ITV

Tag: Information

  • Metros to be fully ‘Cas’ed: Das Munshi

    Metros to be fully ‘Cas’ed: Das Munshi

    NEW DELHI/MUMBAI: Looks like conditional access system (Cas) will spread to fully cover the metros of Delhi, Mumbai and Kolkata.

    “The introduction of Cas in some parts of the metros has proved successful and it would be extended to other areas in these cities soon,” the information and broadcasting minister Priya Ranjan Das Munshi said today at a press conference in Delhi.

    The set-top boxes (STBs) seeded in these three cities, according to the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (Trai) chairman Nripendra Misra, has already touched 382,000.

    Of the 1.2 million subscribers in the Cas areas, Trai’s estimate is that digital conversion would be at 50 per cent by February-end. “The indication that we are getting is that there would be 600,000 digital subscribers including direct-to-home (DTH) in the Cas notified areas of Delhi, Mumbai and Kolkata,” said Misra.

    In a meeting with the broadcasters today, Trai said it was aware that in some areas there was relay of pay channels without encryption. The regulator assured that the enforcement machinery would be energised to sort out such related issues.

  • I&B bans AXN for ‘objectionable’ content

    I&B bans AXN for ‘objectionable’ content

    NEW DELHI: The government has banned, with immediate effect, the telecast of Sony Entertainment’s action chanel AXN for two months for showing “obscene programmes”.

    The information and broadcasting ministry today issued directions for blocking signals of the channel into India up to 15 March.

    Sources told Indiantelevision.com that the ministry had taken objection to the channel repeatedly telecasting such programmes such as World’s Sexiest Commercials that “are against good taste or decency and are likely to adversely affect public morality”.

    The government has been issuing warnings from time to time to various channels to desist from telecasting “obscene programmes” and software not suitable for women and children.

    The Cable Television Networks (Regulation) Act 1995 clearly stipulates that the government has the right to block or take action against channels which violate the broadcasting and advertising codes of the country.

    Multi-system operators (MSOs) like Hathway Cable & Datacom have blacked out AXN. Incablenet is in the process of switching off the channel, a senior executive in the company said.

  • Trai orders access providers to comply with SMS short code guidelines

    MUMBAI: Sector regulator Trai has issued an order instructing all access providers to comply with the DOT’s guidelines issued recently for allocation of short codes by the access providers to the content providers including SMS based services.

    It is mentioned that the short codes are being used by service providers/ content providers for variety of applications including downloading ring-tones, contests, quiz, polls, information and enquiry service, entertainments, SMS Games, Astrology, Cricket updates etc.

    Access providers particularly mobile operators are allocating short codes to their content providers for various value added services including SMS based services within their network. Trai observed that some of these short codes were not in accordance with the National Numbering Plan-2003 and DOT’s earlier orders on this issue, asserts an official release.

    As per the license agreement access providers should adhere to the National Numbering Plan in this context Trai had asked access providers to stop use of these prohibited levels vide its direction dated 31 July 2006. Subsequently this issue was examined by DoT and necessary guidelines in this regard were issued.

    As per the guidelines issued by DoT five digit code starting with level five is to be used by access providers for allocation of short codes to their content providers including SMS based services within their network and accordingly all existing four digit short codes are to be prefixed by five to convert the same to five digit codes.

    Further the existing five and six digit short codes are to be migrated to five digit codes by replacing the first digit or first two digits respectively by five and so on.

    Trai has sought compliance of the DoT guidelines fro amll the access providers as and when the same is implemented but not later than 31 May 2007, adds the release.

  • Mobile video to boost sports services market: Juniper report

    Mobile video to boost sports services market: Juniper report

    MUMBAI: The increasing influence of mobile video enabled on 3G networks will drive the uptake of many mobile sports, leisure and information services over the next five years, says Juniper Research.

    The global market for sports, leisure and information content (infotainment) is set to grow from its 2006 value of just under $4.2 billion to $9.5 billion by 2011. The largest geographic market is forecast to be in Europe, which is expected to account for 40 per cent of revenues over the 2006 to 2011 period, with Asia Pacific contributing 33 per cent and the rapidly growing US market 18 per cent.

    The Asia Pacific region, according to the Juniper Research report, would generate the most infotainment traffic over the period, but higher price levels would make Europe the largest revenue generator.

    The report’s author Bruce Gibson said, “video has the potential to transform the user experience of many infotainment services, provided the video quality is good enough. The continued roll-out of 3G services globally will provide the platform for the development of high quality video content based services.”

    Types of services that will particularly benefit from enhanced video capability will include sports services, services based around TV shows and celebrities, traffic update services, news services and community applications with user generated content. Growth in sports services and services with user generated content should be particularly strong.

    Gibson adds, “Sports services are getting repeated boosts by high profile global and regional sporting events. 2008 will be a significant year in market growth with Uefa Euro 2008 and the Beijing Olympics. However the need to acquire mobile sports rights is keeping sports service prices high and these services require high quality and timely content.

    “On the other hand community applications with user generated content have relatively low cost content acquisition and minimise much of the complexity of content acquisition and updating. We see growth opportunities in both market sectors for very different reasons.”

  • Content regulation draft to be redone

    Content regulation draft to be redone

    NEW DELHI: Unhappy with the draft that has been prepared on content regulation, information and broadcasting secretary SK Arora has asked the panel responsible to rework it.

    Though no specific reasons were cited, the ministry is apparently unhappy with the way some of the issues have been dealt with as also the length of the 65-page draft, which is seen as being too unwieldy.

    Earlier in the week, Arora, who heads a 30-member committee comprising representatives from industry, trade and consumer bodies, conveyed his observations to a sub-panel handling the content regulation draft.

    However, no time frame has been set for the work to be redone, which is an indicator that the government might bring in such a regulation through an existing piece of legislation instead of waiting for the proposed Broadcast Bill 2006 to be enacted into law.

    The draft aims at regulating and setting parameters for content to be aired on TV and radio networks, including broadcast of adult fare and sting ops done by news channels.

    A peek into a section of this draft also highlights that the proposed legislation could not only hamper functioning of news channels, but is also intrusive.

    If okayed by lawmakers in its present state, it could well be the end of sting operations and coverage of issues where high profile politicians and personalities are involved.

    Sample this part: TV channels must not use material relating to persons personal or private affairs or which invades an individual’s privacy unless there is an identifiable public interest reason for the material to be broadcast.

    Who decides what constitutes an individual’s privacy? The government or the regulator, of course.

    Examples of public interest would include, according to the draft, revealing or detecting crime, protecting public health or safety, exposing misleading claims made by individuals or organizations or disclosing incompetence that affects the public.

    Nowhere does the proposed regulation dwell on misuse of official power by a public personality — an issue that’s increasingly becoming rampant in India.

    The draft then goes on to state that news should not jeopardize any ongoing criminal investigations and (TV channels) should avoid a trial by media since “a man is innocent till proven guilty by law”.

    Now this could also mean that if a politician’s son is being tried by law for using drugs in the official residence, TV news should not do extensive coverage of the incident. However, the draft regulation is silent what should be done in case such accused themselves go on air and ‘use’ the media to influence opinion making.

    “Channels mounting sting operations with use of hidden cameras and recording devices are required to strictly adhere to the rules prescribed,” the draft states, going on to put the onus on TV news channels of proving such a programme is in public interest.