ITV

Tag: Zee Group

  • Ditto TV goes OTT first with ‘before TV’

    Ditto TV goes OTT first with ‘before TV’

    MUMBAI: Zee Digital Convergence Limited’s Over The Top (OTT) platform DittoTV now allows viewers to enjoy their favourite content from the channels under Zee Group before airing it on television through their new feature titled ‘before TV’.

    The feature is in line with the company and group’s continued focus on content and service innovations for the consumers.

    Talking about this new initiative, ZDCL CEO Debashish Ghosh said, “The fact that more and more people are finding it easy to cut away from appointment viewing and watch their chosen entertainment anytime, anywhere, has only driven consumer expectations higher and upped the ante for OTT platforms the world-over. While, original content will remain one of the key drivers and focus of DittoTV’s global operations, serious innovations will help give our consumers something new and engaging all-the-time, every time. before TV is one such step in this direction.”

    The company has recently created an original content titled as Life is Music and also plans to launch music based documentary titled as Chords of Change, which will feature musicians narrating their stories of their struggle and registering their protest in various zones across the country through their music.

    The platform is focused on markets like the US, UK, Europe, Australia, New Zealand, Middle East, Asia Pacific and some parts of Africa. It will also carry non-Indian content shortly in the markets where it has been launched.

  • Ditto TV goes OTT first with ‘before TV’

    Ditto TV goes OTT first with ‘before TV’

    MUMBAI: Zee Digital Convergence Limited’s Over The Top (OTT) platform DittoTV now allows viewers to enjoy their favourite content from the channels under Zee Group before airing it on television through their new feature titled ‘before TV’.

    The feature is in line with the company and group’s continued focus on content and service innovations for the consumers.

    Talking about this new initiative, ZDCL CEO Debashish Ghosh said, “The fact that more and more people are finding it easy to cut away from appointment viewing and watch their chosen entertainment anytime, anywhere, has only driven consumer expectations higher and upped the ante for OTT platforms the world-over. While, original content will remain one of the key drivers and focus of DittoTV’s global operations, serious innovations will help give our consumers something new and engaging all-the-time, every time. before TV is one such step in this direction.”

    The company has recently created an original content titled as Life is Music and also plans to launch music based documentary titled as Chords of Change, which will feature musicians narrating their stories of their struggle and registering their protest in various zones across the country through their music.

    The platform is focused on markets like the US, UK, Europe, Australia, New Zealand, Middle East, Asia Pacific and some parts of Africa. It will also carry non-Indian content shortly in the markets where it has been launched.

  • Zee Group’s HD channels lead pack in ratings

    Zee Group’s HD channels lead pack in ratings

    MUMBAI: The Zee Group’s high definition (HD) channels led the chart in HD groups and secured leadership position with 59.11 TVTs as per the Broadcast Audience Research Council (BARC) India data of week 36-38.

    The group’s HD channels include Ten HD, Zee Café HD, Zee Cinema HD, Zee Studio HD, Zee TV HD and &TV HD. 

    On the other hand, IndiaCast, which has in its bouquet the Colors HD and Colors Infinity HD channels grabbed second position with 58.65 TVTs. 

    Star India was at third place in the HD segment pecking order with 58.22 TVTs. 

    Multi Screen Media, which owns Sony Entertainment HD, Sony Six HD and Sony Pix HD, bagged 20.83 TVTs to stand in the fourth position.

    Sun TV held the fifth spot with 6.67 TVTs, whereas with 5.72 TVTs Travel XP HD was in sixth position. 

     

    Data Set: BARC (Wk 36-38), CS4+, All-India

    Click Here to read the full report.

  • DittoTV enters Limca Book of Records

    DittoTV enters Limca Book of Records

    MUMBAI: Zee Group’s OTT platform DittoTV has entered Limca Book of Records for being the only OTT platform to present to its subscribers content offering for most number of registered channels across 13 languages.

     

    DittoTV is the sole OTT platform to be conferred with this recognition. DittoTV showcases TV shows, movies and videos in various languages alongside having specially designed video content which is available on Android, Windows and iOS based phones, tablets and computer systems.

     

    A key reason for dittoTV to break the record was due to the fact that it offers viewers an engaging content mix from sports, GEC, music, news to movies and also has its live broadcast from 13 popular religious shrines of India, which include Siddhivinayak Temple,Kashi Vishwanath Temple, Iskcon Temple, Vrindavan, Dargah Hazrat Sheikh Salim Chisti to name a few.

     

    Moreover, the platform also offers eight Pakistani channels along with international news channels like BBC, Al Jazeera and CNN amongst others across the globe in more than 130 countries. The platform also offers HD channels for its subscribers.

     

    DittoTV business head Manoj Padmanabhan said, “It is a proud moment for us since this record further reaffirms our aim to creating newer benchmarks in the category. We have always strived to push the boundaries and be innovators in every endeavour that we set forth. With the bouquet of content that has earned dittoTV the laurel of being honoured by the Limca Book of Records team, we envision more such laurels, keeping benchmarks at the helm as we aim to grow aggressively in this financial year.”

  • Zee group gears up to celebrate the International Yoga Day

    Zee group gears up to celebrate the International Yoga Day

    MUMBAI: With the International Yoga Day around the corner, the ZEE Group’s Media & Entertainment companies are gearing up to actively participate, making it a huge success. The companies which are lending support to this initiative are Zee Entertainment Enterprises Limited, Zee Media Corporation Limited, Z Living, Zee Learn Limited and Zee Digital Convergence.

     

    Last year, our  Prime Minister, Narendra Modi while addressing the 193-member UN General Assembly at the United Nations said, “Yoga is an invaluable gift of India’s ancient tradition. It embodies unity of mind and body; thought and action; restraint and fulfillment; harmony between man and nature; a holistic approach to health and well-being. It is not about exercise but to discover the sense of oneness within yourself, the world and the nature. By changing our lifestyle and creating consciousness, it can help us deal with climate change. Let us work towards adopting an International Yoga Day.”

     

    Commenting on the importance of International Yoga Day, Dr. Subhash Chandra, Chairman – ZEE & Essel Group said, “The ancient Indian practice of Yoga nurtures the mind, working through the medium of the body. Yoga enhances the body and soul with additional strength, zeal and beauty. It is a beautiful act of nurturing the divinity within you. I strongly believe that it is a gift to all of us, and it is essential that we work towards making it a mass movement globally. I am confident that the International Yoga Day which our Hon’ble Prime Minister, Shri Narendra Modi has initiated will have a strong impact on humanity, maybe not immediately but definitely in the next five to ten years.”

     

    Elaborating on the Group’s participation in the International Yoga Day, Punit Goenka, MD & CEO, Zee Entertainment Enterprises Limited (ZEEL) said, “Yoga is a way of living which recharges the body and promotes the balanced development of the physical, mental and spiritual being. As the excitement around International Yoga Day builds up, we, at the ZEE Group, have lined up a range of yoga-based activities to engage with our viewers across the world. Our channels and brands will feature yoga content integration, expert advice from yoga gurus, useful trivia, celebrity bytes and yoga cuisine, among other interesting initiatives throughout the day. Apart from this, we are celebrating Yoga Week across all our offices where employees will perform yoga sessions led by expert instructors.”

     

    As the world prepares to celebrate the International Yoga Day, and with India leading the charge, the ZEE Group is committed to making this a major national and global event.

     

    Some of the key initiatives that will be showcased across the ZEE Group companies and channels are as follows:

    ·         Among Zee Entertainment’s bouquet of channels, Zee TV, the flagship Hindi GEC will feature yoga-based content integration in its popular shows, Satrangi Sasural and Neeli Chhatri Waale while &TV will be integrating the essence of International Yoga Day through its shows – Dilli Wali Thakur Gurls, Bhaghyalakshmi and Gangaa.

     

    ·         Zindagi, the premium Hindi GEC will espouse the effectiveness of practising Yoga through its afternoon show ‘Simply Beautiful’ which is based on healthy living while our FTA channel, Zee Anmol will run fillers, each of which will focus on one Chakra of the body and how a particular type of Yoga cleanses that chakra, infusing energy into the body and bringing about a positive change.

     

    ·         ZEEL’s Hindi Movie Cluster will integrate yoga and Bollywood to commemorate International Yoga Day. The channels will urge audiences to adopt Yoga as a lifestyle choice by showcasing advice from Yoga instructors as well as trivia and quotes from stars practising yoga.

     

    ·         ZEEL’s Regional Channels have also planned a slew of yoga-based activities. The leading Marathi GEC, Zee Marathi will advocate the benefits of Yoga through content integration in leading fiction and non-fiction shows like Julun Yeti Reshimgaathi, Honaar Sunn Mee Hya Gharchi, Dil Dosti Duniyadaari, Chala Hawa Yeu Dya and Ka Re Durawa. Similarly, Zee Bangla’s shows like Kojagori, Didi No. 1 and Sa Re Ga Ma Pa will inspire viewers to be fit and practice yoga through Yoga integrations within the content.

     

    ·         In the South, Zee Telugu, with an aim to promote health and well-being will showcase the importance and benefits of practicing Yoga for a well-balanced mind, body and soul through integration of information related to Yoga in the following shows – Muddu Mandaram, Abhishekam, Subhamastu, Vahreva, Lakshmi Raave Maa Intiki and Omkaram. Zee Telugu is also associating with Siti Network for a ground event based out of Hyderabad where celebrities will interact with participants to demonstrate and practise yoga. Yoga-based content integration will also occur on Zee Kannada’s top two fiction shows, LoveLavike and Jothe Jotheyalli and on Zee Tamizh’s shows Parambariya Maruthavam and Enga Veetu Penn.

     

    ·         Among the Regional Movie Channels, Zee Bangla Cinema will be positioning its family drama, Maach Mishti & More as the face of the Yoga practice movement while Zee Talkies will be featuring ‘Cinema-Asan’ – A Filmy way of celebrating Yoga where celebrities will perform asanas, share tips and engage with consumers on the topic of Yoga.

     

    ·         On the occasion of International Yoga Day, ZEEL’s English Cluster, Zee Café and Zee Studio, will feature yoga trivia and quotes from famous shows like Desperate Housewives and The Big Bang Theory and Hollywood movies like Pretty Woman, Aeon Flux, Iron Man 3 and The Lincoln Lawyer. 

     

    ·         Among ZEEL’s Niche Channels, ZETC will be running a mini-campaign ‘Bollywood GuruCool’ which will propagate yoga, highlight different actors who practice yoga and suggest suitable music for yoga while Zing will feature Bollywood Yoga vignettes throughout the day. Zee Khana Khazana, India’s premium 24-hour food channel will be showcasing ‘Yoga Cuisine – Spiritual Foods’ on its shows – Suryanamaskar Starts, Saatvik Bites, Jiyo with Jia and The Beauty Fridge. To build interest in Yoga among kids, our edutainment channel, Zee Q will telecast an episode of its show ‘Bandbudh Aur Budbak’ titled ‘Yoga Se Hoga’ at different timeslots during the day.

     

    ·         Truly living up to the name ‘International’ Yoga Day, ZEEL’s International Territories will also be actively supporting and celebrating this ancient Indian tradition.

     

    o   ZEE Americas and ZLiving will be engaging with audiences through their popular shows like Rock Your Yoga, Yoga Sutra Now with Jai Sugrim, Yogapalooza, Yogi Cameron: A Model Guru and Yoga for Life. 

     

    o   ZEE UK & Europe is dedicating an entire week to promote Yoga and will bring in various Yoga experts on its live TV show, Zee Companion to demonstrate the practice, interact with viewers and answer their queries about Yoga. ZEE UK & Europe will also be participating in the UK’s biggest International Yoga Day event which is being held at the Alexandra Palace.

     

    o   Additionally, Zee TV Russia has partnered with the yoga centre ‘Organic People’ to arrange a mass celebration for yoga lovers under the guidance of famous Russian yoga guru Rauf Asadov which will be aired live on Zee TV Russia’s website.

     

    o   In the Asia-Pacific region, ZEEL’s channels will air a special AV on Yoga, hold various contests for viewers and also broadcast the International Yoga Day events being held in major cities in Thailand, Australia and China.

     

    o   Zee TV Africa has partnered with the Consulate General of India in Durban and High Commissioner of India in Johannesburg on a range of activities in support and celebration of International Yoga Day including an on-air awareness campaign and eighteen on-ground events across various regions of South Africa.

     

    o   ZEEL channels in the MENAP region are also creating awareness about Yoga and its benefits by running an on-air and social media campaign.

     

    ·         Zee Digital Convergence will extend support to the different channels and amplify their yoga-based content in the digital space. Furthermore, ZEEL’s OTT platform, DittoTV, will highlight special live yoga features run by different news channels, yoga shows and videos from ZLiving and a brand new show-‘Yoga for Life’.

     

    ·         The various channels of Zee Media Corporation Limited (ZMCL) are also enthusiastically participating in the International Yoga Day celebrations.

     

    o   Zee News is celebrating International Yoga Day through special programming, ‘Yoga Living’ which features demonstrations by renowned yoga gurus, yoga documentaries, bytes from famous celebrities like director Mohit Suri, wrestler Sushil Kumar and actress Shilpa Shetty, and yoga advice and tips.

     

    o   Zee Business is inviting business honchos, entrepreneurs, politicians and yoga experts to be a part of their special Yoga show. Prominent personalities who will be sharing their Yoga advice and recommendations include Jayant Sinha, MoS Finance, Government of India, Anand Rathi – Founder & Chairman, Anand Rathi Financial Services Ltd., Amish Tripathi, Author of The Shiva Trilogy and Bharat Thakur, the famous Yoga Guru.

     

    o   On Zee 24 Taas, a campaign named as ‘Zee 24 Taas Yog Abhiyan’ is being run to promote the practice of Yoga in daily life. News stories featuring Yoga experts highlighting the importance of Yoga in today’s time is being showcased along with celebrity wishes for the campaign. On-ground, students from more than 100 schools from Vidarbha, Marathwada, Western Maharashtra, Konkan and Khandesh will take the pledge that they will practice Yoga everyday, which will help them build their bodies and minds in a positive way, thus building a healthier society. Also, as a part of this initiative, lakhs of students from various schools will voluntarily perform different asanas of Yoga at the same time across the cities and villages of Maharashtra.

     

    o   In Rajasthan, Zee Marudhara is highlighting the State Govt.’s initiatives on Yoga including the Live coverage of the state’s IYD function in which Chief Minister, Vasundhara Raje will be participating. The channel is also running regular stories on ‘How yoga can be beneficial in our day to day Life’ and broadcasting a series of chat shows with Yoga Experts, Teachers, Ministers, etc. on the importance of Yoga and its benefits.

     

    o   Zee Sangam has done a series of shows with yoga gurus who have spoken on its importance and also demonstrated various ‘asanas’. Case studies on individuals who have benefited from yoga are also being aired on the channel.

     

    o   Zee Punjab Haryana Himachal will broadcast the live coverage of the IYD functions across the major cities as well as discussion programmes on Yoga, ZLiving yoga tips and content integration in major bulletins.

     

    ·         To educate students about the importance of Yoga, the educational division of the Group, Zee Learn Limited will be organizing lectures, demonstrations, Yoga shivirs and sessions across its various schools and institutes – Kidzee, Mount Litera Zee School, ZICA, ZIMA as well as at Himgiri Zee University.

  • Marketing heads continue to roll at ZMCL

    Marketing heads continue to roll at ZMCL

    MUMBAI: In a recent churn of events at the Zee Media Corporation, resignations galore are pouring in and surprisingly they are all from the marketing department. 

     

    As was confirmed to Indiantelevision.com by various channel sources, Zee Media Corporation AVP marketing Manoj Sandal has put in his papers at the company. A pass out of Indian Institute of Commerce and Trade, Sandal was promoted to the rank of AVP marketing in April 2013.

     

    It may be recalled that the first resignation came in from Zee News AVP marketing Rohit Kumar, whose decade long tenure at the group ended a few days back.

     

    While the reason behind the same could not be ascertained, sources from the group said, “We are unaware about the reason but the call has been taken by the management entirely.”

     

  • ZeeQ now available on Tata Sky

    ZeeQ now available on Tata Sky

    MUMBAI: ZeeQ, the kids channel from Zee group is now also available on Tata Sky; channel no. 627. Accessible under the ‘Supreme Sports Kids’ pack, viewers can enjoy watching ZeeQ with the English and Hindi feed.

     

    ZeeQ caters to the 0-14 year age segment. For the preschool viewers, the channel offers internationally acclaimed shows, such as ‘Dinosaur Train’ and ‘Zou’. Based on extensive research done by an expert panel, ZeeQ chooses internationally recognized programs, which inculcate curiosity among kids to question and learn. Through its association with BBC Worldwide, ZeeQ also showcases a time band of award-winning programs from BBC’s preschool brand — CBeebies. Apart from this, ZeeQ also airs a mix of live action and animated shows. Some of its prominent shows include Science with BrainCafe, Sid the Science Kid, The Weekly Wrap, Dinosaur Train, Zou, M.I. Four – The Multiple Intelligence quiz.     

     

    Commenting on the development, Mr. Subhadarshi Tripathy, Business Head, ZeeQ said, “Our aim is to reach to maximum number of households in India and provide a unique and engaging TV viewing experience to kids and their parents. Based on our philosophy of ‘doing what is right for the child’, our content is carefully chosen under the guidance of early childhood development experts. We are excited to be on Tata Sky.. We take it as our responsibility to offer safe, clean and engaging content that provides edutainment to kids.”

     

    Paolo Agostinelli, Chief Content & Business Development Officer at Tata Sky commented, ”At Tata Sky, we are committed to providing Indian families with world class experience of best content to offer on television. It is not only entertainment but edutainment that we focus on for our young viewers. ZeeQ aims to build essential life skills among children through programs and stories that educate and inform them in a fun, entertaining and engaging manner. We are pleased to offer ZeeQ on our platform adding value to our subscribers.”

     

    Tata Sky offers options for ZeeQ subscription; through Add-On (Kids) packs, which contains 12 popular kid’s channels. Those who wish to make their own pack or take the channel on a-la-carte basis can choose ZeeQ under their ‘make your own pack’ option.

  • Zee Media drives into Rajasthan

    Zee Media drives into Rajasthan

    MUMBAI: When Zee group chairman Subhash Chandra, launched India's first private Hindi general entertainment channel way back in the early nineties, he named it so because he wanted it to be the ultimate provider of entertainment to Indians the world over. Now the group is taking that vision a step further. 33 channels already under its belt and it is all set to add to that tally with a few new ones. Among the first of these is the regional offering: Zee Rajasthan Plus.

    CEO Alok Agrawal says that with the new venture, Zee is attempting to portray Rajasthan's rich culture on the channel

    The channel, which is under the umbrella of Zee Media Corporation Ltd (ZMCL), will have an equal balance of news and entertainment and is being bundled under something its CEO Alok Agrawal calls the "terrestrial entertainment network (TEN)."

    "Agreed, that the investment needed for it is going to be more than that needed for a general news channel," says Agrawal. "But it's something we believe has a lot of potential." Sources indicate that the Zee Media management has kept aside about Rs 15-20 crore per annum for the channel.

    Headquartered in Jaipur and headed by regional head Purushottam Vaishnav, it is targeting the Hindi speaking audiences in India with a programming mix in Hindi and Rajasthani dialects and is set for a launch on 31 July. With the slogan 'mera shaan mera abhimaan', the channel plans to integrate many genres in one channel with 'something for everyone.'

    Its entertainment offering will have both fiction and non-fiction shows touching on a bit of travel, automobile, real estate, shopping, food, and investments. Its news programming slate will have both half hour shows and smaller news bulletins covering regional, national and international developments and will be fed by news bureaus and news representatives and crews in almost all major Rajasthani cities (even at the block level). Its existing infrastructure for the various Zee News channels will, of course, be of great help.

    "Rajasthani people are very proud of their culture and we are going to reflect that in our channel," says Agrawal. Its target audience ranges from children to the elderly with specific shows for each during the day.

    The weekend will have more feature shows and a lunch time movie will be telecast which is either set in the state or about the local people. Additionally, popular shows from the Zee group's catalogue are to be be telecast for a few weeks but in due course, original commissioned and localised programming, keeping the state's vibrant culture in mind, will be added to the FPC, reveals Agrawal.

    A big bang marketing and promotional campaign has been planned post-launch. It includes promos on the Zee TV network channels, billboards, radio, print, online and below the line activities in Rajasthan. Agrawal proudly says that pre-teelcast more than 50 brands – both local and national – have signed on, taking advantage of the inaugural ad rates which are on for a limited time.

    Zee Rajasthan Plus is being beamed off Asiasat 3S (105.5 degrees east) and will be available free during a six month preview period on both cable TV and satellite, following which the plan is to go pay, explains Agrawal."The idea is to initially focus its distribution push on Rajasthan, and then move into other states," he adds.

    Of course, it will be running into head on competition with existing players like ETV Rajasthan, and Sahara Samay's regional news channel. But Agrawal believes that should not be a problem. "Our whole effort is to bring people from different walks of life, together, on the channel," says Agrawal. "And we have got our strategy right."

    He and his team probably have, but it's now over to the viewers.

  • Jayaraman to head Zee’s distribution and placement business

    Jayaraman to head Zee’s distribution and placement business

    MUMBAI: Former Hathway Cable & Datacom managing director and CEO K Jayaraman is joining Zee Group as head of distribution and placement business. He will also guide and anchor all such roles across the businesses of the Zee group which requires his specialisation.

    Designated as president, Jayaraman will take over his new role from 12 March and will report directly to Zee Entertainment Enterprises Ltd MD and CEO Punit Goenka.

    He can also advise and guide the directors on the board of Media Pro to maximise the revenue for the distribution company. Media Po is a joint venture between Star Den and Zee Turner.

    “He will be responsible to the promoters of the group in updating and providing necessary heads up on various issues of the domain. He will hold hand and provide all kind of support to the CEO of Siticable business, without getting involved on day to day affairs of the business,” Goenka wrote in an internal note.

    Deepti Verma, who has been leading the initiatives so far, will report to Jayaraman.

    A Chartered Accountant and with more than 15 years experience in the media distribution industry, Jayaram had resigned from Hathway after Jagdish Kumar took over as MD and CEO of the company. Jayaraman was made vice chairman of Hathway, a post he did not accept.

  • Jitesh Rajdeo to head sales of Zee News Ltd

    NEW DELHI: Zee News Ltd (ZNL) has appointed Jitesh Rajdeo as its chief sales officer to head the sales function of all the news channels of the company.

    Rajdeo will report to ZNL chief executive officer Alok Agrawal.

    “With Zee News Ltd’s mantra of ‘Soch Badlo, Desh Badlo’, we aim at building a network of persistent and consistent actions throughout the length and breadth of the nation keeping in mind consolidation of our leadership position. To put the words into action we have decided to aggressively take newer initiatives and hence want to ramp up our team”, said Agrawal.

    Rajdeo was earlier promoted to the position of Revenue Head of DNA in March 2011 from his profile of Network Head – Key Accounts in Zee Entertainment Enterprises Ltd (Zeel). He has been associated with the Zee Group since 2000, having worked in various capacities in the organisation. During his tenure with the group, he has worked as national sales head of Zee Cinema as well.

    In 2009, when Zee restructured its ad sales division to form two core clusters, Rajdeo was in charge of the cluster that included the regional GECs (general entertainment channels) and news channels of the group.

    “Rajdeo has been with Zee Group for the past 13 years and had a good track record across various group channels in different roles. This experience would be helpful in taking up his role in ZNL and in helping in our growth,” said Agrawal.

    Added Rajdeo: “This new role certainly is quite challenging. In my past profiles, whether it was integrating DNA with Zee culture or heading the Network team or even looking after the Regional Cluster of Zeel were major responsibilities. I am ready for the challenge and committed to deliver on the organisation‘s expectations.”