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Zee Cinema - news archive

This is an archive of news about Zee Cinema. Some links may no longer work, due to the transient nature of the internet.

Month-long comedy festival on ZEE Cinema
From Biz Asia. Posted August 12 2008, 2.15pm
ZEE Cinema has temporarily scrapped its daily movie brands in September to make way for a month-long comedy festival called 'Comedy Date at 8'. From 1st September to 30th September (Monday to Friday), the channel has lined up new and classic comedy movies in the 20:00 band. This is the first time ZEE Cinema has done away with removing the 'Monday Movie Mela', 'Tuesday Talkies', 'Wednesday Classics', 'Thursday Silver Screen' and 'Friday Box Office' slots for one theme. Some titles that have been confirmed for telecast are 'Mujhse Shaadi Karogi', 'Jhankar Beats', 'Sandwich', 'No Entry', 'Andaz Apna Apna' and 'Dhol'. Incidentally, rival MAX is currently broadcasting its comedy movie festival entitled 'Comedy Is Kinng'. (more)

ZEE News to unveil new look & logo this week
From Biz Asia. Posted May 6 2008, 12.11am
ZEE Network's flagship current affairs channel ZEE News will be undergoing a transformation this week with a bundle of new graphics including an ident, studio set and tagline. According to the station's new Consulting Editor, Punya Prasoon Bajpai, formerly a Channel Head of Sahara Samay, the revamped and new look channel would return to hardcore serious news with focus on reporters and reporting, heralding the comeback of channel's news properties. "Our weekly news shows 'Inside Story', an investigative programme and 'Special Correspondent', a hardcore programme on field reporting, would be back on the channel. So, would the daily prime time 'Metro News'," Rao added. He further informed that ZEE News would add four new properties – a reporter-based weekly show; 'Halla Bol', a soft investigative programme on public issues; 'Kahiye Janab', a talk show featuring VIP, which would be hosted by Swati Chaturvedi. Bajpai would do a hard talk show, while a daily religious news and spiritual wellness programme, 'Manthan', is also being introduced. A number of daily shows on the channel are being rebranded in line with the new channel positioning. The daily Bollywood show, 'Bole to Bollywood', will be renamed 'ZEE Multiplex' to give it a modern touch. The show 'Miyan Biwi aur TV' will now be called 'House Arrest - Serial ki Grifat Mein'. Astrology show 'Bachke Rehna' will have a new face in the form of Tarrot card reader Ruchira along with astrologer Sandeep Kochar. "We are completely overhauling our sets along with improved graphics, headlines, fonts and effects, and using soft pastel colours to give a cool and confident look to the channel," Rao further said. ZEE TV UK currently broadcasts three bulletins per day from ZEE News India - these will also result in changes on the same day as the revamp. ZEE Cinema UK's 'Bole To Bollywood' will change to 'ZEE Multiplex' too. ZEE Network's other channels including ZEE TV, ZEE Cinema and ZEE Sports will also be revamping later this month. Keep it with BizAsia.co.uk for more. (more)

Hyderabad to host ZEE's ICL World Series
From Biz Asia. Posted April 2 2008, 11.47pm
The top brass of the Indian Cricket League appear to be so overwhelmed by the response from cricket lovers in Hyderabad city, that just a day after shifting the second and third finals of the Edelweiss 20s Challenge from Panchkula to here, they have announced their next tournament and named Hyderabad as the venue. The ICL 20s World Series 2008 is a triangular series involving India, Pakistan and the Rest of the World and will be played at the Lal Bahadur Stadium. The seven-match tournament will be held from April 9 to 15. According to the format, each team will play the other twice and the top two teams will clash for the title. All the matches will begin at 19:00 and are to be telecast live on Ten Sports and ZEE Sports. A UK telecast time is yet to be confirmed. Announcing the World Series, Kapil Dev, Chairman, Executive board, ICL said, "The standard was so good in the 20s Challenge matches and the boys came out with such standout performances that cricket fans at all our venues got their money's worth. Therefore, we have decided to give them more as also provide our promising domestic players an opportunity to face two of the mightiest teams in the world." The Indian team is to be picked on the basis of the players' performances in the 20s Challenge as well as their growth prospects. The team will be announced after the second semifinal. Inzamanul-Haq will lead the ICL Pakistan team while Chris Cairns will lead the ICL World team. Related links: Bollywood.tv acquires ICL cricket action ZEE Cinema to telecast ICL: Championships (more)

Bollywood.tv acquires ICL cricket action
From Biz Asia. Posted March 12 2008, 11.50am
Bollywood.tv – the largest online library of South Asian entertainment – has secured the exclusive global online rights outside of India for the Essel Group's Indian Cricket League (ICL) – one of 2008's most highly anticipated cricketing events. The website will be the exclusive online portal for viewers across UK/Europe, North America, Middle East, South Africa and Australasia to watch the on-pitch action live. Comprising of 34, adrenaline-fuelled matches played over 30 days from 9th March to 7th April 2008, the ICL Twenty20 will be an unmissable international event for cricket fans and enthusiasts across the globe. Stars of the international cricketing world, as well as up and coming talent, will be united specifically by the ICL and divided into county-style teams. The tournament will showcase the formidable talents of a new generation of players, as they play out their abilities against the finest of the international cricketing world. Star players include: Brian Lara (West Indies); Andrew Hall (South Africa); Stuart Law (Australia); Hemang Bandani (India); Russel Arnold (Sri Lanka); Moin Khan (Pakistan); and Craig McMillan (New Zealand), among many others. Related link: ZEE Cinema to telecast ICL: Championships (more)

ECB: ICL players can't play in English cricket
From Biz Asia. Posted March 8 2008, 1.49pm
The England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) has said players who take part in the next edition of Indian Cricket League (ICL) will not be allowed to play in English cricket. The breakaway ICL held its inaugural tournament late last year and has said it will stage its second event from Sunday 9th March to Monday 7th April. It is promoted by Zee Entertainment Enterprises but has not been sanctioned by the International Cricket Council (ICC). The BCCI recently introduced their own multi-million dollar Twenty20 tournament, the Indian Premier League, which has been sanctioned. ICL organisers have focused on sub-continent and Australian players, but England players Chris Read, Vikram Solanki, Darren Maddy and Paul Nixon have signed lucrative contracts to play in the first ICL season. Several boards have banned ICL players from representing their country and, having taken legal advice, the ECB issued a statement on Friday "to deal with the threat". The ECB said its regulations would be amended with immediate effect so that a cricketer who plays in an unauthorised event in the 12 months leading up to Tuesday 1st April would not qualify for registration. "In addition, once registered with the ECB, a cricketer will be disqualified if he plays in an unauthorised event," the ECB said. The ECB will take no action against cricketers who had registered with the ECB and who had already contracted with an unauthorised event, but said the amended regulations would come into effect for future contracts. Related link: ZEE Cinema to telecast ICL: Championships (more)

ZEE Cinema to telecast ICL: Championships
From Biz Asia. Posted March 6 2008, 8.41pm
After the successful debut of ZEE Network's Indian Cricket League in November, the tournament returns with a new look this weekend on ZEE Cinema. This time around, ZEE Network has confirmed Edelweiss as the show's title sponsors. The ICL: Grand Championships kicks off this Sunday (9th March) and concludes on Monday 7th April. ICL CEO Himanshu Mody notes that the ICL is talking with companies to sponsor each of the eight teams. ICL chairman of the executive board Kapil Dev says, "Edelweiss’ association with the ICL is a support to young domestic Indian players who have been provided with an international standard platform to display their cricketing talent. This support will be a sure step in strengthening cricket in the country." The event will be held in three locations – Hyderabad, Chandigarh and Gurgaon. Brian Lara will captain the Mumbai Champs team. The captains for the other teams are Stuart Law (Chennai Superstars), Inzamam Ul Haq (Lahore Badshahs), Chris Cairns (Chandigarh Lions), Damien Martyn (Ahmedabad Rockets), Chris Harris (Hyderabad Heroes), Marvan Attapatu (Delhi Giants) and Craig McMillan (Kolkata Tigers). In the UK, ZEE Cinema will broadcast the ICL: Grand Championships live and exclusive from Sunday 9th March with two matches per day, one at 08:00 - 11:00 and the second match between 13:30 and 16:30. From Sunday 30th March, due to British Summer Time kicking in, matches will begin at 09:00 and 14:30 respectively. Related links: ZEE Network thanks BCCI for ICL success Confirmed: ZEE Music to show ICL cricket Buzz surrounding BCCI's T20 IPL cricket ZEE's Indian Cricket League teams confirmed ZEE Network to form own Indian cricket league (more)

ZEE Muzic unveils new on-air packaging
From Biz Asia. Posted December 25 2007, 11.39pm
ZEE Muzic has freshened up its on-air look with a set of new graphics including the introduction of a glossy blue animating logo. ZEE Muzic's promotional activities thus far have centered around the colour red with a significant 'Z' to coincide with the network's other channel logos. The new logo is different to the four other ZEE Network UK channels - ZEE TV, ZEE Cinema, ZEE Gujarati and Alpha ETC Punjabi, as it dons a rectangle shape rather than the diamond used previously. The light blue tone is no doubt a strategy being used to revamp and reposition the channel with a focus on celebrity-based music shows. In India, ZEE Muzic has been performing well with spin-off 'Sa Re Ga Ma Pa' shows, which are screened directly after the main show on sister channel ZEE TV. ZEE Muzic is also expected to announce a slew of new programmes in the coming weeks to run on par with the channel's new image. In the UK, ZEE Muzic and rival channel B4U Music were joined with a new addition called Music India, which is being distributed by MATV. Related link: Music India begins official UK transmission (more)

B4U Music to provide content to TinselVision
From Biz Asia. Posted November 22 2007, 9.09am
TinselVision™, a premium online video-on-demand destination serving South Asian entertainment fans outside the Indian subcontinent, announced today it will offer about 500 hours of Indian and Bollywood music videos and programming from B4U Music. B4U currently delivers Bollywood music videos, Indipop and music programming over nearly 10 different satellites to audiences in more than 100 countries including the US, UK, Europe, the Middle East, Africa, Canada and India. B4U Network and their B4U Music division are, by all measures, at the forefront of the Indian music broadcasting industry. The deal with TinselVision provides yet another premium television network content provider with potentially huge opportunities for new online audiences and increased overseas receipts. "Our consistent investments of time and resources into developing a strong relationship with B4U senior management has been time very well spent," says Chase Weir, Chairman and CEO of TinselVision, adding "Sunil Rohra and his team at B4U clearly have their fingers on the global pulse of Indian music entertainment fans. We look forward to a long and rewarding relationship as we extend their presence and practice in our target markets." Speaking of the partnership and agreement, CEO of B4U Networks, Sunil Rohra, offers, "We have been visiting with the TinselVision principals now for nearly a year. This is a very able and expertly guided venture with huge marketplace promise and, truly unique talents for building trusted partnerships. We look with real anticipation for the fruits of our contributed value and their tireless labors in convergence media." The deal with B4U marks TinselVision's fifth major deal to bring content from India’s top movie producers and music houses entertainment to the Web. Over the past few months, the company has announced numerous tie-ups with other channels and studios. "We are rapidly closing the circle on our 360 degree content strategy," adds Pankaj Bhushan, VP of S&M for the company and, the executive who negotiated the license. "Our subscribers now have more than just the best India produces in television and film, and premium, free titles and infotainment. With B4U Music, and news to follow shortly, we add the best in music programming as we become the online entertainment destination for Bollywood and Indian entertainment." TinselVision will announce additional content agreements in the coming days as the US-based Indian-centric venture prepares for its beta services premier and exclusive launch party in Bollywood. As well as B4U Music, content from other broadcasters such as STAR, ZEE TV, ZEE Cinema and Zoom is also available on the website. TinselVision is available here. (more)

ZEE Network India rejigs senior management
From Biz Asia. Posted November 7 2007, 9.16pm
ZEE Entertainment Enterprises Ltd (ZEEL) has announced an in-house re-organisation in order to harness talents from within and offer them wider responsibilities. Punit Goenka, who was Business Head at ZEE TV, will now be Network Operating Officer, ZEEL. Tarun Mehra has been announced as Business Head of ZEE TV. Other appointments are that of Mohan Gopinath as Business Head of ZEE Cinema, Irshwin Balwani as Business Head of Play TV, and Ajay Balwankar as Business Head of ZEE Marathi. Goenka said, "This re-organisation is a result of our learning from an in-depth internal communications exercise, during which I met most of the managers within the Network, to assess the width of in-house talent. It was truly satisfying to reaffirm that we have an extremely talented pool of people. I believe by enriching their portfolios, they will lead ZEE Network with greater vigour and effect. I wish them all the best in their respective new roles." Mehra was earlier Marketing Head at ZEE TV. He had joined ZEE Network in January 2005 as Vice-president-Marketing of ZEE TV. Gopinath had joined ZEE Network in 1996 as a Management Trainee. Balwani will assume duties of Play TV, in addition to his present portfolio of Business Head of ZEE Muzic and ETC Network. He joined ZEE Network in September 2005. Prior to ZEE, he was with 'The Times of India' for 13 years. Bhalwankar started his career with film journalism and joined ZEE Network in 1994 as Assistant Director. Article from TelevisionPoint (more)

'Babul' premieres on STAR Gold in November
From Biz Asia. Posted October 23 2007, 9.45am
Asian TV channels are scheduling their best movie acquisitions to celebrate the festival of lights - Diwali. Where ZEE Cinema has lined up 'Vivah', Sony Entertainment Television Asia 'Namaste London', STAR Gold has confirmed it will be screening last year's bumper box office hit 'Babul'. The emotional family drama starring Amitabh Bachchan, Salman Khan and Rani Mukherjee will be shown on Saturday 24th November at 20:00. 'Ek Chalis Ki Last Local' starring Abhay Deol and Neha Dhupia will be the second mega premiere on STAR Gold. This will get its UK broadcast on Saturday 10th November at 20:00. (more)

ZEE Cinema in trouble over "violent" movie
From Biz Asia. Posted October 9 2007, 9.22pm
Media regulator Ofcom has given ZEE Cinema a telling off over "violent" scenes it broadcast during the day in the movie 'Ek Ajnabee' in May. A viewer expressed her concerns to Ofcom stating she was shocked along with her nephews at watching such a violent film during the afternoon at the weekend. Ofcom asked ZEE TV to respond with regard to Rule 1.3 of the Code (children must be protected from unsuitable material by appropriate scheduling). In a response to Ofcom, ZEE TV said that the programme in question was broadcast in edited form to ensure the content was editorially justified and suitable for broadcast pre-watershed. As a consequence, the channel argued that the film would not have disturbed a child viewer. The broadcaster suggested that an experienced programming team had taken care to edit the film to ensure that the Code was complied with satisfactorily, without affecting the story line. While ZEE TV stated it was sorry a viewer was offended, it argued that in this case any offence could have been mitigated had the viewer exercised personal discretion and turned the film off. Ofcom concluded ZEE Cinema was in breach of Rule 1.3, i.e. inappropriate scheduling of unsuitable material at a time when children could be viewing television. Furthermore Ofcom said, "This 18-rated film as broadcast contained material of a highly adult, and often violent nature – kidnapping, torture, shoot outs, suicide and drugs use. Ofcom notes ZEE TV’s attempts to minimise harm to children and offence through editing. Upon viewing the material, however, Ofcom found that in its opinion many of the edited scenes were still too harmful to be shown before the watershed at the time of broadcast. For example, although torture scenes may have been edited so that violent detail of the protagonist inflicting pain on his victims was minimised, these scenes were still nevertheless too extreme by their very nature, including body parts such as fingers and ears being severed, and the chief protagonist toying with the idea of suicide, by placing a gun in his mouth. In addition, certain sequences containing unsuitable content still remained in the film as broadcast – for example, a brief scene of a criminal snorting cocaine. Ofcom considers that this film was clearly unsuitable for children and it was not appropriate to broadcast it before the watershed. It was therefore in breach. (more)

ZEE Cinema to telecast 'Vivah' at Diwali
From Biz Asia. Posted September 6 2007, 9.25am
ZEE Cinema has acquired the worldwide rights of last year's smash hit 'Vivah' starring Shahid Kapoor and Amrita Rao. The Rajshri produced movie will be aired as part of ZEE Network's Diwali celebrations package. ZEE Network holds the rights to the whole Rajshri movie library, which consists of titles like 'Hum Aap Ke Hain Koun', 'Hum Sath Sath Hain' and 'Maine Pyar Kiya'. 'Vivah' will air on Saturday 10th November at 20:00 on ZEE Cinema, as the channel's Movie of the Month. (more)

Technical fault hits ZEE Network channels
From Biz Asia. Posted August 29 2007, 10.12am
The five ZEE Network UK channels have been hit by a technical fault, which has resulted in all services being taken off air. The fault occurred shortly after 08:45 this morning. Currently footage of a Bollywood concert is being shown on all ZEE channels including ZEE TV, ZEE Music, ZEE Cinema, Alpha ETC Punjabi and ZEE Gujarati. It is not yet known if the channels have been affected on cable service Virgin Media. BizAsia.co.uk is awaiting details on the problem from ZEE and will bring readers an update shortly. Update (12:00): The channels returned back on air around 10:00. A ZEE source said it was signaling problem, which resulted in the disruption. (more)

ZEE Cinema to telecast 'Kaafila' in September
From Biz Asia. Posted August 14 2007, 9.56pm
ZEE Cinema will be telecasting the World TV Premiere of the Indo-Pak based movie 'Kaafila' barely a month after its theatrical release. The film, which opened up at cinemas last Friday (10th August) proved a box office dud. It stars Sunny Deol, Ammtoje Mann, Sudesh Berry and Sandeep Kang. 'Kaafila' will be shown on ZEE Cinema UK on Saturday 29th September at 20:00. Also next month, the three-month long Raj Kapoor movie festival comes to an end with the final lot of films from the infamous library being screened on the channel. 'Ram Teri Ganga Maili', 'Heena', 'Prem Granth', 'Aa Aab Laut Chalen' and 'Mera Naam Joker' will be shown on Sunday nights as part of the 'Sunday Sitaron Ka' band. Related link: ZEE Network acquires movie 'Kaafila' (more)

Asian TV channels in Sky EPG reshuffle
From Biz Asia. Posted August 6 2007, 9.00am
Selected Asian TV channels on Sky Digital have been given new EPG numbers. As revealed first by BizAsia.co.uk, the changes are taking place to make room for additional new services in the already packed out 'International' genre of Sky Digital's EPG. Some broadcasters have opted to remain in their existing EPG slot and some have moved down the EPG to fill up vacant slots in the category. The new EPG list is as below: 780 B4U Movies 781 B4U Music 782 Sony TV Asia 783 STAR One 784 STAR Plus 785 PCNE Chinese 786 Bangla TV 787 mta-muslim tv 788 ZEE TV 789 ZEE Music 790 ZEE Cinema 791 ARY Digital 792 PTV Prime 793 MATV National 794 DW-TV 795 TVEi 796 Abu Dhabi TV 797 SouthForYou 798 Alpha ETC Punjabi 799 TV5 800 MAX 801 Record TV 802 DM Digital 803 804 ARY QTV 805 DM Gold 806 ARY The Musik 807 Venus TV 808 Aastha TV 809 810 STAR News 811 STAR Gold 812 PTV Global 813 Islam Channel 814 Channel 'S' 815 GEO UK 816 ZEE Gujarati 817 Aapna Channel 818 Mana Telugu 819 Filmy 820 Sahara One 821 Aaj Tak 822 823 824 AAG 825 826 Channel S NTV 827 Channel S ATN 828 Channel Punjab 829 830 831 832 DD-News 833 DD-India 834 835 836 837 838 839 Related links: New EPG numbers for Asian channels on Sky Asian channels set for EPG reshuffle on Sky (more)

Online portal launches for Indian TV channels
From Biz Asia. Posted August 3 2007, 10.15pm
A new online portal has launched offering some of the best TV channels live from India. Narrowstep, the company behind the 'Watch India' website has had huge success in its first month alone receiving 100,000 unique viewers, with over 33,000 coming from the UK alone. Watch India allows Indian expatriates living across the world to access popular Indian programming in TV-like quality over the Internet. This new channel features an assortment of video content powered by Narrowstep’s Internet TV platform, telvOS™. Narrowstep’s state-of-the-art technology allows viewers to enjoy a rich video experience unlike any other found on the Internet. "Internet TV offers the ideal platform for ethnic programming like Watch India. By removing the geographic limitations of traditional broadcasting, Watch India can offer content to large audiences, around the world," said Todd Narwid, Senior Vice President of Worldwide Sales at Narrowstep. "Furthermore, the tremendous demand for culture specific programming, provides advertisers with a cost effective medium to reach very specific, targeted audiences." Broadcasters who have made their channels available on Watch India are ZEE Network's ZEE TV, ZEE Cinema and ZEE Sports. Additionally, other premium channels exclusive to Watch India include Times Now News, which features live, breaking-news 24/7, Zoom, the number one music and entertainment channel in India, and Aastha TV, India’s leading spiritual and religious channel. "We have amassed a truly outstanding collection of programming representing the best of Indian TV, and we continue to add even more premium channels, expanding our already phenomenal selection of content," said Watch India Spokesperson, Tripti Singh. "This is the first time Indian TV channels are available live over the Internet, to the Indian diaspora in the UK." "For the millions of people in the Indian community living in the U.K., Watch India offers a way to not only get the latest news, but also stay up to date with culture, entertainment, music and sports — keeping them involved with life back home," added Singh. Watch India is available at watchindia.com. (more)

Media goes ga ga over movie 'Awarapan'
From Biz Asia. Posted June 3 2007, 7.58pm
On the 29th of June, three blockbuster movies (Apne, Aap Ka Suroor and Awarapan) will clash at the box office, however one, which is fast becoming a firm favourite amongst the media in the UK and abroad is Mahesh Bhatt's 'Awarapan' starring Emran Hashmi and Shreya Saran. The music scored by Pritam for the film has already topped many charts around the world after only two weeks on release. Key media have been invited for Sa Re Ga Ma's press conference of 'Awarapan', being held in Central London on Tuesday (5th June) evening. B4U will exclusively capture the performances by Pakistani singers, Annie and Rafaqat Ali Khan, who are likely to render their hit numbers from the film's soundtrack for the media. Emraan Hashmi and Mukesh Bhatt will do a Q&A session with the media. ARY Digital is the TV partner of the film in the U.A.E, AVS TV in the US and B4U in the UK. The making of 'Awarapan' is likely to be telecast exclusively in the UK on ZEE TV and ZEE Cinema in the week preceding the film's release on 29th June. Both ZEE Music and B4U Music in the UK will also screen the making of the film's music in the coming days. Studio 18 is releasing 'Awarapan' internationally. (more)

Ranga appointed ZEE International head
From Biz Asia. Posted May 29 2007, 10.46pm
ZEE Entertainment Enterprises Ltd has announced the appointment of Bharat Ranga as head of ZEE International Business, based out of Mumbai. The country heads of UK, USA, Asia Pacific, Mauritius and South Africa will report to Ranga, who in turn will report to Pradeep Guha, CEO, ZEE. Prior to this, Ranga was the Head of ZEE Cinema and Premier/Action/Classic channels. After a successful stint as Sales Head he has taken over this Business Head portfolio and was instrumental in promoting ZEE Cinema as the leading channel in India. Prior to joining ZEE in 1998, Ranga was with the Times of India. The International Business of ZEE spans five continents, ZEE reaches out to more than 350 million viewers in more than 120 countries. The South Asian diaspora is spread across the length and breadth of the world and is of relevance in most countries, both financially and culturally. In the UK and the US, South Asians form one of the most respected and professionally accomplished communities. In other parts of the world like Africa and Hong Kong, they are among the wealthiest sections of society. (more)

Two big movie premieres on ZEE Cinema in June
From Biz Asia. Posted May 12 2007, 12.49pm
With summer around the corner, ZEE Cinema is set to cook up a handful of treats with two big movie premiers in June. (more)

'Nehle Pe Dehla' to premiere on ZEE Cinema
From Biz Asia. Posted March 28 2007, 1.19am
Saif Ali Khan, Sanjay Dutt and Neha Dhupia's lackluster movie 'Nehle Pe Dehla' will be getting its premiere on ZEE Cinema UK in April. The movie had been in the making for over five years before it was released worldwide last month. It proved a box office dud. The film is marked as April's 'Movie of the Month' and will be shown on Saturday 28th April at 20:00. Other films also premiering on ZEE Cinema next month are 'Risk' starring Vinod Khanna on Saturday 6th April and classics like 'Khal Nayak' (Sunday 1st April), 'Pardes' (Sunday 8th April), 'Taal' (Sunday 15th April), 'Yaadein' (Sunday 22nd April) and 'Ek Phool Do Maali' (Sunday 8th April). (more)

ZEE Cinema packs March schedule with hits
From Biz Asia. Posted February 21 2007, 12.27pm
ZEE Cinema is making sure its viewers don't sway to any rival channel next month as it packs its schedule with a string of blockbuster movies. Amongst the big movies lined up, the channel will begin a season of Subhash Ghai films that it had acquired last month. There's also the world TV premiere of Suneel Darshan's obsessive love story 'Mere Jeevan Sathi'. The film stars Akshay Kumar, Karisma Kapoor and Amisha Patel. It will be shown on Saturday 31st March at 20:00. The Subhash Ghai movies that have been confirmed for March are: Karz on Sunday 4th March at 20:00 Hero on Sunday 11th March at 20:00 Karma on Sunday 18th March at 20:00 Trimurti on Sunday 25th March at 20:00 Saudagar on Wednesday 28th March at 20:00 Related link: ZEE Network acquires Mukta Arts film library (more)

ZEE consolidated revenues up 53%
From Biz Asia. Posted January 23 2007, 11.27pm
ZEE Entertainment Enterprises Limited (ZEEL) has reported third quarter consolidated revenues of Rs 4,177 million representing a 53 per cent growth over the corresponding period in the previous fiscal, compared on proforma numbers. The consolidated operating profit stood at Rs 1,357 million, after expensing of initial investments in new activities, amounting to Rs 232 million. These are higher by 187 per cent as compared to the corresponding quarter last year. Profit before tax for the third quarter of the fiscal 2007 was Rs 1,375 million while Net Profit was Rs 958 million, recording a growth of 179 per cent over the corresponding period last year. The numbers as published, are after consolidating the financials of Taj TV Limited W/E 13th November 2006. The Board of Directors has taken on record the unaudited consolidated financial results of ZEEL and its subsidiaries for the quarter ended 31st December 2006. "ZEE Entertainment finished the third quarter with outstanding performance, highlighted by strong advertising revenue growth of 59 per cent, extremely robust operating profit growth of 187 per cent and 179 per cent growth in net earnings. Our television broadcasting business continues to lead the industry in converting rating success into strong growth in revenues and operating profits," the Chairman Subhash Chandra stated. "We are extremely pleased to see the steady steps towards digitisation of the Indian cable and satellite industry. CAS has been successfully implemented in the notified areas of Mumbai, Delhi and Kolkata. With more subscribers opting for digital services even in other parts of the country, it will give a big boost to our subscription revenues in the near future. Our investment in Ten Sports is doing well. All these have extremely positive and long term impact on our business," he added. "ZEE TV continued to increase its viewership share from 28 per cent in Q2 FY2007 to 29 per cent during Q3 FY2007, along with growth in time spent. During the quarter, average gross ratings points (GRPs) of ZEE TV grew to 250 levels, with gains coming mainly from prime time. The growth has been led by continued success of Sa Re Ga Ma Pa, Saat Phere and Kasamh Se, while our new launches Dulhann and Betiyan have helped bolster the prime time shares. ZEE TV now has five programmes in the top 20 and 11 programmes in top 50," Punit Goenka, Whole Time Director, said. "ZEE Cinema continues to be the No. 1 movie channel, and increasingly is becoming a reach channel for the advertisers. ZEE Cafe and ZEE Studio have gained shares," he added. Elaborating on the performance, Pradeep Guha, CEO said, "We are pleased with the strong operating results in the third quarter. We have outperformed the market locking in higher advertising rates which would continue to help us in the future. Additionally, with digitisation of Indian cable and satellite industry, we expect to reap a rich harvest from subscription based revenues." (more)