ITV

Tag: DTH

  • MIB suspends interim renewal of licence of Independent TV

    MIB suspends interim renewal of licence of Independent TV

    MUMBAI: The Ministry of Information and Broadcasting (MIB) has temporarily suspended the interim renewal of license of DTH operator Independent TV until it resumes transmission. Indiantelevision.com has learnt from sources close to the development that the renewal would be reconsidered only on the basis of retransmission of channels.

    MIB has also directed the troubled DTH operator in a communication to take immediate steps to settle the grievances faced by consumers within a tight time frame and an external audit as well. It has also restricted the soliciting of new customers until retransmission of channels.

    Independent TV abruptly shut its services more than a month ago creating confusion among consumers. As a result of failure of payment to Antrix Corporation directed by Telecom Disputes Settlement and Appellate Tribunal (TDSAT), the  DTH operator’s service is still unavailable. 

    The DTH operator’s signals were disconnected by Antrix on 12 June due to non-payment of outstanding dues. While Independent TV had filed an application before the tribunal to direct Antrix to resume supply of signals, TDSAT had directed Independent TV to pay up to Rs 12 crore in order to get signals reconnected.

  • Dish TV management on new tariff order, subscriber addition, content cost

    Dish TV management on new tariff order, subscriber addition, content cost

    MUMBAI: The last quarter of financial year 2018-19 was not very smooth for any player in the cable and broadcast industry due to the implementation of the new tariff order (NTO). India’s largest direct-to-home (DTH) operator also saw few bumps on the way but the entire transition process has now settled down. Dish TV India group CEO Anil Dua noted the positive change and also highlighted that the NTO has created level playing field between cable operators and DTH players.

    After last quarter, Dish TV pointed out that consumers were in a state of transition, trying to understand how to create their new packaging. While the company gave them a lot of options to select packages under new regime, those also led to a certain amount of time taken by the customer to settle down with new choices.

    “Consumers are now watching the packs that they want to watch. It's a combination of à la carte channels that they have chosen, the DPO packs that we have provided and, of course, also the broadcaster bouquets, which are part of those packs. So, the customers are taking a combination of various things to their liking, to their choice, to their price point,” Dua said in an earnings call after Dish TV’s quarterly result.

    The implementation of NTO was followed by speculations and several studies whether consumers are paying more than the pre-NTO era. Dua said there are Dish TV customers, a little less than half, who have gone for a price point lower than what it was earlier and a little more than half have gone for a price point which was higher than earlier. He also mentioned that with cricket and election season and other things during the quarter, consumers also added channels.

    Dish TV India chief financial officer Rajeev Dalmia said the consumer level average revenue per user (ARPU) was around Rs 270-275 in the new regime. According to Dalmia, it varies on a month-on-month basis, because things are still not completely settled at the consumer’s end. He also added that the second half of this year would give an idea what is going to be the run rate as far as the consumer ARPU is concerned.

    “If I remove the effects of cricket, we definitely see it (ARPU) going up. But because of cricket, customers come and go, and they add packages, they remove packages. So, the steady state figure will emerge. This is the first quarter with the new accounting, and first time we are talking of a figure like Rs 116. I think we will have to wait and watch. But fundamentally, the way we have planned things and the way we see things during the first quarter, the underlying growth in ARPU should be there,” Dua commented.

    “As far as licence fee is concerned, now that will be on the basis of Rs 926 crore, rather than the earlier regime where it was including the content cost. So, it will go down to the extent of the content cost. To give you an example, like we paid say Rs 2,000 crore last year, so this year license fee will be less by Rs 200 crore,” Dalmia said.

    There has been a delay by Dish TV in terms of making payments to broadcasters like ZEE and Star. Dalmia blamed certain issues in terms of how the billing would be done and how the incentive would be allocated to the company for the delay. He also added that all the outstanding dues would be cleared by the month of September giving a fresh start from 1 October as the things are more or less settled now.

    EBITDA in the earlier regime was Rs 476 crore which is now Rs 536 crore. But the expenses were higher in the first quarter compared to the fourth quarter because of selling commission, service payout, and overall marketing costs as the number of subscribers added were quite high as compared to the fourth quarter.

    “But if I go line-by-line, then we have saved on general administration expenses, we have saved on collection cost, and we have also saved on the personnel cost, because personnel cost used to be Rs 65 crore to Rs 70 crore per quarter, which has gone down to Rs 45 crore. And we further see some Rs 1 crore or Rs 2 crore going forward saving on account of personnel costs. So, overall line-by-line it has gone down. But of course, because the savings and service is linked to the number of new installations, that has gone up in the first quarter,” Dalmia added on expenses.

    Content cost for the first quarter, which was a cricket-heavy one was around Rs 610 crore. On the other hand, the capex was Rs 205 crore for the quarter and for the full year  it will be in range of Rs 650 crore to Rs 675 crore. The company reset the guidance of net subscriber addition for the year which is to the tune of 8 lakh.

  • Airtel Digital TV’s ARPU fell to Rs 157 in Q1 20

    Airtel Digital TV’s ARPU fell to Rs 157 in Q1 20

    MUMBAI: Airtel Digital TV’s average revenue per user (ARPU) fell to Rs 157 per month in the first quarter (Q1) of FY 20 from Rs 233 in the last quarter of FY 19. The ARPU for DTH services of Bharti Airtel also saw a 31.6 per cent decline on a year-on-year basis.

    Revenue from Digital TV services stood at Rs 7,389 million while it was Rs 9,924 million in Q1 FY 19. EBITDA for this segment continued to improve and was Rs 5,263 million as compared to Rs 4,010 million in Q1 of FY 19.

    Airtel Digital TV saw net addition of 634K customers in the quarter. At the end of the first quarter, the DTH arm of Bharti Airtel had 16 million customers with a year-on-year 9.4 per cent growth.

    “Subsequent to the new tariff order (NTO), the service providers are responsible only for re-transmission and are not in a position to control content and pricing. Accordingly, the gross revenue is only to the extent of net value retained i.e. customer payments received net of broadcaster’s fee (erstwhile content charges) w.e.f quarter ended 30 June 2019,” the company noted.

  • IndiaCast Media Distribution issues notice to Independent TV in TDSAT

    IndiaCast Media Distribution issues notice to Independent TV in TDSAT

    MUMBAI: Content distribution network IndiaCast Media Distribution has issued a notice to DTH operator Independent TV in the Telecom Disputes Settlement and Appellate Tribunal (TDSAT). The tribunal has asked for a reply within two weeks.

    The order from TDSAT said if the notices are served, interim prayer may be considered on the next date. The matter has been listed “for directions” on 23 August.

    Independent TV’s signals were disconnected in June because of financial issues with Antrix. However, it is scheduled to be re-launched as ITV 2.0 for channel partners in the first week of August and the signals will be restored for customers from 15 August.

  • Dish TV pays Star India Rs 55 crore in line with TDSAT order

    Dish TV pays Star India Rs 55 crore in line with TDSAT order

    MUMBAI: Leading direct-to-home (DTH) operator Dish TV paid Star India Rs 55 crore adhering to the Telecom Disputes Settlement and Appellate Tribunal’s (TDSAT) order dated 23 July. The tribunal, in its 29 July order, also noted that Star India has admitted and acknowledged the payment.

    TDSAT had earlier directed Dish TV to pay Rs 55 crore to the broadcaster by 27 July in order to avoid disconnection of signals. Star India issued a disconnection notice against Dish TV on 3 July and also filed a recovery petition in the TDSAT.

    "We had clearly indicated in the last order that further protection to be given to the petitioner against the notice of disconnection will depend upon its commitment to take care of the current outstanding dues of every succeeding month," TDSAT said in its latest order.

    Learned senior counsel for Dish TV also submitted that the company is ready to undertake payment of current invoices as per the agreement. It has also been recorded that the invoices for the month of June has already been raised and is payable by 10 August.

    “Petitioner should pay against that invoices within time. In a similar fashion, the current dues of every succeeding month shall be paid by the petitioner by the due date if it wants to have the interim protection during the pendency of this petition,” the order read.

    While Dish TV wanted to clear the remaining dues of Rs 195 crore in not two but minimum five instalments of Rs 40 crore each, Star India strongly protested against this offer. TDSAT is also of the view that admitted dues should not remain unpaid for such a long time because it is likely to affect the business of the respondent. The tribunal expects the petitioner to clear the outstanding arrears as noted above in approximately equal instalments by the end of this October.

    “By the next date petitioner must show its bonafide by paying Rs 65 crore by end of August towards the liquidation of said arrears.  This is in addition to the payment for the current dues. If the petitioner fulfils this condition and makes the payment within time, the impugned notice shall not be given effect to till the next date,” the order stated. 

    TDSAT posted the matter under the same head to 4 October.

  • Tata Sky aims to increase awareness in South India with ‘Jinga Jinga Jingalala’ campaign

    Tata Sky aims to increase awareness in South India with ‘Jinga Jinga Jingalala’ campaign

    MUMBAI: Tata Sky, India’s leading content distribution platform launched its latest campaign in Kannada, Tamil, Telugu, and Malayalam languages to communicate its advantages/superiority over cable in the market.

    The campaign titled, ‘Jinga Jinga Jingalala’ focuses on how easy and convenient it is to choose Tata Sky to fit an individual’s budget and content needs. With this campaign, Tata Sky attempts to bust the myth of being expensive by introducing tailor-made packs starting at a price as low as Rs 199/ per month, with an eye to increase and consolidate acquisitions in the South.

    Through the campaign, Tata Sky urges customers to make that all-important and long impending move from cable to DTH. Providing the best & maximum regional services at an affordable cost, the campaign highlights the brand’s efforts to strengthen its reach in Southern markets.

    Tata Sky chief communications officer Anurag Kumar said, “So far, people here believed that DTH is an expensive choice & deprived themselves of the quality and innovative services. The recent TRAI channel pricing regime has provided parity in price giving us an opportunity to provide subscribers with quality entertainment using easy and simple steps at an affordable price. Therefore, via this campaign we are not only breaking the myth on pricing, we are also urging people to Not compromise on the ease and advantages that Tata Sky brings to life.”

    He further said, “Tamil Nadu/ Karnataka / Kerela/ Andhra Pradesh & Telangana has a huge TV viewing audience that have not yet moved to digital platforms. The scope & potential to increase our reach in these markets is immense and we hope to educate them with this campaign.”

    Speaking on the new campaign, Ogilvy & Mather chief creative officer Sukesh Nayak said, “The campaign idea originated from an observation about our childhood. Right from our childhood days we always had a healthy fear of our father, especially when we were doing something that was out of line. Using this observation, we establish the fact that buying Tata Sky is not out of line and the father will approve of it."

    With an objective to connect with viewers and address all relevant concerns, this is a 360-degree campaign that will be communicated using high reach and high impact mediums across ATL, BTL, and digital. Tata Sky has found a way to make life Jinga Jinga Jingalala this time!  

  • TRAI floats consultation paper on KYC of DTH set top boxes

    TRAI floats consultation paper on KYC of DTH set top boxes

    MUMBAI: The Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) issued a consultation paper on 'KYC of DTH Set Top Boxes’ in order to finalise a suitable mechanism for the same. The comments of various organisations, industry bodies, DTH operators, standardisation bodies, STB manufacturers, software providers, stakeholders, experts and individuals have been invited by 19 August 2019.

    The authority received a reference from the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting (MIB) in 2018 wherein TRAI had been requested to give its considered recommendations on desirability or otherwise of KYC for set top boxes in DTH services and, if desirable, a process for the same.

    Later, MIB provided information in another letter to TRAI regarding the safeguards that can be applied for restricting smuggling of DTH equipment illegally to other countries.

    “Filling of KYC form and verification of AadhaarcCard may be mandatory for any customer purchasing DTH equipment. In order to check the location in accordance with customer ID /Card ID, location-based services need to be made active in DTH set-top-boxes,” the letter read.

    One of the suggestions also included that MIB and TRAI may prepare KYC verification process to ensure that STB used by Indian DTH operators are only working in India.

    DTH broadcasting service was opened in the country in 2001 and the government issued the 'Guidelines for obtaining license for providing direct-to-home (DTH) broadcasting service in the same year. These guidelines prescribe the eligibility criteria, the procedure for obtaining the licence to set up and operate DTH services in the country.

  • Tata Sky revises pricing of broadband plans

    Tata Sky revises pricing of broadband plans

    MUMBAI: Direct-to-home operator Tata Sky has revised the pricing of its newly rolled out broadband plans. While the data plans were announced last August, latest plans come with more data on offer at lower prices.

    Tata Sky’s broadband service is initially available in 12 to 13 cities and high-speed data plans vary in the range of Rs 590 and going up to Rs 1,599 for one month. However, new plans are available in selected cities like Ahmedabad and Surat. In some cities like Delhi, the most affordable plan will cost a consumer Rs 999.

    Tata Sky has entered the market at a time when Reliance Jio is investing highly in less penetrated broadband sector. Moreover, there are other competetitors like Airtel, ACT Fibernet and Excitel  in the market.

  • No complaints of DTH companies defying new tariff order received by TRAI: MIB

    No complaints of DTH companies defying new tariff order received by TRAI: MIB

    MUMBAI: Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) has not received any complaints against direct-to-home (DTH) companies not sticking to its new tariff order, the Information and Broadcasting Ministry told the Lok Sabha last week.

    “No incidence indicating that the DTH operators are not adhering to the TRAI’s norms with regards to pricing of channels has come to the notice of TRAI.

    “As per the new regulatory framework, every broadcaster is required to offer all its channels on a-la-carte basis and declare maximum retail price per month payable by a subscriber,” said Union I&B Minister Prakash Javadekar in response to a written question.

    The new tariff order had original come into force on 29 December 2018. TRAI then gave multiple extensions to stakeholders to fully implement the new rules for the broadcast and cable services sector.

    “However, keeping in view the consumer convenience and to provide sufficient time to consumers to exercise the options for the new tariff packs, TRAI provided time until March 31, 2019, to consumers for conveying their informed choices to service providers,” he further added.

  • Tata Sky reveals NCF of Rs 153 for secondary STB connection

    Tata Sky reveals NCF of Rs 153 for secondary STB connection

    MUMBAI: Days after removing the multi-system policy on a secondary TV connection, DTH operator Tata Sky has announced new changes. The secondary set top boxes for TV connections will now be priced with an NCF of Rs 153.

    In comparison, other operators aren’t charging more than Rs 80. With this, customers will be able to choose new channels on the secondary set top box (STB). Till now, Tata Sky was in violation of TRAI’s policy because additional STBs were showing the same channels that were chosen on the main STB.

    On the other hand, single connection users have it cheaper now with the rollout of Tata Sky Room TV which allows people to pick out single channels.

    Recently, Tata Sky reduced the price of its STBs. The new prices of SD and SD STBs were Rs 1399 and Rs 1499 respectively. The earlier rates were Rs 1600 and Rs 1800. This was done at the same time as other players also dropping their rates.