ITV

Tag: Airtel Digital TV

  • Airtel Digital TV removes network capacity fee

    Airtel Digital TV removes network capacity fee

    MUMBAI: After Telecom Regulatory Authority of India’s (TRAI) tariff order has come into effect, consumers across the country have been complaining about a hike in cable bill. To keep them satisfied, DTH operators are waving off Network Capacity Fee (NCF). Now, Airtel Digital TV has joined the league of operators who have removed the NCF on free-to-air (FTA) channels following Tata Sky, Dish TV and Sun Direct.

    Airtel Digital TV is waiving off NCF for its long term plans only. Subscribers under three months plan, six months plan, 12 months plan will be able to avail this facility. According to media reports, the modified long term plans are now available in selected regions and are expected to be expanded into other regions within a few weeks.

    As per the latest framework, customers need to pay Rs 130 to get the first 100 FTA channels. An additional network fee of Rs 20 per month is also being charged for every block of 25 paid channels.

    Last month, TRAI extended the deadline for DTH and cable TV subscribers to select their channels till 31 March under the new tariff regime. The regulatory body added that the subscribers’ old plan would continue till the consumer makes the choice. TRAI also said that the subscribers who don’t exercise any choice would be migrated to ‘Best Fit Plans’.

  • TRAI vs Tata Sky: Delhi High Court adjourns case to 21 February

    TRAI vs Tata Sky: Delhi High Court adjourns case to 21 February

    MUMBAI: The Delhi High Court on Wednesday adjourned Tata Sky’s ongoing legal battle, in which Discovery,  Bharti Telemedia-owned Airtel Digital TV and Sun Direct are a part, with the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India(TRAI) and its new tariff regime to 21 February.

    The regulator on Tuesday extended the deadline for consumers to select television channels under its new tariff regime till 31 March The subscribers that don’t opt for new channels would be moved to ‘Best Fit Plans’, which would be developed as per usage pattern, language and channel popularity, the sector regulator said in its statement.

    TRAI chairman RS Sharma last week addressed a press conference in the national capital, rubbishing a Crisil report that claimed cable and DTH bills were bound to increase after the implementation of the tariff order.

    Earlier, Indian Society of Advertisers' (ISA) executive council also advised its members to not use the BARC data for media buying, planning and evaluation perspective during the transition period, which it feels will stretch up to six weeks.

    On 4 February, after senior lawyer Kapil Sibal, representing Tata Sky, concluded his arguments including legal submissions, Discovery India Communication’s counsel Gopal Jain laid the foundation for his arguments.

    The regulator informed the court that the new tariff order has already been implemented from 1 February.

    Earlier the TRAI had offered an extension till 31 January to the distribution platform operators (DPOs) for implementation.

    On 24 January, the Harit Nagpal-led company finally unveiled the new pricing of channels and packs after it was served a show-cause notice by the TRAI.

    TRAI's show-cause notice said, "Tata Sky has failed to provide options to its 17.7 million subscribers in compliance with the new framework to exercise their choices for TV channels. Tata Sky has put its subscribers in a situation of great difficulty despite no fault of theirs by not complying with the provisions of the new regulations and the tariff order.”

    Despite the delay in announcing channel prices, Tata Sky MD and CEO Nagpal is confident that his team can complete the tricky task of implementing the new norms within a relatively short span of time.

    “Tata Sky has always been compliant to regulatory requirements. We have gone live with our modes of communication across the Tata Sky website, Tata Sky mobile app and also equipped the dealers that subscribers can reach out to. We were confident that we would be able to complete the task in 1 week’s time. Hence we used this time to a seamless and smooth transition for all our subscribers. We have ensured that choosing channels and packs is as easy as 1, 2, 3 for any subscriber,” the veteran executive said.

    On 29 January, Calcutta High Court stayed the cable switchover till 18 February. The court’s directive was a result of 80 cable operators from the city filing a petition against the TRAI mandate. However, the high court later vacated the stay.

    The petitioners’ lawyer Debabrata Saha Roy argued that the revenue-sharing model under the new regime will significantly reduce the cable operators’ share to just nine per cent. With 80% will go into the broadcasters’ kitty, MSOs stand to get just 11 per cent, thus making it an unsustainable business proposition for operators.

    In 2017, Bharti Telemedia, Tata Sky and Discovery Communication India had filed petitions against TRAI, challenging its tariff order and the interconnect regulations.

    Unlike the position adopted by Star India wherein it questioned the regulatory powers of TRAI, the matter in the Delhi HC questions the regulator’s power to wipe out deals that operators enter into to fix commissions and rates for customers.

  • TRAI issues show-cause notice to Airtel over DTH service blackouts

    TRAI issues show-cause notice to Airtel over DTH service blackouts

    MUMBAI: Telecom and DTH operator major Airtel has been served a show-cause notice by the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) over issues of blackout faced by some Airtel Digital TV subscribers during transition to the new tariff regime, a report by news agency IANS said.

    The regulator, which sent the notice earlier this week, has given Airtel three days to respond.

    Airtel's DTH service had 15 million customers at the end of the third quarter, up 7.6 per cent over the corresponding quarter in 2017.

    Commenting on the regulator’s notice, an Airtel spokesperson said: "We have over 15 million customers who are being migrated to the new tariff regime. Due to massive surge in last-minute requests, particularly on 31 January and 1 February, few customers may have experienced some delays in provisioning of channels."

    "Customer experience is of paramount importance to us. We remain fully committed to ensuring compliance with all TRAI guidelines and will file our response to the notice," he added.

    The new tariff order for cable and DTH TV services came into effect on 1 February post a month-long extension that was granted by TRAI to all stakeholders.

    The regulator has held constant meetings with DPOs and broadcasters to ensure a smooth transition to the new system.

    "The authority has noticed that due to heavy rush, the website of some DPOs have crashed intermittently and a little inconvenience was caused to come subscribers due to sporadic local issues. However, by and large the migration of subscribers to the new regulatory framework has been smooth," TRAI said in a press note on Wednesday.

    This isn’t the first time the regulator has shown that it means business. Last month, the TRAI sent a show-cause notice to Tata Sky.

    According to a report by news agency PTI, TRAI's show-cause notice said, "Tata Sky has failed to provide options to its 17.7 million subscribers in compliance with the new framework to exercise their choices for TV channels. Tata Sky has put its subscribers in a situation of great difficulty despite no fault of theirs by not complying with the provisions of the new regulations and the tariff order.”

    While both DTH operators have now complied by the TRAI’s tariff order, they, along with Sun Direct and Discovery Communication India, continue to battle against the new norms in the Delhi High Court.

  • Tata Sky vs TRAI: No interim order as Delhi High Court adjourns case to 4 February

    Tata Sky vs TRAI: No interim order as Delhi High Court adjourns case to 4 February

    MUMBAI: The next chapter of direct-to-home operator Tata Sky’s ongoing legal tussle with the TRAI and its new tariff regime, in which Bharti Telemedia-owned Airtel Digital TV and Sun Direct are a part, will unfold on 4 February after the Delhi High Court adjourned the matter without passing an interim order.

    With arguments being inconclusive on Wednesday, the Tata Sky counsel will continue to argue when the next hearing commences.

    On Tuesday, Calcutta High Court stayed the cable switchover till 18 February. The court’s directive was a result of 80 cable operators from the city filing a petition against the TRAI mandate.

    The petitioners’ lawyer Debabrata Saha Roy argued that the revenue-sharing model under the new regime will significantly reduce the cable operators’ share to just nine per cent. With 80% will go into the broadcasters’ kitty, MSOs stand to get just 11 per cent, thus making it an unsustainable business proposition for operators.

    Earlier the regulator had offered an extension till 31 January to the distribution platform operators (DPOs) for implementation. 

    On Thursday, the Harit Nagpal-led company finally unveiled the new pricing of channels and packs after it was served a show-cause notice by the TRAI.

    TRAI's show-cause notice said, "Tata Sky has failed to provide options to its 17.7 million subscribers in compliance with the new framework to exercise their choices for TV channels. Tata Sky has put its subscribers in a situation of great difficulty despite no fault of theirs by not complying with the provisions of the new regulations and the tariff order.”

    Despite the delay in announcing channel prices, Tata Sky MD and CEO Nagpal is confident that his team can complete the tricky task of implementing the new norms within a relatively short span of time.

    “Tata Sky has always been compliant to regulatory requirements. We have gone live with our modes of communication across the Tata Sky website, Tata Sky mobile app and also equipped the dealers that subscribers can reach out to. We were confident that we would be able to complete the task in 1 week’s time. hence we used this time to create a seamless and smooth transition for all our subscribers. We have ensured that choosing channels and packs is as easy as 1, 2, 3 for any subscriber,” the veteran executive said.

    In a press release issued by the TRAI on Thursday, it had singled out one DTH operator for not providing options to its subscribers to exercise their choices. The press note also mentioned that the said DTH operator had assured in writing that it would comply with the new regulatory framework.

    In 2017, Bharti Telemedia, Tata Sky and Discovery Communication India had filed petitions against TRAI, challenging its tariff order and the interconnect regulations.

    Unlike the position adopted by Star India wherein it questioned the regulatory powers of TRAI, the matter in the Delhi HC questions the regulator’s power to wipe out deals that operators enter into to fix commissions and rates for customers.

  • Tata Sky vs TRAI: Case, argued partly by DTH operator, adjourned to 30 January

    Tata Sky vs TRAI: Case, argued partly by DTH operator, adjourned to 30 January

    MUMBAI: The next instalment of direct-to-home operator Tata Sky’s ongoing legal tussle with the TRAI and its new tariff regime, in which Bharti Telemedia-owned Airtel Digital TV and Sun Direct are a part, will play out in two days time after the Delhi High Court adjourned the matter to 30 January with arguments being inconclusive.

    The matter was argued partly by Rajiv Nayar on behalf of the DTH operator on Monday.

    On Thursday, the Harit Nagpal-led company finally unveiled the new pricing of channels and packs after it was served a show-cause notice by the TRAI.

    TRAI's show-cause notice said, "Tata Sky has failed to provide options to its 17.7 million subscribers in compliance with the new framework to exercise their choices for TV channels. Tata Sky has put its subscribers in a situation of great difficulty despite no fault of theirs by not complying with the provisions of the new regulations and the tariff order.”

    Despite the delay in announcing channel prices, Tata Sky MD and CEO Nagpal is confident that his team can complete the tricky task of implementing the new norms within a relatively short span of time.

    “Tata Sky has always been compliant to regulatory requirements. We have gone live with our modes of communication across the Tata Sky website, Tata Sky mobile app and also equipped the dealers that subscribers can reach out to. We were confident that we would be able to complete the task in 1 week’s time. hence we used this time to create a seamless and smooth transition for all our subscribers. We have ensured that choosing channels and packs is as easy as 1, 2, 3 for any subscriber,” the veteran executive said.

    In a press release issued by the TRAI on Thursday, it had singled out one DTH operator for not providing options to its subscribers to exercise their choices. The press note also mentioned that the said DTH operator had assured in writing that it would comply with the new regulatory framework.

    In 2017, Bharti Telemedia, Tata Sky and Discovery Communication India had filed petitions against TRAI, challenging its tariff order and the interconnect regulations.

    Unlike the position adopted by Star India wherein it questioned the regulatory powers of TRAI, the matter in the Delhi HC questions the regulator’s power to wipe out deals that operators enter into to fix commissions and rates for customers.

  • Tata Sky vs TRAI: Delhi High Court lists matter for 15 January, asks regulator to produce documents

    Tata Sky vs TRAI: Delhi High Court lists matter for 15 January, asks regulator to produce documents

    MUMBAI: Tata Sky got a breather from the Delhi High Court today as the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) assured that it will not take any coercive action against the direct to home (DTH) operator until 15 January, which is when the matter will be heard next.

    Bharti Telemedia-owned Airtel Digital TV and Discovery Communication India, petitioners in the matter, too were handed a respite.

    Interestingly, another leading DTH operator Sun Direct impleaded itself in the matter.

    Kapil Sibal impressed upon the judges to ask TRAI to produce all documents on how it arrived at the decision to implement the new tariff regime. He also stated that implementing the present order will have an adverse impact on business.

    The TRAI lawyer countered saying that while Tata Sky feels aggrieved, a big  DTH operator like Dish TV and all the MSOs seem satisfied and have complied with the new tariff framework.

    Sibal went on to explain how the new tariff order is going to be cumbersome for subscribers to exercise their so-called options.

    The court has now asked the regulator to file the documents and the data based on which the new regime is based. 

    Tata Sky is unlikely to upload its RIO for now unlike Discovery, which has already published the same on its website.

    Discovery, however, has complied with TRAI’s tariff order and regulations under protest.

    In 2017, Bharti Telemedia, Tata Sky and Discovery Communication India had filed petitions against TRAI, challenging its tariff order and the interconnect regulations.

    Unlike the position adopted by Star India wherein it questioned the regulatory powers of TRAI, the matter in the Delhi HC questions on the regulator’s power to wipe out deals that operators enter into to fix commissions and rates for customers.

    While the fate of the two DTH operators hangs in the balance in this matter, all other distribution platform operators (DPOs) continue to be bound by the tariff order.

  • DTH subscriber growth see-saws in three quarters of 2018

    DTH subscriber growth see-saws in three quarters of 2018

    BENGALURU: Growth of direct to home (DTH) subscriber base of private players in India was the slowest over the last five years for the nine month period ended 30 September 2018 (TQY 2018, TQY period, three quarters of the year under review) as per Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI). The good news was that the quarter ended 30 June 2108 (Jun-18, last or previous quarter) saw a reversal of fortunes. From a loss of about 30,000 (0.003 crore, 0.3 million, 0.3 lakh) subscribers in the quarter ended 31 March 2018 (Mar-18), DTH subscriber growth was positive 18.4 lakh (0.184 crore, 1.84 million) for the quarter ended 30 June 2018 (Jun-18). However, in the case of the quarter ended 30 September 2018 (Sep-18), subscriber growth has once again nose-dived to just 8,000 subscriber additions. As a matter of fact, the industry has faced one of the worst TQY periods – subscriber growth in TQY-18 was just 1,89,000 (0.0189 crore, 0.189 million) as compared to 3,44,000 (0.0344 crore, 0.344 million) in TQY-17 and 5,92,000 (0.0592 crore, 0.592 million) in TQY-16.

    The figure below shows a q-o-q growth of DTH subscribers between the period Mar-16 and Sep-18.It may be noted that Mar-16 growth of 25.5 lakh (0.255 crore, 2.55 million) is with respect to Dec-15.

    According to TRAI data, the overall private DTH active subscriber base grew by 0.419 crore or 4.19 million (7.8 percent) in calendar year (CY 2017) to 6.756 crore or 67.56 million from 6.256 crore or 62.65 million in CY 2016. Comparatively, in 2016, the overall private DTH active subscriber base grew by 6.67 million or 0.667 crore (11.9 percent) from 55.98 million or 5.598 crore in CY- 2015.

    Please refer to the figure below for the DTH subscriber numbers as per TRAI data:

    The merger between Dish TV and Videocon d2h that was effective since October 2018 has created the largest DTH services company in India and the second largest globally in terms of number of active subscribers. Please refer to the three figures below for approximate market share of the private DTH players in India in CY 2017, CY 2017 and CY 2018:

    It must also be mentioned that the government’s FreeDish DTH service is the largest DTH player by far in terms of subscribers with an estimated 22 million or 2.2 crore subscribers in 2016 as per the KPMG-FICCI Indian Media and Entertainment Industry Report 2017 (KPMG-FICCI M&E Report 2017) titled Media for the Masse: The Future Unfolds. It must however be noted that an exact number for registered or active subscribers is not available since this is a free DTH service. Also, the merger of Videocon d2h with Dish TV will create the largest private television carriage player in India and quite likely the second largest in the world, be it cable, internet television or DTH or any other.

  • QYOU Media joins hands with Airtel Digital TV

    QYOU Media joins hands with Airtel Digital TV

    MUMBAI: QYOU Media has announced that it has partnered with Airtel Digital TV, the DTH arm of Bharti Airtel (Airtel), to bring The Q India’s 24/7 linear stream of digital first content to Indian homes. Airtel Digital TV customers can now consume The Q India’s content that has been curated from top creators in the region, as part of their monthly DTH pack.

    With the average Indian consumer increasingly watching short-form video content on social media platforms like YouTube and Facebook each month, there is growing opportunity to engage customers with short form content on a regular basis. Airtel Digital TV, which reaches over 14 million homes across India, is bringing The Q India to its platform to leverage this trend. The Q India will be available on channel number#125 on Airtel digital TV and will be broadcast in Hindi.

    Bharti Airtel director – DTH and CEO Sunil Taldar said, “We are constantly innovating to add greater value for customers and enhance their TV experience on our platform. We are always working towards bringing new content and relevant programming for our customers. With this partnership with QYOU Media, we aim to bring the growing trend of short form video consumption to homes on their TV.”

    With this partnership, The Q India will continue to expand the viewership reach for its premium content coming from India’s leading digital content creators. The Q India is a 24/7 linear service stream of premium curated content that launched in December 2017 and is aimed at Young Indians (20-30 years). The service has established content partnerships that include some of the most watched and influential digital content creators in India. Content featuring The Q India include the popular web-series; Official Chukyagiri, What The Folks and Being Indian as well as curated episodes from leading digital programs in India, including: 101 India, Pocket Aces, Comic Wallah and BLUSH.

    The Q India GM and co-founder Sunder Aaron said, “Young Indians have been lacking a general entertainment brand or service that speaks directly to them. Our mission at The Q India is to address this need with a powerfully relevant service proposition that is entirely unique in proposition, programming the best Indian video content from digital creators who are streaming across platforms. We are delighted to join Airtel, and happy that both platform and advertising partners are beginning to recognise the potential The Q India offers them to reach millions of millennial and gen Z digital savvy viewers in their sub base who are now able to enjoy India’s best digital content through The Q India service.”

  • Respite for Tata Sky, Airtel Digital TV, Discovery as TRAI assures no action till 10 Jan

    Respite for Tata Sky, Airtel Digital TV, Discovery as TRAI assures no action till 10 Jan

    MUMBAI: Direct to home (DTH) operators  Tata Sky, Bharti Telemedia-owned Airtel Digital TV and Discovery Communication India were handed a breather on Wednesday after the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) assured the Delhi High Court that it will not take any action against the trio until January 10, which is when the matter is scheduled to be heard next.

    Tata Sky is unlikely to upload its RIO for now unlike Discovery, which has already published the same on its website.

    Irrespective of the respite, the regulator’s counsel argued that the DTH operators must implement the TRAI order and regulations.

    A source familiar with the matter added that Discovery has complied with TRAI’s tariff order and regulations under protest.

    In 2017, Bharti Telemedia, Tata Sky and Discovery Communication India had filed petitions against TRAI, challenging its tariff order and the interconnect regulations.

    Unlike the position adopted by Star India wherein it questioned the regulatory powers of TRAI, the matter in the Delhi HC questions on the regulator’s power to wipe out deals that operators enter into to fix commissions and rates for customers.

    While the fate of the two DTH operators hangs in the balance in this matter, all other distribution platform operators (DPOs) continue to be bound by the tariff order.

    TRAI on Tuesday cautioned stakeholders against spreading  “concocted and fabricated facts” against its new tariff directive while releasing a list of TV channels along with their respective maximum retail prices as per information received from broadcasters.

    The TRAI statement insisted that the new tariff regime will bring about more transparency in the eco-system by “separating the network capacity fee and pay channel price” and added any “malpractice” from service providers will compel the regulator to intervene.

    Pointing out that a section of the broadcasting and cable industry was creating confusion by insinuating the new tariff regime will increase the monthly cost of consumers for watching television by making inaccurate comparisons, TRAI said comparisons were “skewed” and far from the “market discovered” prices of TV channels.

    Though the Pune Cable Operators Association a few days back said it’d move the Bombay High Court against TRAI’s new tariff regime as it could hurt LCOs’ earnings as also consumers, the regulator allayed such fears saying comparisons were not based on “reasoned analysis” and the standard interconnect agreements protected the revenue model of LCOs.

    The regulator also released the maximum retail price of 332 pay channels offered by broadcasters to subscribers.

    As per the  MRP list released by TRAI, NHK World Premium’s HD version is the costliest TV channel in the group at a stated price of Rs 1,800.

    Though most TV channels are running against time to meet the year-end deadline to disclose MRPs and also conclude signing of agreements with distributing platforms, the issue of tariff is unlikely to settle down soon as TRAI itself has filed a petition in the Supreme Court to get clarifications on the issue of 15 per cent cap on discounts on channel pricing. 

  • Hollywood Diaries – Initiative By Airtel Digital TV & One Take Media Co.

    Hollywood Diaries – Initiative By Airtel Digital TV & One Take Media Co.

    New Delhi: Airtel Digital TV, the DTH arm of India’s largest telecommunications provider Bharti Airtel, and One Take Media Co., leading content production and distribution company based in Mumbai, together recently launched Hollywood Diaries- A collection of the finest Hollywood Movies  on Airtel Digital TV Platform. This is the first SVOD/Value Added Service from the stable of One Take Media Co for Hollywood genre, although One Take Media Provides VAS in 15 genres covering various languages.

    Richa Kalra, Product Head – Airtel Digital TV added, “Our existing SVOD has continued to entertain our customers and have been the best sellers in our portfolio. Hollywood Diaries marks our first Hollywood movie VAS (Value-added services) and has added a new dimension to our entertainment services. We are thrilled that this service has appealed to our vast customer base from all demographics.”

    Mr. Anil Khera, Founder & CEO – One Take MediaCo. Said, “Hollywood Diaries is a service showcasing premium Hollywood Movies from across genres like Action, Thriller, Drama, Adventure, Romance and Sci-fi.Hollywood  Movies have been sourced from the best and well known producers from US.  We are quite happy that our first launch of this ad free Hollywoodmovies active service on Airtel Digital TV is giving their customers an international movie experience from the comfort of their homes.”

    One Take Media Co has also taken lead in Korean contents and has become pioneer in bringing K-Pop to India and Popular Korean Tv series.  One Take Media Co boasts of having 2000 hours of kids contents and 200+ Hollywood movies library.