ITV

Category: Cable TV

  • VBS 2019: Media industry leaders to discuss challenges facing the industry

    VBS 2019: Media industry leaders to discuss challenges facing the industry

    MUMBAI: The much-anticipated Video and Broadband Summit (VBS) 2019 will be held today in Mumbai with participation from prominent media networks, broadcast distributors, media and advertising agencies, consultancy services, OTT platforms, media monitoring firms, as well as government regulatory bodies.

    Among the prominent media networks who will be participating in the summit are Sony Pictures Network, Star India, 9x Media, Enterr10 TV, BBC Global News, IN10 Media, Shemaroo and Zee. From the distributors side DEN Network, Maharashtra Cable Operators Federation, Fastway Transmissions, GTPL Hathway, Tata Sky, SITI Networks, UCN Cable and Ashwini Cable will be participating in the one-day summit at Hyatt Regency, Mumbai.

    Representatives of India’s prominent media agencies like IndiaCast Media, MediaKind, The Remediation Company, IndusInd Media and Communication, One Take Media, Madison Media will be participating in the event held in the shadows of TRAI’s February 2019 New Tariff Order (NTO) and amidst expectations and fears of further changes to the months-old act, described by many as one of the most significant reform in Indian media broadcast industry.

    There will be representation from auditing firms like PwC and KPMG as well. Since broadband service providers are now key to video distribution, there will be representation from Google, Reliance Jio Fiber, Reliance Jio and Win Broadband.

    TRAI advisor (broadcasting and cable services) Arvind Kumar will also address the gathering of industry leaders and there will also be a special presentation from BARC India COO Romil Ramgarhia.

    Bringing together industry leaders from all sectors of the media industry, the summit will discuss various issues at the heart of the NTO, how it’s impacting broadcasters and distributors, changes proposed to it and why broadcasters are unhappy with TRAI for floating a new consultation paper within six months of NTO.

    After a keynote address by Anil Wanvari, founder Indiantelevision.com, IndiaCast Media Distribution president Amit Arora, Star India Distribution president Gurjeev Singh Kapoor, IndusInd Media and Communications CEO Vynsley Fernandes, GTPL Hathway VP Yatin Gupta, The Remediation Company founder Shyamala Venkatachalam and Bhima Riddhi Digital Services promoter Nagesh Narayandas Chhabria will debate the TRAI consultation paper on tariffs in a panel discussion to be moderated by Elara Capital VP Karan Taurani.

    To give the perspective of distributors on how the NTO, and the expected amendments to it, affects their businesses, there will be a panel discussion in which SITI Networks CEO Anil Malhotra, GC member of SCTE India Shaji Mathews, Fastway Transmissions Consultant Peeush Mahajan and Bhima Riddhi Digital Services Promoter Nagesh Narayandas Chhabria will participate.

    Advertising industry is at the other end of the spectrum, the other big sector that had to adjust to post NTO environment. To discuss the advertisers' view and their take on the dynamic pay-TV landscape, there will be Godrej head media services Subha Sreenivasan Iyer, ITC PR and media head Jaikishin Chhaproo and Havas Media Group managing partner West & South Kunal Jamaur. They will participate in a panel discussion to be moderated by Castle Media CEO Ru Ediriwira.

    There will be a presentation from BROADPEAK business development manager Hervé Creff, on "Keeping control of HDMI1 with Android TV Operator Tier – the "super-aggregator" approach."

    This will be followed by a panel discussion on how to transform the TV broadcast sector to fuel growth – what are the key issues facing the industry and how can more transparency and discipline be injected into it? PwC partner and leader Raman Kalra, Elara Capital VP – research analyst (media) Karan Taurani, KPMG India partner Girish Menon and BBC News head of distribution – South Asia Sunil Joshi will participate in a panel discussion to be moderated by SBICAP Securities head of equity research Rajiv Sharma.

    Local cable operators also constitute an important link in the TV broadcast value chain in India. Despite the presence of strong DTH players like Tata and Bharti Airtel and the rise of OTT, as much as 65 per cent of TV homes in India are still connected through these local cable operators, as per TRAI estimates. Maharashtra Cable Operators Federation (MCOF) president Arvind Ramesh Prabhoo and IndusInd Media and Communication COO Rouse Koshy will participate in a panel discussion on how has the role of the LCO changed under the new regulatory framework and its significance going forward.

    The rise of some of the Free to Air (FTA) channels in the post NTO environment has been another prominent feature of 2019. To discuss the roadmap ahead for FTA channels, there will be a panel discussion in which SAB Group CEO Manav Dhanda, Enterr10 TV MD – Fakt Marathi Shirish Pattanshetty, IN10 Media COO Akul Tripathi, 9X Media chief revenue officer Pawan Jailkhani and Shemaroo Entertainment COO Kranti Gada will participate.

    To discuss the role of the internet in the broadcast industry, there will be a fireside chat between Anil Wanvari and Jio Fiber president Anuj Jain. The summit will end with a panel discussion on the role of the internet in video distribution in which Google Industry head media and entertainment Sandeep Ramesh, Jio VP – advertising and strategy Mohit Kapoor, COAI Director General Rajan S Mathews, ZEE5 chief revenue officer and business head Taranjeet Singh and MediaKind head of marketing – APAC Chiranjeev Singh will participate.

  • VBS 2019 to focus on post NTO environment, relevance of cable and rise of internet

    VBS 2019 to focus on post NTO environment, relevance of cable and rise of internet

    MUMBAI: The year 2019 has fundamentally changed Indian TV broadcast industry. The long-awaited New Tariff Order (NTO) was finally greenlit in February, forcing broadcast networks, DTH players and cable operators to move to a new tariff regime. However, even as TV broadcasters and distribution platforms were adjusting to the NTO, TRAI floated a new consultation paper on tariffs in August, causing further uncertainty and disruption in the already volatile market.

    Amidst this flux and all-around uncertainty, Indiantelevision.com is bringing together stalwarts from the industry on a platform that dissects the various issues at the heart of the NTO, how it’s impacting broadcasters and distributors, changes proposed to it and why broadcasters are unhappy with TRAI for floating a new consultation paper within six months of NTO.

    The initiative is called Video and Broadband Summit (IDOS in its earlier avatar) to be held at Mumbai on 11 December. Leaders from DTH, cable and broadband, broadcast, regulatory bodies, and technology segments will discuss the state of the industry, address issues and find solutions.

    After a keynote address by Anil Wanvari, founder Indiantelevision.com, doyens of broadcast industry and distribution platforms like IndiaCast Media Distribution President Amit Arora, Star India Distribution President Gurjeev Singh Kapoor, IndusInd Media and Communications CEO Vynsley Fernandes, GTPL Hathway VP Yatin Gupta, The Remediation Company founder Shyamala Venkatachalam and Bhima Riddhi Digital Services promoter Nagesh Narayandas Chhabria will discuss the TRAI consultation paper on tariffs in a panel discussion to be moderated by Elara Capital VP Karan Taurani.

    While TRAI has faced a barrage of criticism from industry players for the new consultation paper, it’s important to note that distributors (DTH, LCOs and MSOs) and broadcasters, both have very different grievances from TRAI. While broadcasters are nearly unanimous that TRAI should not disallow them from creating bouquets, nor impose a discount cap on these bouquets – two of the key issues discussed in the TRAI consultation paper – among the cable distributors there is a general consensus that broadcast networks have indeed misused their freedom to create bouquets by offering unlimited discounts on these packs. Distributors are also unhappy with the discounting cap imposed for them but not for the broadcasters.

    Even the recent Open House Discussion, organised by TRAI at Delhi in October, failed to resolve the issue or bring together broadcast networks and distributors on the same page. VBS 2019 provides yet another opportunity for broadcasters and distributors, two of the key constituents of the media and entertainment industry, to deliberate on these issues in a rapidly changing regulatory framework.

    To oversee and participate in these deliberations, there will be TRAI Advisor Arvind Kumar, who will also address the gathering and will bring some much-needed clarity on TRAI future course of action on the consultation paper for which it received nearly 300 comments from broadcast networks, DTH, LCOs and MSOs, as well as from ordinary consumers.

    To give the perspective of distributors on how the NTO, and the expected amendments to it, affected their businesses, there will be a panel discussion in which SITI Networks CEO Anil Malhotra, GC member of SCTE India Shaji Mathews, Fastway Transmissions Consultant Peeush Mahajan and Bhima Riddhi Digital Services Promoter Nagesh Narayandas Chhabria will participate.

    Advertising industry is at the other end of the spectrum, the other big sector that had to adjust to post NTO environment. To discuss the advertisers' view and their take on the dynamic pay-TV landscape, there will be Godrej head media services Subha Sreenivasan Iyer, ITC PR and media head Jaikishin Chhaproo and Havas Media Group managing partner West & South Kunal Jamaur. They will participate in a panel discussion to be moderated by Castle Media CEO Ru Ediriwira.

    There will also be a presentation from Broadpeak business development manager Hervé Creff, on "Keeping control of HDMI1 with Android TV Operator Tier – the "super-aggregator" approach."

    This will be followed by a panel discussion on how to transform the TV broadcast sector to fuel growth – what are the key issues facing the industry and how can more transparency and discipline be injected into it? PwC partner and leader Raman Kalra, Elara Capital VP – research analyst (media) Karan Taurani, KPMG India partner, head-media and entertainment Girish Menon and BBC News head of distribution – South Asia Sunil Joshi will participate in a panel discussion to be moderated by SBICAP Securities head of equity research Rajiv Sharma.

    Local cable operators also constitute an important link in the TV broadcast value chain in India. Despite the presence of strong DTH players like Tata and Bharti Airtel and the rise of OTT, as much as 65 per cent of TV homes in India are still connected through these local cable operators, as per TRAI estimates. Maharashtra Cable Operators Federation (MCOF) president Arvind Ramesh Prabhoo and IndusInd Media and Communication COO Rouse Koshy will participate in a panel discussion on how has the role of the LCO changed under the new regulatory framework and its significance going forward.

    The rise of some of the Free to Air (FTA) channels in the post NTO environment has been another prominent feature of 2019. To discuss the roadmap ahead for FTA channels, there will be a panel discussion in which SAB Group CEO Manav Dhanda, Enterr10 TV MD – Fakt Marathi Shirish Pattanshetty, Republic Media Group CEO Vikas Khanchandani, 9X Media chief revenue officer Pawan Jailkhani and Shemaroo Entertainment COO Kranti Gada will participate.

    There will also be a presentation by Romil Ramgarhia, COO, BARC India will also do a presentation on ‘TV viewership trends in post NTO era,’ and will share with the audience the changing dynamics of TV industry since the NTO. Has TV viewership declined post NTO, are people subscribing to more or less channels post NTO, has the NTO benefitted FTA channels will be some of the themes Romil will take in his presentation.

    Internet has emerged as another prominent distributor in the broadcast industry. Not only have OTT players emerged as challengers to broadcast networks, but also Reliance Jio Fiber is partnering with LCOs and MSOs to deliver video broadcast services. A string of channels are now also available on OTT platforms.

    To discuss the role of the internet in the broadcast industry, there will be a fireside chat between Anil Wanvari and Jio Fiber president Anuj Jain. The summit will end with a panel discussion on the role of the internet in video distribution in which Google Industry head media and entertainment Sandeep Ramesh, Jio VP – advertising and strategy Mohit Kapoor, COAI director General Rajan S Mathews, ZEE5 chief revenue officer and business head Taranjeet Singh and MediaKind head of marketing – APAC Chiranjeev Singh will participate. 

  • Video and Broadband Summit 2019 to discuss way forward with NTO & changing digital landscape

    Video and Broadband Summit 2019 to discuss way forward with NTO & changing digital landscape

    MUMBAI: How is the new tariff order (NTO) impacting the broadcast and video distribution landscape in India? How can broadcast networks effectively partner with LCOs and MSOs to successfully navigate the post-NTO environment? These are some of the key themes which will be discussed at the Video and Broadband Summit 2019.

    Running in its sixteenth year, the summit will be held in Mumbai on 11 December and will bring together stalwarts from television broadcasting, internet and distribution sectors under one roof to discuss and deliberate key issues facing the sector and recognise the accomplishments of key stakeholders.

    Over the last one-and-a-half-decades, VBS (earlier IDOS) has grown to become India's definitive Pay-TV and video distribution get together. However, this year’s summit is critical given that 2019 has witnessed some of the most fundamental changes in the pay TV and broadcast industry.

    While, on the one side TV networks, LCOs, MSOs and DTH players are still adjusting to the fundamental changes introduced by the NTO – described by many as the most significant reform in broadcast TV in decades – on the other, India has seen exponential growth of OTT players. Together, these changes will fundamentally alter how Indians consume entertainment in the years to come.

    If these changes were not enough in themselves, the telecom and internet distribution sectors are also undergoing fundamental changes. While, the entry of Reliance Jio Fibre has not proved to be the ultimate disruptor industry experts were expecting it to be, the recent Supreme Court ruling on the AGR (adjusted gross revenue) issue, asking telecom companies to pay Rs 92,000 crore has considerably dampened the industry sentiment and can negatively affect their ability to raise funds for broadband, network expansion and digital India.

    Not surprisingly, since the Supreme Court ruling, all major telecom operators in India, ranging from Airtel, Vodafone Idea and Reliance have announced mobile tariff charge hikes by as much as 20 per cent. Given that Airtel and Reliance are also deeply entrenched in providing broadband services, any tariff hike can impact broadband penetration as well.

    The delegate profile for this year’s VBS is a reflection of the concerns facing the industry. As many as 60 per cent of the participants in this year’s VBS will be LCOs, MSOs and distributors, while 15 per cent delegates will be coming from broadcast networks including Star India – also a summit partner. Significantly, 25 per cent of the delegates this year will come from telecom, broadband, technology and data platforms. Without doubt, apart from getting the industry perspective on various issues ailing the industry as well as future opportunities, the summit will also provide an excellent opportunity for networking between the various stakeholders in the media and entertainment industry.

    Some of the key sessions in the summit will be:

    • Free To Air: The roadmap ahead
    • NTO: The future roadmap; TRAI consultation paper and how will the amendments to the existing tariffs play out?
    • Transforming the sector to fuel growth: What are the key issues facing the sector? How can more transparency and discipline be injected into it?
    • The distribution challenge: How are distribution companies innovating to stay ahead of the curve? What measures are they adopting to counter relentless disruption?
    • Internet: The changing role in video distribution
    • Role of the LCO: How has the role of the LCO changed under the new regulatory framework and its significance going forward? 
    • The advertisers’ view: Advertisers’’ view on dynamic Pay-TV landscape and how AdEx is likely to fare going forward with more changes anticipated to the NTO.

    To discuss all these relevant issues, the summit has also lined up a distinguished panel of more than two dozen speakers. Among them are:

    The VBS summit is an initiative of Indiantelevision.com. Started in 2000 by media and television analyst Anil Wanvari, Indiantelevision.com is the first online information and interactive service focusing on the Indian television and media business. Indiantelevision.com organises close to a dozen events every year, among them are The Indian Telly Awards, Tele-Wise Tamil, Media HR Summit, Brandvid Awards, Vidnet, The Indian Telly Technical Awards, and The Content Hub.
     

  • MSO applicants seek approval status in OHM

    MSO applicants seek approval status in OHM

    MUMBAI: Five MSO applicants and registered MSOs participated in an open house meeting to ascertain the status of their MSO application for grant of registration along with other queries.

    Representatives from TJ  Cable Network, World Phone Infrastructure Services, Haur Cable Network, Lamjingba Times Pvt Ltd, Yadav Cable Network were present in the meeting.

    Representatives from TJ Cable Network raised a query regarding change of entity from proprietorship firm to partnership firm and asked whether it is possible to transfer MSO registration from proprietor to partnership. But such a change is not possible since there is no such provision in the CTN Act.

    The representative of applicant MSO World Phone Infrastructure Services informed about the status of the application and were told that their application is under examination in the DAS Section of the Ministry.

    In addition to that, the  representatives of Haur Cable Network, Lamjingba Times  Pvt Ltd, Yadav  Cable  Network  mentioned  were informed about the  status of their applications that is under scrutiny in  the DAS section and security clearance from  MHA awaited. 

  • MCOF’s Arvind Prabhu on post-NTO era, LCO concerns, OTT regulation

    MCOF’s Arvind Prabhu on post-NTO era, LCO concerns, OTT regulation

    The cable and broadcasting ecosystem started the year 2019 with a disruption – the new tariff order (NTO). With the implementation of NTO, the most dissatisfied section of the ecosystem was local cable operators (LCO) as they found the revenue-share business model would make their survival difficult which caused massive protests from LCOs. As months passed, the turmoil settled, but the ecosystem is yet to benefit from NTO, according to Maharashtra Cable Operators Foundation (MCOF) president Arvind Prabhu.

    In an interview with Indiantelevision.com, Prabhu spoke on major challenges faced by the ecosystem after NTO, how the industry evolved post-NTO, how LCOs can survive in the future with upgradation in technologies amid OTT onslaught, etc. Prabhu will also share his insights on the current state of industry at Indiantelevision.com's Video and Broadband Summit 2019, India's definitive Pay-TV and video distribution get together. 

    Edited excerpts:

    Has the industry settled down after the NTO was implemented?

    The industry has settled down but not the benefits of the NTO as envisaged by TRAI within the ecosystem. Consumers are not getting the benefits of the NTO. So the actual implementation of NTO is still found pending.

    What are the major changes you noticed post-NTO?

    What we would like to highlight is that because of the lack of proper implementation, the consumer is still not getting his choice of channels. There has been an increase in the monthly rates and we still feel the transparency is not there. The transparency which was required is still not there. Also, earlier there were two TV sets in households. Now, the second TV is still not active in post- NTO era. Only the primary TV set has been activated in the new tariff order. So, almost 20-25 per cent of our connections have still not activated.

    Initially, local cable operators showed strong disagreement to the revenue sharing model with MSOs. Has the situation changed?

    The situation has still not changed. The local cable operators (LCOs) are still not happy, especially with the network capacity fee (NCF) factor. We are still demanding the entire NCF should be given to LMO. So, the sharing with the broadcasters, the sharing of 80-20 is still not agreeable to us. There was an open-house discussion recently where lots of suggestions were given, therefore we are awaiting that to come.

    If the model does not change, have you thought of alternatives to prevent the loss?

    The revenue share model has to change. It looks like the broadcasters are going to be reducing the charges. Earlier, we thought broadcasters inflated their charges. From Rs 19 to they have gone down to Rs 12. Obviously, the ARPU is going down. If the ARPU is going down, then the revenue share also needs to be relooked and everyone in the ecosystem has to survive. If the cable operators do not get their fixed price, then they would not be able to survive. We are seeing a lot of cooperative head-ends coming up, a lot of infrastructure-sharing happening. But traditional TV is also now aligning with telcos. BSNL has opened its doors to providing its services as also Reliance Jio. There is going to be a little bit of turmoil in the market. The traditional linear viewing is changing.

    What are the other major concerns of LCOs?

    ,One of the major problem is who is the owner of the set-top box. Even today, the set-top box is given by the MSOs to LCO at Rs 1,150 or Rs 1,200. The receipt they are giving is the installation charge. As per TRAI, the installation charge is Rs 300 and registration charge is Rs 100. So, they cannot charge more than Rs 400 at any case. But they are giving the box at Rs 1,150 and saying it's installation charge. This is a violation of GST they are doing and the ultimate ownership of the box is still a question mark because the Multi-System Operators (MSOs) are taking money from LMOs, keeping the money to themselves, getting the depreciation themselves and also not paying GST.

    Also, the grievance is we are not given the choice to choose the channel that a consumer wants. As a consumer, I should have freedom of choice. But the DPOs are selling their packs, broadcasters selling their packs. I have no mechanism where I can sell my own packs. So, these all are part of NTO that was supposed to happen and that has not happened and the  tariff has gone up. So, now we are at a cross-roads.

    If you ask me whether NTO is a good thing, I will say NTO is a very good thing. It is bringing a lot of transparency, it gives equitable revenue to everyone but broadcasters and MSOs both are flouting the rules. Broadcasters are still doing fixed fee deals and MSOs are still not giving the actual audits. TRAI had also mentioned consumers be offered both prepaid and postpaid options. Now, as an LMO, LCO I am a consumer to the DPO. I have only got a prepaid option whereas my consumer is postpaid. So, what has happened is the entire liquidity of cable operators goes into prepaid mode whereas when the MSOs have to make the content  payment they make, they are easily getting three months of payment difference. So, basically MSOs are sitting on  cash. They are under-reporting to broadcasters, they have done fixed fee deals, they are not paying broadcasters also on time but they are taking prepaid from cable operators for the entire universe. The MSOs are benefitting more than anybody else.

    During the first phase of NTO implementation, a large number of consumers complained against LCOs for not giving a-la-carte channels? Why did this occur?

    Again, there was no awareness then. LCOs cannot give a-la-carte channels. Who gives a-la-carte channels? It is an MSO who has to facilitate the LCO to pass on the a-la-carte channels. MSOs are not giving a-la-carte channels, only DPO packages or the broadcaster packages. Earlier consumers were not getting that facility. Now, consumers thought the LCOs were not giving. Unfortunately, MSOs were not doing their duties and cable operators were facing the wrath of customers.

    As LCOs work on-the-ground, they are generally aware of consumer feedback. Do they think consumers are happy with the new price regime?

    Few consumers are very very dissatisfied because we are forcing packages on them and the prices have increased. Few of them – who were very very smart and educated and understood –  are very very happy with what is happening. A lot of awareness needs to happen. True pictures will emerge when we allow  consumers to select the a-la-carte channels. By and large, the ratio is 50-50.

    There are other changes in the ecosystem as well. How the OTT onslaught is affecting LCOs?

    OTT is making a lot of inroads. That is one of the points we are trying to make to TRAI that they have to bring OTT under this ambit. Because you are seeing a channel which is Rs 90 on cable or IPTV or DTH, on OTT it's available for free. And most of the people are now watching on their handheld devices. If they are getting all their entertainment and sports on an OTT platform that is not charged, it is not fair. It has to be charged and it has to be brought under regulation.

    Has Jio’s entry impacted the LCOs?

    Not much. Because they are struggling to reach a critical point. The pricing they have done also is quite affordable for LCOs to match and at Rs 699 for their basic internet charges, you know only cable operators can match those. Not much but it can be a threat.

    Why did LCOs lose a huge amount of subscribers during this phase?

    25-30 per cent of second  TV set owners may have gone to OTT or IPTV or they are not just renewing. They are finding it a luxury. Earlier they could get two TV sets coonections in Rs 300-400. Now, it's going to Rs 800-1000.

    With all the changes in technology, the emergence of new players, how do you foresee long-term future of LCOs?

    Those LCOs who upgrade themselves and do FTTH, will survive in the long run. Those LCOs who are not upgrading and think they will only do what they were doing and not invest in infrastructure, they will vanish. 

  • InDigital announces ESOPs for local cable operators

    InDigital announces ESOPs for local cable operators

    MUMBAI: Diwali is a time for celebration and in keeping with the spirit, business partners and local cable operators (LCOs) of InDigital, the digital cable network and NXT Digital, the HITS or Headend-In-The-Sky network of the Hinduja Group’s media vertical were in for a pleasant surprise.

    In a Diwali message via video to distributors and LCOs across the country, Hinduja Group of Companies chairman Ashok P Hinduja announced, “With the smart turnaround of the media business, the time has come for distributing the shareholding in the form of designing equity based plans to LCOs; as LCOs are the foundation on which the business has been built and every LCO must consider the company as his own. The scheme is currently under development.” He further expressed his immense satisfaction in seeing so many LCOs transform into business-persons of stature and success.

    This move is expected to help transform the cable landscape in the country and give a fillip to the LCOs who have been associated with the digital platforms of the Hinduja Group – some for nearly 24 years, the time the cable TV business was instituted.

    Reacting to the announcement, Ashok Singh, a long-time business partner and distributor in Mumbai said, “This announcement continues to reflect the culture and the long-standing commitment of the Hinduja Group to the thousands of LCOs who are part of the cable distribution business, across the country.” Akram Khan, an LCO, who has also been associated with the Group for over two decades reiterated, “We have always known the Hinduja Group to stand by us, especially when we faced challenges; and this announcement shows that the Hinduja Group continues to put its pariwar of LCOs always first. We are delighted to hear this!”

    Hinduja also went on to allay LCO fears that LCOs should not fear competition. Instead, they should feel proud that they are a part of a unique, boutique company delivering quality and differentiated services to customers and should focus on ensuring that they provide the highest levels of customer service.

    He also went on to announce a special scheme for LCOs to expand their business and become direct selling agents of various products and services of the group on a fee-based model; with full training and other support from the group to be launched soon. This initiative of the group is expected to help especially smaller LCOs in semi-urban and rural markets, diversify their revenue streams and help them leverage and monetise their relationships with their customer, even more effectively.

  • All India Digital Cable Federation welcomes festive promotion by broadcasters

    All India Digital Cable Federation welcomes festive promotion by broadcasters

    MUMBAI: While All India Digital Cable Federation (AIDCF) in association with its LCO operator partners always strives to deliver better services to consumers, the federation has welcomed festive promotion by broadcasters offering a discount on select a-la carte channels. AIDCF hopes that such promotional schemes from broadcasters will continue.

    “We from AIDCF commit that we will ensure all such benefits are passed to the consumers. We also hope that new consumer offers will come which will help in boosting consumption,” the federation said in a release.

    Already, voluntarily AIDCF has announced its members will include 150 SD channels instead of 100 SD channels for those subscribers who renew on or before the due date. The decision by AIDCF members resulted in savings of Rs 40 in NCF charges for cable TV customers. AIDCF is looking forward to similar consumer-friendly steps from its broadcaster partners.

    “We thank TRAI for the relentless pursuit to empower TV consumers and give consumers power of choice. To follow the spirit of NTO, cable operators enabled true customer choice by providing each customer choice to select any combination. Today, millions of unique plans are provided by cable operators despite all technical challenges. This is true consumer choice and level of customization is unmatched by any industry in India” AIDCF president SN Sharma said in a press conference.

    AIDCF thanked its LCO partners for continuing to service customers for past 25 years. The federation also pointed out that the operator partners have always upheld the consumer service and successfully seen so many transitions- right from the analogue era to digitization to post NTO world today and they intend to keep this partnership going strong for future. AIDCF also noted that LCO community has been working very hard in helping implement the new NTO and enabling the consumer to choose channels as per her wish.

    All members of AIDCF are pushing all boundaries and plan to announce new packages at attractive price points to offer superior value to subscribers. A few months experience with customer choice data post-NTO have enabled the MSO to create newer packages servicing customer specific needs in a better way by evolving packages.

  • GTPL Hathway posts consolidated revenue of Rs 4,470 mn in Q2 2020

    GTPL Hathway posts consolidated revenue of Rs 4,470 mn in Q2 2020

    MUMBAI: Gujarat-based multi system operator (MSO) GTPL Hathway has posted consolidated revenue of Rs 4,470 million (ex EPC contract) for the quarter ended 30 September, which increased 41 per cent year-over-year. While the cable TV subscription revenue stood at Rs 2,608 million, broadband revenue stood at Rs 398 million.

    The company posted a consolidated net profit (ex EPC contract) of Rs 195 million for the quarter and the EBITDA increased 5 per cent to Rs 1,156 million . Subscription revenue reached Rs 2,608 million, up 47 per cent year-over-year.

    “GTPL continued to demonstrate superior business and financial performance in the second quarter of FY20. GTPL’s cutting edge technology allows us to expand our CATV business in other regions without any major CAPEX. Our robust cash flow will not only support our capital expenditure plan that is required but also will help us in reducing our debts,” GTPL Hathway MD Anirudhsinhji Jadeja commented on the performance.

    GTPL Hathway seeded 200,000 STBs during the second quarter FY20, taking total seeded STBs as on 30 September to 9.90 million. Digital paying subscribers as on 30 September 2019 stood at 7.25 million, increased by 150,000.

    During Q2 FY20, the company added 260,000 home pass taking it to total 2.92 million as of 30 September. The MSO added 15,000 net broadband subscribers during Q2 and 11,000 FTTX subscribers while the broadband average revenue per user (ARPU) for Q2 FY20 was maintained at Rs 415.

  • GTPL Hathway appoints Anil Bothra as CFO

    GTPL Hathway appoints Anil Bothra as CFO

    MUMBAI: GTPL Hathway Ltd has appointed Anil Bothra as its chief financial officer with effect from 14 October 2019.

    Bothra is a chartered accountant, company secretary and a cost accountant who brings with him rich experience in finance & commercial domain across different industries. Bothra has successfully managed diverse and challenging assignments across the career spanning 24 years and brings expertise in driving accounts, taxation, commercial, corporate finance, cost control, budgeting, internal control & audit, investors relations, merger and acquisitions, due diligence and corporate planning.

    Bothra has worked with Atul Ltd, Shell Hazira, Adani Enterprises, Aditya Birla Group (Grasim / Hindalco & Ultratech) and Lloyds Steels. Prior to joining GTPL, Bothra was associated with Grasim Industries Ltd.

     “I am delighted to welcome Anil Bothra as our CFO. Bothra carries deep knowledge in all areas across finance & commercial and his experience will be very valuable for the Company. He will be a great addition to the leadership team, and he will play a pivotal role in our growth journey,” GTPL Hathway managing director Anirudhsinh Jadeja said.

     “I am delighted to be a part of the amazing growth story of GTPL Hathway, one of India’s largest multi system operator. I look forward to being part of the GTPL Hathway’s journey to enhance stakeholders’ value,”  Bothra commented.

  • Harmonic Introduces Powerful New Analytics-Driven Service for Cable Operators

    Harmonic Introduces Powerful New Analytics-Driven Service for Cable Operators

    SAN JOSE, Calif. – Harmonic (NASDAQ: HLIT) today announced CableOS™ Central, a new AI-enabled service that features data analytics, 24/7 operational support and engagement tools for cable operators. Designed to complement Harmonic's CableOS virtualized CMTS solution, CableOS Central provides operators with an intelligent and customizable way to proactively identify and address technical issues and network capacity opportunities, enabling delivery of superior-quality internet, voice and video services.

    "While we were originally drawn to Harmonic's CableOS solution because it enabled faster broadband while addressing critical space and power requirements, access to the network data provided by this solution has been a real game-changer for our operations," said Rick Mlcek, president of shared services at Buckeye Broadband.

    "CableOS deployments continue to gain momentum, and Harmonic is once again breaking barriers with its new CableOS Central service," said Gil Katz, senior vice president, Cable Access Business Operations, at Harmonic. "Leveraging the rich data analytics available through our platform, CableOS Central is a powerful new service enabling operators to predict and address issues before they become service-affecting. As operators continue to roll out scalable gigabit broadband services and provide advanced entertainment, business and home-security service offerings, CableOS Central is essential for delivering exceptional quality of service."

    Harmonic's CableOS Central service is composed of three service pillars: Data Analytics, Operations and Engagement Portal.

    CableOS Central Data Analytics service continuously collects, synthesizes and presents network data through a modern set of real-time dashboards, smart alerts and notifications, enabling unprecedented service visibility. Unlike legacy cable data monitoring systems that periodically report the health of only a few network elements, the CableOS platform provides rich real-time data spanning the network physical layer, from data-center servers to remote devices, access network performance parameters and application traffic patterns.

    CableOS Central Operations features a 24/7 team of cable access and networking experts, augmented by an innovative AI toolset. This team complements operators' existing network operations centers by continuously analyzing data from CableOS Central Data Analytics, detecting and diagnosing issues, predicting future problems and assisting with configurations and upgrades.

    CableOS Central Engagement Portal enables operators worldwide to quickly and efficiently engage directly with Harmonic. It is a state-of-the-art connected platform that provides operators with powerful tools for case planning, calendars, software downloads, product and deployment documentation and event management.

    Harmonic will demonstrate its CableOS Central service at the SCTE Cable-Tec Expo, Oct. 1-3, in New Orleans at Booth 247. Further information about Harmonic and the company's solutions is available at www.harmonicinc.com.