The National Company Law Tribunal (NCLT) has reserved its order on the merger of Zee Entertainment Enterprises and with Culver Max Entertainment (earlier known as Sony Pictures Networks India). The Mumbai bench of NCLT, comprising H V Subba Rao and Madhu Sinha, reserved the order on Monday, after hearing arguments from creditors who objected to the scheme including Axis Finance, JC Flower Asset Reconstruction Co, IDBI Bank, Imax Corp and IDBI Trusteeship. In December 2021, Zee Entertainment and Sony Pictures had agreed to merge their businesses.
The CCI has asked the companies to explain within 30 days why an investigation should not be ordered.
Zee Entertainment on Friday said it has "pruned" its Technology and Innovation Centre (TIC) by about 50 per cent following the guidance of a special committee, which had conducted a critical assessment of its several business verticals. The MD & CEO has pruned TIC staff strength by 50 per cent to achieve a cost-effective structure, a Bengaluru-based business vertical of the company that offers technology solutions, Zee Entertainment Enterprises Ltd (ZEEL) said in an official statement.
ZEE Entertainment Enterprises Ltd on Friday said its MD & CEO Punit Goenka has initiated a process of rationalisation of workforce by 15 per cent to prune staff strength across the company. In a regulatory filing, ZEE Entertainment Enterprises Ltd (ZEEL) said Goenka has proposed a lean organisation structure to the board with a lateral structure while identifying broadcast, digital, movies and music as core business units. "In line with his overall strategic approach, the MD & CEO has initiated the process of rationalisation of the workforce by 15 per cent, that will prune the staff strength across the company to arrive at a streamlined team that is sharply focused on the set goals for the future," the company said.
Zee Entertainment Enterprises Ltd on Wednesday said Culver Max Entertainment, formerly known as Sony Pictures Networks India, has agreed to discuss extending the date required to make their merger scheme effective, a day ahead of the deadline. A day after Sony Pictures Networks India (SPNI) stated that it has not yet agreed to a deadline extension requested by Zee Entertainment Enterprises Ltd (ZEEL) for their proposed $10-billion merger, the Subhash Chandra family-promoted media firm said it has received a communication from Sony group for discussing an extension of the deal which was announced almost two years ago.
Courts should not grant ex-parte injunctions against publication of a news article barring in exceptional cases as it may have severe ramifications for the right to freedom of speech of the author and the public's right to know, the Supreme Court has said.
Madhabi Puri Buch, the first female chairperson of Sebi, doesn't plan to rest on her laurels in her third and final year in office and has set out an ambitious goal, such as moving towards a same-day and instantaneous settlement cycle for the secondary market.
Disney Star is mulling legal actions against Zee Entertainment for backing out from a $1.4 billion sub-licensing agreement for TV broadcast of international cricket matches in India, according to industry sources. This could brew another legal trouble for Zee Entertainment Enterprises Ltd (ZEEL), which is already facing an arbitration plea by Sony Group at the Singapore International Arbitration Centre, claiming $90 million for breach of conditions of their merger agreement. Disney Star, an Indian subsidiary of media conglomerate The Walt Disney Company, is working on its strategy over the development, said industry sources.
The National Company Law Appellate Tribunal (NCLAT) has set aside the order of NCLT directing bourses NSE and BSE to reconsider their approval for the Zee-Sony merger. A two-member NCLAT bench has asked NCLT to consider the merger of Zee Entertainment with Culver Max Entertainment (earlier known as Sony Pictures Networks India) afresh, after hearing all the parties. The appellate tribunal order came on hearing the appeal filed by Zee Entertainment Enterprises Limited (ZEEL) against the order passed by the Mumbai bench of the National Company Law Tribunal (NCLT) on May 11, 2023.
Shares of Zee Entertainment Enterprises Ltd (ZEEL) tumbled 12 per cent in the mid-session trade on Wednesday amid reports of capital market regulator Sebi has unearthed a financial discrepancy exceeding USD 241 million (nearly Rs 2,000 crore) in the accounts of the company. The stock of the company nosedived 11.58 per cent to Rs 170.65 apiece on the BSE. ZEEL shares plunged 11.39 per cent to Rs 170.70 per piece on the NSE.
Shares of Avenue Supermarts (DMart) have rallied 15 per cent in the past month, even as the benchmark National Stock Exchange Nifty has remained flat. The stock has garnered favourable commentary from both fundamental and technical analysts after three years of poor performance. "DMart has reached its first 52-week high since October 2021, taking off from solid base formations.
The National Company Law Tribunal (NCLT) on Tuesday admitted a fresh petition filed by a Zee Entertainment Enterprises Ltd shareholder seeking enforcement of the now-cancelled merger deal between ZEEL and Sony. The Mumbai bench of NCLT also directed Sony Pictures Network India, now known as Culver Max, to file a reply within three weeks and fixed the next date of hearing on March 12. On January 21, Sony Group Corp (SGC), the Japanese parent company of Sony Picture Network India (SPNI) and BEPL, announced the termination of the $10 billion merger agreement with ZEEL, while seeking $90 million for breach of conditions besides initiating arbitration.
Culver Max Entertainment, formerly known as Sony Pictures Networks India (SPNI), has terminated merger agreements with Zee Entertainment, which could have otherwise created a USD 10 billion media enterprise in the country.
While about 8,000 people are in the long list of invitees, the select list features just a few hundred people, including prominent politicians, leading industrialists, top film stars, sportspersons, bureaucrats and diplomats.
Mukesh Ambani-owned Reliance Industries (RIL) is in discussions to acquire a 29.8 per cent stake in Tata Play from the Walt Disney Company, according to sources close to the development. This move is seen as part of RIL's broader strategy to deepen its footprint in India's television distribution sector. Tata Sons, the holding company of the Tata group, currently holds a 50.2 per cent stake in the satellite television broadcaster.
The mystery surrounding the alleged fund diversion from Zee Entertainment Enterprises (Zee) by founders Subhash Chandra and Punit Goenka has thickened with speculations of an amount multiple times higher than that cited by the ex-parte interim order passed by the Securities and Exchange Board of India (Sebi) dated June 12, 2023. While Zee shares witnessed a fresh selloff on Wednesday, news reports of accounting fraud left investors guessing about the hole in the media broadcaster's books. An order by the Securities Appellate Tribunal (SAT) in October 2023 had clearly hinted that Sebi's investigation had found a deeper rout.
The merger of ZEE Entertainment and Sony has reached an advanced stage of completion, and the issues faced by promoters with Sebi should not become a problem for the company, debarred ZEEL MD Punit Goenka has said in a letter to employees, according to sources. Goenka, who along with his father Subhas Chandra, was denied any interim relief against a Sebi order that barred them from holding the position of director or key managerial post in any listed company, in the letter ZEE Entertainment Enterprises Ltd (ZEEL) staff asserted that the merger of Culver Max (earlier known as Sony Pictures Networks India) is at a very important juncture. With the Securities Appellate Tribunal (SAT) restricting him from holding a directorial or key managerial position in a listed company, Goenka told the employees that the ZEEL board has constituted an interim committee of senior executives to ensure smooth operations and day-to-day functioning.
Zee Entertainment Enterprises Ltd (ZEEL) is seeking rapprochement with Sony Group as it makes a last-ditch effort to resurrect a $10 billion merger, according to industry sources. After the Japanese multinational firm pulled the plug on its $10 billion merger deal in January, the Indian company reached out again to Sony to reconsider the termination and offered for talks this month, a source said. On the other hand, Sony is understood to be evaluating the proposal from Zee.
Days before Sony Group pulled the plug on the $10 billion deal, Zee group founder Subhash Chandra had written to Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, blaming Sebi for trying to "scuttle" the merger of its flagship media firm Zee Entertainment Enterprise with the Japanese firm and subsequent investment in the merged entity. Alleging market regulator Sebi is "acting with a predetermined mind", the Zee group patriarch requested the finance minister to take the necessary steps "to safeguard the interest of the minority shareholders of Zee". Chandra in his letter dated January 16, seen by PTI, said Zee and all other people have been cooperating in the investigation related to the alleged fund diversion by promoters and expressed concern over a new notice issued by the market regulator to former directors of Zee.
The Mumbai bench of the National Company Law Tribunal (NCLT) on Wednesday directed Zee Entertainment to convene a shareholders' meet on October 14 for approving the merger with Culver Max Entertainment (formerly Sony Pictures Network). The order, passed on August 24, but uploaded to the bourses on Wednesday, comes close on the heels of the Competition Commission of India (CCI)'s observation that the $10-billion merger could hurt competition and that greater scrutiny of the deal was needed. "This Tribunal hereby directs that a meeting of the equity shareholders of the applicant company (Zee) be convened and held on Friday, October 14, 2022 at 4 p.m. for the purpose of considering, and if thought fit, approving the proposed scheme," the NCLT order read.
IDBI Bank has moved the National Company Law Tribunal (NCLT) against Zee Entertainment Enterprises Ltd (ZEEL) seeking an insolvency proceeding against the media firm to recover dues of Rs 149.60 crore. IDBI Bank has claimed an amount of Rs 149.60 crore, which has been disputed by ZEEL, said a regulatory update from the media major. IDBI Bank has filed an application under section 7 of the Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code, 2016, claiming to be a financial creditor, before NCLT for initiation of Corporate Insolvency Resolution Process against the company, it added.
The National Company Law Tribunal has admitted an Indusind Bank plea for insolvency proceedings against Zee Entertainment Enterprises Limited (ZEEL). The division bench of judicial member H V Subba Rao and technical member Madhu Sinha on Wednesday also appointed Sanjeev Kumar Jalan as the resolution professional in the matter. The matter pertains to a default of Rs 89 crore by Zee Group's multisystem operator arm Siti Networks claimed by Indusind Bank, for which ZEEL was a guarantor.
Notwithstanding record revenues in certain media sectors like film exhibition in the July-September quarter (second quarter, or Q2), the operational performance of the broadcasting business remained subdued. Zee Entertainment Enterprises and Sun TV are expected to experience a year-on-year (Y-o-Y) decline in advertising (ad) revenues during this period. Conversely, box office (BO) collections are anticipated to exceed Rs 3,000 crore in the quarter, propelled by a series of successful movie releases.
Investment firm Invesco Developing Markets Fund, the largest shareholder in Zee Entertainment Enterprises, on Thursday said it will support the Zee-Sony merger deal and has decided not to pursue the call for ZEEL EGM to remove managing director and CEO Punit Goenka and two independent directors. The company said it will support the merger of Zee and Sony, contending the "deal in its current form has great potential for Zee shareholders" but added if it is not completed as currently proposed, Invesco retains the right to requisition a fresh EGM. Two days after the Bombay high court ruled that Invesco's call for EGM was legally valid, the investment firm in a statement said, "Since we announced our intention to requisition an EGM and add six independent directors to Zee's Board of Directors, Zee has entered into a merger agreement with Sony.
The Zee saga will see a long-drawn-out court battle before shareholders get any chance to vote on any proposal by the management or Invesco, says Prosenjit Datta.
In the continuing battle between the promoter family and Invesco, ZEEL said its MD and CEO Punit Goenka has informed its board about a proposal made by Invesco about the merger, under which Strategic Group would hold majority stake but he was offered to be appointed as MD and CEO of the merged entity besides offering 4 per cent stake. In a regulatory filing, ZEEL alleged that Invesco's stance in their Open Letter that they "will firmly oppose any strategic deal structure that unfairly rewards select shareholders, such as the promoter family, at the expense of ordinary shareholders" runs contrary to the very deal Invesco was proposing itself a few months ago.
Zee Entertainment Enterprises Ltd on Wednesday approached the National Company Law Appellate Tribunal (NCLAT) against the requisition of minority shareholders Invesco and OFI Global China Fund to convene an Extraordinary General Meeting (EGM) to discuss various issues, including removal of managing director Punit Goenka. The media major has challenged the orders of Mumbai-bench of the National Company Law Tribunal, which had on Tuesday directed Zee Entertainment Enterprises Ltd (ZEEL) to filed reply over the petition filed by its minority shareholders by October 7 (Thursday), the next date of hearing. Confirming the development, a ZEEL Spokesperson said: "The company has moved NCLAT in accordance with the due process available under the law."
The Competition Commission of India on Tuesday approved with certain conditions the mega-merger deal between media groups Sony and Zee. In a tweet, the watchdog said it has cleared the deal with certain modifications. The proposed merger was announced in September last year. CCI said it has approved the "amalgamation of Zee Entertainment Enterprises Limited (ZEE) and Bangla Entertainment Private Limited (BEPL) with Culver Max Entertainment Private Limited (CME), with certain modifications".
Zee Entertainment last week witnessed shareholder activism that saw an open call for the ouster of promoters and the incumbent management led by Punit Goenka. Besides, Dish TV also faced a similar call earlier this month. The trouble at Zee Entertainment can be gauged from the fact that this is a unique company wherein the promoters own just 3.99 per cent, but fully control the firm.
Two investment firms, together accounting for 17.88 per cent of the paid-up share capital of Zee Entertainment Enterprise Ltd (ZEEL), have sought the removal of the current managing director Punit Goenka from the board of the company. The two investment firms are -- Invesco Developing Markets Fund (formerly Invesco Oppenheimer Developing Markets Fund) and OFI Global China Fund LLC, the largest shareholder of ZEEL. The two firms have called an extraordinary general meeting of shareholders seeking to remove Punit Goenka.
Assume Voot, JioCinema and Disney+ Hotstar are merged into one entertainment app, and you have a streaming service with more than 233 million unique visitors. That is a reach just under half of India's largest streaming app: YouTube. 'This level of consolidation does not exist even in the US.'
Markets regulator Sebi on Monday barred Essel Group chairman Subhash Chandra and Zee Entertainment Enterprises Ltd (ZEEL) MD and CEO Punit Goenka from holding the position of a director or key managerial personnel in any listed company for siphoning off funds of the media firm. The case pertains to Chandra, who was also the chairman of ZEEL during the alleged violation, and Goenka having abused their position as directors or KMPs of a listed company for siphoning off funds for their own benefit. In its interim order, Sebi noted that Chandra and Goenka alienated the assets of ZEEL and other listed companies of Essel Group for the benefit of associate entities, which are owned and controlled by them.
Amazon had decided not to participate in the bidding as the company did not find it a viable option for growth in India
In a major relief to media major Zee Entertainment Enterprises Ltd (ZEEL), the National Company Law Appellate Tribunal (NCLAT) on Friday stayed the insolvency proceedings initiated against it earlier this week. Admitting a petition filed by ZEEL Managing Director and chief executive Punit Goenka, the appellate tribunal issued notices to private sector lender IndusInd bank and the interim resolution professional directing them to file a reply in two weeks. NCLAT said the submissions made by both sides need a detailed hearing.
Media major Zee Entertainment Enterprises Ltd (ZEEL) has cancelled its board meeting, scheduled to be held on Wednesday for considering the results for the July-September quarter, due to lack of quorum. In a regulatory filing on Tuesday, ZEEL said, "A meeting of the Board of Directors of the Company, which was scheduled to be held on Wednesday, October 27, 2021, inter alia, to consider and approve the unaudited financial results of the Company both on a standalone and consolidated basis for the 2nd quarter and half year ended September 30, 2021, has been cancelled due to lack of quorum." The development comes at a time when the company is battling it out the single-largest shareholders Invesco Developing Markets Fund (formerly Invesco Oppenheimer Developing Markets Fund) and OFI Global China Fund LLC that together hold 17.88 per cent and have been pressing for an extraordinary general meeting of shareholders for removing managing director Punit Goenka, besides opposing ZEEL's proposed merger deal with Pictures Network India (SPNI).
Plenty of room for all three formats to flourish, says Sehwag
We must stop stigmatising business failures. Particularly when startups are mushrooming all around, the financial system, backed by the RBI and the government, can explore ways of extending support to restart the journey of a failed entrepreneur by finance as well as counselling, recommends Tamal Bandyopadhyay.
The Indian equity market has been dancing to the tune of foreign portfolio investors (FPIs) for more than two decades now. Typically, when FPIs are net-buyers on Dalal Street (D-Street) and raise their ownership of Indian equities, the broader market rallies. Conversely, when FPIs turn net-sellers, the stock prices decline. FPIs have been net-sellers on D-Street for five quarters on the trot and the result has been predictable.
The Bombay high court on Tuesday granted an interim injunction against Zee Entertainment Enterprise Ltd's (ZEEL) largest shareholder Invesco, restraining the latter from going ahead with the requisition of an extraordinary general meeting (EGM) seeking removal of the ZEEL MD and CEO Punit Goenka. A single bench presided over by Justice Gautam Patel said, "I have granted an injunction to the respondents." A detailed order of the court is awaited.
IndusInd Bank had moved NCLT claiming default of Rs 83.08 crore against the media & entertainment firm. The petition, to initiate insolvency proceedings against ZEEL, has been filed under section 7 of the Insolvency & Bankruptcy Code (IBC).
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