MUMBAI: Zee News Ltd ? which is to be renamed as Zee Media Corp ? is exploring whether it makes sense to merge the Essel group?s print media interests (DNA) with its news broadcasting business. Today, the company filed a notice with the Mumbai stock exchange wherein it has said it has got board approval to fuse its news broadcasting business and its print media interests.

DNA has six editions and according to the IRS Q4-2012 it had an average India readership of close to a million daily. In Mumbai it has been giving other players such as The Times of India and The Hindustan Times a run for their money. Zee News on the other hand is among the top 3 news broadcasters in the country with news and infotainment channels in Hindi, Chhattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh, UP/Uttarakhand, Bengali, Telugu, Marathi, and a business channel in Hindi.

Said Zee News in the statement to the BSE: ?Considering the growth plans of the company and the business synergies in print and electronic news media, the board has approved in-principle combination of ?news publication business? of Diligent Media Corp Ltd - a promoter group entity engaged in printing and publication of English daily ?DNA? and the ?news broadcasting business? of the Company. A committee constituted by the board shall engage / appoint independent professionals to advice on the appropriate structure / manner of combination and its valuation, cost-benefit analysis, procedural and others aspects for consideration by the audit committee and the board in due course.?

When indiantelevision.com contacted Zee News CEO Alok Agrawal, he said even though everything was in a preliminary stage there was an active possibility of a merger fructifying.

MUMBIA: Zee Entertainment Enterprises Limited classic movies channel Zee Classic that has 300 exclusive titles from the 1940?s to the 1970?s will be rolling out the second phase of the ?The Classic Cut? film festival that pays tribute to the greatest films and icons of Indian Cinema.

The channel has partnered with Big 92.7FM, DNA, Dish TV and PVR theatres to reach out and spread awareness about the activity.

After the success of the first edition held in February this year, the channel is back again to carry forward the promise of bringing the magic of the ?Evergreen Age? of Hindi Cinema to its audiences beyond the television screen.
This time around, ?The Classic Cut? Film Festival will re-release four iconic Bollywood movies - Sholay, Karz, Seeta aur Geeta and Deewar in PVR theatres. The movies will be shown in a by invite only event in Mumbai on 21 April and in Delhi on 28 April.

ZEEL Hindi Movie Cluster business head Mohan Gopinath said, "Great stories and great characters are timeless, and at Zee Classic, we?re fortunate to have a treasure trove of both. With ?The Classic Cut? Film Festival we?re thrilled to give audiences of all ages the chance to experience these masterpieces and in the case of younger generations, for the first time on the big screen. True to our word, Zee Classic will re-release Sholay, Karz, Seeta aur Geeta and Deewar on the big screen in Mumbai and Delhi. This is a rare opportunity for all the cinema aficionados to watch cult movies in theatres. The festival will begin in Mumbai and Delhi and will be taken to other towns subsequently. We are also utilizing this opportunity to connect with the loyal viewers of Zee Classic and invite them over to enjoy the extravaganza in Mumbai and Delhi."

MUMBAI: Airing every night at 9 pm in March, Animal Planet?s new series ?Wild Recon? will feature adventurer Donald Schultz, who faces some of the Earth?s mightiest, deadliest and most fascinating creatures in their natural habitats.

It?s one of the most dangerous jobs on the planet, but animal adventurer, adrenaline junkie and venom expert Schultz is willing to risk his own life to do it. Whether harvesting venom from the fangs of deadly black mamba in South Africa, collecting deadly jelly fish tentacles off the remote coasts of Papua New Guinea, or bringing down a 400-pound wild African lion to get a blood sample, Donald is fearless in the worldwide pursuit of bio-specimens for research and potential new scientific discoveries.While other children were out playing soccer, nine-year-old Schultz was busy catching and handling the deadliest snakes on the planet.

He is willing to do a job no one else dares. With support from veterinarians and animal researchers, he travels to remote and jeopardous locales to collect venom and rare DNA critical to cataloguing species and research that will one day save countless lives.

Whether harvesting venom from deadly black mambas in Mozambique, collecting lethal jellyfish tentacles off the remote coasts of Australia, chasing and relocating charging elephants in Sri Lanka, or bringing down a 600-pound wild African lion to get a blood sample in South Africa, Donald is fearless in the worldwide pursuit of bio-specimens for research and potential new scientific discoveries that he hopes will save lives. As Donald himself says, "This is not a stunt; this is my job.

"He said, "The work I do on ?Wild Recon? is literally my life?s work. I?ve been going on these adventurous missions for years and now the series spotlights the jeopardy that I enjoy in collecting these samples on behalf of the research community. I?ve dedicated my entire life to working with animals.

"Born and raised in South Africa, Donald was the youngest person ever to give venomous snake demonstrations at the Fitzsimons Snake Park. But catching, caring for and studying snakes were not enough. Now, Donald travels the globe tracking down dangerous creatures, all in the name of science. He uses his animal acumen and taste for adrenaline for a greater cause, risking his own life for research that may one day save the lives of animals and humans.

Hiking through thick jungle undergrowth, diving to depths of hundreds of feet to sample shark species or skydiving into hard-to-get-to habitats, Donald stops at nothing to complete his mission. In addition, his missions are a race against the clock as he must get his fragile samples out of the field and into the lab for the next stage of work to commence. With Donald?s help, researchers will hopefully unlock the mysteries of animal DNA, identify the blueprint for undiscovered anti-venom or even one day find a cure for a life-threatening disease.

He works closely with researchers at zoos, universities, laboratories, pharmaceutical companies and especially local governments and communities to assess their needs and identify what research could be critical to their ongoing studies.