ITV

Category: Cable TV

  • Hathway Cable & Datacom reports improved numbers for Q2-18

    Hathway Cable & Datacom reports improved numbers for Q2-18

    BENGALURU: The demerged Hathway Cable and Datacom Limited (Hathway) reported standalone profit before tax (PBT) of Rs 140.1 million for the quarter ended 30 September 2017 (Q2-18,current quarter) as compared PBT of Rs 100.3 million in the immediate trailing quarter Q1-18 (q-o-q). It may be noted that Hathway’s numbers for Q2-17 include both cable television and broadband numbers and hence cannot be compared with Q2-18 revenues that include only broadband revenue. Hence, Hathways numbers for the current quarter have been compared to its numbers from the immediate trailing quarter Q1-18 (quarter ended 30 June 2017)

    Hathway’s total revenue of Rs 1,370.8 million for the current quarter was 5.5 percent more q-o-q than Rs 1,299.4 million. Revenue from operations in Q2-18 was 1.7 percent higher q-o-q at Rs 1311.5 million than Rs 1290 million.

    Hathway’s total comprehensible income (TCI) for the current quarter was a little more than half (lower by 49.1 percent) q-o-q at Rs 139.8 million as compared to Rs 274.6 million on account of exceptional items that had increased TCI in Q1-18 by Rs 1713 million. Simple operating EBIDTA for Q2-18 at Rs 526.6 million was 7.6 percent higher q-o-q than Rs 489.4 million.

    Hathway’s total expenditure in the current quarter increased 2.6 percent q-o-q to Rs 1,230.7 million from Rs 1,199.1 million. Finance costs in the current quarter increased 17.1 percent q-o-q to Rs 201.9 million from Rs 172.4 million. Employee benefits expense in Q2-18 increased 18.3 percent q-o-q to Rs 105.3 million from Rs 89 million. Other operational expenses in the current quarter increased 6.8 percent q-o-q to Rs 328.9 million from Rs 307.9 million. Other expenses reduced 13.1 percent in Q2-18 to Rs 350.7 million from Rs 403.7 million.

  • Broadcasters, DPOs to crack down on piracy, analogue transmission

    Broadcasters, DPOs to crack down on piracy, analogue transmission

    NEW DELHI: There is general agreement among broadcasters and delivery platform operators including direct to home (DTH) as well as digital cable operators that a joint industry task force should be set up to check and report cases of piracy in the third and fourth phases of digital addressable system (DAS).

    There was general consensus that certain states – particularly Andhra Pradesh and Telengana – had high levels of pirated material on local television channels.

    Such were the thorny issues being discussed in a meeting held between the All India Digital Cable Operators Federation and the DTH Operators with the Indian Broadcasting Foundation (IBF) on Wednesday.

    As senior AIDCF member Ashok Mansukhani said that it was more appropriate for the stakeholders to meet in this manner than in courts of law.

    Among others, the meeting was addressed by IBF President Punit Goenka, Jawahar Goel of Dish TV, AIDCF President Rajan Gupta and senior office-bearer S N Sharma.

    Goel said there was an attempt by Punjab and other states to bring back what he termed as the ‘inspector raj’ by imposition of local taxes. Furthermore, he said broadcasters were free to give content to OTT or YouTube, but this should not be live as it would directly hit the DPOs like the DTH players and digital cable operators.

    The larger multi-system operators (MSO) said the inefficient handling of piracy by broadcasters was the cause of their suffering. Broadcasters neglect to take actiom against operators carrying analogue signal. There are small MSOs who do not have CAS & SMS system and do not follow TRAI QoS guidelines so broadcasters should refrain from giving content to them. Hence a joint industry task force should be made to raid such operators / MSOs and initiate legal action against those operators. The News Broadcasters Association should also be made part of this.

    Issues were also raised relating to OTT, Doordarshan’s FreeDish, and Reliance Jio and the DPOs alleged that providing signals to these entities led to huge losses to the digital cable and DPOs.

    Answering various question in a presentation, Goenka said OTT rights and digital cable rights were two different issues and should not be confused. OTT was an interactive and on-demand platform and in any case was never free being part of a subscription bandwidth. Thus this should not be compared with other platforms.

    YouTube content are only the ones that have already been broadcast and therefore, there was no conflict of interest. He denied any concessions to Reliance Jio and said it was in fact paying more than digital cable.

    He expressed concern by the Jio announcement that its mobile phone could receive the signals of not only new LCD/LED television sets but also the old sets. AIDCF said that this would bring Jio under TRAI’s regulations.

    Goenka said he will advise IBF members to take up the issue with OTT providers, especially Reliance Jio. In any case, he said the present contracts forbid such activity.

    He said broadcasters are not offering OTT content on television screen by connecting Reliance Jio phone through a cable and they prohibit such an activity. But agreeing with the concern of the AIDCF, he said this would be rigorously monitored and action will be taken in case there is any violation.

    Referring to the AIDCF charge that pay channels were being given as Free to Air (FTA) to Doordarshan’s FreeDish after paying huge carriage fees, Goenka said that broadcasters like Star and Sony are offering paid live content free on Freedish but with a time lag of one year. He agreed that this should be implemented across all genres and it should be completely free to all platforms.

    He said that in any case digital cable had more channels than FreeDish which primarily comprised FTA channels and so it was unreasonable to compare the two especially as the content was also being provided to digital cable operators.

    The speakers from AIDCF said MSOs have invested around Rs 200 billion in digitisation and are yet to get the return on their investment. This is primarily on account of the growth in rates that the broadcasters demand every year. Hence it was now the question of viability and survival of the MSOs that broadcasters should come out with their MRP based pricing.

     

  • Sidhu’s cable, DTH tax plan gets Punjab cabinet nod

    Sidhu’s cable, DTH tax plan gets Punjab cabinet nod

    MUMBAI: Entertainment lately seems to be affected the most with one tax after another — the GST and tax on watching television programmes. Now, in a ‘blow’ to local cable network companies, entertainment tax will be levied on DTH and cable connections in Punjab. DTH operators however will now have a level playing field with the cable networks. 

    State local bodies minister Navjot Singh Sidhu told the cabinet that the nominal tax would ensure accountability on the part of cable operators.

    After the introduction of GST from 1 July, 2017, the tax levied by the state government had been withdrawn. The state cabinet has however approved levying of the tax through panchayats and municipalities through an amendment proposed in the next session of the Vidhan Sabha where it has the two-thirds majority, PTI reported.

    No entertainment tax, however, has been proposed for cinemas, multiplexes and amusement parks.

    The urban and rural bodies will now be allowed to impose and collect a nominal tax of Rs 5 per DTH connection and Rs 2 per local cable connection per month with the enactment of ‘The Punjab Entertainments & Amusements Taxes (Levy & Collection by Local Bodies) Bill 2017.’

    With around 44 lakh cable connections and 16 lakh DTH in Punjab, the bodies are expected to collect Rs 450-470 million (approximately Rs 369 million and Rs 96 million, respectively).

    Sidhu had been alleging tax evasions by Fastway Network, a company linked to the previous dispensation. In August, the minister had urged the CM’s office to take a call on the recovery of allegedly evaded tax of Rs 200 billion from Fastway.

    Also Read:

    Probe Punjab ‘cable mafia,’ demands minister, Fastway refutes charges

    Punjab Govt falters in first leg of breaking cable monopoly

    Punjab govt. studying Arasu & other regulatory models on distribution 

  • Digital cable federation AIDCF secy-gen Saharsh Damani quits

    Digital cable federation AIDCF secy-gen Saharsh Damani quits

    NEW DELHI: Saharsh Damani has decided to move on and put in his papers as the founder secretary-general of the All-India Digital Cable Welfare Federation. However, his resignation will be effective by October-end.

    During his tenure, Damani played a crucial role in steering negotiations with the government and TRAI and on the cable tariff case in Tamil Nadu where AIDCF was intervener.

    No reason has been given but industry sources said Damani may move out of media and entertainment industry. Prior to joining AIDCF in July 2015, Damani had worked with the Indian Broadcasting Foundation.

    Damani is a professional with around 15 experience in business strategy, strategy consulting, operations, business development, mergers and acquisitions, qualitative / quantitative research, corporate and financial research, competitive intelligence and crisis management. 

    He has expertise in financial planning, innovation and strategic development, business brokerage with wealthy and influential market segment and market intelligence. He is also skilled in designing and implementing strategic plans, project management, new business development, sales and marketing and financial planning.

    Damani has hands-on experience in brand positioning and research from acquisition to exit strategy, directing numerous product introductions, managing business units and creating project teams. He is efficient in developing new markets, reinvent and revitalise operations, and turnarounds using creative approaches. 

    With excellent communications skills with strong analytical, problem solving and organisational abilities, he has a sound exposure of using a large variety of databases.

    Also Read:

    Arasu DAS licence: Stakeholders fear flurry of similar requests & permissions

    DAS: Even official figures show cable TV digitisation is incomplete

  • Arasu digital STB costs Rs 200, govt alerts subs

    Arasu digital STB costs Rs 200, govt alerts subs

    MUMBAI: Government authorities in Tamil Nadu are announcing the basic rate of installing a new STB following complaints by subscribers of the state-owned Arasu Cable TV Corporation that cable operators are charging them around four times the cost. Tirupur operators are reportedly threatening to disconnect the cable services if subscribers do not pay up.

    Tirupur district collector KS Palanisamy stated in a press release that the government had fixed Rs 200 as charges for installing set-top boxes (STBs), which the cable operators were entitled to receive. “If this is violated, those affected should register complaints at toll free number 1800 425 2911,” the Times of India reported.

    A number of subscribers are complaining that cable operators were charging them as much as Rs 700 for installing the free STBs issued by Arasu Cable (TACTV).

    Authorities had declared that the boxes will be installed from 1 September when DAS (digital broadcasting system) was launched. Cable operators however are reportedly threatening the subscribers that if they did not pay by the first week of October, they would disconnect the service.

    A political activist alleged that the cable operators had been providing around half of cable connections without maintaining records. Some cable operators reportedly asked subscribers to buy STBs sold by a private company run by the cable federation, and not the ones issued by Arasu Cable. Such STBs cost around Rs 1,500-Rs 1,700 through which, operators have claimed, more channels could be accessed as compared to Arasu Cable.

  • Hathway Bhawani MD and CEO Sameer Joseph quits

    Hathway Bhawani MD and CEO Sameer Joseph quits

    MUMBAI:  Hathway Bhawani Cabletel and Datacom’s managing director and CEO Sameer Joseph has resigned with immediate effect, that is, 4 October, 2017. 

    With an experience of 20+ years of successful track record in service, financial service, FMCG and telecom industry working with brands like TNT, Coke, Idea, Airtel, Tata & Uninor.

    Joseph had joined Hathway Bhawani in November 2016 as the senior vice-president – operations and managing director. Prior to joining Hathway Bhawani, he worked as the vice-president and national sales and distribution head with Sun Telenor Payment Bank. 

    He also worked with Uninor as the associate vice-president and regional sales and distribution head (north and west ) for six years.

  • Post-DAS, tardy MSO registrations in six months, 14 new additions

    Post-DAS, tardy MSO registrations in six months, 14 new additions

    NEW DELHI: Despite the fact that it is more than six months since the country adopted digital addressable system (DAS) for cable television, the number of multi-system operators (MSOs) has risen by meagre 14 over the last two months to reach 1469 as on 30 September 2017.

    This total reflects poorly against figures given by the ministry of information and broadcasting (MIB) before the DAS Task Force that there are 6,000 MSOs in India.

    The total at the end of July was 1455. In the latest list put on its website on Tuesday, the ministry has noted the cancellation of Live Satellite in Maharashtra. Early this year, the government had said all provisional multi-system operators will be deemed as having regular licence. 

    Unlike last time, there is no separate list of MSOs who have gone to court like Godfather Communication Pvt Ltd of Punjab judgment in the case of which was expected at September-end or of the Tamil Nadu Arasu TV Corporation which has been given time till this week to prove it has switched off analogue signals. The MSO had claimed to have gone digital on 1 September.

    MIB officials had earlier this year told indiantelevision.com that it had been made clear that the provisional licence was subject to the Centre taking a final decision on the recommendation of the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India that no government owned body should be permitted in the field of running or distributing television channels.  TRAI had in 2008, 2012 and 2014 held that state governments and political parties should not be permitted to own TV channels or distribution channels.

    There is a no list of cancelled MSOs or those whose cases have been closed. The figures revealed on 3 August until July-end had given a list of 63 MSOs whose licences were cancelled or cases closed.

    Faced with just less than one month to go before total switch-off of analogue signals, the Government had on 6 March 2017 decided to treat all MSOs as permanent but with condition that the period of ten years commences from the date they got registered as provisional MSOs.

    However, if the continuation of registration of any MSO is at any time found to be or considered detrimental to the security of the State then the registration so granted is liable to be cancelled/suspended, the order placed on the MIB specified. All other terms and conditions depicted in the provisional registration letters will continue to apply.

    Earlier, on 27 January 2017, it had been decided that all registered MSOs are free to operate in any part of the country, irrespective of registration for specified DAS notified areas granted by MIB.

    However, they have to submit the details of headend, SMS, subscribers list and a self-certificate that they are carrying all the mandatory TV Channels, within six months from date of issuance of MSO registration, to MIB, failing which the MSO registration is liable to cancelled/suspended.

    Hence, all deemed regular registered MSOs also are required to submit the details to the Ministry within six months. The ministry list also contains full details of ownership and date of permission including contact details of the MSOs.

    Also read :

    Including Arasu, total number of MSOs goes up to 1376, to ensure DAS implementation

    37 new MSOs in 45 days takes total to 1421, seven among 59 cases sub-judice

    Godfather, Kal, Digi Cable & Intermedia licence cancellation stayed, 50 ‘pan-India’ MSOs’ op area changed

     

  • TN advisory: LCO licences may be cancelled if they bully Arasu subs into buying STBs

    TN advisory: LCO licences may be cancelled if they bully Arasu subs into buying STBs

    MUMBAI: A Tamil Nadu state advisory has informed subscribers of Arasu Cable not to pay money to the local cable operators (LCOs) for set-top boxes (STBs) which are actually being provided to all for free.

    Arasu Cable, as per a state government statement, is the only state-owned undertaking in the country to offer free STBs combined with internet services and digital cable TV, and a three-year warranty.

    Indiantelevision.com had reported that Arasu Cable (TACTV), which had early in September, claimed to have gone digital, was on 25 September asked to “confirm that you have already switched off analogue signals and are carrying only digital encrypted signals on your cable TV network.” In a letter to TACTV, sent by the ministry of information and broadcasting (MIB), the multi-system operator (MSO) was asked to reply within 10 days of issuance of the letter, “failing which your registration is likely to be suspended/revoked.”

    The state advisory, meantime, now has also cautioned subscribers of Tamil Nadu Arasu Cable TV Corporation (TACTV) against buying the STB from private dealers, the Times of India reported. If the LCOs were found to be bullying subscribers into paying for STBs, their licence could be cancelled, the state government has warned.

    The advisory has urged subscribers to report cases where LCOs had asked them to buy STBs from private dealers through the Arasu cable helpline.

    The state government had, a month ago, begun distribution of free STBs among Arasu subscribers. Chief minister Edappadi K Palaniswami had launched the service through the government-owned enterprise after inaugurating MPEG-4 upgraded control room for digital signal transmission.

    Arasu’s approximately 70 lakh subscribers would have access to around 180 channels in digital mode. There will be four packages with monthly subscription between Rs 125 and Rs 275 with option of both free and paid channels.

  • Shaji Mathews appointed as Kerala MSO KCCL CEO

    Shaji Mathews appointed as Kerala MSO KCCL CEO

    MUMBAI: From Gujarat, where he helped steer MSO GTPL towards its IPO, he is now headed back to his home city of Kochi in Kerala. Shaji Mathews has been appointed as the CEO of Kerala Communicators Cable Ltd (KCCL), a leading cable TV and broadband network in Kerala which is a consortium of operators who are shareholders and participate in management.

    An initiative of Kerala’s independent cable operators it works under the guidance of the 4,000 member strong Cable Operators Association ( COA), the main objective of which is to develop Kerala’s cable TV sector by building wider networks, upgrading technology, finding new avenues of activity apart from addressing various issues and challenges before the industry for and on behalf of its members.

    The company is led by the chairman Boobacker Siddique and managing director PP Suresh Kumar.

    KCCL’s website states that these cable operators have cumulatively invested Rs 5 billion in equipment, networking, studios and other infrastructure all over Kerala. The cable operators have a consolidated turnover of Rs 2.5 billion per annum. KCCL has a network capacity of 300 SD channels and 60 HD channels, and provides 240 SD channels and 28 HD channels to its two million digital subscribers.

    “KCCL has been one of the front runners in Kerala on digitisation and has received appreciation from the MIB and TRAI as well,” says Mathews. “The network derives huge strength from the dedicated team of operators who have active participation in the management. It is quite similar to the state my previous company GTPL was when I joined it four years back. While KCCL has completed its digitsation, there is a lot of scope in the area of broadband for which Kerala’s citizens have a huge appetite. My objective is to create a similar success story like GTPL with KCCL as it is poised for rapid growth going forward.”

  • MIB asks Arasu: Give proof of analogue switch-off

    MIB asks Arasu: Give proof of analogue switch-off

    NEW DELHI: The Tamil Nadu Arasu Cable TV Corporation (TACTV), which had early this month claimed to have gone digital, has been asked to “confirm that you have already switched off analogue signals and are carrying only digital encrypted signals on your cable TV network.”

    In a letter to TACTV despatched late in the evening yesterday, the state-owned multi-system operator (Arasu) was told to reply within 10 days of issuance of the letter, “failing which your registration is likely to be suspended/revoked.”

    Copies of the letter have been sent to the police commissioner in Chennai, the secretary in the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI), and the principal secretary in the Tamil Nadu IT Department.

    The letter sent by the under-secretary Anil Kumar in the Digital Addressable Service (DAS) section in the ministry of information and broadcasting said, “Since the date for TACTV to switch over to digital cable service in the state of Tamil Nadu is already over, you are directed to confirm that you have already switched off analogue signals.”

    By the letter of 17 April 2017, the current letter noted, the ministry had granted provisional MSO registration to TACTV to provide cable TV network services with digital addressable system in Tamil Nadu with the condition that it will switch over to digital TV within three months, failing which its registration is likely to be suspended/revoked.

    Thereafter, following a request received from the Tamil Nadu state government seeking a three-month extension, one month extension up to 17 August 2017 was granted.

    TACTV had, on 1 September, announced the launch of its digital operations with the inauguration of upgraded MPEG 4 control room and distribution of free set top boxes to subscribers.

    Tamil Nadu chief minister Edappadi K. Palaniswami launched DAS at Nungambakkam in Chennai. Minister for information technology M Manikandan and the chief secretary Girija Vaidyanathan were also present.

    The distribution of free STBs was a promise made in the last AIADMK party manifesto by the late chief minister J Jayalalithaa. Around seven million Arasu subscribers reportedly got access to 180 channels in digital quality at a monthly subscription of Rs 125.

    The STBs were to be distributed to users through local cable operators who could charge a one-time activation fee of Rs 200. The distribution of free STBs was scheduled to be completed in three months, an official release had stated.

    Meanwhile, the government was yet to take a final decision on repeated reports by TRAI that states, political parties, and religious groups should not be permitted in broadcasting or distribution sectors.

    ALSO READ :

    Arasu gets a month’s extension to go digital

    Arasu to formally launch DAS in Chennai on Sept. 1

    Delayed Arasu DAS starts, 7 mn subs to get 180 channels in Rs 125