ITV

Category: People

  • Govt. earns Rs 11.45 billion from FM channels: year-end review report

    Govt. earns Rs 11.45 billion from FM channels: year-end review report

    NEW DELHI: The government has earned revenue of Rs 11.45 billion from the successful bidding of 280 FM (frequency modulation) channels during the year through ‘One Time Entry Fee’ (OTEF) and migration fee, according to a year-end review of the information and broadcasting ministry. In all, 337 channels across 91 cities in the country were put on bidding.

    Allotment of frequencies has already been made for all eligible 245 channels. A total of 44 private FM radio channels have already become operational while others are in the various stages of getting set up. With the completion of this phase, a total of 266 FM radio stations will be functional all over the country.

    The ministry claims that the step is expected to revolutionise the field of radio infotainment, offer employment opportunities to the youths in smaller towns/cities all over the country, provide a boost to local programming and promote culture and heritage.

    The review claims that the ministry initiated several policy measures and operational steps to smoothen the flow of information to the media as well as to the public at large during the year.While private radio stations throughout the country are set to usher in a revolution in the radio infotainment, policy on setting up of community radio has been liberalised to facilitate communities and non-profit organisations in this field. Public information campaigns were launched all over the country to empower the rural masses with information and the where withal of availing benefits under various schemes undertaken by the government.

    According to the new Audio Visual Advertisement Policy, ministries/departments are no longer obliged to advertise on Prasar Bharati channels if they want to advertise on private channels. While making media plans, sufficient weightage is to be given to regional channels. Broad distribution of advertisements in monetary terms will now be 70 per cent for national channels and 30 per cent for regional channels.

  • 188 AIR stations/offices to be computerised in 2006-07

    188 AIR stations/offices to be computerised in 2006-07

    MUMBAI: The Government has proposed to computerise Akashvani Kendras for providing better services. For computerisation of AIR stations/offices there are two schemes under 10 Plan namely Scheme (I) and Scheme (II)

    Under Scheme (I) computerisation of 38 AIR stations not having computers which has a provision of 68 desktop computers with peripherals at an estimated cost of Rs. 41 million. This scheme has already been implemented.

    Under Scheme II – Computerisation of 188 AIR stations/offices has a provision of 414 desktop computers with peripherals and networking at an estimated cost of Rs. 390 million. This scheme is likely to be implemented during the year 2006-07.

    This Information was given by Minister of Information and Broadcasting and Parliamentary Affairs, P R Dasmunsi in written reply to a question in Lok Sabha.

  • UK regulator institutes total ban on junk food ads around kids shows

    UK regulator institutes total ban on junk food ads around kids shows

    MUMBAI : Indian broadcasters riled that India is moving too fast from “unregulated to over-regulated”, might consider trying to digest this piece of news. UK’s broadcast regulator Ofcom has announced a total ban on junk food and drink advertisements in and around all programmes of particular appeal to children under 16, broadcast at any time of day or night on any channel.

    The “significant restrictions” Ofcom is planning to introduce in Britain is intended to limit children’s exposure to television advertising of food and drink products high in fat, salt and sugar.

    The new rules would come into effect from the end of March 2007. Restrictions would be phased in over 24 months to the end of 2008. Ofcom will review the effectiveness and scope of new restrictions in autumn 2008.

    In addition to general content rules requiring responsible advertising to all children at all times, Ofcom has also put forward new rules on the content of advertisements targeted at primary school children. These rules would ban the use of celebrities and characters licensed from third-parties (such as cartoons), promotional claims (such as free gifts) and health or nutrition claims.

    All restrictions on product advertising will apply equally to product sponsorship.

    The restrictions would apply to all broadcasters licensed by Ofcom and based in the UK, including international broadcasters transmitting from the UK to audiences overseas.

    Ofcom has estimated that the impact on total broadcast revenues would be up to £39m per year, falling to around £23m as broadcasters mitigate revenue loss over time. The commercial public service broadcasters (ITV plc, GMTV, Channel 4, and five) could lose up to 0.7% of their total revenues. Children’s and youth-oriented cable and satellite channels could lose up to 8.8% of their total revenues; up to 15% of total revenues in the case of dedicated children’s channels.

    While TV and advertising industries have called the new rules draconian, consumer groups have slammed Ofcom as having “caved in to the powerful food and advertising lobby” and not going far enough on the matter.

    Sustain, an alliance of over 300 organizations in the UK that campaign for better food, have said a 9 pm watershed for junk food advertising was the “only way” to tackle childhood obesity.

  • Government issues CAS notification; CAS in 3 metros by 31 December

    Government issues CAS notification; CAS in 3 metros by 31 December

    MUMBAI: The government today issued a notification setting 31 December, 2006 as the deadline for the three metros of Delhi, Mumbai and Kolkata to be be fully “CAS delivered”.

    The notification honours a commitment made to the Delhi High Court which on 20 July had ordered that CAS (conditional access systems) should be introduced in all three metros on or before 1 January 2007.

    The court, in its order had also made clear its resolve not to allow further delays in the matter, declaring that all pending and any new issues related to CAS raised by the government would be taken up only after the CAS’ implementation deadline of 31 December 2006. Accordingly, it set the next date of hearing on the matter for 10 January 2007.

    The notification states: “In exercise of the powers conferred by sub-section (1) of section 4A, read with section 9 of the Cable Television Networks (Regulation) Act, 1995 (7 of 1995), the Central Government, having been satisfied that it is necessary in the public interest so to do, and having regard to the aforesaid order dated the 20th July, 2006 of the Hon’ble High Court of Delhi, hereby notifies 31st December, 2006 as the date from which it shall be mandatory for every cable operator to transmit or re-transmit programmes of every pay channel through an addressable system in the areas notified by the Government of India in the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting vide number S.O. 792(E) dated the 10th July, 2003.”

    The areas that fall under the CAS notification are the Kolkata Metropolitan areas, the areas covered by the Municipal Council of Greater Mumbai and the National Capital Region of Delhi.

    MSOs and independent cable operators will have to work out commercial agreements with broadcasters including fixing of channel rates. Said SET Discovery Ltd president Anuj Gandhi, “Now the focus will be on MSOs to show their preparedness for CAS. We hope to be ready with our rates in the next three months. By setting 1 January as the deadline, we will have to compress the time frame a bit.”

  • B’cast Bill likely to skip domestic content clause for English movie channels

    B’cast Bill likely to skip domestic content clause for English movie channels

    NEW DELHI: The government is likely to exempt English movie channels from sourcing 15 per cent of their total weekly programming from India.

    “We realize that not enough of English movies are made in India and mandating such sourcing of films from India for English movie channels would be difficult,” an official of the information and broadcasting ministry has told Indiantelevision.com.

    This would mean that the likes of Star Movies, HBO, Zee Studio, MGM and TCM (the last two are available on Dish TV’s DTH service) can breathe easy.

    The draft Broadcasting Bill 2006 had said that all TV channels should source from India 15 per cent of their total content broadcast every week.

    For Indian channels, dishing out primarily Indian entertainment programmes, this clause in the draft Bill should not cause much of a problem, but for foreign news and kids channels (Cartoon Network, BBC, Disney, etc) and niche ones like Discovery Travel and Living, Animax, it would mean reworking programming line ups.

    Channels like Animax, Disney, Toon Disney, Cartoon Network and Pogo would have to make more programmes in India or source them from here, which is not done up to the proposed 15 per cent.

    The government official explained that the proposed clause, which is based on similar laws elsewhere in the world, was more aimed towards addressing the concerns of the Indian animation industry.

    A section of the growing Indian animation industry, led by some big companies, had petitioned the government some months ago that foreign channels, especially kids’, should be directed to source a certain quantum of their programming from India.

    However, the government doesn’t propose to specify the quality of sourced programmes as and when the Broadcast Bill is enacted into a law. “That’s up to a respective channel to decide,” the official said.

    Even foreign news channels like BBC, CNN and Euro News need not worry unnecessarily.

    The proposed 15 per cent local programming does not mean live news, as had been envisaged buy some channels.

    It could be in the form of even current affairs pro

  • No sole sport rights to Doordarshan: Govt

    No sole sport rights to Doordarshan: Govt

    NEW DELHI: The Indian government today clarified that it was not working towards a mechanism to give pubcaster Doordarshan the sole rights to sporting events in the country.

    The government, however, has issued an order on 5 April 2006 that mandates live feeds of a number of specified sporting events of national importance held in India or abroad to be shared with Prasar Bharati by private broadcasters.

    In case of cricket events, these shall include all matches featuring India and the finals and semi finals of international events, information and broadcasting minister Priya Ranjan Dasmunsi informed Lok Sabha (Lower House of Parliament) today.

    He also said that the government has no proposal to set up a regulatory authority to monitor and regulate earnings through telecasting of sporting events.

    However, the government is contemplating establishment of an autonomous authority to regulate the broadcasting sector.

    The minister, however, did not give any time frame to bring about legislation to regulate the broadcasting sector. Earlier, Dasmunsi had said that his ministry was working towards introducing a Broadcasting Bill in Parliament in the monsoon session, which started on24 July.

    Severe criticism of a draft Bill, doing the rounds of various ministries for feedback on it, has prompted the I&B ministry for the moment from not listing it on the agenda of Parliament’s present session that will close on 30 August.