The Indian media industry is finally coming of age and trying to adopt structures and procedures in line with international norms. For the first time, the two principal bodies representing TV Broadcasters and advertising agencies have inked an agreement that sets out the basis of the professional and commercial relationship between their respective member groups.

Ramesh Narayan, president Advertising Agencies Association Of India and Sony Entertainment Television CEO Kunal Dasgupta, treasurer Indian Broadcasting Foundation, exchanged the historic agreements they signed on Friday.

At a press conference in Mumbai to announce the deal, Narayan said: "The members of AAAI comprising nearly 80 per cent of the advertising agencies will get preferential treatment in terms of ad rates and credit payments. Besides there will be a committee set up for defaulting ad agencies." Dasgupta chipped in: "There has been no standardisation till now. The idea is to weed out those agencies which are into sharp short-term practices."

The agreement comes into effect from April 1. The arrangement is that both parties work under the principle of partnership, mutual interest and equity of law. All AAAI members and IBF members will get automatic benefits enshrined in the agreement. Within a certain credit period AAAI members will guarantee payments to channels. Advertisers who move business through AAAI members will get preferential treatment in terms of rate and credit.

Sanjay Dosi, CEO Balaji Telefilms Ltd, on Friday categorically ruled out any moves on the part of his company to start an entertainment channel.

"The reasons I had put forth earlier for not going for our own channel are still valid," Dosi said. "Our core competence is making great serials, and that would be compromised if we were to start a channel because our clients would naturally be suspicious that we would reserve our best for our own channel," he had said in an earlier conversation with indiantelevision.com.

He was responding to rumours circulating in the industry that veteran filmstar Jeetendra, whose daughter Ekta kapoor is Balaji‘s creative director, was in Delhi trying to raise money for launching a new channel. An investment of Rs 1 billion was envisaged, it was rumoured.

Close Up Antakshri, the successful game and entertainment show from Zee TV which completed its 400th episode this week, has just added another feather in its cap.

As part of the celebrations marking the occasion a series of special shows have been organised, the proceeds of which are going towards the rehabilitation efforts in earthquake-hit Gujarat.

That is not all. Children from Aasra, a home for underprivileged orphans in Mumbai, also benefited and took away Rs 100,000 in winnings from the show on Wednesday at Water Kingdom in Esselworld, Mumbai‘s premier amusement park.

Shooting for the forthcoming 14 special episodes of Close Up Antakshri are being shot at Water Kingdom to mark its seventh consecutive year on air. Though the children from Aasra won a total of Rs 200,000, half of the winnings went towards the earthquake relief fund and the remainder to Aasra, a CRY-funded (Child Relief and You) organisation. The winning amount was presented by model Aditi Gowatikar who recently lifted the Mrs World title, another one of India‘s rapidly increasing tribe of international beauty pageant winners. Half of the winnings of all the episodes are going towards earthquake relief.

Close Up Antakshri introduced the game format in October last year, and has given out Rs 12.8 million as winning amounts since joining the bandwagon of game shows dominated by the likes of Kaun Banega Crorepati.

Anchored by Anu Kapoor and actress Rajeshwari Sachdev, the show had its lows and highs. The audience went dead silent at times when the pace of music slowed and had to be rescued by Kapoor who is an old hand at this. Kapoor has been on the show since its inception. Nevertheless, with the serene ambience of Water Kingdom, the show received a good response from people.

The brainchild of director-producer Gajendra Singh, the stage was created amidst the waves. Also participating in the event were personalities from the film world like Asrani, Sashikala, Joy Mukherjee, Johra Sehgal, Vishwajeet, and Shobha Khote.

Zee is all geared up for the grand finale episode where Maharashtra deputy chief minister Chhagan Bhujbal will be a participant. Various aerial camera angles of this show will be shot though the Deccan Aviation-sponsored (India‘s largest helicopter company) helicopters on Friday when the fund raising will rest on Bhujbal‘s shoulders. Fourteen earthquake-affected families will be benefited from the contributions collected.