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Tag: Amit Goenka

  • Launches two new channels, Zee Bollymovies and Zee Bollynova on Kwesé TV

    Zee Entertainment expands its presence in Africa

    By A Correspondent

     

    Zee Entertainment Enterprises Limited (ZEEL) has announced the launch of two new channels, Zee Bollymovies and Zee Bollynova which will broadcast on Africa’s new pay-TV network,Kwesé TV.

     

    With the promise of ‘Bollywood Magic’, Zee Bollymovies will air award-winning Bollywood movies and series. Meanwhile, Zee Bollynova will seekto create ‘Memorable Moments’ with its offering of a fusion of general entertainment programming, showcasing the best telenovelas and food shows.

     

    Speaking on Zee’s expansion in the African market, Amit Goenka, CEO, International Broadcast Business at ZEEL said, “With great similarities between the two cultures, Africa has always shown a tremendous appreciation for rich, vibrant Bollywood content. Our two previously-launched, specially customised channels, Zee World and Zee Magic, have been warmly received by viewers, resulting in a threefold increase in our viewership since our entry into the continent in 2015. This love and appreciation for our content has encouraged us to introduce two new channels, Zee Bollymovies and Zee Bollynova, which will keep up with the Zee trend of colour, music, dance, drama and excitement.”

     

    Sharing more details on the new launches,  Harish Goyal, CEO of Zee TV Africa said, “Zee is continuously striving to make further inroads into the African continent. We have packaged our latest offerings, Zee Bollymovies and Zee Bollynova with content adapted to suit the African viewer. Both channels are customized and dubbed in English.”

     

  • Acquires UAE's first and leading Radio Station, Hum 106.2 FM

    Zee’s foray into radio with UAE’s Hum 106.2 FM

    By A Correspondent

     

    Zee Entertainment Enterprises Limited (ZEEL) has announced its foray into radio with the acquisition of UAE’s leading radio station, Hum 106.2 FM. Zee now becomes the only entertainment network in the region to provide an extensive media solution to its partners through television, radio and digital.

     

    After being a pioneer with the launch of India’s first Hindi satellite channel, Zee TV in 1992, Zee Entertainment was the first to launch a Bollywood TV channel, Zee Aflam in 2008 for the Arab audience as well introduce the Arab world to Hindi programs dubbed in Arabic with Zee Alwan in 2012.

     

    Speaking on this acquisition, Amit Goenka, CEO – International Broadcast Business, ZEEL said, “Radio has been an area of interest for Zee for quite some time and after extensive planning and studying of the brand values, ratings and revenue generated by various stations, we felt that an investment in Hum FM was the best option. Hum FM has a legacy of almost two decades and with a current market share of 26%, it is the top Hindi radio station in the UAE. Zee is confident that it can leverage its very strong South-Asian brand connect onto Radio, and offer a synergy of television, radio and digital that could revolutionize the entertainment industry in the UAE.”

     

    “We are excited about our new business ventures. Radio comes immediately after our foray into film production and distribution where movies like ‘Rustom’ and ‘The Flying Jatt’ have done extremely well globally and specifically in the UAE and Middle East markets. The acquisition of Hum FM in UAE is a step in that direction and we are upbeat about its prospect in the coming years;” Amit further added.

     

  • Launches 'Zee Mundo', the first ever Spanish-language Bollywood movie channel

    Zee Entertainment enters the US Hispanic market

    By A Correspondent

     

    Zee Entertainment Enterprises Limited (ZEEL) has become the first-ever Indian company to enter the Hispanic market with the launch of its Spanish-language Bollywood movie channel, Zee Mundo.

     

    Zee Mundo is a premium HD movie channel presenting the very best of modern Bollywood cinema, dubbed in Spanish.

     

    Amit Goenka

    Commenting on ZEEL’s entry into the Hispanic market, Amit Goenka, CEO – International Broadcast Business, ZEEL said, “Both the markets share strong cultural similarities in terms of family structure, socio-economic conditions, food, music, art and culture. We are confident that Zee Mundo’s programming will cross frontiers with storylines and themes that are relatable to the Hispanic audiences. With Zee Mundo, we have an exclusive Hollywood-quality product that is designed to attract and captivate Pay-TV subscribers through the best of Bollywood productions.”

     

    Sharing further details on the channel, Rajeev Kheror, President – Strategy, International Business, ZEEL said, “With top-rated, worldwide blockbuster masterpieces, our goal is to make Zee Mundo an entertainment destination like nothing the Hispanic market has ever witnessed or imagined before. Zee Mundo will bring Zee’s entire library of HD movie titles to Latino audiences across the US, dubbed in Spanish, crossing five genres (action, romance, suspense, drama and comedy) and featuring some of the world’s biggest movie stars including Priyanka Chopra, Shah Rukh Khan, Anil Kapoor, and Irrfan Khan.”

     

    Speaking on the plans for the region, Javier Lopez Casella, Head of Business, US Hispanic & Latin America, ZEEL said, “Showcasing a sensational foreign film genre that is feverishly adored by more than a billion fans, Zee Mundo will premiere global blockbusters and feature the biggest worldwide stars the Americas have yet to fully discover. After successfully capturing the US Spanish market, we will be expanding over the next few months, into other LATAM markets including Mexico, Argentina, Colombia, Peru and Chile. Zee Mundo is available on DISH Latino, the first of several planned distribution deals in the US Hispanic market, which will eventually take the channel to other LATAM countries as well.”

     

  • A dedicated Bollywood movie channel specially adapted for the German market

    Germany gets a taste of Bollywood with Zee.One

    By A Correspondent

     

    India’s leading media conglomerate, Zee Entertainment Enterprises Limited (ZEEL)  announced the launch of Zee.One, its dedicated Bollywood movie channel for the German market. The channel was launched in Germany by Punit Goenka, MD & CEO, ZEEL, Amit Goenka, CEO - International Broadcast Business, ZEEL,  Friederike Behrends, CEO – Asia TV GmbH (Zee TV) and international Bollywood Superstar, Shah Rukh Khan.

     

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

     

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

     

    Friederike Behrends, CEO – Asia TV GmbH German speaking countries (Zee TV) said: “From today, the German TV landscape will be enriched by a unique, new channel, Zee.One. We want to entertain our viewers with the best of films, series, and music daily, making Zee.One a channel for all the senses!”

     

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

     

  • Become the first Indians to receive this coveted award

    ZEEL’s Punit and Amit Goenka conferred the Medaille d’Honneur’

    By A Correspondent

     

    Punit Goenka and Amit Goenka, leaders of Zee Entertainment Enterprises Limited (ZEEL) have received the highest television honor at MIPTV — the Médaille d’Honneur Award. The award recognizes executives who have made an exceptional contribution to the international television business and who, through their talent, leadership and passion, continually drive the global TV industry forward. This is the first time any Indian broadcast executive has received the prestigious award. The awards were presented in Cannes, France at the Carlton Hotel during a black-tie gala, held last week. Amit Goenka, CEO – International Broadcast Business, ZEEL accepted the award from Paul Zilk, Reed MIDEM’s Chief Executive on behalf of both.

     

    ‘’The MIPTV Médaille d’Honneur is presented to industry leaders who have had a real impact on the international television business. Punit and Amit have taken Zee Entertainment Enterprises Limited worldwide, with ZEE channels now reaching a global audience of almost one billion viewers. Their vision for making ZEE one of the world’s leading global media conglomerates by 2020 is truly exciting and I hope MIPTV and MIPCOM help them achieve their goals,” said Paul Zilk, Reed MIDEM’s Chief Executive.

     

    Punit Goenka, MD & CEO, Zee Entertainment Enterprises Limited) said: “We thank Reed Midem for this honor. We wouldn’t have been able to achieve this level of success without the continuous support and commitment of all our stakeholders that comprise the ZEE family. The Indian Media & Entertainment industry is going through a period of enormous change, boosted by key technology advancements and a conducive environment. As the industry witnesses a wave of digital disruption, we at ZEE are ready to lead the next phase of growth. Being content focused, we have diversified into new areas of content such as movie production, music publishing and theatre production.”

     

    Amit Goenka, CEO-International Broadcast Business, ZEEL said: “ZEE is a major player on the global television landscape and we are honored to be recognized as the first Indian broadcaster to receive this prominent award. Today, we have gone beyond the South-Asian diaspora and are reaching out to local viewers globally. As a company our aim is to continually bring ZEE content to new audiences. Going ahead, we are focusing on Germany, APAC, Africa, Latin America, and the Middle East as key markets for expansion.”

     

    This year’s fellow awardees are: Ms. Rola Bauer, Managing Director, STUDIOCANAL TV GmbH, Germany; Mr. Ben Pyne, President Global Distribution – Disney Media Networks, USA; and Mr. Marcel Vinay, President, Comarex, Mexico.

     

  • Launches 'Zee Sine', a dedicated Bollywood movie channel

    Zee Entertainment enters Philippines

    By A Correspondent

     

    After unveiling two Bollywood channels in the APAC region, namely Zee Bioskop in Indonesia and Zee Nung in Thailand, Zee Entertainment Enterprises Limited (ZEEL) has announced foray into Philippines with its third movie channel.

     

    Amit Goenka

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

     

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

     

    Sushruta Samanta

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

     

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

     

    Maria Liza

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

     

  • A Media Sales House for the APAC region

    Zee unveils media sales arm ATL Media APAC

    By A Correspondent

     

    The APAC region of Zee Entertainment Enterprises Limited (ZEEL) announced the launch of ‘ATL Media APAC’, a new division that will represent varied Indian and South Asian Media businesses in the region for advertising sales. ‘ATL Media APAC’ will work with both mainstream and retail clients targeting the South Asian population in the key markets across the region. A similar model is currently operational in the MENAP region where ZEE has tied up with several channels including Geo TV, Imagine Movies, Cartoon Network apart from its own portfolio of ZEE channels.

     

    Amit Goenka

    Commenting on this new division, Amit Goenka, CEO, International Broadcast Business, ZEEL said, “Our APAC business is on a fast track and ATL Media APAC will help us to consolidate and add new clients into the segment. We believe this initiative will be beneficial in helping us grow the overall Ad Sales pie for the South Asia channels.”

     

     

    Sushruta Samanta

    Revealing further details on ATL Media APAC, Sushruta Samanta, Business Head – APAC said, “The new unit will be led by Ms Deepali Gupta, Revenue Head, ATL Media APAC, who has more than 13 years of experience in advertising sales across media in India and APAC markets. I strongly believe that Deepali, whose new role is effective immediately, is the ideal candidate to lead this new division”.

     

    ZEE’s APAC’s region currently distributes eleven South Asian channels in the region targeting the diaspora population, apart from five localized channels for the local mainstream viewers. ZEE has an existing sales network across key APAC markets including Singapore, Bangkok, Kuala Lumpur, Sydney & Jakarta.

     

    Deepali Gupta

    Deepali Gupta, who is based out of ZEE’s Singapore office added, “The decision to launch this new division stems from the need to address the growing market fragmentation in the ethnic media space. The new service is a one stop shop for all media solutions which will help clients achieve significant results for their marketing campaigns and at best prices. We have already initiated discussions with other leading networks across media to represent them.”

     

    ATL Media APAC will represent media businesses including TV, Radio, Print and Digital in the region.

     

  • To bring the best of Bollywood films, entertainment and general interest programmes to Germany

    ZEEL enters Germany; to launch free-to-air channel by mid-2016

    By A Correspondent

     

    Zee Entertainment Enterprises Limited (ZEEL) has announced its foray into Germany. The company also shared its plans to launch a free-to-air television channel for this market by mid-2016. This FTA channel will offer high-quality Bollywood films produced by the Indian film industry as well as popular Indian television series to German screens, 24-hours a day. The new channel´s core target group will be females between the ages of 19 and 59. The channel is planned to be available on the most important satellite and cable platforms. Friederike Behrends will be responsible for business operations in the German-speaking area.

     

    Amit Goenka

    Amit Goenka, CEO-International Broadcast Business, ZEEL said: “Our foray into Germany is a major step as part of our international expansion strategy. The objective is to establish a lasting presence and grow in the German television market. With our highest levels of entertainment and new content, we are confident of being able to offer our German viewers an attractive enrichment to the existing range of television offerings.”

     

     

    Neeraj Dhingra

    Neeraj Dhingra, CEO Europe at Asia TV Ltd. (Zee TV) said: “The launch of the channel will signify ZEEL´s entry into one of the world´s most important television markets, in which the Bollywood genre is still barely represented as yet. With 210,000 hours of programming and more than 3,500 film titles, our endeavor is to delight the German audiences with Indian content.”

     

    “We also welcome Friederike to the ZEE family. She brings with her a rich experience and in-depth knowledge of Media, Broadcasting and TV content. Her extensive international and national industry expertise will help us not only to cement our presence in the German market, but take it to greater heights;” Dhingra added.

     

    Friederike Behrends

    Until recently, Friederike Behrends was the Senior Strategy Advisor for the international streaming provider Magine, being responsible for its German market entry in 2014. From 2008 to 2012, she was Managing Director of WDR media group digital GmbH and the full-service internet agency web COLONY in Cologne.