ITV

Tag: NGO

  • Zee Kannada’s kerchief campaign draws good response

    Zee Kannada’s kerchief campaign draws good response

    MUMBAI: The handkerchief signature campaign on Zee Kannada is said to have drawn a good response from people across the country.

    The campaign was kicked off by Essel Group and Zee Network chairman Subhash Chandra signing the first handkerchief followed by Chief Minister H D Kumarswamy, Deputy Chief Minister B S Yediyurappa, other personalities in the state such as Home Minister M P Prakash, Infosys Member of the Board & Director HR Mohandas Pai, Jain Group of Institutions chairman, Chenraj Jain state artiste Umashree and swimmer Nisha Millet amongst others who wanted to express their solidarity with the Indian cricket team by signing wishes on their handkerchiefs.

    Zee Kannada’s ‘Handkerchief Signature Campaign’ team has been traveling across Karnataka collecting wishes to be passed on to the Indian players.

    The channel has already received good response from several schools, colleges, NGOs, institutes for the physically challenged, malls, theatres and Government offices.

  • ‘B’cast pros will benefit from tec choices at Expo’ : AS Guin – Engineer-in-chief at AIR and president, BES

    ‘B’cast pros will benefit from tec choices at Expo’ : AS Guin – Engineer-in-chief at AIR and president, BES

    The NGO Broadcast Engineers Society is holding its 13th Expo this year from February 1 to February 3 at Delhi’s Pragati Maidan. It is a much larger exposition this year, and with the government setting the cut-off date for digitalisation, will showcase technology options. Possibly the most socially significant technology presented will be the low-band community radio system, supported by Unesco.

     

    Indiantelevision.com’s Sujit Chakraborty met AS Guin, engineer-in-chief at AIR and president, BES, to find out what’s on offer this year.

     

    Excerpts:

    The BES Expo is just a few days away. What are the new things expected this year?

    There are many changes in respect to last year. The participation has grown manifold and instead of the earlier venue of Hotel Taj Palace, as in 2006, this year we have to shift to a much larger arena, the Pragati Maidan, which gives us 20 per cent additional space.

    In terms of revenue, what is BES’ business model?

    Here too, there will be a 20 per cent rise in receipts. There will be 16 new companies who will take part for the first time. BES depends mainly on revenue from the exhibitions and membership. We have 1,600 members across the country, and we expect the number to grow further next year. We have to cut some of the costs, but then we also plan to start an educational programme, which will be no-loss, no-profit.

    What are the major technological windows that you wish to open this time?

    The biggest is of course the community radio solutions and mobile TV and radio. These would be most important in terms of both business and community service, with local NGOs being able to broadcast on their own radio, with all the support of AIR experts. Even our retired engineering staff is willing to offer their services free to persons willing to set up local channels.

     

    As I told you, we have 1,600 members across the country and they give us a tremendous outreach to help spread the low-band community radio movement. We are very excited about this programme, which will be a prime exhibit this year.

    Who all are supporting this event?

    The event is supported by the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting , Government of India, and endorsed by International Association of Broadcasting Manufacturers and also by Prasar Bharati, Asian Broadcasting Union, UNESCO, IGNOU and Department of Information Technology, Government of India.

     

    UNESCO is going to showcase its low-cost technological innovations and is with us at BES EXPO 2007, and will push forward the community radio programme. They are going to present suitcase radio, hand-wound sets (which need no battery or electricity to run) solar-powered FM transmitters, and other radio equipment compatible with Indian conditions.

     

    They will also set up in their stall a community multi-media centre, including radio, internet, and content networking programme, with live content programming.

    Many private sportscasters have announced their mobile programmes and one is running already, but these show snaps only. So how is your system going to be different?

    No, ours will be a full streaming. This will not be clips. In fact, this will completely shift prime time to office time, with people seeing DD or hearing AIR news and programmes on their way to office. These will not be clips, but as you see or hear news.
    ‘New technology will always remain in the public domain, because of the sheer scale of operational costs, which the private sector would find very difficult to match‘

    Is this Prasar Bharati’s own technology?

    There is technology available in Europe and the US. The latter is using the MediaFlo. technology and Europe is using DVB-H. MediaFlo is a proprietary system, while DVB-H is an open system. An expert committee constituted by the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting has recommended DVB-H .With Secretary level approval a final decision is still awaited.

    What are the technical and operational differences in the two?

    DVB-H is IP-based and an open platform, where as MediaFlo has proprietary elements MediaFlo has less channel switching time than DVB-H. Both employ battery-saving techniques. They have different encoding and modulation schemes.

    What is the delay, and how long would it take?

    The proposal has been sent to the Planning Commission, which will study it and will have to sanction money. This could take eight to 10 months.

    What will be the outcome of the event?

    Broadcast professionals will be highly benefited in enhancing their knowledge about emerging broadcast technologies and also have a look and feel of new broadcast equipment systems in the exhibition. It will help the broadcast planners to choose viable and right technologies for their digitalisation plans.

    You have said that AIR and DD will turn digital during the 11th Plan. What is the cost you are looking at?

    For AIR, we have asked for something like Rs 5,900 crore and for DD another Rs 6,000 crore. But these are very large sums of money and chances are we might not get it all during the 11th Plan itself. But even if we get something like half of this, we could go digital and AIR could have seven digital channels. The output would be almost FM quality.

    Would these channels be available on the normal radio sets we use today?

    No, that technology is not available so far and even in the west, it is very costly, about $80 for a digital radio handset.New technology will always remain in the public domain, because of the sheer scale of operational costs, which the private sector would find very difficult to match.

     

    This will completely take away perhaps the only joy of millions of poor Indians who are totally dependent on AIR for news and entertainment, besides the public services as on health and agricultural advice. Well, the decision to go digital, across the world, has been taken, so this will have to happen. In any case the cut-off date set by the government for transition from analogue to digital is 2015. But then, as demand goes up, the prices will come down. A normal radio handset now costs Rs 200, and these sets will cost something like Rs 500, at the most, with cheaper technology coming in. But do remember that the audience will have a choice of seven channels.

    Any other benefits on offer for this costly technology?

    Interactive broadcasts and a number of value-added services will be possible. Well, one of the most important things will be the pro-active role AIR will get to play in disaster management. We will introduce a system all across the channels on the coastal belts, which will be integrated with the early warning systems. Thus, whenever an early warning is triggered off the computer linkage with the radio stations will ensure that the channel would automatically switch over to transmitting the warning, with the ongoing programme switched off. Once the warning has been issued, the radio station would switch over to the normal ongoing programme. This will give a huge lead time for people to evacuate.

    How do you see prices coming down?

    Take the example of DTH. When it started the companies were asking for Rs 5,000 per dish, but we are now giving our DTH, DD Direct Plus at Rs 1,200. So this depends on two things, content and demand.

    Who are you looking to as technical collaborators?

    You see, the US has HD radio, and Korea uses DMB but that’s mostly for TV. China uses DRM technology for external services. We have spoken with China about DRM .It has shown a keen interest and once the two countries collaborate, the prices of receivers would dramatically come down. China would have to collaborate to set up factories in India, because if we have to import, prices would be very high.

    What are the network plans?

    The digitalisation process would start with all the studios. It would be the Short Wave transmissions that would go digital first. Each state capital would have one Short Wave transmitter and there will be three transmission complexes with five transmitters per complex for national digital radio coverage. These complexes will be suitably located., Each complex will transmit five digital channels across the country, including regional language channels. This will mean that these channels will be accessible across the country. So, a Bengali in Mumbai would not have a problem if he wishes to hear All India Radio Kolkata.

    Being a public broadcaster, how do you think the private players would match your line of thinking?

    Interestingly, I think that introduction of new technology will always remain in the public domain, due to the sheer scale of operations and costs that private enterprise would find it difficult to match. This is a Plan expenditure with government support. Only after it is introduced in the country will public private participation happen. For example, the private players have invested a huge amount in Phase 1 and 2 of FM, which is in the analogue mode. AIR is proposing digital FM in the near future, using DRM+, or DAB or HD Radio technology. But forget replacing the existing transmitters, even initial investment will not be easy for the private entrepreneurs, unless the receivers for digital broadcasting become low cost and catch the imagination of the public.

  • Rakshanda Khan, Ranvir Shorey to run the marathon to support a cause Make-A-Wish Foundation of India

    MUMBAI: The Standard Chartered Mumbai Marathon 07′ will witness 57 Make-A-Wish volunteers, staff members and supporters participating in the 6 km Dream Run, endorsing one of the most unique causes – granting wishes of children suffering from life-threatening illnesses.

    The group will be led by the Founder Trustee Mr. Uday Joshi and his wife Mrs. Gita Joshi. Encouraging Make-A-Wish Foundation’s 1 st attempt at the Marathon, are three well-known names – Ms. Rakshanda Khan, Mr. Ranvir Shorey and Mr. Rajat Kapoor.

     

    Looking forward to the occasion, Founder Trustee – Make-A-Wish Foundation ® of India, Mr. Uday Joshi enthused, “We are very excited about being a part of this world renowned event. We invite more people to come forward and be a part of our cause and help us spread smiles on the faces of many more children.”

     

    Rakshanda Khan, who is equally touched by the cause, says, ” I am glad to be running for Make-A-Wish Foundation® of India, an NGO that fulfills the cherished wishes of children suffering from life-threatening illnesses. It is a cause very close to my heart and I urge you all to show solidarity in furthering this noble cause of Make-A-Wish Foundation ®.” Mr. Shorey echoed similar sentiments.

  • ‘A revolutionary year that was also one of the government’s total failure to control the broadcasters’

    ‘A revolutionary year that was also one of the government’s total failure to control the broadcasters’

    After working for decades on the analogue system, 2007 was a huge learning year. Whether from the regulator or from the ministry’s side, or from the Prime Minister’s Office, this was a revolutionary year.

    The major thing, of course, was the implementation of CAS, though implementation was partial, but this implementation was a slap on the face of people who put in all their efforts to derail it. More than anyone else, even more than the broadcasters, the ones who tried their level best to stop CAS were the distributors of the MSOs.

    Broadcasters and distributors both lose out if CAS comes in, and the broadcasters are hit because they are earning both from subscription as well as advertisement, and now SMS revenue stream.

    One of the ugliest efforts for derailing CAS this year was the press conference and the false survey report shown by a section of the NGO called VOICE. They said 70 per cent of the CAS subscribers wanted to go back to the old ways, but now it is clear that the so-called survey had been sponsored by a broadcaster and everyone knows who that is.

    It is the advertisers who would have gained because as of now they do not know where their money is going and where they should actually put that in, and SMS in CAS regime would tell the real story. This is why various advertiser groups have come in support of Cas.

    From the content side, again this was a very important year. The viewers were very unhappy with news content and the government tried to do something but eventually failed.

    All these news broadcasters are launching channels every day not to inform the people but to have more and more power, sometimes using that power to blackmail politicians and officials. There is an attempt to capture the media and have clout. If they were serious news people, then one broadcaster would not launch two or three news channels. They are also now launching regional news channels because they want to capture power area-wise and rule there. Apart from earning money, they want to control the mindset of the people.

    The government’s attempts to control these news channels failed miserably because the channels formed a strong lobby against the Content Code suggested by the government. This shows that the government is able to control only the farmer or the last mile operator, the cablewallah. Because as per the Cable Act, only the LMO will be targeted, whether it is for programming content that is unacceptable or the advertisements shown, over which last mile has no control.

    The LMOs do not have too much money, so they lose out in courts because they cannot hire top lawyers, and they cannot lobby with the government because they are not always qualified people or have a political clout. That is why they are the least heard, but this year, that is one big thing that has happened: the government, whether in the ministry or Telecom Regulatory Authority have at least started hearing us. I will tell you how.

    One of the most dangerous things that happened in this year is the total vertical integration of companies who have a finger in all the pies, being broadcasters, running MSOs, getting into DTH, IPTV and mobile TV. The government has failed to take steps against this monopolisation. Their officers are trying but the politicians are not allowing this.

    But two very important positives things happened this year, and if we have not started running, we have taken a few right steps. We are trying to control the broadcasters through some NGOs, and the government has started listening to us. They may not be doing much, but they are surely listening.

    One is the Content Code, and the second is digitalisation, which will help people watch more and more channels. The PMO has formed a committee on digitalisation. The other good thing is that the I&B ministry is trying its best to bring down the duties on the equipment, though finance ministry is not in a mood to listen.

  • Trai to revisit consultation paper on IPTV

    Trai to revisit consultation paper on IPTV

    MUMBAI: The Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (Trai) will ‘revisit’ the consultation paper on IPTV (Internet Protocol Television) to examine the legal changes which might be required, Trai chairman Nripendra Misra said today.

    Speaking to reporters on the sidelines of the Asia Pacific Telecommunications (APT) and ICT Development Forum (ADF) in New Delhi, Misra told wire agency Press Trust of India (PTI) that Trai has sought the opinion of stakeholders on the legal changes which might be required, either in the Indian Telegraph Act or the Cable TV Act with respect to IPTV. This would in no way affect the scheduled rollout of IPTV, he said.

    “Possibly the paper needs to be revisited regarding both access and content. We will be seeking the comments of cable associations, broadcasters, telecom service providers, ISP’s apart from NGO’s who are interested,” Misra said.

    Earlier, addressing the Forum, Misra dubbed the Indian telecom sector as the “Poster Child” of development in India.

    Misra’s comments on IPTV are significant in the light of the fact that in the absence of consensus from broadcasting and telecom industry, Trai was set to withdraw a consultation paper on IPTV it had issued some time back.

    Prior to this, Trai had proposed making changes to the Cable Television Networks (Regulation) Act, 1995, plus the existing telecom licenses, so as to facilitate growth of IPTV services in the country.

  • Zee Jagran sports new look; repositions itself

    Zee Jagran sports new look; repositions itself

    MUMBAI: Enriching Lives! That’s the new tag line of Zee Jagran, the spiritual TV channel from the Zee group, which is looking at repositioning itself.

    The new positioning statement – Enriching Lives – exudes the essence of Zee Jagran. Enriching Lives is a sum total of seven elements called hope, joy, peace, celebration, balance, silence and awakening. The right mix of these elements helps a person in experiencing life in its true colours.

    In order to break the perception that the channel is aimed at elderly people, the new positioning is targeted to all those who want to connect to their souls and live life to the fullest.

    In an official statement issued, the new positioning of Zee Jagran will be reflected in the overall aesthetics, look and feel of the channel, innovative channel packaging, colorful promos, all new range of programs and a lot more.

    The programmes designed for the channel are divided into thematic time bands, which will highlight the seven elements that lead towards enriching lives. These programmes are full of variety and cater to almost all age-groups and profiles of people who want to celebrate the festival called life, everyday.

    Starting from 2 pm, the first time band with the theme – Hope – showcases alternative healing programs like Tarot, The Good Food Show, Lifestyle Gurus, Beauty Mantras, etc.

    Joy will air at 2:30 pm showcasing serials like Ramayan, Vishnu Puran and Jai Ganesh. From 3 pm to 3:30 pm the channel will air Silence, which features programmes like Mano ya na Mano and Anant, which unveils the truth about various superstitions, evils and demons that affect life at one point or the other.

    The channel will also air shows like Celebrate, Jahan Jahan Ram Charan Chali Jahin (JJRCCJ), Namaste India, Home Healers, Green Mantra, mystical show Peace, Balance, Awakening from Monday to Thursday.

    Weekends will showcase inspirational movies. The channel recently aired hard hitting realities of the country in the form of documentaries made with the support of NGO’s like Prayaas, which are working hard for the upliftment of the underprivileged. Also there was a special feature on Bhopal Gas Tragedy victims, who are still struggling for their rights.

    The channel will also air special programmes on various festivals through a range of celebrations in the form of film festival, live shows and special features.

  • Sesame Workshop to set up NGO in India

    Sesame Workshop to set up NGO in India

    NEW DELHI: In order to develop strategies and partnerships that ensure Galli Galli Sim Sim – an alliance between Turner India and Sesame Workshop – delivers, Sesame Workshop will be forming a non-governmental organization (NGO) based in New Delhi.

    In addition, the Workshop has named Sashwati Banerjee to become Executive director of the NGO once it is established, while Shari Rosenfeld, vice-president, developing and emerging markets, Sesame Workshop, will oversee it.

    Galli Galli Sim Sim’s mission is to educate and engage pre-school children throughout India and is a joint effort of Workshop and Time Warner company Turner India, which has contributed corporate social responsibility funds toward the establishment of the NGO.

    The India office will drive Galli Galli Sim Sim’s outreach projects and manage its network of collaborative partnerships with other NGOs, funding partners, consumers, government agencies, educational institutions, broadcasters, and production team members.

    “Sashwati, with over 15 years of experience in creative and management positions is deeply committed to children’s and women’s rights issues,” said Rosenfeld in a statement today.

    “We are thrilled that she will be joining our team to lend her expertise in raising the profile of Galli Galli Sim Sim, an initiative aimed at promoting joyful learning of basic life skills for India’s young children and celebrating the diversity that is a part of their every day lives,” she added.

    Galli Galli Sim Sim is a broad-based, multi-platform educational Initiative for young Indian children. A television show of the same name will debut later this year (the date being bandied around is 15 August) on India’s leading kids’ channels, Cartoon Network and Pogo.

    The outreach campaign will extend the educational impact of the show by reaching out particularly to underprivileged children and the adults who care for them, through materials and programs in various media.

    Congratulating Banerjee on her appointment, Soumitra Saha, senior VP, regional advertising sales and marketing, Turner Entertainment Networks Asia and project director, Sesame India, said, “With her Experience and well-honed skill set in the niche segment of social sector, Sashwati Banerjee is well-positioned to spearhead and successfully extend the long term educational objectives of Galli Galli Sim Sim to reach millions of young kids through the specially designed outreach campaign.”

    Most recently, Banerjee was the programme director and communications Advisor with Abt Associates, for the private sector partnership One Project, funded globally by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID).

    Prior to this position, Banerjee worked with the leading communications agency Ogilvy & Mather, where she was instrumental in setting up their healthcare division. In her capacity as the Business Manager, she designed and led successful campaigns for her clients in the pharmaceutical 
    industry.

    Sesame Workshop is a US-based nonprofit educational organization making a meaningful difference in the lives of children around the world. Founded in 1968, the Workshop changed television forever with the legendary Sesame Street.

    Today, the Workshop continues to innovate on behalf of children in 120 countries, using its proprietary research methodology to ensure its programs and products are engaging and enriching. Sesame Workshop is behind award-winning programs like Dragon Tales, Sagwa, The Chinese Siamese Cat, Pinky Dinky Doo and groundbreaking multimedia productions in South Africa, Egypt and Russia.

  • World’s first broadband environmental channel green.tv launched

    World’s first broadband environmental channel green.tv launched

    MUMBAI: The world’s first broadband TV channel dedicated to environmental issues green.tv, developed with support from the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), has been launched, aiming to become a “one-stop shop” of broadcast information on the environment covering everything from climate change to children’s stories on wildlife.

    UNEP said green.tv would also go live today as a podcast on iTunes as well as having a front-page listing, courtesy of Apple computers. It will carry films from around the world produced by non-governmental organizations (NGOs), community filmmakers, public sector bodies and companies with a firm interest in protecting the environment.

    “Green.tv is a truly innovative project which will no doubt influence the field of environmental film-making and research. It will eventually offer a comprehensive ‘one stop shop’ for environmental TV programming – something that has so far not been available,” said UNEP’s Division of Communications and Public Information director Eric Falt.

    “Green.tv has the potential to become a broadband reference point or benchmark in this field.”

    It will have seven channels covering: air, land, water, climate change, people, species and technologies, in each of which there will be a feature, a news item and a children’s story. With the look and feel of a global TV channel, green.tv will combine this with the best elements of the internet, giving users access to online chatrooms and the ability to watch video on demand, UNEP said in an official release.

    Director-producer Ade Thomas, who first thought up the idea, compared it to the popular Google search engine. “If you want to see a news item about climate change, watch a kids’ story about penguins or a feature about wind farms, go to www.green.tv and you’ll be able to see some engaging and thought-provoking films about the environment, at a time when a greater understanding and awareness of these issues is critical,” he said.