ITV

Tag: DTH

  • Dish TV asks Yes Bank to get MIB go-ahead on its share acquisition

    Dish TV asks Yes Bank to get MIB go-ahead on its share acquisition

    MUMBAI: Last Friday, YES Bank informed the stock exchanges that it had acquired 24.19 per cent stake in direct-to-home (DTH) operator Dish TV India Ltd. The latter said on Monday that the disclosure filed by the bank regarding the acquisition contains certain incorrect facts.

    Moreover, it has highlighted another important aspect as per DTH License guidelines which clearly prohibit any change in equity structures of licensee company without prior approval from the ministry of information & broadcasting (MIB). Hence, it has stated that the acquisition of shares by Yes Bank without the ministry’s consent is against the DTH guidelines and has requested Yes Bank to obtain the green signal from the MIB prior to effecting their transfer.

    "We would like to mention that your statement, ‘shares acquired on invocation of pledge subsequent to default/breach of terms of loan to Dish TV India Limited’ is an incorrect statement," Dish TV said in a filing to the BSE.

    It also clarified that as on the date of the communication, the DTH platform was not in default of any payment obligations to Yes Bank under the financing facility availed from the lender.

    “Further, you are also well aware that ‘no shares have been pledged by the promoters of Dish TV or any other entity for the loans availed by Dish TV from Yes Bank Ltd. Therefore, there cannot be any question of invocation of any pledged shares in relation to the loans availed by Dish TV from Yes Bank,”’ the DTH company's official added in the note filed with the BSE yesterday.

    The bank had earlier in a note to the exchange informed that it  had acquired 44,53,48,990 equity shares having a nominal value of Re 1 per share.  “Shares have been acquired pursuant to invocation of pledge of the shares subsequent to default/breach of terms of credit facilities sanctioned by Yes Bank to Essel Business Excellence Services Ltd, Essel Corporate Resources Private Ltd, Living Entertainment Enterprises Private Ltd, Last Mile Online Ltd, Pan India Network Infravest Ltd, RPW Projects Private Ltd, Mumbai WTR Private Ltd,” Yes Bank had said.

    Dish TV has also requested Yes Bank to issue corrigendum to its earlier statement and inform the stock exchanges of the same.

  • Yes Bank acquires 24.19% stake in Dish TV

    Yes Bank acquires 24.19% stake in Dish TV

    MUMBAI: Yes Bank has acquired 24.19 per cent stake in Essel Group-promoted direct-to-home (DTH) operator Dish TV India Ltd. The bank has informed in a regulatory filing that it has acquired 44,53,48,990 equity shares having nominal value of Re 1 per share. Shares have been acquired on invocation of pledge of shares in a one-time transaction.

    “Shares have been acquired pursuant to invocation of pledge of the shares subsequent to default/breach of terms of credit facilities sanctioned by Yes Bank to Essel Business Excellence Services Ltd, Essel Corporate Resources Private Ltd, Living Entertainment Enterprises Private Ltd, Last Mile Online Ltd, Pan India Network Infravest Lrd, RPW Projects Private Ltd, Mumbai WTR Private Ltd,” Yes Bank said.

    Dish TV reported consolidated unaudited subscription revenues of Rs 798.2 crore and operating revenues of Rs 867.8 crore in the third quarter of FY 20. The company has a bandwidth capacity of 1,422 MHz with an ability to deliver more than 655 channels and services including 40 audio channels and 70 HD channels and services.

    The DTH operator emerged as one of the largest DTH operators with a huge subscriber base after a merger with Videocon D2H back in 2018. Earlier this year, merger talks between Dish TV and Airtel Digital TV reportedly ended with basic differences over each company’s valuations.

  • I&B ministry recommends 5% cap on DTH platform services; TRAI stays firm at 3%

    I&B ministry recommends 5% cap on DTH platform services; TRAI stays firm at 3%

    MUMBAI: The Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) is firm on its position to cap the number of platform services (PS) by DTH platforms to three per cent subject to a maximum of 15 channels. This comes in the wake of the ministry of information and broadcasting (MIB) recommending a five per cent cap with no channel limits.

    The MIB sent a letter to the regulatory body on 13 May approving TRAI’s recommendations on platform services offered by DTH platforms with modifications. The inter-ministerial committee suggested that the cap be increased to five per cent of its total channel carrying capacity without any limit on the maximum number of PS channels. 

    TRAI was of the view that since DTH operators have a limited channel carrying capacity and with the availability of a huge number of permitted satellite TV channels (900+) in all regional languages and genres, there is no pressing requirement for a large number of PS channels. Further, DTH operators are primarily carriers of the content produced by broadcasters; not content producers. 

    “An upper limit of 15 channels is also important so that even if the channel carrying capacity gets increased in future, it should be given to broadcasters who are waiting for the channel capacity. As broadcasters are not permitted to reach to consumers directly, they are dependent only on the distributors. Allowing more channels as PS will put an artificial restriction on the broadcasters to launch new channels and in turn, they will be discouraged to bring new channels in the sector which will adversely affect the public interest at large,” it added. 

    TRAI mentioned that since DTH operators have pan India presence by the virtue of technology
    and availability of satellite footprint, they don't have to cater to the requirements of any local audience or a particular demography. PS are generally meant for MSOs to carry some local community interest programme.

    With regard to allowing more PS channels to DTH operators, TRAI said that the operators will block a large capacity for their own use which can seriously jeopardise the availability of slots not only for new broadcasters but also for government mandatory channels.

    TRAI had also recommended that the programme transmitted by the DTH operator as a platform service shall be exclusive and should not be shared directly or indirectly with any other distribution platform operator (DPO). In case of violation both TRAI or MIB can send notices, but the ministry wants to restrict this power to itself. However, TRAI had said that the MIB reserves the right for cancellation of registration of such PS of the DTH operator.

    The authority has reiterated its earlier recommendation for this clause as well citing the need for consistency between the TRAI act and DTH licence requirements.

    The industry watchdog also recommended that the DTH operator shall be bound by orders/ directions/regulations issued by it in respect of DTH services including platform services provided by the operator. In response, the committee recommended that the issues pertaining to DTH licences should be regulated by the MIB. However, it may be desirable that DTH operators may also abide by orders/directions/regulations of TRAI issued by TRAI from time to time relating to interconnection agreement/ tariff/quality of service.

    To this, TRAI said, “MIB should not put any artificial restriction in the license condition. It is essential that DTH guidelines should have one overarching clause clearly stating that the DTH operator shall be bound by orders/ directions/regulations issued by TRAI in respect of DTH services…It is very important that the DTH license should have an explicit provision that the DTH operator shall be bound by orders/directions/regulations issued by TRAI in respect of DTH services including platform services provided by the operator," it added. The regulator cited several court cases by which it has been given approvals to ensure regulations for the whole DTH sector.

  • FTA channels seek waiver of carriage fees

    FTA channels seek waiver of carriage fees

    MUMBAI: A consortium of free-to-air (FTA) broadcasters whose channels are placed on Prasar Bharati’s DTH platform DD free dish has requested information and broadcasting minister Prakash Javadekar for a waiver of 100 per cent carriage fees for the first quarter (April-June) and 50 per cent for the second quarter (July-September) for those channels that have secured MPEG-2 slots during the recent 44th e-auction. 

    The consortium has sought the minister’s intervention in this matter so that the broadcasting sector can tide over the current situation caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.

    In a letter to the minister, the FTA channels’ heads stated that the COVID-19 pandemic has adversely impacted all sectors of the Indian economy. 

    “Advertisement bookings have nosedived by 80 per cent. Commercial advertisements are the sole revenue stream for free-to-air channels to support all its costs of content, operations, carriage, marketing and transmission, and in the current scenario, we have been struggling to deal with a steep de-growth and the biggest impact is on advertising revenues that is likely to see a 70-80 per cent pullback,” said the letter.

    The broadcasters said that in line with government’s vision of making best of entertainment accessible freely to all socio-economical class of the population through the DD free dish platform, all the FTA channels play a very important role especially for the poorer sections of our society and thus its commercial and sustainability must be taken into consideration.

    Thanking the government for including electronic media which reaches the length and breadth of the nation as one of the essential services during the lockdown period, the broadcasters assured that they intend to continue reaching out to our millions of viewers on a daily basis “and for which our teams are working tirelessly.”

    When in March the channels reached out for waiving carriage fees for the April-June quarter, they got a letter on 7 April offering a deferred payment schedule instead of a three-month waiver, and “that too with a provision for furnishing a bank guarantee.”

    The FTA channels, in their letter, said that this would not serve the purpose at this juncture, “but instead put additional hardships on the company in terms of bank guarantee charges, interest payments and GST amounts with effectively no relief on the total carriage fee payments.”

    In light of the current adverse business environment, the said letter, their request “requires a lot more sympathetic consideration, considering our revenues have been eroded.” There are a few channels which have been recently launched and they are bearing the brunt with no revenues at all.

    The channels intimated the minister that with dwindling revenues, it will be difficult for them to pay employees’ salaries, which will affect hundreds of livelihoods.  

    Signatories to the letter:

    Pradeep Guha, MD, 9X Media Pvt. Ltd.                               

    Aditya Pittie, MD, IN 10 Media Pvt. Ltd.

    Ajit Joshi, Director, SwamiFilm Entertainment Pvt. Ltd & SuperHit Broadcasting Pvt. Ltd.

    Sahib Chopra, Director, Shopping Bazaar Pvt. Ltd.

    Manoranjan TV, Manoranjan Movies & Manoranjan Grand

    Hitesh Sabharwal, CEO, Cinema 24*7 Pvt. Ltd.

    Dr. Darshan Singh & Vishvajit Sharma, Chairman & MD, Teleone Consumers Product Pvt. Ltd.

     Maha Movie, Maha Punjabi, Lord Buddha TV

     Ranvir Singh, Director, Skystar Entertainment Pvt. Ltd

     Rakesh Gupta, Sadhna Media Group

    BP Aggarwal, MD, Surya Sagar Communication Pvt. Ltd., Surya Cinema & Surya Bhojpuri

    Kailasnath Adhikari, promoter, Sri Adhikari Brothers- TV Vision Ltd.

    Natasha Fernandes, Director, B4U Broadband (India) Pvt. Ltd.

    Santosh Garg, Ashirwad Telenetwork Pvt. Ltd.

    Manish Shah, Director, Goldmines Telefilms Pvt ltd

    Sandeep Gupta, Shemaroo Entertainment Ltd.

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  • Dish TV India’s OTT Platform Watcho sees 50% surge in content consumption

    Dish TV India’s OTT Platform Watcho sees 50% surge in content consumption

    MUMBAI: Leading DTH company Dish TV India has rolled out a variety of short format, snackable original content on its OTT platform Watcho in response to the increase in the viewing needs of their customers,

    Over the past one month, the platform has witnessed a 50 per cent surge in content consumption, leading to a steep hike in their subscriber base and adding 1 million new subscribers in a month bringing it up to 3.0 million. Watcho has also seen a spike in the time spent by viewers on the platform during March 2020. This sudden increase can be attributed to the recently added new and fresh content on the platform and the overall surge in consumption of content during the ongoing lockdown.

    Additionally, during the lockdown period, Watcho’s streaming bandwidth has been better optimized to reduce network load on the internet by reducing the native resolution of the app to 480p without compromising on the quality. The company undertook this move to ensure the delivery of uninterrupted content to the viewers and keep them entertained 24*7. 

    “We are excited to share that Watcho has witnessed solid growth in its customer base and content consumption since January 2020. The rapid growth is
    the result of our strategy to create short, engaging content which is the preference of viewers nowadays. Since the inception of Watcho, we have invested in building a unique content library which includes original series & shows, cutting across genres like drama, comedy and Thrillers. As a result, Watcho is fast emerging as the preferred entertainment destination among young audiences,” DishTV India Ltd executive director and group CEO Anil Dua said.

    Focused on short format storytelling for digital consumption, Watcho offers many original fiction shows like 4 Thieves, Love Crisis, Ardhasatya, Mortuary, Chhoriyan, Rakhta Chandana and original influencer shows like Look I can Cook, Bikhare Hain Alfaaz to name a few. Watcho content cuts across all genres including but not limited to; Drama, Comedy, Thriller, Romance, Food, Fashion and Poetry. 

  • Tata Sky, Airtel Digital TV to air 3 educational Swayam Prabha channels

    Tata Sky, Airtel Digital TV to air 3 educational Swayam Prabha channels

    MUMBAI: Amid the countrywide lockdown, students are unable to attend classes and for their benefit, Tata Sky and Airtel Digital TV will air three educational Swayam Prabha channels. These channels were available earlier on DD Free Dish, Dish TV and Jio TV App.

    "To enable learners to continue their education and learning even sitting at home in this difficult situation arisen due to unfortunate outbreak of COVID-19, Tata Sky and Airtel DTH operators were requested to air some Swayam Prabha channels on their DTH platform and they have agreed to do so," union human resource development minister Ramesh Pokhriyal said, according to a PTI report.

    Swayam Prabha is a group of 32 DTH channels devoted to telecasting of high-quality educational programmes on 24X7 basis. The course contents are covering diverse disciplines such as arts, science, commerce, performing arts, social sciences and humanities subjects, engineering, technology, medicine and agriculture. The contents are provided by NPTEL, IITs, UGC, CEC, IGNOU, NCERT and NIOS. 

  • IMCL launches innovative packages for subscribers to stay connected

    IMCL launches innovative packages for subscribers to stay connected

    MUMBAI:  IndusInd Media and Communications Ltd (IMCL), the media vertical of the global Hinduja Group, has implemented a slew of innovative products and solutions to help its Local Cable Operators (LCOs) and its millions of subscribers across India to ensure access to quality content amid the COVID-19 lockdown.

    IMCL – which owns a digital cable platform (InDigital) and the only HITS platform (NXTDIGITAL) in the country – has rolled out a significantly low-cost package for subscribers called the Vishesh Manoranjan Pack. 

    This pack, which gives subscribers access to over 400 television channels, includes the popular NXT Value Added Services package, comprising up to 20 unique channels for its subscribers. The package can be activated immediately and LCOs can make the payment till16 April 2020. The credit period effectively allows for LCOs to collect the payment after the lockdown is lifted.

    Further, to ensure uninterrupted dissemination of critical information during this challenging period, IMCL has worked with its LCO partners to activate its special InfoPack, at zero cost for customers who are unable to make any payment. This will enable subscribers to stay connected with all Doordarshan channels, including news and entertainment.

    These packages come close on the heels of a slew of initiatives taken by IMCL to ensure safety of its LCOs and subscribers. IMCL has provided critical awareness and education through its national network of LCOs, multiple platforms and portals – in 11 languages, through posters, pamphlets, e-books and video messaging. To help subscribers remain connected, IMCL has extended its online recharge facility through Easebuzz, where subscribers can make their payment directly to their LCOs online, thereby eliminating any level of interaction.

    IMCL CEO Vynsley Fernandes said: “We remain committed towards the well-being of our LCO partners and subscribers. At the time of a global crisis, our endeavour is to consistently create awareness and the dissemination of critical information, to ensure the safety and protection of all our stakeholders. These packages, especially our InfoPack at zero cost, are in line with that philosophy.”

  • Don’t disconnect cable service for next 1 month due to non-payment: West Bengal govt tells operators

    Don’t disconnect cable service for next 1 month due to non-payment: West Bengal govt tells operators

    MUMBAI: West Bengal government has directed not to disconnect cable TV connections for the next one month if subscribers fail to pay monthly bill. This is in view of the fact that there are chances of households being unable to meet monthly expenses on account of the current impasse due to the Covid-19 pandemic.

    “In view of the lockdown, Cable TV connections should not be disconnected by the service providers for the next one month on account of non-payment of subscription fee,” the chief secretary stated in a letter dated 31 March. According to sources, other states may replicate the move.

    Indians have been spending more time in front of their television, as per data released by TV viewership measurement agency BARC India and global measurement and data analytics company Nielsen, ever since the government imposed a nationwide 21-day lockdown. The total TV consumption has increased by 8 per cent across India in the week ended 20 March (Covid-19 Week 1), while the total time spent per user on smartphones went up by 6.2 per cent to 25 hours a week.

  • Tata Sky offers emergency credit facility, free access to interactive services

    Tata Sky offers emergency credit facility, free access to interactive services

    MUMBAI: Leading content distribution and Pay TV platform Tata Sky has announced emergency credit facility for subscribers who have been unable to recharge their account due to various reasons, inability to find a dealer to do it for them being one of them. 

    This is aimed at ensuring that all subscribers have access to uninterrupted entertainment round the clock while staying at home during the nation-wide lockdown period.

    The step has been taken largely to ease out the lives of the non-tech savvy viewers who constitute a considerable size of the subscriber base.

    In addition to this, 10 of Tata Sky’s interactive content services have been made free to encourage the consumers to remain fruitfully engaged, learn and do something new in the safety of their homes during this period of public health scare.

    The emergency credit facility will provide subscribers a balance loan for a specified time period. The credited amount will be debited from the user's account as soon as he re-activates his service without any interest.

    Meanwhile, free access to content will include value-added services for the entire family, targeted towards a variety of age groups. Tata Sky Fun Learn, Smart Manager, Vedic Maths, Cooking, Classroom, Dance Studio, Beauty and Fitness count amongst the most popular services that will be available at a time when it is imperative for people to join the drive to stay at home. The credit facility can be easily accessed by giving a free missed call. The free interactive services can easily be accessed on the set top box or on the Tata Sky Mobile App.

    To spread the word on these initiatives, Tata Sky has created a unique TVC to celebrate the spirit of Stay Home, Stay Jingalala. The creative idea – “Chalo Ghar baithe baithe kuch naya seekhein”- has been conceptualised by Ogilvy India for Tata Sky. The TVC was shot and directed remotely by real people on their phone cameras in seven different cities – Kolkata, Mumbai, Delhi, Gurgaon, Lucknow, Chennai and Jodhpur. Not a single person stepped out of their homes for the production which was executed in a period of just two days.

    Talking about the campaign, Ogilvy India Chief Creative Officer  Sukesh Nayak said, “In times like these, it’s important that brands contribute to help its consumers in their own way. By deciding to free up services, Tata sky is doing their bit to entertain and engage its subscribers while they stay at home.”

  • Tata Sky makes Tata Sky Fitness free for all subscribers

    Tata Sky makes Tata Sky Fitness free for all subscribers

    MUMBAI: While everyone stays indoors for 21 days, health is bound to take a step back. But, to boost people's workout regime, leading DTH operator Tata Sky will provide free access to Tata Sky Fitness – one of the most popular and longest-running services on the platform, to all its subscribers. Minister of state for youth affairs & sports Kiren Rijiju has recognised this initiative that comes at a time when it is imperative for people to join the drive to stay at home during the current countrywide lockdown.

    This initiative will benefit Tata Sky’s entire subscriber base, reaching more than 50 million people, allowing them to keep up their fitness regimen from the safety and comfort of their own homes.

    Tata Sky Fitness, available in English, Hindi & Telugu allows subscribers to get fit with celebrity fitness experts including Yasmin Karachiwala, Kaizzad Capadia, Abbas Ali, Shivoham, Luke Coutinho, Deepika Mehta, etc. at their own leisure. The service offers a daily slot dedicated to women’s fitness, fitness for senior citizens, nutrition advice and celeb fitness secrets along with interactive sessions.

    Tata Sky Fitness is available on #110. It is also available on Live TV and VOD on the Tata Sky Mobile App.