ITV

Tag: Kolkata

  • Trai issues regulations on quality of cable TV service

    Trai issues regulations on quality of cable TV service

    NEW DELHI: Cable TV consumers are in for a pleasant surprise as cable operators will now be put under stringent monitoring relating to quality of service.

    India’s broadcast regulator today issued detailed regulations prescribing standards of quality of service to be observed by the cable operators and multi system operators in CAS notified areas of Mumbai, Kolkata, Delhi and Chennai.

    The Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (Trai) said the regulations would come into effect from 1 October, 2006.

    The regulations have been drawn keeping in view the facts that the industry would be subject to prescription of quality of service standards for the first time and, therefore, would need time to adjust on various quality of service aspects.

    The issues addressed in the regulations broadly cover the following areas:

    (i) Connection, disconnection, transfer and shifting of cable services
    (ii) Complaint handling and redressal in respect of cable services
    (iii) Billing Procedure and billing related complaints
    (iv) Set-top box related issues and complaints
    (v) Positioning of channels / taking the channel off air

    A snapshot of the major features of these regulations categorized under the above-mentioned broad areas are indicated below:

    Application for connection/disconnection/transfer/shifting
    * Application for pay channel or request for basic service tier to be responded within five working days.
    * Cable Service connection/reconnection to be provided within 2 working days on completion of all formalities by the subscribers.
    Complaint handling and redressal
    *Multi System Operator/Cable Operator to maintain customer service center/help desk center for 24 hours, 7 days a week including facility for automatic recording of complaints.
    *All complaints received in the day to be attended/responded within eight hours.

    Billing related issues
    * Billing to be done normally on monthly basis and entries to be itemized.
    *Subscribers required to ensure prompt payment of bills. Deterrents to discourage delayed payments
    *Redressal of complaints on billing within 7 days from the date of notice.

    Set Top Box (STB) related issues
    * MSO/Cable Operator to repair or replace within 24 hours of receipt of complaint of malfunctioning of set top box and refund of security deposit within seven days of return of set top box.

    *Rebate for delay in activation/reactivation of set top box beyond two working days @ Rs 15 per day for the first 5 days and @ Rs 10 per day for the subsequent period

    Positioning of channels/Taking the channel off air
    *No channel to be taken off the air, except for circumstances beyond the control of the operator, without prior notice of three weeks.

    The High Court of Delhi on 20 July 2006 had directed implementation of CAS in the three metros of Mumbai, Kolkata and Delhi by 31 December 2006.

    One of the areas identified in the implementation of CAS was prescription of quality of service standards by Trai, which has been now done after consultations with the industry stakeholders.

    A full text of the regulation along with the explanatory memorandum is available on Trai’s website, www.trai.gov.in.

  • Radio Mirchi swells ad rates by 25%

    Radio Mirchi swells ad rates by 25%

    MUMBAI: On the heels of recently launching new radio stations in Bangalore, Hyderabad and Jaipur, the Entertainment Network India Ltd, which manages the brand Radio Mirchi has introduced a hike in spot prices ranging between 10 and 25 per cent for all their stations.

     

    The prices for their older network of seven stations – Mumbai, Delhi, Chennai, Kolkata, Ahmedabad, Pune & Indore – have gone up by 25 per cent and for the newly launched stations an increase of 10 per cent has been announced from the introductory prices of April when the stations were launched, according to an official release.

     

    Radio Mirchi sales head Naveen Chandra says that the price increase was part of the normal price increase the brand takes every September.

     

    Radio Mirchi, Chandra adds, “Radio Mirchi had quickly attained leadership status in the Bangalore, Hyderabad and Jaipur markets and added to its significant lead over its competition in Delhi, Mumbai, Chennai and Kolkota.”

     

    Chandra further states that Radio Mirchi was the only medium to provide large numbers of urban audiences when compared with TV where audiences are increasingly fragmenting and the reach is significant outside of the urban areas. Radio Mirchi for instance delivers 15.5 million listeners on a daily basis in its 10 cities of operation, compared with a reach of 9.9 million for Star Plus and a cumulative reach of 10.1 million for all the No. 1 newspapers in these 10 markets.

    Given the fact that radio is 60 per cent as effective as television in building awareness, while coming at a cost of just 14 per cent, it was felt that pricing for radio could increase marginally in the Indian context.

     

    In the April – June 2006 period, Radio Mirchi’s revenues grew by 63 per cent compared to the same period last year, informs an official release.

  • Trai proposes tariff rate on STBs

    Trai proposes tariff rate on STBs

    MUMBAI: The Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (Trai) has proposed that cable TV service providers in conditional access system (CAS) areas to offer digital set-top boxes (STBs) on a monthly rental scheme of Rs 30 and a refundable security deposit of Rs 999.

    Subscribers will also have the other option to take the permanent rental scheme with no security deposit. But the monthly rent in this case would be higher. They also have the choice of subscribing to analogue boxes.

    Under the first scheme, the regulator has said that subscribers would own the box after five years and no monthly rentals would have to be paid after that.

    In case of a period before five years, the multi system operator (MSO) or cable operator shall be entitled to make deductions from the refundable security deposit at the rate of Rs 12.50 for every month or part of the month for which the subscriber has used a STB taken on rent or lease. The deductions will be made upon the submission of the STB in working condition.

    Under the standard tariff package (STP), subscribers will have the second option of not paying any security deposit but the monthly rental will be higher at Rs 45 per STB. For analogue boxes, the rent will be Rs 23 per month per STB.

    “In both options, there will be no payment for installation, activation charges, smart card/viewing card, repair and maintenance cost. Stakeholders are also free to suggest any other option as a STP,” Trai said today in a release.

    “Since the Indian standards do permit analogue STBs, an option for these boxes has also been provided under the second category,” the regulator added.

    Trai’s draft of the tariff proposals for STBs has invited comments of the stakeholders. Stakeholders may comment on these alternatives as well as suggest any other options for Trai to consider.

    “It has been proposed that each service provider should at least offer one STP in addition to any other alternate tariff package. The rationale behind this proposal is that every consumer should have the choice of choosing from amongst various alternatives of which at least one should be a package that is approved by Trai,” today’s release said.

    Trai’s proposed draft tariff order for STB schemes in CAS areas follows the government’s notification on 31 July that CAS would be implemented in Delhi, Mumbai and Kolkata. Earlier, the division bench of the Delhi High Court had passed an order directing implementation of CAS with effect from 31 December in these three metros.

  • Government issues CAS notification; CAS in 3 metros by 31 December

    Government issues CAS notification; CAS in 3 metros by 31 December

    MUMBAI: The government today issued a notification setting 31 December, 2006 as the deadline for the three metros of Delhi, Mumbai and Kolkata to be be fully “CAS delivered”.

    The notification honours a commitment made to the Delhi High Court which on 20 July had ordered that CAS (conditional access systems) should be introduced in all three metros on or before 1 January 2007.

    The court, in its order had also made clear its resolve not to allow further delays in the matter, declaring that all pending and any new issues related to CAS raised by the government would be taken up only after the CAS’ implementation deadline of 31 December 2006. Accordingly, it set the next date of hearing on the matter for 10 January 2007.

    The notification states: “In exercise of the powers conferred by sub-section (1) of section 4A, read with section 9 of the Cable Television Networks (Regulation) Act, 1995 (7 of 1995), the Central Government, having been satisfied that it is necessary in the public interest so to do, and having regard to the aforesaid order dated the 20th July, 2006 of the Hon’ble High Court of Delhi, hereby notifies 31st December, 2006 as the date from which it shall be mandatory for every cable operator to transmit or re-transmit programmes of every pay channel through an addressable system in the areas notified by the Government of India in the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting vide number S.O. 792(E) dated the 10th July, 2003.”

    The areas that fall under the CAS notification are the Kolkata Metropolitan areas, the areas covered by the Municipal Council of Greater Mumbai and the National Capital Region of Delhi.

    MSOs and independent cable operators will have to work out commercial agreements with broadcasters including fixing of channel rates. Said SET Discovery Ltd president Anuj Gandhi, “Now the focus will be on MSOs to show their preparedness for CAS. We hope to be ready with our rates in the next three months. By setting 1 January as the deadline, we will have to compress the time frame a bit.”

  • Radio Mirchi to be on common frequency 98.3 FM from 1 Aug

    Radio Mirchi to be on common frequency 98.3 FM from 1 Aug

    MUMBAI: The Mumbai based Entertainment Network Ltd, which runs radio stations under the brand name Radio Mirchi will be available on a common frequency 98.3 FM, with effect from 1 August.

    At present, the brand which operates in Pune, Indore and Ahmedabad are not yet part of the common frequency network.With this, Radio Mirchi, which launched its radio operations on different frequency in Hyderabad 95 FM, Bangalore 93.3 FM and Jaipur 105 FM, will all shift on 98.3 FM, according to a press statement.

    Radio Mirchi, which is heard in metro cities; Delhi, Mumbai, Kolkata and Chennai are already running on 98.3 FM.

    Earlier this year, the private radio FM operators had made a presentation to the information & broadcasting ministry seeking permission to switch over to a common frequency, per operator, across markets.

    According to Entertainment Network (India) LTD MD and CEO, “Operating from a common frequency will provide us with the benefit of building the brand in a consistent manner and help make our communication more effective, across cities.

    “Moreover, listeners frequently on the move too can get their daily dose of Radio Mirchi while travelling inter city (between Bangalore, Chennai, Hyderabad, Delhi, Mumbai, Chennai and Kolkata).”

    Radio Mirchi airs hits in contemporary music, city happenings, Bollywood gossip, special interviews, exclusive film promotional tie-ups and lots more.

  • Trai seeks opinion for fixing basic tier cable TV rates under CAS

    Trai seeks opinion for fixing basic tier cable TV rates under CAS

    MUMBAI: The Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (Trai) is seeking industry opinion on whether Rs 77 (excluding tax) should be the maximum cable operators can charge monthly from their subscribers for the basic tier services in areas where conditional access (CAS) is introduced.

    The draft tariff amendment order notification, which was released on Thursday, is part of Trai’s initiation to come out with appropriate regulations for interconnection, quality of service, terms of rental for set-top boxes as well as tariffs. The broadcast and cable regulator will have to fix the basic service tier rates for CAS.

    “The maximum amount which a cable operator may demand from a subscriber for receiving the programmes transmitted in the ‘basic service tier’ provided by such cable operator shall not exceed Rs 77 per month exclusive of taxes, for a minimum of thirty free-to-air channels. Free-to-air channels, over and above the basic service tier, would also be made available to the subscribers within the maximum amount mentioned above,” Trai said in a statement.

    In 2003, the government had fixed a ceiling rate of Rs 72 a month per subscriber for the basic service tier under the Cable Television Networks (Regulation) Act, 1995. The regulator had, in its tariff order dated 01.10.2004, fixed a general ceiling across the value chain, both in respect of free-to-air and pay channels, at the levels prevalent as on 26 December 2003.

    Subsequently, on 1 December 2004, Trai allowed an increase of seven per cent in order to make adjustments for inflation, with effect from 1st January, 2005. Another four per cent increase on account of inflation was allowed by Trai with effect from 1 January 2006, but this increase has been stayed by the Tdsat (Telecom Disputes Settlement And Appellate Tribunal).

    The Delhi High Court recently directed the implementation of CAS in the notified areas of the three metros of Mumbai, Kolkata and Delhi before 31 December 2006.

  • Hungama TV kicks off auditions for ‘John Aur Kaun?’

    Hungama TV kicks off auditions for ‘John Aur Kaun?’

    MUMBAI: Hungama TV is all set to make a splash this monsoon with the auditions of John aur Kaun (JAK) – its talent hunt for kids that will kick-start in Mumbai on 29 July.

    In the first round of Oral-B JAK auditions, 50 kids will be short-listed from the applicants on 29t July in Mumbai.

    In the second round on 30 July, final eight will be selected from Mumbai. There will also be ‘on-the-spot’ auditions for those who missed out on sending their entry from 9 am to 12 noon, on a first come first serve basis on 29 July.

    The Oral-B JAK auditions will travel across five cities to Mumbai, Delhi, Kolkata, Hyderabad and Ahmedabad over 58 days, with the similar selection process and will culminate in August. The most talented eight contenders per city will be flown to Mumbai for the final rounds.

    The auditions will be aired on Hungama TV where kids will be seen displaying their singing, acting and dancing talents.

    The selected talent pool will be further groomed by industry professionals at every step of the contest. By a process of elimination, the final four candidates will be put up for a nationwide voting process via SMS / televoting, following which the final two winners will be announced at an event in Mumbai.

    Finally, one boy and one girl will be chosen to act in a UTV-produced movie with Hungama TV’s brand ambassador John Abraham and will also be presented with a cash prize of Rs 500,000 each, along with a three year contract with UTV to manage their acting careers.

    Hungama TV COO Zarina Mehta says, ”We are delighted to be moving into the auditions phase of Oral B John aur Kaun. We look forward to encountering some hugely talented kids, two of whom will get the chance of a lifetime to act with John in a UTV film. Excitement levels amongst kids around the country are at fever pitch, so let the show begin!”

    Oral-B JAK has received an overwhelming response and UTV has announced a refund of Rs 400 to those who have applied and paid an entry fee of Rs 500.

    For spot auditions, kids needs to go to the audition center with their parent/guardian and pay Rs 100 as an entry fee. UTV will get their entry forms filled and photographs taken and take the audition.

  • Sun TV in for a consortium with Red FM

    Sun TV in for a consortium with Red FM

    MUMBAI: Kalanithi Maran’s Sun TV Ltd. is expected to enter into a consortium with Red FM, the operators in Delhi, Mumbai and Kolkata, for its radio business.

    The alliance will offer a joint platform to advertisers, making it a formidable bouquet against the biggies like Radio Mirchi and Radio City. Brand promotions will also be a part of this exercise, market sources say. Both Red FM and Sun TV Ltd were not available for comment till the time of filing this report.

    Malaysia’s Astro All Asia Networks plc, which is one of the three stakeholders in Red FM, recently said that it was in advanced discussions with strategic partners on various initiatives in India, including participation in a nationwide consortium of FM radio networks. “We expect to finalise partnership arrangements in the coming months. Appropriate announcements will be made in due course,” Astro Group CEO Ralph Marshall told reporters after the company’s AGM in Kuala Lumpur.

    Maran, who made an aggressive nationwide bid in the second phase of FM radio expansion, had excluded Delhi, Mumbai and Kolkata, the cities where Red FM operates. While Kal Radio (where Sun TV owns 89 per cent) would confine its operations to the southern language states, South Asia FM (Sun has 94.91 per cent equity) would carve out stations in the other regions.

    Joining hands with NDTV and Hyderabad-based Value Labs to acquire Red FM from Radio Today for around Rs 1.3 billion, Astro is eyeing a major presence in the FM sector in India. “We expect that we would have a 20 per cent interest in a nationwide radio licence as soon as we receive the approvals,” Marshall had told reporters in Kuala Lumpur.

    Apart from Red FM, Astro is already managing two FM radio stations in Kolkata through AMSI (Airtime Marketing & Sales India). The company, working with its local Indian partners Power107.8 FM and Aamar 106.2 FM, provides studio facilities and airtime sales and marketing services to the two FM radio stations in Kolkata.

    Sun TV Ltd, which raised Rs 6.03 billion through an initial public offering (IPO), has bet big on radio to scale up revenues. A consortium with Red FM would particularly help Sun in the newer markets, analysts say. In the southern language markets, Sun has the advantage of dominating ownership of movie rights which it can leverage for its radio business.

    Before the IPO, Sun had taken clearance from the Foreign Investment Promotion Board (FIPB) for issuing equity shares to foreign investors. The company, in its application, had said that it was intending to issue this either by “way of a preferential allotment prior to the IPO” and/or by “way of an initial public offering of its equity shares of the face value of Rs 10 each of 10 per cent of its post IPO paid up equity capital, subject to the maximum foreign investment limit as prescribed.”

  • Sun channels to be priced Rs 5 for Cas areas in Mumbai, Delhi, Kolkata

    Sun channels to be priced Rs 5 for Cas areas in Mumbai, Delhi, Kolkata

    MUMBAI: TRAI had issued press releases on 15/10/06, 25/10/06, 14.11.2006, 30.11.2006 and 14.12.2006 placing the details of Maximum Retail Prices fixed by the broadcasters in respect of CAS areas on the basis of the reporting done by them in terms of clause 7 (ii) of the Tariff Order of 31/8/2006.

    Subsequently, the Authority was informed that some of the pay channels listed in the website are not pay channels in some of the notified areas and also some new pay channels for the CAS notified areas, have been reported. A list of such channels as per reporting done now given below:-

    Name of the Broadcaster and Channel Remarks

    M/s SUN TV Limited

    i) Sun TV

    		 Pay channel at a price of Rs 5/- (excluding of taxes) in notified areas of Delhi, Mumbai, Kolkata. The channels will however be free to air in Chennai CAS area

    M/s Udaya TV Limited

    i)Udaya Movies , ii) Udaya Varthegalu

    		 Pay channel at a price of Rs 5/- (excluding of taxes) in notified areas of Delhi, Mumbai, Kolkata. The channels will however be free to air in Chennai CAS area

    M/s Gemini TV Limited

    i) Gemini Music, ii) Gemini News, iii) Gemini Cable Vision

    		 Pay channel at a price of Rs 5/- (excluding of taxes) in notified areas of Delhi, Mumbai, Kolkata. The channels will however be free to air in Chennai CAS area

    An updated list has been placed on TRAI’s website www.trai.gov.in

  • Setting up broadcast regulator to cost government Rs 601 million

    Setting up broadcast regulator to cost government Rs 601 million

    NEW DELHI: The proposed Broadcast Regulatory Authority of India (Brai) is likely to cost the government Rs 601.1 million to set up, which includes recurring and non-recurring expenses.

    According to projections made by the information and broadcasting ministry, the annual cost on pay and allowances of officers and staff of Brai would be Rs 85.7 million, with the chairperson’s remuneration being the highest wherein the monthly financial implication would be Rs 60,000.

    Non-recurring expenses have been pegged at Rs 124.7 million, which include basic infrastructure for Brai. The Indian government is proposing to set up Brai under the yet to be enacted Broadcasting Services Regulation Act. The functions of Brai will be to oversee the broadcast and cable industry in all its entirety with powers ranging from granting licences for any type of broadcasting services to ensuring quality of services to monitor content beamed on radio and TV channels.

    It has also been proposed that Brai have five regional offices in Delhi, Mumbai, Chennai, Kolkata and Guwahati.

    There would be six full-time members of the regulatory authority, apart from the chairperson, with everybody’s term of office being for five years or till the time they attain the age of 65 — whichever being earlier.

    The chairperson or any other member would not be eligible for a second term, but a member can be eligible for appointment as chairperson for the remaining part of his term.

    Even though Brai is being set up as an independent organization, the government would keep a control over it through a government official of not less than additional secretary’s rank who will act as the chief executive of Brai.

    A draft note, prepared by the government, states that the secretary of Brai would act as its CEO and the federal government would make available a panel of not less than three officials for a selection to be made.

    All broadcast and cable related cases pending before the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (Trai), presently acting as the broadcast regulator, and the Telecom Disputes Settlement Appellate Tribunal (TDSAT) will be deemed as transferred to Brai once it is set up.