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Tag: Kolkata

  • Jaipur LCOs to form cooperative, set up own headend

    Jaipur LCOs to form cooperative, set up own headend

    MUMBAI: Local cable operators (LCOs) feel threatened with compulsory digitisation of cable TV services. LCOs own the end subscribers, but do not have the bargaining power with broadcasters and also access to funding.

     

    This has led to an increasing trend towards LCO consolidation, if not through the mergers and acquisitions route then through formation of associations and unions, especially in Gujarat, Maharashtra, Kerala and Karnataka, states the FICCI-KPMG media and entertainment industry report 2014.

     

    Now, nearly 220 of the about 250 LCOs in Jaipur, Rajasthan have decided to come together to protect their business. The LCOs are looking at forming a cooperative and setting up their own headend.

     

    The move comes as many LCOs are unhappy with the monopoly of the multi-system operators with the progressing digitisation.

     

    “It is at a nascent stage, but we are tired of the MSO monopoly here in Jaipur and hence looking at setting up a cooperative and converting into an independent MSO,” says a cable operator from Jaipur who is currently taking feeds from Hathway Cable & Datacom.

     

    The cooperative has been set up under the banner Jaipur Cable Operators Welfare Society. The LCOs are meeting regularly to finalise details.

     

    While the initial investments will be made by the LCOs, they will also approach banks for loans to meet the investment demands. “We are unhappy with the way things are moving in the state. Neither the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India nor the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting is ready to listen to us. And so we have decided to take this move,” says the LCO.

     

    As of now, four lakh set top boxes have been seeded in the state. “The Jaipur cable operators are in talks with us as they are looking at setting up a cooperative. We will be meeting in April in Mumbai to discuss further,” informs Maharashtra Cable Operators Federation (MCOF) president Arvind Prabhoo.

     

    It is not only in Jaipur that the LCOs are coming together to form cooperatives. While earlier such cooperatives were set up in Chennai, Delhi, Bengaluru and Kolkata, now LCOs are coming together in Mumbai, Jaipur, Jodhpur and parts of Madhya Pradesh to set up their own headends.

  • Soha Ali Khan joins P&G to help build a P&G Shiksha school in Kolkata

    Soha Ali Khan joins P&G to help build a P&G Shiksha school in Kolkata

    MUMBAI: Having impacted the lives  of over 420, 000 children till date, P&G’s flagship Corporate Social Responsibility program P&G Shiksha continues to march forward with the motto ‘Padegha India, Badhega India. In its 10th year, P&G Shiksha makes the necessary infrastructure interventions by building and supporting schools across the country thereby giving children the access to education.  Supporting this endeavour, Bollywood actress Soha Ali Khan, who has been associated with the P&G Shiksha initiative for many years, paid a visit to a P&G Shiksha School in Kolkata to help paint the school walls and complete the on-going construction activities at the school. P&G Shiksha’s infrastructure interventions are key to enabling access to education to children across the country. The actress turned teacher for the day, involved the children in some interactive learning by implementing several fun tactics. She also engaged them in a rapid fire round, on a wide range of subjects and was very impressed with the confidence, intelligence, wit and exuberance demonstrated by the P&G Shiksha children.

    The actress also shared her vision of empowering under privileged children with access to education and together with P&G Shiksha urged consumers to make the simple brand choice and join the program’s drive by purchasing P&G products such as Tide, Ariel, Whisper, Pampers, Olay, Head &Shoulders, Pantene, Vicks, Gillette, Oral-B & AmbiPur. These purchases enable the company to channelize part of the sales proceeds towards building and supporting schools across the country.

    In West Bengal alone, P&G Shiksha has improved the lives of nearly 5000 underprivileged children through quality education, by building and supporting over 15 schools. With the objective of improving the quality of education and encouraging more children to stay in school in Kolkata, P&G Shiksha delivers key infrastructure interventions that enables access to education and motivates children to learn every day. P&G Shiksha has also been instrumental in the change by equipping schools with necessary amenities from building classrooms to building toilets, thereby bringing down the dropout rate and improving the overall literacy rate in West Bengal.

    Supporting this initiative, actress Soha Ali Khan said, “I have been associated with P&G Shiksha for many years now and today I feel proud and delighted to be a part of this initiative yet again. I truly believe that education is a basic right of every child and it is heartening to see a movement like P&G Shiksha facilitating education for underprivileged children and helping them realise their dreams and providing them a better standard of living. With 42% rural areas in India still not having access to primary schools and 30% of primary schools not having proper toilets; infrastructure is a key issue at schools across the country. I am thrilled that by painting the school walls today I have been able to play a small role in giving these children a bright and colourful future and ensuring they have access to a fully functional school! I encourage all of you to join the movement by making the simple brand choice of buying P&G products, as a part of the proceeds go towards building and supporting schools. Today, at the P&G Shiksha School, not only did I discover a teacher in me, but also had a lot of fun painting the kids’ lives that are the future of India.”

    P&G Shiksha has over the years received generous support from many thought leaders and celebrities such as Anupam Kher, Dr. Kiran Bedi, Anil Kumble, Rani Mukherjee, John Abraham, Abhay Deol, Farah Khan, Arbaaz Khan, Sameera Reddy, Huma Qureshi, Sushmita Sen, Kareena Kapoor, Saif Ali Khan, Sharmila Tagore, Konkona Sen, Neha Dhupia, Soha Ali Khan, Lara Dutta, Preity Zinta, Jacqueline Fernandez, Jatin Das, Shaan, Chitrangada Singh, Soha Ali Khan,  Shruti Hassan and many more.

    P&G Shiksha also allows consumers to share in their support. This can be easily done by buying any P&G Product such as Tide, Ariel, Whisper, Pampers, Olay, Head &Shoulders, Pantene, Vicks, Gillette, Oral-B & AmbiPur and part of the proceeds will go towards building and supporting schools. Consumers can also visit P&G Shiksha’s online partner – Amazon.in (www.amazon.in/pgshiksha) to buy P&G products & support this cause.

    With a motto of ‘Padhega India, Badhega India’ – P&G Shiksha believes that the secret to a brighter India lies in the quality of education of our children.

  • Sony PIX aims 20 per cent market share by 2014 in English movie space

    Sony PIX aims 20 per cent market share by 2014 in English movie space

    KOLKATA: Hollywood movie channel Sony PIX is looking to increase its market share to 20 per cent by the end of the current year 2014 in the Hollywood movie channel space from the present 18 per cent by strengthening its content.

     

    “Our aim is to grow our share and take it upwards to around 20 per cent by the end of 2014. In terms of viewership, the company has a market share of 18 per cent,” said Sony PIX EVP & Business Head Saurabh Yagnik, while announcing two initiatives – premieres of four big movies back to back and Pix Premiere Nights with the latest movie, Robocop in Kolkata, on Friday.

     

    “In 2013, we were consistent and maintained the second position, we even banged Star Movies occasionally from number one spot,” he said.

     

    On being asked the strategies to achieve this target, he said that the channel would focus on strengthening its content, while being innovative and relevant. “We are evaluating for other tie ups for content,” Yagnik said as he said that the channel plans to pump in more money to acquire content.

     

    When asked about the channel’s penetration in the Kolkata market, he said Sony Pix’s market share was 22 per cent in 2013, more than its average pan India share as people in WB are more inclined towards English movie channels.

  • Media depends on PR agencies for quality inputs: MSLGroup report

    Media depends on PR agencies for quality inputs: MSLGroup report

    MUMBAI: We have heard stories about people struggling to make a mark in their chosen fields. Somehow, the number of such stories seems to be reducing. Thanks to the public relation work!

     

    The PR professionals work behind the scenes to bring their clients to the forefront, also making reaching out to concerned people easier and accessible.

     

    The “communication” industry has changed over the years and has become an integral part of today’s business. Be it brands or individuals, everyone needs that additional push to make it all work. But even the wand of the PR fairies would work only when one comes with a fat wallet! Considering the economic slowdown that has impacted almost all the sectors, even the PR sector must have been affected. Let’s see how…

     

    As per the report by MSLGroup on ‘Public Relations in India: The impact of the economic downturn and the 2014 outlook’ highlights the tough time, the paradigm shift and the new possibilities.

     

    With moderate growth and economic situation buffeting the currency, corporations have started working on the mantra: work leaner, battle for every square inch of the market and reduce budgets.

     

    Till two years ago, the Indian PR industry was different from what it is today. It was battling with numerous questions – how to come together to find solutions to the talent crisis? How to ensure fees are commensurate with value delivered? What can be done to underscore the sector’s strategic value and change its image from that of a media manager to brand builder?

     

    To keep a tab on how things have changed and how the industry is being perceived, not only from outside but within itself, the group put a pulse on the finger of the industry by commissioning a national survey of PR professionals. The focus was on the business environment, the challenges a slowdown presents and ways to negotiate it.

     

    Numerous questions were posed to the participants (67) across cities (Delhi, Mumbai, Kolkata, Chennai, Hyderabad, Ahmadabad, Pune and Mumbai). For instance when asked about which part of the marketing ecosystem has been most affected by the downtown, the respondents thought that the PR industry was second after the advertising agencies.

     

    The report also quotes Eureka Forbes Marzin Shroff saying, “While it is true that businesses are facing turbulent times, the first thing most do is significantly reduce their marketing budget. We, however, are against this practice…. There are low-cost and even no-cost ways to market your product in order to keep your business on track even during difficult times. In view of this, our marketing budgets have not been significantly affected.”

     

    The report also talks about the way forward – the industry needs to keep the focus on issues like adapting to new modes of communication, innovative thinking, talent, targeting the right industry, product mix and building relationship with clients.

     

    The main learning from the responses stated in the report are:

     

    1.There is an increase in the media’s dependence on PR consultants for coverage

    2.Media is looking increasingly to PR agencies for quality inputs and content

    3.Competition between media houses has made it tougher for PR consultants

     

    The report goes on to focus on how there is a rise in the number of cheap smartphones and what it means for communications.

     

    Since consumers are using smartphones to communicate in multiple ways, marketers need to take note of how smartphones are helping consumers in their purchase decisions. Considering that smartphones sales saw a record 167 per cent annual growth, the market was projected to hit $1 billion by the 1013 end as per industry estimates.

     

    Click here for the full report…

  • Silverline Television Network to seed 25 lakh DEN STBs in WB

    Silverline Television Network to seed 25 lakh DEN STBs in WB

    KOLKATA: West Bengal is embracing the digitisation process open heartedly. So while earlier the MSOs from the state got together to speed up the gross billing in the city, now Silverline Television Network (STN), which distributes the services of DEN Cable TV in West Bengal, plans to seed close to 25 lakh set top boxes (STBs) in the state by December, 2014 in Digital Addressable System (DAS) phase III and IV areas.

     

    Silverline Television Network, a joint venture between DEN (51 per cent) and Silverline Broadband Services (49 per cent) was formed in 2011. STN has already installed four lakh STBs in the state in DAS Phase I and II with an investment of 150 crore. For the next installment, it has earmarked an investment of Rs 300 crore, which alongside the cost of the STBs, will also be used in increasing its network and fibre connectivity in the state.

     

    “We have seeded 3.60 lakh STBs in the Kolkata Municipal Area area and another 40,000 in the rest of West Bengal including 24 North Parganas and Hooghly. In phase III and IV of digitisation, we plan to install approximately 25 lakh more set top boxes in the state. By December 2014, we want to reach the target of 30 lakh STB,” remarked STN director Apurba Banerjee optimistically as he spoke about strengthening its presence within the state. “Our connectivity has already reached Siliguri, Bankura, Raichak, Bangaon and a part of Diamond Harbour,” he added.

     

    The company has one digital headend at present and offers 280 channels. When quizzed about the most popular package in phase I area, that is the KMC area, he said, the monthly subscription available at Rs 180 was quite popular initially. However, since TEN Sports wasn’t available in that, many switched to the Rs 230 monthly package.

     

    The cable TV analysts say the Phase III and IV of DAS is going to be smoother and easier as consumers in smaller towns have already started enquiring about the STB. “Going forward, it will be a smooth journey for DEN to install 30 lakh STBs in West Bengal,” remarks an analyst.

     

    DEN, a cable TV distribution company, reaches an estimated 13 million households in over 200 cities across 13 key states in India, like in Delhi, Uttar Pradesh, Karnataka, Maharashtra, Gujarat, Rajasthan, Haryana, Kerala, Madhya Pradesh and Uttarakhand among other markets. DEN Networks has seeded around 5 million set top boxes.

  • Star CJ Alive is a big hit in Kolkata

    Star CJ Alive is a big hit in Kolkata

    KOLKATA: The people in Kolkata seem to be addicted to the new ways of shopping. Star CJ Alive, a home shopping channel from the house of STAR CJ Network India (a joint venture between STAR Asia and the South Korean home shopping major, CJ O Shopping) recently conducted a survey in the target markets. The result of the survey was interesting as it revealed that the consumers of Kolkata in the fiscal 2012-2013 have bought 26.63 lakh sarees, 23.83 lakh tablets, 21.87 pieces of jewellery and 18.82 lakh handsets.

     

    One of the supposed reasons for the growth of the channel is the ‘Global O’ Shopping Day’ that was celebrated by the channel at the beginning of the year 2013, in India along with eight other countries – South Korea, Japan, China, Indonesia, Thailand, Turkey, Philippines and Vietnam. It featured global products and resulted in 110 per cent hike in orders as compared to the average daily order figure.

     

    “Kolkata is one of our biggest markets and we are delighted to give our customers the best deals. Our goal is to serve our customers better,” said Star CJ Network CEO Kenny Shin while in the city Kolkata. He also said that the channel that was launched around four years ago is one of the fastest growing shopping channels in the country.

     

    The channel offers an array of products including fashion, lifestyle, home appliances, kitchenware, digital devices, jewellery, beauty products among others. The channel’s target markets includes Delhi, Pune, Ahmedabad, Lucknow, Ghaziabad, Bangalore, Ludhiana, Surat, Gurgaon, Hyderabad, Chandigarh, Vadodara, Amritsar, Faridabad, Gautam Buddha Nagar, Jaipur, Chennai, Nagpur and Nashik among others.

  • Life OK brings Mahadev Ganga Mahotsav initiative to Kolkata

    Life OK brings Mahadev Ganga Mahotsav initiative to Kolkata

    KOLKATA: After getting an overwhelming response in Haridwar, Allahabad, Varanasi, New Delhi, Kanpur and Patna, general entertainment channel (GEC) Life OK has brought the “Mahadev Ganga Mahotsav” initiative to Kolkata, titled Kolkatta Samvaad.

     

    The initiative was started in January last year and was to be held in eight cities across the states of Uttarakhand, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Delhi and West Bengal with the hope of becoming the harbinger of change. The initiative, during the launch promised to take small differentiating steps to ensure a brighter future for Ganga.

     

    “Mahadev Ganga Mahotsav is a program to sensitise and create social awareness towards the issues impacting and the plausible solutions required to the conservation of the river Ganga,” said a release issued to the press in Kolkata.

     

    In fact, the GEC organised a discussion session on – ‘Need to save the Ganga for the future generations’ which explored the impact of polluted Ganga on every individual and the measures that can be taken to save it.

     

    Life OK general manager Ajit Thakur remarked that the initiative would engage all stakeholders to find probable solutions to conserve the river.

  • MSOs ask LCOs to collect CAFs from remaining cable homes in Kolkata

    MSOs ask LCOs to collect CAFs from remaining cable homes in Kolkata

    KOLKATA: That the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) has asked MSOs in Kolkata to start gross (consumer) billing from 15 December, 2013, indiantelevision.com had already reported. Word just in is that MSOs in the Kolkata Municipal Area (KMA) have requested local cable operators (LCOs) to expedite the process of collecting Consumer Application Forms (CAF) and channel package details from the remaining five per cent of nearly 30 lakh cable TV homes in the city.

     

    “We are asking the LCOs to cooperate and collect the remaining five per cent CAF so that we can start generating accurate bills against their names,” said SitiCable Network director Suresh Sethia, adding that the region had already collected 95-97 per cent CAF. 

     

    Manthan Broadband Services director Sudip Ghosh informed that apart from taking details from consumers in the prescribed handwritten format, “MSOs have also created a system in their servers, where LCOs could send CAF details to further advance the process of DAS.”

     

    Meanwhile, an official from GTPL-KCBPL said the company had got CAF and SAF details of only over five lakh customers out of the seven lakh active set top boxes (STBs). “Unless we get the CAF and SAF details, we cannot generate bills in the names of the customers,” he remarked. “But we will try to complete the process for the remaining 2 lakh customers and give bills to them in the next one or two months,” he added after a pause.

     

    According to few industry sources, while players like SitiCable and Manthan have said they have achieved 100 per cent CAF rate, it is possible they haven’t accounted for situations where certain households have two set top boxes and the consumers haven’t gone through the CAF process or homes that have been closed after the residents left the city and so on. Still, other sources questioned how MSOs can start the billing process when they haven’t yet started the package.

  • Aakash Aath strengthens its line-up with a satirical comedy

    Aakash Aath strengthens its line-up with a satirical comedy

    KOLKATA: The Bengali audience is set for a novel treat as the Bengali general entertainment channel (GEC) Aakash Aath, is coming up with a new satirical comedy, Ghhente Gha to tickle their funny bones. Based on stories written by renowned author, Sanjib Chattopadhyay, the show that starting on 13 January will air from Monday to Saturday at 9.30 pm.

     

    The idea, says Channel Eight proprietor and producer of Ghante Gha Ashok Surana, is to give a variety of entertainment to its audience.

     

    The story would revolve around the Chatterjee family of North Kolkata headed by Giribala Chatterjee. The show brings to the fore the life of today’s middle class Bengali family, the society, the stress and the dilemma that a common man goes through every day.

     

    “With an amalgamation of star cast of repute, Ghhente Gha will bring some much needed laughter to the audience’s life,” said Sanjib Chattopadhyay, who is known for his style characterised by use of short satirical sentences and lively language.

     

    The show has been directed by Manish Ghosh and scripted by Padmanabha Dasgupta. 

     

    The cast includes Sabitri Chatterjee (Giribala Chatterjee), Shubhashis Mukherjee (Somesh), Chaiti Ghoshal (Ruma), Shubhashish Banerjee (Shubho), Padmanabha Dasgupta (Shankar), Biswajit Chakraborty (Baromama) and many other well known artistes.

     

    A media planner says that since it is a take on the life from a very witty angle, the show will be an entertaining one for audience.

  • BSNL, MTNL to get financial help on surrender of BWA Spectrum

    BSNL, MTNL to get financial help on surrender of BWA Spectrum

    NEW DELHI: Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited (BSNL) and Mahanagar Telephone Nigam Limited (MTNL) have got the approval for financial support from the Union Cabinet on surrender of Broadband Wireless Access (BWA) spectrum.

     

    Upfront charges paid for such spectrum would be refunded.

     

    The objective of this decision is to provide financial support to the extent of one-time upfront charges paid for BWA spectrum for six service areas of BSNL and both service areas of MTNL on surrender of the spectrum. The six licensed service areas of BSNL are Gujarat, Maharashtra, Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu and Kolkata.

     

    The amount to be refunded to BSNL is Rs 6724.51 crore and Rs 4533.97 crore for MTNL. The refund will be made to ensure support for the revival and revitalisation of BSNL and MTNL in the competitive telecom sector. It shall also help these PSUs to arrange finances to meet basic financial commitments such as operation and maintenance of their telecom network.