GECs

Star Plus and Zee TV’s election mantra

Published

12 years ago

April 4, 2014

MUMBAI: In today’s time, elections are not limited to open ground speeches. Political parties are finding innovative ways to persuade the voter; from TV to social media, nothing has been spared.

If one takes the general entertainment channels (GECs) into account, one can see hundreds of ad spots being bought by the political parties to showcase their agenda to the common man. However, the leaders in the GEC space i.e. Star Plus and Zee TV have taken a step further and have incorporated the message of voting in their programmes.

The two channels want their viewers to go out and vote for the 16^th Lok Sabha elections and in order to spread the word, they have dedicated special tracks on the matter.

Talking about Zee TV, three of its shows have integrated the ‘Power of 49’ in their storyline. The channel has leveraged some of its protagonists like Shilpa Shirodkar from Ek Mutthi Aasman, Roopal Tyagi from Sapne Suhane Ladakpan Ke and Neha Marda from Doli Armaanon Ki to drive in the message of how precious every woman’s vote is.

For instance, in Doli Armaanon Ki the lead Urmi drags eve teasers, who were harassing her sister-in-law in a mall, to the jail. Just as Urmi files a FIR against them, a politician walks in commanding the release of the eve teasers since they are related to him. Urmi then drags the politician to the court and gives out the message of ‘Power of 49’.

“As one of India’s most responsible broadcasters, Zee has constantly mirrored the emerging realities of the society we live in, highlighting a variety of burning issues that merit public mind space,” points out Zee TV programming head Namit Sharma.

Sharma adds: “Just like our festivals, in today’s time, elections are more of a celebration with all the fanfare around the campaigns. We will also be integrating this aspect of the election campaigns in our shows in the coming episodes.”

Similarly, in Ek Mutthi Aasman, the track was designed in a way that spreads the message that women play an important role in deciding who will be the next ruling party of India and that they should utilise this power in a right way.

The plot was altered to convey the message. In the show, Kamla Bai, comes to know that a girl in the neighbourhood has been stopped by her mother to attend school because she thinks that it is not an appropriate place for girls, she immediately makes the mother understand the strength of women in today’s society. She states many examples of how women run the society.

Similarly, in Sapne Suhane Ladakpan Ke, the protagonist Gunjan was seen giving out the information on ‘Power of 49’ conveying the helpline number and urging women to call and address their grievances to the government through the helpline.

Chart topper, Star Plus, is also leaving no stone unturned to spread the word. The channel believes in the philosophy – ‘Youth karega apne vote ki value… Tabhi badhegi Desh ki value!’

With the thought of mobilising the youth and taking its Nayi Soch agenda forward, the channel has introduced an initiative to encourage first time voters to register for the upcoming general elections. Led by its popular face and youth icon, Veera, the campaign started in February and has created series of public service messages, prompting young viewers to register, vote and make a difference.

This year, with the number of potential first time voters being estimated to be 12 crore, the channel wants to spread the awareness about the voting rights through the campaign.

“We want to encourage them to exercise their vote and contribute to the country’s progress. However, a lot of them are still not aware that the registration is an important prerequisite to voting. This first phase of our campaign aims to address that,” Star Plus senior vice-president marketing and content strategy Nikhil Madhok.

Moreover, Star network, this month also brought back the righteous popular talk show, Satyamev Jayate. It’s no coincidence that the show came back at a time when the country is gearing up for the general election to be held in April-May.

With passions riding high and everyone out to prove their political credentials and concern for the country, the new season was aptly themed ‘Jinhe desh ki fikr hai’ (those who are concerned about India).

The channels are doing their bit, now will have to wait and watch how many will go out and vote.

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GECs

Sun TV posts steady revenue, profit dips amid rising costs

Published

7 days ago

February 7, 2026

indiantelevision.com Team

CHENNAI: It appears there is still plenty of Sun to go around in the Indian broadcasting landscape, even if a few clouds have drifted across the financial horizon. Sun TV Network Limited, the Chennai-based behemoth that dominates airwaves across seven languages, has tuned into a steady frequency for the quarter ending 31 December 2025. While the numbers show a resilient revenue stream, the company’s latest broadcast reveals a few static-filled spots in its profit margins.

For the quarter in question, Sun TV’s total income climbed by approximately 3.31 per cent, reaching Rs 958.39 crores compared to Rs 927.66 crores in the same period last year. Revenue from operations also saw a healthy bump, rising 4.32 per cent to Rs 827.87 crores.

The real star of the show, however, was domestic subscription revenue, which surged by 8.86 per cent to Rs 472.99 crores. This growth highlights the enduring appetite for Sun’s diverse content, which spans everything from daily soaps in Tamil and Telugu to its burgeoning OTT platform, Sun NXT.

Despite the revenue growth, the picture quality of the profits was slightly blurred by rising costs. Eitda for the quarter stood at Rs 409.79 crores, a dip from the Rs 432.14 crores recorded in the corresponding 2024 quarter.

The profit after tax followed a similar downward trend, settling at Rs 316.44 crores against the previous year’s Rs 347.17 crores. Advertisers also seemed to have switched channels slightly, with advertisement revenues sliding to Rs 291.94 crores from Rs 332.17 crores.

Sun TV isn’t just playing on home turf; its sporting ambitions are becoming increasingly global. The network now owns three major cricket franchises: SunRisers Hyderabad in the IPL, SunRisers Eastern Cape in SA20, and SunRisers Leeds Limited in The Hundred (UK).

The foray into British cricket saw the company acquire a 100 per cent stake in Northern Superchargers Limited (now SunRisers Leeds) for approximately £100 million. While these franchises brought in Rs 14.61 crores this quarter, they also incurred corresponding costs of Rs 19.89 crores. Over the nine-month period, however, the cricket business is a major player, contributing Rs 487.64 crores in income.

The company’s bottom line took a minor hit from exceptional items, including a Rs 4.23 crore charge related to India’s new Labour Codes, which consolidated 29 existing labour laws. Additionally, the consolidated results reflect the amalgamation of Kal Radio Limited with Udaya FM, a move that became effective in May 2025 and required a restatement of previous figures.

To keep investors from reaching for the remote, the Board has declared an interim dividend of 50 per cent, that’s Rs 2.50 per equity share. This comes on top of earlier dividends of 100 per cent (Rs 5.00) and 75 per cent (Rs 3.75) declared in August and November 2025, respectively.

With a massive cash reserve and a dominant position in the South Indian market, Sun TV continues to shine, even if the current quarter required a bit of fine-tuning. For now, shareholders can sit back, relax, and enjoy the show.

GECs

SPNI hires Pradeep M with responsibility for standards and practices in the south

Published

2 weeks ago

February 3, 2026

indiantelevision.com Team

MUMBAI: Sony Pictures Networks India has hired Pradeep M to handle standards and practices for its southern market, bolstering its compliance bench as content rules tighten across platforms.

Pradeep, who has nearly 13 years in the entertainment media industry, takes on responsibility for content standards in a region that is both linguistically diverse and regulatorily sensitive. His brief spans television, OTT, sports and digital platforms.

He specialises in content review and compliance across shows, commercials, on-air promotions and international feeds, ensuring alignment with broadcast, OTT and advertising codes. He has also handled brand approvals and sponsorship integrations for heavily regulated categories—including online gaming, cryptocurrency, NFTs and lottery brands—offering guidance shaped by fast-evolving rules.

Before Sony, Pradeep worked at Jiostar as assistant manager for content regulation from November 2024 to January 2026. Earlier, he spent nearly seven years at Viacom18 Media, rising from senior executive to assistant manager in content regulation between 2018 and 2024. There he served as a key compliance touchpoint for the network.

His career began on the creative side. Between 2013 and 2018, he worked as executive producer on feature films and television shows, gaining hands-on exposure to production. He also had a stint as a non-fiction show director at Star TV Network in 2017. That mix of creative and regulatory experience gives him a dual lens—how content is made and how it must be managed.

As regulators, platforms and advertisers all tighten the screws, broadcasters are investing more in gatekeepers who can keep creativity within the lines. Sony’s latest hire shows where the industry is heading: in the streaming age, compliance is content’s quiet co-star.

GECs

Colors Gujarati rolls out two new shows from 2nd February

Published

2 weeks ago

February 2, 2026

indiantelevision.com Team

MUMBAI: Colors Gujarati has unveiled two new prime-time shows as part of its push to strengthen culturally rooted storytelling for regional audiences. The channel will premiere the devotional saga Gangasati–Paanbai at 7.30 pm, followed by the romantic family drama Manmelo at 9.30 pm from February 2.

Inspired by Gujarat’s spiritual and literary heritage, Gangasati–Paanbai: Shyam Dhun No Navo Adhyay draws from the timeless bhajans and poetry of saint-poetesses Gangasati and Paanbai, weaving devotion and human values into a contemporary narrative aimed at younger viewers.

In contrast, Manmelo explores love and responsibility across social divides, tracing the lives of three middle-class sisters whose relationships with three affluent brothers reshape their futures. The show delves into ambition, emotional conflict and the realities of married life, offering a layered family drama.

A Colors Gujarati spokesperson said the new launches reflect the channel’s commitment to authentic Gujarati entertainment that blends cultural values with modern storytelling.