ITV

Tag: Doordarshan

  • TRAI tariff order: Topline projections for broadcasters, MSOs

    TRAI tariff order: Topline projections for broadcasters, MSOs

    MUMBAI: In what is probably the acting collaboration of the year, Aamir Khan teamed up with Pankaj Tripathi for an infomercial for broadcasting behemoth Star. The 1 minute 22-second video, available both on TV and digital platforms, is an ad for Star’s new bouquet of channels, with the tagline“#Sachmein?”.Created to take the new TRAI tariff order ruling head-on, the ad seems to sum up the urgency broadcasters must be feeling to be ahead of the curve on this issue.

    The ad also starkly displays customers being at the mercy of cable and DTH providers for a fair offer. The new tariff order, however, will change this by favouring consumer choice and bringing in transparency, equitable distribution and parity. That the broadcaster had to call out the big guns (Khan, Tripathi) to make their point is a fair reflection of how seriously they expect the TRAI order to affect the television industry. And, all things considered, this might be the next revolution in the industry, one that will put consumers firmly at the centre of the ecosystem.

    The background

    In the past, negotiation took place between the rates channels agreed upon with the DPO and those that reached the consumers. The customers were never clear how much they were paying for which channels. Now, broadcasters will be creating fair bouquets, which the distributors have to package attractively in order for customers to subscribe to them.

    What the tariff order is all about:

    ·         All channels are offered on an a-la-carte basis.

    ·         Channels must be declared as pay channels or FTA-free to air channels and cannot be mixed in a single bouquet.

    ·         Distributors have to offer a base pack consisting 100 FTA channels in which 26 channels from Doordarshan are mandatory.

    ·         A bouquet of pay channels cannot contain a pay channel exceeding MRP Rs19.

    ·         The prices of bouquets and a-la-carte channels will be uniform across distribution platforms. No regional pricing is allowed.

    All stakeholders will finally be at par

    1. For the broadcaster: An obstacle to be worked around

    The broadcaster will now have to announce the MRP of each channel individually and set reasonable a la carte prices.

    They have to decide how much they can corner from advertising, subscription revenue and engage in intelligent pricing. They are even allowed to indulge in promotional pricing twice a year for up to 180 days in total. For broadcasters, opportunities need to be identified within the given framework. Those displaying good content will benefit while those used to bundling channels with no demand will take a hit.

    Our research shows that broadcasters may take a substantial hit, but strictly only in an ideal a la carte scenario. If we accept the ideal scenario, the Chrome Content Consumption Index shows that consumers will choose, on a national average, six pay channels. So apart from the basic cost of Network Capacity Fee (Rs 130), plus one flagship channel (~Rs 19) and five secondary channels (5*Rs 3), the new ARPUs stand at Rs 164, down from the current average of Rs 208.

    However, this needs to be tempered by the fact that most consumers will go for bouquets instead of ordering a la carte channels, largely due to the ease of ordering in one go, and if this is the case, the numbers need to be reworked. Broadcasters will sell their first bouquet for Rs 49 (led by driver/mass entertainment channel), the second for Rs 25 (led by a secondary driver/mass entertainment channel) and the 4 remaining channels (4*Rs 3), which will together amount to 86 rupees. In addition to the existing network capacity fee of Rs 130, the new ARPU is placed at Rs 216, an increase in the current ARPUs.

    Over the next few months, how it plays out, remains to be seen.

    2. Distributors and last mile operators (LMOs)

    Broadcasters will now be directly linked to end consumers and the intermediaries have the most to lose. In the past, they used to gain out of leakages and from money, which was not accountable. With the tariff order bringing in transparency, money can be tracked and the government will receive its due taxes.

    On the other hand, broadcasters will no longer coerce the distributors either. Rather than fixed deals between the two, which occurred in the past, the order will bring in objective, transparent deals based on content. They will now be able to create bouquets from different broadcasters at prices declared by them and can incentivise customers to purchase the same.

    Distributors and LMOs have to sign an agreement for revenue sharing on a mutually agreeable percentage share. If they both do not reach an agreement then recommended revenue share will be distributor at 55 per cent and LMO at 45 per cent.

    3. The audience: empowering consumers across the nation

    The belief is that the customer is the same everywhere.

    Overall prices are to be brought down through transparency of the pricing structure. The unfair advantage held by broadcasters will finally be dismantled as the consumers gain freedom to cherry pick their content and pay for the same. Not only is the price of each channel known, but viewers can also pro-actively, economically choose content from a wide range of choices. 

    What remains to be seen…

    Many have hailed the new regime as the right way forward where service providers and consumer interests are balanced. A fair deal is negotiated between broadcasters, distributors and the consumers as per the tariff regulations. However, its successful implementation remains to be seen and operational difficulties are being predicted.

    In terms of advertising, that second revenue pillar of broadcasting, the new order should render sampling quite obsolete, especially with more than 50,000 variations in packages. This will be the time when distribution data will become ‘oil’ for the industry. Channel availability, and not sampling, will drive media buying in the short to middle term.

    Industry topline projections

     The conclusion

    In the end, this is a much-needed step in the right direction, although the ideal scenario of 100 per cent a-la-carte channels might still be an improbability. The tariff order promotes transparency, empowers the audience, and plugs the revenue leakages, thereby increasing accountability of the key industry stakeholders. 

    (The author is chief executive officer and co-founder, Chrome DM. The views expressed here are his own and Indiantelevision.com may not subscribe to them) 

  • MIB extends feedback deadline date on mandatory sports feed sharing norms till 15 Jan

    MIB extends feedback deadline date on mandatory sports feed sharing norms till 15 Jan

    MUMBAI: Ministry of Information and Broadcasting (MIB) has extended the deadline to give feedback on the draft sports broadcasting signals (Mandatory Sharing with Prasar Bharti) (Amendment) Bill, 2018 till 15 January 2019. The earlier deadline was 31 December 2018.

    In an earlier notification dated 17 October, it said that feedback must be given within a month to enable telecast of “Sporting events of national importance’ on mandatory channels of Doordarshan via cable/DTH/ IPTV operators.

    As per provisions of the Sports Act, the live feed received by Prasar Bharati from the content rights owners or holders is only for the purpose of re-transmission of the said signals on Doordarshan’s own terrestrial and DTH network (DD FreeDish) and not for cable operators or other distribution networks. The ad sales is also done by private companies after taking the pubcaster into confidence with the additional ad revenue shared between the rights holding TV channel and DD.

    Viewers, who do not have DD FreeDish [pubcaster Doordarshan’s FTA DTH platform] or Doordarshan’s terrestrial network, are either unable to watch these sporting events of national importance or are compelled to watch these sporting events on highly priced sports channels.

    Additonally, private DTH platforms and MSOs/LCOs were barred from showing DD's non-terrestrial channels that re-transmitted the shared feeds, after the August 2017 Supreme Court ruling, for the duration of that particular event and it was stressed upon also by Prasar Bharati fearing adverse reaction from the apex court.

    The extension notice reads: “Reference this Ministry’s earlier notice dated 17.10.2018 seeking feedback / comments on Draft Sports Broadcasting Signals (Mandatory Sharing with Prasar Bharti) (Amendment) Bill, 2018 and the notice dated 09.11.2018 to extend the deadline upto 31.12.2018 for receiving feedback/comments from General Public/Stakeholders on the said draft Bill, 2018. It is informed that the deadline for receiving feedback/comments from General Public/Stakeholders on the said draft Bill, 2018 to enable telecast of ‘Sporting events of National importance’ on mandatory channels of Doordashan via Cable / DTH / IPTV Operators has been further extended by this Ministry till 15.01.2019.”

  • Prasar Bharati CEO on convergence and public b’casting

    Prasar Bharati CEO on convergence and public b’casting

    MUMBAI: Prasar Bharati’s CEO Shashi Shekhar Vempati, while dwelling on convergence and its relevance to India’s pubcaster, opined that it was important to understand the changes happening in terms of media consumption and distribution to evolve and plan for the future ahead.  

    “As a public broadcaster, we really have to face these forces of convergence if we have to transform ourselves for the next decade and beyond. Historically, our work force was trained to operate in the world of broadcast engineering and now they have to make the shift to digital and information technology,” Vempati said, adding why it was important for his colleagues to think “digital first” in terms of creation, packaging and presentation.

    Dwelling on the convergence happening at various levels of the Indian media and entertainment sector, Vempati said it was happening at three levels — at the consumer consumption level, platform and distribution level and regulatory level.

    “The convergence at the consumer level is way ahead of both the platforms and regulatory frameworks,” he stressed while delivering an address at the CII Big Picture Summit 2019 at New Delhi yesterday.

    According to Vempati, while the industry debated convergence and its pros and cons, the consumer was embracing the trend without a fuss, adapting to the various ways of consumption of the media.  

    Analysing the effect of these changes from a pubcaster’s point of view, he said Prasar Bharati was looking at the immediate outcome of the transformation on how content is discovered, measured and, more importantly, monetised.

    Without mincing words, he admitted that the content industry was today kind of trapped in a binary outlook where content monetisation was restricted to either advertising revenue or driven by subscription.

    Giving an example of consumer embracement of convergence, Vempati said Prime Minister Modi’s `Mann Ki Baat’ (Thoughts from the PM) was a prime example of convergence of technology. It is heard not only on All India Radio, which remains a primary source of dissemination of such messages but also consumed online and on traditional television.

    Dwelling on the reach of media — electronic and online — Vempati said, on one hand, there was linear TV, which is measured with set sample panels, and on the other hand there was the digital platform where measurement happened real time. On the issue of audience measurement, he said, TRAI has recently issued a consultation on how there was a need to re-think audience measurement. “So, I think there is another area of transformation that is likely to happen in the near future,” he added.

    On the topic of audience measurement and its fallout on ad revenues for TV channels, Vempati said experience has highlighted that the consumer wants a more flexible pricing model, especially when popular programmes like cricket matches are telecast by private sector TV channels, which demand that the consumer pays to watch.

    There is a need to look at a combination pricing model, which enables consumers to watch popular programmes, including sporting events, at a comparatively lower price or on FTA platforms like Doordarshan.

    “As a public broadcaster one of the greatest learning for me has been that if you have quality content there is an audience for it,” Vempati said giving an example of Rajya Sabha TV, a parliamentary news channel that is not actively marketed and promoted, but has over a million followers online.

    The pubcaster has not spent a dime advertising it anywhere and it is not even measured by BARC India, but on YouTube Rajya Sabha TV has a following that’s legion simply because of quality content it produces, Vempati said.

    Emphasising how technology and pubcasting can merge to deliver useful services, Vempati gave the example of a pilot project undertaken by Doordarshan in Bengaluru, in association with private sector players like Microsoft, to deliver to government-run schools educational programmes on DD’s digital terrestrial network that was lying under-utilised.

    “It’s a great example of convergence and transformation,” Prasar Bharati CEO said, adding that it also meant regulatory framework had a lot of catching to do as policy-makers viewed broadcasting and telecom services in silos, which is not the case now.

  • Doordarshan launches new educational channel DD Roshini

    Doordarshan launches new educational channel DD Roshini

    MUMBAI: Doordarshan has launched a new educational channel DD Roshini as part of Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike’s (BBMP) project.

    In association with Microsoft Aspire School Program, the new channel will present live television and Skype lectures in the classroom to assist teachers in BBMP schools.

    As part of BBMP’s initiative ‘to transform BBMP schools into world class educational institutions’, and to achieve the vision of ‘No Child is Left Behind’ it is implementing state-of-the-art technology such as augmented reality, virtual reality, artificial intelligence and machine learning, STEM and STEAM (Robotics) usage of cloud, IOT and bots etc, by improving the infrastructure to meet the highest standards, training teachers in the 21st century skills and coaching students to be future ready.

    The launch of the new educational channel was confirmed by Doordarshan director general Supriya Sahu on Twitter.

     

     

  • The challenge of DD FreeDish and new tariff order for DPOs

    The challenge of DD FreeDish and new tariff order for DPOs

    GOA: With the emergence of a large number of OTT platforms and cord-cutting phenomenon globally, the future of pay-TV has often been questioned. The talk of the town seems to be about the how pay-TV industry will continue to thrive in such an environment. Moreover, the new tariff order (NTO) in India is also set to overhaul the entire value chain, leading to some uncertainty.

    Against this backdrop, Video and Broadband Summit 2018 held an intense discussion on the “future of pay TV in India”. Travelxp CEO Prashant Chothani and Doordarshan additional director general Sunil participated in the session which was moderated by Indiantelevision.com founder and CEO Anil Wanvari. The session had viewpoints from two entirely different players as Chothani provides a niche premium offering to viewers, while Sunil is responsible for public service which caters to the masses.

    Travelxp works on a B2B2C model despite having 100 per cent original content. Chothani, who is very passionate about linear TV, does not share his content with any OTT platform other than Netflix in North America. He thinks it is extremely crucial to protect linear business as much as possible.

    Chothani, talking about the NTO, said that DPOs are in existential crisis. He thinks DD FreeDish is the biggest challenge for distribution platform operators (DPOs) as the former offers over 100 free to air channels to consumers for free and the latter has to charge Rs 130 for the same as per the NTO.

    “FreeDish is your biggest competitor. Where do you think these 30 or 40 million homes have come from? They go to a large part of north India, UP, Bihar and lot many other markets, where the customer is not willing to pay even Rs 99. There comes the cord cutting in favour of DD FreeDish because this population is satisfied whatever channels come to them for free,” he commented.

    While there are already technological disruptors like Hotstar, Netflix, Amazon threatening linear TV’s growth, consumers, who don’t wish to pay for the channels, can turn to DD FreeDish, said Sunil endorsing Chothani’s view.  

    From the audience, Doordarshan director general Supriya Sahu added that DD FreeDish is not only used by a marginal section of the society but the service is quickly evolving as an alternative option which clearly indicates that it could be a potential threat for DPOs.

    When asked if DD FreeDish would partner with broadcasters, Sunil said he was open to the idea of collaboration. Rather than making money, the pubcaster’s aim is to let the system grow, he said.

    “We have to work on a business model on that front and it is very difficult to answer this question at this point of time because the call has to be taken by the government. But yes cable operators and broadcasters are a part of this system. They are always welcome to partner with us,” he added later.

    He also thinks NTO will be a big game changer as the difference in price between small LCOs and bigger ones has been taken away by TRAI regulations. He also believes that the future of pay-TV is threatened by TRAI regulations. Customers will watch what they want, where they want and when they want and will only pay for that purchase, he added.

    Chothani also added that India is a very price sensitive market. Even in Serbia where currency value is weaker than India’s, Coke is priced the same as in Germany but in India, it is offered at a much cheaper rate. This nature does not fade away when it comes to entertainment.

    “We content creators got greedy. We thought why would you pay 50-60 per cent money with DPOs and do B2B2C business why not B2C. If you see RIOs of some broadcasters, you will see their B2C offering subscription on their apps is cheaper than they are giving to LCOs or DPOs. Why? Because OTT apps are not regulated,” said Chothani.

    “So, this regulation is also going to take away a lot of customers from traditional DPOs unless they play smart. Broadcasters have been playing this game for too long and will keep on playing for times to come. But DPOs need to rethink now. This is a golden opportunity for them. So, they need to get behind and think how they can make consumers pay for content while DD FreeDish is offering so many channels for free,” he added.

    The experts believe that though the future of pay-TV has a few challenges, the NTO offers opportunities to restructure the industry and make the business profitable for all.

  • Doordarshan now wants all matches of men’s hockey WC

    Doordarshan now wants all matches of men’s hockey WC

    NEW DELHI: Even as TV sports channels are wracking their brains as part of a public consultation to justify why proposed tweaking of rules relating to mandatory sharing of signals of sporting events is not a good idea, the Indian government has gone ahead to notify hockey World Cup for sharing with the pubcaster.

    Star India holds the broadcast rights of the men’s hockey World Cup 2018 to be held in the Indian state of Orissa from 28 November to 16 December 2018. The matches are scheduled to be aired on Star Sports channels and streamed live on the media company’s digital platform, Hotstar.

    In a notification dated 13 November 2018, Ministry of Information and Broadcasting has stated that all the matches of the men’s hockey WC were “sporting events of national importance”. Meaning? The matches would have to be shared by Star with pubcaster Doordarshan, which will telecast them on its terrestrial network and FTA DTH platform, DD FreeDish.

    If hockey is a notified sport, any rights holder in India would be compelled to share it with the national broadcaster. So, what’s new in the latest notification?

    As per the 2007-legislated sports rules, only the semi-final and final matches are to be shared with DD at a mutually decided financial arrangement. DD suddenly realised it needs all the matches for DD Sports as the tournament was being held in India and, hence, the fresh directive from the MIB that used a technicality in the official rules to include the whole hockey tournament.

    Industry watchers feel that such arbitrary actions by the government not only harm India’s image, but can also impact the business models of sports channels in the long run that acquire content at high prices. For example, Star bagged the broadcast rights for cricket IPL last year, beating original holders Sony and other tough bidders, at a mind-boggling price of $2.55 billion.

    Meanwhile, the public consultation that has been initiated by the MIB takes the mandatory sharing of sports signals of notified sports a step further. The amendments seek to make legal re-distribution of DD signals by other distribution platforms of TV signals (like LCOs, MSOs and may be OTT platforms) — something that’s unlawful presently.

  • MIB extends feedback deadline date on mandatory sports feed sharing norms

    MIB extends feedback deadline date on mandatory sports feed sharing norms

    MUMBAI: Ministry of Information and Broadcasting (MIB) has extended the deadline to give feedback on the draft sports broadcasting signals (Mandatory Sharing with Prasar Bharti) (Amendment) Bill, 2018 till 31 December 2018. In an earlier notification dated 17 October, it said that feedback must be given within a month to enable telecast of “Sporting events of national importance’ on mandatory channels of Doordarshan via cable/DTH/ IPTV operators.

    As per provisions of the Sports Act, the live feed received by Prasar Bharati from the content rights owners or holders is only for the purpose of re-transmission of the said signals on Doordarshan’s own terrestrial and DTH network (DD FreeDish) and not for
    cable operators or other distribution networks. The ad sales is also done by private companies after taking the pubcaster into confidence with the additional ad revenue shared between the rights holding TV channel and DD.

    Viewers, who do not have DD FreeDish [pubcaster Doordarshan’s FTA DTH platform] or Doordarshan’s terrestrial network, are either unable to watch these sporting events of national importance or are compelled to watch these sporting events on highly priced sports channels.

    Additonally, private DTH platforms and MSOs/LCOs were barred from showing DD's non-terrestrial channels that re-transmitted the shared feeds, after the August 2017 Supreme Court ruling, for the duration of that particular event and it was stressed upon also by Prasar Bharati fearing adverse reaction from the apex court.

    The extension notice reads: “Reference this Ministry's earlier notice dated 17.1 0.201 8 seeking feedback / comments on Draft Sports Broadcasting Signals (Mandatory Sharing with Prasar Bharati) (Amendment) Bill, 2018, it is informed that the deadline for receiving feedback/comments from General Public/Stakeholders on the said draft Bill, 2018 to enable telecast of 'Sporting events of National importance'on mandatory channels of Doordarshan via Cable /DTH /IPTV Operators has been extended by this Ministry till 31 .12.2018.”

  • Launch of Ladakhi Regional Service on DD-Kashir Channel

    Launch of Ladakhi Regional Service on DD-Kashir Channel

    MUMBAI: Ladakhi News Bulletins are extremely popular among the people in Leh and Ladakh region as there are hardly any private channels telecasting programmes in Ladakhi.  Doordarshan is the only source of Ladakhi news for the people of the region.  DDK, Leh which started its telecast in the year 2000 has been producing and telecasting several programmes in Ladakhi.  As the world’s highest TV station, DDK, Leh has been fulfilling regional aspirations in spite of many challenges in the region.  The regional telecast, which takes place everyday between 6.00 p.m to 7.30 p.m. in Ladakhi is transmitted through  a network of 92 Terrestrial transmitters including 13 HPTs, 13  LPTs and 66  VLPTs.  

    Programmes of DDK Leh cover various aspects of local News and Current Affairs as well as local cuisine, life style, culture and heritage.  With increase in the popularity of  satellite transmission, it has become important to augment the terrestrial transmission services with the availability of Ladakhi programmes on satellite mode also so that programmes get a national foot print and are accessible to a large number of people not only in Ladakh but also elsewhere in India.

    It has been a long pending demand of people from the region that the Ladakhi regional service be made available on satellite platform.  Doordarshan, Prasar Bharati has decided to fulfil this regional aspiration by providing a Prime time slot to Ladakhi News and Current Affairs and other programmes initially through a half-an-hour slot on DD-Kashir, which is a satellite channel from 10th September, 2018 from 6.30 p.m. to 7.00 p.m.  This would enable accessibility of Ladakhi regional service on all DTH Platforms viz., DD Freedish, Tatasky, Dish TV, Videocon d2h, Airtel, Reliance Digtial TV, Sun Direct and Cable Services etc. as DD Kashir is mandatorily carried on all these platforms as per the direction of the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting.

    The Member of Parliament of the region Shri Thupstan Chhewang had met Smt. Supriya Sahu, Director General, Doordarshan during her visit to Leh and requested for providing a satellite platform to Ladakhi programmes for their wider dissemination.

    People of Leh and Ladakh can now tune in to watch their favourite Ladakhi regional service including Ladakhi News Bulletin from 6.30 p.m.  to 7.00 p.m. wherein 6.30 p.m. to 6.45 p.m. has been allocated for programmes of varied genres in Ladakhi and 6.45 p.m. to 7.00 p.m. has been earmarked for Ladakhi News Bulletin.

  • Does govt propose to regulate kids’ channels? MIB says ‘no’

    Does govt propose to regulate kids’ channels? MIB says ‘no’

    NEW DELHI: Do watching cartoons have lasting effects on the children? Has the government made any assessment regarding the impact of cartoon channels on kids? Does the government propose to regulate/limit the telecast of cartoon programmes by private channels and Doordarshan in accordance with the examination schedule of children?

    Well, these were some of queries raised by an Indian parliamentarian in the Lok Sabha or Lower House yesterday. The government, while admitting kids’ programming could affect children, however, clarified there were no proposal at present to regulate such shows or limiting their broadcast schedules.

    Pointing out research does indicate that watching cartoon has both “negative and positive effects” on children, Minister of Information and Broadcasting Rajyavardhan Rathore said the government is not aware of any study or research that conclusively proves watching cartoons or any such other programme has “lasting effect on children”.

    Rathore further said, “Presently there is no such policy [to regulate or limit the telecast of cartoon programmes by private channels and Doordarshan].”

    According to Rathore, the government grants permission to TV channels under two categories of news & current affairs and non-news & current affairs and there was no separate categorisation (like cartoon channels) for granting of permission by the government to start a TV channel.

    “Non-news and current affairs channels are permitted to air programmes of any nature, including cartoon[s], provided the content of the programme adheres to [the] programme code stipulated under the Cable Television Networks (Regulation) Act, 1995,” the Minister added.

    Replying to another question on whether the Government proposes to introduce a legislation to regulate web media and news portals for their mandatory registration, Rathore said presently there was “no such proposal” in this regard.

    “The government is committed to freedom of speech and expression and privacy of its citizens as enshrined in the Constitution of India. Government does not regulate content appearing on web media. Law enforcement agencies take action on posting of malicious content on specific case to case basis,” the Minister told his fellow parliamentarian.

    The MIB, meanwhile, recently told the Supreme Court that it was withdrawing a proposal to set up a social media hub, which was criticized by the civil society and online activists on the ground that the government was trying to prepare a surveillance center to track live the digital footprints of its citizens.