Sony and Zee Agree to Sell 3 Hindi Channels

Current Context: Sony and Zee media groups agreed to sell their three Hindi channels to address possible anti-competition concerns originating from their proposed merger.

• The three Hindi channels that will be sold by the Sony and Zee media groups are:

1. Big Magic
2. Zee Action
3. Zee Classic

• After the agreement to divest itself from these channels, the Sony and Zee media groups submitted their proposals to the Competition Commission of India (CCI).
• The CCI has put in certain criteria for the purchaser before buying the three channels:

1. Star India Private Limited or Viacom18 Media Private Limited cannot be the purchaser.
2. The purchaser cannot be a past or present Director/Employee of these companies.
3. The purchaser should have no connections with the resultant entity and its affiliates.

• The CCI is a statutory body that was formed in 2003 under the Ministry of Corporate Affairs with the objective to regulate national competition in India. The headquarters of the CCI is in New Delhi and the current Chairperson is Ashok Kumar Gupta.

Question:

Q.1 Recently _____ and _____ media groups announced the selling of their three Hindi channels to address possible anti-competition concerns originating from their proposed merger.
a. Sony; Zee
b. Sony; Disney Star
c. Reliance; Zee
d. Balaji; Eros