Zee To Telecast Disney Films After Pact With Buena Vista

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. The programme, Disney Hour will be beamed between 6 and 7 pm with repeat telecasts between 8 and 9 am every day.

The programme will showcase the best of Walt Disney characters like Mickey Mouse, Donald Duck, Goofy, Pluto, Scrooge McDuck, Balloo, Kit Cloudkicker, Rebecca, Molly and Wildcat.

Buena Vista is a division of Walt Disney India, a joint venture between the Walt Disney Company of the US and the K K Modi group.

 

Buena Vista also holds exclusive air-time marketing rights of all Walt Disney films and animation shorts in India. Under the deal, Buena Vista will supply software free of cost to Zee, which, in turn, will allow it free access to its transponder. The two parties will share the advertising revenue equally. Six minutes of advertising will be aired per hour.

This arrangement is in sharp contrast to Zees usual practice of buying the software outright and not parting with the advertising revenue. The primary reason for Zee making a departure from its usual practice is because childrens programming is the one area where the channel needs to shore up. Besides, Disney as a rule does not sell its programmes, said Pratik Basu, chief executive officer, Buena Vista.

The main reason behind Buena Vista choosing Zee is the channels wide reach and the inability of Doordarshan to allot it any firm time slot. However, under the terms of its understanding with Doordarshan it cannot simultaneously telecast the same programme on another channel. Basu feels Zee will promote the programme better across its network encompassing Zee TV, Zee Cinema and EL TV.

Buena Vista which is primarily in the business of procuring, co-producing and marketing programmes also holds the exclusive air-time rights for ESPN in India.