Zee Entertainment Enterprises Ltd Company History

The Company was incorporated on 25th November, and it obtained the Certificate of Commencement of Business on 5th January 1983 as Empire Holdings Ltd. in the state of Maharashtra. It was promoted by the Essel group of companies, comprising Sanjay Badgamia, Vasant Parekh and Ashok Kothari. The main object of the company the business of

entertainment software.

It entered into the business of entertainment software and subsequently the name was changed to ZEE Telefilms Ltd. The Company co-promoted Essel Packaging Ltd. the partnership company of the Essel group in 1982.

The Company produces/develops Hindi films, serials, game shows, children programmes etc. The Company would also commission serials, game shows etc., through directors/producers on contract basis, purchase rights of Hindi films, serials and other programmes from the producers for a predetermined period.

70 No. of Equity shares subscribed for by signatories to the Memorandum of Association. 2,47,930 No. of equity shares of Rs 10 each were then issued at par of which 97,930 shares reserved for allotment to directors, their relatives etc. Balance 1,50,000 shares issued to public on 25th February 1986. 4,96,000 shares offered in rights basis in proportion 2:1.

ASSPL became a wholly owned subsidiary of the Company. During the year, the Company entered into an agreement with the Mauritus Broadcasting Corporation for supply of programme software to ZEE TV.

During August, the Company issued 89,28,000 rights equity shares of Rs 10 each at a premium of Rs 20 per share in proportion 12:1. Another 90,00,000 shares were offered at a premium of Rs 20 per share through a prospectus as follows: 9,00,000 shares and 27,00,000 shares reserved for allotment to FIIs and NRIs (repatriation basis) respectively. Only 21,90,300 shares taken up by NRIs. Of the balance 10,000 shares reserved for allotment on preferential basis to employees (only 4,100 shares taken up). Remaining 45,90,000 shares along with 5,15,600

shares not taken up were issued to the public (of these 4,98,000 shares taken up by FIIs and 17,600 shares by public).

The Company promoted Siti Cable Venture for provision of integrated cable network facility to individual cable operators on a city by city basis and function as a city TV station.

The Company also proposed to develop Pay TV industry and with this in view is jointly promoting Zee Cinema, the first Hindi movie Pay TV Channel along with the News Corp Group.

The Company alongwith Newscorp promoted another company viz. Programme Asia Trading Company Private Ltd. (PATCO) for programme supplies to EL TV and Zee Cinema Channel.

Asia Today Ltd. and Zee Telefilms Ltd. entered into a sale and purchase agreement for production, procurement and provision of Hindustani entertainment software from India and export the same to Hongkong for transmitting such software on ZEE TV Channel.

As per the agreement entered into between ASSPL & ATL the former has been approached as a sole canvassing agent for booking and selling advertisement slots or time slots throughtout India directly or through advertising agencies for relaying on the Zee TV.

4,00,000 Redeemable Cumulative Non-Convertible Pref. share issued during the year.

Pref. shares redeemed during the year.

3,00,000 pref. shares issued.

Walt Disney animation films will be telecast every day for two hours on Zee TV from February 1 following an agreement reached between Buena Vista Television India and Zee.

In order to bring the first of its kind `Zee Cine Awards' to millions of TV viewers across the globe, the Zee Network has tied up with the 150-year old world audit major, Price Waterhouse (which incidentally is the auditing firm for the Oscar awards also) and the market research

firm Gallup MBA.

A Letter of intent was signed on 14.04.98 between Zee Network and EchoStar Communications Corp, to launch Zee's Hindi family entertainment channel on EchoStar's direct-to-home (DTH) satellite services for television audiences in the US.

The Zee Network, which runs the Zee family of channels, is foraying into the print media with the launch of a film magazine christened Cine Zee. The magazine will be launched in August.

Zee has also signed an agreement with Deutsche Telecom for beaming in Germany. It is also negotiating with leading cable companies in Sweden.

Subhash Chandra-promoted Zee Telefilms (ZTL) and the holding company for the Zee Network, Asia Today Ltd (ATL) may be merged.

Equity shares and convertible debentures of Zee Telefilms Limited can now be purchased up to 30 per cent of its total paid-up equity capital subject to certain conditions.

Apart from the three Star India channels - Star News, Star Plus and Star Movies - Asia Today Ltd (ATL), the 50:50 joint venture between Chandra and Murdoch; Siticable, the 50:50 joint venture between Zee Telefilms and murdoch; and Chandra's Zee Multimedia, which owns the UK, US, African and European Zee channels, will be merged with Zee Telefilms.

Zee TV and Tata Tea Ltd have won the 1997-98 Ficci awards for creativity in visual media and training and placement disabled persons respectively.

Siti Cable and Zee Telefilms Ltd (ZTL) have merged their operations. Siti Cable is a 50:50 joint venture between Subhash `Zee TV' Chandra's Essel group and Rupert Murdoch who controls Star TV.

Zee Telefilms will launch its cable Internet services in 4-6 months through its sister concern SitiCable. The company will provide unlimited Internet access (24 hours) over cable and will not charge its customers for Net-surfing.

As part of its expansion plans, ZTL will increase its authorised capital from Rs 50 to Rs 75 crore.

Zee Telefilms Ltd (ZTL) shareholders approved an increase in the company's authorized share capital from Rs 50 crore to Rs 75 crore to safeguard itself from any fund shortfall required for the ambitious projects envisaged in the face of technological convergence.

Subhash Chandra-promoted Zee Telefilms Ltd (ZTL) has tied up with French major Canal Plus for its proposed digital TV service, a precursor to a KU-band direct-to-home (DTH) service.

ZEE TV will launch three new channels in Europe and start broadcasts in eight regional languages in India during an action-packed six months expansion programme.

Zee Telefilms Limited (ZTL) will soon launch three English language channels, including a news channel called the Asian News Network, thus taking head-on its partner-turned-competitor Star TV.

Zee TV upto 1999 has been operating four channels, three of which were being played out of STAR TV facility in Hong Kong on lease basis. With the growth of the network into eleven channels, the launch of the DTO bouquet and the Alpha channels including the English channels, a decision was taken to install a fully owned facility in Singapore which can play-out ten channels. This facility was set up in a record time of three months and has been fully operational since middle of March 2000.

In September 1999, ZTL acquired Zee Multimedia Worldwide Limited (ZMWL). Following this acquisition, all the international operations including the broadcasting business of ZMWL came under ZTL's control. ZTL acquired NewsCorp's 50% stake in Asia Today Limited (ATL),

Siticable, and Programme Asia Trading Company Ltd. and now owns 100% of these businesses. The consideration paid for the acquisition was USD 296.51 million

Zeenext.com, the Internet portal site of the company subsidiary EConnect India Ltd, and mobile Internet firm Unimobile.com that they had tied up to offer zeenext portal contents to wireless communication devices.

Zee Telefilms has emerged as the new market mover on Dalal Street.

Zee Telefilms signed an MoU with Asianet Communication Ltd. for consolidating Zee's entry into the South Indian regional channels.

Zee Telefilms will set up 500 Internet kiosks, named eZee centres, across the country as part of its e-commerce initiatives, senior company.

Zee Telefilms has been awarded the prestigious "Ground Breaker" award as the top national programmer by the US-based trade publication, Multichannel News International.

Media and entertainment major Zee Telefilms has acquired 26 per cent stake in Aplab Ltd, an electronic equipment market.

Zee Telefilms will launch "Basic Education Support Television" in April 2001 - a project aimed at educating the rural India through the television medium.

Zee Telefilms Ltd's American Depository Receipts/American Depository Shares issue worth $1.5 billion.

Zee Telefilms Ltd aims at a 1:1 debt-equity ratio for its Rs. 2,400 crore outlay to set up a fibre-optic and coaxial network across 26 cities in the country.

The Company and TransWorld International have joined their bids for the telecast rights for the cricket World Cup tournaments for 2003 and 2007.

Zee Telefilms subsidiary Zee Publishing has been hived off as a separate company.

Zee Telefilms Ltd will be launching its sports channel, tentatively christened, zee Sports, on 1st October.

Zee Telefilms Ltd. will float a new joint venture company with the Hollywood studio, Metro Gold-wyn Mayer Inc (MGM) to operate a co-branded movie channel exclusively for the South Asian market.

The promoter of the company Mr. Subhash Chandra will launch Zed TV, a education channel on October 12.

Indian media firm Zee Telefilms it has signed a joint venture agreement with an infotech firm to provide direct-to-home broadcast services.

Zee Interactive Learning Systems, a 100 per cent subsidiary of Zee Telefilms, has tied up with three public sectors undertakings and four state governments in the country to provide Web-based training initiatives.

The Company has apppointed three whole-time directors viz. Mr. R.K. Singh, Mr. Deepak Shourie and Mr. Dev Naganad.

The Company has entered into a joint venture tie-up with Sterling Infotech to establish a direct-to-home television services.

Zee Telefilms, proposes to set up a niche alternative lifestyle channel targeted at the non-resident Indian Population, has decided to brand the channel as Chakra.

The Indian Music Industry has joined hands with Zee Telefilms to present year 2000's IMI-Zee Sangeet Awards.

Zee Interactive Multimedia Ltd., a subsidiary of Zee Telefilms, is expanding its operations to 26 cities in the next 12 to 18 months.

Buddha Films, the company that has been working as the Zee group's platform for acquiring sports properties has been de-merged from Zee Telefilms (ZTL) and spun off as a separate, stand-along company.

Former director operations of Videsh Sanchar Nigam Amitabh Kumar has joined Zee Telefilms as vice-president distribution and access infrastructure.

Media baron Subhash Chandra has sold 50 lakh shares in Zee Telefilms (ZTL) to a US-based institutional investor.

The four regional channels that form the Alpha bouquet were launched on the following dates :Alpha Marathi : 15th August, 1999Alpha Bangla : 15th September, 1999Alpha Punjabi : 18th October 1999Alpha Gujarati : 21st March, 2000

In May, 2001, Zee Telefilms has decided to induct a strategic partner, preferably an international media major to strengthen its financial and technical strengths to achieve high growth in the field of convergence. ZTL has converted its flagship Zee TV into a pay channel with effect from 10 June 2001.

Zee Telefilms has come out with Open offer to acquire 23,39,900 fully paid-up equity shares of Rs 10/- each of ETC Networks. It represens 20% of the voting equity share capital at a price of Rs 31.52/- per fully paid up equity share. The issue opens on 3rd Apr. 2002 and closes on

3rd May 2002.

Zee Telefilms Ltd has informed that Zee TV Partners Cartoon Network, Snap Ties with Nickelodeon.

Zee Telefilms took a controlling stake in ETC Networks in June 2002, following a memorandum of understanding (MoU) signed between the two companies in February this year. As per the MoU, Zee was to acquire 57 per cent in ETC in two stages for Rs 25 crore.

Zee News is attempting to give a full perspective of the stories by following them to the core. In this regard, it has launched a new programme, known as Zee Follow Up. The new programme will pick up the loose string of hundreds of stories that once made headlines but somewhere down the line lost their steam. Zee News is attempting to retrace history by keeping the viewers abreast of what had occurred since, the report said.

Decides to persist with its plan of showing Thursday Bollywood blockbusters

Hits upon a new income stream to boost revenues by permitting other international news channels to beam its exclusive footage and programmes for a fee

Delgrada, an overseas corporate body owned by the promoters of ZEE Telefilm, pledges an additional 3.1 crore shares or 7.6% of the equity capital of Zee Telefilms held by it in favour of Credit Suisse First Boston, Singapore

Mumbai High Court stays Zee TV's daily and Sunday lottery draws

Share price slumps to four-year low of Rs 60.15 on 01/04/2003

Zee News starts new programme 'Zee Follow up' through which it is attempting to retrace history by keeping the viewers abreast of what had occurred since

Zee, Turner International expand partnership with 3 new channels wherein Turner will be the advertising sales agent for Zee's English entertainment and lifestyle channels, Zee English, Zee MGM and the recently unveiled Trendz channel

Announces its la carte price list for bundling channels

Govt cancels Zee Telefilms plea for bundling its channels

Promoters' stake in Zee comes down to below 51-pc, stands at 50.5%

Zee News launches a new logo and a new advertising campaign with the baseline 'Haqeeqat Jaisi, Khabar Waisi'

Foreign shareholdings in Zee Telefilms surge to 58%

Promoters of Zee offload 3% shares to FIIs

Zee becomes first to get Ietter of intent for DTH operation in India

Delhi High Court permits Zee TV to telecast 'The Inside Story'

Zee News, Mid Day Multimedia in pact for daily news capsule

Zee, Star landup in a fray over Siticable's HITS project

HLL's advertisements reappear on Zee TV after nearly a gap of one year

Board approved the proposal to commence broadcasting of Zee TV and Zee Cinema channels from India. The company has already obtained permission of ministry of Information & Broadcasting for the same.

Out come of AGM: Delisting of equity shares from Ahmedabad & Delhi Stock Exchange

Appointment of S P Talwar as an Independent Director

High Court restrains overseas firms from using Zee in domain names

Zee Tele forges alliance with Rajashri Pictures

Board approves Corporate Restructuring of Indian and Foreign Subsidiaries

Zee announces launch of new religious channel 'Jagran'

Churu Trading Co. Pvt. Ltd, has purchased 3415518 equity shares of the Company from Livewire Programme Trading Co. Pvt. Ltd.

Zee Telefilms announced the launch of a separate encrypted beam for Singapore

BT Broadcast, ASCEL join hands to offer teleport services to Zee

Zee Telefilms Ltd launches separate sports channel

Zee Tele teams up with IBM Global

Zee Network in alliance with PanGlobal TV

Zee join hands with Malaysia's Astro to launch Hindi channel

Zee TV has announced the launch of an interactive game show Kam Ya Zyaada.

Zee Telefilms acquires 50% stake in Ten Sports

Zee Network launches new channel in Indonesia

Zee to acquire 60 pc stake in Venus Films

Zee Telefilms Ltd has informed that consequent to all approvals having been received the name of the Company, effective from January 10, 2007, has changed to Zee Entertainment Enterprises Ltd.

Zee Entertainment Enterprises Ltd has informed that the Board of Directors, vide a resolution passed by circulation on December 29, 2007, has approved the appointment of Mr. R Vaidyanathan, Professor of Finance and Control at the Indian Institute of Management, Bangalore, as an Additional Director in the category of Independent Director on the Board of the Company with effect from January 01, 2008.

Company name has been changed from Zee Telefilms Ltd to Zee Entertainment Enterprises Ltd.

Zee unleashes new channel in South India

Acquisition of Regional Entertainment Channels from Zee News Ltd

Merger of ETC Networks Ltd with the Company and subsequent Demerger of education business into Zee Learn

Members approves Scheme of Arrangement

Board declares Special Interim Dividend of 200%

Approved the Scheme of Arrangement between the Company, 9X Media Pvt. Ltd. (formerly known as INX Media Pvt. Ltd.) and their respective Shareholder

Zee Entertainment Enterprises has given the Bonus in the Ratio of 1:1

Company introduces new Bangla movie channel

"The board approved a scheme of arrangement between the company and Diligent Media Corporation (DMCL) for demerger of media business undertaking from DMCL and vesting into the company

Zee Entertainment En - RBI approval for FII Investment upto 100% in the Company

The Company has recommended payment of Dividend of Rs. 2.00/- per equity share of Re. 1 each

Zee Entertainment Enterprises Ltd (ZEEL) has launched its entertainment channel Zee Hiburan in Indonesia

Zee Entertainment Enterprises Ltd - Registered Office of the Company has been shifted from Worli, Mumbai 400 018 to Lower Parel, Mumbai 400 013

Zee Entertainment Enterprises has entered into food and lifestyle segment category by introducing its new entertainment channel Living Foodz

ZEE gets board nod for acquisition of Fly By WireInternational Pvt Ltd (FBW).

ZEEL enters Philippines with Bollywood movie channel

Zee may buy Reliance Broadcast for Rs 2,000 crores

Zee acquires 2 TV channels of Reliance Group

Zee Launches Zee Marathi HD, Zee Bangla HD and Zee Talkies HD

Zee Launches Zee Cinemalu -its Telugu movie channel

Zee Entertainment Acquisition of 100% Equity Stake in Fly-By-Wire International Private Limited

Zee Entertainment Acquisition of 100% Equity Stake in 9X Media Private Limited and its subsidiaries and acquisition of balance 26% Equity stake in Zee Turner Limited

Zee Entertainment Enterprises (ZEEL) acquire 80 per cent stake in technology startup Margo Networks for Rs 75 crore.

Zee Entertainment Enterprises Ltd (ZEEL) is acquiring the balance 49 per cent equity stake in its subsidiary India Webportal Pvt Ltd for USD 30.7 million.

ZEE Entertainment acquires US patent for a new digital technology.

ZEE launches online platform for small retail advertisers.

ZEE Entertainment is amongst 'India's Best Companies to Work For - 2019'.

Zee Entertainment launches the Media & Entertainment Industry’s largest Learning & Development program for front line managers.

ZEE expanding regional footprint further with the launch of 4 new regional channels.

Zee5 partners Eduauraa to offer educational content.

ZEE wins 'Best Treasury Transformation' award.

ZEE bags top honours at the Businessworld HR Excellence Awards 2021.

ZEE Entertainment and Disney Star sign strategic licensing agreement for exclusive TV rights of ICC men's events.

ZEE signs Global Media Rights Contract with UAE’s T20 League.

The Company got approval of Competition the amalgamation of Zee Entertainment Enterprises Limited and Bangla Entertainment Private Limited with Culver Max Entertainment Private Limited.