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Trai’ng hard but falling way too short

Published

19 years ago

September 2, 2006

Some like it; some don’t. But there’s no denying that the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (Trai)-mandated pay channel prices in CAS areas (Rs 5 for all pay channels) is going to stir up much more than just a storm in the proverbial cup.

It’s like those weekly village markets that are quite popular in India where the refrain is har maal paanch rupaiya mein (every product priced uniformly at Rs 5). The actual price may differ a bit, but the concept adopted by Trai is the same. Reason: low and uniform prices attract buyers.

Faster the adoption of a technology like CAS, sooner more transparency will come into the Indian broadcast and cable industry, which has been plagued by massive under-declaration by cable ops
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A low price entry point for a new technology — about which myths abound still for the general public — is certainly a good way of incentivising its quick adoption. And, faster the adoption of a technology like CAS, sooner more transparency will come into the Indian broadcast and cable industry, which has been plagued by massive under-declaration by cable operations and other such ills in the absence of any regulation.

But in attempting to keep cable TV as a mass service —- which it is, anyway — and having the prices of all pay channels uniform, Trai has forgotten one important aspect of regulatory process: the cost factor while deciding tariff for a service.

The real boom in the Indian cellular phone market came when players clipped price lines and made the whole process of acquiring a mobile phone connection so cheap and attractive that even a domestic hand found it hard to resist. Who can forget a certain Indian telecom player’s offer of a mobile phone connection with unlimited talk time for a certain period of time and the handset thrown in for Rs 500 under the Monsoon Hungama or monsoon bonanza scheme some time ago?

Trai, which also oversees the telecom sector, may actually take pride in claiming that it facilitated massive growth in cellular phones in the country. The numbers say it all. There are more cellular phone connections in the country compared to fixed line connections. But broadcast industry cannot crow like its telecom counterpart.

Though cable TV service, unlike some others like transport (especially capital intensive railway transport), cannot be categorized as a natural monopoly, the cost of putting together that service cannot be overlooked.

In forcing an entertainment broadcaster to sell its product at a ridiculously low cost, Trai is trying to say Indian consumers don’t appreciate high quality production values.
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Not as capital intensive as power or transport sectors, cable TV nevertheless does need investments to be made by all stakeholders of the value chain. By presuming that all types of content can be acquired comparatively cheap and revenue generated through volume sales (after all, India now boasts of 68 million C&S homes with all TV homes standing at 110 million), the regulator has highlighted its partial ignorance of how the broadcast business is conducted.

Imagine the plight of Nimbus, for example, which has bought Indian cricket rights for over $ 600 million hoping that the content would help it to price its proposed channel at a premium. But now it would have no option but to price a pay channel at Rs 5 and look at rejigging the whole business model.

There is no denying that the programming costs in the sports, movies and entertainment segments are higher than news or infotainment channels segment. In forcing an entertainment broadcaster to sell its product at a ridiculously low cost — when compared to the input costs of aggregating content — Trai, probably, is trying to say that Indian consumers don’t appreciate high quality production values and can be served shoddy work. Class comes with a price tag and the price decided by the regulator is unlikely to encourage quality.

Could Trai have gone in for differential pricing for some genres of channels? Yes, of course it could have, and displayed a visionary flair in the process.

But as long as regulators like Trai remain hostage to a government’s whims and fancies, it would always open itself to the criticism of pandering to politicians’ wishes, which are mostly based on populism.

Still, there is no gainsaying that the last word on this tale is a long way away from being written. And, if the way the currents are flowing are anything to go by, it could well be on this critical point that Trai’s efforts to usher in the CAS era could fall flat!

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Legal and Policies

RBI proposes Rs 25,000 shield for cyber fraud victims in India

Published

3 days ago

February 6, 2026

indiantelevision.com Team

MUMBAI: The Reserve Bank of India has proposed a new framework to compensate bank customers up to Rs 25,000 for losses arising from small-value fraudulent digital transactions, marking a major push to strengthen consumer protection in the fast-growing payments ecosystem.

Announcing the final bi-monthly monetary policy of the financial year, RBI governor Sanjay Malhotra said the central bank would shortly release draft revised instructions for public consultation, including limits on customer liability in unauthorised electronic banking transactions.

The move updates rules last issued in 2017, which set timelines and scenarios for zero or limited customer liability. Malhotra said rapid technological adoption across banking and payments systems had made a comprehensive review necessary.

Alongside the fraud compensation framework, the RBI will issue three separate draft guidelines covering mis-selling of financial products, recovery of loans and conduct of recovery agents, and advertising and sales practices by regulated entities.

Malhotra flagged growing concerns around third-party financial products being sold at bank counters without adequate suitability checks, adding that new instructions would ensure offerings match customer needs and risk appetite.

The central bank will also harmonise existing rules governing loan recovery agents across different regulated entities to improve conduct standards and customer protection.

In a parallel capacity-building push, Malhotra announced the launch of Mission Saksham, a sector-wide training and certification programme for urban co-operative banks. The initiative aims to upskill around 1.40 lakh participants through physical training programmes and a scalable digital learning platform, with content delivered in regional languages wherever possible.

News Headline

Lionsgate hires its first chief AI officer

Published

3 days ago

February 6, 2026

indiantelevision.com Team

CALIFORNIA: Lionsgate is making its clearest play yet in artificial intelligence, appointing Kathleen Grace as its first chief ai officer, a new role designed to weave AI into the heart of the studio’s creative and commercial engine.

Grace will steer AI strategy and execution across the company, from film sets to back offices. The mandate is broad: deploy tools that serve filmmakers’ creative vision, unlock efficiencies in production, marketing, distribution and administration, and build safeguards to protect the studio’s IP and its talent partners. She reports to chief executive Jon Feltheimer and joins the senior decision-making circle.

“Kathleen understands the AI ecosystem from the perspective of creators and IP holders alike, and she is the right person to lead our team forward in this exciting, complex and nuanced environment,” said Feltheimer. “Her AI expertise and digital media savvy will help us grow alongside our talent partners as we create new opportunities, establish new safeguards, and execute new strategies.”

The hire signals how seriously Hollywood now treats AI not just as a tool, but as a battleground over rights, revenue and creative control.

Grace arrives from Vermillio, where she served as chief strategy officer at what the company calls the first AI platform built to license and protect IP and likeness. Her work there focused on AI protection and rights management, helping content owners and talent track, authenticate and receive compensation for the use of their work in AI models.

“We’re proud to see Kathleen step into a pioneering role as the first chief ai officer at a Hollywood studio,” said Dan Neely, co-founder and chief executive of Vermillio. “She’s been a valued part of Vermillio’s growth and we’re excited to see her use her experience to help shape the future of AI in Hollywood.”

Her résumé stretches beyond AI. Grace previously led New Form, a digital studio backed by Ron Howard, Brian Grazer and Discovery Communications, where she developed more than 40 pilots and sold nearly 25 series to buyers including TBS, go90, Freeform, Quibi and Refinery29. She also drove YouTube’s global Spaces initiative, launching creator studios in Los Angeles, New York, London and Tokyo.

For Lionsgate, the message is clear: AI is no longer experimental. It is strategic. As studios race to harness algorithms without losing their soul, Grace steps into a role that sits at the fault line of art, technology and ownership.

In Hollywood’s next act, the scripts may still be written by humans, but the rules of the game are being redrafted by AI — and Lionsgate wants a head start.

Legal and Policies

India signs ‘mother of all’ trade deal with EU

Published

2 weeks ago

January 27, 2026

indiantelevision.com Team

New Delhi: India and the European Union have inked a landmark free trade agreement, a deal being hailed as the “mother of all” pacts. It promises duty-free access for over 90 per cent of Indian goods, integrates a market of nearly two billion consumers, and accounts for around a quarter of global GDP.

Commerce secretary Rajesh Agrawal confirmed negotiators had concluded an “ambitious, balanced, forward-looking and mutually beneficial” agreement. Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced the signing on Tuesday during a summit with European Council President Antonio Costa and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, who were chief guests at India’s Republic Day celebrations.

The deal is expected to turbocharge India-EU trade, particularly in labour-intensive sectors such as textiles, leather, chemicals, electronics and jewellery—industries that have long struggled to compete with duty-free imports from least developed countries.

The pact also sends a signal beyond Europe. The US, uneasy over India’s oil trade with Russia amid the Ukraine conflict, has taken notice. Analysts say the FTA positions India as a counterweight to protectionist policies that rattled global trade under Donald Trump.

“This is a perfect example of a partnership between two major economies…representing 25 per cent of global GDP and a third of world trade,” Modi said, adding that the deal reinforces shared commitments to democracy and the rule of law.

#WATCH | Prime Minister Narendra Modi says, “This agreement empowers our shared commitment towards democracy and rule of law. This Free Trade Agreement with the European Union will also complement Britain and EFTA’s agreements…I congratulate the people of the nation for this”… pic.twitter.com/30d2fYMxAc
— ANI (@ANI) January 27, 2026

Negotiations, relaunched in June 2022 after nearly a decade-long hiatus, now yield a pact that could redefine global commerce—India and Europe are not just trading partners, they are rewriting the rules of the game.