ITV

Tag: IAMAI

  • OTT industry working on compliance with new IT rules

    Kolkata: For the last few months, the new regulations introduced for over-the-top platforms at the beginning of this year, has been the talk of the town. As the new rules introduced by the government came into effect on 26 May, the industry is working towards complying with all the rules. However, both the self-regulatory bodies, the newly formed digital segment under Indian Broadcasting Foundation (IBF), Internet and Mobile Association of India (IAMAI ) have asked for additional time, as per industry sources.

    On 27 May, the digital media division of the ministry of information and broadcasting (MIB) wrote to the OTT and digital media publishers to furnish all their details and compliance status under Rule 18 of the Information Technology (Intermediary Guidelines and Digital Media Ethics Codes) Rules, 2021 within 15 days.

    Soon thereafter, IDBF announced the appointment of Justice (retd.) Vikramjit Sen as chairman, along with six other media and entertainment industry members for its newly formed Digital Media Content Regulatory Council (DMCRC). IAMAI followed suit and announced its self-regulatory body for streaming content companies like Netflix and Amazon Prime Video. The Digital Publisher Content Grievances Council’s (DPCGC) Grievance Redressal Board (GRB) will be chaired by former Supreme Court judge Arjan Kumar Sikri, it announced.

    The withdrawal of broadcaster-led OTTs such as Disney+Hotstar, Zee5, SonyLIV from IAMAI has created two lobbies in the industry. International tech and media giants like Netflix, Amazon have stayed with IAMAI, along with tech giant Apple who also joined the body recently. Several independent bodies have also decided to remain under IAMAI.

    According to a senior official with a leading OTT, both are in touch with MIB and have asked for additional time. While the ministry may grant some extension, it seems it is not very happy with the fact that “people have been toying around deadlines”, the official added.

    “IBF has to work on the registration, including a new name, trademark for its new body, and IAMAI has to work on the formation of its second-tier mechanism. IBF has assured that it would come up with rigid guidelines exactly based on the code of ethics”, he added.

    Indiantelevision.com surfed through websites of leading platforms like MX Player, Zee5, SonyLIV, Disney+Hotstar, and found details of the grievance redressal officers identified by the respective platforms. Moreover, most of the leading platforms have already classified age-rating on their shows, some of the platforms have even rated the overall show, still others have rated each episode wise.

    According to a Hindustan Times report over 800 OTT platforms including video streaming services such as Netflix and Hotstar, and digital news media outfits, have shared details under the new IT rules. Most of the top OTT players have shared the details including Netflix, Amazon, Jio, the report said, quoting an unnamed MIB official.

    The new rules apply to digital news publishers as well. While traditional media companies with digital footprints asked for an exemption. But MIB clarified that it would not grant any relief because making an exception of the nature proposed “will be discriminatory to the digital news publishers who do not have a traditional TV/print platform.”

    The News Broadcasters Federation has stated on Friday that all its current members have duly complied with the requirements of the new rules by providing required information of their entities. However, the new rules have been challenged in court by a few digital news media outfits including LiveLaw and The Wire.

  • Justice Sikri to chair grievance redressal board for digital publishers under IAMAI

    KOLKATA: The Internet and Mobile Association of India (IAMAI) announced on Thursday that former Supreme Court Justice Arjan Kumar Sikri will chair the Grievance Redressal Board (GRB), formed as a part of the Digital Publisher Content Grievances Council (DPCGC). 

    The GRB will address content grievances about any of the DPCGC member’s video streaming services. It will function as an independent body and act as the second-tier within the three-tier grievance redressal mechanism as envisioned by the Information Technology (Intermediary Guidelines and Digital Media Ethics Code) Rules, 2021. Under Justice Sikri’s leadership, the GRB will aim to provide independent adjudication on content grievances escalated to it.

    The members of the GRB include prominent personalities from the media and entertainment industry, online curated content providers, experts from various fields including child rights, women rights, and media laws. The Grievance Redressal Board includes National award-winning actress Suhasini Maniratnam; Madhu Bhojwani, Indian film Producer and partner at Emmay Entertainment and Motion Pictures; Gopal Jain, senior Advocate, Supreme Court of India; and Dr. Ranjana Kumari, eminent Civil Society representative who currently serves as the director of the Centre for Social Research and as the chairperson of Women Power Connect. The two members from the Online Curated Content Providers are Amit Grover, senior corporate counsel, Amazon India, and Priyanka Chaudhari, director-legal, Netflix India.

    IAMAI had recently announced the formation of the Digital Publisher Content Grievances Council as an independent self-regulatory organization to provide a grievance redressal platform for Online Curated Content consumers. The DPCGC will empower consumers to make informed viewing choices and promote creative excellence, which are keys to the long-term success of the Indian entertainment industry.

    The appointment of GRB members is a crucial step towards setting up an independent grievance redressal mechanism in alignment with IT Rules 2021, it said on Thursday. The GRB will oversee and ensure the alignment and adherence to the Code of Ethics by the DPCG Council members, provide guidance to member entities on the Code of Ethics, and address grievances that have not been resolved by the publisher within the stipulated period.

    The DPCGC currently has 14 publishers of online curated content as members, which include Amazon Prime Video, Alt Balaji, Apple, BookMyShow Stream, Eros Now, Firework TV, Hoichoi, Hungama, Lionsgate Play, MX Player, Netflix, Reeldrama, Shemaroo, and Ullu.

    Tags: IAMAI, Netflix, Amazon India, OTT, Streaming Service, New IT rules, Justice Sikri.

  • IAMAI announces formation of Digital Publisher Content Grievances Council

    IAMAI announces formation of Digital Publisher Content Grievances Council

    KOLKATA: The Internet and Mobile Association of India (IAMAI) on Friday announced the formation of the Digital Publishers Content Grievances Council (DPCGC) as part of the self-regulatory and grievance redressal framework for Online Curated Content [OCC] Publishers.

    The Council is being set up in light of the recent Information Technology (Intermediary Guidelines and Digital Media Ethics Code) Rules, 2021 with the intent to empower consumers to make informed viewing choices, it said on Friday.

    It will have an OCCP Council consisting of publishers of OCC as members and an independent Grievance Redressal Board [GRB] — consisting of a chairperson and six members. The GRB will be chaired by a retired Supreme Court/high court judge. The members will comprise eminent persons from the media and entertainment industry, experts from various fields, including child rights, minority rights, and media law.

    The GRB will oversee and ensure the alignment and adherence to the Code of Ethics by the OCCP Council members, provide guidance to entities on the Code of Ethics, address grievances that have not been resolved by the publisher within 15 days and hear grievances/appeals filed by the complainants.

    IAMAI President Subho Ray said: “IAMAI and members of the DPCGC are deeply committed to protecting consumer rights and empowering consumers with the right tools to make informed decisions, as well as have their grievances addressed. The formation of this body is an important step towards consumer choice, as more and more people are viewing content online.”

    IAMAI has also notified the ministry of information and broadcasting (MIB) that they are in the process of forming the DPCGC and has also shared a list of publishers who were confirmed to be members of the Council. So far, it has received confirmation from 10 publishers, including 1.) Alt Balaji 2.) Amazon Prime Video 3.) Arha Media 4.) Firework 5.) Hoichoi 6.) Hungama 7.) Lionsgate Play 8.) MX Player 9.) Netflix and 10) Shemaroo and is awaiting confirmation from several other such digital publishers.

    “The creation of Digital Publishers Content Grievances Council (DPCGC) is a significant step in ensuring that publishers of OCC are compliant with IT rules 2021. The Digital Publishers Content Grievances Council will serve as a transparent and open channel to effectively address consumer grievances. As part of the process to be compliant, this newly formed body is an important step towards consumer empowerment and choice,” IAMAI stated.

  • Online content and news finally comes under MIB’s jurisdiction

    Online content and news finally comes under MIB’s jurisdiction

    KOLKATA: The meteoric rise of digital media has put high focus on how online content will be regulated. Until now there were no particular guidelines to regulate the exhibition of online content, even though talks have been going on for a long time. Now, the government has brought online news platforms and content providers under the ambit of the ministry of information & broadcasting (MIB).

    The latest gazette notification issued by the Prakash Javadekar-headed ministry stated that films and audio-visual programmes made available by online content providers, as well as news and current affairs content on online platforms will come under MIB’s purview.

    Earlier this year, MIB secretary Amit Khare said at FICCI e-Frames that the ministry is proposing to take over jurisdiction on online content regulation from the ministry of electronics & information technology.

    “OTT being a digital platform will fall under the purview of the ministry of IT. We are proposing a decision that content should fall under purview of I&B. Convergence of ministries is extremely necessary,” Khare had remarked.

    Amid intense pressure from the government, Internet and Mobile Association of India( IAMAI) also tried to push a self-regulatory model for online content curators. About 15 OTT players operating in the country came together to sign a code, but this was later disapproved by MIB. The ministry asked IAMAI to look at other models.

  • MIB expresses dissatisfaction with IAMAI’s self-regulatory model for OTT platforms

    MIB expresses dissatisfaction with IAMAI’s self-regulatory model for OTT platforms

    KOLKATA: While all the major OTT players have agreed to come under the ambit of Internet and Mobile Association of India (IAMAI)’s self-regulation guidelines recently, the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting (MIB) has expressed its dissatisfaction with the model.

    Earlier this month, IAMAI unveiled the ‘Universal Self-Regulation Code’ for Online Curated Content Providers (OCCPs) in India. The first set of signatories included Zee5, Viacom 18, Disney+Hotstar, Amazon Prime Video, Netflix, MX Player, Jio Cinema, Eros Now, Alt Balaji, Arre, HoiChoi, Hungama, Shemaroo, Discovery Plus, Flickstree. Later, Lionsgate play and SonyLIV also came on board. 

    According to media reports, IAMAI has been informed of the disapproval of MIB in a letter from the ministry. MIB has asked the organisation to look at other self-regulatory models. Previously, IAMAI had written to the ministry for its guidance and support in implementing the self-regulatory code. 

    “The proposed self-regulatory mechanism lacks independent third-party monitoring, does not have a well-defined Code of Ethics, does not clearly enunciate prohibited content, and at the second and third-tier level there is an issue of conflict of interest,” the ministry stated in the letter.

    MIB has also observed that the model does not classify prohibited content.  Moreover, the second tier advisory panel is constituted by OCCP itself rather than having an independent oraginsation.    

    IAMAI has also been advised to look at the structures of the Broadcasting Content Complaints Council (BCCC) and News Broadcasting Standards Authority (NBSA) as guiding principles.

  • SonyLIV and Lionsgate sign IAMAI’s self regulation code

    SonyLIV and Lionsgate sign IAMAI’s self regulation code

    KOLKATA: The Internet and Mobile Association of India (IAMAI) today announced SonyLIV and Lionsgate as the latest leading online curated content providers in India to sign the Universal Self-Regulation Code.

    The code has already garnered wide support from the industry and has onboarded 15 of the leading Online Curated Content Providers in India like ZEE5, Viacom 18, Disney Hotstar, Amazon Prime Video, Netflix, MX Player, Jio Cinema, Eros Now, Alt Balaji, Arre, HoiChoi, Hungama, Shemaroo, Discovery Plus, Flickstree.

    Read more coverage on self-regulation code 

    IAMAI digital entertainment committee chairman Tarun Katial said, “I am overwhelmed with the support received on the code and delighted to welcome SonyLIV and Lionsgate as the 16 and 17 leading OCC providers in India to sign the ‘Universal Self-Regulation Code’. We already have India’s leading OTT providers as the signatories and expect more players to join the initiative in the coming weeks.”

    Sony Pictures Networks India general counsel Ashok Nambissan said, “We are delighted to join the league of signatories of the Universal Self-Regulation Code. We look to working closely with the IAMAI and other OTT players to get broader acceptance for the Code as well as the Government’s support for the industry’s efforts at self-regulation.”

    Read more coverage on IAMAI

    The Code is effective from 15 August 2020 and allows OCCPs to comply with all the guidelines in a timebound manner. Each signatory to the code has agreed to appoint an external advisor as part of the grievance redressal mechanism within 60 days from the launch of the code i.e. 4 September 2020.

  • Leading OTT players agree to universal self-regulation code

    Leading OTT players agree to universal self-regulation code

    KOLKATA: The Internet and Mobile Association of India (IAMAI) has unveiled the Universal Self-Regulation Code for OCCPs (“Code”). The code has been adopted by 15 leading Online Curated Content Providers in India. The present set of signatories include Zee5, Viacom 18, Disney+Hotstar, Amazon Prime Video, Netflix, MX Player, Jio Cinema, Eros Now, Alt Balaji, Arre, HoiChoi, Hungama, Shemaroo, Discovery Plus, Flickstree.

    The goal of this industry-wide effort is to empower consumers with information and tools to assist them in making informed choice with regard to viewing decisions for them and their families, while at the same time, nurturing creativity and providing creators the freedom to tell the finest stories. By aiming to do what is best for both consumers and creators as guiding principles, the Code intends for India to be one of the most dynamic and fastest-growing entertainment industries in the world.

    To give consumers more choice and control, the Universal Self-Regulation Code includes a framework for age classification and content descriptions for titles as well as access control tools. The code also introduces a clear, transparent and structured grievance redressal and escalation mechanism for reporting non-compliance with the prescribed guidelines. As a part of this mechanism, each OCCP will set-up a consumer complaint department and/or an internal committee as well as advisory panel which will deal with complaints, appeals and escalations. The advisory panel will constitute a minimum of three members, including an independent external advisor and two senior executives of the respective OCCP. 

    IAMAI digital entertainment committee chairman Tarun Katial said, “The Universal Self-Regulation Code for OCCPs is built around a shared belief that consumer empowerment and creative excellence are key to the long-term success of the Indian entertainment industry. With the framework for age classification, content descriptions and parental controls in combination with a grievance redressal system, we’ve made it easier for consumers to make the right viewing decisions for themselves and their families.” 

    “The combination of empowering consumers and enabling creative excellence will help Online Curated Content Providers be at the forefront of taking the best stories from India to the world and bringing the finest stories from around the world to Indian consumers. Most of the major streaming services have adopted the Code and we look forward to others joining.” he added.

    The code is effective from 15 August and allows OCCPs to comply with all the guidelines in a timebound manner. Each signatory to the code has agreed to appoint an external advisor as part of the grievance redressal mechanism within 60 days from today.

  • Facebook’s Ajit Mohan & the new world order

    Facebook’s Ajit Mohan & the new world order

    KOLKATA: The SARS Cov2 virus has drastically changed consumer behaviour. Facebook India vice-president & managing director, Ajit Mohan believes that digital influence is not just limited to online buying but offline too.

    Speaking at IAMAI's Marketing Conclave, Mohan said that digitally influenced purchases have gone up by 15-20 per cent for some of the largest consumer goods categories in India such as apparel, mobile phones, packaged consumer goods that traditionally had offline chains. Citing a study by Nielsen, he said that before the pandemic, digital marketing was one of the most effective ways to drive offline sales for Mondelez’s chocolates in kirana stores.

    “The Covid2019 pandemic has crunched a few years of consumer behaviour change into a few months and weeks. Adtech is one sector that has grown during the pandemic,” he added. 

    As the festive season nears, Mohan predicted that a huge chunk of purchases is likely to happen online. According to him, video and virtual experiences are going to be at the heart of festive buying this year.

    He also shared that voice and video calls across all Facebook apps have doubled while live from Facebook page in India has grown three times in June year-on-year. These consumer trends have led to the launch of products like Reels on Instagram and Room on Facebook.

    Speaking about the economic impact, Mohan highlighted that the pandemic is just not a public health emergency but also an economic crisis, which has particularly impacted small businesses across the country. Most of them have shut shop, some are working with reduced workforces, while others are experiencing lower sales.

    Mohan said that he believes Facebook has an important role to play in the recovery of small businesses and the economy. And a lot of its energy is focused on how it works not just with MSMEs but with the entire ecosystem that helps in rejuvenating the economy

    “It’s very clear that the fundamental behaviour of consumers is in a transition mode. And as marketers, I genuinely believe it will be a mistake on our part to look over the next few months in India as growth returns aggressively. It will also be incorrect to replicate marketing models and playbooks that are no longer relevant. The only way forward is to look at models relevant to the world that is coming out of the crisis,” he concluded. 

    (It maybe recalled that earlier this year, Facebook invested $5.9 billion for a 9.9 per cent stake in Reliance Jio Platforms. It had announced that it planned to work with the company to empower 60 million small businesses, including mom-and-pop stores in India. A little later JioMart, a joint venture between Reliance Jio Platforms and Reliance Retail (India’s largest retail chain), started to allow customers to track shipments through WhatsApp.)

  • Media must do self-regulation to tackle fake news: I&B minister Prakash Javadekar

    Media must do self-regulation to tackle fake news: I&B minister Prakash Javadekar

    KOLKATA: Fake news has become a huge issue in the age of social media. While the mass easily falls prey to it, Information and Broadcasting minister Prakash Javadekar called for self-regulation while publishing digital content to curb the menace.

    Addressing the delegates at the 16th Marketing Conclave organised by the Internet and Mobile Association of India (IAMAI), he said that fake news is a deadly virus, and emphasised on the importance of self-regulation.

    Terming fake news as more dangerous than paid news, the minister said that the government has taken an initiative to curb fake news by setting up a fact check team which checks and verifies information being floated in the digital medium.

    "We are definitely taking note of fake news and therefore we started one attempt in 2019 October, PIB Fact Check Unit. We have established PIB Fact Check units in all the states," Javadekar said.

    Seeking greater accountability from social media platforms, he said misinformation weakens the functioning of a democracy and there should be a calibrated approach to thwart the spread of lies and misinformation. With all villages in India set to be connected through Bharatnet, there is a greater need to educate the masses about the detection of fake news.

    Speaking about the importance of the digital medium, the minister said, “We must understand the pace with which it is growing and with the increasing number of smartphones users, digital content and advertising has become very important because of its reach and speed. Even the government has started to leverage the medium and using it to advertise.”

  • IAMAI to promote new-age Indian brands

    IAMAI to promote new-age Indian brands

    NEW DELHI:  In a bid to promote new age Indian brands across segments such as food, consumer durables, electronics, fashion, FMCG, etc., IAMAI has set up a founders’ community of direct to consumer Indian brands. The unifying features of these brands are that they are digital-first, innovative, competitive, and manufacture or produce in India.

    At present there are at least 100 odd such brands in the market and more are emerging every day. These brands are innovative since they cater to a younger and often first-time shopper catering to a niche demand. They are competitive as they have to compete for mindshare and shelf space with large incumbents with deep pockets. They are digital-first catering to the internet using socio-economic segments and taking advantage of the digital infrastructure that has been created in India. Finally, they invariably manufacture or produce goods in India.

    The industry at present running with the “founders’ fuel” needs a collective identity to help it charter through complicated government policies and regulations; buy-in from stakeholders such as e-commerce platforms, logistics and payments industry; and also earn lasting customer trust. IAMAI is best suited to execute this three-pronged strategy.

    With the help of 35 such brands, it is a small beginning of organising this potentially powerful business segment by formalising a committee. The committee is chaired by Aman Gupta, co-founder and CMO of boAt audio and co-chaired by Manish Chowdhary, co-founder of WOW Skin Science. boAt audio and WOW, Skin Science are multi-million-dollar brands and have established themselves as category leaders by championing the internet-driven business model.

    “To ensure a brand continues to do well, it is almost imperative for businesses to enhance their direct to customer (D2C) channel. The model enables a brand to listen to the unfiltered voice of their customer and is a natural progression from shifting the online shoppers to buy from the brand's website and own the experience, data, and lifetime value of the customer. The committee will bring the ecosystem together, indulge in knowledge creation, and put forth the best practices in a mission to build internet-driven iconic brands” said chairman of the IAMAI D2C committee  Aman Gupta.  

    Co-chairman, Manish Chowdhary said that the committee will jointly look towards building the consumers’ trust by engaging in better customer communication and other similar initiatives by D2C entities.