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Zee 24 Taas celebrates Maharashtra’s heritage
The 24-hour Marathi news channel gears up to celebrate Maharashtra's rich heritage in the wake of the Mumbai terror attacks
The Mumbai terror attacks have awakened the Indian masses. Countless initiatives have been undertaken to showcase the unrelenting spirit of the country. However, Zee 24 Taas, the 24-hour Marathi news channel, has come up with a unique initiative – Zee 24 Taas Maharashtrachi Shaan 2008, which celebrates Maharashtra's heritage.
Bhushan Khot, business head and vice-president, Zee 24 Taas, tells afaqs!, “We wanted to celebrate Maharashtra's historical places and make the younger generation aware of the heritage of the state. Coming close on the heels of the Mumbai terror attacks, the event will also felicitate the Taj Hotel because it is one of the best historical monuments in the city.”
TV and radio spots have been created to announce the initiative and seek viewer participation. The TV spot has been on air for the past 15 days on Zee 24 Taas and other Zee network channels. The radio spot has been doing the rounds on Big 92.7 FM, which is the radio partner for the event.
The endeavour seems to be an unusual one for a news channel. Khot says, “We want to touch our viewers. Just giving out news is not enough for our channel. Through initiatives like these, we plan to explore all the aspects of our viewers' lives.”
The final event will take place on December 27 at Bhaidas Ground, Vile Parle (West). The award will be presented by the mayor of Mumbai to the mayor of the city in which the most voted place is located. The highlight of the event will be a one-hour light and sound show, presenting the 12 places in a spectacular light to the audience.
The show will be held against the backdrop of the Taj Hotel. The channel will also present a memento in the form of a trophy to the management of the Taj Hotel. The proceedings of the evening will be broadcast on Zee 24 Taas on January 3, 2009.
The event is being sponsored by Rin, in association with Bank of India, Swarg Jewellers and Lux, along with radio partner Big FM. The activity has been conceptualised by the in-house team of Zee 24 Taas, while La Fiesta, an event marketing firm, has been roped in to execute the event.