ITV

Tag: I&B ministry

  • Implementation of first two phases of cable TV digitisation has taught valuable lessons: Tewari

    Implementation of first two phases of cable TV digitisation has taught valuable lessons: Tewari

    NEW DELHI: Information and Broadcasting Minister Manish Tewari has said the first two phases of digitisation of cable television provided a learning experience as far as implementation of the process was concerned.

     

    Speaking at the 8th Indian Magazine Congress in the capital on the theme “Winning through Innovation”, he said these lessons would be incorporated while implementing the remaining two phases. The Minister reiterated that Digitisation was bound to be a game changer for the sector and would define contours of orderly growth.

     

    While providing qualitative choices to the consumer, digitisation would also ensure that the subscription revenues and skewed business models are rectified. The Government has already decided to merge phases III and IV and complete the entire process by December this year.

     

    While the first phase of digitisation covering the four metros had come into effect from November 2012 (though it was stayed in Chennai following a court order and was implemented marginally in Kolkata after initial reluctance), the second phase covering 39 cities was implemented by 31 March 2013.

     

    The Government is still considering the proposal to merge Phase III covering all urban areas (Municipal Corporations/Municipalities) and Phase IV covering rest of India to 31 December 2014. The present dates for these two phases are 30 September 2014 and 31 December 2014 respectively.

     

    Ministry sources told indiantelevision.com that if the government achieves its target, it will overtake countries like the United States and the United Kingdom which set long deadlines.

  • I&B Ministry makes senior-level transfers of Indian Information Service Officers in media units

    I&B Ministry makes senior-level transfers of Indian Information Service Officers in media units

    NEW DELHI: As part of several senior-level transfers in the media units of the Information and Broadcasting Ministry (I&B Ministry), Indian Information Service officer of the 1993 batch R C Joshi has been transferred as Director in the Directorate of Advertising and Visual Publicity.

     

    Joshi replaces Y K Baweja who is being moved to take his position as director (Media and Communications) in the Press Information Bureau (PIB).

     

    Chitra Gupta, who is currently assistant director (Media and Communications) at PIB in Guwahati, will join as assistant director in DAVP in Kolkata. Additionally, she will also hold charge of Doordarshan Kendra in Kolkata.

     

    S Mathias, who is presently additional director general (news) in the News Services Division of All India Radio, will also work on ‘loan basis’ for Doordarshan News till further orders.

     

     M S Rajnikanth, who is currently deputy director (News) in Doordarshan News in Delhi is being moved to Bangalore as director (M & C) in PIB.

     

    A K Srivastava, on repatriation from the deputation post as comptroller and auditor general will move as deputy director in the Indian Institute of Mass Communications as assistant professor.

     

    Pragya Paliwal Gaur, director under order of posting after her services were surrendered by the Health Ministry, will move as Director (M&C) in PIB.

     

    Vijay Kumar, who is presently director (M&C) in PIB Patna, is moving as director in the Publications Division in Delhi.

     

    H Rehman and K K Pant, both deputy director (M&C) in PIB, Delhi, are being moved as deputy director DPR (Defence) and deputy director (News) in DD News in Delhi respectively.  

     

    Pravin Kavi, assistant director (News) in All India Radio in Lucknow is to take Rehman’s place in PIB.

     

    N C Juyal, assistant director (News) in DD News, will be the assistant director (M&C) in PIB.

  • TRAI says 44% of DTH subscribers inactive

    TRAI says 44% of DTH subscribers inactive

    MUMBAI: Direct-to-home television service providers appear to be having a tough time retaining their subscribers. A large portion of their registered subscribers are inactive.

     

    Of the total registered subscriber base of 60.71 million of the six DTH companies as on 30 September, 2013, the number of active subscribers was just 34.26 million (or 56 per cent), according to the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India’s quarterly report titled ‘The Indian Telecom Services Performance Indicators’.

     

    The DTH subscriber base as on 30 September 2013 was three per cent more than a quarter ago.

     

    The report said the number of internet subscribers (excluding internet access by mobile devices) has increased 1.38 per cent  from 21.89 million at the end of June 2013 to 22.19 million at the end of September 2013.

     

    The number of broadband subscribers has also risen. The figure went up from 15.20 million in June to 15.35 million in September, thus registering a quarterly growth of 0.99 per cent and year-on-year (y-o-y) growth of 4.52 per cent. That apart, the number of narrowband subscribers (except internet access by mobile devices) increased from 6.69 million to 6.84 million, registering a quarterly growth of 2.25 per cent from a quarter ago.

     

    The report also mentions that the number of private satellite TV channels as permitted by the Information and Broadcasting Ministry is 784, of which 187 are pay channels. The maximum number of TV channels (Pay, FTA and Local) being carried by any of the reported Multi System Operators (MSOs) is 218 whereas in the conventional analogue form, maximum number of channels being carried by any of the reported MSOs is 100 channels.

     

    As per the report, the number of telephone subscribers has decreased from 903.09 million at the end of June 2013 to 899.86 million at the end of September 2013, thus registering a negative growth of 0.36 per cent over the previous quarter. “This reflects y-o-y negative growth of 4.03 per cent over the same quarter last year,” states the TRAI report.

     

    The report also highlights a net decline of 2.78 million telephone subscribers during the quarter. “The total wireless (GSM + CDMA) subscriber base has decreased from 873.36 million to 870.58 million, registering a negative growth rate of 0.32 per cent over the previous quarter. The y-o-y negative growth rate of wireless subscribers for September is 3.97 per cent,” says the report.

     

     The number of subscribers who accessed internet using a mobile device is 188.20 million during the quarter ending September 2013.

  • 10 Indian films in Berlinale, Bimal Julka meets stakeholders to promote India as film destination

    10 Indian films in Berlinale, Bimal Julka meets stakeholders to promote India as film destination

    NEW DELHI: The Information and Broadcasting (I&B) Ministry is to enter into negotiations with countries for promoting the platform of Co-production Audio Visual Agreements in an effort to ensure that India emerges as a viable Filming Destination.

     

    While a number of agreements had been signed, the broad framework of outlining such agreements had been shared with a number of countries, I&B Secretary Bimal Julka said in his deliberations with key stakeholders representing different film platforms at the Berlin Film Festival. 

     

    In his interaction with various film bodies and makers, Julka gave an overview of the Single Window Clearance mechanism drawn up in view of constraints faced by agencies for obtaining permission for film shooting in India. Julka said this platform had been created with the objective to establish a single window for film makers seeking permission for filming of feature films, short films and TV programmes. A Standard Operating Procedure had been put in place to facilitate the process and discussions were on to establish a dedicated web portal for this mechanism. 

     

    Julka said India’s co-production agreements were unique as they offered multiple benefits to foreign film producers. Any agreement to this effect enabled foreign producers to harness the strengths of India’s film prowess namely its technically qualified manpower, pool of talented actors and a multitude of shooting locations.

     

    Co-production agreements also enabled the films to be treated as National Films and thereby be eligible for National Film Awards and the Indian Panorama Section of the International Film Festival of India. The release of such films through Indian distribution network enabled coproduction to open up to Indian consumer market to the foreign producers. The Indian films industry also benefited by the profiling of shooting locations, generation of direct employment and encouragement to film tourism. 

     

    On the objective of participation and showcasing the industry at the India pavilion, Julka said it was to promote Indian films across linguistic cultural and regional diversity so as to forge an increasing number of international partnerships in the realms of distribution, production, filming in India, script development and technology, thereby accelerating the growth of film sector in India. Several networking sessions keeping in mind the future roadmap of the film industry had been planned. These included coproduction, single window clearance for filming in India, animation, gaming and visual effects, role of film schools in development of cinema and documentary movement in India. 

     

    Regarding the India Film Guide released during the Festival, he said the publication was an effort to brand the identity of the Indian film industry and commemorate the celebration of 100 years of Indian Cinema. It provided an opportunity for various stakeholders to understand the nuances of the Indian film industry and international players at the European film market. This publication was an effort to reiterate the role of the Ministry as a facilitator keeping in mind the liberal policies in the media and entertainment industry. The publication also outlined the key policy initiatives and processes under the ambit of the film sector. 

     

    Ten Indian films will be screened in the 64th Berlin International Film Festival. Indian films screened officially at Berlinale include Imtiaz Ali`s Highway (Panorama), Jayan Cherian`s Papilio Buddha (Panorama), Pushpenra Singh`s Lajwanti (Forum), Jessica Sadana and Samarth Dixit`s Prabhat Pheri (Forum), Avinash Arun`s Killa (Generation), Gaurav Saxena`s Rangrez (Native), and two films Mount Song, Blood Earth (Forum Expanded) among others. The iconic Satyajit Ray`s Nayak (Berlinale Classics) and Mani Kaul`s Ghasiram Kotwal (Forum) will be screened at Berlin in restored prints. In addition, Overdose is in the Co-Production Market and three people in the Berlinale Talent section. 

  • Arasu has a provisional MSO licence to operate: Manish Tewari

    Arasu has a provisional MSO licence to operate: Manish Tewari

    NEW DELHI: The Tamil Nadu Arasu Cable TV Corporation, a multi-system operator (MSO) run by the TN government – has been claiming that the government has not given it an operational licence, thereby restricting it from transmitting digital signals to its subscribers. The MSO even filed a case in the Madras High Court in December, 2013 and got a stay over Telecom Regulatory Authority of India’s (TRAI) earlier order which stated that MSOs transmitting analogue signals in Chennai would be prosecuted.

     

    While the case is yet to get its second date of hearing, the Information and Broadcasting (I&B) minister Manish Tewari, in a response to a question in the Parliament, said that on 26 November, 2007 Arasu had applied for grant of MSO registration in conditional access system (CAS) notified area of Chennai. The Ministry had granted provisional permission on 2 April, 2008. It was on the condition that after TRAI recommendations are considered, the Ministry will decide whether state governments/PSUs and other entities can enter into broadcasting activities including MSO/Cable operations.

     

    Along with Arasu, four other MSOs in Chennai were also given CAS licences in 2006 including IMCL, Hathway Cable and Datacom, Kal Cable and JAK communications.

     

    In response to a question about licences given to private players in other southern states, Tewari said that CAS was implemented in the notified areas of Delhi, Mumbai and Kolkata on 31.12.2006; while in Chennai, it was implemented since 2003 under notifications of 14 January, 2003 and 31 July, 2006. Since CAS was implemented only in Chennai, no CAS permission was granted to MSOs in other southern states.

     

    The entire episode has in a way turned everything around. The case is pending in court till the time TRAI submits its response. So while TRAI – which is completely against the idea of govt. owned MSOs and awaits Ministry’s response to its recommendations – awaits the responses, it could mean that Arasu is free to operate. Moreover, it can even give digital signals or seed STBs as TRAI can’t take any action against it, given that the MSO has a temporary licence.

     

    The picture will be clear only after the Ministry brings out its regulation and the case in the Madras High Court proceeds.

  • First Indian Digital TV Honours on 28 Jan

    First Indian Digital TV Honours on 28 Jan

    MUMBAI: 2013 was a watershed year for the cable TV and DTH industry, what with the the entire TV industry – cable TV operators, MSOs, DTH players –  working on going into overdrive, pushing the government’s digital addressable system (DAS – digitisation) mandate. There were big developments and even bigger initiatives, and it is with a view to recognising and rewarding such endeavours as well as the individuals and organisations behind them that Indiantelevision.com has instituted a first-of-its-kind initiative called ‘The Indian Digital TV Honours’, to be held on Tuesday 28 January at The Lalit, New Delhi.

     

    The list of best practices and worthy winners has been compiled by an advisory board comprising senior executives, industry veterans and the indiantelevision.com editorial team led by founder, CEO and editor-in-chief Anil Wanvari.

     

    According to Media Partners Asia executive director and co-founder and member of the advisory board Vivek Couto, The Indian Digital TV Honours is a laudable effort as it will go a long way in encouraging individuals to accelerate the development of the industry.  “That’s because it seeks to recognize the achievement, innovation and vision of the stakeholders,” he says.”

     

    Media observer and consultant and member of the advisory board Sanjeev Hiremath adds: “It is an encouraging initiative by Indiantelevision.com. It is a way to both support and encourage the implementation of DAS. I am glad that a platform like this has been set up by the Indiantelevision team.”

     

    BCCL president corporate development (and member of the advisory board) Sunil Lulla believes there was a need to acknowledge the manner in which television distribution is changing. “I am glad that there is another first from Indiantelevision.com. Acknowledgement is needed. Though the switch from analog to digital will take time, encouragement is needed.”

     

    Chrome Data Analytics and Media founder and MD Pankaj Krishna joins his peers in lauding the effort. “I am sure pretty soon, others will follow it too. One must remember that digitisation is very critical to us now and with the change in wind, the transition from analog to digital is going to become crucial. In short, it is like the change from Kodak film roll which we used 10 years ago to a digicam, which has become a part of our lives now.”

     

    So how did the advisory board select the winners? Says Wanvari: “We had detailed discussions with various stakeholders in the industry, to come up with a filtered list of top achievements to which the advisory members also contributed.”

     

    Adds Lulla: “A list was given to us comprising names of people and companies that have made a difference to digitisation from various points of view like preparedness, initiatives taken, consumers, success etc. So, I looked at these from various perspectives like who made it simple for consumers, who followed the regulations, which company or person drove the change and so on…”

     

    What were the criteria for selection? Couto anwers: “The criteria were simple. Any stakeholder or regulator who has ushered in development through investment, leadership or a combination of both to accelerate quality content and infrastructure for consumers will feature in the list.”

     

    The entire selection process took almost a month for the advisory board. Hiremath, who identified categories to honour key initiatives, says: “This is going to be an exciting and interesting event.”

     

    According to Hiremath and Couto, while the first edition will honour well-known names from the industry, the awards will only get bigger and better with time.

     

    “We will see OTT players, software developers, app developers and many others entering the ecosystem in the future,” Couto rounds off.
     

    The Event is: 

    Powered by Partner:  Den

    Associate Partners: Hathway, Surewaves, Videocon D2H

    Support Partner: SES, The One Alliance

    Media Partner: India News

    Thanks to HBO Defined and HBO Hits for the support

    Online Media Partners: Radioandmusic.com, Tellychakkar.com

    Event Executed By: ITV2.0 Productions

    An Initiative By: Indiantelevision.com

  • Noronha becomes DG of Field Publicity as I&B Ministry announces top-level changes

    Noronha becomes DG of Field Publicity as I&B Ministry announces top-level changes

    NEW DELHI: K Ganesan is being posted as the new director general of the Directorate of Advertising and Visual Publicity in the Information & Broadcasting (I&B) Ministry in place of G Mohanty, who has sought voluntary retirement.

     

    Mohan C Handak takes the place of Ganesan as press registrar as the Registrar of Newspapers in India (RNI).

     

    A P F Noronha will take place of Chandak as Director General of the Directorate of Field Publicity. Noronha was until now Director General (Media and Communications) in the Press Information Bureau (PIB) and also Officer on Special Duty in the Information & Broadcasting Ministry.

     

    All these officers are senior officers of the Indian Information Service.

  • BARC signs deal with Médiamétrie today

    BARC signs deal with Médiamétrie today

    MUMBAI: It was just last week that the  Ministry of Information and Broadcasting (MIB) notified the TV ratings agency registration regulations. And the industry-backed Broadcast Audience Research Council (BARC) reps were summoned to New Delhi to give the ministry an update on how much progress has been made on the new proposed TV ratings system for India. They did. Today, BARC also gave the press an insight into how far down the road it has gone.

     

    Indiantelevision.com was the first to report that  BARC had chosen  French audience measurement company Médiamétrie as its ratings partner. No cofirmations came from BARC. But today its chairman Punit Goenka  announced that Médiamétrie is indeed BARC’s official technology partner and will also provide licences to BARC to use its TV metering system.

    “Médiamétrie has an in-house research team that helps it to understand the needs of the industry just as how BARC realises what the industry needs. I have heard people ask that BARC is just barking but when will it bite? But now I say we are here to bite!” Goenka remarked candidly while signing the deal at Mumbai’s ITC Grand Central hotel. Médiamétrie will assist the council in procuring its own metering hardware.

     

    The French audience measurement system will be providing the audio watermarking technology to BARC to monitor TV consumption through its 20,000 strong panel. “Médiamétrie wrote to BARC months back. It uses watermarking technology so it is very accurate and can measure data when it is simulcast. Meters are easy to make so we spoke to agencies and advertisers in France to do our background study on Médiamétrie. It is a landmark day for us,” said BARC tech committee chairman Shashi Sinha.

     

    Sinha also stated that the new ratings system should be up and running by 1 October, 2014. “Around 25 vendors approached us out of which we shortlisted four to five. We have got the best of vendors, technology and price of meters. The most important thing for us is transparency,” he said. It will soon be announcing media partners as well.

     

    BARC has been scouting for a technology partner since several months now and finally it has concluded the deal with the French company. BARC CEO Partho Das Gupta said at the conference: “Since the past few months we have been researching the tech we should use and have finally selected the right one.”

     

    Present at the conference was also Médiamétrie senior VP Benoit Cassaigne who was excited to be a part of the deal. “We are among the top five companies in the world and the leading research company in France,” he said.

     

    Goenka emphasised that since BARC is a non-profit body, broadcasters will comply with it. “We are not here to make profits, we are here to help the industry,” he said.

    However, no one was willing to talk about the future of TAM. “We hope there is no ratings blackout in the coming months, but if there is then it can’t be helped. We are working towards getting a better system,” he added.

     

    Star India COO Sanjay Gupta says that TAM and government need to sit and decide now. “Advertisers are obviously worried as to what will happen if there is no rating system in place. Maybe they will look at the past ratings and set prices,” he said.

     

    The contract with Médiamétrie has been signed for a 1+5 year term. The Council says it is totally  open to regular external audits. The funding to put up the new system in place has been divided as follows: 60 per cent Indian Broadcasting Foundation (IBF), 20 per cent ISA and 20 per cent Indian Advertisers Agencies Association of India (AAAI).

     

  • MIB urges industry to buck up on implementing TV ratings

    MIB urges industry to buck up on implementing TV ratings

    NEW DELHI: There has been some hue and cry about the manner in which the Ministry of Information & Broadcasting (MIB) has apparently rushed to notify the latest policy guidelines for TV ratings. Following the notification, there have been fears that unless TAM goes to court and gets a stay order on the MIB’s guidelines, industry will most likely be without TV ratings for at least six to seven months. This is because Broadcast Audience Research Council (BARC) states that it will be ready to roll out its ratings only in the third or fourth quarter of 2014. 

     

    This has alarmed professionals such as Madison chairman Sam Balsara who has gone on record to state that the industry should plead with the Ministry to delay the implementation of the guidelines, and that the industry cannot do with a TV ratings-dark period. 

     

    MIB officials are pretty clear that this time it is for real. Says a senior Ministry official: “The entire TV ratings shouting match has been going on since 2007. Industry has been complaining that TAM’s methodology is flawed, and they have done nothing about it over the years. And the murmurings against it have been going on for more than a decade.” 

     

    He goes on to add, that MIB intervened only on the industry’s insistence and now the industry will have to drink its bitter dose of medicine, no matter what. 

     

    “We have given the industry and TAM enough time to rectify the situation and find an amicable authentic and reliable solution,” says another MIB official. “The Amit Mitra committee report indicated what needs to be done way back n 2010. Why wasn’t it followed and why were corrective steps not taken by TAM or the industry? TAM will have to follow the guidelines and register with us before 30 days are up, otherwise cease operating. We are not against individuals or companies; we are clear that a due process and the rules for TV ratings need to be followed so that transparency and credibility are associated with TV viewership ratings.” 

     

    In fact, another MIB official was quite critical of the industry-backed TV ratings body BARC too. 

     

    “It’s taken them three years to get here,” the senior official says. “First, BARC told us that the ratings will be up and running by June 2013, then they told us they would do so by March 2014, and now they are saying September or October 2014. This is simply not acceptable. We timed our rules and regulations based on the fact that BARC would be up by March 2014 and that industry would not have to be troubled by the absence of ratings.” 

     

    Another senior official appeals that the MIB cannot keep waiting forever for industry to get its act together. “The industry has been dragging its heels for a long time on the TV ratings issue. Now is the time for it to sprint to the finish line, and faster than ever before,” he says. The longer it takes to get its ratings going, the longer it will be without ratings.”

     

    The fact that TAM Media might challenge the Ministry’s notification in court has not disturbed the MIB at all. “If it goes to court, we will fight it tooth and nail,” says the MIB official. “Industry has to understand, the MIB means business. Let industry also be serious about its business.” 

     

    “It’s strange, isn’t it?” another official asks rhetorically with a smile on his face. “Industry complains when the ratings are there; they are complaining now that the ratings will not be there for some time. Let it realise that indeed there will be no ratings for a while and come up with a workable solution in their absence which works well for broadcasters, advertisers and agencies. The ball is in industry’s court now. ”

  • Republic Day ceremony coverage to have sign language interpreter during DD telecast

    Republic Day ceremony coverage to have sign language interpreter during DD telecast

    NEW DELHI: The live telecast of the Republic Day parade by Doordarshan channels will have an additional facility this year – a sign language interpreter.

     

    The Information and Broadcasting Ministry (I&B) has issued directions to Prasar Bharati for making a provision for having an inset box on the TV screens during the telecast of the Republic Day Ceremony, through which the sign language anchor/expert could interpret the proceedings of the Republic Day parade on 26 January.

     

    The telecast will be on DD National, DD Urdu, DD Bharati and DD News. 

    The decision has been taken in the interest of all those who are differently-abled, hearing impaired citizens. I&B minister Manish Tewari received a representation from the National Association of Deaf recently requesting for providing sign language interpreter in an inset box on TV screens during the live coverage of the Republic Day Parade.