ITV

Tag: cable ops

  • Continue uninterrupted services, I&B ministry tells broadcasters, cable ops

    Continue uninterrupted services, I&B ministry tells broadcasters, cable ops

    MUMBAI: The ministry of information and broadcasting (MIB) has requested all the stakeholders such as broadcasters, DTH providers, MSOs and LCOs to continue to provide uninterrupted services to their respective subscribers and cooperate with other players within the distribution chain in the interest of the viewers and larger public safety in these difficult times of COVID-19 pandemic.

    Earlier, ministry of home affairs allowed broadcast and cable services to be operational as essential services during the period of containment of the COVID-I9 pandemic in the country. Last month, MIB also requested all states/UTs to ensure operational continuity of print and electronic media. Such constant flow of essential and authentic information through various media is aimed ensuring public order and safety in the current situation of an unprecedented pandemic, said a press release by MIB.

    “It will be appreciated by all concerned stakeholders that at this critical juncture, this steady flow of information and keeping the public engaged inside their homes with programmes on news, authentic information and entertainment is of paramount importance. All steps may, therefore, be taken to ensure that the people continue to uninterruptedly view the available channels,” informed the MIB.

  • e-CAF not on TRAI’s agenda; willing to assist cable ops to expedite work

    e-CAF not on TRAI’s agenda; willing to assist cable ops to expedite work

    NEW DELHI: While the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) itself has no plans to mandate a system of e-CAF (Customer Acquisition Form), it has no objection if a multi-system operator (MSO) or a local cable operator (LCO) introduced the system.

     

    Through the e-CAF system, consumers can fill out details of channels wanted by them and provide this information to the service provider.

     

    A senior TRAI official told Indiantelevision.com that the Regulator had always encouraged progressive steps and would help any MSO or LCO that wanted assistance in this regard.

     

    The official, who did not wish to be named, said that if banks can take sensitive KYC information on mobiles or through the internet, there was no reason why MSOs or LCOs could not use e-CAF to help expedite their work.

     

    In fact, the official went on to say that this would aid the process of achieving the target of the last two phases of digital addressable system (DAS).

     

    However, the official maintained that TRAI had no plans at present to mandate e-CAF forms and felt that this should be voluntary. 

  • Cable ops must carry channels operated by Parliament

    Cable ops must carry channels operated by Parliament

    MUMBAI: The government has made it mandatory for all cable TV operators to transmit the Sansad Television Network channels.

    The Cable Television Networks (Regulation) Amendment Bill 2006 has incorporated section (8) of the Cable Television Networks (Regulation) Act, 1995 making it compulsory for every cable operator “to re-transmit channels operated by or on behalf of Parliament”.

    According to an official statement, the Cabinet’s decision will enable consumers to view the Parliamentary proceedings and other informative and educative programmes being transmitted by the channels operated by or on behalf of the Parliament of India.

    As per the new directive, every cable operator shall, from the commencement of the Cable Television Networks (Regulation) Amendment Act, 2000, re-transmit at least two Doordarshan terrestrial channels and one regional language channel of a State in the prime band, in satellite mode on frequencies other than those carrying terrestrial frequencies.

    Section 8 also mentions that these channels shall be re-transmitted without any deletion or alteration of any programme transmitted on them.

  • Fix basic tier rate above Rs 100: Cable ops to Trai

    Fix basic tier rate above Rs 100: Cable ops to Trai

    MUMBAI: The basic tier monthly rate of Rs 77 (excluding taxes) in conditional access system (CAS) areas is unrealistic and should not be below Rs 100, cable TV operators told the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI).

    Six stakeholders have posted their views to the broadcast and cable regulator. Trai had sought views from the industry on the draft tariff amendment order notification for fixing the basic tier rate.

    The common argument laid down by the cable operators was that the price for the 30 FTA channels did not take into account the distribution cost through franchisee operators.

    According to clause 3B in the Telecommunication (Broadcasting and Cable) Services (Second) Tariff Order, 2004 (6 of 2004), “The maximum amount, which a cable operator may demand from a subscriber for receiving the programmes transmitted in the ‘basic service tier’ provided by such cable operator shall not exceed Rs 77 per month exclusive of taxes, for a minimum of 30 FTA channels. Free-to-air channels, over and above the basic service tier, would also be made available to the subscribers within the maximum amount mentioned above.”

    The views posted by New Delhi-based Cable Operators Federation of India (COFI) said, “Only one multi-system operator (MSO) headend was considered and not the distribution cost through franchisee operators who maintain their own offices, technical maintenance staff, collection staff etc. Quality of service was not considered while calculating number of subscribers and the number of subscribers was based on extended network of the MSO prevailing at that time.”
    “The cost of FTA channels has to be reworked. Even as per our calculations submitted to the Ministry in 2003 the cost was Rs.180. One option is to use the benchmark of Rs 125, which was the charge for 15 to 20 channels in 1994 when there were no pay channels.”

    Pointing out the need for reworking the cost of FTA channels, the Federation said, “Even as per our calculations submitted to the Ministry in 2003 the cost was Rs.180. One option is to use the benchmark of Rs 125, which was the charge for 15 to 20 channels in 1994 when there were no pay channels.”

    A minimum of Rs 150 should be charged for the basic tier considering the fact that TRAI does not want last mile operators to pay for the FTA package to the MSOs. An amount of Rs 30 to Rs 50 is being paid at present to MSOs, the Federation added..

    Hathway Cable and Datacom has suggested a basic tier price of Rs 100 per month (excluding taxes). This will work out to not less than Rs 150 a month.

    “The cost of materials like cable, amplifier, and electronics have gone up significantly. And other components such as power and fuel in delivery of the services have also risen sharply in the last one to two years,” the MSO expressed to Trai.

    According to cable TV industry observer Col V.C Khare, “The rate was arrived at for a network spectrum 47-550 MHz transporting 62 channels, with a customer base of 32000 and a radius of operation of 7.5 kms on coaxial cable.”

    “Technically, head ends using 500 series trunk cable over 47-862 M Hz and transporting 90 channels cannot deliver signal quality per IS 13420 beyond 4.8 kms cable length, with a cascading limit of 16 amplifiers. The subscriber base of 32000 was high as independent head ends were having 18000 subscribers on an average. On the other hand, networks have consolidated with fiber, 120 digitally compressed signals, encryption and SMS hardware installed. If the upward and downward adjustment in cost for the above factors is taken into account the cost of Rs.72 as prorated would give at least a minimum cost of Rs.100 (exclusive of taxes),” he argued.

    National Cable & Telecommunications Association (NCTA) president Vikki Choudhry has suggested a monthly subscription rate of Rs 180. “A price below this level will result in deficiency in quality of service for the consumers, non-conformity with the provisions of CAS and Standards of BIS, no investment in network upgradation or maintenance, loss of employment, incentives most broadcasters to keep (or convert) their channels into pay, loss of revenue to the Indian Government and encourage under declaration by the cable service providers of FTA subscribers.”

  • Dish media campaign draws flak from cable ops

    Dish media campaign draws flak from cable ops

    NEW DELHI: Dish TV’s media campaign revolving round freedom-from-cable-problems theme has incensed a section of cable community, which feels it’s “unethical.”

    In a letter e-mailed to Dish TV, All India Aavishkar Dish Antenna Sangh (AIADAS), one of the many bodies representing the cable fraternity, has exhorted the DTH company to withdraw the “misguiding advertisement.”

    “The whole cable TV community is shocked on seeing the business-damaging and misguiding advertisement campaign launched by Dish TV through various news papers, hoarding, and bus shelters. This type of advertisement campaign has hurt the cable TV fraternity in India as a whole,” the AIADAS letter states.

    The letter further highlights that the latest Dish campaign would severely hurt the business of cable operators; almost to the extent of crushing them out.

    “In case the (cable) consumer shifts (to DTH), who is going to pay compensation to the cable TV operator?” Dr. AK Rastogi, head of AIADAS, has asked in the letter.

    Though Rastogi claimed that Dish has agreed to withdraw the damaging ad campaign in deference to the cable industry’s anguish, Dish TV CEO Sunil Khanna denied any such move.

    “We are not withdrawing any campaign, nor altering it,” Khanna told Indiantelevision.com today afternoon.

    He added that instead of being cry babies, cable operators should seize this opportunity to digitize their networks and offer consumers better services than before.

    “With competition around in DTH sphere, there is bound to be consumer awareness campaigns highlighting the advantages of a DTH service. The cable operators should brace themselves for reality,” Khanna said.

  • Dish TV to come down hard on pirating cable ops

    Dish TV to come down hard on pirating cable ops

    NEW DELHI: India’s first direct-to-home service Dish TV today issued an ultimatum to cable operators filching its signals.

    In a rear guard action against piracy, a massive operation has been announced to crackdown on pirating cable operators who are using the Dish’s set-top boxes as a medium to illegally distribute TV channels (some of which are exclusively on the DTH platform) to the cable consumers.

    According to Essel Group of Industries additional vice-chairman Jawahar Goel, “It is important to send out the message that product counterfeiting will not be tolerated as it has an extremely detrimental effect on the whole fraternity, including content creators, broadcasters, and the government.”

    ASC Enterprises, an Essel Group company, holds the licence for a DTH service in the country, which is marketed under the brand name Dish TV.

    According to an official statement from Dish TV, a local cable operator in Saharanpur district in Uttar Pradesh was caught by the police, along with Dish’s anti-piracy team, on Saturday for illegally showing ESPN and Star Sports through a Dish TV box when he did not have an agreement with ESS to re-distribute the sports channels.

    The police has seized the errant cable operator’s infrastructure and the chip of Dish TV, which gives access to the DTH service.

    Commenting on the development, Goel added, “We expect support from broadcasting and the film industry as well to take up this effort to curb piracy, which is to the tune of over 10 billion annually.”

    The official statement said that of the 1.1 million subscribers of Dish TV, about 5,000 have been found to be allegedly indulging in piracy of signals. While their connections have been switched off, legal action too has been initiated against them.