ITV

Category: Multi System Operators

  • SitiCable to host get-together for LMOs, broadcasters

    SitiCable to host get-together for LMOs, broadcasters

    KOLKATA: SitiCable Network is all set to welcome the New Year on a positive note and how? The national multi-system operator (MSO) is hosting its yearly get-together with around 14,000 last mile operators (LMOs) along with their families and the broadcasters attending it. The get-together which is scheduled for 4 January 2014 is a platform for the MSO to discuss its ambitious expansion plans in the eastern region as well as share their achievements.

     

    “This get-together is very important for us. It is here that we will talk about the cable TV industry and also announce our achievements, particularly, in the eastern region,” informed SitiCable Kolkata director Suresh Sethia.

     

    The MSO claims to have seeded around 1.7 million set top boxes (STBs) in the eastern region. “With the cable TV digitisation being in full swing, across the eastern region, we plan to install another 1.5 million STBs by December 2014,” added Sethia.

     

    This is not all. The MSO is also focusing on creating and acquiring content for approximately eight server based television channels. “We are looking at acquiring content in the eastern region. This meeting will help us talk to both the broadcasters and the LMOs directly,” he said.

     

    The MSO, who is currently planning at acquiring content for server based channels in Kolkata, will also look at tapping into the market in Patna and Guwahati.

     

    A cable TV analyst said, “The MSO has number of plans already under consideration and before complete digitisation, it is the best opportunity for it to address all the opportunities and the issues so that it can achieve its target.”

     

    The eastern region accounts for around 40 per cent of the revenue to SitiCable. “It is one of the most important markets for the company,” added the cable TV analyst.

  • Arasu cable threatens Star Sports to switch off

    Arasu cable threatens Star Sports to switch off

    MUMBAI: Tamil Nadu’s giant multi system operator (MSO) Arasu cable is flexing its muscles again. Last week, it issued a public notice against aggregator MediaPro for breach of letter of acceptance and non conclusion of price negotiation. Now it has gone ahead and issued a notice against Star Sports citing the same reason.

     

    The notice dated 28 December warns subscribers that after 21 days they won’t be able to view Star Sports channels on their Arasu cable connections but instead will be shown substitute channels.

     

    Issued under section 4.2 of the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India’s (TRAI) Telecommunications (Broadcasting and Cable Services) Interconnection Regulations 2004, the notice says that Star Sports 1, 2, 3 and 4 might be disconnected.

     

    A few days ago, the Madras High Court warned the TRAI not to take any coercive action against the MSO that has about six million subscribers in the state. The rumours doing the rounds are that Arasu has been arm twisting pay channels to pay high carriage fees in order to fill in the gap between revenue and payouts to pay channels of about 40 per cent.

  • Kolkata to miss the 31 Dec TRAI deadline for gross billing?

    Kolkata to miss the 31 Dec TRAI deadline for gross billing?

     

    KOLKATA: The Kolkata multi-system operators (MSOs) are likely to miss the 31 December deadline given by the Telecom Regulatory of India (TRAI) to start gross billing.

     

    The cable TV sources in Kolkata feel that the MSOs will not be able to meet the deadline. “They are likely to start the gross billing for the month of December from 7 January,” say the sources.

     

    It should be noted that the 31 December deadline was granted, as the MSOs missed the earlier 15 December deadline to start gross billing in phase I areas. Says Kolkata based cable TV analyst Mrinal Chatterjee, “Kolkata missed the deadline since neither the MSO nor the last mile owner (LMO) are prepared for the process.”

     

    Kolkata has around 30 lakh cable television homes. “The MSOs updated the minister on the total process of digitisation and billing.  As of now we have ad-hoc billing, but soon billing as per package will start. Though customers are happy, the operators do not want the billing to be in place,” opines Siticable Kolkata director Suresh Sethia.

     

    Siticable has around 10-11 lakh STBs in Kolkata DAS I area.

     

    Explaining the nitty-gritty’s of bill payment, a MSO says, “If a customer has chosen a package of Rs 180, he will have to pay Rs 180, plus Rs 10 (amusement tax) and12.36 per cent service tax.”

       
    A LMO affiliated to Hathway Cable & Datacom informs that the MSO has sent the bills to him in a compact disk (CD) and expects him to take a print out and give it to customers.

     

    The way things are progressing, it seems like another deadline is on its way to be missed.

  • MSOs request WB UD minister to waive off amusement tax arrears

    MSOs request WB UD minister to waive off amusement tax arrears

    KOLKATA: The multi-system operators (MSOs) in Kolkata have requested the West Bengal Urban Development minister Firhad Hakim to waive off amusement tax arrears, thanks to the cable television digitisation which has revealed their business details to the government authorities.

    Cable TV sources said that the state government which is slated to get around Rs two to three crore every month as amusement tax from the MSO gets only Rs 15 – 20 lakh from the MSOs in the Kolkata Municipal Area (KMA) area now.

    “Seeing the present situation, it can be assumed that the state government has lost between Rs eight to 10 crore in the form of amusement tax in last three months,” said a cable TV analyst.

     After the DAS implementation, apart from the increased monthly subscription fee, the consumers are supposed to shell out Rs 10 more as amusement tax charged by the state government.

    Firhad Hakim after taking a note to the appeal made by the MSOs has asked the MSOs to write a letter to the government and accordingly the state would look into the matter.

  • Mona Jain quits Vivaki Exchange

    Mona Jain quits Vivaki Exchange

    MUMBAI: When Lodestar UM and Cheil won the Samsung account, no one could have guessed that it would lead to Mona Jain putting down her papers from Vivaki Exchange.

    The brand’s account was earlier with Starcom MediaVest Group which it lost out to the IPG Mediabrand’s agency Lodestar UM in a multi-agency pitch.

    When indiantelevision.com contacted the CEO of the media agency, she was unavailable for comment. Jain was promoted to the position in 2011. Prior to that, she was the chief operating officer of the agency.

    Sources in the industry have confirmed the news and feel that it was kind of expected as the agency lost out to major clients in the recent past.

    Jain has more than two decades of experience in marketing communications. Over the years, she has worked with agencies such as Hindustan Thompson, Contract Advertising, Mudra Communications, ZenithOptimedia and Cheil Communications. She also has the experience of being on the ‘client side’ with short stints at Glaxo SmithKline.

  • Municipal Corp seeks to tax Bengaluru’s MSOs, ISPs

    Municipal Corp seeks to tax Bengaluru’s MSOs, ISPs

    MUMBAI: The multi-system operators (MSOs) and internet service providers (ISPs) in Bengaluru will soon have to loosen their pockets and pay tax to the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) for cabling on main roads and the arterial roads of the garden city. While initially, even the local cable operators (LCOs) were in the BBMP hit list, the body, in its meeting last week has released the LCOs from paying the taxes for using its services.

    BBMP has formed a committee to decide on the tax that both MSOs and ISPs will need to pay. The meeting was presided by the BBMP mayor B S Sathyanarayana and was attended by the BBMP chairman, MSOs and ISPs last week.

    In the meeting held last week, the players have been asked to file the details immediately, says Sudhish Kumar

    “The current discussion is that the MSOs and ISPs, who use the trunk on the main road and arterial roads of Bengaluru need to make a one-time payment for using the BBMP infrastructure, which will be applicable for next 15 years,” informs Sagar E Technologies’ executive director Sudhish Kumar, who was also present during the meeting.

    Almost all the national MSOs like Hathway Cable and Datacom, DEN Networks, InCable and SitiCable along with the other MSOs operating in Bengaluru will be affected by this. “Currently, there are 11 MSOs operating in the city,” informs Kumar.

    Confirming the reports is Hathway Cable & Datacom MD and CEO Jagdish Kumar G. Pillai, “Yes, the BBMP is looking at imposing a fee for using its service. We have to submit a report, and I am discussing it with my team in Bengaluru.”

    So far, none of the players have coughed up anything to  BBMP. However, the municipal corporation is looking at generating revenue through this levy and also wants to ensure that the city is clean. “It has now asked the MSOs and ISPs to inform them of the exact number of kilometers that they are using to provide their services. This, to ensure that they can fix a price which will be paid by the MSOs and ISPs,” says he.

    Earlier, the deadline for submitting the information was 28 November; but none of the players had reported to the BBMP. “In the meeting held last week, the players have been asked to file the details immediately,” informs Kumar. Those failing to comply may find their cable wires removed.

    The BBMP has also suggested that several MSOs and ISPs can form their own consortium and apply for their own trunk. The body has claimed that at least 15,000 km of cabling has been done within the city.

    It’s good news for the LCOs who have been exempted from paying up.  “If the LCOs had to pay for using the BBMP services, the cost would increase and that would have been passed on to the subscribers. And so the mayor in the meeting clearly pointed out that the LCOs were to be kept out of this tax.”

    The municipal corporation feels that since all the MSOs also provide internet services which gives them huge revenues, it should also be shared with them. In the meeting, the mayor remarked, “If it was only cable TV service, the pricing for using the trunk could still be considered. But because they are carrying internet service business through the same trunk, they should share the revenue with the municipal corporation, which gives them the infrastructure.”

  • FTC penalises Time Warner Cable $1.9 million for violating pricing rule

    FTC penalises Time Warner Cable $1.9 million for violating pricing rule

    MUMBAI: Time Warner Cable (TWC) has agreed to pay a $1.9 million civil penalty to settle the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) charges as it allegedly violated the risk-based pricing rule by failing to send notices to subscribers.

    TWC has been accused of demanding upfront payments or deposits from subscribers with negative credit reports, according to FTC. Under the rule, finalised in 2011, creditors have to notify the customers of higher charges that are based on less-than-favourable credit histories.

    “Beginning Jan. 1, 2011, through at least March 5, 2013, TWC failed to provide consumers who paid a deposit or other pre-payment with a notice, as set forth in the Risk-Based Pricing Rule, that the deposit requirement was imposed based on information in the consumer’s credit report,” assistant U.S. attorney Ellen Blain wrote in the complaint that was filed Thursday at U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York.

    According to FTC, TWC, the second largest cable MSO in the US, is the first company to face charges after the pricing rule was amended in 2011.

  • MSO Alliance launches ad campaign on monthly billing

    MSO Alliance launches ad campaign on monthly billing

    MUMBAI: Soon consumers will find bills coming to them for using cable TV service. And the message will be reaching them loud and clear through a print campaign that was launched today in the New Delhi edition of The Times of India and Navbharat Times. The print campaign which aims at educating consumers of monthly billing reads: “Attention Digital Cable TV subscribers- Now pay as per your selected channel pack. Get a cable TV bill from your MSO every month starting December 2013.”

    The campaign is an initiative of the multi-system operator (MSO) Alliance that comprises national players: DEN Networks, Hathway Cable & Datacom, Siti Digital Cable Television and InCableNet. The MSO Alliance also has announced that the subscribers who have got a set top box (STB), submitted the ‘Know-Your-Client’ details and channel package selection, will get a bill for their cable TV service every month. The first bill will be generated for the month of November. The new facility has been introduced in keeping with the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India’s (TRAI) regulation on starting gross billing from December.    

    “This move is important as it will ensure that there are no additional or random charges levied on the subscribers. Our viewers will thus pay only for what they watch and they must insist on a bill from their local cable operator or MSO at the time of monthly payment,” said MSO Alliance secretary and DEN Networks CEO S.N Sharma. 

    As per the TRAI regulations, subscribers will get 15 days from the date of the bill to make their payment. In case the subscriber fails to make the payment after the expiry of the due date of payment, the MSO or the affiliate LCO has the right to charge interest on the outstanding amount.

    The Union Government and the TRAI had rolled out a four-phased plan for digitisation of cable TV across India early last year. Phases I & II of this process covering Delhi, Mumbai, Kolkata and 38 other major cities have already been completed. According to the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, over 26 million STBs were installed in these cities, over 70 per cent of which were by digital cable companies.

  • UCN to offer Dolby Digital Plus on its HD STBs

    UCN to offer Dolby Digital Plus on its HD STBs

    MUMBAI: Dolby Laboratories has announced that UCN, one of Maharashtra’s leading multi-system operators (MSOs), has selected Dolby Digital Plus as the audio codec for its HD set-top boxes. With Dolby Digital Plus, UCN HD subscribers will experience the capability of up to 7.1 channels of surround sound, designed to transform the way people experience their favorite sports, movies, and television programs.

    “With the onset of the digitization in India, the broadcast industry is evolving with a promise to deliver enhanced quality services to the end consumer. This association with Dolby is an excellent opportunity for us to combine a great HD picture with superior Dolby surround sound. We have always aimed to deliver the best cinematic entertainment experiences for our subscribers,” said UCN director Ajay Khamankar.

    With UCN’s HD set-top boxes featuring Dolby Digital Plus, consumers will be able to enjoy Dolby surround sound by connecting their home theater to their HD set-top box and the HDTV, giving them the best TV viewing experience at home. UCN will offer a complete entertainment experience across a bouquet of channels including the Star HD network, Colors HD, Movies Now HD, Discovery HD, NGC HD, and many more.

    “Our collaboration with UCN marks an important milestone in the adoption of Dolby Digital Plus in India’s Cable TV services, which is undergoing a massive transformation with the ongoing digitization. At Dolby, we strive to bring to life superior entertainment experiences for audiences using innovative technology. With Dolby Digital Plus, UCN will bring an exceptional entertainment experience to their consumers —from sports, drama, reality TV, and movies—right into their living rooms,” said Dolby Laboratories India country manager Pankaj Kedia.

  • MSO InCableNet gets Rs 300 crore cash infusion

    MSO InCableNet gets Rs 300 crore cash infusion

    MUMBAI: The folks at the Hinduja group-owned cable TV MSO InCableNet and InDigital must be a happy bunch. The reason:  Grant Investrade Limited (GIL), a wholly owned subsidiary of Hinduja Ventures, has decided to invest Rs 300 crore in the cable distribution business managed by InCableNet and InDigital in India.

    The capital infusion, according to a press note released by the company, is happening to take advantage of opportunities government mandated digitisation of cable TV.

    “Phase I and phase II of the Digital Addressable System (DAS) have already been completed and several consolidation opportunities are coming up. The capital will be used to expand the digital base of IMCL and to improve customer services,” said the release.

    Hinduja Ventures director Ashok Mansukhani when contacted said, “The purpose of promoter infusion through GIL is to help IMCL stabilise phase I and II which has completed set top box installations. It is up to IMCL management to also grow in new geographies for phase III and IV which are due to be digitalised by 31 December, 2014 either organically or inorganically.”

    The investment has come in at a time when there is a lot of buzz on whether the MSO is in the running to acquire or partner the Kolkata-based MSO Manthan Broadband. Unwilling to confirm or deny anything Mansukhani said, “There are of course plans to expand our geographical presence. Kolkata is an interesting city to venture into, but nothing as of now has materialised.”

    He further added, “We already have 22 joint ventures and would obviously like to expand. These things keep happening in the cable TV business.”

    The infusion of cash couldn’t have been more timely. Industry observers have been watching closely waiting for the MSO to get active.