ITV

Tag: Amit Goenka

  • ZEEL launches new movie channel in Germany

    ZEEL launches new movie channel in Germany

    MUMBAI: Zee Entertainment Enterprises Limited (ZEEL) has launched a new movie channel titled Zee.One for its Germany market.

    The channel was launched in Germany by ZEEL MD and CEO Punit Goenka, ZEEL International broadcast business CEO Amit Goenka, Asia TV Gmbh (Zee TV) CEO Friederike Behrends and Bollywood supertstar Shah Rukh Khan.

    On the launch of new channel, Punit Goenka said, “As a global media conglomerate, ZEEL is present in 171 countries entertaining over one billion viewers across the world. With our entry into Germany, we are now present in one of the most important and competitive TV markets worldwide. This is what makes the launch of Zee.One special for us.”

    Zee.One – I Feel Bollywood promises to deliver high-quality entertainment from the cinematic Mecca of Asia: Bollywood. The free-to-air channel will broadcast a great variety of movies and series, starring popular international megastars like Shah Rukh Khan and Deepika Padukone. The movies will span across all genres including romance, comedy, action among others. Furthermore, music clips with outstanding dance performances as well as in-house productions will add to the entertainment.

    “The launch of Zee.One in Germany is a step further as part of our international expansion strategy. We want to establish a lasting presence and of course, grow in the German television market. With our highest levels of entertainment, we are confident of being able to offer viewers an attractive enrichment to the existing range of television offerings. We are proud and happy to welcome the German community into our ZEEL family,” added Amit Goenka.

    Targeting women between the ages of 19 and 59, Zee.One’s content will be specifically adapted for the German market. Most of the content will be premiering on German television and will be broadcast in HD. From autumn on, the channel plans to develop and produce its own show formats like magazine shows. Zee.One will be receivable via satellite (Astra) and cable (Vodafone, Unitymedia, Telecolumbus) and will soon be available on more platforms in the German market.

    Behrends further added, “From today, the German TV landscape will be enriched by a unique, new channel, Zee.One. We want to entertain our viewers with the best of films, series, and music daily, making Zee.One a channel for all the senses!”

  • ZEEL launches new movie channel in Germany

    ZEEL launches new movie channel in Germany

    MUMBAI: Zee Entertainment Enterprises Limited (ZEEL) has launched a new movie channel titled Zee.One for its Germany market.

    The channel was launched in Germany by ZEEL MD and CEO Punit Goenka, ZEEL International broadcast business CEO Amit Goenka, Asia TV Gmbh (Zee TV) CEO Friederike Behrends and Bollywood supertstar Shah Rukh Khan.

    On the launch of new channel, Punit Goenka said, “As a global media conglomerate, ZEEL is present in 171 countries entertaining over one billion viewers across the world. With our entry into Germany, we are now present in one of the most important and competitive TV markets worldwide. This is what makes the launch of Zee.One special for us.”

    Zee.One – I Feel Bollywood promises to deliver high-quality entertainment from the cinematic Mecca of Asia: Bollywood. The free-to-air channel will broadcast a great variety of movies and series, starring popular international megastars like Shah Rukh Khan and Deepika Padukone. The movies will span across all genres including romance, comedy, action among others. Furthermore, music clips with outstanding dance performances as well as in-house productions will add to the entertainment.

    “The launch of Zee.One in Germany is a step further as part of our international expansion strategy. We want to establish a lasting presence and of course, grow in the German television market. With our highest levels of entertainment, we are confident of being able to offer viewers an attractive enrichment to the existing range of television offerings. We are proud and happy to welcome the German community into our ZEEL family,” added Amit Goenka.

    Targeting women between the ages of 19 and 59, Zee.One’s content will be specifically adapted for the German market. Most of the content will be premiering on German television and will be broadcast in HD. From autumn on, the channel plans to develop and produce its own show formats like magazine shows. Zee.One will be receivable via satellite (Astra) and cable (Vodafone, Unitymedia, Telecolumbus) and will soon be available on more platforms in the German market.

    Behrends further added, “From today, the German TV landscape will be enriched by a unique, new channel, Zee.One. We want to entertain our viewers with the best of films, series, and music daily, making Zee.One a channel for all the senses!”

  • Zeel ties with Dish and Sling TV to expand reach in US

    Zeel ties with Dish and Sling TV to expand reach in US

    MUMBAI:  Zee Entertainment Enterprises Limited (Zeel) announced a landmark agreement with Dish and Sling TV to further strengthen its presence in the US Territory the media conglomerate announced in a release.  As a part of the agreement, Dish and Sling TV will carry 27 new channels in addition to the existing 10 Zee channels, which will be available in varied languages like Spanish, Portuguese, Arabic, Hindi, Bengali, Marathi, Tamil, Bhojpuri, Oriya, Rajasthani and Urdu. Post this alliance, the total number of Zee channels available in the US market will be 37 with a combined reach of 52 million or 5.2 crore homes (that includes English and Spanish HHs).

    Further, Sling TV and Dish will be the ‘exclusive provider’ in the US of Zee’s premium on-demand library, which includes movies and over 400 additional popular video titles.  Over time, Sling TV will become the exclusive over-the-top (OTT) provider in the US for all but one of Zee’s South Asian channels. In the coming months, Zee will transition viewers from its direct-to-consumer services to Sling TV or to authenticated access only.

    Speaking on the partnership, Zeel CEO of International Broadcast Business, Amit Goenka said, “America is one of the most important markets for our International business. The deal with Dish further consolidates our leadership position and is in line with our ambitious 2020 goals. We are very delighted to announce that with this deal not only has our reach in the Mainstream American market for our Z Living network quadrupled, but we will also now be serving the high potential Spanish language subscribers with two 24×7 networks. With this deal we will cater to 16 different language groups in America across 5 genres. Zee and Dish have been natural partners for the last 18 years and we both share our vision on future growth of pay TV in USA.”

    “Our agreement with Zee enables us to provide a vast amount of entertainment to fans of South Asian content, while also giving customers a more streamlined way to access and enjoy both linear and on-demand content,” said Sling TV & Dish senior vice President of Programming Chris Kuelling. “Zee shares our goal of growing the South Asian market, and together we are able to better serve this community, as well as the other language groups served by Zee.”

    To broaden the options available to fans of South Asian content, Sling TV and Dish are launching a new ‘Hindi Gold Pack,’ which will contain all of the Zee Hindi channels, plus other leading Hindi channels. In addition, &TV, one of the most requested Hindi channels by current Sling TV and Dish customers, will be added to the existing lineup. Zee’s on-demand content will be available at no additional charge to Dish and Sling TV subscribers with the Hindi Gold Pack.

    Dish and Sling TV will also add two Spanish-language channels, Z Living Español and Zee TV Español, and two Brazilian channels, Zee TV Portuguese and Z Living Portuguese, to their respective line-ups.  The new Spanish channels can be found on Dish in the DishLATINO Clasico, DishLATINO Dos, DishLATINO Plus and DishLATINO Max packages, and the Best of Spanish TV package on Sling Latino.

    Zee Alwan and Zee Aflam, two popular Arabic channels will launch in the Dish Arabic Super Elite and the Arabic Mosaic Pack on Sling TV as well.

  • Zeel ties with Dish and Sling TV to expand reach in US

    Zeel ties with Dish and Sling TV to expand reach in US

    MUMBAI:  Zee Entertainment Enterprises Limited (Zeel) announced a landmark agreement with Dish and Sling TV to further strengthen its presence in the US Territory the media conglomerate announced in a release.  As a part of the agreement, Dish and Sling TV will carry 27 new channels in addition to the existing 10 Zee channels, which will be available in varied languages like Spanish, Portuguese, Arabic, Hindi, Bengali, Marathi, Tamil, Bhojpuri, Oriya, Rajasthani and Urdu. Post this alliance, the total number of Zee channels available in the US market will be 37 with a combined reach of 52 million or 5.2 crore homes (that includes English and Spanish HHs).

    Further, Sling TV and Dish will be the ‘exclusive provider’ in the US of Zee’s premium on-demand library, which includes movies and over 400 additional popular video titles.  Over time, Sling TV will become the exclusive over-the-top (OTT) provider in the US for all but one of Zee’s South Asian channels. In the coming months, Zee will transition viewers from its direct-to-consumer services to Sling TV or to authenticated access only.

    Speaking on the partnership, Zeel CEO of International Broadcast Business, Amit Goenka said, “America is one of the most important markets for our International business. The deal with Dish further consolidates our leadership position and is in line with our ambitious 2020 goals. We are very delighted to announce that with this deal not only has our reach in the Mainstream American market for our Z Living network quadrupled, but we will also now be serving the high potential Spanish language subscribers with two 24×7 networks. With this deal we will cater to 16 different language groups in America across 5 genres. Zee and Dish have been natural partners for the last 18 years and we both share our vision on future growth of pay TV in USA.”

    “Our agreement with Zee enables us to provide a vast amount of entertainment to fans of South Asian content, while also giving customers a more streamlined way to access and enjoy both linear and on-demand content,” said Sling TV & Dish senior vice President of Programming Chris Kuelling. “Zee shares our goal of growing the South Asian market, and together we are able to better serve this community, as well as the other language groups served by Zee.”

    To broaden the options available to fans of South Asian content, Sling TV and Dish are launching a new ‘Hindi Gold Pack,’ which will contain all of the Zee Hindi channels, plus other leading Hindi channels. In addition, &TV, one of the most requested Hindi channels by current Sling TV and Dish customers, will be added to the existing lineup. Zee’s on-demand content will be available at no additional charge to Dish and Sling TV subscribers with the Hindi Gold Pack.

    Dish and Sling TV will also add two Spanish-language channels, Z Living Español and Zee TV Español, and two Brazilian channels, Zee TV Portuguese and Z Living Portuguese, to their respective line-ups.  The new Spanish channels can be found on Dish in the DishLATINO Clasico, DishLATINO Dos, DishLATINO Plus and DishLATINO Max packages, and the Best of Spanish TV package on Sling Latino.

    Zee Alwan and Zee Aflam, two popular Arabic channels will launch in the Dish Arabic Super Elite and the Arabic Mosaic Pack on Sling TV as well.

  • Amit Goenka receives honour at MipTV 2016

    Amit Goenka receives honour at MipTV 2016

    Cannes: It was a moment of pride for India at MipTV when Zee International CEO Amit Goenka went on stage at the Carlton Hotel in Cannes on  the French Riviera to receive the organization’s Medaille D’Honneur. It was the first time that an Indian executive had been accorded that recognition.

    Amit received the citation on behalf of his brother and Zeel CEO Punit Goenka  and himself to thunderous applause. He pointed out that the Zee Network had expanded the number of languages it is available to eight. He  spoke about the group’s recent Fillipino launch for its Zee Sine channel recently and highlighted that the broadcaster was readying its German foray called Zee One in July this year.

    He announced that the Zee group was gearing to emerge as one of the top global  media conglomerates by 2020. An he invited the entire TV community to be a part of the Zee TV family.

    Amit was joined at the MipTV dinner cum gala by his lovely wife Navyata.

    Other honorees at the exclusive MipTV Medaille D’Honneur were senior international executives: Germany’s Studiocanal TV MD Rola Bauer,  Disney Media Networks global distribution president Ben Pyne from the US  and Mexico’s Comarex president Marcel Vinay.

    The dinner witnessed attendance from the crème de la crème of Zee TV’s international operations. Present were: Chief Business Officer international business Asia Today Sunita Uchill, Zeel CBO Sunil Buch, Asia TV CEO Europe Neeraj Dhingra, ZLiving CEO India, &APAC Piyush Sharma, Asia TV GmH Business head Friederike Behrends, Asia TV Deputy CEO and CFO Parul Goel, Zee TV president –strategy international business Rajeev Kheror, Zeel region head syndication, India Sharmeen D’souza, and finally Z Living’s Yogesh Karikurve.

  • Amit Goenka receives honour at MipTV 2016

    Amit Goenka receives honour at MipTV 2016

    Cannes: It was a moment of pride for India at MipTV when Zee International CEO Amit Goenka went on stage at the Carlton Hotel in Cannes on  the French Riviera to receive the organization’s Medaille D’Honneur. It was the first time that an Indian executive had been accorded that recognition.

    Amit received the citation on behalf of his brother and Zeel CEO Punit Goenka  and himself to thunderous applause. He pointed out that the Zee Network had expanded the number of languages it is available to eight. He  spoke about the group’s recent Fillipino launch for its Zee Sine channel recently and highlighted that the broadcaster was readying its German foray called Zee One in July this year.

    He announced that the Zee group was gearing to emerge as one of the top global  media conglomerates by 2020. An he invited the entire TV community to be a part of the Zee TV family.

    Amit was joined at the MipTV dinner cum gala by his lovely wife Navyata.

    Other honorees at the exclusive MipTV Medaille D’Honneur were senior international executives: Germany’s Studiocanal TV MD Rola Bauer,  Disney Media Networks global distribution president Ben Pyne from the US  and Mexico’s Comarex president Marcel Vinay.

    The dinner witnessed attendance from the crème de la crème of Zee TV’s international operations. Present were: Chief Business Officer international business Asia Today Sunita Uchill, Zeel CBO Sunil Buch, Asia TV CEO Europe Neeraj Dhingra, ZLiving CEO India, &APAC Piyush Sharma, Asia TV GmH Business head Friederike Behrends, Asia TV Deputy CEO and CFO Parul Goel, Zee TV president –strategy international business Rajeev Kheror, Zeel region head syndication, India Sharmeen D’souza, and finally Z Living’s Yogesh Karikurve.

  • ZEEL enters Philippines with ‘Zee Sine’

    ZEEL enters Philippines with ‘Zee Sine’

    MUMBAI: After creating success stories with two Bollywood channels in the APAC region, namely Zee Bioskop in Indonesia and Zee Nung in Thailand, Zee Entertainment Enterprises Limited (ZEEL) becomes the first Indian company to foray into Philippines with its third dedicated Bollywood movie channel for the local Filipino audience starting today.

    Announcing ZEE’s entry into the Philippines, International Broadcast Business, ZEEL  International broadcast business CEO Amit Goenka said, “ZEE has been the cultural ambassador for Bollywood and Indian content in overseas markets. In line with our Vision 2020 goals, we have chalked out an aggressive international expansion plan, with APAC being one of the key regions. We already have 5 dedicated localized channels in APAC, comprising of GEC and movie genres, and our entry into Philippines will only further strengthen our presence. With the Pay-TV industry projected to grow at an average of 13% Y-o-Y in the next 5 years, we see huge potential in this market.”

    Zee Sine – Bollywood Na Tayo (‘Sine’ means ‘Cinema’ and ‘Bollywood Na Tayo’ means ‘Let’s Go Bollywood’ in Tagalog) is a 24/7 Bollywood movie channel customized and packaged for the local audience. The channel features Blockbuster movies from the World’s Biggest Hindi Film Library of ZEEL.

    Speaking on the launch of Zee Sine, ZEEL  Asia Pacific business head Sushruta Samanta said, “Both India and Philippines display strong affinity for music and dance. Our research shows that Indian Bollywood Films are relatable as the stories hit close to home, reflecting similar emotions and values shown in Filipino movies. While other content from around the world has entered Philippines already, we plan to bring a fresh and unique perspective by launching Zee Sine in Philippines. We felt it is the right time for us to enter this market and showcase our heart-warming and larger-than-life Bollywood movies to the Filipino audience.”

    “Maria Liza Ginting, who currently heads our Indonesia market, will also be heading the Philippines operations along with the local team in Manila,” Samanta further added.

    Sharing more details on the channel, Maria Liza Young – Ginting, Country Head, Indonesia & Philippines said, “Zee Sine will take you to a new world of entertainment with high-voltage Bollywood dramas, love triangles, comedies and song and dance. To reach out to the local audience, we have hand-picked movies from the library, dubbed in Tagalog, re-christened movie titles and character names in English while promos and special movie properties are being locally created. The channel is being distributed through one of the leading cable distributors in the country, Cable Boss, and will soon be available on more platforms in the market.”

    The channel will be showcased at PCTA (Philippine Cable TV Association Inc.) Convention 2016, which is one of the biggest Pay-TV operators conventions in Philippines, to be held between 12-15 April, 2016.

    As the channel goes on-air today, Zee Sine promises to entertain Philippines the Bollywood way.

     

  • ZEEL enters Philippines with ‘Zee Sine’

    ZEEL enters Philippines with ‘Zee Sine’

    MUMBAI: After creating success stories with two Bollywood channels in the APAC region, namely Zee Bioskop in Indonesia and Zee Nung in Thailand, Zee Entertainment Enterprises Limited (ZEEL) becomes the first Indian company to foray into Philippines with its third dedicated Bollywood movie channel for the local Filipino audience starting today.

    Announcing ZEE’s entry into the Philippines, International Broadcast Business, ZEEL  International broadcast business CEO Amit Goenka said, “ZEE has been the cultural ambassador for Bollywood and Indian content in overseas markets. In line with our Vision 2020 goals, we have chalked out an aggressive international expansion plan, with APAC being one of the key regions. We already have 5 dedicated localized channels in APAC, comprising of GEC and movie genres, and our entry into Philippines will only further strengthen our presence. With the Pay-TV industry projected to grow at an average of 13% Y-o-Y in the next 5 years, we see huge potential in this market.”

    Zee Sine – Bollywood Na Tayo (‘Sine’ means ‘Cinema’ and ‘Bollywood Na Tayo’ means ‘Let’s Go Bollywood’ in Tagalog) is a 24/7 Bollywood movie channel customized and packaged for the local audience. The channel features Blockbuster movies from the World’s Biggest Hindi Film Library of ZEEL.

    Speaking on the launch of Zee Sine, ZEEL  Asia Pacific business head Sushruta Samanta said, “Both India and Philippines display strong affinity for music and dance. Our research shows that Indian Bollywood Films are relatable as the stories hit close to home, reflecting similar emotions and values shown in Filipino movies. While other content from around the world has entered Philippines already, we plan to bring a fresh and unique perspective by launching Zee Sine in Philippines. We felt it is the right time for us to enter this market and showcase our heart-warming and larger-than-life Bollywood movies to the Filipino audience.”

    “Maria Liza Ginting, who currently heads our Indonesia market, will also be heading the Philippines operations along with the local team in Manila,” Samanta further added.

    Sharing more details on the channel, Maria Liza Young – Ginting, Country Head, Indonesia & Philippines said, “Zee Sine will take you to a new world of entertainment with high-voltage Bollywood dramas, love triangles, comedies and song and dance. To reach out to the local audience, we have hand-picked movies from the library, dubbed in Tagalog, re-christened movie titles and character names in English while promos and special movie properties are being locally created. The channel is being distributed through one of the leading cable distributors in the country, Cable Boss, and will soon be available on more platforms in the market.”

    The channel will be showcased at PCTA (Philippine Cable TV Association Inc.) Convention 2016, which is one of the biggest Pay-TV operators conventions in Philippines, to be held between 12-15 April, 2016.

    As the channel goes on-air today, Zee Sine promises to entertain Philippines the Bollywood way.

     

  • ZEEL’s Punit Goenka and Amit Goenka become the first Indians to receive Médaille d’Honneur

    ZEEL’s Punit Goenka and Amit Goenka become the first Indians to receive Médaille d’Honneur

    MUMBAI: MIPTV, the world's leading market event for the international TV industry, today announced that it will honour the top leaders of India’s most valuable listed entertainment entity, Zee Entertainment Enterprises Limited(ZEEL). ZEEL managing director and CEO Punit Goenka,  and  International Broadcast Business CEO Amit Goenka will be awarded MIPTV Médailles d’Honneur in a ceremony taking place in Cannes, France on Wednesday 6 April 2016.

    The prestigious MIPTV Médailles d’Honneur is awarded to senior executives who have made a significant contribution to the world of television and to the development of the international TV community.  Punit Goenka and Amit Goenka are the first Indians to receive the coveted Médailles d’Honneur. MIPTV 2016 will welcome 60 Indian TV delegates among over 11,000 leading television executives attending the event from around the world.

    Punit Goenka took charge as MD & CEO in 2008 and since then, he has been extremely successful in enhancing ZEEL’s performance and keeping the company at the forefront of the TV business in India. Punit’s younger brother Amit took over as the group’s CEO, International Broadcast Business late last year, and is responsible for spearheading ZEE’s foreign expansion. Today, ZEE is available in 169 countries and reaches over 959 million viewers worldwide.

    “For many years, Zee Entertainment has been at the heart of the Indian presence at MIPTV and MIPCOM, and the company’s leaders, Punit and Amit, are among the most respected chief executives in the global TV industry. As the group has developed across the international market, one understands and appreciates ZEE’s corporate philosophy ‘Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam – The World Is My Family’, said Reed MIDEM television Division director Laurine Garaude.

    Commenting on the award, Punit Goenka said, “Receiving such an honour from MIPTV is as much a personal recognition as it is a tribute to our highly creative and dedicated teams across the globe at ZEEL.”

    “It is a great honour and privilege for us to receive this prestigious award and to be named amongst such a stellar group of luminaries from the global Media and Entertainment industry;” Amit Goenka said.

    In addition to Punit Goenka and Amit Goenka, three other distinguished TV industry leaders will receive Médailles d’Honneur in Cannes are  Germany's Studiocanal TV MD Rola Bauer,  Disney Mesia Networks global distribution president Ben Pyne from USA, and Mexico's Comarex president Marcel Vinay. 

    Amongst the previous winners of this presitigous award figure:  (in 2014) 21st Century Fox Television International television president Marion Edwards, Channel One Russia CEO Konstantin Ernst, Tele München Group chairman and owner Herbert G Kloiber and Seven West Media CEO Tim Worner, (in 2013)  Beta Film CEO Jan Mojto, CBS Global Distribution group president and CEO Armando Nuñez , Sony Pictures Entertainment Japan TV networks, SVP Masao Takiyama,  French Groupe M6 chairman Nicolas de Tavernost, and BSkyB MD-content Sophie Turner Laing.

      Anil Wanvari is the Founder, CEO and editor in chief of the      Indiantelevision.com group. He is also the representative of Reed  Midem’s MipTV, MipCom, and Midem for India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka  and Bangladesh, apart from representing the Singapore-based Asia  Television Forum for the same territories. We reached out to Anil to  get his  views, insights  on  what the bestowing of the Medailles d’  Honneur on Zee TV’s Punit and Amit Goenka means for the group    and also for the nation as a whole.

     Excerpts:

    Why are  Zee Entertainment Enterprises'  Punit  and Amit Goenka being recognised with the Médailles d’Honneur at MipTV this year?

    Zee TV has consistently been a pioneer in pushing Make In India globally even before Make In India was thought of. Their presence in so many countries is a testimony of the Zee TV group’s global vision. They have operations in Indonesia, West Asia, Russia, Singapore, UK and many more countries.  The Zee TV group is the largest Indian television content exporter in terms of program syndication as well. They are the most international Indian media company. 

    A couple of years ago, the Zee TV group had announced ambitious plans to drastically hike up the contribution of its international business to its top line.The group's vision is to have revenues from outside India to almost equal the business from the country. What this means it will have scale up its international operations and also increase its geographical spread. Last year, it  announced its  intention to  build beachheads in several mature television markets internationally as well. Punit and Dr Subhash Chandra brought in the talented Amit Goenka to head that international push. An announcement to launch a channel in Germany was made in mid-January this year. Other new market forays into are planned. 

    Puneet is the first Indian media CEO to speak during MIPCOM at the Cannes Palais des Festivals' Grand Auditorium –   a space normally reserved for executives from more mature markets like the US and Europe.

     ZeeTV is the biggest exhibitor at MIPCOM and MIPTV and has been consistently increasing its commitment and investment in building its international business. The Medailles d’ Honneur is just a recognition of Zee’s vision of ‘Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam – The World Is My Family’.

    I am delighted that Reed Midem has decided to recognize Punit and Amit. I believe this is the first of many more such recognitions and rewards which will be bestowed on executives form the vibrant Indian entertainment economy. 

    Why is exporting Indian TV and film content so important?

    What the US has done effectively is build its soft power, lifestyle   and culture through Hollywood films and TV shows. Corporations have benefited immensely from this as they have sold burgers, jeans, colas, cars and what have you through the imagery that has been built through movies and TV shows making these products desirable for consumers globally. Both corporate America and Hollywood have built a symbiotic relationship which has benefited the US economy as a whole.

    India is on the cusp of change. We have a government which has the determination to deliver on the promise of the  country meeting its destiny as a global superpower. It could aid this vision by using the same soft power approach. It needs to push its products globally by integrating them in its films and TV shows globally and building brand India. I would like to see a vada pav become as desirable and part of people’s diets overseas as is the burger or the pizza.  

    Yes, our quality of production and of storytelling could scale up even further, but  Indian TV shows and films are already beginning to strike an even further chord with international audiences. This bodes well for the Indian content creation and syndication  industry. As well as the economy as a whole.

     

  • ZEEL’s Punit Goenka and Amit Goenka become the first Indians to receive Médaille d’Honneur

    ZEEL’s Punit Goenka and Amit Goenka become the first Indians to receive Médaille d’Honneur

    MUMBAI: MIPTV, the world's leading market event for the international TV industry, today announced that it will honour the top leaders of India’s most valuable listed entertainment entity, Zee Entertainment Enterprises Limited(ZEEL). ZEEL managing director and CEO Punit Goenka,  and  International Broadcast Business CEO Amit Goenka will be awarded MIPTV Médailles d’Honneur in a ceremony taking place in Cannes, France on Wednesday 6 April 2016.

    The prestigious MIPTV Médailles d’Honneur is awarded to senior executives who have made a significant contribution to the world of television and to the development of the international TV community.  Punit Goenka and Amit Goenka are the first Indians to receive the coveted Médailles d’Honneur. MIPTV 2016 will welcome 60 Indian TV delegates among over 11,000 leading television executives attending the event from around the world.

    Punit Goenka took charge as MD & CEO in 2008 and since then, he has been extremely successful in enhancing ZEEL’s performance and keeping the company at the forefront of the TV business in India. Punit’s younger brother Amit took over as the group’s CEO, International Broadcast Business late last year, and is responsible for spearheading ZEE’s foreign expansion. Today, ZEE is available in 169 countries and reaches over 959 million viewers worldwide.

    “For many years, Zee Entertainment has been at the heart of the Indian presence at MIPTV and MIPCOM, and the company’s leaders, Punit and Amit, are among the most respected chief executives in the global TV industry. As the group has developed across the international market, one understands and appreciates ZEE’s corporate philosophy ‘Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam – The World Is My Family’, said Reed MIDEM television Division director Laurine Garaude.

    Commenting on the award, Punit Goenka said, “Receiving such an honour from MIPTV is as much a personal recognition as it is a tribute to our highly creative and dedicated teams across the globe at ZEEL.”

    “It is a great honour and privilege for us to receive this prestigious award and to be named amongst such a stellar group of luminaries from the global Media and Entertainment industry;” Amit Goenka said.

    In addition to Punit Goenka and Amit Goenka, three other distinguished TV industry leaders will receive Médailles d’Honneur in Cannes are  Germany's Studiocanal TV MD Rola Bauer,  Disney Mesia Networks global distribution president Ben Pyne from USA, and Mexico's Comarex president Marcel Vinay. 

    Amongst the previous winners of this presitigous award figure:  (in 2014) 21st Century Fox Television International television president Marion Edwards, Channel One Russia CEO Konstantin Ernst, Tele München Group chairman and owner Herbert G Kloiber and Seven West Media CEO Tim Worner, (in 2013)  Beta Film CEO Jan Mojto, CBS Global Distribution group president and CEO Armando Nuñez , Sony Pictures Entertainment Japan TV networks, SVP Masao Takiyama,  French Groupe M6 chairman Nicolas de Tavernost, and BSkyB MD-content Sophie Turner Laing.

      Anil Wanvari is the Founder, CEO and editor in chief of the      Indiantelevision.com group. He is also the representative of Reed  Midem’s MipTV, MipCom, and Midem for India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka  and Bangladesh, apart from representing the Singapore-based Asia  Television Forum for the same territories. We reached out to Anil to  get his  views, insights  on  what the bestowing of the Medailles d’  Honneur on Zee TV’s Punit and Amit Goenka means for the group    and also for the nation as a whole.

     Excerpts:

    Why are  Zee Entertainment Enterprises'  Punit  and Amit Goenka being recognised with the Médailles d’Honneur at MipTV this year?

    Zee TV has consistently been a pioneer in pushing Make In India globally even before Make In India was thought of. Their presence in so many countries is a testimony of the Zee TV group’s global vision. They have operations in Indonesia, West Asia, Russia, Singapore, UK and many more countries.  The Zee TV group is the largest Indian television content exporter in terms of program syndication as well. They are the most international Indian media company. 

    A couple of years ago, the Zee TV group had announced ambitious plans to drastically hike up the contribution of its international business to its top line.The group's vision is to have revenues from outside India to almost equal the business from the country. What this means it will have scale up its international operations and also increase its geographical spread. Last year, it  announced its  intention to  build beachheads in several mature television markets internationally as well. Punit and Dr Subhash Chandra brought in the talented Amit Goenka to head that international push. An announcement to launch a channel in Germany was made in mid-January this year. Other new market forays into are planned. 

    Puneet is the first Indian media CEO to speak during MIPCOM at the Cannes Palais des Festivals' Grand Auditorium –   a space normally reserved for executives from more mature markets like the US and Europe.

     ZeeTV is the biggest exhibitor at MIPCOM and MIPTV and has been consistently increasing its commitment and investment in building its international business. The Medailles d’ Honneur is just a recognition of Zee’s vision of ‘Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam – The World Is My Family’.

    I am delighted that Reed Midem has decided to recognize Punit and Amit. I believe this is the first of many more such recognitions and rewards which will be bestowed on executives form the vibrant Indian entertainment economy. 

    Why is exporting Indian TV and film content so important?

    What the US has done effectively is build its soft power, lifestyle   and culture through Hollywood films and TV shows. Corporations have benefited immensely from this as they have sold burgers, jeans, colas, cars and what have you through the imagery that has been built through movies and TV shows making these products desirable for consumers globally. Both corporate America and Hollywood have built a symbiotic relationship which has benefited the US economy as a whole.

    India is on the cusp of change. We have a government which has the determination to deliver on the promise of the  country meeting its destiny as a global superpower. It could aid this vision by using the same soft power approach. It needs to push its products globally by integrating them in its films and TV shows globally and building brand India. I would like to see a vada pav become as desirable and part of people’s diets overseas as is the burger or the pizza.  

    Yes, our quality of production and of storytelling could scale up even further, but  Indian TV shows and films are already beginning to strike an even further chord with international audiences. This bodes well for the Indian content creation and syndication  industry. As well as the economy as a whole.