ITV

Category: DTH Operator

  • Airtel DTH appoints Mondelez’s Sunil Taldar as CEO & MD

    Airtel DTH appoints Mondelez’s Sunil Taldar as CEO & MD

    MUMBAI: Bharti Airtel has finally got the replacement of Shashi Arora, who after a successful stint of around five years as CEO – DTH, has moved as MD & CEO of Airtel Payments Bank. The company has appointed Sunil Taldar as CEO and director – DTH.

    Taldar will be a member of the Airtel Management Board and report to Bharti Airtel (India & South Asia) MD and CEO Gopal Vittal. In his new role, Taldar will be responsible for driving growth and innovation for Airtel Digital TV, which is a key growth driver within the company’s B2C portfolio.

    Vittal said that Sunil’s rich experience across consumer facing categories would add value to its DTH portfolio. He said would also thank Shashi for his valuable contribution to Airtel Digital TV.

    Taldar has an experience of over 28 years in the FMCG industry with Mondelez (erstwhile Cadbury), where he held several senior leadership positions across multiple geographies, including India, China, and Singapore across sales, marketing, media and general management.

    In his last role, Sunil was the country head – Indonesia for Mondelez, where he played a critical role in turning around the business. Prior to this, he was India sales director for Cadbury where he transformed the company’s go to market capabilities and delivered solid growth.

    Airtel Digital TV had over 12.4 million customers at the end of the quarter ended September 2016 and the business recorded a revenue growth of 21 per cent and customer growth of 17 per cent for the same period.

  • Airtel DTH appoints Mondelez’s Sunil Taldar as CEO & MD

    Airtel DTH appoints Mondelez’s Sunil Taldar as CEO & MD

    MUMBAI: Bharti Airtel has finally got the replacement of Shashi Arora, who after a successful stint of around five years as CEO – DTH, has moved as MD & CEO of Airtel Payments Bank. The company has appointed Sunil Taldar as CEO and director – DTH.

    Taldar will be a member of the Airtel Management Board and report to Bharti Airtel (India & South Asia) MD and CEO Gopal Vittal. In his new role, Taldar will be responsible for driving growth and innovation for Airtel Digital TV, which is a key growth driver within the company’s B2C portfolio.

    Vittal said that Sunil’s rich experience across consumer facing categories would add value to its DTH portfolio. He said would also thank Shashi for his valuable contribution to Airtel Digital TV.

    Taldar has an experience of over 28 years in the FMCG industry with Mondelez (erstwhile Cadbury), where he held several senior leadership positions across multiple geographies, including India, China, and Singapore across sales, marketing, media and general management.

    In his last role, Sunil was the country head – Indonesia for Mondelez, where he played a critical role in turning around the business. Prior to this, he was India sales director for Cadbury where he transformed the company’s go to market capabilities and delivered solid growth.

    Airtel Digital TV had over 12.4 million customers at the end of the quarter ended September 2016 and the business recorded a revenue growth of 21 per cent and customer growth of 17 per cent for the same period.

  • DishTV expands its HD offering

    DishTV expands its HD offering

    MUMBAI: DishTV, has added three new regional HD channels to its HD offerings. With addition of these channels, DishTV encourages regional language subscribers to opt for HD TV viewing in their preferred language such as Marathi and Bangla.

    The newly added channels from DishTV include Zee Marathi HD, Zee Bangla HD and Colors Marathi HD.

    Announcing this new development, DishTV India chief executive officer Arun Kapoor said, “DishTV has always taken the lead in enhancing the value proposition and believes in providing the maximum and the best in entertainment to its subscribers. Our endeavor is to increase affinity with our audiences by providing them the choice of content they would like to watch. With a sharp focus on regional language content, the move aims at connecting strongly with the regional language subscribers. Addition of 3 new regional HD channels will not only strengthen our presence in the HD space but will also diversify our offerings.”

    Having already built a strong connection with the regional audience through their regional channels in HD such as Gemini HD and ETV HD in Telugu, and Sun TV HD, Sun Music HD and KTV HD in Tamil, Zee Talkies HD in Marathi, Colors Kannada HD in Kannada, Colors Bangla HD in Bangla, the addition of three more new channels exemplify DishTV’s commitment to cater to a wide range of viewers in all the regions.

    DishTV’s newly added channels will be available to the subscriber for a free preview till December 28, 2016.

  • DishTV expands its HD offering

    DishTV expands its HD offering

    MUMBAI: DishTV, has added three new regional HD channels to its HD offerings. With addition of these channels, DishTV encourages regional language subscribers to opt for HD TV viewing in their preferred language such as Marathi and Bangla.

    The newly added channels from DishTV include Zee Marathi HD, Zee Bangla HD and Colors Marathi HD.

    Announcing this new development, DishTV India chief executive officer Arun Kapoor said, “DishTV has always taken the lead in enhancing the value proposition and believes in providing the maximum and the best in entertainment to its subscribers. Our endeavor is to increase affinity with our audiences by providing them the choice of content they would like to watch. With a sharp focus on regional language content, the move aims at connecting strongly with the regional language subscribers. Addition of 3 new regional HD channels will not only strengthen our presence in the HD space but will also diversify our offerings.”

    Having already built a strong connection with the regional audience through their regional channels in HD such as Gemini HD and ETV HD in Telugu, and Sun TV HD, Sun Music HD and KTV HD in Tamil, Zee Talkies HD in Marathi, Colors Kannada HD in Kannada, Colors Bangla HD in Bangla, the addition of three more new channels exemplify DishTV’s commitment to cater to a wide range of viewers in all the regions.

    DishTV’s newly added channels will be available to the subscriber for a free preview till December 28, 2016.

  • Essel Group to acquire further 4.95 per cent in Dish TV Videocond2h from Dhoots

    Essel Group to acquire further 4.95 per cent in Dish TV Videocond2h from Dhoots

    MUMBAI: The Essel group today announced that it has agreed with the Dhoot family that it will acquire an additional 4.95 per cent equity of Dish TV Videocon d2h (DTV d2h) – the company being created out of the merger of Dish TV India Ltd (DTIL) and Videocon d2h Ltd (VD2h).

    The additional transaction will take place a day after the merged entity starts trading on the National stock exchanges at the first day’s closing price. The deal will take placed through Essel group company Veena Investments.

    The purchase will see the Essel group’s equity holding in Dish TV Videocon d2h (DTVd2h) go up to 40.95 per cent. The media group’s share of DTVd2h will further rise as it has agreed with the Dhoot family to acquire an additional 4.95 per cent equity shares from it a year after the merged entity starts trading on the NSE. Both will have a window of three months to complete the transaction then.

    The Dhoot family’s equity stake in DTVd2h will fall to 23.05 following the first sale and to 18.1 per cent following the second, while the Essel group’s holding will rise to 45.9 per cent at the end of the second transaction. This clearly indicates who will be in the drivers seat at DTVd2h – Jawahar Goel, the brother of media baron Subhash Chandra.

    The two family groups had earlier this month announced the merger of their two firms which would result in the creation of a pay TV provider with a subscriber base of 27.6 million, making it the second largest in the world just after the US pay TV giant DirecTV and ahead of John Malone’s Charter Communications.

    Pre-merger, the Essel group owns 64.44 per cent equity in DTIL, the Dhoot family owns 51.17 per cent in Vd2h. 35.95 per cent of the latter’s holding is in the hands of overseas depository holders on Nasdaq on which it is listed. The firm is to be delisted from the US exchange and the depositary receipt holders will have the option to directly get shares of DTVd2h or its GDRs as the latter is expected to be listed on the Luxemborg stock exchange apart from the Bombay stock exchange and the NSE.

  • Essel Group to acquire further 4.95 per cent in Dish TV Videocond2h from Dhoots

    Essel Group to acquire further 4.95 per cent in Dish TV Videocond2h from Dhoots

    MUMBAI: The Essel group today announced that it has agreed with the Dhoot family that it will acquire an additional 4.95 per cent equity of Dish TV Videocon d2h (DTV d2h) – the company being created out of the merger of Dish TV India Ltd (DTIL) and Videocon d2h Ltd (VD2h).

    The additional transaction will take place a day after the merged entity starts trading on the National stock exchanges at the first day’s closing price. The deal will take placed through Essel group company Veena Investments.

    The purchase will see the Essel group’s equity holding in Dish TV Videocon d2h (DTVd2h) go up to 40.95 per cent. The media group’s share of DTVd2h will further rise as it has agreed with the Dhoot family to acquire an additional 4.95 per cent equity shares from it a year after the merged entity starts trading on the NSE. Both will have a window of three months to complete the transaction then.

    The Dhoot family’s equity stake in DTVd2h will fall to 23.05 following the first sale and to 18.1 per cent following the second, while the Essel group’s holding will rise to 45.9 per cent at the end of the second transaction. This clearly indicates who will be in the drivers seat at DTVd2h – Jawahar Goel, the brother of media baron Subhash Chandra.

    The two family groups had earlier this month announced the merger of their two firms which would result in the creation of a pay TV provider with a subscriber base of 27.6 million, making it the second largest in the world just after the US pay TV giant DirecTV and ahead of John Malone’s Charter Communications.

    Pre-merger, the Essel group owns 64.44 per cent equity in DTIL, the Dhoot family owns 51.17 per cent in Vd2h. 35.95 per cent of the latter’s holding is in the hands of overseas depository holders on Nasdaq on which it is listed. The firm is to be delisted from the US exchange and the depositary receipt holders will have the option to directly get shares of DTVd2h or its GDRs as the latter is expected to be listed on the Luxemborg stock exchange apart from the Bombay stock exchange and the NSE.

  • Pak DTH: Mag, Shahzad & Star Time to start ops in a year

    Pak DTH: Mag, Shahzad & Star Time to start ops in a year

    MUMBAI: Three direct-to-home (DTH) licences in Pakistan were on Wednesday awarded for a total of PKR 14.694 billion (USD 140 million) by the Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority (PEMRA) as confirmed by its Twitter handle.

    The auction started after Pakistan’s apex court permitted PEMRA to go ahead with the bidding although the Lahore HC had issued a stay on the process.

    The highest bid was raised by Mag Entertainment for PKR 4.91 billion, respectively followed by M/s. Shahzad Sky for PKR 4.90 billion and M/s. Star Time for Rs 4.89 billion, Pakistani newspapers reported. PEMRA issued non-exclusive licences for 15 years to the three companies. The licencees will have to start operations within a year or risk termination.

    PEMRA chairman Absar Alam said the DTH service would not end the cable operators’ business, but would compel them to invest in technology and distribution systems.

    Pakistani DTH services would counter the sale of illegal Indian DTH services in Pakistan, which leads to annual transfer of between US$ 200 million to US$ 350 million to India on account of subscription fee. The DTH services will now give Pakistani consumers a choice against the existing monopoly of cable operators.

    Terming DTH a game-changer, Alam said, it was the biggest investment in Pakistan’s electronic media history. As per estimates and feasibility studies carried out by PEMRA experts, the overall investment, Alam said without explaining, would be US$ 450 million ($ 150 million each) and could reach an additional US$ 750 million in the next two years, newspaper reports stated. Alam said that those estimates did not include the bidding proceeds.

    The DTH service, Alam said, was a state-of-the art technology adding new dimension to the audio-visual content distribution system. The existing analogue system was offering a maximum of 80 channels while the DTH, Alam added, would increase the capacity to around 120 and each local DTH licence holder was expected to have at least 500,000 subscribers.

    Similarly, landing rights will be permitted to foreign channels to come under the local regime, and new local satellite channels will be approved.

    Also read:

    http://www.indiantelevision.com/dth/dth-operator/pak-dth-licence-bidding-stayed-161123

    http://www.indiantelevision.com/dth/dth-operator/pak-to-award-three-dth-licences-on-23-nov-chinese-uae-companies-in-fray-161119

    http://www.indiantelevision.com/dth/dth-services/pemra-announces-dth-licence-bidders-indian-dth-eviction-to-continue-161116

     

  • Pak DTH: Mag, Shahzad & Star Time to start ops in a year

    Pak DTH: Mag, Shahzad & Star Time to start ops in a year

    MUMBAI: Three direct-to-home (DTH) licences in Pakistan were on Wednesday awarded for a total of PKR 14.694 billion (USD 140 million) by the Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority (PEMRA) as confirmed by its Twitter handle.

    The auction started after Pakistan’s apex court permitted PEMRA to go ahead with the bidding although the Lahore HC had issued a stay on the process.

    The highest bid was raised by Mag Entertainment for PKR 4.91 billion, respectively followed by M/s. Shahzad Sky for PKR 4.90 billion and M/s. Star Time for Rs 4.89 billion, Pakistani newspapers reported. PEMRA issued non-exclusive licences for 15 years to the three companies. The licencees will have to start operations within a year or risk termination.

    PEMRA chairman Absar Alam said the DTH service would not end the cable operators’ business, but would compel them to invest in technology and distribution systems.

    Pakistani DTH services would counter the sale of illegal Indian DTH services in Pakistan, which leads to annual transfer of between US$ 200 million to US$ 350 million to India on account of subscription fee. The DTH services will now give Pakistani consumers a choice against the existing monopoly of cable operators.

    Terming DTH a game-changer, Alam said, it was the biggest investment in Pakistan’s electronic media history. As per estimates and feasibility studies carried out by PEMRA experts, the overall investment, Alam said without explaining, would be US$ 450 million ($ 150 million each) and could reach an additional US$ 750 million in the next two years, newspaper reports stated. Alam said that those estimates did not include the bidding proceeds.

    The DTH service, Alam said, was a state-of-the art technology adding new dimension to the audio-visual content distribution system. The existing analogue system was offering a maximum of 80 channels while the DTH, Alam added, would increase the capacity to around 120 and each local DTH licence holder was expected to have at least 500,000 subscribers.

    Similarly, landing rights will be permitted to foreign channels to come under the local regime, and new local satellite channels will be approved.

    Also read:

    http://www.indiantelevision.com/dth/dth-operator/pak-dth-licence-bidding-stayed-161123

    http://www.indiantelevision.com/dth/dth-operator/pak-to-award-three-dth-licences-on-23-nov-chinese-uae-companies-in-fray-161119

    http://www.indiantelevision.com/dth/dth-services/pemra-announces-dth-licence-bidders-indian-dth-eviction-to-continue-161116

     

  • Pak DTH licence bidding stayed

    Pak DTH licence bidding stayed

    MUMBAI: The Lahore High Court reportedly stayed the DTH licence bidding process till a decision on petitions challenging PEMRA rules governing licences is taken.

    A bench headed by Justice Ayesha A. Malik issued the order suspending the DTH (direct-to-home) licence bidding process scheduled for Wednesday, Dawn reported.

    The decision was taken on similar applications filed by the Independent Newspaper Corporation and others.

    The bench had already heard the main case against the Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority (PEMRA) rules on DTH service licences and reserved its judgement.

    Some media companies had questioned the rules terming them discriminatory. They accused PEMRA of not allowing local broadcasters to participate in the bidding. PEMRA had opposed the petitions arguing that a broadcaster could not be a distributor of its own content. It would be a conflict of interests, PEMRA stated.

    Cable operators strike off

    The Cable Operators Association on Tuesday called off its strike following discussion with the minister of state for information Marriyum Aurangzeb and the Pakistan Broadcasters Association.

    COA president Khalid Arain said the government had assured them that their concern over DTH licences the issue would be addressed.

    PBA supports cable operators

    Pakistan Broadcasters Association (PBA) chairman Mian Amir Mehmood has said that a joint committee would negotiate the terms regarding DTH with the government. He said that DTH was unfair to the cable industry and the Pakistani channels.

    If the reservations of Pakistani channels and the cable industry were not resolved, it was also decided in the meeting, the PBA members will not allow PEMRA to telecast its channels on the DTH. The PBA has also assured the cable operators of its support in case of retaliation by PEMRA, the News reported.

    Cable channels subsequently reopened throughout Pakistan.

    Also read

    Cable TV suspended in parts of Pakistan; Senate okays DTH plan

    PEMRA announces DTH licence bidders; Indian DTH eviction to continue

  • Pak DTH licence bidding stayed

    Pak DTH licence bidding stayed

    MUMBAI: The Lahore High Court reportedly stayed the DTH licence bidding process till a decision on petitions challenging PEMRA rules governing licences is taken.

    A bench headed by Justice Ayesha A. Malik issued the order suspending the DTH (direct-to-home) licence bidding process scheduled for Wednesday, Dawn reported.

    The decision was taken on similar applications filed by the Independent Newspaper Corporation and others.

    The bench had already heard the main case against the Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority (PEMRA) rules on DTH service licences and reserved its judgement.

    Some media companies had questioned the rules terming them discriminatory. They accused PEMRA of not allowing local broadcasters to participate in the bidding. PEMRA had opposed the petitions arguing that a broadcaster could not be a distributor of its own content. It would be a conflict of interests, PEMRA stated.

    Cable operators strike off

    The Cable Operators Association on Tuesday called off its strike following discussion with the minister of state for information Marriyum Aurangzeb and the Pakistan Broadcasters Association.

    COA president Khalid Arain said the government had assured them that their concern over DTH licences the issue would be addressed.

    PBA supports cable operators

    Pakistan Broadcasters Association (PBA) chairman Mian Amir Mehmood has said that a joint committee would negotiate the terms regarding DTH with the government. He said that DTH was unfair to the cable industry and the Pakistani channels.

    If the reservations of Pakistani channels and the cable industry were not resolved, it was also decided in the meeting, the PBA members will not allow PEMRA to telecast its channels on the DTH. The PBA has also assured the cable operators of its support in case of retaliation by PEMRA, the News reported.

    Cable channels subsequently reopened throughout Pakistan.

    Also read

    Cable TV suspended in parts of Pakistan; Senate okays DTH plan

    PEMRA announces DTH licence bidders; Indian DTH eviction to continue