ITV

Category: Software

  • DOT extends time for feedback on national telecom policy

    NEW DELHI: The date for receipt of feedback on the draft New Telecom Policy has been extended to 9 December to ‘accord adequate time for wider consultation’.


    According to a press note by the Department of Telecommunications in the Communications and Information Technology Ministry, the draft NTP-2011 was released by Minister Kapil Sibal on 10 October and made available on the website of Department of Telecommunications for inviting feedback, comments and suggestions.
     
    The Policy announced by the Government will aim to ‘address and enable the coordinated action to respond to the dynamic needs resulting from confluence of telecom, broadcasting and IT sectors.’
     
    The aim will be to move towards a Unified Licence regime in order to exploit the attendant benefits of convergence, for which there is already an in-principle acceptance. A migration path will also have to be provided for existing licensees to Unified Licence Regime. 

  • DTH adds 1.6 mn subs in festive month of October

    MUMBAI: Cable operators have got a fresh warning from their DTH rivals, ahead of the digitisation mandate. For the festive month of October, direct-to-home (DTH) operators have mopped up 1.6 million subscribers, the highest monthly mobilisation this fiscal.


    DTH added 2.85 million subscribers during the three-month period ended June. There was a marginal slowdown as the sector collected 2.5 million in the second quarter.


    Videocon has emerged as the leader among the pack, adding 1.8 million subscribers this fiscal as it inches close towards the 5-million mark. 
     
    “We have added 400,000 subscribers in October itself. Being a strong consumer electronics company, our wide dealer network has helped. We have also marketed the product aggressively,” said Videocon d2h chief executive officer Anil Khera.


    Dish TV, India’s largest DTH company in terms of subscriber base, has added 1.735 million this fiscal. While it collected 1.3 million subscribers during the first six months of the fiscal, in October the company added 435,000 new customers. 
     
    Bharti’s Airtel Digital TV had around 400,000 subscribers in October. It collected 1.3 million subscribers in the fiscal’s first two quarters.
    Tata Sky is also among the top four DTH players in terms of new customer additions.


    Ashok Lalla joins Mindshare as leader, digital, South Asia

  • Ashok Lalla joins Mindshare as leader, digital, South Asia

    MUMBAI: GroupM’s flagship media agency Mindshare is strengthening its senior leadership team. The company said Tuesday it has roped in Ashok Lalla as leader, digital for Mindshare, South Asia.


    Based in Mumbai, Lalla will report to Mindshare South Asia leader Ravi Rao.


    Lalla comes with over 18 years of agency and client business experience on brands. He moves from Euro RSCG, where he was president – digital, and worked with several blue-chip clients including Unilever and IBM.


    Earlier, he was director of Internet marketing at Taj Hotels where he led worldwide digital strategy and ecommerce for the hotel chain for nine years.
     
    Mindshare chief client officer R Gowthaman said, “Lalla joins Mindshare at a time when our digital business is well poised to grow manifold, not only on the basic services, but also across Search, Social, Mobile, Creative and Performance Marketing. We are delighted to have him on board to take Mindshare to greater heights in the digital marketing space.”


    Lalla added, “I am excited to join Mindshare, an agency with a mouthwatering array of clients, a great digital team and a fantastic track record of doing breakthrough digital work. I look forward to taking digital to the next level for our clients, and growing our team into an even stronger unit that does even more spectacular Digital work, and sets new industry benchmarks.”

  • Spike TV’s plans for ‘Video Game Awards’

    MUMBAI: US broadcaster Spike TV, which has tied up for the 2011 ‘Video Game Awards’ (VGAs), has announced that Mark Burnett, the producer of ‘Survivor’, ‘The Voice’ and ‘The Apprentice’, will serve as executive producer of the 2011 ‘VGAs’ telecast.


    The “VGAs” will recognise the best games of the year and will air on 10 December on Spike TV in high-definition.
     
    VGAs executive producer Casey Patterson, who is also Viacom Media Networks Entertainment Group executive VP of event production, said: “We‘re thrilled that Mark Burnett has signed on to lead the ‘VGAs. Mark‘s bold producing style is a perfect fit for gamers, and his tremendous vision and unparalleled energy will take the show to a new level.”


    Burnett said, “I am so excited to be working with Spike on the ‘VGAs’. I have teenage boys so video games are already a part of my life. They kick my butt in ‘Black Ops‘ on a regular basis, but now are letting me win in hopes of seeing some of the world premieres before the show. We are going to have a lot of fun.”
     
    This year‘s show will once again deliver on its promise of exclusive world premieres and information from the most anticipated games of 2012 and beyond. Guests include game designer Hideo Kojima who will reveal the truth about “Metal Gear Solid: Rising” with a world premiere, the announcement of a new project and new studio from BioWare, creators of Most Anticipated Game of the Year nominee ‘Mass Effect 3’ and the return of Xbox hero ‘Alan Wake’ in an all-new adventure.

  • Coalition formed in US to support digital broadcasting in public policy

    MUMBAI: An array of organisations in the US have joined to officially launch The Future of TV Coalition with the goal of supporting and promoting digital broadcasting in public policy.


    The alliance brings together constituencies that rely on broadcast television services, including elected local officials, programming distributors, electronic equipment manufacturers and multicast networks.


    The Coalition’s mission statement reads, “The Coalition supports the evolution of broadcast television and its integration with other technologies and across many platforms. Our members work together to advance public policy initiatives that allow broadcasters to continue to rigorously innovate and invest to better serve consumers”


    Facilitated by the National Association of Broadcasters, the Coalition unites organisations that have expressed concern that legislative and regulatory initiatives currently under discussion in Washington could jeopardise the future of over-the-air broadcasting.


    In addition to promoting local broadcasters’ ability to reach all members of their communities, Coalition members promote policies that preserve viewer access to new initiatives made possible by the analogue-to-digital transition. Completed two years ago, the DTV transition has enabled broadcasters to offer new services such as high-definition programming, digital multicast channels and mobile DTV.


    Nab president, CEO Gordon Smith said, “Broadcasters are just now unveiling the new innovative services made possible by the DTV transition, which has enabled the promotion of more community voices on local television. The members of this coalition understand the importance and benefit of preserving this expansion of consumer choice on television. We look forward to working with the Coalition to help policymakers understand the enduring value of broadcasting and ensuring that our best and brightest days are still ahead.”


    The members of the Coalition are: Antennas Direct, Bounce TV, The Center for Asian American Media, County Executives of America, The Country Network, Digitenna, DLT Entertainment Limited, LATV Networks and American Latino Syndication, Luken Communications, MHz Networks, Native American Public Telecommunications, New York Television Festival, Open Mobile Video Coalition, Pacific Islanders in
    Communications, Qubo, This TV and Vme Media.
     
    “The Coalition represents a broad range of interests invested in strengthening broadcasters’ ability to deliver high-quality local news, weather, sports and emergency information. We anticipate the organization will grow considerably over time as broadcasting evolves onto new mobile platforms and local TV stations continue to expand programming choices,” added Smith.

  • Hathway Cable’s HD push

    MUMBAI: Hathway Cable & Datacom has become the first national multi-system operator (MSO) to launch high definition service as it gears up to fight against direct-to-home (DTH) operators for upscale subscribers in the main metros where it has a footprint.


    Limiting its offer to Mumbai, Delhi, Hyderabad and Bangalore, India‘s leading MSO has rolled out its HD service with a pack of eight television channels – Colors, Ten HD, Discovery, Movies Now, History, UTV Stars, TravelXP and MTunes.


    Hathway is in negotiations with Star for its HD channels. Also out of the menu are the two popular sports channels – ESPN and Star Sports. 
     
    Hathway, however, believes it has a distinct advantage over DTH by bundling broadband with HD.


    “We are looking at adding 50,000-75,000 HD subscribers a year. We are taking a niche rather than a mass route. The killer application for us is the bundling of the HD offering with broadband. We also have a cost advantage over DTH,” Hathway Cable & Datacom managing director and chief executive officer K Jayaraman tells Indiantelevision.com.


    For the pure HD service, Hathway is charging Rs 6666 for a year (excluding taxes). The HD Lite plan includes subscription of HD and SD channels (160 + channels).


    In the bundled plan, HD Max is available for Rs 8888 (excluding tax). It has features of HD Lite plans along with broadband for connection with 2 Mbps speed and 40 GB download.


    HD Max + is available for Rs 9999. In addition to HD Lite features, it has 5 Mbps broadband speed with download limit of 60 GB.
     
    Hathway has a fourth offering for cable operators. “As a wholesale model, we are charging cable operators Rs 5500. It is up to them to fix the price they sell to customers.,” says Jayaraman.


    Subscribers can pay Rs 3000 for the HD box or return it to Hathway after a year. Clearly, the MSO‘s strategy is to bundle the hardware with one-year of subscription for content.


    “The HD boxes cost us Rs 3000. We have not included HD content package at this stage. As we tie up more HD content, we will start packages. But what we have smartly done is bundle broadband with HD content,” says Jayaraman.


    Hathway‘s twin goals are to move up the value chain and protect its direct subscribers from migrating to DTH.


    The HD service is enabled by Media Highway set-top box software.

  • FremantleMedia launches Pets & Animals Channel on YouTube

    MUMBAI: Television format and creator FremantleMedia is bringing a new channel to online video social network YouTube as part of the social online network‘s new original channels‘ initiative.


    The original Pets and Animals channel (title TBA) is scheduled to launch next year.


    FremantleMedia‘s new YouTube channel will aim to be an entertaining and informative destination for pet and animal lovers that celebrates the bonds between people and their pets, and shows how these relationships enhance our lives together. 
     
    Programming will include original shows that explore topics covering expert opinions, pet health and wellness, celebrity pets, owner advice and real life animal stories.


    Through its long-standing commercial partnership with YouTube and with more than 50 official channels currently on YouTube on four continents, FremantleMedia is an established online content creator and one of the only TV producers to have content in YouTube‘s Top 100 most viewed videos of all time.


    FremantleMedia‘s new media division, FMX senior VP of development, production Richard Vargas commented, “We are really proud to create quality entertainment and talent shows that ignite people‘s passions. Now, we are bringing the same storytelling and production skills to a subject close to everyone‘s hearts – their pets – to make truly compelling viewing.”
     
    FremantleMedia Enterprises VP, Interactive, mobile and digital content Olivier Delfosse said, “Our new YouTube channel will serve as a stand-alone destination for fans of pet and animal content outside of traditional television networks. FremantleMedia has a longstanding relationship with YouTube, from our many audition programs to numerous partner channels, and we are excited to bring a unique experience to pet and animal lovers of all ages.”


    YouTube has announced plans to bring around 100 new original channels, created specifically for today‘s connected viewers, to its platform. Well-known personalities and content producers from TV, film, music, news and sports, as well as some of the most innovative new media companies in the world and some of YouTube‘s own existing partners, will launch new, ad supported channels for YouTube‘s worldwide audience. The first channels will start launching on YouTube next month and continue over the next year.

  • Govt may shift digitisation in 4 metros to June

    NEW DELHI: The government may allow the digitisation of cable TV in the four metros to be complete by June next year, instead of the 31 March target date approved by the Cabinet.


    Information and Broadcasting Ministry sources told indiantelevision.com that the Cabinet, while approving the digitisation ordinance, had laid a provision of giving a six-month notice (after the Cabinet decision) to cable operators.


    This means that digitisation in Delhi, Mumbai, Kolkata and Chennai will not be completed by March 2012 as announced earlier. However, the Government has made it clear that this will not affect the deadlines for other phases and the complete switchover from analogue will be achieved by December 2014.
     
    Involving an expected investment of up to Rs 400 billion, digitisation across the country is scheduled to be complete by 2014 year-end.


    The government has referred to the Committee of Secretaries to take up the issue of financial costs.


    The committee, which also includes revenue secretary, IT secretary and Information and Broadcasting secretary, will give its considered view within a month. The Finance Ministry had only been approached for exemption of tariffs.


    The I&B ministry had earlier suggested measures like waiving the 5 per cent duty on set-top boxes that would have to be imported and installed by the consumers.

  • StarHub adds Disney, Fox, NBCU to VoD offerings

    MUMBAI: Singapore pay TV operator StarHub‘s Demand TV, which was rebranded as On Demand from 1 November, has entered video-on-demand licensing agreements with three new studios, adding new movies to its stable.


    The aim is to give customers access to the widest range of blockbusters and Hollywood‘s newest titles.


    Beginning this month current and library movies from 20th Century Fox, NBCUniversal and Walt Disney Studios will be available on StarHub‘s line-up in Singapore. 
     
    In addition to the latest movie releases, viewers can look forward to High Definition content from Disney, NBCUniversal and Sony Pictures Television, as well as current as same-day DVD releases from Disney and NBCUniversal, such as ‘Cars 2‘ and ‘Bridesmaids‘.
    Movies from these studios will start from $3.50 (before GST) and be available to all StarHub customers using the HubStation, HubStation HD or the HD Interactive set-top box in Singapore.


    Besides Hollywood blockbusters, StarHub‘s On Demand also offers the latest TVB dramas as early as one month from Hong Kong telecast, US television shows, Taiwanese and Korean dramas.

  • BharatMatrimony, IndiaProperty launch mobile apps

    MUMBAI: Consim Info is expanding the reach of its two popular web properties – BharatMatrimony and IndiaProperty.


    The expanded suite of mobile services will include upgraded Wap sites and apps for IPhone, IPad, Blackberry, Nokia and android users in India.


    The new services will enable more mobile phone users to access the matrimonial and the property sites. 
     
    The upgraded version of the Wap sites delivers multiple benefits with advanced search and messaging capabilities, the company said in an official statement.


    The BharatMatrimony apps also provide functionalities like push notification and GPS-based proximity search allowing its users to locate other members within a given range.


    The IndiaProperty apps for Blackberry and Nokia feature ‘augmented reality‘, enabling members to use the phone camera to locate properties and places of interest like educational institutions, travel destinations etc. Members of IndiaProperty can search by several parameters like locality, built up area and price range while ‘locality search‘ allows them to search for nearby properties based on the GPS coordinates.


    Consim Info founder-CEO Murugavel Janakiraman said, “Globally, we have been at the forefront of offering innovative, convenient and trend-setting ways to search and find the ideal life partner and homes. Our expanded suite of mobile services offers multiple options that fit the busy schedule and lifestyle of our members. They can now virtually carry BharatMatrimony and IndiaProperty in their back pocket when they download a mobile app.”