Event Coverage

A Regulatory Framework for Convergence and Competition

Published

20 years ago

October 5, 2005

It’s a pleasure to be with you today to discuss a subject that’s very much on the minds of regulators throughout the world in this day and age of digital convergence. It goes by different names at different times: regulatory reform, regulatory restructuring, developing new regulatory paradigms. But whatever name it goes by, it all comes down to the same thing: how best to adapt government regulation to the reality of new technologies.

The rapid growth of digital technology is driving convergence in telecom services and in the companies that offer them. Everywhere in today’s world we see the evidence of this twofold convergence, as formerly separate service markets morph inexorably into one another.

Cell phones that began by offering voice telephone service now provide data services like email and text-messaging as well as audio and video programming. Computers that initially provided data services now offer voice telephone service. Cable TV and direct-to-home satellite companies that formerly provided multi-channel video service now offer non-video voice and data services, and broadcast TV and radio stations are only beginning to determine how to best use their digital channels.

Small wonder, then, that this digitally-driven convergence in telecom technology is also driving the convergence of telecom companies. Converged services make converged companies economically rational and, that is why in the US we are seeing a seemingly endless progression of industry mergers and acquisitions.

What is the appropriate role of the regulator in this new world? We are confronting a world that is developing in ways that were unforeseen and that remain, to a considerable extent, unforeseeable. How do we conform our own structures and processes to this ongoing convergence of services? To what extent, if any, are the old approaches to telecom issues suitable to the Digital Age? How do we accommodate and embrace changes in technology and economics that have few reference points in existing law or regulation?

All excellent questions, and all these excellent questions demand answers. And yet, the fact that regulators all over the world are asking these same questions underlines the wisdom of the old saying that those who understand everything must be misinformed.

For the truth is, no one today can authoritatively say how, or when, the ongoing digital transformation will finally resolve itself. We cannot predict with any certainty how many dominant providers of converged voice, video and data services there will ultimately be, because we cannot finally predict what packages of services consumers will demand and what prices they will be willing to pay. So, while we can perhaps understand some of the reasons why existing markets are changing, we cannot yet say definitively what the ultimate shape of things will be. And the digital transformation will vary from country to country depending on population density, economic conditions, geography, and governmental involvement.

Given all these variables it is impossible beyond a point to say that any one regulatory framework is clearly better than another. For example, even in simpler times when monopolists dominated and broadcasting, cable TV, telephones, and satellites could safely be regulated along, rather than across, industry lines, debates went on in the US over the proper regulatory framework for telecommunications.

This is not to say that because there are no easy answers there are no answers at all. In fact I think most regulators would agree that new digital technologies hold great promise for delivering greater connectivity and improved economic conditions. Broadband connections can erase distances, dissolve geographic isolation and link citizens to government services.

Therefore, my job and the job of other regulators is to create a regulatory environment that provides incentives for investment in new digital technology and broadband networks and to adjust our regulatory frameworks to accommodate this revolution. Regardless of whether the regulator is a single person, a board, or an agency, convergence and competition impose four important regulatory responsibilities:

The first of these responsibilities is to replace extrinsic regulation with trust in the market. Why, because a fully-competitive market is the best protection against harm to consumers and providers. In the US digital convergence is spurring a level of interindustry competition the likes of which we have seldom seen before. While the growth of competition will vary from country to country the goal should remain constant; that is to gradually step away from micro-managing the industry and trust the discipline of competition to restrain prices and spur innovation. We must adjust, alter, or reform our regulatory codes to dismantle unnecessary rules that may have been appropriate in traditional markets emerging from monopoly but which may stifle innovation and competition in a converged environment.

Regulators must also minimize disparate regulation of like services. This is a particular challenge in the US. The days when television, telephone, and wireless companies competed only with one another rather than across industry lines, led to very different regulatory regimes. This legacy of disparate regulation perpetuates irrational line drawing and represses inter-industry competition.

The second responsibility for regulators is to appreciate that increased competition requires us to place more reliance on educating consumers. At the FCC, we have created a Consumer and Governmental Affairs Bureau with direst responsibility for assuring that consumers’ interests are being served, and the ability to intervene when they are not.

But what happens in this brave new digital world in individual situations where markets, consumer education, and private negotiation fail to safeguard rights provided by law or regulation? That leads to the regulator’s third responsibility: assuring prompt and efficient enforcement of rules. The ability to bring a bad actor to heel is the indispensable element of any responsible regulatory body, at any time, no matter how competitive the market may otherwise be.

And finally we come to the regulator’s fourth responsibility, the ultimate safeguard: imposing across-the-board regulation. In today’s world, once competition takes hold regulation should be applied only when there is a compelling showing that substantial harm is occurring in its absence.

These four responsibilities are not mutually exclusive: rather, they represent a regulatory continuum calibrated to the competitiveness of each market we regulate. For example, in the US the wireless industry best reflects the competitive market in which trust in market forces is an effective safeguard of the public interest. Over time, as other US communications markets become more effective, more of them will transition to that regulatory model.

Notwithstanding how common-sense these recommendations might appear, they can be more difficult to achieve than one might think. This is because every single telecom regulator — no matter who, no matter where — looks at this new age of convergence through three eyes: an eye on the past, an eye on the present, and an eye on the future.

There’s nothing inherently wrong with this. Lessons learned from the past contribute to the development of informed policy in the future, as long as our policy predicates are relevant and we do not refuse to recognize fundamental changes in the market. Similarly, foresight is not to be foresworn, as long as it is trained on avoiding real, as opposed to theoretical, problems. As long as our main focus remains on what exists today, a sense of what has occurred and what is likely to occur rightly belongs in, and balances, the regulatory process.

Nevertheless, there is no set recipe for accurately seasoning present-day realities with a dash of the past and a pinch of the future. Small wonder, then, that convergence and competition pose such real-life dilemmas for regulators, and that different countries reach widely varying results when they implement regulatory reform.

But in a larger sense, perhaps this is as it should be. The challenge of assuring that digitally-spawned competition produces the best for people is individual to each country and each culture. Different countries can and should approach these issues somewhat differently, based on their own unique history, perspective, and expectations.

My friend, former FCC Chairman Michael Powell perhaps put it best when he said that competition is a process, not a product. And if competition is a process, so also must be regulation. And so it follows that successfully balancing past, present and future is a governmental art form in which we sometimes succeed and occasionally fail, observe others and learn from their mistakes, and share with them our own hard-won lessons.

I look forward to sharing with you what we in the US have learned, and I know I will take back with me valuable insights from you.

Related Topics:A Regulatory competition Convergence framework

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Event Coverage

Anime India announces Amazon MX Player as co-presenting partner for Anime India Kolkata 2026

Published

1 month ago

January 28, 2026

indiantelevision.com Team

MUMBAI: Riding high on the success of its blockbuster Mumbai debut, Anime India is accelerating its nationwide expansion with the announcement of Amazon MX Player as the co-presenting partner for Anime India Kolkata. The partnership marks a significant step forward in the festival’s mission to deliver large-scale, accessible, and fan-first anime experiences across the country.

Scheduled for 14 and 15 February 2026 at the iconic Biswa Bangla Mela Prangan, Anime India Kolkata will launch the first regional chapter of what is set to be a year-long, multi-city tour. As the curtain-raiser for the 2026 circuit, the Kolkata edition aims to fuse the energy of global Japanese pop culture with India’s fast-growing community of anime, manga, and pop-culture fans.

A household name in digital entertainment, Amazon MX Player brings unmatched reach and cultural relevance to the Anime India platform. With its expanding focus on anime and youth-driven content, Amazon MX Player’s involvement as co-presenting partner reinforces Anime India’s vision of making anime culture more inclusive breaking barriers of language, geography, and accessibility to connect with fans nationwide.

*Glimpses of Anime India Mumbai edition*

Anime India Kolkata 2026 will showcase cosplay competitions, interactive zones led by the Indian Gunpla Community, India-39 Vocaloid Community, The Japan Curry, and Adda-o-Otaku by The Otaku Guild. Fans can join tournaments across fighting games, Pokémon VGC, and more. Acclaimed Japanese director Susumu Mitsunaka (Haikyu!!) will attend as guest of honour, appearing in panels and live sessions. Positioned as an immersive celebration of fan culture and industry collaboration, the Kolkata edition marks the beginning of Anime India’s nationwide expansion.

Sharing their perspective on the partnership, Amazon MX Player director Aruna Daryanani expressed, “Anime in India has evolved from a niche interest into a mainstream cultural movement, driven by an increasingly engaged and passionate fanbase. At Amazon MX Player, our focus is on expanding access by bringing anime to audiences across the country for free and in multiple local languages. Our association with Anime India reflects our commitment to supporting the growth of anime in India and deepening connections with fans, while continuing to build Amazon MX Player as a trusted destination for free, high-quality entertainment.”

“Anime India Kolkata is a celebration of how anime has grown beyond entertainment into a powerful cultural and creative force. By bringing fans, creators, and industry leaders onto one shared platform, the festival is helping define the future of pop culture in India,” said Anime India co-founder and director Neha Mehta.

The debut edition of Anime India 2025 in Mumbai attracted over 29,000 fans, quickly cementing its status as a landmark celebration of anime and Japanese pop culture. Riding on this overwhelming response, the Kolkata chapter is projected to draw more than 40,000 visitors across two days, positioning it as one of the biggest anime conventions ever held in eastern India.

Anime India is focused on bringing together fans from across the country to create a truly pan-India celebration of anime, manga, cosplay, gaming, and Japanese culture. With plans to expand into four key metropolitan hubs in 2026—east (Kolkata), north (Delhi), west (Mumbai), and south (Hyderabad)—the festival seeks to deliver globally benchmarked experiences while supporting and uplifting creators, artists, and fan communities throughout India.

Event Coverage

Transcend Goa Day 2 closes with a vision for cross‑border storytelling and shared narratives

Published

2 months ago

January 16, 2026

indiantelevision.com Team

Day two of Transcend Goa 2026 built on the momentum of the opening day and offered a deeper dive into the possibilities of transmedia storytelling and IP creation. Through a mix of panel discussions, and visionary presentations, the second day highlighted both the challenges and opportunities of building story worlds that thrived across platforms, leaving participants inspired by the breadth of ideas and collaborations that were showcased.

The second day began with the session Transmedia History of Japan Manga/Anime/Game IPs in the Partnership of East Asia. The session explored the evolution of Japanese manga, anime, and game IPs as transmedia ecosystems, shaped through long‑standing collaborations across East Asia. The speaker for the session was RE Entertainment CEO & president Atsuo Nakayama.

L to R: Ankur Pathak, Dhruv Jagasia, Tarana eddy and Caleb Franklin

The session ahead was titled A World Where Narratives are Currency. It explored how powerful narratives function as both creative and commercial currency, shaping brands, fandoms, and franchises in the global media landscape. Speakers included Big Bad Wolf founder Dhruv Jagasia, Matter Entertainment founder & CEO Caleb Franklin, Storiculture transmedia producer Tarana Reddy, with the discussion moderated by writer Ankur Pathak.

The next session post‑lunch was Building Mugafi into a Transmedia Giant. It took a deep dive into transforming Mugafi into a scalable, story‑driven ecosystem. The discussion explored how IP development, technology, and creator communities converge to build a transmedia platform that nurtures talent, expands narratives, and unlocks global opportunities. The speaker for this session was Mugafi founder Vipul Agrawal.

The session titled From Collectibles to Culture – Toys, Merchandising & Global Transmedia Value Chains focused on merchandising and consumer products. It examined how toys, collectibles, and licensing strategies can expand a story’s reach and create sustainable value chains across film, television, gaming, and more. Speakers included Weta head of consumer products Kim Faiga and Weta consumer products sales manager Jack Oolders, with the discussion moderated by Bulletproof Entertainment founder Harish Rao.

L to R: Sunder Aaron, Charuvi Agrawal, Manvendra Shukla and Milind Shinde

The last session for the day was titled The Next Wave of Global IP – Connecting India, Asia & the West. It spotlighted emerging intellectual properties that bridge continents and cultures, highlighting collaborative projects linking creators in India, Asia, and the West. By showcasing case studies on scaling IP across borders, the discussion underscored how co‑productions and shared narratives can reach audiences worldwide. Speakers included 88 Pictures founder & CEO Milind Shinde, CDL TV CEO Charuvi Agrawal, writer Binky Mendez, and Lakshya Digital CEO Manvendra Shukul, with the discussion moderated by Locomotive Global founder Sunder Aaron.

Transcend Goa 2026, concluded with closing remarks from Rao and representatives of the government of Goa, followed by a networking evening. The sessions across the event captured the spirit of collaboration and innovation, showcasing how transmedia storytelling and IP creation can transcend borders, formats, and industries. As the event drew to a close, participants left with renewed inspiration, strengthened connections, and a shared vision for the future of global media and entertainment.

Event Coverage

Transcend Goa 2026 Day 1 showcases India’s journey in storytelling, IP creation and transmedia content

Published

2 months ago

January 16, 2026

indiantelevision.com Team

Day One of Transcend Goa 2026 marked a significant step for India’s creative industries, as the inaugural transmedia conclave unfolded at the Marquinez Palace in Panjim on 15 January. The summit brought together leading voices from cinema, publishing, gaming, animation and emerging technologies to discuss how stories can move fluidly across formats and reach audiences in new ways.

Conceived as a platform to showcase India’s growing strength in original IP and cross‑media innovation, the conclave set out to highlight the country’s transition from service‑driven work to globally recognised creative leadership. With the support of the Government of Goa, the Entertainment Society of Goa (ESG) and Goa Future Proof curated the event to spark dialogue on the future of storytelling and its impact on culture and commerce.

L to R: Sanjay Ram, Shobha Sant, Veerendra Patil, Monisha Advani and Vijay Koshy

The day opened with an address by a Government of Goa representative and ESG chief executive officer Asvin Chandru. He said, “Goa has been envisioned as a future facing space where cinema, publishing, gaming, technology and artificial intelligence converge, reflecting the state’s ambition to emerge as a hub for creative, innovation and cultural exchange. Over the next two days, we hope this conclave inspires meaningful dialog, learning and collaboration across disciplines.”

Next, government of Goa chief secretary and planning secretary V Candavelou took the stage, setting the tone for the discussions ahead. He noted, “You all know that transmedia storytelling has undergone a transformational change. With the evolving of new technologies, this storytelling keeps on changing. The Transcend Goa summit is making this platform available to all the stakeholders to exhibit their talents. I hope that these two days spark meaningful conversation and ideas for the future.”

The event was graced by Goa’s chief minister Dr Pramod Sawant. “Transcend Goa is a simple idea to create a space where the culture meets technology, creates a space where the creativity connects with opportunity,” he said taking the stage. “The summit is also a pilot. It allows us to learn and understand how Goa can position itself as a large, creative and digital economy. Even small steps matter when we move in the right direction. If this discussion is of value to the creators’ businesses and the students, then these efforts will serve its purpose.”

He further said, “Goa always attracted the artist and thinkers. Today, it also has the students who code, design, animate, write and build the digital products. This summit gives them the exposure. This platform can open new doors and sparks new ideas. The government of Goa has extended support to Transcend Goa because we believe in the enabling of this platform. The Entertainment Society of Goa (ESG) has been entrusted and with the responsibility because it understands the culture landscape and has the capacity to execute such initiatives. We see the summit as a part of the larger efforts, our efforts to strengthen the Goa’s creative economy.”

The keynote was delivered by Creativeland Group chairman Sajan Raj Kurup, who underscored the importance of building narratives and transmedia content that resonate across platforms and markets.

The day opened with the session Beyond the Screen: Creating Stories that Travel, which examined how narratives moved across film, television, games, social media and immersive experiences. It considered strategies for designing stories that adapted and engaged audiences across formats. Speakers included Emmay Entertainment producer partner and CEO Monisha Advani, Zebu Animation co‑founder and creative director Veerendra Patil, TVF president Vijay Koshy and Creativeland Studios CEO Shobha Sant, with the discussion moderated by Mediasmiths founder Sanjay Ram.

The session The Evolution of India’s Media Ecosystem: Transitioning from Outsourcing to Transmedia IP Creation examined how India’s media sector moved from providing back‑end services to developing original intellectual property that attracted global investment. Speakers included Punnaryug Artvision founder Ashish Kulkarni, Brhat founder Raghav Krishna, with the discussion moderated by Bulletproof Entertainment founder Harish Rao.

Post lunch, the session India’s Original IP Powerhouse: The Raj/Alpha Comics Story presented a case study on how publishers such as Raj Comics and Alpha Comics developed Indian superhero stories into transmedia properties. Speakers included Raj Comics founder Sanjay Gupta, Raj Comics and Alpha Comics founder Vasu Gupta, with the discussion moderated by Animation Xpress India director Mishaal Wanvari.

The session The Art of Creating Multiplatform Narratives explored the craft of building cohesive story worlds that unfolded across film, television, games, social media and other formats. It considered approaches to creative planning, audience engagement and maintaining narrative consistency while using the strengths of each medium. Speakers included filmmaker Raja Krishna Menon, filmmaker Reema Maya and filmmaker Q, with the discussion moderated by Mediasmiths founder Ram.

Harish Rao (left) felicitating Vignesh Raja

The session AR Rahman’s Secret Mountain: Building a Transmedia Music Universe introduced the composer’s latest project, Secret Mountain. It highlighted India’s first Meta Band and explored its potential across music, digital platforms and immersive experiences. The presenter for this session was Secret Mountain cofounder Vignesh Raja.

The last session of the day, Animating Success: Green Gold Entertainment’s Journey, highlighted Green Gold Entertainment founder Rajiv Chilaka and his team’s work in building one of India’s leading original animation studios. It traced how Green Gold Entertainment created hit franchises such as Chhota Bheem, developed a merchandise and licensing strategy, and showed that Indian stories could find global resonance. The session featured Chilaka in conversation with Bulletproof Entertainment founder Harish Rao.

The day concluded with a lively networking evening, leaving participants energised and looking forward to the sessions on the second day.