MUMBAI: While Zee continues to meander in soft launch terrain and Star’s Space TV is up in the air, it may well be India’s not-so-friendly neighbour Pakistan where one will see a full-blown launch of DTH.
The targeted date for launch is reportedly 1 January 2004.
The Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority (Pemra) on 25 November awarded two DTH licences to Cross Currents (Pvt) Limited (the highest bidder) and ARY Communications which matched its bid with the highest bid through an open bidding process, Pakistan’s The News reported recently.
Cross Currents offered the maximum bid of Pak Rs 250 million while ARY Communications quoted Pak Rs 192.500 million but under the rules, the ARY matched the highest bid of Pak Rs 250 million and qualified for first two DTH channels rights in Pakistan.
Pemra chairman Mian Muhammad Javed was quoted by The News as saying, “DTH would bring a revolution in the country with maximum possible expansion of TV viewers. Cable network is available to only four million houses while PTV could reach about 85 per cent of the area whereas the DTH will reach every nook and corner of the country.”
Interestingly, Javed had said in a speech on 22 November, “The DTH licences are being issued at the right time, as the neighbouring country (India) has also started this service,” adding that if “we don’t start the service now, the DTH of our neighbour will flourish in Pakistan.”
While Pakistan’s DTH platforms can carry anywhere between 50 to 250 channels, Pemra clearance under its code of ethics will be needed for each channel in the bouquet.
This is significant because when it was announced that ARY was also in the running for the licence, queries were raised. One referred to an article in The Washington Post in which ARY was reported as having links with al-Qaeda and Taliban, and that the FBI was probing the matter. ARY was also accused of telecasting “substandard and obscene programmes” produced out of India and Pakistan.
According to industry sources, the man who is advising ARY in its DTH project is the Dubai-based Arab Digital Distribution’s (ADD) CEO Dr. John Tyderman. The Pehla platform, which targets subcontinent viewers, is part of ADD.
Tag: DTH project
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DTH set to take off in Pakistan on 1 January 2004
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Zee to use 7 transponders on Insat
NEW DELHI: The Subhash Chandra-promoted Zee Telefilms Ltd will use three C-band transponders and four KU-band transponders on Indian Space Research Organisation (Isro)’s Insat satellites for its proposed head-end in the sky, or HITS, project and direct-to-home television venture, respectively.
According to a senior Zee executive, the three transponders on Insat 3A, recently put into geo-stationary orbit, would be used for the HITS project, while negotiations are on for KU-band transponders for the DTH project that is slated to get off the ground later this year.
Isro at its headquarters in Bangalore had said on Sunday the organisation is finalising allocations of transponders on Insat-3A among private broadcasters.
“That we would beam the DTH service from Insat satellite is definite. The thing that is being finalised is on which Insat satellite would we be given the KU-band transponders. It can be also Insat 3A,” the Zee executive said.
Though the Zee executive was not forthcoming on the issue whether the company has been directed by the Indian government to use Insat satellite, government sources did give indications on these lines.
“The government would always like private broadcasters, desirous of operating in India, give preference to Insat satellites for transponder usage,” a senior government official told indiantelevision.com.
Meanwhile, Isro chairman K. Kasturirangan told presspersons on Sunday that the multipurpose Insat 3A satellite, launched on 10 April 10, would be declared operational by the end of May.
The transponders being hawked to private broadcasters include four in the Ku band for DTH purposes and three in the C band for HITS operators under the conditional access system.
Agreements are to be signed shortly for these, according to Isro joint secretary SK Das. India’s pubcaster Doordarshan and the department of telecom have been its main customers until recently.
Isro hopes to wean away all or some of the 70 private broadcasting channels and users from foreign satellites with competitive pricing in the coming years.
Kasturirangan had said these channels would offer a potential business of $120 million. The Insat system’s transponder capacity was being augmented and stood at 120 after the launch of Insat 3A. Allocations on 3A and the forthcoming satellite, 3E, around June-July should bring these users into Insat fold, Kasturirangan said. -
ASC seeks concessions for DTH bank guarantee
NEW DELHI: The Subhash Chandra controlled ASC Enterprises, which has sought a license from the Indian government to operate a direct-to-home (DTH) television venture, has requested the government to make some concessions on a Rs 400 million bank guarantee that has to be furnished as per prescribed norms.
Siti Cable, the cable arm of another Chandra company, Zee Telefilms, would implement the DTH project.
“The company (ASC Enterprises) has said that the government should explore whether it can give bank guarantees renewable every two years instead of at one go,” a senior information and broadcasting official said today.
Pointing out that the government is “examining the request”, the official said, “The company’s contention is that no Indian bank gives a guarantee for Rs 40 crore (Rs 400 million) at one go.”
According to the guidelines, after a prospective licensee gets certain security clearances, frequency clearances would also have to be obtained. Subsequent to this an amount of Rs 400 million valid for the duration of the license would have to be submitted. After submission of this bank guarantee, the applicant would be required to sign a 10-year licensing agreement with the I & B ministry.
The relevant file of ASC has been cleared by I&B minister Ravi Shankar Prasad, as reported yesterday by indiantelevision.com. The letter of intent is in the process of being drafted by the ministry officials.
However, the government has asked ASC to give, among other things, an affidavit stating that it is a wholly owned Indian managed company.
The official did not comment on the status of a similar application filed by Space TV, a little known company, which is said to be manned by Star India employees and is now under the government microscope. -
B4U denies partners finalised for DTH project
B4U Entertainment on Wednesday confirmed that it was exploring various avenues of entering direct-to-home (DTH) television but denied reports that the international partners had already been finalised.
“We are working towards it (DTH) but nothing has been decided as of now,” B4U Entertainment CEO Ravi Gupta said. “We are only in the initial stages of talks with a possible parter,” he added. He was referring to a press report that EuropeStar (a satellite company) and Mindport (provider of conditional access technology) were each to take 20 per cent stakes along with B4U for the project. The report also said talks were on to rope in a leading set top box manufacturer for the project as the fourth partner could provide finance if not technology.
Queried about the possibility of teaming up with Doordarshan for an alliance, Gupta said: “Everybody is talking to possible partners and DD is just one of them.”