News Headline

TRAI issues new pay TV consultation paper

Published

3 years ago

August 8, 2023

MUMBAI: The Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) has been working overtime to bring some order to the Indian pay TV ecosystem over the years by passing various regulations. But it has not been able to find a perfect solution to address the needs of broadcasters, cable TV MSOs, DTH operators and LCOs. Even its last attempt in November 2022 when it notified the Telecommunication (Broadcasting and Cable) Services (Eighth) (Addressable Systems) Tariff (Third Amendment) Order, 2022 and the Telecommunication (Broadcasting and Cable) Services (Addressable Systems) Interconnection Regulations (Third Amendment) Order, 2022, led to a lot of howls from all concerned.

Since then, it has been holding meetings with various bodies like the All India Digital Cable Federation (AIDCF), the Indian Broadcasting & Digital Foundation (IBDF), payTV DTH operators, LCOs all over the country. And they raised their concerns relating to the latest orders as well as earlier ones relating to tariff, interconnection and quality of service of broadcasting and cable services. In response to that, the authority today released a consultation paper seeking stakeholders’ comments.

Among the issues it is seeking industry’s feedback are:

Issues related to Tariff for Broadcasting and Cable Services

· Ceiling on Network Capacity Fee (NCF) of Rs 130.

· Network Capacity Fee and pay TV channel fees for multi-TV homes

· Ceiling of 15 per cent on discount on sum of MRP of a-la-carte channels for fixing MRP of bouquets by DPOs

· Number of SD channels equivalent to One HD channel

· Mandatory FTA News Channels in all packs formed by DPOs

· Level playing field with DD Free Dish for DPOs.

Issues related to Interconnection for Broadcasting and Cable Services

· Amendment to Reference Interconnection Offer

· Listing of channels in Electronic Programme Guide (EPG)-

· Language genre problem in EPG

· Revenue Share between LCO and MSO

· Carriage Fee

· Minimum subscription period for a channel by a subscriber

· Removal of a channel from the platform of a DPO after expiry of existing Interconnection agreement

Issues related to Standards of Quality of Service (QoS) and Consumer Protection Regulations

· Review of prescribed charges

· Display of channels in EPG and LCN listing of channels

· Issues related to billing cycle

· Regulation of Platform Service Channels

· Review of mandatory provisions of Toll-Free Number, ConsumerCorner, Subscriber Corner, Establishment of Website andManual of Practice Etc.

The Questions the new consultation paper raises are as follows:

A. Tariff related issues

Q1. Should the present ceiling of Rs.130/- on NCF be reviewed and revised?

1.If yes, please provide justification for the review and revision.

2.If yes, please also suggest the methodology and provide details of calculation to arrive at such revised ceiling price.

3. If not, provide reasons with justification as to why NCF should not be revised.

4. Should TRAI consider and remove the NCF capping?

Q2. Should TRAI follow any indices (like CPI/WPI/GDP Deflator) for revision of NCF on a periodic basis to arrive at the revised ceiling? If yes, what should be the periodicity and index? Please provide your comments with detailed justification.

Q3. Whether DPOs should be allowed to have variable NCF for different bouquets/plans for and within a state/ City/ Town/ Village? If yes, should there be some defined parameters for such variable NCF? Please provide detailed reasons/ justification. Will there be any adverse impact on any stakeholder, if variable NCF is considered?

Q4. Should TRAI revise the current provision that NCF for 2nd TV connection and onwards in multi-TV homes should not be more than 40% of declared NCF per additional TV?

1. If yes, provide suggestions on quantitative rationale to be followed to arrive at an optimal discount rate.

2. If no, why? Please provide justification for not reconsidering the discount.

3. Should TRAI consider removing the NCF capping for multi TV homes? Please provide justification?

Q5. In the case of multi-TV homes, should the pay television channels for each additional TV connection be also made available at a discounted price?

1. a) If yes, please suggest the quantum of discount on MRP of television channel/ Bouquet for 2nd and subsequent television connection in a multi-TV home. Does multi-TV home or single TV home make a difference to the broadcaster? What mechanism should be available to pay-channel broadcasters to verify the number of subscribers reported for multi-TV homes?

1.b) If not, the reasons thereof?

Q6. Is there a need to review the ceiling on discount on sum of MRP of a-la-carte channels in a bouquet (as prescribed through the second proviso to clause 4 (4) of the Tariff Order 2017) while fixing the MRP of that bouquet by DPOs?

a. If yes, what should be the ceiling on such discount? Justify with reasons.

b. If not, why? Please provide justification for not reviewing the ceiling

Q7. Whether the total channel carrying capacity of a DPO be defined in terms of bandwidth (in MBPS) assigned to specific channel(s). If yes, what should be the quantum of bandwidth assigned to SD and HD channels. Please provide your comments with proper justification and examples.

Q8. Whether the extant prescribed HD/SD ratio which treats 1HD channel equivalent to 2SD channels for the purpose of counting number of channels in NCF should also be reviewed?

1. If yes, should there be a ratio/quantum? Or alternatively should each channel be considered as one channel irrespective of its type (HD or SD or any other type like 4K channel)? Justify with reasons.

2. If no, please justify your response.

Q9. What measures should be taken to ensure similar reception quality to subscribers for similar genre of channels? Please suggest the parameter(s) that should be monitored/ checked to ensure that no television channel is discriminated against by a DPO. Please provide detailed response with technical details and justification.

Q10. Should there be a provision to mandatorily provide the Free to Air News / Non-News / Newly Launched channels available on the platform of a DPO to all the subscribers?

a. If yes, please provide your justification for the same with detailed terms and conditions.

b. If not, please substantiate your response with detailed reasoning.

Q11. Should Tariff Order 2017, Interconnection Regulations 2017 and Quality of Service Regulations 2017 be made applicable to non- addressable distribution platforms such as DD Free Dish also?

Q12. Should the channels available on DD Free Dish platform be mandatorily made available as Free to Air Channels for all the platforms including all the DPOs?

Q13. Whether there is a need to consider upgradation of DD Free Dish as an addressable platform? If yes, what technology/ mechanism is suggested for making all the STBs addressable? What would be the cost implications for existing and new consumers? Elaborate the suggested migration methodology with suggested time-period for proposed plan. Please provide your response, with justification.

B. Interconnection related issues

Q14. In case of amendment to the RIO by the broadcaster, the extant provision provides an option to DPO to continue with the unamended RIO agreement. Should this option continue to be available for the DPO?

a. If yes, how the issue of differential pricing of television channel by different DPOs be addressed?

b. If no, then how should the business continuity interest of DPO be protected?

Q15. Sometimes, the amendment in RIO becomes expedient due to amendment in extant Regulation/ Tariff order. Should such amendment of RIO be treated in a different manner? Please elaborate and provide full justification for your comment.

Q16. Should it be mandated that the validity of any RIO issued by a broadcaster or DPO may be for say 1 year and all the Interconnection agreement may end on a common date say 31st December every year. Please justify your response.

Q17. Should flexibility be given to DPOs for listing of channels in EPG?

a. If yes, how should the interest of broadcasters (especially small ones) be safeguarded?

b. If no, what criteria should be followed so that it promotes level playing field and safeguard interest of each stakeholder?

Q18. Since MIB generally gives permission to a channel in multiple languages, how the placement of such channels may be regulated so that interests of all stakeholders are protected?

Q19. Should the revenue share between an MSO (including HITS Operator) and LCO as prescribed in Standard Interconnect Agreement be considered for a review?

1. If yes:

i.Should the current revenue share on NCF be considered for a revision?

ii. Should the regulations prescribe revenue share on other revenue components like Distribution Fee for Pay Channels, Discount on pay channels etc.? Please list all the revenue components along-with the suggested revenue share that should accrue to LCO.

Please provide quantitative calculations made for arriving at suggested revenue share along-with detailed comments / justification.

2. If no, please justify your comments.

Q20. Should there be review of capping on carriage fee?

1. If yes, how much it should be so that the interests of all stakeholders be safeguarded. Please provide rationale along with supporting data for the same.

2. If no, please justify how the interest of all stakeholders especially the small broadcasters can be safeguarded?

Q21. To increase penetration of HD channels, should the rate of carriage fee on HD channels and the cap on carriage fee on HD channels may be reduced. If yes, please specify the modified rate of carriage fee and the cap on carriage fee on HD channels. Please support your response with proper justification.

Q22. Should TRAI consider removing capping on carriage fee for introducing forbearance? Please justify your response.

Q23. In respect of DPO’s RIO based agreement, if the broadcaster and DPO fail to enter into new interconnection agreement before the expiry of the existing agreement, the extant Interconnection Regulation provide that if the parties fail to enter into new agreement, DPO shall not discontinue carrying a television channel, if the signals of such television channel remain available for distribution and the monthly subscription percentage for that television channel is more than twenty percent of the monthly average active subscriber base in the target market. Does this specified percentage of 20 percent need a review? If yes, what should be the revised prescribed percentage of the monthly average active subscriber base of DPO. Please provide justification for your response.

C. Quality of Service related issues

Q24. Whether the extant charges prescribed under the ‘QoS Regulations’ need any modification required for the same? If yes, justify with detailed explanation for the review of:

1. Installation and Activation Charges for a new connection

2. Temporary suspension of broadcasting services

3. Visiting Charge in respect of registered complaint in the case of DTH services

4. Relocation of connection

e. Any other charges that need to be reviewed or prescribed.

Q25. Should TRAI consider removing capping on the above-mentioned charges for introducing forbearance? Please justify your response.

Q26. Whether the Electronic Programme Guide (EPG) for consumer convenience should display

1. MRP only

2.MRP with DRP alongside

3.DRP only?

Justify your response by giving appropriate explanations.

Q27. What periodicity should be adopted in the case of pre-paid billing system. Please comment with detailed justification.

Q28. Should the current periodicity for submitting subscriber channel viewership information to broadcasters be reviewed to ensure that the viewership data of every subscriber, even those who opt for the channel even for a day, is included in the reports? Please provide your comments in detail.

Q29. MIB in its guidelines in respect of Platform Services has inter-alia stated the following:

a. The Platform Services Channels shall be categorised under the genre ‘Platform Services’ in the EPG.

b. Respective MRP of the platform service shall be displayed in the EPG against each platform service.

c. The DPO shall provide an option of activation /deactivation of platform services.

In view of above, you are requested to provide your comments for suitable incorporation of the above mentioned or any other provisions w.r.t. Platform Services channels of DPOs in the ‘QoS Regulations’.

Q30. Is there a need to re-evaluate the provisions outlined in the ‘QoS Regulations’ in respect of:

a. Toll-free customer care number
b. Establishment of website
c. Consumer Corner
d. Subscriber Corner
e. Manual of Practice
f. Anyotherprovisionthatneedstobere-assessed

Please justify your comments with detailed explanations.

D. Financial Disincentive

Q31. Should a financial disincentive be levied in case a service provider is found in violation of any provisions of Tariff Order, Interconnection Regulations and Quality of Service Regulations?

a. If yes, please provide answers to the following questions:

i. What should be the amount of financial disincentive for respective service provider? Should there be a category of major/ minor violations for prescription of differential financial disincentive? Please provide list of such violation and category thereof. Please provide
justification for your response.

ii. How much time should be provided to the service provider to comply with regulation and payment of financial disincentive. and taking with extant regulations/tariff order?

iii. In case the service provider does not comply within the stipulated time how much additional financial disincentive should be levied? Should there be a provision to levy interest on delayed payment of Financial Disincentive?

1. If yes, what should be the interest rate?

2. In no, what other measures should be taken to ensure recovery of financial disincentive and regulatory compliance?

iv. In case of loss to the consumer due to violation, how the consumer may be compensated for such default?

b. If no,then how should it be ensured that the serviceprovider complies with the provisions of Tariff Order, Interconnection Regulations and Quality of Service Regulations?

E. Any other issue

To download the full consultation paper please click here.

Awards

Hamdard honours changemakers at Abdul Hameed awards

Published

1 week ago

February 7, 2026

indiantelevision.com Team

NEW DELHI: Hamdard Laboratories gathered a cross-section of India’s achievers in New Delhi on Friday, handing out the Hakeem Abdul Hameed Excellence Awards to figures who have left their mark across healthcare, education, sport, public service and the arts.

The ceremony, attended by minister of state for defence Sanjay Seth and senior officials from the ministry of Ayush, celebrated individuals whose work blends professional success with a sense of public purpose. It was as much a roll call of achievement as it was a reminder that influence is not measured only in profits or podiums, but in people reached and lives improved.

Among the headline awardees was Alakh Pandey, founder and chief executive of PhysicsWallah, recognised for turning affordable digital learning into a mass movement. On the sporting front, Arjuna Awardee and kabaddi player Sakshi Puniya was honoured for her contribution to the game and for pushing women’s participation onto bigger stages.

The cultural spotlight fell on veteran lyricist and poet Santosh Anand, whose songs have echoed across generations of Hindi cinema. At 97, Anand accepted the honour with characteristic humility, reflecting on a life shaped by perseverance and hope.

Healthcare honours spanned both modern and traditional systems. Manoj N. Nesari was recognised for strengthening Ayurveda’s place in national and global health frameworks. Padma shri Mohammed Abdul Waheed was honoured for his research-backed work in Unani medicine, while padma shri Mohsin Wali received recognition for his long-standing contribution to patient-centred care.

Education and social development also featured prominently. Padma shri Zahir Ishaq Kazi was honoured for decades of work in education, while former Meghalaya superintendent of Police T. C. Chacko was recognised for public service. Goonj founder Anshu Gupta received an award for his dignity-centred rural development initiatives, and the Hunar Shakti Foundation was honoured for empowering women and young girls through skill development.

The Lifetime Achievement Award went to former IAS officer Shailaja Chandra for her long career in public healthcare and governance, particularly in the traditional systems under Ayush.

Speaking at the event, Hamdard chairman Abdul Majeed said the awards were a tribute to those who combine excellence with empathy. “These awardees reflect Hakeem Sahib’s belief that healthcare, education and public service must ultimately serve humanity,” he said.

Minister Seth struck a forward-looking note, saying India’s young population gives the country a unique opportunity to become a global destination for learning, health and wellness by 2047.

The ceremony also featured the trailer launch of Unani Ki Kahaani, an upcoming documentary starring actor Jim Sarbh, set to premiere on Discovery on 11 February.

Instituted in memory of Unani scholar and educationist Hakeem Abdul Hameed, the awards have grown into a national platform that celebrates those building a more inclusive and resilient India. For one evening at least, the spotlight was not just on success, but on service with substance.

MAM

Why the best campaigns today start with insights, not ideas

Published

1 week ago

February 7, 2026

indiantelevision.com Team

MUMBAI: For decades, creative storytelling has been the cornerstone of brand communication. The “big idea” amplified through catchy jingles, striking visuals, and memorable hooks was once the gold standard for relevance and recall. Creativity defined presence, and the loudest, boldest campaigns often won attention.

But the marketing landscape today looks very different.

Audiences are more exposed, more discerning, and far less patient. They are inundated with messages across platforms, formats, and creators, often encountering hundreds of brand touchpoints in a single day. In this environment, creativity alone especially when untethered from real consumer truths is no longer enough to move behaviour. Great ideas are abundant. Meaningful impact is not.

This is where insights matter.

The difference may seem subtle, but it is fundamental. An idea represents what a brand wants to say. An insight reflects what the audience is already thinking, feeling, or experiencing. The most effective campaigns emerge not from cleverness alone, but from the intersection of these two forces.

From creativity to relevance

As the marketing ecosystem becomes increasingly saturated, consumers are growing immune to inflated claims and surface-level storytelling. Even beautifully crafted campaigns can fail if they are disconnected from lived realities. The gap between a brand’s internal enthusiasm and the audience’s actual sentiment can be the difference between attention and indifference.

Insights help bridge this gap. They force brands to pause, listen, and observe to understand emotions, behaviours, cultural contexts, and contradictions. Instead of trying to be remembered through louder branding, insight-led campaigns allow audiences to see their own experiences reflected back at them. When a campaign articulates a problem that feels personal, relevance is created. Trust follows.

Insight is interpretation, not information

It’s important to distinguish between data and insight. Data tells us what is happening. Insight explains why it is happening. While data is measurable and structured, insights are interpretive and dynamic, shaped by real-time sentiment and human behaviour.

Modern consumers are full of contradictions. They demand authenticity while remaining deeply aspirational. They want brands to take a stand but expect nuance, not instruction. They seek transparency, yet are drawn to curated narratives. These tensions are not obstacles, they are opportunities. When understood correctly, they can shape communication that feels timely, credible, and human.

Some of the most effective campaigns today are born not in isolated brainstorm rooms, but through listening to audiences, creators, editors, online communities, and cultural signals. Insights often exist in blurred patterns, but once identified, they can redefine how a brand connects.

A recent campaign we executed for Domino’s illustrates this shift clearly. The brief wasn’t to make a pizza look bigger or louder. Instead, it was rooted in a simple behavioural truth: in Tier 2 and Tier 3 markets, sharing food is an emotional act tied to family, celebration, and value perception. The “Big Big 6-in-1 Pizza” became a canvas for this insight. The campaign leaned into regional voices and real sharing moments, allowing people to show how they experienced the product rather than being told why they should buy it. Influencers and celebrities amplified genuine usage, not scripted endorsements. The impact from engagement to footfall to sales came not from a clever idea, but from understanding how people relate to food in their everyday lives.

Shifting the starting point

Today’s consumer landscape demands a shift in perspective from “What should the brand say?” to “What does the audience need to hear right now?” This marks a move away from inward-led marketing toward communication shaped by behaviour, emotion, and cultural relevance.

Brands leading today are keen observers. They notice when perfection stops resonating. They sense when luxury shifts from aspiration to excess. They recognise when influencer content begins to feel repetitive and trust erodes.

Virality, too, is often misunderstood. It is not a strategy to chase, but an outcome. Campaigns rooted in insight do not aim to go viral; they aim to resonate. When content reflects something familiar, a shared truth, emotion, or tension, it travels organically because people see themselves in it.

Ideas attract attention. Insights build connection.

The evolving role of PR

For PR professionals, this shift has redefined success. Coverage volume alone no longer tells the full story. The more meaningful questions today are: Did the communication influence behaviour? Did it align with cultural conversations? Did it address a real consumer pain point?

Insight-first thinking allows these questions to be answered at the planning stage, rather than corrected midway through execution.

In a world where formats and platforms will continue to evolve, what remains constant is the power of authentic communication. The strongest campaigns today do not begin with a brainstorm, but with observation, interpretation, and empathy. That is not just better marketing, it is more responsible, resilient, and meaningful brand-building.

Brands

Ahmad Muneeb elevated to VP – HR centre of excellence at Zepto

Published

1 week ago

February 7, 2026

indiantelevision.com Team

MUMBAI: Zepto has elevated Ahmad Muneeb to vice president – HR centre of excellence, placing him at the helm of the company’s total rewards, executive compensation and organisational effectiveness as the quick-commerce firm powers through a high-growth phase.

The move follows his stint as senior director of the HR COE, where he played a central role in preparing the company for IPO readiness while scaling its people analytics capabilities. During this period, Muneeb helped align complex performance management structures with more streamlined and scalable employee experience frameworks.

In his new role, he will steer the design of total rewards strategies, executive compensation planning and organisational design, while also overseeing performance management, employee experience initiatives and people analytics programmes.

Before joining Zepto, Muneeb spent nearly three years at Meesho, where he held multiple rewards and HR business partner roles. Earlier in his career, he worked as a senior rewards consultant at Mercer, advising high-tech clients on compensation benchmarking, pay structures and talent-focused reward frameworks.

He began his hr journey at Cognizant, where he supported compensation programmes for nearly two lakh employees across India and worked on m&a compensation alignment and skill-based pay initiatives. Prior to moving into HR, Muneeb started his career as a software engineer at Netcracker, bringing a technical grounding to his people strategy work.

With a mix of consulting rigour, start-up agility and enterprise-scale experience, Muneeb’s elevation signals Zepto’s continued focus on building robust people systems as it races towards its next phase of growth.