV‘s popular anchors-Sid & Karishma will go live on Radio City 91 FM at 10 am, promising to pep the first day of the New Year 2006. To complete the New Year celebration Hungama TV will showcase an adventurous trilogy of the Spy Kids movies on 1 January 2006, 7 pm onwards.
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.
