ITV

Category: Viewership

  • ‘OMG! Yeh Mera India’ returns with Season 8 on HistoryTV18

    ‘OMG! Yeh Mera India’ returns with Season 8 on HistoryTV18

    Mumbai: HistoryTV18 has launched the eighth season of ‘OMG! Yeh Mera India’, which went on air on Monday at 8 p.m.

    The new season sees the return of Byju’s as a sponsor and builds upon the legacy of earlier seasons. The ten half-hour episodes of the season will air every Monday, announced the channel.

    “Every season of OMG! is like a homecoming for me because of the love and support of our viewers,” said show host Krushna Abhishek. “But this new season is truly special…Given what’s been happening all around us, it means a lot to be able to bring viewers stories that are honest, uplifting, and put a smile on people’s faces!”

    “When ‘OMG! Yeh Mera India’ was launched seven seasons ago, we hoped that it would carve out a niche for itself,” said A+E Networks | TV18 managing director and Network18 CEO – broadcast Avinash Kaul. “It has far exceeded our expectations and has delivered compelling content, spotlighting an unseen side of India and uncovering some genuinely awe-inspiring stories from every corner of the nation. The show’s format and style are truly multi-screen and future-ready.”  

    “We are happy and proud to be associated with the new season of OMG! Yeh Mera India,” said Byju’s marketing head Atit Mehta. “Byju’s has always been on the forefront when it comes to encouraging and celebrating exceptional talent and the pursuit of excellence. We hope the show will continue to be a source of inspiration for people all over India.”

  • Broadcasters promoting pay-TV on Free Dish are shooting themselves in the foot – Saurabh Sancheti

    Broadcasters promoting pay-TV on Free Dish are shooting themselves in the foot – Saurabh Sancheti

    Mumbai: With a 40 million base, which is constantly growing at the cost of Pay-TV, Prasar Bharati’s DD Free Dish is not just another competing platform, but considered by many as a precursor to the success of Free Ad-Supported Television (FAST) model in India. The implementation of NTO 2.0 is going to further intensify this cannibalisation. While broadcasters are riding the FTA wave, some fairly and some in an unfair manner, distribution platform owners are pushing for regulatory intervention and new ways to tackle the challenge.

    Saurabh Sancheti – Business Head | Hathway GTPL,   has long been advocating and working towards building a ‘rupee-a-day’ product that can take on Free Dish. At the Video & Broadband Summit organised by Indiantelevision.com on 19 January, he outlined the approach that is needed to arrive at this solution.

    “Out of the country’s 280-300 million households, nearly 200 million own a television set, and of this, only about 120 million have Pay TV. MSOs and broadcasters have to work together on wooing the remaining 80 mn base with a customised product. LCOs too need to reinvent themselves by adopting digital technology that serves their customers better,” he said. Sancheti is confident that if all players can collaborate on it, not only can the economics be worked out, but the pay-TV basket can be grown by at least 30-40 million in the next couple of years.

    Cog in the wheel

    In the current scenario, (short-term) gains and survival concerns are driving the top and bottom of the pyramid. Elaborating on what he terms as “death by annual plan”, Sancheti remarked, “Broadcasters promoting Pay-TV on Free Dish are shooting themselves in the foot. No matter how big you become on Free Dish, the platform cannot be monetised.”

    “They need to understand the possibilities of working with the DPOs. As people’s income levels increase, they will spend more on subscriptions. Those who join at a Free Dish equivalent pricing today, can become our regular and even premium customers tomorrow. But instead of thinking about taking customers up the funnel, and about the long-term growth of pay-TV, they are worried about their annual and quarterly targets,” he rued.

    Further, he noted that with infrastructure sharing and cheaper bandwidths making it possible to achieve last-mile delivery to the level of a gram panchayat at very low costs, distribution networks will also have to re-engineer themselves to align with the broadband revolution that’s underway.

    It’s obvious that the postulated rupee-a-day product cannot run in the same high-touch manner as the current base is running and hence the requirement of “lot more digital, lot more long-term packs and lot more of DIY”.

    Would that mean LCOs losing control of the last mile and eventually dropping out of the value chain? Commenting on the long-standing issue, Sancehti stated, “The primary models have failed, and MSOs realise that they cannot reach out to consumers directly, but only through the LCOs. That being said, today, consumers want more control. This is the reason why DTH, which has declined globally, is still surviving in India. It is the only medium that allows you to do everything yourself; from channel selection to bill payments. So, the risk of being eliminated is clearly there, however, it’s not because of the large players but the LCOs’ unwillingness to reinvent.”

     The next big opportunity

    Sancheti believes that the linear TV model still has a lot of scope left. Out of the 200 million TV-owning households in India, the top tier of 20-25 mn has both pay-TV and fixed-line connectivity. Their number is growing, and so is their OTT consumption.

    The second set of 100 mn households, which is 70 per cent urban, consumes linear TV on the large screen and OTT on private/mobile screen. It will gradually go the 25 mn way.

    The remaining 80 million (TG for the rupee-a-day product) are the ‘cord nevers’ who are subscribed to either analogue or Free Dish today. As their income levels increase and more content and services suitable for them are made available, they will move up the ladder into the pay-TV base.

    Sancheti, however, finds the 100 million ‘TV nevers’ equally if not more promising than the 80 mn cord nevers. “At Den, Hathway, and GTPL, we believe this is where the opportunity lies to as much as double our base. As the economy progresses, spends on services will increase exponentially, and we are reinventing ourselves for the change; whether it is by way of working on connectivity/network or by value engineering the set-top boxes that begin at an 800 Rupees price point today.”

    Pinpointing the 100 mn challenge and opportunity, he added, “It’s not like the cable hasn’t reached the ‘villages’. The problem is that it has found only 500-odd homes/subscribers there. The art is in doubling this number by offering the right product and pricing.”

    Impact of NTO 2.0

    Winding up the discussion with a word on the present state of regulation and the impact of NTO 2.0, Sancheti observed that “whatever rationalisation had to happen in terms of channel selection at the customer end has already happened with NTO (2019). Beyond a point, more à la carte will only do more harm. With NTO 2.0 we are looking at a 25-30 per cent increase in prices as per published broadcaster RIOs. India being a price-sensitive and value-seeking market, this will further pressurise the PayTV base, leading to more people opting out of it.”

     

    Please Note : “The views expressed are personal and do not represent the views of Reliance Industries Limited or any of group companies”

  • EPIC announces launch of ‘Regiment Diaries’ Season 3

    EPIC announces launch of ‘Regiment Diaries’ Season 3

    Mumbai: IN10 Media Network’s flagship channel, EPIC has announced the launch of new season of ‘Regiment Diaries’ on the occasion of India’s 73rd Republic Day.

    The channel’s legacy show will take its viewers into the regiment centers highlighting their history. It will also showcase exclusive journeys of the army museums that aren’t accessible to all.

    The series is a visual tribute to the valiant men in the uniform and their regiments which continue to protect and honour the motherland, the channel said in a statement.

    The three-episode season will profile the Bombay Sappers, Bihar Regiment, and Regiment of Artillery. In addition to the tales of bravery and legacy, there will be interviews of serving officers and support staff who will talk about their training life and weaponry.

    Over the last two seasons, the show has brought the stories of sacrifice and courage of numerous regiments like The Garhwal Rifles, Madras Engineers Group, Jammu and Kashmir Light Infantry, and many more to the foreground.

    Juggernaut Productions – OTT president and COO Samar Khan said, “What goes into making a soldier and their tales of valour have always intrigued many of us including me. Through this show, we want to bring their traditions, history, and unseen side of the army to the forefront. After seeing the appreciation and response of the first two seasons, we were filled with immense pride and are excited to bring another season for our viewers.”

    The episodes will air on EPIC and EPIC ON at 9 pm.

  • Indiacast partners with ABS Broadcast to launch Viacom18 channels on Sky Glass

    Indiacast partners with ABS Broadcast to launch Viacom18 channels on Sky Glass

    Mumbai: IndiaCast Media Distribution has partnered with ABS Broadcast to launch Viacom18’s marquee channels – Colors and Colors Rishtey on the streaming TV platform Sky Glass. Launched in October last year, the custom-designed 4K TV doesn’t require a satellite dish or box for it to work.

    Viewers in the UK can now watch shows such as “Bigg Boss,” “The Big Picture,” “Dance Deewane” and others on the Sky Glass platform with more content added every day.

    “We wanted to expand onto Sky Glass, and choosing ABS Broadcast to deliver proved to be a decision which has more than paid off,” said IndiaCast Media Distribution executive vice president and head international business Govind Shahi. Indiacast is a multi-platform content asset monetisation entity jointly owned by TV18 and Viacom18. “It’s important that our channels are accessible across as many platforms as possible, and I am pleased to say that Colors and Colors Rishtey are now available on Sky Glass for our UK audiences.”

    ABS Broadcast managing director Sass Jahani said, “I am very proud of the teams at ABS, Viacom18 and IndiaCast for getting this service launched with such a fast turnaround, whilst also dealing with the many hurdles along the way.”

    The addition of Viacom18 channels has set ABS Broadcast as the provider with most launches on Sky Glass.

  • Sun TV most viewed channel in week 2: Barc

    Sun TV most viewed channel in week 2: Barc

    Mumbai: Tamil GEC Sun TV was the most viewed channel in the second week of 2022 (8 January-4 January) according to Broadcast Audience Research Council (Barc) data. The channel garnered weekly AMAs of 3098.58, slightly higher than last week’s 3020.98.

    Star Utsav maintained a hold on the second position with 2693.79 AMA. At 2438.54 Star Plus was in the third spot. Star Maa, Dhinchaak, Sony SAB, Star Vijay, Colors, Zee TV and Star Pravah were at number four to ten.

    Sun TV ruled the mega cities and south market with AMA of 530.77 and 3089.62 respectively. Colors, Star Plus, Sony SAB and Star Vijay grabbed the remaining slots in the mega cities. Star Maa, Star Vijay, Zee Telugu and Zee Kannada were the other top players in the South, in that order.

    Among the regional markets, Star Pravah was the most viewed channel in Maharashtra/Goa with 1492.66 AMA, Star Jalsha (1275.02) in West Bengal, Tarang (441.28) in Odisha, Zee Kannada (1448.34) in Karnataka, and Star Utsav in Rajasthan (251.94) as well as in Uttar Pradesh/Uttarakhand (441.6).

  • VBS 2022: Over-regulation could impede pay-TV industry’s growth in near-term

    VBS 2022: Over-regulation could impede pay-TV industry’s growth in near-term

    Mumbai: Over-regulation could impede the pay-TV industry’s growth in the near term, especially amid rising competition from the OTT platforms, and DD Free Dish’s expanding territories, highlighted industry stakeholders at the Video and Broadband Summit (VBS) 2022 on Wednesday.

    The day-long virtual event organised by Indiantelevision.com and co-powered by broadpeak concluded its 18th edition. Disney Star came on board as the presenting partner, while NxtDigital was the summit partner.

    The event witnessed an engaging panel discussion among experts from the broadcast and DTH industry as well as other stakeholders as they examined the challenges faced by the pay-TV industry and deliberated on the opportunities that lay ahead. The session was moderated by Indiantelevision.com founder CEO and editor-in-chief Anil Wanvari.

    Overview of pay-TV industry

    TV penetration in India is currently estimated at 60 per cent which means that a third of the households are yet to own a TV set. There are around 210 million TV households, growing at seven per cent year-on-year and adding six-to-seven million new homes. The data also suggests that about 12-14 million TV sets are sold every year.

    While markets like Tamil Nadu and Kerala have a strong TV presence with 98 per cent and 92 per cent penetration, respectively, other markets like Bihar, Jharkhand, Orissa have a huge headroom for growth. In some markets such as Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Madhya Pradesh, and Chhattisgarh TV penetration is as low as ~40 per cent.

    The Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (Trai) and Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FICCI) estimated that there are 130 million pay-TV homes in the country. Linear pay-TV business average revenue per user is ~Rs 240 which is less than $3.5.

    “The data shows that there are 300 million homes with 4.5 people on average. While the population may remain the same going forward, the number of households will increase owing to nuclearisation of families,” observed Tata Sky chief financial officer Sambasivan G highlighting the headroom for growth in the coming years. “More households will mean more opportunity for pay-TV to grow.”

    Migration to DD Free Dish

    According to the panellists, free DTH platforms like DD Free Dish are also invading the pay-TV territories and expanding their share. According to the latest data, DD Free Dish run by public broadcaster Prasar Bharati has doubled its base from 20 million to 40 million in the last five years.

    “In the last two years, we have seen the migration to Free Dish gaining momentum,” said Star and Disney India head – distribution and international (India) Gurjeev Singh Kapoor. Drawing attention to the impact of the pandemic, Kapoor said, pay-TV homes had tumbled down by two to three million as consumers moved to free TV because they did not have disposable incomes.

    Ernst and Young media and entertainment advisory services partner Ashish Pherwani noted that the upcoming FICCI report in March will show a further decline of six million households in the pay-TV universe. The report will also indicate a big growth in the number of connected TV (CTV) households. “If you look at pay-TV plus CTV then there’s a growth that will continue in the future,” he said.

    Den Networks CEO SN Sharma maintained that while Free Dish was a noble service that provided entertainment to lakhs of viewers, the challenge emerged when broadcasters charged distributed platform operators (DPOs) money for offering pay channels but gave it free of cost on Free Dish. “There must be a level playing field in terms of regulation,” he said.

    Serving the FTA audience

    Broadcasters and distributors agreed that the TV consumer in India exists on a spectrum where at the top of the pyramid there’s a customer who watches linear TV, broadband video, and OTT whereas at the bottom of the pyramid there’s a customer who prefers to watch only free TV. “For any product and not just TV, you’ll have a market where there will be a free, a pay, and a premium offering,” said Pherwani.  

    “Free TV exists even in mature markets such as the US, Europe, Australia, and the Indian consumer always wants more for less,” commented Indiacast president- affiliate sales- India, South Asia, and APAC Amit Arora. “The bulk of DAS 3 and DAS 4 markets are going to remain connected to the TV, however, growth remains a bigger challenge.”

    According to the panellists, broadcasters have discovered that being available on Free Dish and serving the FTA audience makes more business sense than moving away from the platform. “Somewhere in 2019, when broadcasters went off Free Dish it was estimated to have a base of 30 million. That audience segment remained there,” observed Amit Arora. “We should look at a different solution and attack the market where free TV is present, rather than wishing this problem will go away if we knock off our channels from Free Dish.”

    Star and Disney India’s Gurjeev Singh Kapoor also agreed. “When we vacated that platform (Free Dish) we saw other channels emerging as number one, therefore not being present on Free Dish is not a sensible proposition. You need to have content to entertain people who have less disposable income,” he contended.

    According to Nxtdigital CEO Vynsley Fernandes, free TV audiences can be wooed back to pay-TV by offering them a better product. “A Free Dish customer watches 100 channels for free by paying a one-time nominal fee for the set-top-box (STB),” he said. “We created a lifetime-free product that bundled 300 free channels where the customer had to pay a one-time fee for a digital STB. This allowed them to watch any free channel and upgrade their service to access pay channels if they wanted.”

    He added, “broadcasters and DPOs need to work together to develop products that cater to different socio-economic classes. Today, we’re struggling to figure out what those step-up products can be because you can’t create a thousand different products.”

    NTO 2.0 regulation

    After the first tariff order was implemented in February 2019, it took six months for TV viewership to stabilise and consumers to successfully migrate to the new tariff regime. Pay-TV subscribers declined by 12-15 million according to industry estimates which were compounded by the pandemic which struck in March 2020. Experts on the panel believe that the implementation of the new tariff order (NTO) 2.0 during this period of economic recovery would only disturb the whole ecosystem.

    “This black swan event has changed the consumption patterns on TV, meanwhile, 20-30 million subscribers have dropped from linear TV due to transitioning from one tariff regime to another,” said Amit Arora. “A lot of economies have shown that restrictive policies do not lead to fundamental growth of the sector. What we need right now is a broad paradigm and notover-regulation”

    Highlighting that India has immense competition in the broadcasting sector with 900+ channels and pressure from OTT and Free Dish platforms as well, Gurjeev Singh Kapoor said, in such a market, “the regulator should treat broadcasters with forbearance and let market forces prevail.”

    Adding further, he said, “The average ARPUs for satellite and cable TV and DTH providers is Rs 240. But if you look at what broadcasters walk away with, it is not even one dollar. Is that kind of business model sustainable? We have to look at what the consumer can pay best.”

    Tata Sky chief financial officer Sambasivan G said, said, there was no to flinch from any price increase as a result of NTO 2.0. “We are charging the customer 50 per cent of what we were charging them 20 years ago for double the content. That means the customer is getting four times the value. Even with a price increase we will still be the cheapest pay TV market in the world,” he asserted.

    “The status quo should be maintained for some time,” believed SN Sharma. “Broadcasters have hiked their channel prices by as much as 80 per cent but DPOs are not in a position to handle these kind of price hikes. This kind of disruption will disturb the whole pay TV ecosystem.”

    Parity in regulation of OTT and pay TV platforms

    SN Sharma observed that all major broadcasters are operating their own OTT platforms and offering their pay channels for relatively low cost compared to pay TV. “There must be parity in pricing on cable TV and on OTT,” he stated.

    Commenting on the issue, Gurjeev Singh Kapoor said, “OTT in India is still a second screen phenomenon where a large portion of OTT content is consumed on mobile. It is still not a living room experience. So, I don’t think it is fair to compare linear TV and OTT pricing.”

    He added, “In a market like India with 300 million homes, there are 10 million homes that watch TV content on OTT which is not a big number. So, we’re missing the forest for the trees.”

    “All our linear TV channels are behind the paywall on OTT and not on AVOD. I believe we should be talking about deregulation of linear TV rather than regulating OTT,” remarked Amit Arora.

  • IN10 Media partners with DistroTV to expand Epic channel’s global presence

    IN10 Media partners with DistroTV to expand Epic channel’s global presence

    Mumbai: Epic channel, the flagship channel from the house of IN10 Media Network, has partnered with streaming television platform DistroTV to increase its global presence. DistroTV is a division of California-based media technology company DistroScale.

    As per the partnership, the channel will be available to international audiences of the UK and Europe. Audiences in these countries will access titles like “Regiment Diaries,” “Ekaant,” “Umeed India,” “Tyohaar Ki Thaali,” and many others.

    “Epic’s commitment towards providing diverse and premium content to its viewers continues to grow,” said IN10 Media Network senior AVP – acquisition and distribution Adita Jain. “Today’s audiences want content at the ease of a click and by partnering with DistroTV, we will be able to distribute our massive content library to different geographies. We are glad to have DistroTV as our partner in our growth journey.”

    “It is our constant mission to thoughtfully continue to expand our content library so that we may provide our growing and diverse global audience of viewers with free-to-stream shows and titles that reflect their unique interest and passions,” said DistroScale co-founder and CEO Navdeep Saini.

    “We launched DistroTV Desi last year for this very reason,” said DistroScale vice president of business development and content acquisition Rajesh Nair. “So that southeast Asian audiences, who far too often get overlooked by mainstream media platforms, can tune into their favourite channels and enjoy free-to-stream content without the hassle or barriers. We are excited to distribute EPIC’s incredible content library to our global viewers and provide communities near and far with the types of content they crave.”

  • VBS 2022: Getting ready for the post-pandemic world

    VBS 2022: Getting ready for the post-pandemic world

    Mumbai: Indiantelevision.com is back with the 18th edition of the Video & Broadband Summit (VBS). The day-long summit will be held virtually on 19 January 2022, from 10.00 am to 5.00 pm. VBS 2022 is co-powered by broadpeak. Disney Star is presenting partner and NxtDigital is the summit partner.

    This year’s Video & Broadband Summit will provide a platform for industry and opinion leaders to discuss key issues being faced by the television industry as a result of the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (Trai)’s New Tariff Order 2.0, broadband-fuelled growth of digital platforms, and the impact of cord-cutting on DPOs, as well as the possible ramifications of the impending 5G launch that has already created a stir among broadcasters and distributors.

    Some of the broad themes to be covered include Rising Cost of Video Entertainment, Changing Business Models and Revenue Models, Value-Added Services, and getting back to basics in a Post-Pandemic World. VBS 2022 will also delve into the concerns and opportunities around the 5G Teleco Threat, Virtual MVPDs, Cable TV’s Technology, and Back-End Challenges, DPO’s Marketing Drive, and the gradual expansion of Over the Top (OTT) Platforms.

    The summit will begin with an introduction by Indiantelevision.com Group founder CEO and editor-in-chief Anil Wanvari, followed by a presentation on the rising cost of video entertainment.

    First on the agenda is a fireside chat with M&E consultant Anuj Gandhi. During the next session moderated by former senior VP Star TV and CEO KCCL Shaji Mathews, Fastway’s Prem Ojha, Travelxp’s Prashant Chothani, Asia Satellite Telecommunications Holdings’ Rajdeepsinh Gohil, Shemaroo Entertainment’s Sandeep Gupta, BBC Global News’ Sunil Joshi, and Zeel’s Anil Malhotra will share their thought on ‘Getting Back to Basics and to a Post Pandemic World’.

    Lined up next is another fireside chat between NxtDigital MD and CEO Vynsley Fernandes and Anil Wanvari. Thereafter Gurjeev Singh Kapoor (Star & Disney India), Vynsley Fernandes, Amit Arora (Indiacast Media Distribution), Sambasivan G (Tata Sky), Ashish Pherwani (E&Y), and SN Sharma (DEN Networks) will delve on ‘Shaping the growth of linear TV distribution and subscription’.  

    In the post-lunch session, a panel consisting of MN Vyas (founder-director PlanetCast), Abhishek Gupta  (vice president IT, Dish TV), Yann Begassat (business development director, Broadpeak), and Salil Thomas (general manager & head ACV & Technology,  Asianet Satellite Communications Ltd) will demystify ‘The 5G Opportunity’ for the viewers. The talk will be moderated by Satcom Industry Association – India, senior director technology and policy Rajeev Gambhir.

    Following a fireside chat with Jio Platform’s Saurabh Sancheti, the event will wrap up with a discussion on ‘Delighting the Indian Consumer – Challenges & Opportunities’ between Rajib Mukherji (EVP-Strategy, IndiaCast Media Distribution Pvt Ltd.), Nagesh Chhabria (promoter, Metrocast), Rouse Koshy (chief operating officer, NXTDigital) and Yatin Gupta (senior VP, GTPL).

    The Video & Broadband Summit (VBS) 2022 will be live-streamed on Indiantelevision.com’s social media handles.

    For more details: https://www.videoandbroadbandsummit.com/ 

  • EPIC’s new philosophy- ‘Soch Se Aage’- keep the creators going

    EPIC’s new philosophy- ‘Soch Se Aage’- keep the creators going

    Mumbai: IN10 Media Network’s infotainment channel EPIC started its journey in 2014 with content focusing on Indian history, folklore, and mythology. And since then the channel has continued to recognize the opportunity for differentiated content and experimented with it.

    Despite endless challenges due to the pandemic and subsequent lockdowns, EPIC unveiled its brand new look on 16 December. Along with a fresh look, feel and a new tagline- ‘Soch Se Aage’, the channel announced a fresh programming line-up with the aim to rebuild the Indian infotainment space. From ‘Lakshya 1971- a story of 1971 war’ to ‘Raja Rasoi Aur Anya Kahaniyaan’- a show about the history and flavors of regional Indian cuisine, the platform has brought a host of news shows for its audiences.

    In this exclusive interview with Indiantelevision.com, the two production houses, Rangrez/FOODlooking founder Ashraf Abbas and MASS Studios creative director Richa Pant shared the process of producing content for EPIC, and how they overcame the challenges posed by the pandemic during the period. EPIC AVP – content and strategy Nisha Thakkar also joined the chat to share how the new content resonates with ‘Soch Se Aage’ philosophy.

    On exploring new territories and producing infotainment content

    Talking about her experience, MASS Studios creative director Richa Pant said that the year was a bit rocky for her. While the Delta wave left a devastating impact on people’s lives, Pant said she found consolation in work.  “One of my highlights this year has been ‘Lakshya 1971: Vayu Sena Ke Veer Yoddha’.  A documentary that showcases the stories of Air Force heroes and the seminal work they did in the 1971 war, a war that changed the face of the subcontinent,” she said while talking about her journey with EPIC.

    After working with EPIC, she feels she has explored different territories as a professional with the variety of new content offered on the platform. “I have been making documentaries for the last decade and channels as well as audiences are constantly pushing you to innovate.  With ‘Lakshya 1971’ we have delved into military history and this is a first for me as a Creative Director,” she said.

    On new shows and integrating the philosophy of ‘Soch Se Aage’

    “To think of it, the legacy shows such as ‘Raja Rasoi Aur Anya Kahaniyaan’ and ‘Lost Recipes’ formats were themselves ‘Soch Se Aage’ when launched. ‘Raja Rasoi Aur Anya Kahaniyaan’ beautifully presents history & food together while ‘Lost Recipes’ is re-living the long-lost traditions and recipes which were once very popular,” explained Thakkar. “In the past, many documentaries & movies have been made on the 1971 War, but our show, ‘Lakshya 1971: Vayu Sena Ke Veer Yoddha’ is the first of its kind made from the perspective of IAF.”

    On The Challenges & Limitations of Production During Pandemic

    Shooting and producing new shows during the pandemic was challenging. While the whole entertainment industry bore the brunt, EPIC managed to present fresh content to its audience, but the production team did face various challenges and limitations while shooting. Abbas shared that the risk of getting a virus was high. “To ensure a smooth production, our idea was to identify and isolate the people who are at risk,” he said, “But it became difficult when the cast and crew got infected. But we had hired formal agencies to take regular temperature checks and comply with other safety measures. At the same time, we had to reduce the number of people on the set due to social distancing.

    On What Kept Them Motivated to Produce Unique Content for Epic

    “In times of distress it is always art that becomes the food for the soul, our passion for ‘Raja Rasoi aur Anya Kahaniyaan’, the beautiful history of food in our country, drove us to keep working,” said Abbas.

    On the other hand, for Pant, it was her personal connection with the Defence and the freshness of ‘Lakshya 1971’ that kept her motivated throughout. She shared that her father was in the Army and she has done a large number of defense-related documentaries before. “This time I wanted to focus on the Air Force heroes. Many of them are in their eighties. It was the last chance to meet them and record their version of history. The team at EPIC heard my pitch and were excited too and backed me to the hilt to make this documentary,” she said.

    On Efforts For Keeping The Realism Alive In Content

    To make the shows look and feel compelling for the audience, they partnered with the Air Force. “We double-checked all our research with Air HQ. The film combined eyewitness accounts from our Air Force heroes, archive footage from that era, recreations at air bases, and 3D graphics to bring alive each of the battles we focussed on. We decided to keep the entire film black and white, with just the eyewitness accounts in colour and I think that worked very well,” she shared.

    Abbas, who is the founder of Rangrez / Foodlooking, said that theirs is a very selective production house and therefore they try to always pick shows that we will enjoy working on.

    On What Made The Channel Look For New Genres

    The new content lineup is a mix of legacy shows which have new seasons of ‘Raja Rasoi, Regiment Diaries’ & ‘Lost Recipes’, and new shows like ‘India Post – Dhaage Jo Desh Jode’, ‘Jugaad Mania’, and ‘The Homecoming – A Nation’s fight for its people’, shared Thakkar.

    Thakkar noted that EPIC’s ‘Soch Se Aage’ journey has taken its first few steps with an oath to think beyond imagination and like it said “journey of a thousand miles begins with a step”.  Sharing what made the channel look for these genres, Thakkar said that EPIC has a loyal audience base. “Viewers strongly resonate with EPIC’s content. From Food & History genres, which have a loyal set of audience, we are now reaching out to a new set of audiences with genres like Travel & History, Rescue missions, Innovations, etc,” she said.

    On Their Personal Favorite Shows On The Platform

    Talking about his personal favorites, Abbas said that ‘Raja Rasoi aur Anya Kahaniyaan’, ‘The Great Escape’ and ‘Adrishya’ are really close to his heart.

    Way back in Jan 2013, the EPIC channel signed it’s very first production agreement with Rangrez and the show was, ‘Raja Rasoi aur anya Kahaniyaan’ so we go back a long way. ‘Adrishya’ followed soon after and we’ve then had a great journey together. ‘Raja Rasoi with Ranveer Brar’ and ‘Tyohaar ki Thaali with Sakshi Tanwar’ too were hugely memorable for us, he shared.

    He also shared how after a point, the team felt exhausted as they covered all the significant food stories of India. But it is the EPIC’s dedication to always go “Soch Se Aage” that forced them to explore another dimension in the show. “We were forced to rethink the narrative and come up with the current season of ‘Raja Rasoi aur Anya Kahaniyaan’…we really do think this is our best so far, it’s poetic, has a greater emotional connect, and a lot more time with the Royal families,” he concluded.

  • Broadcasters huddle up, as 5G roll-out plan gathers pace

    Broadcasters huddle up, as 5G roll-out plan gathers pace

    Mumbai: Just as the industry was gearing up to welcome 2022, the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (Trai) set the ball rolling on the 5G roll-out in India. The next wave of disruption in the telecom sector is set to hit 13 cities in the first phase: Gurugram, Bengaluru, Kolkata, Mumbai, Chandigarh, Delhi, Jamnagar, Ahmedabad, Chennai, Hyderabad, Lucknow, Pune, and Gandhi Nagar.

    The auctions are likely to be held in mid-2022 following the Telcom department’s request for a recommendation on modalities such as reserve price, band plan, block size, and the quantum of spectrum. But amid all this, the broadcasters’ concerns continue to escalate, with apprehensions regarding a potential spectrum clash with 5G.

    5G Vs Broadcasters

    Airwaves in several bands including 526-698 MHz, 700 MHz, 800MHz, 900 MHz, 1800 MHz, 2100 MHz, 2300 MHz, 2500 MHz, 3300-3670 MHz, and 24.25-28.5 GHz have been identified for 5G auctions in India, whereas downlinks by all broadcasters intended for reception by MSOs are in the band of 3700-4200 MHz as prescribed by the International Telecommunication Union (ITU), and are also governed by the downlink policy by the government. Over 600 licensed satellite channels in India operate in this band.

    Ever since the 5G trials started in India in June 2021, broadcasters who claim to have faced interference on downlink frequencies during that period have been raising the issue with the MIB, DoT, and WPC (Wireless Planning and Coordination Wing of DoT), and the Trai. There are concerns regarding potential interference due to the larger C band allocation to 5G and the limited guard band of 30 MHz between the two services.

    The current upper limit of the National Frequency Allocation Plan 2018 is 3600 MHz. “A guard band of 100 MHz is ideal,” broadcasters say. They further contend that the proposed revision of NFAP-18 to include new bands for 5G use by DOT’s arm WPC may even stretch beyond 3670 MHz to 3800 MHz. This could lead to serious disruption of satellite services for media and broadcast in the 3700-4000 MHz band.

    Prasar Bharati joins the chorus against 5G

    Joining the chorus, Prasar Bharati recently raised objections to the auctioning of the 526-582 MHz frequency band that is being used by Doordarshan for providing terrestrial TV broadcasting. According to media reports, the public broadcaster argued that airwaves in this frequency range are required for expansion and modernisation of its services. Prasar Bharati has told Trai that “availability of spectrum is very crucial for planning DD TV Transmitters. Thus, the decision to use frequency band 470-698 for IMT purpose can be taken only after finalisation of terrestrial TV services by Doordarshan or other private broadcasters.”

    “Many analogue, digital-ready and digital terrestrial TV transmitters are operating in the band. Also, digital-ready transmitters are under installation in the Union Territory of Jammu & Kashmir for which the wireless planning & coordination wing (WPC) has provided for in this band only,” it added.

    Another hurdle on the way: Field trials

    Private broadcasters have also expressed displeasure about field trials of 5G services without notifying the framework – specifically the study of emission and interference on already existing C Band satellite service, non-involvement of incumbent users of the C-band who have been using the satellites for over 30 years in the trials, lack of study on the use of band pass filters at cable headends as well as no consideration of their funding, non-determination of emission safeguards and monitoring architecture for 5G emitting towers, and absence of potential options which can be implemented immediately.  

    As a solution, they have suggested the use of alternative bands for 5G – an option unavailable for C&S services. Based on trial information available with the regulator and DoT, they have further urged the authorised bodies to recommend and publish the specifications for appropriate Band Pass Filters to be used by MSOs, IPTV, and HITs operators per downlink chain for receiving satellite TV signals.

    In order to compensate for the lower availability of C-band transponder capacity, the regulators have been requested to allow broadcasters to use foreign satellites without seeking any clarification from them. Fast track approval for newer compression technologies such as HEVC or H.265 that use lower transponder capacity in comparison to present MPEG4 bandwidth recommendation without any reduction in the quality of the television channels has also been sought. The minimum bandwidth recommended for approval by all regulatory bodies for HEVC is 4Mbps per HD channel and 1.5Mbps per SD channel.

    The television broadcasting and distribution industries in India are facing major disruption under the new tariff regime. Even though they welcome the launch of 5G, which holds great opportunity for the M&E sector in the era of convergence, the smaller players have argued for government intervention in the form of subsidies if they have to move to a higher or alternative frequency.