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Tag: Zee Media

  • The era of internet belongs to Mayaverse: Subhash Chandra

    The era of internet belongs to Mayaverse: Subhash Chandra

    Mumbai: Essel group chairman Subhash Chandra opened up about the latest corporate developments in an interview with Zee Business’s managing editor Anil Singhvi on Wednesday. He spoke about the Mayaverse, Zee Group’s digital ambitions, Zeel-Sony merger, Yes Bank Dish TV issue and other matters.

    When asked about new trends such as metaverse, crypto and NFTs, Chandra said, “I call it Mayaverse, as the era of internet belongs to Mayaverse.” During the conversation, Chandra hinted that the group will be coming up with something new very soon – this time on the technology front. 

    He said, “we never started any business for money, we always tried to do something new by means of business.”

    He also revealed Zee group’s plans to add one billion users in the next three years. Zee Media’s digital platforms have 300 million active users and the group will focus on monetising digital content going forward.

    Channel’s performance 

    Talking about Zee Media’s performance, Chandra noted that 58 per cent of the viewers watching Zee Media’s international channel WION is a foreign audience. 

    He also stated that WION has more followers on YouTube than the BBC and plans to add another 500 million viewers in the next five years.

    Speaking about the corporate developments at Essel Group, Chandra said that it has reduced 92 per cent of debt at the promoter level and the rest of the debt will be cleared within one to two months. He also admitted that venturing into the infra business was a ‘mistake’. 

    The conflict between Dish TV-Yes Bank

    On the boardroom conflict between Dish TV and Yes Bank, he commented that the previous management at Yes Bank ‘did fraud with us’ and that many people in the media lack the right information regarding the matter between Yes Bank and Dish TV. Coming to the ongoing merger between Zee Entertainment Enterprises Limited and Sony Pictures Networks India, he said the merger is moving in the right direction and after regulatory approvals, the merger will be completed.

    The media mogul is hopeful for a bounce-back with more ‘strength’ and ‘power’ and observed that the environment is quite positive in the country under PM Modi’s leadership. “We are continuously working on many fronts,” he said.

  • Zee Media’s Q3 operating revenue up 31.7 % to Rs 2,428.1 million

    Zee Media’s Q3 operating revenue up 31.7 % to Rs 2,428.1 million

    Mumbai: Zee Media on Thursday announced its consolidated revenues for the third quarter of FY 2022. The media conglomerate reported operating revenues of Rs 2,428.1 million up by 31.7 per cent year-on-year. The company had reported operating revenue of Rs 1,843.9 mn in Q3 during the previous year.

    The total consolidated revenue was reported to be Rs 6,191.3 mn upto the third quarter ended FY 2021-22. The operating expenditure increased by 33.9 per cent to Rs 1,553.1 mn in Q3FY22 from Rs 1,160.2 mn in Q3FY21, it said.

    The profit after tax (PAT) was recorded at  Rs 454.6 million which saw a growth of 31.9 per cent YoY. The company’s advertising revenues stood at Rs 2,317.1 million up by 33.7 per cent, while the subscription revenues remained flat at Rs 96.8 million.

    Zee Media operates 14 news channels comprising one global, three national and ten regional language channels and is one of the largest TV news networks in the country. Its Hindi news channel Zee News garners 279 million video views on YouTube.

    In January, the company expanded its regional footprint by launching four digital channels namely Zee Tamil News, Zee Telugu News, Zee Kannada News, and Zee Malayalam News.

    Its digital assets combined 17 brands in 11 languages which received 4.23 billion page views during the quarter and 328 million monthly active users (MAUs).

  • Zee Media promotes its biggest ever opinion poll with extensive campaign

    Zee Media promotes its biggest ever opinion poll with extensive campaign

    Mumbai: Zee Media Corp recently executed a campaign to promote its opinion poll which claims to have been conducted with the largest sample size in the electoral history of India. The poll, carried out as part of election coverage, was aimed at creating more viewership for the channel and engaging existing viewers with comprehensive reporting on the big five state elections scheduled for early this year.

    The first phase of Zee Media’s campaign intrigued viewers with the question – ‘Why do opinion polls fail?’ to promote participation there were iPhones on offer as gratification. This revealed that the audience didn’t trust the opinion poll because the sample size was often too small and didn’t represent the voice of various stakeholders.

    Considering the feedback in the second phase, Zee media launched ‘Desh ke itihaas ka sabse bada chunavi opinion poll’ – an opinion poll with the largest ever sample size in the history of elections in India, providing a comprehensive opinion as well as representation for all sections of the populace. The massive on-ground opinion poll was conducted with the help of political research and campaign management company DesignBoxed.

    The campaign was executed with over 300 hoardings, print ads in four publications, radio campaigns spread across four stations, airport branding, cable TV spots, extensive digital and trade website communication among others. Humorous OOH creatives were used to break through the clutter of hoardings on DND flyway and Noida Expressway just outside the film city.

    “News viewers had stopped believing in the numerous opinion polls conducted around elections simply because they weren’t representational enough. Our extensive activity and research helped us with this insight, and at Zee Media we used our resources to create the biggest opinion poll of the election season, with the largest sample size ever,” stated Zee Media marketing head Anindya Khare. “We have created a comprehensive, genuine and transparent opinion poll in the history of elections and regained the trust of the viewers.”

    Through this campaign, Zee media’s Zee PHH saw 38 per cent growth in December 2021 as compared to November 2021. Growth was more than 130 per cent as compared to the previous six-month average in December 2021. Zee News YouTube channel also saw a 68 per cent increase in viewership, said the media company in a statement.

  • Zee Media announces first edition of OTT awards for 2021

    Zee Media announces first edition of OTT awards for 2021

    Mumbai: Zee Media Corp Ltd (ZMCL) has announced the launch of its OTT awards for the year 2021. The awards will be simulcast over 30 TV and digital platforms. 

    The award ceremony will be attended by the crème-de-la-crème of the entertainment industry, with an astute jury in various fields of entertainment along with the Zee Media management, said the media company in a statement.

    “With the change in viewing habits and the increased consumption of content, we feel the Zee Media OTT awards will do justice to the content creators, actors, the teams behind building successful shows, to continue doing the same and bring out quality content for the viewers,” said ZMCL marketing head Anindya Khare. “The changing landscape around content asks for newer ways to showcase and gratify the efforts put into making the complete OTT ecosystem a success.”

    The channel said that the categories will not be restricted to film and web series only and the focus will also be on alternative digital media content. Apart from the awards and on-stage entertainment, there will be panel discussions that will be livestreamed on digital platforms, allowing the viewers to ask questions to the panellists, making the whole viewing experience more immersive, it added.

    “OTT is the next big thing for years to come as the entertainment industry witnesses a paradigm shift in the way content is consumed by the audience,” said Zee Media chief revenue officer Gaurav Verma. “To lead the way and become the pioneers in the award space, it gives us immense pleasure to bring these awards to the consumers, to gauge their level of interest and take the next steps from there. We are creating a new platform to showcase the best talent from the world of OTT.”

    India is currently the world’s fastest-growing OTT market and is all set to emerge as the world’s sixth-largest by 2024. There are currently about 40 providers of OTT media services in India, which distribute streaming media over the internet. Between March and November 2019, around 30 million internet users came online for the first time from rural areas, showing a steep growth in the consumer base for the OTT platforms, said the statement.

    “It is important that we notice and act on the changing consumption trends of the viewers, consumers and advertisers in order to be present in all relevant spaces at the given time,” said Zee Media chief revenue officer Manoj Jagyasi. “New initiatives are always more lucrative for advertisers as they arrest the attention of the viewers. Zee Media OTT award, similarly, is a new and exciting proposition for our viewers which will be well accepted by them due to our unbiased approach to the awards.”

  • Zeel-Invesco case: Bombay HC to pronounce order on 26 Oct

    Zeel-Invesco case: Bombay HC to pronounce order on 26 Oct

    Mumbai: The Bombay high court on Friday reserved its order in a civil suit filed by Zee Entertainment Enterprises Ltd (Zeel) seeking to declare the requisition notice sent by the company’s largest shareholder Invesco.

    The court has adjourned the matter to 26 October for the pronouncement of the order, according to a report by ET.

    Zeel argued before the bench that requisition notice was illegal because the shareholders have not taken prior approval from the ministry of information and broadcasting. They also said that the notice was in violation of various rules and guidelines of the Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI), the ministry of information and broadcasting (MIB), and the Competition Commission of India (CCI).

    “Shareholders are saying listing obligations and disclosure requirements regulations are merely guidelines, which is totally incorrect,” argued counsel, on behalf of Zeel. They also stated that a listed company cannot have a board meeting without MD and CEO.

    “Zeel’s board is acting in accordance with the spirit of the Companies Act that is a fiduciary duty towards its shareholders and their best interest,” said the advocate.

    Invesco’s side stated that they have a statutory right to call for an extraordinary general meeting (EGM) and have moved to the National Company Law Tribunal (NCLT). “The tribunal has the power to decide on this case,” it noted, “this is not a stage at which the high court should be troubled.”

    The Zeel-Invesco tussle began when the media company’s two top investors Invesco Developing Markets Fund and OFI Global China Fund LLC who combined own 18 per cent stake in the company had sent a requisition notice to the company on 11 September to call an EGM even after two weeks, the investors moved to NCLT, citing provisions of company law, according to which the company is bound to call for an EGM within a specific number of days if stakeholder demanding it owns more than 10 per cent of the company.

    The investors had also sought the removal of long-standing directors and close associates of the Chandra family from the board. The two independent directors Ashok Kurien and Manish Chokhani have already submitted their resignations. 

    The investors moved to have six nominees appointed to the board of Zeel, which included Surendra Singh Sirohi, Naina Krishna Murthy, Rohan Dhamija, Aruna Sharma, Srinivasa Rao Addepali, and Gaurav Mehta as independent directors of the board for a term up to five consecutive years. The notice was received by Zeel on 12 September, and it informed the stock exchanges on 13 September, adding that the appointments are subject to approval by the MIB.

    Zeel refused to conduct the EGM citing ‘shareholders interest’ and moved to Bombay high court on 2 October seeking to declare the requisition notice as “illegal and invalid.” Meanwhile, Invesco filed a petition with the NCLT to demand their right to call for an EGM. 

  • Zee Media Corp revenue rises 28.8 % to Rs 170 crore in Q1

    Zee Media Corp revenue rises 28.8 % to Rs 170 crore in Q1

    Mumbai: Zee Media Corporation’s operational revenue was up 28.8 per cent to Rs 170.18 crore for the quarter ended in June 2021 as against Rs 132.14 crore in the corresponding period of the previous fiscal.

    The network has reported a consolidated net loss of Rs 9.06 crore for the quarter under review on account of exceptional items. The company has posted a net profit of Rs 12.26 crore during the April-June quarter of the previous fiscal, Zee Media Corporation Ltd (ZMCL) said in a regulatory filing.

    ZMCL’s total expenses were at Rs 157.70 crore, up 35.16 per cent Q1/FY 2021-22, as against Rs 116.68 crore. The company suffered a loss of Rs 17.11 crore for exceptional items and tax for April-June quarter.

    ZMCL comprises of 14 news channels, including one Global, three National and ten Regional/language channels – Zee News, Zee Business, WION, Zee Hindustan, Zee Punjab Haryana Himachal, Zee Madhya Pradesh Chhattisgarh, Zee 24 Taas, Zee 24 Ghanta, Zee Odisha, Zee Bihar Jharkhand, Zee Rajasthan, Zee Salaam, Zee 24 Kalak, and Zee Uttar Pradesh Uttarakhand.

    The company said its digital news portfolio continues to witness growth across the properties. The language news properties spanning 16 brands in 12 languages received 1.9 billion views in Q1 FY22 compared to 1.6 billion views in Q4FY21. Monthly Average Users (MAUs) grew from 107.7 million in Q4FY21 to 141.9 million in Q1FY22.

    Meanwhile, the company has appointed Swetha Gopalan as an Independent director of the company for a term of five consecutive years with effect from 1 August. Gopalan started her career in 2010, when she joined Johns Hopkins Medicine International, USA, and has worked with Parkway Health and The Noble Group, both in Singapore. She also worked as a Business Analyst with Tata Consultancy Services in the USA from 2015 to 2016.
     

  • Zee Media appoints Abhishek Nigam as chief operating officer for digital business

    Zee Media appoints Abhishek Nigam as chief operating officer for digital business

    Mumbai: Zee Media has announced the appointment of Abhishek Nigam as its chief operating officer for the digital business. He was previously associated with Airtel as product head for its B2C platform.

    Nigam will be responsible for the entire digital operations that include 20 brands across 12 languages touching more than 300 million viewers across digital replicas of Zee Media’s 14 linear news channels along with websites such as  India.com, BGR.in, BollywoodLife.com, TheHealthsite.com, and CricketCountry.com, the company said in a statement.

    Commenting on the appointment, Zee group chief strategy and innovation officer Bibek Agarwala said, “Irrespective of the prevailing challenges, Zee Digital has reported exponential growth within last few years through strategic communications and technological advancements. With extensive experience and knowledge in the technology, product, and sales domain, Abhishek Nigam will definitely add value to the company’s vision and the overall implementation and development trajectory.”

    “Moving ahead, we are looking forward to an aggressive growth roadmap that will help achieve a differentiated and sustainable competitive positioning for Zee Media’s digital assets in this dynamically changing digital ecosystem”, he added.

    Commenting on his new role, Nigam shared, “I am delighted to join hands with India’s most diversified digital publishing group. It would be an honour to work with the highly knowledgeable leadership. My endeavour would be to help Zee Media scale new heights across the globe by aligning all the Digital assets and bringing in synergies through strategic measures and latest technological innovations.”

    As a seasoned professional with 15 years of experience, Nigam has worked with Times Internet and Jagran Group across product leadership roles. He also holds expertise in handling the vernacular language market. An IIT-Delhi alumnus, Nigam holds a B. Tech and M. Tech degree. His educational qualification also includes a senior management program from IIM, Calcutta, and AI professional program from Stanford University.

  • ZEE Media to launch Season 2 of Real Heroes with Sonu Sood & Kailash Kher

    New Delhi : ZEE Media has announced Season two of its successful IP – Real Heroes. The first season was launched last year by ZEE Media where it brought actor Sonu Sood at the forefront along with other real heroes from across the nation who were inspired by his work and were going out of their way to help the society to get through the challenges of this pandemic.

    This 26 and 27 June, major channels of ZEE Media that includes ZEE Hindustan, ZEE 24 Ghanta, ZEE Rajasthan, ZEE Bihar Jharkhand, and ZEE Odisha will launch Season two of Real Heroes with a panel of actor Sonu Sood, Singer Kailash Kher, local celebrities and the corona warriors from across states to discuss their drive and inspiration to help people in need and to recognize their selfless efforts towards the society.

    ZEE Media, CEO, Purushottam Vaishnava said, “Real Heroes is a very special initiative by ZEE Media and is very close to the values of the organization. We believe that media being the fourth pillar of democracy has an important role in the betterment of society and hence the Real Heroes Season 2 will be way beyond the daily news bulletin as it will educate, inspire and motivate the viewers to deal with the pandemic with a positive attitude and empathy which are much needed in the current situation of uncertainty and chaos.”

    ZEE Media, CRO, Manoj Jagyasi said, “We started Real Heroes last year with a simple thought of bringing light to the great work by the heroes of society during pandemic. But due to such great response from viewers we had to bring Season 2. Along with an engaging content we also had multiple ways to integrate our clients and we are extremely thankful to all our clients for believing in this initiative.”

  • Koi Bhi Bhukha Na Soe – an initiative by Zee Media for the Covid afflicted families

    Koi Bhi Bhukha Na Soe – an initiative by Zee Media for the Covid afflicted families

    Mumbai: The second wave of COVID 19 in India has hit harder, throwing people off the newly found normalcy all over again. People are fighting hard to survive this COVID wave by searching for plasma donors, oxygen cylinders, hospital beds, and medicines.

     Along with the above challenges, one often overlooked yet truly painful effect of suffering from COVID 19 is the food crises. People are stuck in isolation and are away from their relatives, their children, and their parents. If such isolated people or the homemaker is afflicted with COVID then cooking food for themselves or their loved ones is an extremely difficult option for them. The lack of nutritious food is also affecting the rapid recovery of the patients and a sense of chaos & instability is arising in their minds.

     Being a responsible media organization, Zee Media is using their widespread and established platform to reach out to the people and help them bring some ease to their lives. ZEE Media came up with an initiative called “Koi Bhi Bhukha Na Soe” and through 6 of their channels extending help to all those who are stuck due to the pandemic and are in need of nutritious food for themselves and their loved ones irrespective of which state they live in.

     This initiative has reached out to various organizations/individuals who are going out of their way to help people by providing free food services in their area in such circumstances. Post thorough verification of the contact details and services they are uploaded on the website. The contact details are geographically listed for ease of discovery.

    Those who are not able to cook food at home will just need to go on link embedded on the website to find the verified contacts of free food service providers available in their area and can directly contact them on their number. Additionally, more such verified contacts of these COVID warriors will be added on the microsite page.  We believe that this initiative can be helpful to thousands of people and will make their life easier during the pandemic. They do not have to scamper around for information anymore.

    Zee Hindustan, Zee Rajasthan, Zee Bihar Jharkhand, Zee 24 Ghanta, Zee 24 Kalak and Zee Odisha is promoting this muheem, ensuring the message spreads out to the entire HSM market along with Bengal, Odisha and Gujarat. With promos playing out multiple times, anchors talking about this in the bulletins, social media posts and others, the endeavour is to spread the muheem as far and wide as possible.

     The role of such a trustworthy platform goes beyond providing factual news about the pandemic. The platform can reach far deeper into the houses of all people and help them out in their daily life. Apart from this, the channels are already working along with experts like doctors and researchers to keep our viewers informed with correct news amidst the uncertainty and viewers have shown their trust in their engagement with the brand.

     While we are witnessing the exponential growth of challenges, at the same time we are also witnessing the sheer will and determination of Indians to come out of this successfully together. Many are showing support to the infected families by going out of their way to help them in whichever way possible and it brings hope for better future. This humble initiative “Koi Bhi Bhukha Na Soe” will help in amplifying such selfless services.

  • ZeeL transfers digital publishing biz to Zee Media offshoot

    ZeeL transfers digital publishing biz to Zee Media offshoot

    MUMBAI: Continuing with its restructuring, the ZeeL board has approved the transfer of its digital publishing business to Rapidcube Technologies, a subsidiary of group company Zee Media.

    The transaction values the business at Rs 63.77 crores, and Rapidcube will pay the amount by transferring its shares of Rs 10 each to ZeeL. The former’s share capital at the time of writing is Rs 10 lakh, which is being enhanced to enable the transaction.

    "The date of completion of transfer of the digital publishing business division to Rapidcube would depend upon receipt of relevant approvals and completion of conditions precedent (as identified in the agreement for transfer of the business)," the company said in a BSE filing.

    ZeeL says the transfer of its digital publishing business will allow it to leverage the opportunities in the space through its equity holding in Rapidcube, which was incorporated in end October 2020.

    The digital business clocked up revenues of Rs 32.8 crore in FY 2019-20, contributing 0.5 per cent to ZeeL’s standalone revenue. It also contributed Rs 62.2 crore as net worth to ZeeL, which is 0.8 per cent of the latter’s net worth.

    ZeeL’s  digital publishing business includes websites/apps for 20 brands across 12 languages in various genres like news, entertainment, technology, cricket, health and lifestyle, and consists of flagship brands like ZeeNews.com, WIONews.com, DNAIndia.com, ZeeBusiness.in, India.com, Bollywoodlife.com, BGR.in, TheHealthsite.com, and CricketCountry.com.