ITV

Category: Multi System Operators

  • Kolkata MSOs to provide value added services to consumers

    Kolkata MSOs to provide value added services to consumers

    KOLKATA: With an aim to provide value added services (VAS) to customers in the wake of digitisation of cable television, the multi-system operators (MSOs) in the eastern region are exploring opportunities to release regional movies on cable TV before it is released in the theatres to generate more revenue. 

     

    According to Siticable director Suresh Sethia, the MSO is in discussion with producers for premiere shows of regional movies on its cable channel as part of value added services.

     

    “These services can be implemented once the billing process is properly executed, which could take anywhere around six months to complete,” said Sethiya while addressing the audience at the Cable TV Show 2014 in Kolkata. 

     

    The service is similar to the ‘Movie-on-Demand’ platform of the direct-to-home (DTH) players.

     

    The charges for a newly released movie will vary between Rs 50 and Rs 100 for a day, remarked Sethia. “The producers, MSOs, LCOs and the customers-all will benefit by the move,” he said.

     

    Industry experts say that even if a MSO charges Rs 40- Rs 50 for a movie, with 50 per cent of its users booking the show, the producer can get back a substantial amount of his investment by premiering the movie on cable TV. 

     

    Siticable currently caters to around 20 lakh users in the eastern region. “The local cable operators will also have a share,” Sethia informed.

     

    Another prominent MSO, GTPL Kolkata Cable & Broadband Pariseva Ltd (GTPL KCBPL) is also looking forward to tap this opportunity with its 7.5 lakh user base in the eastern region. 

     

    “We are actively discussing on such value added services. But it may take at least three months to execute the process,” said GTPL KCBPL managing director Bijoy K Agarwal.

  • CTMA’s Cable TV Show 2014 to begin in Kolkata tomorrow

    CTMA’s Cable TV Show 2014 to begin in Kolkata tomorrow

    KOLKATA: India is on the path of digitisation and if all goes well then by the end of this year the entire country will go digital. In that case, isn’t a cable TV show a good idea to make the industry aware of the new technology? Cable TV Equipments Traders & Manufacturers Association (CTMA) is organising its three-day annual satellite and cable television show 2014 from 12 to 14 March at the Netaji Indoor Stadium which will see the participation of nearly 10,000 parties. It will include cable operators, traders, manufacturers, channel partners, distributors, broadcasters from across the country as well as from Bhutan, Nepal, China and Bangladesh are expected to attend the show.

     

    “Cable TV Show 2014 would showcase and promote latest products, technology, emerging trends and value added services in the cable television (CATV) sector,” said the exhibition chairman Pawan Jajodia.

     

    This year more than 400 local cable operators (LCO) from Bangladesh are likely to participate in this show. All the major national multi-system operators (MSOs) along with the regional MSOs may also put up stalls at the show to make the public aware about their service potential and new services, said SitiCable Kolkata director Suresh Sethia.

     

    “Eastern India, the hinterland being services by CTMA is having a TV base of more than 25 million TV homes beside another five million TV homes in the neighbouring countries of SAARC Region,” added Jajodia, who thinks that with the convergence of digital market of CATV, this platform has become versatile and potential.

     

    The show will bring together all the existing and prospective manufacturers and vendors and the CATV service providers like MSOs, LCOs, broadcasters and traders and help them to expand their market. The Kolkata region itself has approximately 30 lakh digitised cable TV households.

  • MediaPro issues notice against DEN Networks

    MediaPro issues notice against DEN Networks

    MUMBAI: Public notices seem to have become a norm in the present time. Facing the ire this time is the multi system-operator – DEN Networks, which has got a public notice from the content aggregator – MediaPro. MediaPro, in its notice published in newspapers, has informed the consumers that the 74 channels in the bouquet of the aggregator will go off air in three weeks from today.

    The reasons cited for deactivation of channels is: non-payment of subscription fee and/or outstanding arrears and non-submission of subscriber reports. “All the areas serviced by the cable operator(s) and its franchisees in the DAS areas will be affected,” states the notice.

    The channels that can go off air in case the requirements are not met include: Zee 24 Gantalu, 24 Ghanta, Zee 24 Taas, Cartoon Network, CNN, ETC, Zee ETC Punjabi, HBO, Pogo, Warner Brothers, Zee Action, Zee Bangla, Zee Business, Zee Café, Zee Cinema, Zee Classic, Zee Jagran, Zee Kannada, Zee Marathi, Zing, Zee News, Zee UP UK, Zee Premier, Zee Punjabi Haryana Himachal Pradesh, Zee Salaam, Zee Smile, Zee Studio, Zee Talkies, Zee Tamil, Zee Telugu, Zee Trendz, Zee TV, Star Movies, Star Plus, Star World, Star World, Star Gold, National Geographic Channel, Fox Traveller, Life OK, Star Vijay, Channel V, MGM, ABP Ananda, Star Jalsa, FX, Fox Crime, Nat Geo Wild, Nat Geo Adventure, Nat Geo Music, Baby TV, NDTV 24X7, NDTV Profit, NDTV Good Times, NDTV India, Suvarna, Star Utsav, ABP News, Zee Khana Khazana, Movies OK, Star Pravah, ABP Majha, Asianet, Asianet Plus, Star Movies Action, Zee Bangla Cinema, ZeeQ, Star Jalsa Movies, 9X, Asianet Movies, Zee Madhya Pradesh Chhatisgarh, Suvarna Plus, Zee Marudhara, & Pictures and Zee Anmol.

    However, the two parties will be meeting for resolving the issues. “I am still to collect the details for the public notice. These things keep happening between the broadcaster and the distributor. We will resolve the issue. We have invested heavily in digitisation. Once we collect the money from the ground, we will clear the payments,” says a DEN Networks official.

    MediaPro is a joint venture between Zee Turner and Star DEN.

     

  • Television needs to reposition as convergence source with digitisation

    Television needs to reposition as convergence source with digitisation

    MUMBAI: Digitisation of cable TV has provided television broadcasting industry an opportunity to reposition itself as a convergence source. The future is full of opportunities for everyone, according to Telecom Regulatory Authority of India member R K Arnold.

     

    Every stakeholder will benefit once the process of digitisation is complete. Thirty per cent of cable TV homes have been digitised in Phase I and Phase II.

     

    “There are (a total of) 100 million cable TV homes. Once all these homes are digitised, we will be able to provide broadband services,” said Arnold said in his keynote address at the CASBAA India Forum 2014.

     

    Arnold is confident of achieving 100 per cent digitisation in 2014 itself.

     

    Arnold also spoke on the Direct-to-Home (DTH) players. “While DTH has grown along with digitisation, they do not have two-way communication as required for broadband,” he said.

     

    The first two phases of digitization has brought the multi-system operators in direct contact with 30 million customers. “This makes it necessary that we are more customer oriented. We need to beef up customer service delivery, and that is a challenge,” said Hathway Cable & Datacom MD & CEO Jagdish Kumar.

     

    According to Indian Broadcasting Foundation (IBF) secretary general Shailesh Shah, deploying infrastructure is challenging but is doable. “For full digitisation, analogue switch offs are needed,” said Shah.

     

    Shah expects digitisation to be completed only by the middle or towards the end of 2015. Phase III of digitisation is mandated to be completed by the end of September 2014 and Phase IV by the end of December 2014.

     

    One of the biggest challenges for multi-system operators in achieving digitisation in phase III and phase IV is that they will need to reach cable TV homes in the smaller towns and villages, unlike in the top 42 cities in Phase I and Phase II where they already had substantial presence.

     

    “Connectivity is a huge challenge,” said Hathway’s Kumar.

     

    The MSOs have in all seeded 30 million Set Top Boxes (STBs) in phase I and phase II. “As a community, we have spent close to Rs 3,000 crore. When any industry makes such a huge investment, the repayment time is 4-5 years. We are trying to change the system, and it will not happen in a year or two,” informed Kumar.

     

    Turner International India south Asia MD Siddharth Jain feels broadcasters will have the fruits of digitisation only after a beginning is made for signing deals on the basis of per STB.

    “The broadcasters currently do not have the count of STBs. There needs to be complete transparency,” Jain said.

     

    The total funding needed for deploying STBs in phase III and IV is Rs 14,000 crore. “It is impossible to expect the MSOs to invest in both the STBs and optical fibre. The government has to help in this infrastructure,” said MyBox Technologies CEO Amit Kharabanda.

     

    To promote better content carriage in the rural areas, the government is implementing a National Optical Fibre Network (NOFN) project to connect all the 2.5 lakh gram panchayats.

     

    “When we had a meeting with the MSOs, we found several gaps. Now NOFN is planning to expand its network from the district level to the block level and then panchayats. If this happens, in the next 2 years, we will see different ways of carrying content,” said Ministry of Information & Broadcasting joint secretary-broadcasting Supriya Sahu.

     

    The industry stakeholders speaking at the CASBAA India Forum also suggested that for smooth completion of digitisation, phase III and phase IV digitization should not be taken up simultaneously.

  • Hinduja Ventures’ Grant Investrade gets in principle approval for HITS

    Hinduja Ventures’ Grant Investrade gets in principle approval for HITS

    Updated: 01:00 PM

     

    MUMBAI: Grant Investrade, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Hinduja Ventures, has received an in principle approval from the Information & Broadcasting Ministry for launch of head-end in the sky (HITS) services for cable TV operators.

     

    The company received the in principal approval on Wednesday. The company had applied for a HITS licence on 15 November, 2012.

     

    It has to pay a licence fee of Rs 10 crore before it gets the HITS licence, Hinduja Ventures’ Group CEO-Media and IndusInd Media and Communications’ MD & CEO, Tony D’silva, told Indiantelevision.com.

     

    Grant Investrade will also have to seek two more clearances – one from the Network Operation Coordination Centre for the satellite to be used for the HITS services and second from the Wireless Planning and Coordination wing of the Ministry of Communications.

     

    SATELLITE

     

    D’silva said Grant Investrade would need about 10 transponders and would be finalising a deal with a private satellite operator in the next 15-20 days. There is no transponder capacity available on Indian government’s satellites. The satellite ground station will either be located in Mumbai or in New Delhi.

     

    Grant Investrade will need about six months to launch its HITS service with 400 television channels. The company has already shortlisted suppliers for dishes and other equipment. Castle Media is providing it technology solutions and project management services.

     

    Grant Investrade’s entire business plan for HITS has been vetted by consulting firms KPMG and Deloitte.

     

    The company will be targeting cable operators in areas earmarked for digitisation of cable TV services in Phase III and Phase IV.

     

    D’silva says that the HITS business makes sense because of digitisation and pointed out that 50 per cent of US-based Comcast’s cable television services are provided through HITS.

     

    INVESTMENTS

     

    Grant Investrade will be investing another $100 million (about Rs 620 crore) to operationalise the HITS project. Hinduja Ventures had earlier invested $10 million in the technology required for the HITS venture.

     

    The company will start promotional campaigns after the satellite is finalised and other requirements are in place.

     

    Grant Investrade believes there is no other way than HITS to deal with phase III and IV. With HITS, the average cost of delivering data would fall to Rs 8 per customer from Rs 18 per customer through optic fibre. 

     

    D’silva had told Indiantelevision.com earlier, “If we are serious about digitisation, the government should have first cleared our HITS project. We are saying the LCOs can own the consumers and can do the packaging. We will help them seed boxes. It is different than JAINHITS. We have three to four different boxes and they get an option to choose.”

     

    JAINHITS is the first company to get HITS licence. JAINHITS provides digitised and encrypted satellite TV signals directly to cable network owners.

  • Hathway launches ‘Hathway CCC Cine Channel’

    Hathway launches ‘Hathway CCC Cine Channel’

    MUMBAI: Hathway Cable & Datacom today announced the launch of ‘Hathway CCC Cine Channel’ on its all India distribution network.

     

    Hathway CCC Cine channel will showcase the best of Bollywood content. The channel will be part of the existing base pack and customers will enjoy premium Bollywood content at no additional cost.

     

    The move is a part of Hathway’s commitment towards bringing compelling content to its consumers in India.

     

    Hathway CCC Cine channel’s library has premium movies from all the major studios including Shemaroo, Yashraj and Eros.

     

    In addition to Hathway CCC Cine channel, Hathway will be soon launching many more channels covering genres like general entertainment, kids, music, regional movies, lifestyle and adventure.

     

    Hathway content business AVP Amit Dave said, “We are delighted in our ongoing endeavor of delivering premium content to our discerning customers.”

     

    The newly launched channel will be available on channel number 110 in Hyderabad, channel number 309 in Bangalore and channel number 112 in the rest of India.

  • Cricket Packs could become universal

    Cricket Packs could become universal

    MUMBAI: Digitisation is set to change the way television channels are packaged. In addition to the subscriber getting the option to pick and choose channels, multi-system operators too are finding newer opportunities.

     

    MSOs have found a good business prospect in cricket, the most-watched sport in India.

     

    With digitisation of cable TV services in 42 major cities, MSOs are increasingly shifting to per subscriber deals with broadcasters instead of making bulk payments.

     

    Hathway Cable  & Datacom, like direct-to-home television service provider Dish TV, has carved out a Cricket Pack for its subscribers.

     

    In the case of Dish TV’s India cricket pack, the channel on which live telecast of a match involving Indian men’s cricket team is switched on.

     

    “Sports channels, by the nature of its programming are event driven. We have an Indian Cricket Pack, which is a cost per subscriber deal with broadcasters,” says Hathway Cable  CEO Jagdish Kumar.

     

    More MSOs are likely to follow suit and offer Cricket Packs to their customers.

     

    “Though right now we have entered into a per set top box deal with the sports channel broadcasters, we may also look at Indian Cricket Pack going forward,” informs SitiCable COO Anil Malhotra.

     

    There are three types of commercial arrangements entered between broadcasters and operators. These are: Fixed deal, in which the operator pays a lump sum amount to the broadcaster; Reference Interconnect Offer, in which operator takes channels based on the choice of the subscribers; and on a per set top box deal, in which the operator shares details of the number of STBs installed with the broadcaster and the number of the subscribers subscribing to a sports channel.

     

    DEN Networks is currently on a fixed deal with the sports broadcasters. “We are still asking for lump sum because of cash flow issues,” informs DEN Networks CEO SN Sharma.

     

    While till last year, broadcasters were entering into fixed deals with operators, “now everybody is moving towards cost per subscriber,” adds Sharma.

     

    When questioned if DEN would also offer Indian Cricket Pack, Sharma says, “Let’s see. Different experiments are happening. With time everything will evolve.”

     

    According to GTPL Hathway COO Shaji Mathews, broadcasters are entering into fixed deals or negotiate a per subscriber rate.

     

    “The per subscriber deal has clauses which say that the operator needs to show a minimum number of subscribers who subscribe to the channels,” he says.

     

    Currently, GTPL Hathway has a fixed fee deal with the sports broadcasters.

     

    “The moment we get into a la carte, the rates are really high and if we get into cost per subscriber, unless we guarantee a certain number of subscribers for the channel, the cost per subscriber is also high. So, in fact on fixed deal, we land up paying less because of the fee structuring,” he says.

     

    GTPL Hathway may also move to Indian Cricket Pack. “We are looking at that as well,” he says.

     

    It makes business sense for channel distributors to create cricket packs. But Increasing inclination towards cricket packs would mean predominantly cricket channels would gain at the cost of those with less or absolutely no cricket content.

  • MSO Alliance condemns attack on Hathway senior executive

    MSO Alliance condemns attack on Hathway senior executive

    MUMBAI: The MSO Alliance comprising Hathway Cable & Datacom, SitiCable, DEN Networks and IndusInd Media and Communication Limited (IMCL) has condemned the attack on Delhi-based senior executive of Hathway.

     

    The executive was attacked in Gurgaon on 25 February, while he was on his way home and is currently recuperating in the hospital.

     

     

    A statement issued by MSO Alliance secretary SN Sharma reads, “All national MSOs are implementing DAS as per rules and regulations defined by TRAI and are implementing the law passed by the Parliament to bring greater transparency in the entire value chain of the cable TV industry.  This is being done to enhance consumer viewing by delivering world class digital experience to them. However, there are certain persons who are trying to derail the entire process of digitisation and have even used illegitimate and criminal means to stall the process.”

     

     

    All the leading MSOs have strongly deplored and condemned the criminal and nefarious activities “and persons who have done such reprehensible act against an employee who had no fault and was simply involved in implementing the law of land,” the MSO Alliance says.

     

     

    The MSO Alliance has reiterated its commitment to DAS. “We would like to emphasise once again that such activities would not deter us in implementing the process of digitising the country and we urge the authorities to take strict action against such criminals immediately,” reads the note.

     

  • Top management revamp clears path for investment in IndusInd Media

    Top management revamp clears path for investment in IndusInd Media

    MUMBAI: IndusInd Media and Communications is finally set to get Rs 300 crore of investments from its promoter Hinduja Ventures, following a complete revamp of the top management at the multi-system operators with Tony D’silva as the new Managing Director and CEO.

     

    The board of directors of Hinduja Ventures today reviewed the performance of IndusInd Media and decided to go ahead with its planned investment in the company to grab acquisition and growth opportunities arising from digitisation of cable TV services.

     

     

    Hinduja Ventures, in a statement after the board meeting, said the investment is to take advantage of ‘several consolidation opportunities coming up in the digital environment’. The investment will also help IndusInd Media in expanding its customer base in the digital regions as well as spruce up its customer service.

     

     

    Hinduja Ventures has also decided to invest Rs 2 crore in its subsidiary Grant Investrade, which is spearheading its head-end in the sky (HITS) plans.

     

     

    IndusInd Media has planned several new services in the coming months such as broadband services, HD television, hybrid STBs for cable and internet and value added services for customers. The multi-system operator claims to have 8.5 million subscribers across 36 cities.

  • Meghbela Cable to seed 10 lakh STBs in West Bengal by December-end

    Meghbela Cable to seed 10 lakh STBs in West Bengal by December-end

    KOLKATA: Multi-system operator (MSO) Meghbela Cable & Broadband Services aims to seed 10 lakh set-top boxes in areas earmarked for digitisation in phase III and phase IV.

     

    The company has already installed around 1.26 lakh STBs in Kolkata city, where digitisation of cable TV services happened in phase I.

     

    Seeding of 10 lakh STBs will involve an expenditure of Rs 110 crore.

     

    While in areas which fall under DAS III and IV areas like Haldia, Bankura, Arambagh and Hooghly, the company has 10 lakh cable TV subscribers and the majority of them are on the analogue network.

     

    When asked about the source of funding for the 10 lakh STBs, Meghbela Cable Chairman, Indranil Bhattacharya, said 80 per cent of the cost of the STBs would come from the local cable operators (LCOs) who would be collecting the amount from their subscribers. The remaining 20 per cent would be arranged by Meghbela through loans from banks.

     

    “In DAS III and DAS IV areas, we have already started the digitisation process,” said Bhattacharya.

     

    “Our digital customer base is around two lakh now,” said Bhattacharya.

     

    “In phase III and IV, the company is looking at a market share of 8-10 per cent, which is achievable,” industry experts said.

     

    The company has four digital head-ends in different parts of West Bengal with more than 7,500 km of optic fiber and coaxial networks providing cable TV services. “With a plan to expand operations at Durgapur and Purulia, we are looking at two interconnected digital head ends in Kolkata,” he said.

     

    The company’s chairman further said the company apart from providing channel packages to the customers in Kolkata, did sign the revenue sharing agreements with LCOs and has raised the bill as per the packages chosen by subscribers from the month of August.

     

    Talking about the prospects in DAS III and DAS IV areas in the state, he said there is an opportunity to seed 1 crore STBs in the state by December 2014.

     

    Meghbela Digital TV Services currently offers 500 channels. It plans to expand its capacity to 781 channels going ahead.

     

    Meghbela Digital has been equipped with technical capability for providing services in digital form along with features like music on demand (MoD), video on demand (VoD), pay per view (PPV), STB supported gaming and electronic programming guide (EPG), he added.

     

    Talking about the company’s ISP business, he said the company offers services such as broadband, leased line, VPN etc.

     

    Industry experts said since Meghbela Digital has interconnected head-ends, it can easily make its affiliated LCOs serve customers well.