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Category: Regulators

  • MIB gets a new additional secretary – Ali Raza Rizvi

    MIB gets a new additional secretary – Ali Raza Rizvi

    NEW DELHI: Senior Indian Administrative Officer Ali Raza Rizvi, a 1988 batch officer from the Himachal Pradesh cadre, has been transferred as the additional secretary and financial advisor to the information and broadcasting ministry.

    Rizvi had, in the third week of July this year, been asked to join as the chairman and managing director of the National Mineral Development Corporation at the rank of additional secretary, which stands cancelled, now. He had been the joint secretary in the commerce ministry till that order came in, and was at present was the additional secretary in the same ministry.

    Prior to joining the commerce ministry, he had been the joint secretary in the health ministry.

  • MIB show-causes MSOs on incomplete digitisation info

    MIB show-causes MSOs on incomplete digitisation info

    NEW DELHI: Ministry of Information and Broadcasting (MIB) has issued show-cause notices to those MSOs who have failed to provide digitization details to the government, including the number of boxes seeded in their areas of operation.

    Quoting earlier government directives, MIB told the errant MSOs today in an official note that they had not submitted details of their headends, subscriber management system, number of mandatory TV channels being carried on their networks, apart from the total number of boxes seeded in the market. This information was to have been uploaded by MSOs at a designated place earmarked by MIB.

    “Whereas you have failed to furnish the said details to the Ministry within the stipulated time frame…why not your MSO registration be terminated/canceled?” the government has asked, directing the MSOs to provide the details within 15 days from 31 August 2017.

    Officially, the whole country was deemed digital on 1 April 2017, but in private both the government and industry stakeholders opine that pockets of analog TV distribution still persist and boxes are still being seeded in phase IV areas comprising small towns and villages primarily in rural areas and India’s hinterland.

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

  • Net neutrality: TRAI recommendations likely to keep Indian context in mind

    Net neutrality: TRAI recommendations likely to keep Indian context in mind

    NEW DELHI: Telecom regulator TRAI which said it is expected to issue recommendations on the controversial issue of net neutrality in about a month, however, may define it more in the Indian context.

    “All stakeholders are actively participating in this (net neutrality) debate. I think TRAI should be able to give appropriate recommendation to the government, which they have asked for,” PTI quoted TRAI chairman RS Sharma as telling reporters here on the sidelines of an open house discussion on the issue. Asked for a timeline for recommendations, he said: “It should not take more than a month.” 

    At today’s open house, lasting several hours, many additional ideas and theories were thrown up at the regulator with participants bringing in issues like IoT (internet of things) and operating systems’ capabilities to block content in the context of net neutrality. For the records, there’s no one single definition of NN that is used globally and many regions and countries define it largely in the context of their nation. 

    The base rate of 2G mobile internet were over 500 times high at Rs 10,000 per GB approximately compared to around Rs 175-180 that companies were charging for 1 GB on the same network under a scheme.

    The debate further heated up after Airtel and social media firm Facebook separately launched free internet platforms. These platforms were banned by TRAI in February 2016.

    ALSO READ:

    TRAI’s final recommendations on net neutrality likely by September

  • Broadcast biz ease exercise progresses, TRAI expects conclusive ideas by 11 Sept

    Broadcast biz ease exercise progresses, TRAI expects conclusive ideas by 11 Sept

    NEW DELHI: More time has been given by the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India for stakeholders to respond to its consultation paper issued last month on the ease of doing broadcast business.

    Stakeholders can send in their comments by 11 September and counter-comments by 18 September 2017 to the paper of 31 August based on views received by it on 19 April’s pre-consultation paper.

    The paper was issued noting that a business-friendly environment is a pre-requisite for the growth of a nation and makes a country a favorite business destination particularly with the fast changing regulatory framework for the media and entertainment sector. Seventeen questions were raised by TRAI.

    Noting that the media and entertainment sector in India is one of the fastest growing sectors, TRAI noted that it not only leads to employment generation but also helps in the growth and development of an economy.

    The economic liberalisation measures initiated in the early 1990s had focused on reduction of regulatory burden on enterprises as an underlying objective of the reform process. The government has launched an ambitious programme of regulatory reforms aimed at making it easier to do business in India. The programme aims at pinpointing the bottlenecks and ease them to create a more business-friendly environment. The efforts have yielded some results with India ranked at 130 according to the World Bank’s “Doing Business” report. But, there is still huge scope for further improvements.

    TRAI notes that the IMF has titled India as the brightest spot in the global economy. Several global institutions have projected India as the leading destination for FDI, and a number of recent global reports and assessments, show that India has considerably improved its policies, practices and economic profile. It is expected that enabling policies and determination to continue with economic reforms, various initiatives taken by the government such as ‘Make in India,’ Smart City Mission, Skill India Mission, Digital India, etc. would further spur the growth of the economy.

    The pre-consultation paper on the “Ease of Doing Business” in broadcasting which covered all media came just a few months after a similar paper on telecom. In the new era of convergence, the two sectors are expected to complement each other.
     
    The aim is also to remove entry barriers by laying down well-defined and transparent procedures and processes thereby creating level playing field and competition in the sector and to facilitate innovation and technology adoption for providing better quality of services to the consumers to steer further growth of the sector by attracting investment through investor friendly policies 

    Subjects to be covered are related to processes and procedures for obtaining permission/ license/ registration for the following broadcasting services and subsequent compliances connected with these permissions. The fields include:

    (a) Uplinking of TV channels 
    (b) Downlinking of TV channels 
    (c) Teleport services 
    (d) Direct-to-home services 
    (e) Private FM services 
    (f) Headend-in-the sky services 
    (g) Local Cable Operators 
    (h) Multi System Operators 
    (i) Community Radio Stations 

    Also read:

    TRAI seeks conclusive views on ease of doing broadcast biz

    TRAI begins work on data protection and government’s role

  • TRAI QoS implementation stayed by Delhi HC awaiting Madras HC verdict

    TRAI QoS implementation stayed by Delhi HC awaiting Madras HC verdict

    MUMBAI: The Delhi High Court has stayed TRAI’s QoS regulations till the time the Madras High Court gives its judgement in TRAI tariff order case.

    Earlier, joining issues with a petition being heard by the Supreme Court on a similar matter, the Madras High Court had, three weeks ago, directed the federal government to clarify on the existing regulatory setup governing contents aired by television channels in India. The Supreme Court is hearing a similar case and has enquired from the central government whether it had a proper mechanism in place to regulate TV content.

    Prior to that, the Madras HC had, on 31 July, reserved orders on the Star India-Vijay TV challenge to the jurisdiction of TRAI to issue tariff orders.  The court received a compliance report from its registry that all parties had filed their written submissions.

    In the most recent development, the Delhi High Court bench, comprising acting chief justice Gita Mittal and justice C Hari Shankar, stated that it would wait for the verdict of the Madras High Court in relation to the tariff order dispute before deciding on the prayers of Tata Sky and Bharti Telemedia. Till that time, the implementation of TRAI tariff order, interconnect regulations and QoS (quality of service) and  consumer protection regulations would not be effected.

    The two companies had questioned the validity of the QoS.

    ALSO READ :

    Star India-TRAI jurisdiction case to come up in Madras HC today

    Govt rules out TV channel categorisation (updated)

    TRAI can only regulate transmission, not broadcast material: Star tells Mds HC

    SC stays new TRAI tariff, asks Madras HC to complete hearing in four weeks

  • Broadcast media sector FDI norms see minor tweaks in govt’s fresh announcement

    Broadcast media sector FDI norms see minor tweaks in govt’s fresh announcement

    NEW DELHI: The government of India yesterday issued a comprehensive FDI policy for various sectors where a slight change has been noticed in the media sector from what had already been announced in June 2016. Now, 100 per cent FDI is allowed in cable TV and HITS under automatic route for both digital and non-digital carriage services.

    For those segments of the media where automatic FDI approval is not granted and a government okay is needed, it would now be the nodal ministry — Ministry of Information and Broadcasting (MIB) — that would be responsible for the green signal instead of Commerce Ministry’s Foreign Investment Promotion Board, a division that has been now dismantled as part of government’s bid to make easy doing business in India.

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    FDI in broadcast carriage services like teleports, DTH, cable networks (both MSOs and LCOs for DAS and non-DAS areas), mobile TV, headend-in-the-sky broadcasting service (HITS) is 100 per cent under automatic route.

    The foreign investment limit (FDI) in terrestrial broadcasting of FM Radio and up-linking of news and current affairs TV channels remain at 49 per cent subject to government approval. Up-linking and downlinking of non-news and current affairs TV channels continue to be 100 per cent under automatic route.

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    Publishing of newspaper and periodicals dealing with news and current affairs  and publication of Indian editions of foreign magazines dealing with news and current affairs have a 26 per cent FDI limit subject to government approval.

    The head of an MSO company, on condition of anonymity, said it’s slightly confusing as to why it has been stated that 100 per cent FDI is allowed for carriage services like cable TV and HITS in both digital and non-digital areas  under automatic route.

    Though the government is of the opinion that 100 per cent digitization has been achieved in the country, broadcast carriage industry (MSOs and LCOs) insist there analog pockets in the country persist as set-top-boxes are still being seeded in small towns and rural areas.

    The government has also notified — most of it reiteration of earlier policy decision — detailed conditions for the broadcast media and they can be viewed at http://dipp.nic.in/sites/default/files/CFPC_2017_FINAL_RELEASED_28.8.17.pdf:

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    Radical changes in FDI regime; Most sectors on automatic FDI route

    I&B Sector brings in over $1.25 billion  FDI between October 2014 and May 2016

     

     

     

  • TDSAT ‘no’ to stay Star Bharat launch, DPO payments subject to adjudication

    TDSAT ‘no’ to stay Star Bharat launch, DPO payments subject to adjudication

    NEW DELHI: Even as it declined to stay or restrain the launch of Life OK channel as Star Bharat, the Telecom Disputes Settlement and Appellate Tribunal (TDSAT) yesterday said the amounts paid to the distribution platform operators or DPOs will be subject to the final orders of the tribunal.

    The bench, comprising TDSAT chairman Shiva Keerti Singh and members B B Srivastava and A K Bhargava, observed that the agreements between broadcaster Star India and DPOs Dish TV and Videocon d2h (both entities in the process of merging) will continue to operate and the cost being offered by the broadcaster cannot be reduced unilaterally.

    While Star India was given four weeks to reply, the two DTH platforms were asked to file their counter-affidavits too. Thus, the next hearing may come up some time in October 2017.

    The tribunal said if it is proved that the presence of Star Bharat on Prasar Bharati’s free to air DTH platform FreeDish is tantamount to the channel’s conversion from pay to FTA, then both Dish TV and Videocon d2h will be entitled a refund from Star.

    Star India had contended that merely making a channel available on FreeDish platform does not tantamount to a conversion in the nature of the channel for which the DPOs are being charged.

    Dish TV and Videocon d2h had moved the tribunal earlier this week alleging that Star India was converting its pay channel Life OK into a FTA network by putting the rebranded channel (Star Bharat) on FreeDish platform without informing the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI). In its defense before the court, Star India responded by saying that “we are only rebranding” and not “converting our pay channel” into FTA.

    Interestingly, this petition came just two days after Essel/Zee Group’s Dish TV had sent a letter to the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, Indian cricket board BCCI, TRAI and monopoly watchdog Competition Commission of India. In the letter Dish MD Jawahar Goel had alleged that Star was trying to create a monopoly over cricket broadcast rights in the country, a move that would be detrimental for all stakeholders, including consumers who would ultimately dish out more subscription money to watch cricket on telly.

    To buttress his arrangements, Goel had contended that Star had even challenged rge sector regulator TRAI’s jurisdiction to fix tariff charges — a case that’s pending before the Madras High Court.

    ALSO READ:

    Dish TV moves TDSAT against Star Life OK name change & turning FTA

    Dish TV shoots off letter to IBF; alleges discrimination by b’casters, OTT platforms

    Jawahar Goel raises alarm of emerging Star cricket monopoly (updated)

     

  • TRAI & Malaysian counterpart announce collaboration

    TRAI & Malaysian counterpart announce collaboration

    NEW DELHI: The Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) and the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC) have agreed to exchange information and regulatory best practices in the fields of broadcasting and telecommunications, including new and emerging areas.

    A Letter of Intent (Lol) was signed by the TRAI chairman R S Sharma and MCMC chairman Halim Shafie in the presence of the Malaysian high commissioner to India Hidayat Abdul Hamid. This historic agreement would help both the regulators to work closely in enhancing mutual cooperation and bilateral relations.

    The signing of this agreement assumes significance for both India and Malaysia as both countries can learn from each other.

    The other activities planned under the agreement to promote international and technical cooperation between the two organizations are:

    Exchange, deployment and attachment of experts, including but not limited to during bilateral consultations;

    Jointly conducting capacity building exercises in the fields of broadcasting and telecommunications regulation;

    Collaboration in various international forums including but not limited to the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), Asia-Pacific Telecommunity (APT) and International Telecommunication Union (ITU); and

    Any other forms of cooperation that are mutually agreed upon by the Parties in the fields of broadcasting and telecommunications regulation.

  • Training programme on collaboration among digital societies commences in capital

    Training programme on collaboration among digital societies commences in capital

    NEW DELHI: Delegates from 24 countries are participating in a training programme on “Collaborative Regulation for Digital Societies” being hosted by the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI).

    Teleom Disputes Settlement and Appellate Tribunal Chairman Justice Shiva Kirti Singh inaugurated the programme organized between 23 and 25 August 2017 by TRAI jointly with International Telecommunication Union (ITU) on ‘Collaborative regulation for digital societies.’

    The delegates are particularly from the Asia-Pacific region. Besides, this training programme is being attended by large number of domestic participants representing various stakeholders such as government departments, telecom service providers, telecom vendors, academia etc.

    This ITU-TRAI International Training Programme 2017 aims to build skills to address the policy and regulatory issues in the emerging era beyond convergence of telecommunications and information technology. The Programme will highlight the building blocks required to ensure that regulatory measures remain relevant and appropriate for the new environment. It will bring together international experiences in this area with a focus on India’s experiences and the lessons learnt.

    The theme of this training programme is extremely relevant for all the economies worldwide. Collaborative regulation in ICT sector has various facets. In the converged ICT era, the physical boundaries would cease to exist. The seamless communication would transcend across geographical boundaries and therefore requires fine tuning of existing regulations. The Cloud computing technologies has made revolutionary trends in data storage and management.  The need for developing ecosystems for launch of new services has become inevitable.   With ever increasing subscriber base, there is a great need for optimum utilization of available spectrum through harmonization. With technological development, the task of harmonization of spectrum has become much easier and has become important.

    Cross sectoral collaboration is one of the most important aspects of regulating ICT sector. Governments should aim to improve coordination across regulators for the ultimate benefit of consumers and for coherent and consistent economic regulations across different sectors. Collaboration of regulators with researchers and academicians is another aspect of ICT regulations. Collaborative regulations can result in significant benefits for competition and the economy as a whole if working synergies are created through ongoing dialogue and regulatory cooperation.

    This three day training programme has been divided into 12 sessions and each session will be dealing with pertinent issues related to regulation of digital societies. The sessions will deal with topics such as ‘Regulatory approaches for smart societies’, ‘Converged Licensing Regime’, ‘Spectrum Planning and Management – Strategies for SG’, ‘Building Trust in Digital World’,  ‘Internet  of Things (loT)/Machine  to Machine (M2M) Communications’ etc. This training programme will assist in building institutional capacity by sharing experiences and successful case studies for potential collaboration in all these areas.

  • SC show cause to BCCI: Why Lodha panel recommendations not implemented

    SC show cause to BCCI: Why Lodha panel recommendations not implemented

    MUMBAI: The Supreme Court has issued a show-cause notice to BCCI acting secretary Amitabh Chaudhary to explain as to why its order on the Justice R M Lodha committee recommendations has not yet been implemented. 

    A three-judge bench headed by Justice Dipak Misra was told by the apex court-appointed Committee of Administrators (COA) that none of the Lodha panel recommendations or the court’s directions have been implemented. 

    Senior advocate Gopal Subramanium, assisting the court as amicus curiae, said that three BCCI office-bearers — C K Khanna, Amitabh Chaudhary and Anirudh Chaudhary, were the persons responsible for implementing the recommendations and the court’s directions. The trio has been asked to personally appear in the court on 19 September.

    Taking into account the court’s order dated 2 January that ousted Anurag Thakur and Ajay Shirke from their board positions, the CoA requested the bench for the removal of Choudhary, Chaudhry and Khanna.

    In the absence of a working committee, the CoA noted, administrators and not the office-bearers were needed to be given the authority to manage the board’s affairs. 

    In a landmark judgment on 18 July, 2016, the apex court had approved majority of the recommendations put forth by the committee led by retired chief justice RM Lodha. The BCCI was given a deadline of six months to implement the accepted reforms.

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