News Broadcasting

Pay channels offer ‘early bird’ discounts

Published

23 years ago

June 11, 2003

NEW DELHI: After the government ‘s summer offer in the form of slashed duties on import of set top boxes, it’s the turn of the broadcasters to extend the summer discount to lure subscribers in a post CAS regime.

“We are looking at various schemes, including invitation price, for customers of boxes. Those who buy or place the order for the boxes now, will get discounts in the rates of pay channels,” a senior executive of a multinational broadcasting company operating in India said today after a meeting of the Indian Broadcasting Foundation (IBF) where CAS, amongst a host of other issues, was discussed.

Faced with the CAS inevitability, the broadcasters are now looking at ways that will create a demand for set top boxes even before the D-day of 14 July draws near. And “early bird” schemes and “invitation price” are just two of the alternatives being studied.

“The government has not disallowed discounting and we are exploring ways to offer packages to consumers,” another representative of a broadcast firm said.

This invitation or early bird scheme cannot last for long and the broadcasters would like to extend such schemes for a limited period of time, something that may have to have the Indian government’s approval.

The government had clarified some days back that pay channel managers cannot arbitrarily hike the price and once the prices are revised, they may have to hold it for some months — between six and 12 months — before the next revision could be effected.

“We’ll have to see how long we can extend the invitation price scheme as we may have to inform the government of this,” another broadcaster said, adding that these discounting schemes have to be worked out in association with the MSOs as their and cable operators’ distribution margins have to be factored in while offering discounts.

Many have not yet worked out distribution margins, though Zee has announced that cable ops who become partners for the HITS project stand to get margins up to 40 per cent.

However, attempts made by indiantelevision.com to elicit a response from the government on the period for which discounts can be offered by broadcasters to consumers proved futile. The I&B minister had a busy schedule and could not meet the media today.

Still, a senior executive with a company that has interest in broadcasting as well as cable distribution retorted, “Why should I discuss the various schemes to be offered to consumers in the IBF? Such things have to be discussed in my company’s board meetings.” This was an indication that despite assertions of co-operation in the industry, not everybody is game to reveal all the aces.

The various discounting schemes are being mulled by broadcasters with an aim to see that consumers in the four metros snap up maximum number of boxes where CAS is being sought to be implemented from 14 July.

Speaking on the sidelines of a Cartoon Network press conference, held at the same venue as the IBF meeting, Turner International India country head Anshuman Misra admitted that broadcasters visualise a “drop in viewership and revenue” in the short term, which can get neutralised if “over the next six months (by January 2004 end) about 50 per cent of the (approximately 6.4 million) C&S homes are STB-equipped.”

“I think over a six-month period if even 50 per cent of the C&S households in the metros go in for the boxes, it’d be a comfortable figure,” Misra added.

Today’s IBF meet was attended, amongst others, by Star India COO Sameer Nair, SET India CEO Kunal Dasgupta, TV Today Network CEO G Krishnan, Zee Telefilms additional vice-chairman Jawahar Goel, Sri Adhikari Brothers vice-chairman and managing director Markand Adhikari , Television Eighteen Ltd. CEO Haresh Chawla, Doordarshan director-general SY Quraishi, and Turner India’s Misra

IBF ZEROES DOWN ON ED CANDIDATES:

The IBF also discussed other issues like a replacement for Bhuvan Lall whose three-year contract as executive director was not extended recently.

According to IBF sources some candidates are under consideration, including a former information and broadcasting ministry secretary. Incidentally, the first ED of the IBF was former I&B ministry secretary Bhaskar Ghose who left only after six months of stint.

The issue of outstanding from advertising agencies was also discussed.

The sources said that though the outstanding have come down drastically to about Rs. 890 million, realization is still a problem. Out of this Rs 890 million, a big part is owed to Star India, considered the highest grosser of revenues amongst broadcasters in India.

The IBF has also decided that NDTV would be admitted as a member of the organization after Prannoy Roy’s company turned a broadcaster by launching two news channels earlier this year.

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News Broadcasting

Barc forensic audit in TRP row awaits as Twenty-Four probe gathers pace

Published

4 weeks ago

February 4, 2026

indiantelevision.com Team

KERALA: A forensic audit commissioned by the Broadcast Audience Research Council (BARC) India has emerged as the centrepiece of the government’s response to fresh allegations of television rating point manipulation involving a regional news channel in Kerala, with both the audit findings and a parallel police investigation still awaited.

Replying to a query in the Lok Sabha, minister of state for information and broadcasting L Murugan, said Barc had appointed an independent agency to conduct a forensic probe into the conduct of senior personnel allegedly linked to the case.

The move followed media reports claiming that a Barc employee had accepted bribes to manipulate viewership data in favour of a regional television news channel.

“The report from BARC is still awaited,” Murugan told Parliament, signalling that the forensic exercise remains ongoing.

Industry specialists say forensic audits are crucial in alleged TRP fraud cases, as they examine internal controls, data access trails, panel household integrity, staff communications and financial transactions. The outcome could determine whether the alleged manipulation was an isolated breach or a deeper systemic weakness in India’s television measurement framework.

Running alongside the audit, the Kerala Police has formed a special investigation team to probe the allegations. The ministry has sought a preliminary report from the state’s director general of police, including details of action taken on the first information report. That report, too, is yet to be submitted.

The episode has revived long-standing concerns over the vulnerability of India’s TRP system, particularly in regional news markets where competition for ratings is fierce and advertising revenues hinge on weekly viewership rankings.

India’s sole television audience measurement body Barc, has faced scrutiny before, most notably during the nationwide TRP controversy involving news channels in 2020. While tighter compliance norms were introduced in the aftermath, the latest allegations suggest enforcement challenges may persist.

On regulatory consequences, the government said any punitive action against television channels, including suspension or cancellation of uplinking and downlinking permissions, would be governed by the Policy Guidelines for Uplinking and Downlinking of Television Channels issued in November 2022, and would depend on investigation outcomes and due process.

The ministry also pointed to ongoing efforts to overhaul the ratings ecosystem. Television measurement continues to be regulated under the Policy Guidelines for Television Rating Agencies, 2014. Draft amendments were released for public consultation in July 2025, followed by a revised version in November 2025, aimed at tightening audit mechanisms and improving transparency and representativeness.

In November 2025, Barc said it had taken note of allegations aired by Malayalam news channel Twenty-Four, which linked an internal employee to irregularities in audience measurement. The council said it had engaged a “reputed independent agency” to conduct a comprehensive forensic audit, underscoring the seriousness of the claims.

The ratings system sits at the heart of India’s broadcast advertising economy, shaping billions of rupees in annual ad spends. With trust in audience data once again under strain, advertisers, broadcasters and regulators are closely watching the outcome of the investigations.

Barc has urged industry stakeholders and media organisations to exercise restraint while the probe is underway, calling for an end to “unverified or speculatory claims” and reiterating its commitment to integrity and accountability.

Until the forensic audit and police findings are submitted and reviewed, the government said it would refrain from drawing conclusions.

News Broadcasting

Rajat Sharma defamation row: Delhi court summons Congress leaders Ragini Nayak, Pawan Khera and Jairam Ramesh

Published

4 weeks ago

February 4, 2026

indiantelevision.com Team

NEW DELHI: A Delhi court has ordered the summoning of senior Congress leaders Ragini Nayak, Pawan Khera and Jairam Ramesh in a criminal case filed by veteran journalist Rajat Sharma, sharpening a legal battle over alleged defamation and doctored digital content.

The order was passed on Monday by Devanshi Janmeja, judicial magistrate first class at Saket Courts, after the court found prima facie grounds to proceed under multiple sections of the Indian Penal Code, including forgery, creation of false electronic records and defamation.

Sharma, chairman and editor-in-chief of India TV, had approached the court over allegations made in June 2024 that he had used derogatory language against Congress spokesperson Ragini Nayak during a live television debate. He denied the charge, claiming it was fuelled by a manipulated video circulated online.

According to the complaint, a clipped version of the broadcast carrying superimposed captions, which were not part of the original programme, was first shared on social media platform X by Nayak and later amplified through retweets and public statements by Khera and Ramesh. Sharma said the viral spread caused serious reputational harm and personal distress.

The court took note of forensic science laboratory findings that pointed to visible post-production alterations in the video, including added titles and captions. It also cited witness testimonies from those present during the live broadcast, who stated that no abusive or objectionable language had been used.

In a related civil matter, the Delhi High Court had earlier observed a prima facie absence of abusive remarks and directed the removal of the disputed social media posts.

With criminal proceedings now set in motion, the case adds to mounting scrutiny around political messaging, digital manipulation and accountability on social media platforms.

News Broadcasting

Mukesh Ambani, Larry Fink come together for CNBC-TV18 exclusive

Reliance and BlackRock chiefs map the future of investing as global capital eyes India

Published

4 weeks ago

February 4, 2026

indiantelevision.com Team

MUMBAI: India’s capital story takes centre stage today as Mukesh Ambani and Larry Fink sit down for a rare joint television conversation, bringing together two of the most powerful voices in global business at a moment of economic churn and opportunity.

The Reliance Industries chief and the BlackRock boss will speak with Shereen Bhan, managing editor of CNBC-TV18, in an exclusive interaction airing from 3:00 pm on February 4. The timing is deliberate. Geopolitics are tense, technology is disruptive and capital is choosier. India, meanwhile, is pitching itself as a long-term bet.

The pairing is symbolic. Reliance straddles energy transition, digital infrastructure and consumer growth in the world’s fastest-expanding major economy. BlackRock, the world’s largest asset manager, oversees more than $14 tn in assets and sits at the nerve centre of global capital flows. When the two talk, markets tend to listen.

Fink’s appearance marks his third India visit, a signal of the country’s rising strategic weight for the Wall Street-listed firm, which carries a market value above $177 bn. His earlier 2023 trips included an October stop in New Delhi, where he met both Ambani and Narendra Modi.

India is now central to BlackRock’s expansion plans, notably through its joint venture with Jio Financial Services. Announced in July 2023, the 50:50 venture, JioBlackRock, commits up to $150 mn each from the partners to build a digital-first asset-management platform aimed at India’s swelling investor class.

The backdrop is robust. BlackRock ended 2025 with record assets under management of $14.04 tn, helped by $698 bn in net inflows, including $342 bn in the fourth quarter alone. Scale gives Fink both heft and a long lens on where money is moving.

He has been openly bullish on India. At the Saudi-US Investment Summit in Riyadh last year, Fink argued that the “fog of global uncertainty is lifting”, with capital returning to dynamic markets such as India, drawn by reforms, demographics and durable return potential.

Expect the conversation to range beyond balance sheets, into technology’s role in finance, access to capital and the mechanics of sustainable growth in a fracturing world order. For investors and policymakers alike, it is a snapshot of how big money is thinking about India.

At a time when capital is cautious and growth is contested, India wants to be the exception. When Ambani and Fink share a stage, it is less a chat and more a signal. The world’s money is still looking for its next big story, and India intends to be it.