ITV

Tag: blackout

  • There is no Plan B for TAM if we lose our appeal in court: Kantar’s Eric Salama

    There is no Plan B for TAM if we lose our appeal in court: Kantar’s Eric Salama

    The Indian television industry is possibly heading towards a crisis of an audience ratings blackout. TAM Media Research, a joint venture between Nielsen (India) and Kantar Media Research, is currently the only agency that provides television audience viewership measurement services to advertisers and broadcasters.

     

    TAM has hit a roadblock in India with the government issuing policy guidelines for television ratings agencies in mid-January. It has an impossible deadline of mid-February to ensure that the shareholding in TAM is in accordance with the new policy guidelines.

     

    Apart from having substantial (more than 10%) stakes in TAM, the joint venture partners in the Indian television ratings provider also own advertising agencies in India, which is prohibited in the policy guidelines’ cross-holding norms.

     

    Nielsen appears to have taken a back seat and decided to let Kantar lead the challenge against the government’s new regulations and  let TAM face the situation as it develops

     

    Kantar has filed a petition in the Delhi High Court to get a stay on the shareholding norms specified in the guidelines or at least get an extension on the deadline for meeting meet the norms. There’s less than a fortnight left for TAM to comply with them, and it does not like its shareholders will be able to do so in the short time that was given to them.

     

    The launch of television audience measurement by Broadcast Audience Research Council (BARC), an initiative of advertisers, advertising agencies and broadcasters in India, is likely only by October this year.

     

    If Kantar fails to get some relief from the court, TAM will have to stop releasing audience ratings by mid-February which will obviously result in the absence of viewership being metered and measured till BARC is ready with its own services. And that is something which is giving both advertisers and agencies palpitations. Television audience ratings is a key input based on which advertisers base their advertising plans on.

     

    In order to understand what the situation is and what could unfold, indiantelevision.com’s Vishaka Chakrapani spoke to Eric Salama, chairman and CEO of the Kantar group since 2007. Salama has been with global advertising agency WPP, the owner of Kantar, since 1996.

     

    During the interaction, Salama rued that television ratings has become a matter of public debate and a “cricket ball” for everyone to hit. Excerpts:

     

    How different is it operating in India as compared to other countries when it comes to television ratings?

     

    We operate in most countries with the exception of Iran, Cuba and North Korea.  We’ve never had problems in India before, IMRB is the oldest research agency in Asia and we see India as a key market for us going forward.  We have some of our most talented people here.  The TV ratings market is very different to other markets in that it has become a source for public debate and a cricket ball for people to hit.

     

    How do you see TV ratings agencies progressing in India?

     

    We’ll know soon enough!

     

    Do you believe a ratings blackout is likely to happen? What could happen in such a scenario and how will the industry respond?

     

    Unless the court rules in our favour on cross ownership, we are heading for a blackout which will be extremely damaging to broadcasters, programmers, agencies, advertisers and everyone who cares for the Indian media industry.

     

    Do you think there is space for two ratings agencies to coexist?

     

    It happens in some markets such as Philippines but it’s extremely rare as the industry generally wants one currency for trading.

     

    I believe TAM has also applied to BARC for panel management in the industry-driven television ratings service. How do you see your relations with BARC taking shape?

     

    Once BARC is established, TAM will either be a supplier to them for some services or not.

     

    Should the sample size for arriving at television ratings be far bigger?

     

    If people wanted us to expand our sample to 20,000 we would.  When BARC is established it will be up to them to decide what they do.

     

    Accusations have been hurled at TAM and its credibility has been questioned. Do you think TAM has been judged wrongly?

     

    Some of the comments have been libellous. Many of them have been poorly informed.  TAM has performed extremely well for a long period in a very difficult environment and under huge pressure.

     

    What is the plan B if TAM is not allowed to function?

     

    There is no plan B.

  • The Times Now, India News blackout in Uttar Pradesh

    The Times Now, India News blackout in Uttar Pradesh

    MUMBAI: Two major news channels – Times Now and India News – were blacked out over the weekend in Uttar Pradesh, following their criticism of  the lavish Saifai Mahotsav ceremony by the Akhilesh Yadav-run government in the state. The black out of the two channels was done following unofficial orders from government officials, local cable TV operators have confessed to the media.  However, both Times Now and India News were back on most cable TV networks in the state, though the latter was was still not available in Lucknow and Faizabad, at the time of writing.

     

    The black out  has disturbed both the government and the news broadcast industry. Information and broadcasting minister Manish Tewari candidly remarked yesterday that his ministry would fast track TRAI’s recommendations on cable TV monopolies in various states to prevent operators from misusing their dominance. 

     

    Times Television Network CEO Sunil Lulla spoke to indiantelevision.com, saying that the issue was a matter of fundamental rights. “We completely echo the thoughts of the minister on monopolisation. There cannot be any arbitrariness,” he says. 

     

    India News which is a Hindi channel says that nearly 25 per cent of its viewership comes from UP. And, it lost a large part of that in the past two days.  “Our channel has been switched off since 10 January and although no one is coming out in the open we have heard that they have been ordered to do so. Our channel is still missing in Lucknow and Faizabad which are important strongholds. So, we are still discussing with the local cable TV ops to get it back on as soon as possible,” says ITV Network (India News and News X) CEO R K Arora. 

     

    Some fingers have been pointed toward MSO DEN Networks which has a large share of cable TV subscribers in Uttar Pradesh for giving into government pressure and switching off the two channels. However, DEN COO M. Azhar disagrees that there was any pressure from any quarter. Pooh-poohing claims that there was a large scale blackout from his network, he says that it was restricted to only a few local cable TV operators. 

     

    “All channels are now running on our network and it was only a few people who had done it for sometime but now everything is restored,” he says. 

     

    Lulla, while agreeing that his channel has been restored, states that “a standard process needs to be followed by both the broadcaster as well as the MSO and no disconnection can be done without notice. It was probably some state officials who had jumped the gun.” 

  • Disappointed Assam cable ops to meet to decide on further agitation

    Disappointed Assam cable ops to meet to decide on further agitation

    MUMBAI: A huge remonstration by the cable operators of Guwahati Metro seems to be in the coming. After all their measures to get a respite from the troubles that has come in their lives after the Assam Power Distribution Company Limited (APDCL) asked them to pay Rs 25 for the usage of poles failed, this seems to be the last rescue.

    The troubled cable operators are now organising an all Assam cable operators meet on 29 December to decide the date for the next blackout. They will also decide the date for the meeting with Assam chief minister Tarun Gogoi.

    The Greater Guwahati Cable TV Operators’ Association (GGCTOA) is disappointed with the outcome of the meeting with Assam Power Minister Pradyut Bordloi. On 24 December, a 10-member committee had met the minister to discuss the issue. The meeting was organised after the Assam Power Distribution Company Limited (APDCL) on 17 December issued a letter to the cable operators in Guwahati Metro to pay for the electric poles.

    Another thing disturbing the operators is a newspaper announcement made by APDCL on 25 December. “The APDCL has issued a public notice, stating that the cable operators are not following the safety norms by laying cable wires on electric poles and also that the cable operators are not ready to pay for using the services of APDCL,” informs GGCTOA general secretary Md Iquebal Ahmed. “But, this is all false. We are abiding by the safety rules and also are ready to pay. Our demand is to reduce the fee from Rs 25 to Rs 8 – Rs 10. The issue of this notice has brought all our negotiations to zero,” he adds.

    Earlier, on 23 December, the operators in order to show their discontent towards the decision of APDCL had already carried a blackout. The next blackout, the date for which is yet to be decided, will be due to the non-conclusive meeting with Bordloi and also the newspaper announcement made by APDCL.

    “The minister has neither fully supported us, nor has gone against our demand. But, he has avoided any commitment,” remarks Ahmed.

    Stating that APDCL is a private company, Bordloi told the cable operators that he cannot compel them to do anything. “I can only talk to them and put forth your demands to them,” is what the minister told the 10 member committee.

    “This is not the response that we had expected,” says Ahmed.

    While the blackout on Monday lasted for five hours, the next blackout will be for 12 hours. “We will decide the date in the meeting on 29 December. Our first attempt of blackout was successful and well supported by the consumers as well,” says Ahmed.

    The cable operators may also go for a “dharna” as an option to ensure their voice is heard.

  • Around 1.80 lakh defaulters in Kolkata face TV blackout as of 26 August

    KOLKATA: With the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) pressuring service providers in Kolkata to disconnect the television connections of customers for not submitting the subscriber application forms, multiple system operators, more than 1.80 lakh customers have experienced a black out till Monday evening.

     

    While talking about the snapping of the connection which started from Saturday morning, Den Networks, Hathway Cable and Datacom and Manthan Broadband Services snapped the maximum number of cable connections, out of 80,000 which were disconnected on August 24.

     

    Also, with just around 45 days remaining for the grand festival of Durga Puja, some cable operators are relaxed and have assured the customers that they can send the details after the festival is over, said a customer, using the service of one of the players, which has maximum penetration in KM area.

     

    Industry sources said: “The consumer application forms (CAF) of these MSOs were not ready as compared to other players like SitiCable. As a result, the three MSOs had to switch off the connection,” adding that the MSO will continue to switch-off few connections at a time in the coming days to guard against law-and-order problem.

     

    As per the TRAI mandate, the MSOs were supposed to switch-off the cable connections of those customers, who had not filled-up the CAFs in Kolkata post midnight of 23 August.

     

    Committee of the Association of Cable Operators, Cable Operators Digitalisation convener Swapan Chowdhury said the MSOs have been asked by the TRAI to provide details of TV connections running illegally in the KM area.

     

    Siticable that has disconnected more than 90,000 subscribers till Monday evening, has seen a good response from customers. “We are not switching off the connections of CAF non compliance customers at a go. We are doing it in small numbers – say 15,000,” expounded Siticable director (Kolkata) Suresh Sethia.

     

    Manthan Broadband Services which has installed 6.5 lakh to seven lakh set top boxes, had alone disconnected around 30,000 connections on Saturday, said Manthan Broadband Services director Sudip Ghosh.

     

    “Our purpose is not to switch-off the connection. But after snapping say four connections, more than 100 customers have approached from the vicinity,” he added.
    Seeing the fast response from the customers, it can be easily assumed that in the KM DAS area, CAFs rate is likely to be 70 per cent to 80 per cent in next six days – seven days, Ghosh predicted.

     

    Den Networks and Hathway Cable and Datacom could not be asked specifically about the connections snapped by them in KM area.

     

    Cable Shilpa Bachao Committee convener Mrinal Chatterjee said instead of disconnecting the TV sets, TRAI should penalise the MSOs and not the customers by asking MSOs to switch off the connection; as the CAFs were not given to the customers on time.

     

    With no official extension notice from the regulatory body, will Kolkata see deactivation of set-top boxes of more and more defaulters at this juncture? Watch this space for the latest updates.