Great Going ZEE: Sam It’S Raining Greetings for ZEE, As the Entertainment Giant Is Stepping Into Its Third Decade

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MESSAGE FROM SUBHASH CHANDRA, CHAIRMAN ZEE ENTERTAINMENT Next 20 years and beyond... he milestone of complet- significantly riding on the ing 20 glorious years is digitization wave. Tsurely a reason for me and We see no limit for brand the entire ZEE family to rejoice. ZEE and our products. We are It is a proud moment to see the expanding in key international pioneering steps taken by ZEE & regional markets, in new ver- two decades back grow into an ticals and want to be a domi- INR 350 billion TV broadcast nant global media enterprise Industry today. in the next 5 years. This very special anniver- At the 20 year mark, I can say sary day, is the perfect time that not only does ZEE have a to focus on the future for history of connecting people ZEE. I believe the business of into a unified family with con- entertainment is a good one tent, but we have a clear road to be in and there has never ahead to keep this journey go- been a better time than now ing for the next twenty years for us, especially in Coun- and beyond. tries where discretionary I take this opportunity to incomes are rising and peo- thank all our stakeholders, ple are seeking quality fam- especially viewers for con- ily entertainment while In tinuing to repose faith in us India it is poised to grow over the years. Great Going ZEE: Sam It’s raining greetings for ZEE, as the entertainment giant is stepping into its third decade. Advertising doyen Sam Balsara wishes Subhash Chandra and his team on this happy occasion ongratulations ZEE on turning Result ratio in the industry. twenty! How time flies? It Satellite Television Advertising is Cseems only the other day that I today over a 10,000 crore industry watched “Tara” on Zee TV, discussed and to think that in those early days with an advertiser whether he qual- only an exporter could advertise on ified to advertise on ZEE and under- Zee TV! Of course ZEE’s ingenuity stood the complexities of paying helped and everyone did, well al - two separate parties for the same most everyone! spot on air! The saying goes: Fools rush in, My hearty congratulations to Sub- where Angels fear to tread; it would hash Chandra for having the vision, seem that Subhash Chandra, the foresight and guts for bringing Satel- founder of ZEE has proved this axiom lite TV to India, which has provided wrong. No man, I know has fathered a new dimension and meaning to a string of so many successful busi- Entertainment and TV; for starting ness ideas in so many unrelated an Industry that is dominant, vibrant fields, in such a short time, that have and growing and today enamors at changed lives of people, their habits least half of India who watch it every and the way we do business. day for two hours; for innovatively The ZEE Group needs to be con- branding the channel Zee TV (the gratulated for initiating a string of last word in Television / Entertain - radical new businesses in hitherto, ment!) and growing it to a bouquet uncharted territory where no Indian with offerings in virtually every has ventured into, without fear of genre and every language. failure: India’s 1st Satellite Channel I met the now famous and enig - (Zee TV), India’s 1st Amusement matic man at the Nehru Center one dia agency industry with a cadre of Park (ESSEL WORLD), India’s 1st and evening way back in the early 90s professionals who pride themselves now the world’s largest Plastic Col- when ZEE was celebrating its 1st An- as masters of media sitting in front lapsible Tube manufacturer, India’s niversary. I saw him on stage trying of their desktops, using both their 1st Cricket League (ICL), India’s 1st to open a bottle of Champagne to left-brain and right-brain faculties. Direct to Home Service (DISH TV), mark the anniversary. ZEE rules the roost today and Zee India’s 1st Electronic Lotteries Little do housewives of today TV occasionally even comes in at the (PLAYWIN) and God knows how know that it was the baby steps tak- top of the heap in ratings despite its many more firsts, that I am not en by ZEE 20 years ago that has led disciplined approach to program- aware of. them today to spend two hours of ming in terms of costs. It has suc - Kudos to Subhash Chandra and their lives each day with their telly, ceeded in creating a sustainable, ZEE, lots of good luck for the future. making them laugh or cry or get profitable model that keeps on grow- Keep walking, nay running. emotional or anxious; little do media ing, harnessing revenue from both planners of today know that it is ZEE the subscriber and advertiser and (The writer is CMD, who helped create virtually the me- probably has the best Resource-to- Madison World) The ZEE Group has heralded a new era in television-viewing habits in India. Under the visionary stewardship of Subhash ji, ZEE has now Industry Wishes Zee transformed into a complete entertainment, infotainment and news Company. I cherish my friendship with him for his uprightness, vision, ZEE is a shining “I would like to The ZEE Group has great vision and genuine concern for the society. The height of Global Vipasana example of Indian congratulate and intellectual prowess about Pagoda that he has built is a reflection of the stature he has reached entrepreneurial ZEE for the media industry. I recollect an in humanitarianism. It is creditable that ZEE has been producing success after completing 20 incident 20 years ago, there was quality programmes over the last two decades. I congratulate ZEE liberalisation, in a years some programme being shown Group on this stupendous achievement and wish them all success in sector that had entertaining on Doordarshan on the New the years to come. consumers Indians around Year’s Eve, which I didn’t really yearning for more. the globe. They enjoy. Zee TV was also featuring —Shashi Ruia, Chairman, Essar Group ZEE played a have had an a programme on the same critical role in inspirational occasion and I could see there creating the journey in the was a huge difference in their foundations of the entertainment quality of content when modern Indian space in India – compared to Doordarshan. It media sector and in moulding from pioneering the concept of clearly marked the era of home entertainment being consumer preferences. As it satellite television 20 years ago to pioneered by Subhash Chandra for the country. Over continues its innings into a third today reaching 650 million the last two decades ZEE Group has emerged as a decade, I wish the team at ZEE viewers across 168 countries! I leading diversified conglomerate and Zee TV the top tremendous success. May it continue wish them every success as they general entertainment channel (GEC). We wish that to enliven our drawing rooms for leapfrog into the next era of by the 25th year, Zee will become No.1 television many more decades to come. growth.” channel in every genre. —Mr. Anand Mahindra, Chairman, —Mr. Adi Godrej, —Mr. Venugopal Nandlal Dhoot, Mahindra Group Chairman, Godrej Group Chairman, Videocon Group Pulse of the Audience For twenty years ZEE has been dedicated From humble beginnings to its huge popularity, Zee Bangla has moved forward magnificiently bringing to creating and showcasing engaging Bengali culture to the world. Zee Bangla, the second content that can be enjoyed by families regional GEC by ZEE focuses on giving Bengalis, entertainment they crave for the most. ZEE Bangla serials elevision has played an important role not only and reality shows are greatly watched and followed. in distributing information but also in influenc- The protagonists in the serials have become household Ting and changing people’s belief and opinions. names. Millions turn up to take part in auditions to With 61% television penetration and growing, its showcase their talent and earn fame and popularity. impact transcends social and educational back- DID sets a new benchmark Expanding regionally, ZEE created a strong bou- ground of its viewers. Today, television is the pre- quet for Southern Markets -Zee Telugu, Zee Kannada ferred choice of entertainment. masses. Dance India Dance is one of the most watched and Zee Tamiz. Each one of them, consolidating their When ZEE started operations in 1992, it was the non-fiction show year on year. viewership and aiming for leadership position. turning point for viewers, who were used to watching Zee Marathi created cult programming over the With path-breaking content initiatives like dance programs on Doordarshan. The economy was opening years. It pioneered the concept of a daily soap in Mar- realty show Aata on Zee Telugu, ZEE touched the lives to the outside world, ZEE captured the mood and in- athi in 1999 through Aabhaalmaaya’. Channel intro- of audiences in Southern India. Popular shows like troduced content and style encompassing viewer’s duced non-fiction shows from Monday through Mee Inti Vanta, Bhakti Samacharam, Ayurvedam, and preference and tastes. Till this point, ZEE is grounded Friday, a pattern that continues till date across Mar- Gopuram have completed 2500 episodes in their re- to its roots and creating content and formats relevant athi channels. Zee Talkies produced and distributed spective genres. The long duration, demonstrates ZEE’s to Indian audiences across different genres. The view- 14 films in span of 4 years. Some of the films like capability of engaging with viewers. er today is not only looking for new stories but is also Natarang, De Dhakka, Kaksparsh are among the high- Zee Kannada, redefined the concept of entertain- very quality conscious. The need for differentiated and est box office grossers. Natrang received National ment with its trendsetting programming, which fresh content is on an all time high. Award in 2010. came as whiff of fresh air to the viewers through ZEE’s programming has always been one where ZEE’s presence in English Entertainment genre hugely successful shows like Kunuyonu Baara, Kom- viewers forge strong friendships with the characters has been substantial with Zee Café and Zee Studio, edy Kiladigalu, Guna Gaana, Baduku Jataka Bandi, and create great memories while sharing quality time which telecast the latest movies and shows respec- and Ragale with Rishika. with their families. Content created for the entire fam- tively. Zee Cafe has genre leadership in the English ZEE attained leadership position in sports business, ily, sets ZEE apart from others. Entertainment Space. Knowing the pulse of the operating under TEN Brand. It operates five channels, With its long-standing heritage and strong content, market, ZEE was the first to offer sub titling for Eng- dedicated for different sports. Channels are dedicated flagship channel Zee TV has bridged the gap between lish content, making it easier for the Indian audi- to cricket, football, golf and one high definition chan- the older and emerging paradigms at the same time ences to understand the accent. Tie ups with some nel. Strategy of Segmentation, has allowed TEN to cre- championing new beliefs through its stories and char- of the best Hollywood studios, Zee Studio brings ate differentiation among various sports and helped acters. Zee TV shows like Saat Phere, Betiyaan, Antra, home the best of the movie titles. Zee Café broad- build a dedicated fan base. The TEN Channels com- Kasam Se… caught the pulse of changing ethos of casts shows within 24 hours from the US telecast, mand around 70% of market share of non cricket sports Indian audiences. Shows such as Tara, Pavitra Rishta, offering the Indian viewers the latest international programming. Agle Janam Mohe Bitiya hi Kijo… championed perti- entertainment. Quality content has always been the ZEE, will continue to innovate across its bouquet of nent social issues. Zee TV has constantly created home focus of delivery at ZEE, and hence the content of- channels, guage the pulse of its audiences around the grown realty formats like SA RE GA MA PA, Dance fered is extremely premium in nature and differen- world and entertain them with the best content, creat- India Dance, which have cached the imagination of the tiated from the clutter. ing programming which is entertaining and engaging. Here’s wishing Zee TV the best on completion of 20 years. As child, I grew up watching many of Zee TV’s shows, be it Banegi Apni Baat, Hum Paanch or Sa Re Ga Ma Pa. I am extremely glad to be associated with Zee TV through ‘Punarvivaah’. May the channel continue to bring wholesome entertainment into our lives for several decades to come!

—Gurmeet Choudhary

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I miss that small wooden box of memory As ZEE completes two decades, multifaceted As I discovered during my journey of the last two years personality Neelesh Mishra takes a trip down as a radio storyteller and the the memory lane when India began to head of a content company, you can serve it as much change with ZEE gimmickry as you want, but in the end this country still reminisce about the craved for one more. craves for innovative content grating of metal rollers It was the Doordarshan – which often boils down to Iagainst the old wooden era, an era that shaped lives simple, old fashioned story- frame. I still remember the of millions of Indians. As In- telling, with its roots in In- loud click. I still have memo- dia’s pre-eminent commu- dian emotions, joys, pain ries of the flickering images nicator, Doordarshan reflect- and drama. that came alive in black and ed the moral bearings of a ZEE is the pioneer of con- white, etched in my mind. nation steeped in centuries stantly evolving journey of I still remember the mo- old culture. Its broadcasting content in India, and I hope ment when I sat on the was not just entertainment, the next 20 years will wit- couch at my neighbour Shah it had a sense of right and ness new and exciting inno- Auntie’s home in Nainital, as wrong, a sense of responsi- vations in content and pro- KU BAND KU BAND KU BAND Satellite Antenna Antenna with Car Antenna the TV was switched on. A bility towards the audiences gramming concepts from its plastic Back mount small but magical world it was creating content for. stable, because as a viewer, I came alive for me, when that Then, one day, as I added want to remain excited wooden box became a kalei- up to open the batting for about the world of TV, just doscope through which I my Charminar Club at the like I used to be as a child. peered into worlds I had Government Girls’ Inter there was Tara and later Sa straddled two worlds. Its Because I still remem - never seen before. College grounds in Nainital, Re Ga Ma Pa … strength has been that it is ber the grating of metal When Malcom Marshall a friend of mine told me Zee TV came riding on a rooted and in sync with the rollers against the old started his run-up to bowl to that a new form of TV was huge opportunity – and a emotional depth of the real wooden frame. I still re - Srikkanth, my twin brother about to come to Nainital. It huge responsibility. While it India even as it looks at the member the loud click. I Shailesh and I were trans- was called Cable TV and one was opening up glitzy, spar- country through a contem- still remember the flicker- KU BAND KU BAND KU BAND ported to the stadium on a could watch many more kling new worlds to millions porary prism. The 20th an- ing images that came alive Satellite Antenna Antenna with Satellite Antenna wintry day. When Jasoos channels. of viewers – and millions niversary of ZEE is important in black and white. Ground mount Karamchand investigated a For me, it was the mo - more who were buying new not just for the company but case and snapped at his ment when India began to TV sets each year – it also a key landmark for India’s (Neelesh Misra is a Bolly- chatty secretary Kitty, we change, the moment when had to live up to the richness communication, especially wood scriptwriter/lyricist, smiled and felt bad for her. the Doordarshan era end- of content of Doordarshan. as we enter the age where radio storyteller, author, When Lajoji wept in Buni- ed. Soon we were watch - The pioneer of Satellite the TV screen is shrinking Founder and CEO of Content yaad, we had a lump in our ing something new called TV, that was much superior into the mobile phone. Project and Editorial Direc- CONTACT US: throat. When Chitrahaar Zee TV. There was Antak- and entertaining, lived up to The challenges though, tor, Gaon Connection rural SICHUAN VIDEO ELECTRONIC CO.,LTD. WWW.SVEC.CN stopped at the fifth song, we shari and Hum Paanch, its responsibility well, and it remain the same. newspaper) International Market Department Tel: +86-28-87838905/8906/8908/8911 Fax: +86-28-87838898 E-mail: [email protected] ZEE’S PRESENCE ON SOCIAL MEDIA... FOLLOW US /ZEECorporate [email protected]

ZEE’S PRESENCE ON SOCIAL MEDIA... FOLLOW US ZEE - leadership strategies With the onset of digitisation, arrival of 4G, a positive industry growth is in sight, and ZEE will implement all the planned strategies to capitalise on the opportunities. EE has always been a firm believer in in - on its head. novation and keeping pace with change. With advent of technology, ZEE is redefin- ZAs it steps into the third decade of its ing itself from pure broadcaster to a content operation, transformation across ZEE verticals provider. It will focus on reaching out to audi- is visible, adapting to the changing business ences at the end of any screen that they are environment. Expansion in Indian Regional available on. Be a TV screen, mobile phone, markets by offering varied content, embrac- smart device, tablets or Internet. There will ing of new media and technology and reach- be several technologies and platforms that are ing out to viewers beyond the South Asian going to emerge in coming years and ZEE will communities internationally , will be top in be at the forefront to adopt them the radar of ZEE in coming years. ZEE is working on a strategy, to reach out to With, general entertainment category 1 billion viewers from the current 650 million fiercely competitive, growth is coming from viewers in the next 5 years and become a other spaces, especially regional television. global Media and Entertainment company. In Regional channels account for approximately line with this, ZEE is looking at viewers be - 33% of the all-India cable and satellite televi - best Bangla Movies. yond the South Asian diaspora in Internation - sion viewership, with Bengali, Marathi and all ZEE has already ventured into the next gen - al markets. ZEE will be offering viewers shows the south Indian channels gaining viewership. eration viewing experience space. ZEE New in their own languages shot and produced in This provides ZEE with opportunity to capi- Media, the digital arm of Zee Entertainment their studios. talise on its bouquet of regional channels and launched an OTT (Over-The-Top TV) distribu - For Middle East audience, ZEE has launched expand regional footprint in a big way. Re - tion platform, Ditto TV, with an aim to offer its second offering ZEE Alwan in Arabic lan- gional television market will also help ZEE Live TV Channels and On demand Video Con - guage. It has already launched Russian lan - increase its international operations , As it tent to consumers on their mobile phones, guage programming in Russia and has re - become one of the key drivers. Zee launched tablets, laptops, desktops, entertainment ceived considerable success. ZEE will be look- two of its regional channels, Zee Marathi and boxes and connected TVs. ing at opportunities in Indonesia, Malaysia, Zee Kannada, in the US. Ditto TV offers features such as adaptive Middle East and Africa. The demand for more specific content - has streaming, an elaborative electronic pro - Digitisation is going to become a reality. set the stage for next level of growth and tran- gramme guide, robust digital rights manage- With digitisation, new genres of content will sition across the television value chain for ment system, intelligent content recommen- emerge. People will pay for content they want ZEE. In line with this, ZEE is offering complete dation engine and an elegant user interface, to watch. Over period of time dependence on channel portfolio in each of the regional mar - all of which will be integral to enhance the Advertising will come down significantly and ket it operate in. Starting with Marathi lan - user experience. subscription will play a very key role in the guage where it launched Marathi movie chan- Equipped with a robust technology plat - media industry going forward. To capitalise nel ZEE Talkies , complementing exiting ZEE form from Siemens, this offering heralds a on the same, ZEE strategically launched Ten Marathi GEC, ZEE launched India’s only 24 hrs welcome break away from appointment TV Golf and ZEE Khana Khazana. Bangla movie channel , ZEE Bangla Cinema. viewing to a more flexible, customizable way Going forward, innovation will play a key Bengali films market is one of the fastest of enjoying TV and VOD content- my screen, role in setting the pace for next ten years. ZEE growing regional film market in the country my time, my video, a concept that has fun- has all the elements in place to move forward and ZEE has acquired rights for some of the damentally turned appointment TV viewing and capture hearts and mind of people. Bollywood Wishes ZEE ZEE – Taking Entertainment Places I still remember the day, Sonu Nigam called me and said that he is going to host Sa Re Ga Ma, a Zee TV show, a Though the journey is global, the content is always local for ZEE. By investing in local content and local platform for young singers. He asked me to be a part of infrastructure across International markets, ZEE has created local channels in USA, UK, Africa, Middle-East and Asia it. I agreed as Sonu is a dear friend. It was a wonderful experience with ZEE and I wish them many more EE leads the pack among Indian Zee Aflam, a Bollywood movie heavily invested in R&D. the world. ZEE’s library has more than decades of success. media and entertainment channel for the whole Middle East ZEE’s marketing scheme in the in- a hundred thousand hours of content —Kunal Ganjawala Zbrands commanding a 65 per market, is one of the top channels in ternational market has been through and 3000 movie titles. cent market share in the global TV movie genre in Middle-East within localised events. These events have In USA, ZEE was the first Asian We have been associated with Zee TV in earlier seasons broadcast medium. Also, ZEE has the Arab population. Similarly, ZEE has a been ZEE’s USP and now all the other channel to be rated by Nielsen. ZEE largest international spread among Malay product, Zee Variasi in Malay- channels are trying to follow that. has ratings from Russia, Middle-East, of Sa Re Ga Ma and its has been an honor to be all South Asian channels in the world. sia (Variasi means variety). The fourth strategy which has really Malaysia and Africa. These ratings associated with such an iconic show again. Zee has not It currently operates 23 international Broadly, there are four variables worked for ZEE is ‘localised channels’. provide information on how the only created superstars but also created iconic shows in beams outside India. which have been driving ZEE’s suc- Designing channels with Indian con- product is performing, which pro- its 20 years of existence. May the dream run continue for ZEE recently launched Zee Alwan cess internationally. tent packaged with local audience in gramme is performing well and what the next 100 years (Alwan means colours in Arabic), a ZEE was the first to invest in local terms of sub-titling or dubbed for local is the profile of viewers. This helps in general entertainment channel content and local infrastructure audiences or overall packaging. For in- taking programming decisions. The —Sajid-Wajid which has Indian and Bollywood con- across the international market and stance, there is a channel, dubbed in programming team is also develop- tent loved by the viewers in the Mid- created local channels on all these Russian, called Zee Russia, which is very ing and generating local programmes Zee provides entertainment to millions worldwide and is dle East. ZEE has already tasted suc- markets like the USA, UK, Africa, popular to those audiences. in all these markets. the pioneer in satellite television. Even my mom is cess in Zee Aflam in Arabic (Aflam Middle-East, Asia patch and so on. In the global operations ZEE’s new ZEE recently became the first In- hooked to it! I have been lucky to be a part of ZEE’s means movies in Arabic) in the Mid- ZEE has a very strong understand- thrust area is syndication where ZEE dian company to be granted the land- pioneering years and I am really proud that it has dle East market. ing of the consumer behaviour. It has is trying to take Indian content across ing rights in China. completed two decades. —Archana Puran Singh

Some of my best work I have done is with ZEE. I’ve done so many love stories like Rishtey and Sailaab with Zee TV which was really appreciated by everybody. Even the re- runs of all the serials on other channels of ZEE is very heartening to watch. It keeps the memory alive! —Renuka Shahane The journey of the channel for the last 20 years have been Stupendo Fantabulous Fantastically Magical. My journey from being a choreographer to the Nation’s mother, Geeta Ma is nothing short of a dream journey. Happy Birthday to You! —Geeta Kapur How Television Became HOT! Two decades back, Doordarshan was the sole entertainment provider for Indian viewers. But the game changed after the entry of ZEE

n his seminal book, Un- derstanding Media, Mar- Ishall McLuhan catego- rizes media as ‘hot’ and ‘cold’. He explains that media that involved read- ers / viewers / listeners can be termed, ‘hot’; while media that evokes passive viewing/reading/ listening can be termed ‘cold’. In his es and many more avenues book radio is termed ‘hot’ for gainful employment because as a medium it in- opened up. volved listeners, while From the marketing and newspapers were ‘cold’. A advertising standpoint the lot of these definitions may birth of Hindi language sat- have to be relooked in the ellite television created a light of mushrooming me- whole new opportunity for dia options and social me- reaching out to audiences, dia tools that provoke in- through a multitude of volvement. In McLuhan’s time slots, priced attrac- book television was tively, flexibly. Instead of termed ‘cold’. just craving for a few pro- In India too television grammes on Doordarshan, could have been broadly now advertisers could termed ‘cold’. The ASIAD reach millions of consum- had taken terrestrial televi- ers through satellite television to many parts of the sion, sponsor program- country but it was passive ming, and even get brand- viewing that Indians in- ed programming on air. dulged in, for an hour or so And in the process a whole a day, and on weekends. new consumer revolution All that changed in 1992. was unleashed by Zee TV Possibly the most defining and satellite television. It is moment in Indian televi- interesting to see how sion media happened brand choices have multi- twenty years ago with the plied in industry after in- launch of Zee TV, a satellite dustry since 1992. Be it television channel that of- television sets, motorcy- fered 24 hour entertain- cles, cars, soaps, shampoos, ment in a language that detergents etc. And all spoke to the ordinary con- these have benefited in sumer. At that time some some way from the audi- pundits were unsure of its ences delivered by satellite long term potential. television. Many new in- Shouldn’t the channel be in dustries have been born in English, since Doordarshan the last two decades, mo- was already offering great bile being the most top of Hindi entertainment, went mind. And here too with- the argument. Mind you out the reach and impact of Star Plus had been satellite television the mo- launched as the super dup- bile revolution may have er English channel and stayed only in the big cities. CNN had grown in stature Finally with the general after the Gulf War. public, satellite television As the dust settled, the has opened new areas of not Indian viewers voted with just entertainment but also their remote control. They education and enlighten- started thronging to Zee TV ment. Research studies have for the continuous enter- shown that there is broad tainment it offered in their correlation between the own language. As viewers way women are treated and thronged to Zee TV a num- the exposure to satellite tel- ber of collateral effects evision, say the experts. started taking shape. Many What started as a lone new Indian language satel- Hindi satellite channel lite channels got launched twenty years ago has within a few years [and brought about a whole some English channels be- revolution in the way Indi- came Hindi]. Many new ans and Indian marketers services were born and see television. And the many thousands found revolution is set to contin- gainful employment. The ue as Indians embrace new satellite cable operator in- ways of consuming televi- dustry was born. The con- sion content. tent creation industry was M G Parameswaran – ED born. The reality television & CEO; Draftfcb Ulka Ad- mania, talent hunt search- vertising Mumbai Future looks bright for ZEE The ‘joy’of ZEE ZEE Celebrate its 20th Anniversary with the Joy As ZEE completes 20 years, Punit Goenka, MD & CEO of ZEE Entertainment, shares the company’s future of Giving Week from October 2 to 8, 2012 plans and its determination to attract more eyeballs, from all over the world EE has put in place a Corpo- which runs with the contribu- rate Social Responsibility tions made by Ekal Vidyalaya What does ZEE Entertainment stand for? How has the audience in India changed? 61 per cent and it is growing at five per cent Z(CSR) policy which is based Foundation led by Subhash We are a family entertainment company. The biggest change that has happened is, annually, while Cable and satellite is grow- on a belief that a business can- Chandra, Chairman, ZEE. Three generations of a family can sit to- lifespan of shows has decreased. You had ing at 8 per cent. We have not yet seen the not succeed in a society that fails The Joy of Giving Week of India (EVFI) offers free edu- gether and watch our programmes. We shows running for six years continuously real growth levels in this industry. Advertis- and therefore it is imperative for (JGW) initiative encourages cation to over one million rural are the most profitable in the media earlier, whereas today an average life of a ing is 0.4 per cent of our GDP whereas the business houses to invest in the employees, across ZEE offices children, as part of a drive to and entertainment space in India. No- show is less than a year. That tells us that the global average is at 0.8 per cent. This means, future by taking part in social- to donate and make a differ- help eradicate illiteracy. The body in this country can deliver the viewer no longer accepts whatever you feed we have room to grow 100 per cent in ad- building activities. ence in the lives of school chil- curriculum of these schools profitability that ZEE delivers. In him. Also, the success rate of programmes vertising alone. ZEE has put 9 “Wish Trees” dren in villages. The proceeds (36,783 in number) is tailored viewership terms, we may not be is one-third of what it used to be earlier. across offices in Mumbai, Delhi, of the collection will be given to teach children basic literacy number one in our flagship channel. How successful is ZEE in creating home Bengaluru, Hyderabad, and to ‘Friends of Tribals Society’ and life skills to inculcate self- But overall, we are the largest group. Many say TV will soon die or is about to... grown formats? What made you think Chennai encouraging its em- and used for the upliftment of confidence to pursue higher There are few TV media companies TV will not die. We have redefined our- that this format worked for you? ployees to come together and over one million children in education or rural occupations. in the world that can boast of profit selves from a broadcaster to a content pro- It is our belief in the way we do things. donate generously for this cause more than 36,000 schools run In short, Ekal extends health- margins upwards of 25 per cent. vider. We will focus on reaching out to audi- Let us take our latest format Dance India that the brand strongly believes under Ekal Vidyalaya Founda- care, education and empower- We will continue to deliver that ences at the end of any screen that they are Dance. We conceptualised this format, re- in. As a corporate, ZEE supports tion across India. ment to the marginalised sec- kind of returns to our shareholders. available on. Be it a TV screen, mobile phone, searched and found that it is a high risk for ‘The Friends of Tribal Society’ Ekal Vidyalaya Foundation tions of society. smart device (tablets), or the internet. Even Hindi GEC. We actually made it first in the What are the few things that ZEE if one screen may die, but there will be Bangla market and called it Dance Bangla will look at in the coming years? other screens that will emerge. Our life will Dance. When it succeeded there, we got that Our focus in India will be on the continue. I think there will be several tech- to Hindi GEC. regional markets. We believe that mar- nologies and platforms that are going to The regional markets give you an advan- ket is ready to explode. The growth levels emerge that we have to consider and mi- tage of testing out formats and today, it is in the regional markets are far higher than grate. Ditto TV is something that we have happening with serials. Take an idea which the National markets. New Media will be foreseen and we do believe that it is going works in the regional market and adapt it to another focus area. We have aspirations to to be a big opportunity for us and hence, we the Hindi market. That’s a low risk, high re- go from our current 650 million viewers to have launched it even before its time. ward game. Sa Re Ga Ma Pa is running for 1 billion viewers in the next three years. We 17 years successfully. We believe in the con- have to go beyond the South Asian Dias- How is ZEE positioned for the future? cept that we can develop formats in-house pora in the International markets and our We need to continuously learn. If we do and we can execute them well. We stick to strategy for launching Arabic, Russian and not evolve, do not continuously learn, re- the core value of the format and deliver it. other language products is in that direction. learn, and unlearn the old, we will not be successful. The day we stop doing that we Do you get the same level playing field What is the biggest challenge right now will become complacent. There is no over- which the foreign media gets in India for ZEE? night success formula in this business. Eve- when you venture into new territories? There are a few big challenges. Our busi- rything is hard work in this industry. Yes. The important thing in those markets ness is all about human capital. Hav- is to play by the rules. There are no reasons ing the right talent and retention of Do you see room for further growth in for us to say that some m arkets are restric- that talent is very critical for us. Lastly, India broadcast space? tive or do not allow outsiders to come in and content is evolving so fast that it is a chal- There are yet 100 million homes without operate. Rules and regulations are what lenge to keep pace. television. Penetration of TV in India is just they are and one has to abide by that.