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Tag: Ministry of Information and Broadcasting

  • TRAI may moot MRP for bouquet TV channels; no price cap on unbundled premium products

    TRAI may moot MRP for bouquet TV channels; no price cap on unbundled premium products

    MUMBAI: Broadcast carriage regulator Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) has lined up a slew of draft guidelines relating to tariff, quality of service and interconnections, including proposing maximum retail price (MRP) for channels being bundled in genre-wise bouquets, freeing unbundled premium channels of  price caps and reining in the last mile cable operator (LCO) from breaching revenue-gravy trail.

    The draft recommendations, outcome of several consultation papers issued by TRAI over the last 12 months, could be discussed in a meeting that the regulator likely to have on Wednesday with stakeholders. Representatives of organisations like All-India Digital Cable Federation (AIDCF), Indian Broadcasting Foundation (IBF) and Ministry of Information and Broadcasting (MIB) are likely to be part of the meeting.

    Other topics for discussion at this meeting may revolve aroundanalogue tariffs to be levied in phase III and phase IV areas until sunset dates.

    Sources in TRAI indicated the regulator is in favour of introducing MRP for TV channels that broadcasters offer in a bouquet to MSOs so the prices could be conveyed to a consumer in a transparent manner for him to make an empowered choice.

    Though broadcasting companies do submit annually a-la-carte rates of their respective channels to TRAI, the regulator is of the opinion that a consumer doesn’t ultimately get to choose the channel of his choice transparently.

    How will the MRP be fixed? TRAI feels that the broadcasters should convey the price themselves as they were the best judge of their products and the same would be conveyed to the consumer. Or, the regulator could moot a formula for fixing the MRP.

    Fully aware that such measures could be termed restrictive and intrusive by industry players, TRAI is likely to dangle sops and suggest that broadcasters were free to price a premium channel at any level, but such channels cannot be part of any bouquet or bundling.

    The draft proposals, being fine-tuned by TRAI officials, are likely to be put out in public domain over the next 7-10 days. As these guidelines pertain to carriage services, the regulator can notify them itself. The likely date from which they would come into effect is April 2017. Unless, of course, somebody moves the court challenging the guidelines.

    Apart from these, TRAI is also toying with the idea of introducing an app with the help of which a consumer can get a TV channel from his distribution platform operator (DPO) after furnishing details like area of residence and area service provider’s name. The details will be get forwarded to the DPO concerned for further action.

    TRAI feels that with over 90 per cent of the areas in Phase 1, II and III already receiving digitised TV services, there would be no dearth of opportunities even if the sunset date of December 2016 for Phase IV or complete digitisation gets pushed by few months into 2017.

    In its consultation paper, issued in January 2016, TRAI had stated broadcast industry in India had been driven largely by satellite TV distribution business and unorganized growth of cable TV. During the early days, broadcasters were directly dealing with the cable operators who aggregated and carried broadcast TV services to end users. The distribution model was, according to the regulator, heavily skewed towards advertisement-driven revenues due to difficulties in maintaining transparency in the flow of subscription revenues across the analog value chain, which have become more transparent with the rollout of digital services or digitisation pushed by MIB andTRAI.

    Though TRAI had mandated a-la-carte availability of broadcast TV channels across the value chain, including subscribers, the a-la-carte tariff is presently structured in such a manner that makes it devoid of value proposition vis-à-vis bundled offerings,TRAI highlighted in its January paper (available at http://www.trai.gov.in/WriteReadData/ConsultationPaper/Document/CP_Tariff_issues_29_Jan_2016_final.pdf ), adding consumer was the “ultimate sufferer” ending up receiving hundreds of TV channels many of which remain confined to his STB and never viewed.

    ALSO READ: TRAI releases consultation paper on tariff issues for TV services

    ALSO READ: TRAI allows more time for reactions on QoS methodology under DAS

  • TRAI may moot MRP for bouquet TV channels; no price cap on unbundled premium products

    TRAI may moot MRP for bouquet TV channels; no price cap on unbundled premium products

    MUMBAI: Broadcast carriage regulator Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) has lined up a slew of draft guidelines relating to tariff, quality of service and interconnections, including proposing maximum retail price (MRP) for channels being bundled in genre-wise bouquets, freeing unbundled premium channels of  price caps and reining in the last mile cable operator (LCO) from breaching revenue-gravy trail.

    The draft recommendations, outcome of several consultation papers issued by TRAI over the last 12 months, could be discussed in a meeting that the regulator likely to have on Wednesday with stakeholders. Representatives of organisations like All-India Digital Cable Federation (AIDCF), Indian Broadcasting Foundation (IBF) and Ministry of Information and Broadcasting (MIB) are likely to be part of the meeting.

    Other topics for discussion at this meeting may revolve aroundanalogue tariffs to be levied in phase III and phase IV areas until sunset dates.

    Sources in TRAI indicated the regulator is in favour of introducing MRP for TV channels that broadcasters offer in a bouquet to MSOs so the prices could be conveyed to a consumer in a transparent manner for him to make an empowered choice.

    Though broadcasting companies do submit annually a-la-carte rates of their respective channels to TRAI, the regulator is of the opinion that a consumer doesn’t ultimately get to choose the channel of his choice transparently.

    How will the MRP be fixed? TRAI feels that the broadcasters should convey the price themselves as they were the best judge of their products and the same would be conveyed to the consumer. Or, the regulator could moot a formula for fixing the MRP.

    Fully aware that such measures could be termed restrictive and intrusive by industry players, TRAI is likely to dangle sops and suggest that broadcasters were free to price a premium channel at any level, but such channels cannot be part of any bouquet or bundling.

    The draft proposals, being fine-tuned by TRAI officials, are likely to be put out in public domain over the next 7-10 days. As these guidelines pertain to carriage services, the regulator can notify them itself. The likely date from which they would come into effect is April 2017. Unless, of course, somebody moves the court challenging the guidelines.

    Apart from these, TRAI is also toying with the idea of introducing an app with the help of which a consumer can get a TV channel from his distribution platform operator (DPO) after furnishing details like area of residence and area service provider’s name. The details will be get forwarded to the DPO concerned for further action.

    TRAI feels that with over 90 per cent of the areas in Phase 1, II and III already receiving digitised TV services, there would be no dearth of opportunities even if the sunset date of December 2016 for Phase IV or complete digitisation gets pushed by few months into 2017.

    In its consultation paper, issued in January 2016, TRAI had stated broadcast industry in India had been driven largely by satellite TV distribution business and unorganized growth of cable TV. During the early days, broadcasters were directly dealing with the cable operators who aggregated and carried broadcast TV services to end users. The distribution model was, according to the regulator, heavily skewed towards advertisement-driven revenues due to difficulties in maintaining transparency in the flow of subscription revenues across the analog value chain, which have become more transparent with the rollout of digital services or digitisation pushed by MIB andTRAI.

    Though TRAI had mandated a-la-carte availability of broadcast TV channels across the value chain, including subscribers, the a-la-carte tariff is presently structured in such a manner that makes it devoid of value proposition vis-à-vis bundled offerings,TRAI highlighted in its January paper (available at http://www.trai.gov.in/WriteReadData/ConsultationPaper/Document/CP_Tariff_issues_29_Jan_2016_final.pdf ), adding consumer was the “ultimate sufferer” ending up receiving hundreds of TV channels many of which remain confined to his STB and never viewed.

    ALSO READ: TRAI releases consultation paper on tariff issues for TV services

    ALSO READ: TRAI allows more time for reactions on QoS methodology under DAS

  • Shareholders to meet on 15 Oct for Hathway demerger approval

    Shareholders to meet on 15 Oct for Hathway demerger approval

    MUMBAI: The court has convened meeting of Hathway Cable and Datacom Ltd equity shareholders and Hathway Broadband Private Limited and their respective shareholders and creditors on 15 October, 2016, in Mumbai.

    The meeting is for the purpose of considering and, if thought fit, approving with or without modification(s), the demerger of the broadband business of Hathway Cable and its transfer to Hathway Broadband, Ajay Singh, head, legal, company secretary and chief compliance officer, at Hathway Cable, stated in a communiqué to the BSE and the NSE.

    The court appointed Jagdiskumar G. Pillai, Hathway Cable managing director and CEO, to be the chairman of the said meeting. The voting period begins on 11 0ctober, 2016 , at 10.00 am and ends on Friday, 14 0ctober, 2016, at 5.00 pm. Himanshu S. Kamdar, practicing company secretary, has been appointed as the scrutinizer. The results shall be declared on 17 0ctober, 2016.

    The proposed demerger of the ISP Business (defined below) from Hathway Cable to Hathway Broadband may happen upon payment of Rs. 98.05 crore by the latter to the former. The plan is to demerge the ISP Business from Hathway Cable and transfer it to vest in Hathway Broadband.

    Hathway Cable is a multi-system operator (MSO) engaged in the business of distribution of television channels. Hathway Broadband is a private limited company incorporated under the Companies Act, and a wholly owned subsidiary of Hathway Cable.

  • Shareholders to meet on 15 Oct for Hathway demerger approval

    Shareholders to meet on 15 Oct for Hathway demerger approval

    MUMBAI: The court has convened meeting of Hathway Cable and Datacom Ltd equity shareholders and Hathway Broadband Private Limited and their respective shareholders and creditors on 15 October, 2016, in Mumbai.

    The meeting is for the purpose of considering and, if thought fit, approving with or without modification(s), the demerger of the broadband business of Hathway Cable and its transfer to Hathway Broadband, Ajay Singh, head, legal, company secretary and chief compliance officer, at Hathway Cable, stated in a communiqué to the BSE and the NSE.

    The court appointed Jagdiskumar G. Pillai, Hathway Cable managing director and CEO, to be the chairman of the said meeting. The voting period begins on 11 0ctober, 2016 , at 10.00 am and ends on Friday, 14 0ctober, 2016, at 5.00 pm. Himanshu S. Kamdar, practicing company secretary, has been appointed as the scrutinizer. The results shall be declared on 17 0ctober, 2016.

    The proposed demerger of the ISP Business (defined below) from Hathway Cable to Hathway Broadband may happen upon payment of Rs. 98.05 crore by the latter to the former. The plan is to demerge the ISP Business from Hathway Cable and transfer it to vest in Hathway Broadband.

    Hathway Cable is a multi-system operator (MSO) engaged in the business of distribution of television channels. Hathway Broadband is a private limited company incorporated under the Companies Act, and a wholly owned subsidiary of Hathway Cable.

  • Two more DAS cases put off to Oct. in Delhi HC

    Two more DAS cases put off to Oct. in Delhi HC

    NEW DELHI: Two more cases related to Phase III of digital addressable systems (DAS) – filed by Om Systems of Mumbai and Digiana – have been moved to be heard on 5 October  2016 by the Delhi High Court.

    Justice Sanjeev Sanchdeva was scheduled to hear these matters on Tuesday but, as
    13 September was a holiday, the two cases were put off to next month and will be heard with other cases slated for that day next month.

    Earlier, on 7 September 2016, the first batch of a large number of cases related to DAS had been put off to 5 October 2016 as the single bench did not assemble after lunch.

    As a result, the application by the Indian Broadcasting Foundation (IBF) for being impleaded in the case also did not come up for hearing.

    The cases that were listed on 7 September included those filed by Rohtak Cable Operators’ Association, Andhra Pradesh MSOs Welfare Federation, Multi System Operators’ Welfare Association, Sai Big Star Welfare Association, Sree Devi Digital Systems, Federation of Telangana MSO, DEN Manoranjan Satellite, Victory Digital, Sri Chowdeshwary Cable Network, Shyam Baba Cable Network, Panchajanya Media, Bharat Digital Cable Network and Yogesh Cable Networks.

    On 8 September, a notice was issued to the Union of India (Ministry of
    Information) on five petitions relating to the stay orders on Phase III of DAS that came before a bench of Chief Justice G Rohini and Justice Ms Sangita Dhingra Sehgal who adjourned the matters to 26 September 2016.

    These related to Radiant Digitek Networks Pvt Ltd, Rajasthan Cable Operators Foundation, Nasik Zilla Cable Operator Association, Indusind Media and Communication Ltd, and Bhima Riddhi Digital Services. While the first two are against Union of India, the other three are against the State of Maharashtra.

    The Supreme Court had, on 1 April, 2016, accepted the plea of the Central Government that “it would be just and proper for this Court to withdraw all those cases  pending in  different High Courts and transfer the same to Delhi  High Court.”

    A total of 62 cases had been filed by multi-system operators (MSOs) in various courts in the country for extension in the deadline of Phase lll that was supposed to have ended on 31 December 2015. Out of these 62 cases, 12 cases had been disposed off by respective courts and three cases had been withdrawn by the petitioners.

    Notice issued to Union of India on five DAS Phase III petitions

    Hearing of DAS cases in Delhi HC put off to Oct

     

  • Two more DAS cases put off to Oct. in Delhi HC

    Two more DAS cases put off to Oct. in Delhi HC

    NEW DELHI: Two more cases related to Phase III of digital addressable systems (DAS) – filed by Om Systems of Mumbai and Digiana – have been moved to be heard on 5 October  2016 by the Delhi High Court.

    Justice Sanjeev Sanchdeva was scheduled to hear these matters on Tuesday but, as
    13 September was a holiday, the two cases were put off to next month and will be heard with other cases slated for that day next month.

    Earlier, on 7 September 2016, the first batch of a large number of cases related to DAS had been put off to 5 October 2016 as the single bench did not assemble after lunch.

    As a result, the application by the Indian Broadcasting Foundation (IBF) for being impleaded in the case also did not come up for hearing.

    The cases that were listed on 7 September included those filed by Rohtak Cable Operators’ Association, Andhra Pradesh MSOs Welfare Federation, Multi System Operators’ Welfare Association, Sai Big Star Welfare Association, Sree Devi Digital Systems, Federation of Telangana MSO, DEN Manoranjan Satellite, Victory Digital, Sri Chowdeshwary Cable Network, Shyam Baba Cable Network, Panchajanya Media, Bharat Digital Cable Network and Yogesh Cable Networks.

    On 8 September, a notice was issued to the Union of India (Ministry of
    Information) on five petitions relating to the stay orders on Phase III of DAS that came before a bench of Chief Justice G Rohini and Justice Ms Sangita Dhingra Sehgal who adjourned the matters to 26 September 2016.

    These related to Radiant Digitek Networks Pvt Ltd, Rajasthan Cable Operators Foundation, Nasik Zilla Cable Operator Association, Indusind Media and Communication Ltd, and Bhima Riddhi Digital Services. While the first two are against Union of India, the other three are against the State of Maharashtra.

    The Supreme Court had, on 1 April, 2016, accepted the plea of the Central Government that “it would be just and proper for this Court to withdraw all those cases  pending in  different High Courts and transfer the same to Delhi  High Court.”

    A total of 62 cases had been filed by multi-system operators (MSOs) in various courts in the country for extension in the deadline of Phase lll that was supposed to have ended on 31 December 2015. Out of these 62 cases, 12 cases had been disposed off by respective courts and three cases had been withdrawn by the petitioners.

    Notice issued to Union of India on five DAS Phase III petitions

    Hearing of DAS cases in Delhi HC put off to Oct

     

  • Jawhar Sircar sets 12-point action plan before early retirement

    Jawhar Sircar sets 12-point action plan before early retirement

    NEW DELHI: Prasar Bharati Chief Executive Officer Jawhar Sircar wants to ride into the sunset slightly before his tenure ends officially first quarter 2017, but in his trademark  style — feisty, frank and fearless — has started a raging debate in media and political circles nevertheless.

    “No, I have not threatened to quit (but) have just expressed a desire to relinquish (duties) a few months before tenure (ends). I do not see any controversy in that,” Sircar told indiantelevision.com.

    Sources in Ministry of Information and Broadcasting (MIB) confirmed on Sunday that Sircar has not resigned yet, but has informally expressed desire to leave Prasar Bharati few months before his five-year tenure ends officially early 2017.

    A source in Prasar Bharati, while agreeing with the MIB line, informed this website that Sircar has drawn a 12-point list of things he would like to accomplish before relinquishing office. The source, however, declined to spell out the action points.

    Interestingly, in a Facebook post on his timeline Saturday, Sircar did say that he wants to go from Prasar Bharat, also alluding to the time-frame. “Since news is out today: I will clarify. I hope to be back in Kolkata by NOV. After 41+ years (of) service, I want to retire: just to read, write and relate,” he wrote. One presumes by NOV, he mean November of 2016.
    Sircar, who took office in mid-February 2012 and has been at odds at times with MIB and even the Prasar Bharati Board, told  indiantelevision.com, “The Information and Broadcasting Ministry and Prasar Bharati Board are in sync and supportive…. No issues there.”

    public://ScreenShot of Jawhar Sircar FB Post.jpg

    Pointing out that the present MIB Secretary Ajay Mittal had been “supportive” as also his immediate predecessor, Sunil Arora, who’s now an advisor to Prasar Bharati, Sircar described the speculation regarding his quitting the pubcaster as “playing in non-troubled waters”.

    According to the feisty former bureaucrat, relationship with MIB “improved dramatically” after Arora took over as Secretary in 2014.

    On being asked about the media reports and resultant debate on his quitting Prasar Bharati as he was “tired”, Sircar cryptically said he had not wanted to speak to anyone but was compelled to reply to some “charged SMS from some newspersons” when he was in Benaras or Varanasi recently. He refused to elaborate any further.

    A go-getter bureaucrat who took retirement from active government service to take up the top, but challenging, job at India’s pubcaster, managing Doordarshan and All India Radio (AIR), Sircar had told indiantelevision.com few months back in an interview that Prasar Bharti’s “monopolistic-era mind-set had to change” if it has to make itself relevant in today’s vastly changed India broadcasting scenario or come anywhere near BBC’s standards.

    Not only critical of his own Board of Directors, Sircar had, from time to time, taken on the political establishment too in India, accusing it of using Prasar Bharati as a fiefdom for government propaganda.

    In recent times, he has been criticised within Prasar Bharati for proposing to auction time-slots on DD to gain good programming and additional revenue. However, due to bureaucracy and vested interests at play, the scheme failed to get the desired results, failing to take off in the first place.

    Still, Sircar has been able to break new grounds and introduce digital technologies and cut down obsolescence at Prasar Bharat. He has also given a new push to digitization of the huge archives of AIR and DD and has received three awards for this in three years.

    He has also been elected as Vice-President of the world’s largest public broadcasting service TV and radio organization, Asia Pacific Broadcasting Union, on which 67 nations are represented.

    Sircar’s name had been cleared after a three-member selection panel in 2012, headed by Vice-President Hamid Ansari and comprising the Press Council of India Chairman and MIB Secretary, recommended his name for the CEO’s post at Prasar Bharati. The appointment of the CEO is done by the President of India on the recommendation of the selection panel, which will, probably, have to start deliberations soon.

    Born on 22 March 1952, Sircar belongs to the 1975 batch of Indian Administrative Service from West Bengal. After the retirement of MIB Secretary Raghu Menon in September 2011, Sircar had been asked to hold additional charge of the ministry as a stop-gap measure, apart from his Secretary’s responsibilities at the Culture Ministry.

    Sircar holds two post-graduate degrees in Ancient Indian History and Culture and in Sociology with Social Anthropology. He has served at various senior positions in the Central and State Governments.

    Sircar is actively associated with several cultural and academic bodies like the Asiatic Society, Victoria Memorial, Centre for Archaeological Studies, Kolkata Museum of Modern Art and the Indian Anthropological Society. He took the lead in establishing the annual Kolkata Film Festival as an international event and has published several articles and research papers on history, culture and society. In the last decade, he has focused his research on specific aspects of popular culture, folk religion and on the development of socio-religious identities.

    Sircar studied at St Xavier’s School, Presidency College and Calcutta University in Kolkata and at the Universities of Cambridge and Sussex.

    ALSO READ:

    Prasar Bharati’s monopolistic-era mind-set has to change: CEO Jawhar Sircar

     

     

  • Jawhar Sircar sets 12-point action plan before early retirement

    Jawhar Sircar sets 12-point action plan before early retirement

    NEW DELHI: Prasar Bharati Chief Executive Officer Jawhar Sircar wants to ride into the sunset slightly before his tenure ends officially first quarter 2017, but in his trademark  style — feisty, frank and fearless — has started a raging debate in media and political circles nevertheless.

    “No, I have not threatened to quit (but) have just expressed a desire to relinquish (duties) a few months before tenure (ends). I do not see any controversy in that,” Sircar told indiantelevision.com.

    Sources in Ministry of Information and Broadcasting (MIB) confirmed on Sunday that Sircar has not resigned yet, but has informally expressed desire to leave Prasar Bharati few months before his five-year tenure ends officially early 2017.

    A source in Prasar Bharati, while agreeing with the MIB line, informed this website that Sircar has drawn a 12-point list of things he would like to accomplish before relinquishing office. The source, however, declined to spell out the action points.

    Interestingly, in a Facebook post on his timeline Saturday, Sircar did say that he wants to go from Prasar Bharat, also alluding to the time-frame. “Since news is out today: I will clarify. I hope to be back in Kolkata by NOV. After 41+ years (of) service, I want to retire: just to read, write and relate,” he wrote. One presumes by NOV, he mean November of 2016.
    Sircar, who took office in mid-February 2012 and has been at odds at times with MIB and even the Prasar Bharati Board, told  indiantelevision.com, “The Information and Broadcasting Ministry and Prasar Bharati Board are in sync and supportive…. No issues there.”

    public://ScreenShot of Jawhar Sircar FB Post.jpg

    Pointing out that the present MIB Secretary Ajay Mittal had been “supportive” as also his immediate predecessor, Sunil Arora, who’s now an advisor to Prasar Bharati, Sircar described the speculation regarding his quitting the pubcaster as “playing in non-troubled waters”.

    According to the feisty former bureaucrat, relationship with MIB “improved dramatically” after Arora took over as Secretary in 2014.

    On being asked about the media reports and resultant debate on his quitting Prasar Bharati as he was “tired”, Sircar cryptically said he had not wanted to speak to anyone but was compelled to reply to some “charged SMS from some newspersons” when he was in Benaras or Varanasi recently. He refused to elaborate any further.

    A go-getter bureaucrat who took retirement from active government service to take up the top, but challenging, job at India’s pubcaster, managing Doordarshan and All India Radio (AIR), Sircar had told indiantelevision.com few months back in an interview that Prasar Bharti’s “monopolistic-era mind-set had to change” if it has to make itself relevant in today’s vastly changed India broadcasting scenario or come anywhere near BBC’s standards.

    Not only critical of his own Board of Directors, Sircar had, from time to time, taken on the political establishment too in India, accusing it of using Prasar Bharati as a fiefdom for government propaganda.

    In recent times, he has been criticised within Prasar Bharati for proposing to auction time-slots on DD to gain good programming and additional revenue. However, due to bureaucracy and vested interests at play, the scheme failed to get the desired results, failing to take off in the first place.

    Still, Sircar has been able to break new grounds and introduce digital technologies and cut down obsolescence at Prasar Bharat. He has also given a new push to digitization of the huge archives of AIR and DD and has received three awards for this in three years.

    He has also been elected as Vice-President of the world’s largest public broadcasting service TV and radio organization, Asia Pacific Broadcasting Union, on which 67 nations are represented.

    Sircar’s name had been cleared after a three-member selection panel in 2012, headed by Vice-President Hamid Ansari and comprising the Press Council of India Chairman and MIB Secretary, recommended his name for the CEO’s post at Prasar Bharati. The appointment of the CEO is done by the President of India on the recommendation of the selection panel, which will, probably, have to start deliberations soon.

    Born on 22 March 1952, Sircar belongs to the 1975 batch of Indian Administrative Service from West Bengal. After the retirement of MIB Secretary Raghu Menon in September 2011, Sircar had been asked to hold additional charge of the ministry as a stop-gap measure, apart from his Secretary’s responsibilities at the Culture Ministry.

    Sircar holds two post-graduate degrees in Ancient Indian History and Culture and in Sociology with Social Anthropology. He has served at various senior positions in the Central and State Governments.

    Sircar is actively associated with several cultural and academic bodies like the Asiatic Society, Victoria Memorial, Centre for Archaeological Studies, Kolkata Museum of Modern Art and the Indian Anthropological Society. He took the lead in establishing the annual Kolkata Film Festival as an international event and has published several articles and research papers on history, culture and society. In the last decade, he has focused his research on specific aspects of popular culture, folk religion and on the development of socio-religious identities.

    Sircar studied at St Xavier’s School, Presidency College and Calcutta University in Kolkata and at the Universities of Cambridge and Sussex.

    ALSO READ:

    Prasar Bharati’s monopolistic-era mind-set has to change: CEO Jawhar Sircar

     

     

  • DAS Phase IV: IBF asked to up campaign in addition to MIB ads

    DAS Phase IV: IBF asked to up campaign in addition to MIB ads

    NEW DELHI: Digitisation of Indian TV homes, thought to be the panacea for many ills afflicting the broadcasting and cable eco-system, may have slowed down in recent times, but the government is earnest in adhering to deadlines and has sought active involvement of industry bodies like the IBF and other stakeholders in pushing digitisation in laggard States through aggressive consumer education.

    At a meeting of the Task Force on Digital Addressable System (DAS) here yesterday, Ministry of Information and Broadcasting (MIB) conveyed to all concerned that deadlines and goals posts would not be moved, even while it requested the Indian broadcasting Foundation (IBF) to be more pro-active in educating consumers and stakeholders about digitisation.

    Reports submitted by the various States on the progress with regard to the implementation of DAS in Phase IV showed that Rajasthan, Bihar and Jharkhand were the three most backward states as far as digitisation go.

    The DAS Task Force meeting, held under the chairmanship of new MIB Additional Secretary Jayashree Mukherjee, was told by representative from Uttar Pradesh that cable operators in some districts had complained that digital signals were not available. MIB sought details so that the issue could be examined and resolved.

    Representatives of most other States present at the meeting reported satisfactory progress and claimed they were on track.

    The meeting, which was also addressed by MIB Advisor (DAS) Yogendra Pal and Joint Secretary (Broadcasting) Sanjay Murthy, was apprised by representatives of broadcasters that they had stepped up publicity to create awareness about DAS in the Phase IV areas.

    Phase IV areas, needing approximately 75 million set-top boxes (STBs) as per industry estimates, mostly comprise rural India’s smaller hamlets and towns where selling the idea of digitisation and getting a STB at home itself is considered a challenging task by LCOs, MSOs and other stakeholders.

    Keeping this in mind, IBF was asked by the MIB to shoot off more publicity campaigns in addition to those given by the Ministry so that outreach initiatives could be stepped up further to reach the targeted segments.
    Joint-secretary Murthy apprised those present at the meeting that court cases related to DAS were coming up for hearing before the Delhi High Court early September 2016 and expressed the hope that the court would give a positive decision on the matter quickly.

    Meanwhile, advisor Pal asked MSOs to ensure that inter-connect agreements are signed with the broadcasters as MIB and the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) had reiterated. The Telecom Disputes Settlement and Appellate Tribunal (TDSAT) too had held that no signals could be supplied until proper inter-connect agreements were in place.

    The MSOs were asked to approach TRAI if they were facing any difficulty in arriving at agreements with broadcasters and LCOs.
    Mukherjee and Pal reiterated that there was no question of putting off the deadline of 31 December 2015 for Phase III as far as the government was concerned.

    The government reiterated that digitization of cable TV systems in the entire country would be — and should be — completed by 31 December 2016.

  • DAS Phase IV: IBF asked to up campaign in addition to MIB ads

    DAS Phase IV: IBF asked to up campaign in addition to MIB ads

    NEW DELHI: Digitisation of Indian TV homes, thought to be the panacea for many ills afflicting the broadcasting and cable eco-system, may have slowed down in recent times, but the government is earnest in adhering to deadlines and has sought active involvement of industry bodies like the IBF and other stakeholders in pushing digitisation in laggard States through aggressive consumer education.

    At a meeting of the Task Force on Digital Addressable System (DAS) here yesterday, Ministry of Information and Broadcasting (MIB) conveyed to all concerned that deadlines and goals posts would not be moved, even while it requested the Indian broadcasting Foundation (IBF) to be more pro-active in educating consumers and stakeholders about digitisation.

    Reports submitted by the various States on the progress with regard to the implementation of DAS in Phase IV showed that Rajasthan, Bihar and Jharkhand were the three most backward states as far as digitisation go.

    The DAS Task Force meeting, held under the chairmanship of new MIB Additional Secretary Jayashree Mukherjee, was told by representative from Uttar Pradesh that cable operators in some districts had complained that digital signals were not available. MIB sought details so that the issue could be examined and resolved.

    Representatives of most other States present at the meeting reported satisfactory progress and claimed they were on track.

    The meeting, which was also addressed by MIB Advisor (DAS) Yogendra Pal and Joint Secretary (Broadcasting) Sanjay Murthy, was apprised by representatives of broadcasters that they had stepped up publicity to create awareness about DAS in the Phase IV areas.

    Phase IV areas, needing approximately 75 million set-top boxes (STBs) as per industry estimates, mostly comprise rural India’s smaller hamlets and towns where selling the idea of digitisation and getting a STB at home itself is considered a challenging task by LCOs, MSOs and other stakeholders.

    Keeping this in mind, IBF was asked by the MIB to shoot off more publicity campaigns in addition to those given by the Ministry so that outreach initiatives could be stepped up further to reach the targeted segments.
    Joint-secretary Murthy apprised those present at the meeting that court cases related to DAS were coming up for hearing before the Delhi High Court early September 2016 and expressed the hope that the court would give a positive decision on the matter quickly.

    Meanwhile, advisor Pal asked MSOs to ensure that inter-connect agreements are signed with the broadcasters as MIB and the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) had reiterated. The Telecom Disputes Settlement and Appellate Tribunal (TDSAT) too had held that no signals could be supplied until proper inter-connect agreements were in place.

    The MSOs were asked to approach TRAI if they were facing any difficulty in arriving at agreements with broadcasters and LCOs.
    Mukherjee and Pal reiterated that there was no question of putting off the deadline of 31 December 2015 for Phase III as far as the government was concerned.

    The government reiterated that digitization of cable TV systems in the entire country would be — and should be — completed by 31 December 2016.