Zee TV
Template:Short description Template:Use Indian English Template:Use dmy dates Template:Infobox television channel
ZEE TV, also known as Z TV, is an Indian Hindi language general entertainment pay television channel owned by Zee Entertainment Enterprises. It was launched on 1 October 1992 as the oldest privately owned television channel in India.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> It now broadcasts worldwide.<ref>https://www.zee.com/in-the-news/zee-tv-celebrates-completion-of-its-20-years-with-you/</ref>
History
In 1991, Li Ka-shing started his STAR satellite television network. At the end of the year, Subhash Chandra of the Essel Group finished a round of negotiations with HutchVision, after a series of rejections, and the condition that Chandra would pay US$5 million a year for the satellite transponder. Li signed the deal in India a few months later and approached interested companies, but nobody was interested in paying the transponder fees. Chandra was the last possible man to sign the contract, by gathering money from his non-resident Indian friends and in the creation of a holding company for the channel, Asia Today.<ref name=":0">Template:Cite web</ref>
Zee TV was launched on 2 October 1992,<ref name=":2">Template:Cite web</ref> as the flagship channel of the Zee Telefilms Ltd.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> The channel initially broadcast three hours a day, with its output consisting mainly of old Hindi movies and reruns of Doordarshan serials. The channel's initial manager was a Doordarshan news reporter who was on leave from his employer.<ref name="mint">Template:Cite web</ref> Three months later, the airtime had doubled to six hours.<ref name=":0"/>
Within less than a month after its launch, Zee TV was being criticised for its programming lineup; a cynic reviewed the network giving "A for effort" and "Z(ee) for quality",<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> while others within the network called it an "upbeat clone of Doordarshan". To offset such negative criticism, Zee TV began producing more original content,<ref name="mint"/> opting to create its own pool of producers to reduce reliance on Doordarshan staff.<ref name=":0"/>
Zee TV rejected a 1993 bid to broadcast Sun TV during the afternoons, forcing Sun TV to negotiate with competitor ATN instead.<ref name="kalanithi">Template:Cite web</ref>
It began full-day broadcasts in 1993.<ref name=":0"/> After Rupert Murdoch's buyout of Star TV, Zee TV faced some uncertainties about its future; nonetheless, Zee TV had gained rural audiences by November 1993. On 22 December 1993, Murdoch was planning to buy a 49.9% equity stake in the channel's owner, Hong Kong–based, British Virgin Islands-registered Asia Today.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> By year-end 1995, Zee TV already had three channels, the other two being Zee Cinema, a Bollywood channel, and EL TV, which broadcast in English and regional languages. Numerous competitors had also emerged around this time.<ref name="mint"/> 11 million households were receiving the channel.<ref name=":0"/>
Zee TV lost its leadership to Star Plus, which took over its role after Murdoch sold his stake in Asia Today.<ref name=":0"/>
A new logo, an aqua blue Z, was unveiled in June 2011.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
In 2013, Zee TV, along with its sister channels, underwent a branding overhaul.<ref name=":1">Template:Cite news</ref>
On 15 October 2017, coinciding with Zee's 25-year silver jubilee, all of its channels were rebranded, with the main channel adopting its current slogan, Aaj Likhenge Kal.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
On 30 May 2021, Zee TV planned to revamp its look and air four new television series, but because of the COVID-19 pandemic in India, the idea was postponed and thereafter scrapped.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
Zee TV unveiled a new logo on 8 June 2025, with its coverage of the 2025 Zee Cine Awards. The new logo features a Z mark, while the channel adopted a new slogan, Yours Tuuly, Z.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> The new logo was heavily criticized by netizens, seeing it as a downgrade or similar to the JioHotstar logo.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
Programming
Template:Main The channel mostly airs content intended for family and coming-of-age audiences ranging from comedy to drama.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> It also aired reality shows such as Sa Re Ga Ma Pa,<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> I Can Do That,<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> India's Best Cinestars Ki Khoj <ref>Template:Cite web</ref> and Dance India Dance.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
Zee Rishtey Awards
Since 2007, the channel has presented an annual award show, the Zee Rishtey Awards, to performers on its show based on popularity.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Nominations for the awards are declared by the channel. The winners are selected through voting done via online and through SMS.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
International versions
Europe
The European version of Zee TV traces its origins to TV Asia, which was set up by non-resident Indian and Pakistani immigrants in the United Kingdom and started broadcasting in July 1992. It was the first channel in Europe targeting Indian, Pakistani, and Bangladeshi immigrants. It launched in France in 1993. By 1994, the channel was facing financial difficulties, forcing Zee TV to take over the channel in March 1995. The channel also had local community programming as well as content targeting viewers of different religions (Hinduism, Sikhism, and Islam).<ref>Template:Cite book</ref>
The network produced special programmes for the 1997 United Kingdom general election, the first with candidates of South Asian origin.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
Three of its sister channels were removed from linear television in the UK on 1 June 2019, as part of a decision taken to implement the ZEE5 platform in Europe, leaving only Zee TV and Zee Cinema.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> An HD feed existed until 2019; it resumed on 13 January 2022.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> Its advertising sales are handled by Sky Media.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
Asia
The channel launched in Singapore on 11 September 1995, as the first Hindi channel on Singapore Cable Vision.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
Africa
The channel launched in 1997 and is available with English subtitles on DStv.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
Americas
Zee TV launch in the US in July 1998.<ref>https://www.nexttv.com/news/indias-zee-tv-sees-strong-us-growth-153965</ref> Zee TV Americas started producing reality content in English in 2017; Made in America premiered in October 2017.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
See also
References
Text was copied from Zindagi at Logopedia, which is released under a Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0 (Unported) (CC-BY-SA 3.0) license.
External links
- Text was copied from Zindagi at Logopedia, which is released under a Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0 (Unported) (CC-BY-SA 3.0) license.
- Template:Official website
- Foreign television channels broadcasting in the United Kingdom
- Hindi-language television channels in India
- Hindi-language YouTube channels
- Television channels and stations established in 1992
- Television stations in Mumbai
- Hindi-language television stations
- Zee Entertainment Enterprises
- Television stations in South Africa
- 1992 establishments in Maharashtra