ZEE to shutdown ETC Punjabi; launching Zindagi

ZEE India has made the decision to close down its underperforming channel, ETC Punjabi. It will cease broadcasting in India today.

The channel has struggled to make any headway after losing the rights of live Gurbani from Harmandir Sahib, Amritsar. The rights subsequently went to PTC Punjabi.

ETC Punjabi further lost appeal after ZEE adopted the terrestrial entertainment network model for its news channel, ZEE Punjab Haryana Himachal Pradesh.

The licence of ETC Punjabi will now be used to launch Zindagi – a Hindi entertainment channel, including imported content from Pakistan. Zindagi is expected to launch within the next 40 days subject to regulatory approvals.

ZEE Punjabi in the UK will remain unaffected.