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  • Prasar Bharati financial rejig awaits GoM nod

    Prasar Bharati financial rejig awaits GoM nod

    NEW DELHI: A group of ministers (GoM) looking into a possible financial restructuring of pubcaster Prasar Bharati to boost its revenue generation capacity has said no final decision has been taken on various options.

    On Thursday, Prasar Bharati, which manages Doordarshan and All India Radio, made a presentation to the GoM highlighting its plus and negative points, including possible ways to augment revenue generation that is lagging far behind annual expenses incurred.

    While confirming that a presentation was made to the GoM, Prasar Bharati CEO KS Sarma told indiantelevision.com that it was made clear to him that the ministers would look into the issue before taking the package to the Cabinet for a final approval. Sarma added amongst the many options presented before the GoM were levying a one-time cess on TV and radio sets in the country and tapping the capital market.

    These options, Sarma said, were in line with a report prepared by a panel, headed by information and broadcasting secretary, set up to look into the financial restructuring. The report is now being studied by the GoM.

    Asked whether the GoM and then the government are likely to okay the financial restructuring of Prasar Bharati during his tenure, which ends 30 June 2006, Sarma replied in the negative, hinting that the issue is likely to take more time.

    Amongst the options, as has been reported by indiantelevision.com last year, is also one that envisages the government holding equity in the pubcaster against assets, which will facilitate a capital restructuring of the financially beleaguered Prasar Bharati or Broadcasting Corporation of India.

    A government official added that media reports on financial restructuring of Prasar Bharati were “premature.”

    In the meanwhile, reports on levying a cess on TV and radio sets to give a fillip to Prasar Bharati revenue has almost set the cat the pigeon with stiff opposition coming from consumer electronics manufacturers.

    However, present I&B minister Priya Ranjan Dasmunsi’s predecessor Jaipal Reddy had been against levying a cess on TV and radio sets. His justification: the cost of collecting this cess from all over the country would be more than the actual amount collected.

    British broadcaster BBC is partly funded through this mode where Englanders pay a nominal amount at the time of buying of a TV or radio set. A recent proposal of the Tony Blair government to hike this amount has been widely resisted British citizens.

  • Star kickstarts triple play mission with 7827 expansion













    MUMBAI: Star India is beefing up its “response mechanism”, 7827 – the short code – to explore the burgeoning mobile entertainment market in the country.


    Starting today, the website www.star7827.com will sport a new look as Star expands the 7827 services from television-focused interactivity to entertainment, specially created and aggregated for the mobile screen.


    In another major foray, Star India will launch a dedicated multi-lingual mobile audio channel, Star Voice in July. The mobile-based interactive voice system will offer consumers entertainment and other personalised updates.


    “We would like to be the first player going at the property,” says Star Entertainment India CEO Sameer Nair indicating the growth plans Star India has conceived to tap the mobile entertainment sector. “Star 7827 will be one of the key focus areas of our business and is expected to contribute significantly to our revenues over the next three to five years. Our proven programming and marketing abilities should ensure that we become one of the key players in this space.”


    “Since the last three years, we had been doing a detailed study on the subject and the expansion of the short code 7827 is one of the results,” says Star senior VP, Interactive Services, Viren Popli.


    As part of the revamping, www.star7827.com has been completely redesigned to reflect the new push in content aggregation. A special section to help visitors learn more about their phones, talk about mobile content and services as exchange views and experiences has also been created. In accordance with the 7827 revamp, a WAP site for mobile internet users has also been created from where visitors will soon be able to access a range of mobile content including videos.


    When queried on Star‘s strategies to explore the segment, Nair said it was a learning process which still continue. “We have more questions than answers. These are early days and we are looking at a difficult and different market. We will continue pushing our television content on the mobile platform. We will have variations as it progresses. Once we start producing separate content for the mobile platform, we will definitely switch to a subscription model,” says Nair.


    “As the first step towards creating properties in-house, Star will be unveiling a game on its popular Channel [V] character Chimpu,” adds Popli.


    The revamped 7827 will offer community based content services: personalised products such as ring tones, wallpapers; entertainment products in the range of games, video and audio; information products like news, astrology and jokes. The cost of downloading games from the website will range from Rs 3 to Rs 350, while other services such as ring tones and wallpapers will be available in the range of Rs 3 to Rs 6.


    Speaking on Star‘s association with digital content producers and its plans to accomplish self-sufficiency on this front, Nair said the company was looking to associate with as many companies as possible. “We want to do the products of our own. But, even then, we will be keeping these producers in the loop. We want to rope in as many partners as possible. This is a give and take process as we can learn new things out of our associations,” he says.


    Star 7827 in its new avatar will be creating, distributing and marketing content through tie-ups with Indian and International companies. “We will be taking the platform abroad. We are in talks with various international companies for technology and other solutions,” says Popli.


    Star India has also finalised a major publicity overdrive to promote the new initiative. The first set of creatives, promoting 7827 breaks across media platforms today. The company has also entered into a product placement arrangement with cell phone manufacturer Motorola for the promotions. As per the deal, the 7827 promotional creatives will be sporting a Motorola branded cellular phone

  • Intel Capital exteds Wimax investments worldwide













    BANGALORE: Intel Capital, the venture capital investment arm of Intel Corporation, announced new Wimax (Wireless Interoperability for Microwave Access) investments today in Orascom Telecom Wimax Limited. Both deals underscore Intel Capital‘s continuing support for the deployment of low cost broadband internet access through Wimax networks around the world.


    Orascom Telecom Wimax Limited is also the first investment from the Intel Capital Middle East and Turkey fund announced in November of 2005.


    Both deals are collaborations between Intel Capital and established telecommunications companies which will bring significant experience of network deployment, marketing and operations to the newly formed joint ventures. Orascom Telecom Wimax Limited will focus its efforts on working with governments and companies throughout the Middle East and parts of Asia to obtain suitable spectrum licenses for the deployment of Wimax services.


    Enertel Wimax N.V. is targeting the deployment of Wimax services in the Netherlands. In addition to funding and personnel, Enertel is also contributing an existing 3.5 GHz spectrum license to support this new joint venture.


    Both new companies will be majority owned by Orascom Telecom and Enertel respectively, with Intel Capital as the lead investor. Intel Capital will also provide access to the significant technical and marketing resources of Intel Corporation.


    “Intel Capital is a leader in promoting the deployment of low cost Wimax based internet access” said Arvind Sodhani, president of Intel Capital. “These latest agreements build on the foundation of existing Intel Capital investments to bring the benefits of low cost, high bandwidth internet access to consumers around the world and support the vision of a World Ahead that Intel CEO Paul Otellini outlined earlier this month at the World Congress on Information Technology”


    Over the past year, Intel Capital has announced investments in a number of Wimax and wireless broadband service providers around the world including: PIPEX Wireless in the UK, DBD in Germany, Unwired Australia, Neovia in Brazil, and MVSNet in Mexico. Intel Capital has also been active in supporting Wimax infrastructure through investments in Navini, a provider of Wimax base stations and modems and Beceem, a provider of mobile Wimax chipsets.


    “We see the creation of this new wireless service provider as an incredible opportunity to provide new services to major cities in the Netherlands,” says Enertel executive chairman Cees Meeuwis. “Enertel Wimax N.V.will offer wireless access and services through a wholesale relationship with a number of resale channels. This wireless broadband access service will uniquely complement the existing fixed line Broadband Access services already offered in the Netherlands.”


    “Orascom Telecom Wimax Limited is an exciting first step towards bringing the advantages and opportunity of internet connectivity to the people of the Middle East, and beyond, many of whom have never had such an opportunity before” says Orascom CEO Franco Grimaldi. “Together with Intel Capital, we will work closely with governments and companies in the Middle East and Asia to make this vision a reality.”

  • Premiere selects NDS MediaHighway middleware solutions













    MUMBAI: Pay TV operator in Germany and Austria – Premiere – has chosen the NDS MediaHighway middleware solution to set-up an interactive platform paving the way into advanced digital TV services.

     

    The middleware-based TV platform will enable customers to interactively use innovative add-on-services – all with the ease of using their remote control via a return channel over the internet. Based on the NDS MediaHighway middleware, Premiere will launch this innovative platform that will offer a range of TV services to Premiere subscribers from August 2006.

     

    NDS MediaHighway, running an open middleware language, will play a key role in operating the interactive TV architecture, that combines broadcast and IPTV technologies into a single service on a hybrid STB. The cornerstone of the new platform will be a middleware enabled easy-to-use STB user-interface, that ensures the same look and feel over a variety of STBs and provides convenient and instant access to the services. The new infrastructure will enable Premiere to further extend its exclusive content offering combined with maximum usability for the viewer.


    The technological architecture of the platform unites the advantages of classic broadcasting with the individual and on-demand features of the internet. While the viewer will enjoy a premium quality TV experience, customers will be able to use interactive applications such as making pay-per-view orders at the touch of the remote control on their STB. Premiere will build up its range of interactive applications and add-on-services progressively based on open application standards.


    NDS is working closely with Premiere to launch this platform that will mark the start of middleware-supported and advanced interactive TV services in Germany and Austria. The agreement is a major reference for the NDS MediaHighway middleware solution and the first large scale customer win for NDS in Germany.


    Premiere CEO Dr. Georg Kofler said, “NDS is the ideal partner for us for establishing our interactive platform. NDS MediaHighway middleware has proved itself around the world, and is already running on more than 38 million set-top-boxes. It is extremely powerful and flexible and covers all the functions that we need, from interactive and add-on services to advanced PVR technology. We are thus gaining a fast and efficient entry into modern, interactive television.”


    “We could not think of a better reference than Premiere for our NDS MediaHighway middleware and hybrid TV solutions. We are delighted to be working with Premiere as our first large scale customer win in Germany. NDS will be supporting the company now to unlock the opportunities of advanced, interactive television,” said NDS France vice president and general manager Caroline Le Bigot.

  • ‘DD Sahyadri has been successfully exploring the pubcaster’s autonomy to unleash useful information’

    Another tranquil evening is setting in the imposing Prasar Bharati complex, situated at Mumbai‘s upscale Worli area.As I enter the DD Kendra Mumbai (DD Sahyadri) office, an eerie silence accompanied by that unmistakable government office aura surrounds me. The staff has slowly started packing their bags, and walking through the vacant corridor, I wonder if that terrible traffic jam has cost me my appointment with the Kendra director Mukesh Sharma.

    Meet the man though and any notions that he oversees a culture of ennui are dispelled. Sharma has just come off major brainstorming session with his key officers. As I am ushered into the spacious cabin, Sharma displays no signs of the fatigue. Over a cup of black tea, that Sharma himself prepared, he switches on the cheerful chat. He has been running the show at the Mumbai Kendra in this fashion since the last six years and the way DD Sahyadri evolved during this phase says it all.

    In the course of the conversation, the former filmmaker‘s uninterrupted journey of six years as DD Sahyadri director is unveiled frame by frame.

    A UP-ITE COMES TO MUMBAI TO LEAD DD‘S MARATHI DRIVE

    I have come all the way from Lucknow to Mumbai to head DD Sahyadri. There was a bit of apprehension in my mind when I took up the assignment. Reason, obviously the language and cultural barriers. To think like a Maharashtrian when it comes to conceptualising and ideating programming sounded a difficult proposition. However, I solved the situation successfully by following the strategy of ideating quality programmes and then banking on the local team to do the job perfectly.

    I also realised that, I could use my film background to my advantage in this position. Being a filmmaker and producer myself, I think in the same wavelength that my producers think and that came as a huge bonus. My career background helped me to interact with my clients in a better way and overall it helped a lot to increase the Kendra‘s productivity.

    THOSE EARLY DAYS

    When I joined on 4 May 2000, DD Sahyadri was in a terrible state then. Poor connectivity, substandard programmes and low grade technical infrastructure had placed us lowest in the Marathi channel chart, behind ETV Marathi, Alpha Marathi (now Zee Marathi), Tara Marathi and Prabhat. I wanted to change this.

    I started with the connectivity issue. The issue was discussed with the cable operators and the DD Public Relations (PR) machinery was effectively used to improve the relationship with all concerned. Within six months, we were seen, heard and known. DD Sahyadri discovered its own identity and that made a huge difference. I have never sold the channel as Doordarshan. I always marketed it as Sahyadri.

    To improve the programming, I did a SWOT (Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities & Threats) analysis of the channel and identified my target group (TG) as citizens and not consumers. I decided to run Sahyadri like a real public channel. To reach out to the masses, phone-in programmes were conceptualised. This was something new in those times. I realised that, DD Sahyadri‘s USP should be, ‘a channel that reaches the masses and empowers them — especially women — through its programmes‘.

    PROGRAMMING LANDMARKS

    Our first ever phone-in programme Hello Sakhi, has completed six years as a daily show now. So, I can say, DD Sahyadri has about 1500 hours of women empowerment programming unleashed in Maharashtra. The programme gives expert advice on issues such as legal, career, education and health and the programme was first its kind when it was introduced in 2000. Even phone-in programmes were a rare affair then, whether on DD or satellite channels.

    Then came Hello Doctor in 2001, again targeted at the masses. We also kicked off the Navratna Awards, which felicitates nine talented Maharashtrians, in the same year. Another award property Navjot Sahyadri Che was initiated in 2002 in association with Unicef. Then in 2003, we introduced Lux Hirkani Awards to honour ‘women of substance‘. As an appreciation towards our achievements in establishing event properties, Prasar Bharati asked us to produce an award show Prerna Puraskar and then New Year programmes for the national network. The New Year programmes are produced at a cost of about Rs 2.5 million and we record a profit of about Rs 7.5 million out of it.

    Since Mumbai is the hub of Indian cinema, I brought the entire Films Division from Delhi to Mumbai. The division has now become a significant player in Prasar Bharati‘s revenue plans as it functions in harmony with the DD marketing division in Mumbai.

    Overall, DD Sahyadri launched about 25 programmes during this six-year period. These cut across all the programming genres such as talk shows, game shows, events, musicals and soaps. I would say, DD Sahyadri gave a significant contribution to television in its infancy by introducing such diverse genres to the masses and the huge success these shows recorded underlines their popularity.

    REVENUE REALISATIONS & FUTURE PLANS

    Some time back, I realised that, DD Sahyadri was wasting its air time during the breaks between programmes. We used to simply display some message on the screen informing viewers about the next programme coming up. I introduced five minute programmes in these ‘lazy‘ slots and started telecasting programmes such as Hasnavari Gheu Naka (Jokes Apart). The popularity of the programme attracted advertisers and now the five minute slot has 1.5 minutes bought by advertisers.

    In 2005, Prasar Bharati introduced the Self Financing Scheme (SFS) successfully in the national channel. The logical extension of the scheme has been to regional channels and DD Sahyadri was chosen as the first regional Kendra to implement the scheme. The SFS scheme gives DD the power to market its shows and earn the returns, while producers are paid a fixed amount for their work.

    The system delivered very well for DD Sahyadri in the 2006 fiscal. We recorded revenues of Rs 280 million in the 2005-2006 fiscal, which comes to about 28 per cent of the Kendra‘s revenue. By marketing our shows in-house, we could triple our returns. As we move towards a 100 per cent implementation of the system, DD Sahyadri is targeting revenues of about Rs 300 million in the 2006-2007 fiscal,

    On 2 October 2006, on its 35th birthday, DD Sahyadri will activate a complete switchover from the sponsored to commissioned model for its show slots. We will bring all our programmes under SFS by marketing them ourselves. Presently, sponsored programmes constitute about 20 per cent of our schedule and from 2 October onwards, there won‘t be a single sponsored programme in our line up. Right now the plan is in the initial phase of implementation and we are working towards achieving the goal.

    DIRECT TO HOME (DTH) & DD SAHYADRI

    According to a study conducted by Tam recently, about 2.5 million DTH boxes were sold in the country. The study showed Zee had the maximum number of DTH customers in Rajasthan, while DD‘s DTH is most popular in the rural areas of Maharashtra. That is a testimony to DD Sahyadri‘s strong hold over the masses in the All Maharashtra market.

    DD Sahyadri has also taken an active part in marketing the DD DTH. In fact, I presented a DD DTH connection to Sachin Tendulkar during the Navratna Awards ceremony.

    DOORDHARSHAN IS AGEING

    On the lack of young talent in Doordarshan: Since 1992, DD hasn‘t made any fresh recruitment. The average age of DD employees is now 55 years. We have no new generation backing us. The government must look at this with all the seriousness required.

    SETBACKS

    Overall, DD Sahyadri – during my tenure – didn‘t have to backtrack from any of its major initiatives. However, one programming initiative did let us down. Inspired by the national network‘s successful 11 pm Bioscope experiment, where a movie is telecast over three days on DD1 part-by-part, we started a similar initiative for the 8 pm slots on Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday. But it didn‘t appeal to the viewers and we were forced to pull it off.

    PARTING SHOT

    As the DD Sahyadri director, I have been trying to do this balancing act of selling the channel as well as contributing to society. Through our various properties which are targeted at the common man of Maharashtra, DD Sahyadri has been successfully exploring the pubcaster‘s autonomy to unleash useful information. As a responsible broadcast official, I am working towards an effective broadcast policy in a digital multi-channel era in the context of social education.

  • Manic Monday: Media scrips join Sensex free fall

    Manic Monday: Media scrips join Sensex free fall

    MUMBAI: It was truly a Manic Monday for Dalal Street. For the second time in the indices’ history (the first being on 17 May, 2004), trading was suspended at the BSE this morning. The Sensex fell by a whopping 1111.70 points in the morning trade below 10,000 to settle at 9,826.91.

    However, it recovered substantially to close at 10,482 down 457 points. The NSE Nifty, on the other hand, closed at 3081 down 166 points. Media stocks, like the predominant market sentiment, were on a downslide.

    In order to avoid pandemonium in the market, Sebi chief M Damodaran asked people not to go by rumours but to take informed decisions. According to him, Sebi was in touch with the RBI and there were no liquidity problems.

    Among the entertainment and media stocks, one company that managed to beat the heat on the bourses was Times Group company Entertainment Network India Ltd (ENIL), which operates the Radio Mirchi brand. The company’s stocks opened at Rs 239.85 and closed higher at Rs 241.10, thus registering a marginal gain of 0.63 per cent.

    The biggest loser today was Prannoy Roy’s NDTV Ltd. The stocks of NDTV opened at Rs 220 today and closed at Rs 190, weaker by 13.64 per cent. Mid-Day Multimedia, on the other hand, recorded a drop of 11.82 per cent and closed at Rs 61.15 (previous close Rs 69.35).

    Pritish Nandy Communications shed 10.14 per cent to close at Rs 45.65 from its previous close of Rs 50.80. Hinduja TMT; which on Friday 19 May took the deepest plunge, going down by Rs 48.30 to close at Rs Rs 701.75; today dropped 3.10 per cent to close at Rs 680.

    Sahara One Media and Entertainment Ltd and BAG Films both shed around eight per cent in today’s bloodbath. TV Today Network was weaker by 7.76 per cent to close at Rs 81.45 at the end of the day’s trade. K Sera Sera also lost 7.45 per cent and ended the day at Rs 36.05. Television Eighteen shed 5.18 per cent (down Rs 32.95 from yesterday closing at Rs 603.20).

    Company
    Last Traded Price
    Previous close
    Change
    Per cent change
    Adlabs Films
    Rs 267.30
    Rs 271.45
    Rs -4.15
    -1.53
    BAG Films
    Rs 9.63
    Rs 10.54
    Rs -0.91
    -8.63
    Balaji Telefilms
    Rs 139.95
    Rs 147.00
    Rs -7.05
    -4.80
    Cinevistaas
    Rs 21.45
    Rs 22.55
    Rs -1.10
    -4.88
    ENIL
    Rs 241.10
    Rs 239.60
    Rs 1.50
    0.63
    ETC Networks
    Rs 37.65
    Rs 38.50
    Rs -0.85
    -2.21
    Galaxy Ent
    Rs 251.15
    Rs 260.95
    Rs -9.80
    -3.76
    Gemini Comm
    Rs 420.00
    Rs 433.30
    Rs -13.30
    -3.07
    Hinduja TMT
    Rs 680.00
    Rs 701.75
    Rs -21.75
    -3.10
    Jain Studios
    Rs 27.60
    Rs 29.00
    Rs -1.40
    -4.83
    K Sera Sera
    Rs 36.05
    Rs 38.95
    Rs -2.90
    -7.45
    Mid-Day Multimedia
    Rs 61.15
    Rs 69.35
    Rs -8.20
    -11.82
    Mukta Arts
    Rs 42.95
    Rs 45.20
    Rs -2.25
    -4.98
    NDTV Ltd
    Rs 190.00
    Rs 220.00
    Rs -30.00
    -13.64
    Pritish Nandy
    Rs 45.65
    Rs 50.80
    Rs -5.15
    -10.14
    Sahara One Media
    Rs 324.00
    Rs 354.00
    Rs -30.00
    -8.47
    Saregama
    Rs 241.65
    Rs 254.05
    Rs -12.40
    -4.88
    Sun TV
    Rs 1159.55
    Rs 1192.35
    Rs -32.80
    -2.75
    TV Eighteen
    Rs 603.20
    Rs 636.15
    Rs -32.95
    5.18
    TV Today
    Rs 81.45
    Rs 88.30
    Rs -6.85
    -7.76
    UTV
    Rs 176.00
    Rs 183.55
    Rs -7.55
    -4.11
    Zee Telefilms
    Rs 228.20
    Rs 229.60
    Rs -1.40
    -0.61

    In the vicinity of the one – five per cent loss incurred by companies were the likes of Mukta Arts (-4.98 per cent), Cinevistaas (-4.88 per cent), Saregama (-4.88 per cent), Balaji Telefilms (-4.80 per cent), Jain Studios (-4.83 per cent), UTV (-4.11 per cent), Sun TV (-2.75 per cent), ETC Networks (-2.21 per cent), Adlabs Films (-1.53 per cent).

    Media major Zee Telefilms had a relatively quiet day at the bourses, closing at Rs 228.20 down a minimal -0.61 per cent from yesterday’s last traded price of Rs 229.60. On the Nifty, meanwhile, Zee ended the day at Rs 227.40, down 1.22 per cent from yesterday’s close of Rs 230.20.

    The big question on every market punter’s mind at the moment seems of course to be just how low will low go. When will the “market correction” bottom out is something no one seems to be able to hazard a guess on currently.

  • Star kickstarts triple play mission with 7827 expansion

    Star kickstarts triple play mission with 7827 expansion

    MUMBAI: Star India is beefing up its “response mechanism”, 7827 – the short code – to explore the burgeoning mobile entertainment market in the country.

    Starting today, the website www.star7827.com will sport a new look as Star expands the 7827 services from television-focused interactivity to entertainment, specially created and aggregated for the mobile screen.

    In another major foray, Star India will launch a dedicated multi-lingual mobile audio channel, Star Voice in July. The mobile-based interactive voice system will offer consumers entertainment and other personalised updates.

    “We would like to be the first player going at the property,” says Star Entertainment India CEO Sameer Nair indicating the growth plans Star India has conceived to tap the mobile entertainment sector. “Star 7827 will be one of the key focus areas of our business and is expected to contribute significantly to our revenues over the next three to five years. Our proven programming and marketing abilities should ensure that we become one of the key players in this space.”

    “Since the last three years, we had been doing a detailed study on the subject and the expansion of the short code 7827 is one of the results,” says Star senior VP, Interactive Services, Viren Popli.

    As part of the revamping, www.star7827.com has been completely redesigned to reflect the new push in content aggregation. A special section to help visitors learn more about their phones, talk about mobile content and services as exchange views and experiences has also been created. In accordance with the 7827 revamp, a WAP site for mobile internet users has also been created from where visitors will soon be able to access a range of mobile content including videos.

    When queried on Star’s strategies to explore the segment, Nair said it was a learning process which still continue. “We have more questions than answers. These are early days and we are looking at a difficult and different market. We will continue pushing our television content on the mobile platform. We will have variations as it progresses. Once we start producing separate content for the mobile platform, we will definitely switch to a subscription model,” says Nair.

    “As the first step towards creating properties in-house, Star will be unveiling a game on its popular Channel [V] character Chimpu,” adds Popli.

    The revamped 7827 will offer community based content services: personalised products such as ring tones, wallpapers; entertainment products in the range of games, video and audio; information products like news, astrology and jokes. The cost of downloading games from the website will range from Rs 3 to Rs 350, while other services such as ring tones and wallpapers will be available in the range of Rs 3 to Rs 6.

    Speaking on Star’s association with digital content producers and its plans to accomplish self-sufficiency on this front, Nair said the company was looking to associate with as many companies as possible. “We want to do the products of our own. But, even then, we will be keeping these producers in the loop. We want to rope in as many partners as possible. This is a give and take process as we can learn new things out of our associations,” he says.

    Star 7827 in its new avatar will be creating, distributing and marketing content through tie-ups with Indian and International companies. “We will be taking the platform abroad. We are in talks with various international companies for technology and other solutions,” says Popli.

    Star India has also finalised a major publicity overdrive to promote the new initiative. The first set of creatives, promoting 7827 breaks across media platforms today. The company has also entered into a product placement arrangement with cell phone manufacturer Motorola for the promotions. As per the deal, the 7827 promotional creatives will be sporting a Motorola branded cellular phone.

  • Star Movies gets caught in ‘The Triangle’ over the weekend

    Star Movies gets caught in ‘The Triangle’ over the weekend

    MUMBAI: English movie channel Star Movies will air a three part sci-fi adventure mini series The Triangle this weekend.

    The show will air from 2 to 4 June at 9 pm.

    The six hour hour mini-series focuses on a disparate group of professionals, who investigate the dangerous truth behind one of the greatest legends of our time, the Bermuda Triangle.

    The series has been executive produced by Bryan Singer (X-Men, Superman Returns) and Dean Devlin (Independence Day). The show stars Eric Stoltz Catherine Bell, Michael Rodgers, Bruce Davison, Lou Diamond Phillips and Sam Neill.

    With his crews and cargo ships disappearing at an alarming rate around the Bermuda Triangle, a billionaire, Eric Benirall (Neill) hires a crew full of specialists to understand why. Hand picked by the man himself, the crew consists of a skeptical tabloid journalist Howard Thomas (Stoltz), ocean resource engineer Emily Patterson (Bell), scientist/adventurer Bruce Gellar (Rodgers) and psychic Stan Latham (Davison).

    Pulled together with the promise of unlimited funding for their research and the chance for once-in-a-lifetime riches, the team sets out to solve this most daunting of anomalies. When a jetliner disappears over the Triangle, bizarre, unexplainable occurrences begin to affect each member of Benirall’s team.

    When the government takes an alarming interest in their work, the crew is drawn into something far more dangerous than they had believed possible. A research expedition with the promise of riches soon becomes a frantic, head-turning ride through the unstoppable force, that is, the Triangle.

  • Sarma retires in June; govt. yet to move on replacement

    Sarma retires in June; govt. yet to move on replacement

    NEW DELHI: Indian pubcaster Prasar Bharati would soon be headless unless the government, too busy with other issues like reservation for backward classes in educational institutions, hurries up.

    On 30 June 2006, Prasar Bharati CEO KS Sarma retires after serving an over five-year term that can be easily termed a roller-coaster ride.

    Following Sarma to the revolving door – sooner rather than later – is director-general of Doordarshan Navin Kumar whose term as a bureaucrat in Delhi ends in August. After that he has to revert to his parent state of Bihar.

    Kumar was appointed as the DG of Doordarshan in February of 2005. Prasar Bharati, an autonomous organization, manages pubcasters DD and All India Radio.

    While the CEO of Prasar Bharati is selected by a three-member panel headed by the vice-president of India, the DG is shortlisted by the board of Prasar Bharati that includes the chief executive and chairman.

    The present chairman of Prasar Bharati, veteran journalist MV Kamath, was appointed during the tenure of previous government, headed by the right-wing Bharatiya Janata Party.
    Prasar Bharati sources said that apart from Sarma and Kumar, there were several other senior officials who are on their way out and would have to be replaced.

    Meanwhile Sarma, a veteran of Prasar Bharati (he officiated as the DG of Doordarshan when he was a joint secretary in the I&B ministry in the mid to late 1990s) has seen over five ministers at the information and broadcasting ministry, which controls the purse strings for the publicly funded Prasar Bharati.

    Despite allegations of nepotism during a time when DD used to outsource marketing of big events, including the money-spinning cricket matches involving India, a wily Sarma has come out unscathed.

    It was during Sarma’s tenure as the CEO that DD floated its subscription-free DTH service, which raced ahead of the country’s first pay TV DTH service, Dish TV, in terms of subscribers.

    For the financial year ended march 2006, for the first time Prasar Bharati clocked a gross revenue of Rs 12.38 billion with Doordarshan clocking Rs 9.68 billion and All India Radio 2.7 billion that signified a growth of 67.67 per cent.

    Some of the achievements during Sarma’s tenure included the following:

    1. Increased focus on pro-active in house marketing of properties.
    2. Successful execution of media campaigns on behalf of government departments.
    3. Rationalization of rate cards to suit the changing market conditions.
    4. A strategic shift from Sponsored Programmes to Self Financing Scheme.
    5. Introduction of blockbuster Hindi Feature Films on DD National and marketing them in-house.
    6. Leveraging AIR’s vast network and unprecedented reach.
    7. Narrowcasting programming strategy.
    8. Publicity support for programmes to create awareness, especially among C & S audience.
    9. Improved billing and housekeeping efforts.

  • ‘Wireless data bandwidth one of the incredible challenges faced by any technology firm’

    ‘Wireless data bandwidth one of the incredible challenges faced by any technology firm’

    As the mobile continues growing as a source of entertainment, companies are looking at ways in which they can enhance the value that this medium provides. One such firm is the Singapore based Sydus which specialises in creating music-to-mobile lifestyle expressions.

    Founded in 2002, Sydus has attracted technology experts interested in advancing the distribution of digital entertainment to consumers. Last year the company, in partnership with Virgin Radio, introduced MobileRadio, claimed to be the world’s first 3G radio.Indiantelevision.com‘s Ashwin Pinto caught up with Sydus president Saumil Nanavati to find out more.

    Excerpts:
     

    How do you create music-to-mobile lifestyle expressions?
    Sydus has three ways to express mobile music lifestyles:

    – MobileRadio – This we believe is setting the trend radio broadcast for global mobile services with the universal language of music. MobileRadio breaks geographical limitations and, eliminates restrains of the home and office environment, crossing boundaries only imaginable before

    On the advertising front MobileRadio presents radio advertisers a global reach. It also gives telecom service providers the chance to monetise their infrastructure investments through increased use of data services. It also empowers brands to communicate to their consumers no matter where they maybe through branded radio services

    – OnDemand – This is the only streaming service in the world that packages a consumer’s favourite audio content on their mobile phones. It allows consumers to instantly stream from more than unlimited songs. It delivers audio in near CD-quality and gives consumers the flexibility to tap into an extensive catalogue from any place that is connected via mobile phones. The Phone Jockey feature customises recommendations and mobile music channels for the consumer

    Live – This offers operators and sponsors an option. It breaks the challenges of venue capacity and geographic reach, bringing sponsors a global audience and revenues. Sponsors get borderless reach. Live creates more intimacy between fans and their favourite artistes.
     

    What were the challenges faced by Sydus in developing audio streaming technology for the mobile?
    There are two incredible challenges faced by any technology firm. The first is wireless data bandwidth. Consumers today are used to a high degree of music quality in the digital lifestyle consumption. Delivering music through a mobile medium is no exception. Sydus is the only firm who can deliver high quality in near-CD-quality audio over GPRS networks, which is similar to dial-up modem with a greater degree of volatility.

    The second challenge is making the technology easy-to-use. Using any service or application on an incredibly tiny mobile screen is/always will be a challenge for all. Sydus’ challenge was to make the user interface very innovative, attractive and yet very simple to use.
     

    Could you give me an idea of the way in which the mobile is evolving as a source for listening to music and consuming media in Asia?
    There is tremendous growth potential in the mobile content area. This is allied to the sharp increase in 2.5G and 3G handset adaptation and will combine to deliver global mobile entertainment revenues of more than $ 59 billion by 2009, 16 per cent of which will be generated through music, according to a study by Juniper Research.

    According to a recent study, The Future of Mobile Music, which studies the growth of the mobile music market in 28 countries the mobile music market is the most valuable mobile content market globally, generating gross revenues of $4.4 billion in 2005, rising to nearly $6 billion in 2006. Mobile, it is said, now accounts for nearly 15 per cent of the entire music market globally.

    The Asia Pacific region will be no different from the rest of the world. For one, there is tremendous growth in mobile adoption in the region. Data from Wireless World Forum’s Indian Mobile Market 2006 statistical handbook, for instance, reveals that mobile ownership in India will pass 100 million in 2007. This will only encourage the rapid growth and demand of mobile content, with mobile music being one of the key requirements.

    Also, with the growth in demand of mobile music, the popularity for mobile radio services that reach global audiences – like those by Sydus – will also increase. With Virgin Radio UK, for instance, we have noted that there is a large demand for free content made available in mobile phones. In Asia, Thailand, India and Turkey are the three major markets for Virgin Radio’s MobileRadio service.

    This might also influence the adaptation rates of 3G technology. A report by TelecomView projects that 3G will have more than 300 million subscribers and generate more than $200 billion in revenue in 2009.
     

    Which are the top three countries that use your services the most?
    Based on our experience with Virgin Radio UK, the top ten countries in the world that use Sydus’ MobileRadio service are the Russian Federation, United Kingdom, Italy, USA, Thailand, India, Sweden, Czech Republic, Turkey and Finland.
     

    ‘There is tremendous growth potential in the mobile content area. This is allied to the sharp increase in 2.5G and 3G handset adaptation and will combine to deliver global mobile entertainment revenues of more than $59 billion by 2009‘
     

    You earlier mentioned the deal with Virgin Radio. What does a mobile phone need to have for the user to enjoy this service?
    Consumers require either a Symbian, or Microsoft Windows handset. To-date, there are over 189 handset models and variants, with a footprint of over 65 million handsets, that are compatible with Sydus’ MobileRadio technology.

    With a Sydus-compatible handset, users have to simply download the application for their mobile phones from Sydus’ WAP site.
     
    Which are the other radio stations Sydus is talking to regarding tie-ups?
    There are number of content publishers, which include radio stations and lifestyle brands that Sydus is talking to with regards to partnerships. At this stage, however, we are unable to disclose any details.
     

    In what way does this enable the advertiser to better engage with the user compared to traditional radio?
    Unlike traditional radio, users of Sydus’ MobileRadio service are not geographically bound to enjoy the radio experience. This means that an advertiser can reach out to an audience all around the world.
     

    How does the revenue sharing arrangement with Virgin mobile and the advertisers work?
    Sydus has built a new business model for content publishers such as Virgin Radio UK, by creating a favourable situation for the content publisher (radio station), advertiser, mobile operator and the end-user. Ultimately, it’s a win-win situation for all.

    Content publishers benefit as they have access global audience with minimal costs. They can Refresh campaigns/promotions (on an hourly, daily, or weekly basis) to keep the brand active.
    They can put the brand in the consumers’ eyes on a daily or hourly basis. Actively track impressions and locations of the consumers. It offers them a platform to launch aural and visual campaigns.
     

    ‘Unlike traditional radio, users of Sydus’ MobileRadio service are not geographically bound to enjoy the radio experience‘
     
    Do you also have deals with music companies regarding customised playlists?
    Customised playlists are one of the options that music companies can consider while addressing the lifestyles of the consumer on the go. Sydus is currently talking to music companies regarding customised playlists.
     

    How long do you feel it will be before the phenomenon of listening to FM radio on the mobile comes to India?
    Indian users are early adopters of mobile phone-related technologies and the phenomenon of listening to radio on mobile phones has already been tried and is on the rise in the country. In fact, Indian users are amongst the top six users of Sydus’ MobileRadio technology for Virgin Radio UK’s service.
     

    Are you in talks with mobile operators in India regarding incorporating the FM radio service as part of their offerings?
    As part of Sydus’ new business model, we work directly with content publishers and not with specific mobile operators.
     

    Apart from music, which are the other areas where your audio technology comes in handy?
    Sydus recently partnered with Immedia Broadcasting, the UK’s leading provider of live tailored radio for retailers. With Sydus’ technology, Immedia can now offer their clients the flexibility of customised radio with global reach and allow them to communicate effectively with their staff and consumers, regardless of geographical location. Thus, Sydus’ technology can come in handy for internal communication within multinational companies, especially.

    Sydus’ technology can also come in handy in times of natural disasters or national emergencies, when specific emergency-related messages need to be communicated over large geographies and when people are not bound to a geographical area.
     

    Could you talk about the ways in which Indian television channels and radio stations can benefit from Sydus’ technology?
    With Sydus’ technology, radio stations can reach out to both regional and global, active audiences, tapping into markets such as, Non-Resident Indians or Indian-content-loving users, that have never been explored before.

    Advertisers, on the other hand, will have access to a larger audience base. They can choose to advertise with a radio station using Sydus’ technology, and send out key messages to many more people at one particular time.

    Sydus’ technology can enable Indian television channels to extend the experience beyond the particular channel. Television shows, likeIndian Idol, for instance, can now link up with Sydus and produce content that is accessible from anywhere in the world.

    Television channels can benefit from advertisers that would like to associate themselves with certain shows to reach out to their target audiences, all around the world.
     

    What has research conducted by Sydus thrown up about the way in which mobile users consume music?
    After the launching the Virgin Radio UK service, our research has shown that even people in Botswana use the service on their handsets. The data from the availability of such services preserves some of our assumptions about consumer behaviours whilst dispelling others. We ruthlessly review all data poured on to us by our services.

    Also with service data, our team has personally spent time watching youth and young people at popular places like Starbucks at various locations in the world, to see how they communicate and use their phones. This allowed us to understand that there is a need for free mobile content.
     

    ‘Mobile TV has severe limitations and according to a recent report by Northern Sky Research, the mobile TV market is expected to reach 107 million subscribers by 2010 – this versus the 65 milion Sydus can serve today‘
     
    The next step is consuming television on the mobile. What plans does Sydus have in this regard?
    We are constantly looking for ways to deliver lifestyle content on the handset, and will continue to watch and plan as the industry evolves.
     
    Could you talk about the new technologies emerging that are allowing a smooth flow of visual data?
    According to a recent report by Northern Sky Research (NSR), it is believed that new technologies such as the Multimedia Broadcast and Multicast Standard (MBMS) and High Speed Downlink Packet Access (HSDPA) will be critical to the growth and projected rollout of mobile TV over 3G networks.

    MBMS is an IP-based technology designed to more efficiently deliver multimedia (video, audio and text) content over 3G radio and network resources. It offers a way for 3G network operators to offer multimedia content over their GPRS/Edge or WCDMA 3G networks without unnecessarily consuming capacity for voice communications.

    HSDA is a packet-based data service in WCDMA downlink with data transmission up to 8-10 Mbps over a 5MHz bandwidth in WCDMA downlink. In 3G partnership project standards, Release 5 specifications focus on HSDPA to provide data rates up to approximately 10 Mbps to support packet-based multimedia services.
     

    When computers got more sophisticated the virus threat grew. Is the mobile going to face a similar threat in terms of security?
    According to a study released by McAfee Avert Labs, mobile security threats are expected to triple in 2006 as smart phones and other mobile devices become more prevalent. The number of malicious software programs created for mobile devices is expected to reach 726 by the end of 2006, according to McAfee.

    However, just like how computers are now installed with anti-virus solutions, mobile phones will have mobile security standards to curb security threats. For example, BlackBerry phones are equipped the BlackBerry Enterprise Solution, which uses Data Encryption Standard (Triple-DES) or Advanced Encryption Standard (AES) encryption methods to encrypt data in transit.

    Most recently, Nokia announced in Europe that F-Secure Mobile Anti-Virus will be available through Nokia to the users of four recently announced devices based on S60 3rd Edition – Nokia N71, Nokia E60, Nokia E61 and Nokia E70.

    This proves that handset manufacturers are increasingly developing new solutions to keep mobile phones secure, as they are, after all, the most personal devices.
     

    Is movies being streamed for mobile something that will grow in popularity given the small size of the mobile screen?
    Mobile TV has severe limitations and according to a recent report by Northern Sky Research (NSR), the mobile TV market is expected to reach 107 million subscribers by 2010 – this versus the 65 milion Sydus can serve today. However NSR president Christopher Baugh, who is also the report’s author, also points out that several business and technical issues are still not resolved, and the resolution of these critical issues is vital to ultimate market success.

    It is also estimated, as per this report, that it will take time for broadcast networks to be deployed and handsets made available, therefore many 3G carriers are now searching for ways to make their existing networks more efficient for carrying video. In view of this, we believe that it has yet to be seen whether mobile TV will grow in popularity. However, we believe that content that is created especially for the small screen format i.e. music and that keeps the consumers’ attention for a few minutes, is the best option.
     

    Now there is talk about the advent of 5G. What do you think that will bring in terms of offering a multimedia experience for mobile users?
    The evolution of 5G will form a real wireless world, make an important difference and add more services and benefits to the world over. For mobile users, it will make mobile content more accessible and enjoyable.

    However, we will have to wait and see how the industry evolves. Sydus will, nevertheless, take advantage of new technologies available and continue to develop innovative technologies in line with the user’s demands to do what they want, on the move.