ITV

Category: I&B Ministry

  • Govt formalising TV & radio complaints’ redressal mechanism

    NEW DELHI: The government is in the process of formalising the complaint redressal mechanism whereby viewers and listeners can file complaints against programmes they find offensive in television channels or radio stations, the Parliament has been told.

    This follows a judgment delivered on 12 January in the case of Common Cause Vs. UOI and Ors advising the government to formalize the complaint redressal mechanism, the information and broadcasting minister Smriti Zubin Irani said.

    However, she denied any increasing trend in filing of complaints against television channels or radio stations.

    The process of setting up a complaints redressal system includes the period of limitation within which a complaint can be filed and the concerned statutory authority which shall adjudicate upon the same including the appellate and other redressal mechanisms, leading to a final conclusive determination by suitably amending the Cable Television Networks Rules 1994 under the Cable Television Networks (Regulation) Act 1995.

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  • Radio City reports higher revenue & profits for first quarter

    BENGALURU: India FM Radio company Music Broadcast Limited (MBL) or Radio City reported higher revenue and improved profits for the quarter ended 30 June 2017 (Q1-18, current quarter) as compared to the corresponding quarter of the previous year (Q1-17). The company reported 17.3 per cent higher total income for Q1-18 at Rs 703.1 million as compared to Rs 628.4 million in Q1-17. Total comprehensive income (TCI) for Q1-18 increased 42.3 per cent to Rs 108.4 million (14.5 per cent of Total Income) from Rs 76.2 million ((11.9 per cent of Total Income) in Q1-17.

    MBL’s operating profit (EBIDTA inclusive of other income) in the current quarter increased 13.7 per cent to Rs 217.7 million (29 per cent of Total Income) from Rs 191.5 million (30 per cent of Total Income) in the corresponding quarter of the previous year. Profit after Tax or PAT in Q1-18 also increased 42.3 per cent to Rs 108.4 million (14.5 per cent of Total Income) from Rs 76.2 million (11.9 per cent of Total Income) in Q1-17.

    Total Expenditure for Q1-18 increased 11.7 per cent to Rs 584 million (77.9 per cent of Total Income) from Rs 522.7 million (81.8 per cent of Total Income) in Q1-17. Other expense in Q1-18 increased 9.9 per cent to Rs 258.2 million (34.4 per cent of Total Income) from Rs 234.9 million (39.8 percent of Total Income) in the corresponding year ago qurter.

    MBL paid 10.9 per cent more towards license fees for Q1-18 at Rs 51.9 million (6.9 per cent of Total Income) as compared to Rs 46.8 million (7 per cent of Total Income) in Q1-17. Finance Costs in the current quarter declined 5.6 per cent to Rs 38.6 million (5.1 percent of Total Income) from Rs 40.9 million (6.4 per cent of Total Income) in Q1-17. Employee Costs in the current quarter increased 10.4 per cent to Rs 171.3 million (22.8 per cent of Total Income) from Rs 155.2 million (24.3 per cent of Total Income) in the previous year.

    The company added eleven new stations acquired during Phase III auctions. All the 11 stations were operational for the entire quarter with utilization levels in new stations of 25 to 35 per cent. MBL says that 5 out of the 11 new stations were running at more than 30 per cent utilisation levels.

    Company speak

    Commenting on the results MBL director Apurva Purohit, said, “We have been able to deliver margins of approximately 32 per cent and show growth of 16 per cent despite additional operating cost of the new stations. This is because of rate hike in the legacy stations as well as better than expected utilization in the new markets. Our strategy of profitable growth and not bidding high costs for acquisition in Phase III along with maintaining lowest cost per million is delivery results. Going ahead in the future I see better utilization in our new stations supported by increased
    utilization and price hike in our legacy stations. We are confident on maintaining our current level of EBITDA margins
    and achieve our long term goal of profitable leadership.”

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  • TV channels’ failure to start in a yr: 18% permits cancelled

    NEW DELHI: Action is taken whenever a channel which has been given permission to uplink fails to do so within a year, the Parliament has been told.

    Under the roll-out obligations for operationalisation of private satellite TV channels furnished under the clauses 2.5.1 and 3.5.1 of uplinking policy Guidelines 2011 and 5.9 of downlinking policy guidelines 2011, the applicant companies are required to operationalise the permitted TV channels within a year from the date the permission is granted by the MIB.

    Minister of state for information and broadcasting Rajyavardhan Rathore has said that whenever an instance comes to the notice of the ministry where the company fails to fulfil the roll-out obligation, action is taken against the company under the clauses 2.5.2 and 3.5.2 of uplinking guidelines and clause 5.9 of downlinking Guidelines which entails the forfeiture of PBG and cancellation of permissions.

    After the permission for uplinking of a channel is issued by the ministry, the Wireless Planning and Coordination Wing, Department of Telecom, assigns frequency spectrum (bandwidth) to the teleport operators to enable them to uplink such TV channels,  Rathore said.

    The minister said a total number of 1078 permissions had been issued for uplinking and downlinking of private satellite TV channels as on 30 June last, out of which 195 permissions (18 per cent approximately) have been cancelled so far.

    Rathore said the typical value of bandwidth/data rate required to transmit (uplink/downlink) TV channels are calculated in two categories of transmission are:

    TV Broadcasting with platform bit rates per channel (in Mbps)

    Typical

    SDTV with MPEG-2 3

    SDTV with MPEG-4 1.5

    HDTV with MPEG-2 16

    HDTV with MPEG-4 8

     

  • No plan for one-stop broadcast authority at present, says Rathore

    NEW DELHI: The Government has said there was no plan to set up a one-stop regulatory authority to receive complaints against broadcasting of programmes on private radio and television channels in violations of the code, thus ending the practice of self regulation.

    Minister of state for information and broadcasting Rajyavardhan Rathore was answering a question in the Parliament where a member had wanted to know if a single body would be set up to end the practice of self-regulation.

    Meanwhile, ruling out pre-censorship of private TV channels, the minister had last week listed the various steps being taken to prevent violation.

    Rathore had said that under the existing regulatory framework, all programmes and advertisements telecast on private satellite TV channels and transmitted/re-transmitted through the Cable TV network are required to adhere to the Programme and Advertising Codes prescribed under the Cable Television Networks (Regulation) Act, 1995 and Cable Television Network Rules, 1994 framed thereunder.

    The Act prescribes that all programmes and advertisements telecast on such TV channels including regional language channels should be in conformity with the prescribed Programme Code and Advertising Code enshrined in the said Act and the rules framed thereunder, which contain a whole range of parameters to regulate programmes and advertisements including the content aimed at instigating communal violence and fear in the minds of common people on TV channels.

    The Ministry has set up Electronic Media Monitoring Centre (EMMC) to monitor the content telecast on private TV channels with reference to the violation of Programme and Advertising Codes.

    An Inter-Ministerial Committee (IMC) has also been set up in the Ministry to look into the specific complaints or suo-motu take cognizance against the violation of Programme and Advertising Codes. The IMC has representatives from the Ministries of Home Affairs, Defence, External Affairs, Law, Women and Child Development, Health & Family Welfare, Consumer Affairs, Information & Broadcasting and a representative from the industry in Advertising Standards Authority of India (ASCI). The IMC meets periodically and recommends action in respect of violation of Programme and Advertising Codes by private TV channels.

    Apart from this, the Ministry has also issued directions to States to set up District level and State level Monitoring Committees to regulate content telecast on cable TV channels. 

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  • Publicise ‘Mission Indradhanush’ & GST, broadcasters told

    NEW DELHI: All satellite television and private FM channels have been asked by the government to give adequate publicity to ‘Mission Indradhanush’ launched to expand immunisation coverage to all children across India.

    The broadcasters have been asked by the ministry of information and broadcasting to give publicity in a befitting manner pro bono as part of their corporate social responsibility activities, keeping in view the significance and meaningfulness of this cause.

    All private satellite TV channels have also been asked to give adequate publicity to the Goods and Services Tax which became effective on 1 July 2017. The ministry has put on its website some scrolls that can be run by the TV channels.

    The Indradhanush Mission is aimed at children who are either unvaccinated, or are partially vaccinated against seven vaccine preventable diseases which include diphtheria, whooping cough, tetanus, polio, tuberculosis, measles and hepatitis B.

    The Ministry notes that the electronic media has always been in the forefront to carry such message as “it is a powerful tool to reach out to the people across the country.”

    “ln order to make this mission a success, it has been felt that support, assistance and contribution of private TV channels and FM radio channels will be of immense use,” the Ministry has said.

    The notes by Amit Katoch who is director (broadcasting) in the Information and Broadcasting Ministry has said the GST Cell is organising a GST Awareness campaign named ‘Manthan’ and has suggested some scrolls that should be run. 

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  • Govt aiming to reduce ‘copyright process’ time, Star favours reforms to leverage animation & game tech

    MUMBAI: The Indian Government’s priority is to streamline the copyright process and decrease the turnaround time for applications on IPR to less than three months. 

    Star India content studio president Gaurav Banerjee, participating in a discussion, emphasised the need for big-ticket reforms and sustained pace of policy change and control to leverage technological advancements in gaming, animation, design and other creative services.

    Reiterating the need for a well-regulated copyright regime in India, the controller-general of patents, designs and trademark O.P. Gupta said, “DIPP recently assumed the responsibility of (enforcing / implementing)  the Copyright Law.  At present, it takes about 16 to 18 months to close an application or assess discrepancies. We aim at decreasing this pipeline to less than three months.” 

    Gupta was speaking at ‘Copyright and the Creative Economy’ — an interactive session in Mumbai organised by the Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industries (FICCI), in association with Department of Industrial Policy and Promotion (DIPP).”

    The discussions focused on emerging trends and concerns relating to copyright, the capacity of the Indian creative sector to fuel the economic growth along with the role of regulator in rebuilding India’s creative strengths.

    “While the law is in the right direction,” Gupta said, “it is the mindset of the people that needs to evolve. To address this issue the DIPP is proactively taking steps to create awareness. To amicably change mindsets, we are rolling out programmes with school and college children.”

    The size of the Indian creative economy is expected to reach USD 34.8 billion by 2021 (FICCI EY Report – Digital Inflexion Point: Indian Media and Entertainment, 2017). India’s media and entertainment (M&E) industry is set to expand at a faster pace of 10.55 per cent CAGR, outshining the global average of 4.2 per cent CAGR, according to consulting firm PwC. In its annual sector forecast for 2017-2021, PwC said the Indian M&E sector will touch $45.1 billion by 2021, up from $27.3 billion at the end of 2016. 

    This potential can however, can only be tapped if backed by a conducive regulatory framework which incentivises creativity.

    In 2016, the National IPR Policy brought the administration of copyright under the Department of Industrial Policy and Promotion, and highlighted the intrinsic linkages between commercialization, consumer choice and creativity. Most recently, the Copyright Act was amended by the Finance Act, 2017 to subsume the Copyright Board within the Intellectual Property Appellate Board (IPAB), that also oversees aspects of trademark and patents.

    Banerjee emphasised on the need for building a case for authorship. He said, “A platform like ours has the reach of over 700 million users, and the degree of engagement is for over three hours a day. However, what are we making of this opportunity? Rather than treating television and films as fleeting fancies of youngsters, we must create a stable and lucrative model that will enable ‘power of ideas’ and commercial success that is rewarding and sustainable.”  

    FICCI deputy secretary-general Arun Chawla emphasised the need to strike a balance between the access to creative knowledge and entertainment along with rewards for copyright-holders. This need is recognised as a global challenge which has shaken the business models of pre-digital creative industries.

    The Copyright issue poses different degrees of challenges for various sectors with Media and Entertainment (M&E). The industry which is recession proof, and enables over 7.5 million jobs directly and indirectly, is often seen from the narrow lenses of protection against piracy.

    Necessitating an ecosystem approach towards the creative economy’s growth and regulation, wherein the distinctions between content and carriage are delineated and the intrinsic and positive relationship between them is understood by industry and government alike, is still debatable.

    The internet has also emerged as a new area for the enforcement of copyright. Responses to digital piracy like rights information management and encryption have in turn raised several concerns with regards to privacy, cybersecurity and the freedom of speech and expression.

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  • Modify or shift ‘double entendre’ progs, cautions broadcasting council

    NEW DELHI: Action was taken in 18 cases relating to telecast of content of indecency/obscenity/vulgarity in the last three years, the Parliament has been told. This included some general advisories issues by government. The punishment in most cases was a warning or the running of an apology scroll.

    Minister of state for information and broadcastng Rajyavardhan Rathore revealed that there had been no action in 2017.   

    The minister said apart from action taken by government, the Indian Broadcasting Foundation (IBF) had set up a Broadcasting Content Complaints Council (BCCC) to examine the complaints relating to content of television programmes.

    The council had informed the ministry that they have received complaints against usage of double meaning dialogues of sexual nature that might not be suitable for children. In such instances, BCCC has passed directions on case to case basis, either asking the channels to modify/ edit the content, not to repeat the episode, shift it to a late night slot or run an apology scroll on the channel.

    To ensure that the channels do not cross the thin line between comedy and vulgarity, the Council has also issued an advisory on 27 December 2012 to IBF’s member channels to use friendly banters without being derisive to any community, religion and individual.

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  • Govt invites entries for short film competition on ‘disability’

    NEW DELHI: Entries have been invited by the government for a ‘Short Film Competition on Divyangjan Sashaktikaran-2017’ on issues relating to disability;

    The competitive festival is being organized by the Department of Empowerment of Persons with Disabilities (Divyangjan) (DEPwD) of the Social Justice & Empowerment Ministry in association with the Directorate of Film Festivals (DFF).

    The competition is being organised in order to create awareness on Accessible India Campaign and to promote various schemes of DEPwD among common masses. The Department invites entries from common citizens. The participants may submit their entries shot with any electronic devices in HD format only.    

    The last date of submission of application is 8 August 2017. The  applications are invited in three categories viz ‘Short Documentaries’ of  up to  30 minutes duration, ‘Short Films’ of upto 5 minutes duration and ‘TV Spots’ (Television Commercials) of up to 50 seconds.

    The award function will be held tentatively on 21 September 2017 at Siri Fort Auditorium, New Delhi.

    The ‘Short Documentaries’ and ‘TV Spots’ should be based on Accessible India Campaign theme while ‘Short Films’  could be made on various schemes of DEPwD such as  Fellowship and Scholarship; Beneficiaries of Cochlear Implant, Distribution of Assistive Devices and Tri-cycle under Assistance to Disabled Persons for Purchase / Fitting of Aids and Appliances (ADIP Scheme); loan beneficiaries of National Handicapped Finance And Development Corporation (NHFDC); beneficiaries of Accessible Buildings under Scheme for Implementation of Persons with Disabilities Act (SIPDA); beneficiaries of NGOs taking grant –in-aid under Deendayal Disabled Rehabilitation Scheme (DDRS) and various skill development initiatives of the DEPwD for Persons with Disabilities.

    The ‘Short Film Competition on Divyangjan Sashaktikaran-2017’ will carry  First and Second Prize of Rs 5,00,000  and Rs 3,00,000 respectively in ‘Short Documentary’ and ‘TV Spots’  categories while ‘Short Film’ category  will carry only one prize of Rs 4,00,000 for each scheme.

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  • No pre-censorship of TV shows, reiterates MIB

    NEW DELHI: The government today reiterated in the parliament that there is no proposal for any censorship or any rules and norms for private TV channels for broadcasting their pre-recorded programmes.

    The question in the Rajya Sabha were related to pre-recorded programmes or ‘fabricated videos pretending as live telecast.’

    Minister of State for Information and Broadcasting Rajyavardhan Rathore said under the existing regulatory framework, all programmes and advertisements telecast on private satellite TV channels and transmitted/re-transmitted through the Cable TV network are required to adhere to the Programme and Advertising Codes prescribed under the Cable Television Networks (Regulation) Act, 1995 and Cable Television Network Rules, 1994 framed thereunder.

    The Act does not provide for pre-censorship of any programme and advertisement telecast on such TV channels.

    However, it prescribes that all programmes and advertisements telecast on such TV channels including regional language channels should be in conformity with the prescribed Programme Code and Advertising Code enshrined in the said Act and the rules framed thereunder, which contain a whole range of parameters to regulate programmes and advertisements including the content aimed at instigating communal violence and fear in the minds of common people on TV channels.

    Apart from this, this Ministry had issued an Advisory to news and current affairs TV channels on 20 September 2013 advising them to follow the provisions of the Programme Code scrupulously and exercise restraint and sensitivity while reporting such incidents and refrain from telecasting any material which could ignite communal passions and create law and order problem.

    The Ministry has set up Electronic Media Monitoring Centre (EMMC) to monitor the content telecast on private TV channels with reference to the violation of Programme and Advertising Codes.

    An Inter-Ministerial Committee (IMC) has also been set up in the Ministry to look into the specific complaints or suo-motu take cognizance against the violation of Programme and Advertising Codes. The IMC has representatives from the Ministries of Home Affairs, Defence, External Affairs, Law, Women and Child Development, Health & Family Welfare, Consumer Affairs, Information & Broadcasting and a representative from the industry in Advertising Standards Authority of India (ASCI). The IMC meets periodically and recommends action in respect of violation of Programme and Advertising Codes by private TV channels.

    Apart from this, the Ministry has also issued directions to States to set up District level and State level Monitoring Committees to regulate content telecast on cable TV channels.

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  • MIB asks teleport operators to give exact location in 7 days

    NEW DELHI: All teleports operators have been asked by the ministry of information and broadcasting (MIB) to provide information with regard to the exact location of their teleport alongwith the longitude and latitude details.

    This follows the decision of the ministry to prepare a GIS (Geographic Information Systems) Plotting of all teleports permitted by the ministry. Teleports have been asked to furnish the required information within seven days from the date of issue of the notice.

    In March this year, the ministry had reminded all teleports about giving information about television channels uplinked or downlinked by them and warned that permissions other than those in the report of the Teleport Operators will be considered as lapsed and action will be taken to cancel such permissions.

    The ministry said on 17 March that all teleports have to report within 15 days according to the formula attached to the notice on the ministry’s site.

    The ministry had, on 7 January 20I3, directed all the teleport operators having permission for up-linking and down-linking of TV channels to furnish the detailed list of TV Channels being uplinked from their teleport every month.

    The note said: “It has come to the notice of this Ministry that some of the teleport operators are still not furnishing the above monthly report and those who are furnishing the report, the data do not match with the permissions issued by this Ministry for uplinking/downlinking of TV channels from their respective teleports.

    The Ministry had decided that all the teleport operators having permission for up-linking and down-linking of TV channels shall immediately furnish details of the permissions issued by Ministry till date for uplinking/downlinking of TV channels from their teleports in the fixed proforma.

    Teleports who do not give such information will be presumed to be non-functional and action will be initiated for cancellation of the teleport permission.

    “Furnishing this information is mandatory and non-compliance will be construed as violation of the uplinking guidelines,” the Ministry said.

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