ITV

Tag: AIDCF

  • IBF, AIDCF say STB interoperability unviable in current conditions

    IBF, AIDCF say STB interoperability unviable in current conditions

    MUMBAI:  Universal interoperability of STBs in cable and DTH is not viable in the given conditions, Indian Broadcasting Foundation (IBF) and All India Digital and Cable Federation (AIDCF) said in response to Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI)’s consultation paper on the (set top box) STB interoperability.

    Both associations suggested the authority to understand and analyse the transition of STB interoperability on the broadcasting ecosystem, with no disruption to the pay TV system before proceeding further on the consultation paper.

    The authority on 11 November had released a consultation paper on interoperable STBs for digital TV broadcasting services. It had sought comments from all stakeholders on the best solution to implement the STB interoperability.

    AIDCF brought to TRAI’s notice that DPOs and MSOs have invested a huge amount in the STB system to adapt the process of digitisation. And, any sudden change could put DPOs and MSOs in financial risk, which eventually could lead to job losses.

    The associations urged the authority to review the adherence of license conditions of the DTH operators at the field and analyse the behaviour of subscribers with respect to migration from one DTH Player to another.

    Even after the merger of Videocon and Dish TV the platforms are maintaining their separate systems and set top boxes due to no interoperability.  

    AIDCF in its comments said, around 40 million households, availing Free Dish broadcasting services, are using the non-interoperable STBs. The implementation of STB-interoperability would force subscribers to purchase new STBs while shifting to alternate service providers/DPOs.

    Similarly, investment of interoperable STBs is likely to be passed on to the subscribers, which would lead to a rise in consumer price for viewing cable services, added AIDCF.  

    Meanwhile, IBF said: “The authority, in the present consultation paper has stated that though there is de-jure technical interoperability but there is de-facto technical non-interoperability. Despite the presence of provisions relating to interoperability in the existing DTH guidelines, the concept has not yet been implemented owing primarily to the inability to provide get solutions.”

    IBF has also requested the authority to consider the preliminary submissions related to the viability of implementation of STBs: cost, safeguarding content, and no compromise on security, while contemplating any options for the implementation of STB interoperability.  

    “To proceed any further with the consultation, it would be most useful and relevant to conduct a technical and operational session to get a better understanding of the technology and possibly emerge with a proof of concept, prior to commenting on the technology and viability,” IBF suggested.

    The association believes that the introduction of STB interoperability would require a number of technological as well as operational capabilities and change thereby fostering the necessity to introduce content security provisions and anti-piracy mechanisms.

    They have also asked the authority to ensure that the expenditure incurred in acquainting the STBs with interoperability features, does not get irrationally passed on to consumers and that they are not burdened with the increased costs incurred.

    Most importantly, any regulatory provisions should be mandated after confirming viability, quality and standards of the emerging technology and should ensure that the security of the CAS, SMS and other related addressable systems of the DPOs is not compromised and is not susceptible to piracy.

    IBF also raised a concern over Embedded Common Interface (ECI), a solution considered by TRAI to achieve interoperability.

    “ECI does not meet the content security and technology needs of major content providers. ECP includes strong content security features and the ability to forensically watermark content distributed on home devices, set-top boxes, etc. ECI falls short of the ECP requirements. In particular, ECI does not require watermarking and does not create a secure location for a watermark,” IBF added.

  • All India Digital Cable Federation welcomes festive promotion by broadcasters

    All India Digital Cable Federation welcomes festive promotion by broadcasters

    MUMBAI: While All India Digital Cable Federation (AIDCF) in association with its LCO operator partners always strives to deliver better services to consumers, the federation has welcomed festive promotion by broadcasters offering a discount on select a-la carte channels. AIDCF hopes that such promotional schemes from broadcasters will continue.

    “We from AIDCF commit that we will ensure all such benefits are passed to the consumers. We also hope that new consumer offers will come which will help in boosting consumption,” the federation said in a release.

    Already, voluntarily AIDCF has announced its members will include 150 SD channels instead of 100 SD channels for those subscribers who renew on or before the due date. The decision by AIDCF members resulted in savings of Rs 40 in NCF charges for cable TV customers. AIDCF is looking forward to similar consumer-friendly steps from its broadcaster partners.

    “We thank TRAI for the relentless pursuit to empower TV consumers and give consumers power of choice. To follow the spirit of NTO, cable operators enabled true customer choice by providing each customer choice to select any combination. Today, millions of unique plans are provided by cable operators despite all technical challenges. This is true consumer choice and level of customization is unmatched by any industry in India” AIDCF president SN Sharma said in a press conference.

    AIDCF thanked its LCO partners for continuing to service customers for past 25 years. The federation also pointed out that the operator partners have always upheld the consumer service and successfully seen so many transitions- right from the analogue era to digitization to post NTO world today and they intend to keep this partnership going strong for future. AIDCF also noted that LCO community has been working very hard in helping implement the new NTO and enabling the consumer to choose channels as per her wish.

    All members of AIDCF are pushing all boundaries and plan to announce new packages at attractive price points to offer superior value to subscribers. A few months experience with customer choice data post-NTO have enabled the MSO to create newer packages servicing customer specific needs in a better way by evolving packages.

  • DPOs say broadcasters misusing TRAI tariff order with heavy discounts

    DPOs say broadcasters misusing TRAI tariff order with heavy discounts

    MUMBAI: Distribution platform operators (DPOs) believe that broadcasters have misused the flexibility available to them to give a discount on the sum of a-la-carte as high as 90 per cent. The operators have shared their views on Telecom Regulatory Authority of India's (TRAI) consultation paper (CP) on ‘Tariff related issues for Broadcasters and Cable services. The industry has also given mixed views over the implementation of the 15 per cent cap on discount for a-la-carte by broadcasters.

    TRAI had released the consultation paper seeking responses from stakeholders to review the new tariff regime on 16 August 2019. In its consultation paper, the authority informed that it has observed that broadcasters are offering bouquets at a discount of up to 70 per cent of the sum of a-la-carte rates of pay channels constituting those bouquets. “It indicates that in absence of any restriction on the discount on the offering of bouquets, broadcasters are making prices of a-la-carte channels illusory thereby impacting the a-la-carte choice of channels by consumers and giving huge discounts on bouquets to push even those channels which are not the choice of subscribers,” said TRAI.

    Tata Sky in its responses to TRAI expressed disappointment of not revisiting the entire new regime. It said, “We are glad that TRAI has finally acknowledged these misgivings, however, to our  disappointment, TRAI, instead  of conducting a  holistic exercise of revisiting the new regime in entirety has chosen to selectively focus only on  few issues thereby limiting the scope of the exercise.”

    “Having acknowledged the serious misgivings in the regulations, the current consultation is a piece-meal and isolated effort and not the appropriate way forward,” opined Tata Sky.

    It also suggested that TRAI should allow the price forbearance models at the wholesale and the retail level. Further, the channel pricing framework and methodologies should be left to the parties involved, allowing the market forces and negotiation between the parties to decide the same.

    Tata Sky also informed the authority that it is against implementation of any kind of cap overpricing. It suggested, “The DPO bouquet is much more subscriber-friendly as it caters to the needs of the subscriber for availing channels from multiple broadcasters within a pack rather than having to subscribe to multiple bouquets/ or channels.”

    However Bharati Telemedia, in its responses, said, “We are of the view that at this stage, no changes should be made to any of the provisions of the tariff order including the provision w.r.t discount on sum of a-la-carte channels forming part of bouquets offered either by the broadcaster or the DPOs. Any changes at this stage will be equivalent to migration and this may not be the ideal time to cause any interference as it will also lead to unnecessary disturbances and customer dissatisfaction.”

    DEN Networks said that some broadcasters are indulging in heavy discounting of bouquets by taking advantage of non-implementation of 15 per cent cap on discount which has created a non-level field vis-à-vis other broadcasters.

    DEN Networks also expressed that popular channels are being unnecessarily clubbed with non-popular channels to push their uptake. It said, “The broadcasters who have large number of channels in their repertoire, are engaging in a practice of forming large number of heavily discounted bouquets (with minor changes) to push popular channels with non-driver channels. It can be seen that the channels which were FTA before the implementation of the new regulatory framework have been converted into pay channels with the price range of Rs 0.10-0.50/- just to push them with in a bouquet with popular channels of the broadcaster.”

    The operator believes that the non-implementation of 15 per cent cap on discount clubbed with the ceiling of Rs 19/- on the price of MRP of a-la-carte channels forming part of such bouquets is responsible for pushing unwanted channels along with popular channels.

    All India Digital Cable Federation (AIDCF) in its responses to TRAI said, “The non-implementation of the said proviso has given leverage to the broadcasters to offer their bouquets at discount which is as high as 70 per cent of the sum of a-la-carte channels forming part of such bouquets. This flexibility of giving discounts without a cap, created a non-level playing field for the distributors because the bouquets were priced on a discriminatory basis.”

    Sharing similar views, AIDCF and GTPL Hathway said, “The flexibility available to broadcasters to give discount on sum of a-la-carte channels forming part of bouquets has been grossly misused by the broadcasters. The same has also been acknowledged by the authority. It is pertinent to mention that the broadcasters have not only offered huge discounts as high as 90 per cent on their bouquets but have also created confusion in the minds of consumers, by offering  numerous bouquet(s) comprising of few popular  and bulk of non-popular channel(s) with a clear intent to push their non-popular channels.”

  • DPOs suggest changes to draft interconnection addressable regulations by TRAI

    DPOs suggest changes to draft interconnection addressable regulations by TRAI

    MUMBAI: Distribution platform operators (DPOs) have shared their comments to modify Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI)’s draft on The Telecommunication (Broadcasting And Cable) Services Interconnection (Addressable Systems) (Amendment) Regulations, 2019.  The industry has welcomed TRAI’s move to amend Schedule III of the regulation and believes that provisions related to watermarking, fingerprinting and digital rights management along with CAS and SMS is in right direction.

    AIDCF said, “It is submitted that the provisions relating to watermarking, fingerprinting and digital rights management along with CAS and SMS, is a step in the right direction and AIDCF wholeheartedly supports the same. With respect to amendments proposed to be introduced by TRAI in the schedule III of the Interconnection Amendment Regulations 2019, AIDCF stands in agreement with the same and supports TRAI in bringing about the amendments in the regulations.”

    However, Bharti Telemedia (Airtel), Tata Sky and GTPL recommended a few changes in the draft of interconnection addressable regulations.

    Airtel, with regard to Section C Clause 8 of the regulation, recommended that the capacity of the CAS and SMS should be linked to the volume of transactions rather than the subscriber base. The rationale for the same is that each subscriber can generate multiple volumes of transactions and hence, to handle these transactions of a single customer, the system is equally consumed and therefore, the correct assessment of the system capacity should be linked to the transaction count instead of subscriber base.

    It further commented “The subscriber base may not be the appropriate criteria to assess the capacity of CAS and SMS, more so, in the current framework when a single customer can generate more than one transaction in terms of activation/deactivation of channel, recharge etc. We, therefore, suggest that the criteria of 5 per cent should be measured in context to total volume of transactions.”

    The company in its comments to TRAI also raised concern over generating customised bills. It said, “We submit that the requirement of generation of bills is applicable for the post-paid services and we, therefore, suggest that clause must specify the same to avoid any confusion.”

    Similarly, Tata Sky also expressed that bill generation is a postpaid concept. DTH operators do not have a postpaid platform and are completely prepaid. “Therefore, it is suggested that a suitable clarification be inserted in the regulations as well as the audit manual to avoid any understanding gap between the DTH operators and the auditors,” said Tata Sky.

    Tata Sky also suggested, “The STBs and VCs are issued against a CAF to a subscriber and the subscriber's address is captured in our systems. Consequently, the auditor can check our systems on a random sample basis, however, we will not hand-over our entire database along with addresses to the auditor in compliance with this requirement. We would, therefore, suggest that a suitable clarification be inserted in the regulations as well as the audit manual to avoid any understanding gap between the DPO and the auditors.”

    The draft’s Clause 12(a) & 12(c) states that it is mandated that amongst other things SMS should also be capable of viewing and printing of historical data in terms of the activations and the deactivations of STBs and generating historical data of changes in the subscriptions for each subscriber and the corresponding source of requests made by the subscriber.

    GTPL on the same commented, “It has been observed in the past audits that the auditors have demanded generation of such historical data for all subscribers and from inception which has put undue stress on the systems of the distributors and the resultant inconvenience to the customers. It is suggested that the Authority limit the generation of historical data to reasonable percentage of the total as a sample size. We suggest a sample size of 5 per cent of the active sub base for platforms which have more than 5,00,000 average active subscribers while for platforms which have a lesser active subscriber base the sample size can be 25 per cent.”

  • Den Networks CEO SN Sharma takes over from Hathway’s Rajan Gupta as AIDCF president

    Den Networks CEO SN Sharma takes over from Hathway’s Rajan Gupta as AIDCF president

    New Delhi: All India Digital Cable Federation (AIDCF), the apex body of digital cable television players, announces the appointment of Mr. S N Sharma (CEO – Den Networks Limited) as the new President of the Federation with effect from 1st  April 2019 post expiration of term of Mr. Rajan Gupta – current President.

    Mr. Gupta commented that, “I am delighted to handover the presidency to Mr. Sharma.  It had been an event filled last couple of years at AIDCF, where we successfully migrated into the digital regime and ensured that New Tariff Regime becomes a reality, thereby empowering the consumers. I would like to thank all the members of AIDCF, without whose support this journey would not have been possible” Commenting on his appointment as the new AIDCF President, Mr. S.N. SHARMA said, “It is an honour for me to take the baton of leading AIDCF from Mr. Gupta and carrying it forward in the direction of realizing ‘The dream of Digital India’. All the esteemed members and I will continue to work as a team to resolve the issues and enhance the overall growth of Cable Television. Our priority will be making the new Tariff Regime hassle free so that that there is no inconvenience to the consumers. We will encourage and value the constructive suggestions and feedbacks.

  • TRAI hands DPOs, broadcasters 2 additional months to implement landing page directive

    TRAI hands DPOs, broadcasters 2 additional months to implement landing page directive

    MUMBAI: The Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) has extended the deadline for implementation of landing page direction from 31 March to 31 May. As per a release from the authority, the move has been taken following a request from All India Digital Cable Federation (AIDCF).

    Back in last December, the regulatory body directed all broadcasters and distributors to restrain from placing any registered satellite television channel, whose TV rating is released by TV rating agency, on the landing LCN or landing channel or the boot-up screen.

    The reason behind this order, according to TRAI, was to protect the interest of service providers and consumers while ensuring “orderly growth of the sector”.

    TRAI received a representation from AIDCF requesting the authority to extend the implementation for a further period of two months. The latter made the request in view of the appeal against the direction pending TDSAT and its hearing and pronouncement of order may go beyond the 31 March deadline.

    AIDCF also pointed out that the matter being under judicial consideration, any action on the said direction will not only be prejudicial to their right and contentions but also against the principle of natural justice. As the regulatory body of the sector found merit in the request, the deadline has been pushed further.

    Landing channel or landing page or landing logical channel number (LCN) refers to the default LCN that is displayed whenever a STB is switched on. Any TV channel placed on this page is available to all STBs connected to the network of a distributor and is regarded as a prized real estate by DPOs.

    During a consultation process on the issue, many broadcasters had admitted that placing a TV channel on the landing page could influence the audience data or TV rating points (TRPs), while MSOs and other distributors had stated there were no such influence on ratings or if any, they were minimal.

  • JPR Channel approaches TDSAT against TRAI directive on landing page

    JPR Channel approaches TDSAT against TRAI directive on landing page

    MUMBAI: Joining the league of Bennett Coleman and Company Ltd (BCCL) and All India Digital Cable Federation (AIDCF), multi system operator (MSO) JPR Channel has challenged the landing page directives of Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) as per its new tariff order. The MSO is worried that the decision might impact its revenue.

    TRAI, in December last year, had barred all broadcasters and distributors of TV channels from placing any registered TV channel whose rating is being measured on the landing page or the boot-up screen. BCCL and AIDCF had challenged the order in Telecom Disputes Settlement and Appellate Tribunal (TDSAT), a few days after the announcement of the order.

    TDSAT has listed all the three matters for hearing on 12 March 2019. It has also asked TRAI to provide a copy of the reply in the other appeal to JPR. JPR can then file a rejoinder within 10 days.

  • SC upholds TRAI Act over Copyright Act in tariff order case

    SC upholds TRAI Act over Copyright Act in tariff order case

    MUMBAI: The two-judge bench of the apex court with Justices Rohinton Fali Nariman and Navin Sinha dismissed the Star India’s appeal against Telecom Regulatory Authority of India’s (TRAI) recent tariff order. The principal area of the argument by the broadcaster was that the pricing of the content cannot be regulated by TRAI as it comes under the Copyright act. The verdict has clearly pronounced that the as TRAI Act is in public interest, it should prevail over the Copyright Act.

    “The best way in which both statutes can be harmonised is to state that the TRAI Act, being a statute conceived in public interest, which is to serve the interest of both broadcasters and consumers, must prevail, to the extent of any inconsistency, over the Copyright Act which is an act which protects the property rights of broadcasters. We are, therefore, of the view that, to the extent royalties/compensation payable to the broadcasters under the Copyright Act are regulated in public interest by TRAI under the TRAI Act, the former shall give way to the latter,” the Supreme Court order said.

    The 123-page judgment read that a copyright is meant to protect an owner’s work (original or re-broadcasted) and isn’t concerned with the interest of the end user or consumer and hence does not fall under the purview of the Copyright Act. It is the TRAI Act that needs to focus on the consumers’ interest.

    The Supreme Court added that the Copyright Act will operate within its own sphere giving broadcasters full flexibility to change royalty or compensation. On the other hand, TRAI does not, in substance, impinge upon these acts. It even observed that broadcasters have freedom to provide their own choice of content and arrange their own pricing as long as they aren’t discriminatory or force subscribers to choose either bouquets or a-la-carte.

    In the Supreme Court order, it was also noted that one of the functions of the authority, is to “facilitate competition and promote efficiency in the operation of telecommunication services (which includes broadcasting services) so as to facilitate growth in such services.”

    The tariff order has been the subject matter of extensive discussions between TRAI, all stakeholders and consumers. The order read further that the focus of TRAI has always been to provide a level playing field to both broadcaster and subscriber.

    Though the impending ruling led to lack of clarity, all the major broadcasters published their Reference Interconnect Offers along with the line of the order. As Star India was the petitioner, it did not publish its RIO.

    “The SC order has empowered consumers across the nation. While the overall media and entertainment landscape has been evolving rapidly, it is for the first time in 26 years that such a strong and positive step has been taken to eradicate the lack of transparency in the cable and broadcast value chain,” ZEE and Essel Group chairman Subhash Chandra commented.

    “This is the watershed moment we have all been waiting for. We feel that the new framework will bring in much needed transparency, parity, promote exercising of choice for the consumer and ensure orderly growth of the sector. The onus is now on all service providers to put their best foot forward and keep consumer interest in mind by complying with the required initial timelines and activities at the earliest,” AIDCF president Rajan Gupta said.

    While along the same line TRAI chairman RS Sharma said it is a big win for consumers as per a PTI report, the verdict undoubtedly has far-reaching impact in broadcast industry.

    Earlier in the Madras High Court, division bench consisting of Justice M Sundar J and Chief Justice Indira Banerjee gave a spilt verdict. While M Sundar’s ruling was in favour of Star India, a third judge upheld the tariff order except certain riders.

  • AIDCF welcomes Supreme Court judgement which upholds TRAI jurisdiction

    AIDCF welcomes Supreme Court judgement which upholds TRAI jurisdiction

    MUMBAI: In the matter of the new Tariff Order and Interconnection Regulations as notified by TRAI in March 2017, the Supreme Court has today upheld the jurisdiction of TRAI to frame the above mentioned regulations. It may be recalled that the issue of TRAI jurisdiction was subsequently challenged by Star India and Vijay Television in the Supreme Court after their appeal to Madras High Court was turned down by 3rd judge, Hon’ble Mr. Justice M.M. Sundresh.

    This marks a new era for the Broadcasting sector and also the end of a long wait for the new framework to finally get effectuated. Most service providers have already started working towards meeting the timelines as specified by TRAI in their circular dated 3rd July 2018.

    Mr. Rajan Gupta, President of AIDCF, while welcoming the judgement of the Hon’ble Supreme Court said that – “This is the watershed moment we have all been waiting for.

    We feel that the new framework will bring in much needed transparency, parity, promote exercising of choice for the consumer and ensure orderly growth of the sector. The onus is now on all service providers to put their best foot forward and keep consumer interest in mind by complying with the required initial timelines and activities at the earliest.”

    ABOUT All India Digital Cable Federation (AIDCF) is India’s apex body for Digital Multi System Operators (MSOs). The federation works towards the overall growth of the sector and creates an environment for not only complete digitisation of cable TV under regulatory guidelines but also delivers the benefits of digital services including broadband and other value added services to the people of India thus fulfilling the dream of ‘True Digital India.’

    AIDCF is the official voice for the Indian digital cable TV industry and interacts with ministries, policy makers, regulators, financial institutions and technical bodies. It also provides a platform for discussion and exchange of ideas between these bodies and the service providers, who share a common interest in the development of digital cable TV in the country. It also collaborates with other industry associations such as IBF, CII, FICCI, ASSOCHAM association etc., with the objective of presenting an industry consensus view to the government on crucial issues relating to the growth and development of the industry.

    Members of AIDCF have a market share of more than 75% in the Cable TV Industry.

  • Madras HC TRAI-Star case: All parties keep options open

    Madras HC TRAI-Star case: All parties keep options open

    MUMBAI: Even as till late evening yesterday all those connected with the case filed by Star India and Vijay TV against regulator TRAI in Madras High Court kept waiting for the full text of the court order, options for future course of action were kept open, including whether the high court should be asked to clarify on some observations.

    As the high court, by keeping its final verdict on hold, has given two weeks time to petitioners to consider appealing in the Supreme Court, which is already in summer vacation mode with just the vacation bench active, TRAI also cannot go ahead and get its tariff order implemented immediately.

    Justice MM Sundresh, who was assigned to hear the Star TV and Vijay TV vs. TRAI case after another bench had given a split verdict, concurred with the view of Madras HC chief justice Indira Banerjee who, through an order dated 3 March 2018, had held that the TRAI Act confers upon the regulator sufficient jurisdiction to notify the said tariff order and interconnection regulation.

    However, the judge also, reportedly, struck down some other aspects of the tariff order, including an important part that capped at 15 per cent the discounts that could be offered by TV channels.  

    That all stakeholders in this court drama are keeping their cards close to the chest can be gauged from the fact the only organisation to come out with an official statement welcoming the Madras HC order, AIDCF (All India Digital Cable Federation), too had nothing to offer on a time frame for implementation of TRAI tariff order. Efforts made to elicit responses from Star India, TRAI, Indian Broadcasting Foundation or even individual media industry players drew a blank. The common refrain was: we haven’t read the actual order, so can’t comment.

    Still, after talking to various people in the industry a possible scenario that emerges hinges around petitioners going back to the Madras HC seeking clarifications on some of the observations of the court, which may take some time. After those clarifications come through, it would be decided whether to exercise the option of appealing in the Supreme Court, especially because a major pivot of the case is the copyright of TV channels over the content it generates and whether TRAI has any jurisdiction over such copyright issues.

    With the present TRAI Chairman RS Sharma’s tenure ending in a few months time, he would ideally like to see the tariff order, issued during his tenure, implemented before his superannuation.

    Also Read:

    Third Madras high court judge gives TRAI tariff order thumbs up

    Madras HC gives split verdict in Star India versus TRAI case

    MSOs move Madras HC seeking relief on inter-connect pacts

    Orders reserved by Madras HC on TRAI jurisdiction case