Entertainment Inc.
FROM A TO ZEE
From Antakshari, Tara and Hum Paanch in the 1990s to Sa Re Ga Ma Pa Lil Champs and Kumkum Bhagya now, Zee TV, India’s first Hindi satellite channel in the general entertainment category, has kept Indians glued to the small screen with its slate of shows across genres. Apart from Zee TV, the company, Zee Entertainment Enterprises Ltd, runs 31 channels in India and broadcasts in 172 countries, drawing over a billion viewers. From introducing Bollywood to the talent of singer Shreya Ghoshal, who won the sixth edition of Sa Re Ga Ma Pa (1995 onwards), to making viewers aware of a range of new dance
forms through Dance India Dance (2009 onwards), Zee TV has been instrumental in giving opportunities to individuals with varied skills.
THE FOUNDATION
With the opening up of the Indian economy in the 1990s came the era of satellite television and rapid growth of the media and entertainment industry. One of the earliest to enter the field was businessman Subhash Chandra. He established Zee Telefilms Ltd, under which Zee TV was launched. Three years later, it made its international debut in the United Kingdom. Initially, Chandra partnered with the STAR group. Soon, Rupert Murdoch’s News Corp Ltd acquired the rights to distribute Star TV’s content. With News Corp as its partner, Zee founded Siticable in 1995. In March 2000, Zee bought News Corp’s stake in the broadcasting business and Siticable.