GECs
World TV Day: Industry barons go down the memory lane
It was on 15 September 1959 when India officially experimented her tryst with the box that has been loved, loathed and equally criticized over the years. But today, in its current avatar, the television set has seen a paramount shift, right from colour television being introduced in 1982 as India geared up for the Asian games to today’s 4K technology.
Production values of various shows as well as the viewership experience have changed phenomenally. As the world today celebrates World Television Day which was declared by the U.N in December 1996, indiantelevision.com speaks to some of India’s most notable names from the TV industry recalling some of their fondest memories of viewing television programmes.
Prasar Bharati CEO Jawhar Sircar
Television needs to look beyond its traditional ecosystem to embrace the opportunities offered by digital technology. The medium will die if it continues to grow in a linear fashion. TV began over electro-magnetic waves in 1959 and has grown through satellite to cover the entire country.
While terrestrial TV has its own relevance, it will be quickly overtaken by new technologies including satellite and digital addressable systems.
India Today Group consulting editor Rajdeep Sardesai
For me my fondest memory was the coverage of the live elections in the years of 1995-1996. At that time, everyone would watch the national broadcaster Doordarshan as there were no private news channels. Covering the elections as a reporter along with journalist like Vinod Dua and Dr Pranoy Roy is a big part of those memories for me.
NDTV executive vice chairperson KVL Narayan Rao
Television today is more contemporary. Society has changed a little and what you have on air is reflective of that. The world has become a smaller place. There is more access now as compared to 25 years ago when the only window to international news was The Week That Was, produced by NDTV as one of the earliest private players. I remember serials like Buniyad, Humlog, Mahabharat and Ramayan. Some of the old ones were core of the heart serials and dealt with issues that were the reality of so many people of the country at that time such as post partition. The serials now have different production values.
Sony Six business head Prasana Krishnan
Sports on television is growing rapidly and the Indian sports fan today has more access to viewing multiple properties than any other fan in the world and that too at an affordable cost. My fondest memory has to be this year’s FIFA World Cup Brazil as not only was it personally satisfying for me as a football fan but a matter of pride to be carried on the channel. Every minute of the game on TV was engaging.
Ten Sports CEO Rajesh Sethi
Viewing television programmes is an enriching experience and is all about entertainment, entertainment and entertainment! Watching television especially sports is a great stress buster and allows me to relax. In fact watching sports on TV for me is all about celebration.
Gasoline, founder and chief creative officer Anil Kakar
From just two Doordarshan channels to over 800 channels today, television has come a long way. The good thing is, content continues to get more defined to suit niche audiences. With the recent changes announced by the Star Network, viewers now have the choice of subscribing to specific channels on an a la carte basis. It will be interesting to see how this will go on to alter viewing patterns. In the long run, this might even lead to a shift of focus, largely from GECs to more diversified, niche content, as television gets more fragmented. Ultimately, as audiences, we will have even greater choice than we have today. Even with so many channels today, I would say the finest moments in television belong to the 90s. MTV and Channel V brought in a cultural change and attitudinal shift of sorts. Programmes such as Different Strokes, The Wonder Years, Mind Your Language and Star Trek were had to miss and are still hard to forget.
GECs
&TV brings Women’s Day shine to Lucknow mall
Shilpa Shinde joins “Selfie Lo. Shine Karo. Star Ban Jaao!” activation on 8 March.
MUMBAI: This Women’s Day, &TV is handing women the mirror and the spotlight because sometimes the best reflection is the one that finally says “star”. &TV is taking its celebration of strong, confident women off-screen with a lively on-ground initiative at a prominent mall in Lucknow on 7–8 March 2026. The activation, titled “Selfie Lo. Shine Karo. Star Ban Jaao!”, invites women to click empowering selfies at a specially designed mirror installation framed with a symbolic crown and bold messages such as Women & Confident, Women & Boss, Women & Independent, and Women & Carefree. The crown carries the core emotion, “She is her own hero. Her own cheerleader. Her own power.”
Adding star power to the event, beloved actress Shilpa Shinde (popularly known as Angoori Bhabi from Bhabiji Ghar Par Hain! 2.0) will attend on 8 March, interacting with participants. Select women will get the chance to meet her, and one lucky winner will be featured in an upcoming episode on &TV turning a simple selfie into a real on-screen star moment.
The initiative is rooted in the belief that women often celebrate others but rarely pause to acknowledge themselves. By creating a joyful space for self-recognition and confidence, &TV is extending its on-air narratives of empowered women into real life.
Shilpa Shinde said, “I truly believe confidence begins with how we see ourselves. I am very happy that &TV is creating a platform where women are not just celebrated but also given a chance to be seen and recognised.”
&TV chief channel officer and Zee5, business head for hindi Kaveri Das added, “At &TV, we don’t just tell stories of strong women, we actively create platforms for them. This Women’s Day initiative is our way of moving beyond celebration and enabling real visibility.”
In a world quick to spotlight others, &TV is flipping the script reminding every woman that the most powerful story she can star in is her own, one confident selfie at a time.
