ITV

Tag: CAF

  • Gujarat HC adjourns TRAI DAS order till 13 December

    Gujarat HC adjourns TRAI DAS order till 13 December

    MUMBAI: The Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI), the central government and the Gujarat state government has time until 13 December to submit their responses to the Gujarat High Court. The three parties were dragged to court by the Gujarat Cable Operators Association (GCOA) on issues associated to the digitisation process.

     

    The court hearing which took place on 6 December was adjourned till 13 December as the lawyers representing the multi-system operators (MSOs) were not present at the court hearing. “It was TRAI that made MSOs a party in the case. The Court adjourned the case since the lawyers representing the MSOs did not turn up for the hearing,” said Gujarat Cable Operators Association president Pramod Pandya.

     

    Earlier, GCOA had filed a petition to the HC, challenging the legality of Telecommunication (Broadcasting and Cable) Services Tariff and the Telecommunication (Broadcasting and Cable Services) Interconnection Regulations. After this, in its hearing on 13 November, the Court had asked the TRAI and government to declare the reasons for formulating the existing laws pertaining to tariff and interconnection.

     

    Pandya had earlier told Indiantelevision.com that the TRAI aims to remove the local cable operators. “We have challenged all the notifications passed by TRAI. This includes revenue share, consumer application forms (CAFs) and billing,” he said. 

     

    The parties were given 15 days to submit their responses; however, it’s almost a month now since the first Court hearing took place. “We are hopeful that the HC will come out with its judgment on 13 December hearing,” he concluded.

  • Kolkata may bill cable TV consumers from 10 December

    Kolkata may bill cable TV consumers from 10 December

    KOLKATA: On 29 November,  indiantelevision.com  had reported that the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) pushed the deadline for MSOs to submit duly-filled CAFs (Consumer Application Forms) to 15 December, also asking them to implement gross/direct billing by December.

    The latest development is that Kolkata is likely to start the billing process from 10 December.
    Said Siticable Kolkata director Suresh Sethia: “We have been prepared for a long time but since some MSO’s were not ready, we had to wait.  Now, everyone has agreed to bill as per package from 10 November. We will put the bills on the system. The operators will distribute the same to subscribers. The bills will mention amusement tax and service tax components separately.”

    If all goes well, Kolkata will end up leading the pack as players in other metros are targeting January, in some cases even the last quarter of the current fiscal to start direct billing.
    Popular perception is that direct billing will bring transparency and order into an otherwise largely unorganised business.

    Director Manthan Broadband Sudip Ghosh said: “Billing is the first step to inform consumers of the changed ecosystem in a digitised environment.”

    However, several MSOs are opposing the process. Sources reveal that though Kolkata has some 30 lakh cable homes, MSOs like DEN and Digicable haven’t even started the package, let alone starting direct billing.

    Swapan Chowdhury, convener of the Cable Operators Digitalisation Committee of the Association of Cable Operators, too felt that with DAS not implemented properly in the city, packages not available and technical problems in the software and system used for direct billing, it could be said the government was simply putting pressure on the MSOs to collect taxes easily. “No one is concerned about the operators,” he said.

    Apurba Bhattacharya, general secretary, Cable Operators Sangram Committee too opined that everything was a hodge podge in DAS I.

    Cable TV analyst Mrinal Chatterjee pointed out that many customers weren’t paying the rentals. “Bill should be introduced. As the central and state government too is losing tax unless the bill is introduced. Some MSOs claim that they are ready with the bill and the backend system needed for it but they are not!” she said.

    Media analyst Namit Dave posed a very real question: “At a time when some CAFs are not filled in and customers are unable to see their favourite channels even after opting for the preferred bouquet as offered in the channel package, is the city ready to take on direct billing?”

  • MCOF to meet MSOs to discuss billing issues

    MCOF to meet MSOs to discuss billing issues

    MUMBAI: The easier a process becomes, the better it is. It seems this is the process that Maharashtra Cable Operators’ Foundation (MCOF) has opted for in order to make the entire digitisation process a smooth ride. In a new initiative, the apex body of cable operators in Maharashtra has sent a letter to all the MSOs inviting them to a meeting where they would discuss about the proper implementation of digitisation.

     

    In the letter, of which Indiantelevision.com has a copy, the MSOs have been requested to schedule the meeting in the coming week.

     

    When both the parties meet, they are expected to discuss issues related to: interconnect agreement, billing, Consumer Application Form (CAF), package activation, a la carte channels choice, disconnection of set top boxes (STBs) without notice, misleading and false  information given about the LMO to the customer over call center, ownership of STB and uniform rates.
    We are making an effort from our side to meet each MSO separately, says Arvind Prabhoo

     

    The letter has come out a day after the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) gave the MSOs the final deadline of 15 December to submit the duly filled CAFs and also implement gross billing by December.  “CAF is not the only issue, there are issues related to service tax and billing,” says MCOF president Arvind Prabhoo.  “There is no clarity on whether the consumers will be billed on the service provided by the MSO or on the MRP of the package that the subscriber opts for,” he adds.

     

    The meeting has been called to discuss the issues concerning both the MSOs and the LMOs.

     

    “We are making an effort from our side to meet each MSO separately. In the meeting, we will try and understand the system of billing devised by the MSO and make suggestions, if required. If not, we will go hand-in-hand with MSOs, provided our legal status is maintained,” informs Prabhoo.

     

    The apex body which comprises more than 1500 LMOs is also unsure about the settlement mechanism between the MSO and the LMO once the billing is done. “The MSOs so far haven’t spoken to the LMOs on how they will pay the LMO for the customer it bills,” points out Prabhoo.

     

    Expressing concern on the 15 December deadline set for submitting CAFs, Prabhoo says, “If 50 per cent CAFs have been filled in one year on an average, how does TRAI expect the remaining 50 per cent to be filled in next three weeks? Also, with the holiday season coming in, is TRAI looking at switching off STBs, if the deadline is not met?”

     

    With TRAI pushing MSOs to start gross billing from December, Prabhoo comments, “The issue relating to entertainment tax is subjudiced. So when the MSO says it will start gross billing from next month, is it looking at levying entertainment tax as well?”

     

    It should also be noted that the Nasik Cable Operators Association has moved the Telecom Disputes Settlement and Appellate Tribunal (TDSAT) on billing. While TRAI was supposed to respond to it on 22 November, the tribunal has granted time till 23 January to the regulator to respond. “So when both entertainment tax and billing is subjudiced, why is TRAI pushing cable operators for contempt of court?” he questions.

     

    On the issue of TRAI asking the MSOs to either convince the LMOs to start billing or do it themselves, Prabhoo sternly says, “They can do it, if they want. We are not going to be delivery boys. We are owners of our own businesses. And we have the right to bill our own consumers and that is what we are fighting for.”

  • 100 Kolkata LCOs group to set up a new headend

    100 Kolkata LCOs group to set up a new headend

    KOLKATA: One would imagine that cable operators would be a happy lot, considering the country is on the threshold of the last two phases of digitisation. However, the truth is LMOs (last mile operators) or LCOs are unhappy with the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) ruling on consumer application forms (CAF) and billing, which according to them, makes multi system operators (MSOs) the owners of consumers.

    Earlier this week, indiantelevison.com reported how a group of LCOs and independent MCOs met the Parliamentary Committee on Information and Technology in New Delhi to put forth their views on the subject.

    The latest, sources reveal, is that around 100 Kolkata-based LCOs – some affiliated with Siticable, others with Manthan – have come together and invested between Rs 2 and Rs 3 crore toward setting up a headend and accompanying infrastructure at Salt Lake College More in the city.

    This group is believed to be in the process of setting up a cooperative venture and is eager to start its own services. With the LCOs’ rising concern over MSOs becoming the owners of their hard-won subscribers, the development does not come as a surprise to the industry.

    However, “MSOs are creating hurdles for these LCOs,” sources added, without divulging any details.

    Swapan Chowdhury, convener of the Kolkata Cable Operators Digitalisation Committee of the Association of Cable Operators confirmed that this new cooperative had indeed been formed and that the LCOs might name the service Bengal Brand. “It is a difficult time for LCOs in Kolkata as the MSOs are not allowing them to go ahead with their plans,” he said.

    Rajiv Sharma, lead analyst (telecom and media), HSBC Securities, opined: “The local cable operators are also thinking of becoming MSOs by coming together… Not good news for the stock prices of existing MSOs which have raised funds from the public even if LCOs fail eventually.”

    Namit Dave, cable TV analyst, stated that bunching together was probably a good option for smaller operators. “A 200 channel headend costs nearly Rs 1 crore; a smaller operator with subscribers running into a few thousands would not find the investment profitable in a small town. However, if operators were to get together, it could end up being a profitable venture,” he pointed out.

    Kolkata-based Manthan Broadband Services director Sudip Ghosh sees more cable ops coming together in east India. Says he: “Players with a subscriber base of more than 500,000 may not consolidate headends. But Kolkata can see the consolidation of players with others having a subscriber base of around 300,000-400,000.

  • Kolkata MSOs to blackout TV tonight

    Kolkata MSOs to blackout TV tonight

    KOLKATA: Looks like cable TV consumers in Howrah will have to sacrifice on their favourite shows with few multiple system operators (MSOs) deciding to switch off signals if they do not receive duly filled customer application forms (CAFs) till end of the day today. The decision comes in view of the deadline set by the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) for submission of CAFs by 15 November.

     

    Around 40 per cent cable TV viewers in the city are subscribed to SitiCable. The MSO has not requested the regulator for any extension for CAF submission. SitiCable Kolkata director Suresh Sethia says, “We have already collected 90 per cent of CAFS. We expect the rest to be submitted today, if not, we will switch off signals from tonight.”

     

    Resonating the same is Manthan, which has installed 20-25 per cent STBs of the total five lakh STBs installed in the region.  “While a few have submitted CAFs, others will send it soon,” informs Manthan director Sudip Ghosh.

     

    The announcement is a shocker for many, as confusion over the city being a part of DAS phase II still remains. It is learnt that MSOs like KCBPL-GTPL among others are running analogue signals in DAS II areas.

     

    Industry insiders blame lack of an organisation for irregularities. “There is no such designated organisation that can regulate the system here,” says a source.

     

    The cause of ineffectiveness could also be because a few local cable operators (LCOs) have assured customers that they do not fall under DAS phase II and thus customers have not invested in the set top boxes (STBs).

     

    Talking about the prevailing confusion over DAS in Howrah, Sethia says, “Though most areas were covered during phase I, TRAI has to define whether the border of Howrah falls under phase II or not? There needs to be a clarification.”

     

    The city faces another issue. If Cable Operators Sangram Committee general secretary Apurba Bhattacharya is to be believed, subscribers who have submitted the duly filled CAFs are yet to see the change on their TV screens. “Even after filling the CAF and opting for preferred bouquet of channels, nothing has changed for viewers in Howrah,” he informs.

     

    Bhattacharya however believes that the MSOs will not switch off signals. “I foresee an extension in the cutoff date,” he says.

     

    Earlier a few LCOs had blamed festivities for slow down of work. “Since festivities are over now, both customers and LCOs should take the initiative and submit their details to MSOs,” opine city-based analysts.

  • MSOs miss 15 November CAF deadline

    MSOs miss 15 November CAF deadline

    MUMBAI: Multi system operators (MSOs) have bought themselves some more time to collect duly filled consumer application forms (CAF) from cable subscribers across 38 cities falling under DAS phase II.

     

    The earlier deadline for CAF collection was today, that is, 15 November, and consumers failing to comply would have had their transmission cut off, even after possessing set top boxes. However, as learnt from several sources in the industry, MSOs failed to meet the timeline and are now seeking further extension.  

     

    While a few MSOs including Hathway Cable & Datacom have extended the deadline to 20 November, smaller Kolkata-based MSOs say the procedure will be complete by 23 November.

     

    It was the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) that had previously extended the original deadline from 20 September to 15 November. When contacted, TRAI principal advisor N Parameswaran said considering it was a national holiday today, “any decision on the final date would be taken only on 18 November.”

     

    “The MSOs have voluntarily decided to extend the date to 20 November,” informed Maharashtra Cable Operators Federation (MCOF) president Arvind Prabhoo, adding that the regulator had asked the MSOs to send a review of DAS phase I, covering points like billing and CAF, in the interim.

     

    Kolkata-based Manthan and Siti Cable confirmed that they have achieved 100 per cent CAF collection whereas the Cable Operators Digitalisation Committee of the Association of Cable Operators convener Swapan Chowdhury said a 100 per cent CAF was impossible to achieve in the City of Joy with so many festivities. “We have increased the deadline for duly filled CAF to 23 November,” he said.

     

    Cable Operators Federation of India president Roop Sharma opined that CAF collection is a difficult task at hand for operators.

     

    “Considering that the broadcasters have not yet declared the rates for the channels, it is difficult for the consumer to decide which ones they want to subscribe,” she said.
    Clearly, we have not heard of the last of CAFs, phase II – as yet.

  • India Just Suited Up!

    India Just Suited Up!

    MUMBAI: Comedy Central, India’s preferred laughter destination is known to engage its audience with not only clutter breaking content but also with promotion ideas that attract all English entertainment viewers. Keeping up with the excitement around the most awaited show on English television, Comedy Central welcomed Suits Season 3 with a bang on October 7, 2013. The channel promoted the show through a 360 degree marketing campaign labeled ‘Everybody is getting into SUITS!’

    As party of the overall marketing campaign, a massive on-ground activity was planned leading up to the show. Starting October 4th, groups dressed in slick suits were seen across places ranging from prominent landmarks like heritage properties, metro stations and famous streets to the most, Oddest of places like, libraries, malls & sea facing promenades in Bangalore, Kolkata, Mumbai & Delhi. The activity was a huge success, generating buzz & direct integrations with more than one lakh people

    Apart from the on ground promotion, the channel also tied up with multiple BTL partners to innovatively amplify the Suits communication. The channel tied up with India’s leading dry cleaners Pressto & dry cleaned suits were returned to customers with SUITS messages on them. Promotion in Gold’s Gym’s involved funny captions in the men’s locker rooms about how Men looked compared to Harvey Specter, while women were cockily urged to control themselves with a live size poster of him in their washrooms!

    Promotion partners also included Café Coffee Day outlets, Crossword bookstores, Big Cinemas, Cocoberry, Bookmyshow.com, moneycontrol.com, In.com & mydala.com. To add reach, the campaign also involved Print, Outdoor & heavy digital & Radio promotion across all major cities in the country. The channel also focused on trade marketing with promotions across all major advertising sites both in & outside leading media agencies in Delhi & Mumbai.

    To top off the entire marketing effort, Comedy Central also engaged fans and media personnel to enter in a contest with winners getting a chance to LIVE THE HARVEY LIFE with a 2N/3D day stay at Taj lake Palace in Udaipur, with a Jaguar car service, gourmet food & spa sessions that will make winners feel like the character & get a first hand taste of good life & larger than life persona!

    Commenting on the premier of Suits Season 3, Ferzad Palia, Sr. Vice President and General Manager – English Entertainment, Viacom18 Pvt. Ltd, says, “Comedy Central has always been an innovative brand when it comes down to finding ways to market our shows & reach out to viewers. Here, we have taken a very simple yet powerful idea like “Everybody is getting into Suits” and pushed it to the next level by actually getting everyone in India to wear Suits. I am very happy with the response that we have got from fans, with a number of people turning out in suits & expressing their love for the show”

    The channel has become a one stop destination, catering to viewers with witty humor and great comedy through its day long line up of shows. Staying true to its philosophy, this October it takes the wit & energy up another notch!

    Garnier Men presents Suits Season3 Powered by Micromax on Comedy Central. Mon- Thu 10PM

    Promotion partners also included Café Coffee Day outlets, Crossword bookstores, Big Cinemas, Cocoberry, Bookmyshow.com, moneycontrol.com, In.com & mydala.com. To add reach, the campaign also involved Print, Outdoor & heavy digital & Radio promotion across all major cities in the country. The channel also focused on trade marketing with promotions across all major advertising sites both in & outside leading media agencies in Delhi & Mumbai.

    To top off the entire marketing effort, Comedy Central also engaged fans and media personnel to enter in a contest with winners getting a chance to LIVE THE HARVEY LIFE with a 2N/3D day stay at Taj lake Palace in Udaipur, with a Jaguar car service, gourmet food & spa sessions that will make winners feel like the character & get a first hand taste of good life & larger than life persona!

    Commenting on the premier of Suits Season 3, Ferzad Palia, Sr. Vice President and General Manager – English Entertainment, Viacom18 Pvt. Ltd, says, “Comedy Central has always been an innovative brand when it comes down to finding ways to market our shows & reach out to viewers. Here, we have taken a very simple yet powerful idea like “Everybody is getting into Suits” and pushed it to the next level by actually getting everyone in India to wear Suits. I am very happy with the response that we have got from fans, with a number of people turning out in suits & expressing their love for the show”

    The channel has become a one stop destination, catering to viewers with witty humor and great comedy through its day long line up of shows. Staying true to its philosophy, this October it takes the wit & energy up another notch!

    Garnier Men presents Suits Season3 Powered by Micromax on Comedy Central. Mon- Thu 10PM

  • Everybody is getting into Suits

    Everybody is getting into Suits

    This October get ready as Comedy Central lines up the biggest show of the year – Suits. After two super hit seasons, Comedy Central brings back Harvey Spector and Mike Ross on Suits-Season 3. Premiering on October 7th Season 3 promises to be bigger & better than the previous two super hit seasons with more drama & sharp witty one liners than ever before!

     

    The third season premieres with a shift in the dynamics at New York’s top law firm. After merging with a top British firm, Harvey is at odds with his boss and mentor, Jessica Pearson (Gina Torres). Meanwhile, Mike and Rachel Zane’s (Meghan Markel) romance has its up’s & down’s as well. The script beautifully captures the inner conflict of the characters as well as their personal bond and conflict with each other.
    The season has been described as “Intense, Witty & with fine performances” by Tom Gliatto of People Weekly & Denise Warner from Entertainment Weeks says “The result finds the actors inhabiting their characters’ backstabbing natures as comfortably as their outfits.”

     

    Commenting on the new season, Ferzad Palia, Senior VP and GM – English Entertainment, Viacom 18 Media Pvt Ltd, says “With two brilliant previous seasons Suits has developed a cult following in India much like it has in many other countries the world over. Season three has been huge in the US garnering record audiences & we intend on making it really big in India as well. Keeping in mind the popularity of the show, we’ve planned a 360 degree marketing campaign that will take viewer interest to the next level”

     

    To further promote the Suits fever among fans, the channel has undertaken a 360 degree marketing strategy ‘Everybody in Suits’. This campaign will engage Comedy Central fans through on-air promotion, on-ground activities and digital media. One of the activities the channel is undertaking as a part of its marketing strategy is to partner with Cafe Coffee Day. On launch day,all patrons wearing Suits at Cafe Coffee day outlets across the country will be offered a free cup of coffee. Another interesting concept that will be executed during the launch period will be in partnership with Pressto, where all customers bringing in their SUITS to be dry-cleaned will find communications in their freshly cleaned Suits asking them to tune in to the show on launch day.

     

    On premiere day, one will witness the suits fever with people dressed in Suits at the most unlikely locations like Gyms, Petrol Pumps and Parks all across the leading metro’s – Mumbai, New Delhi, Bangalore and Kolkata.

     

    The season will also be promoted through a contest amongst both viewers & media agencies which will urge them to wear Suits on the day of the launch. Participants will have to take a picture of themselves in suits and send them to Comedy Central India. All images will be collated and the lucky winners will be gratified with a vacation fit for Harvey Spector where winners will enjoy a once in a lifetime experience at the Taj Lake Palace, Udaipur. Accommodated in one of the luxury lake-view rooms for two nights & three days, Winners will enjoy Spa sessions, a fine dining experience, a Jaguar for travel services & the whole experience of the Harvey life!

  • Kolkata based MSOs, LCOs receive summons from service tax department

    Kolkata based MSOs, LCOs receive summons from service tax department

    KOLKATA: The Kolkata based Multi System Operators (MSOs) and local cable TV operators (LCOs) had uninvited guests last week. They were taken by surprise when the service tax officials conducted two raids to probe into their alleged financial irregularities. And, this in a digital addressable system (DAS) cable TV ecosystem which reveals the business and operations of these players at length.

    Apart from service tax, the income tax department also searched the premises of one of the big MSOs. And if sources are to be believed, the MSO made an upfront payment of around Rs 50 lakh – Rs 75 lakh to the income tax authorities.

    More than 350 cable operators have been issued summons for evading service tax payments for the past five years, sources said. “As per market reports two MSOs were raided last week, who then had to cough up huge amounts to the service tax authorities. The officials questioned the accountant of the MSOs on the financial details,” said a cable TV industry insider.

    It is also learnt that another MSO who had evaded service tax amounting to Rs 15 crore – Rs 20 crore spanning over four years, had to cover up the case by paying a huge amount to the authorities. “It is learnt that the company deposited a huge amount, though I am unsure of the exact amount,” the source added.

    Though the second MSO, whose office was raided on Thursday paid Rs 2.5 crore (approximately) to the service tax department officials. “Another Rs 50 lakh – Rs 75 lakh was given to the income tax department,” he informed.

    “The raid was part of a probe into financial transactions for suspected alleged tax evasion by the cable TV operators in Kolkata,” he said.

    A cable operator under Gujarat Telelink, an MSO, informed that as per the summons, the operator has to furnish details of the number of set top boxes installed and also the account details for the past five years. “If we don’t furnish it, we might be in trouble,” he said.

    Cable industry sources inform that cable TV operators are liable to pay 12.36 per cent as service tax to the authorities from the subscription amount collected every month from the customers.

    Kolkata based operators are treading in troubled waters. First it was the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) which planned to take strict action against the MSOs and LCOs for not collecting and feeding the CAF details into the system for DAS implementation and now they face the wrath of tax inspectors.

    Seems like it is time for operators to buck up and clear all past payments to avert any embarrassing situation in the DAS environment.

  • Kolkata’s cable TV customers feel CAF heat as blackouts spread

    Kolkata’s cable TV customers feel CAF heat as blackouts spread

    KOLKATA: Kolkata is seeing some frenetic activity on the cable TV front. The city’s multisystem operators (MSO) have started switching off signals in several pockets in Kolkata where cable operators have failed to comply with the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) norms and not provided them with the KYC or CAF forms of their subscribers. But MSOs have also been prompt in bringing the disconnected customers back online once the CAFs are submitted and fed into their systems.

    Apparently, the consensus amongst the cable TV fratenity is that cable TV subscribers are understanding the gravity of the situation with their cable TV connections being cut. And they have been a hurry to submit their CAFs now. “About 30,000 boxes had been deactivated and then reactivated after we received filled out forms from them,” said Manthan director Sudeep Ghosh.

     “We are in touch with the MSOs and we have been told that nearly two lakh set top boxes have been deactivated across the city and about 1.3 lakh boxes have been downgraded to DD channels only,” says a TRAI official.”And this is working as all the MSOs are saying that they are being flooded with CAFs as compared to earlier when there was lethargy.”

    The phase-wise deactivation of set top boxes had proved to be effective in sending out the intended message to consumers, he said.

    Consumers are confused and are complaining that there had been no intimation to them about the forms.

    A DTH service provider said that its call centres are receiving extra call loads with cable TV subscribers enquiring about the options available to them. “Our callers have expressed that it is better to settle with the seamless connection instead of haggling with the cable operator, who is ill-informed and not up to date with what is expected to be done,” says the DTH executive.

    We will have to simply keep our eyes glued to see if those callers will migrate to DTH. Going by past track records in other cities in phase I and phase II, it probably does not seem likely. Though many have expressed that a paradigm shift is needed.