ITV

Tag: Prakash Javadekar

  • 100 days of the I&B Ministry

    100 days of the I&B Ministry

    NEW DELHI: The Narendra Modi led NDA government has completed 100 successful days in power. And in these days, the Information & Broadcasting (I&B) Ministry has done its bit to woo the Media and Entertainment industry.

     

    Listing the achievements was I&B Minister Prakash Javadekar, through a press meet in Delhi.

     

    The government is launching a new 24×7 channel for the northeast called Arun Prabha in order to provide a strong platform for expression of cultural identities and for creating greater awareness regarding the region.

     

    Even as a Task Force has been constituted to steer the remaining two phases i.e. phase III and phase IV of digitisation in India, the government has made efforts towards fulfilling the long pending demand of domestic manufacturers of Set Top Boxes to get tax concession (C Form benefit) in order to compete with imported STBs.

     

    He said this will pave the way for implementation of digitisation initiative in India and see digitisation of about 80 million Cable TV homes in India. It is also a step towards the Prime Minister’s dream of a Digital India as digitisation will enable quick penetration of broadband connectivity in India.

     

    The Minister talked of initiatives taken in different sectors aimed at enhancing the outreach of policies and programmes across platforms. Some of the initiatives undertaken have been innovative involving people’s participation, enhancing government’s presence on the social media platforms and strengthening communication at the grassroots.

     

    He said Rs 100 crore had been allocated to Kisan Channel, which will disseminate real time information to the farmers regarding new farming techniques, water conservation, organic farming etc.

     

    In order to facilitate Ministries/Departments in registering their presence on social media the Ministry had organised a half day training workshop on 11 July.

     

    The Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) has on the request of the Ministry given recommendations on migration of FM Radio Broadcasters from phase-II to phase-III which is under examination.

     

    Goa has been declared the permanent destination for the International Films Festival of India to develop the “Brand IFFI” on the lines of other International Film Festivals. Although the decision to move IFFI to Goa was taken in 2004 when the National Democratic Alliance was in power, a fresh Memorandum of Understanding was being signed year-to-year for the Festival.

     

    The three-day North East Film Festival held in Delhi recently will henceforth be an annual feature organised by the Directorate of Film Festivals.

     

    The Film and Television Institute of India and the Satyajit Ray Film and TV Institute are to be institutes of National Importance and an Act of Parliament will be passed for this. The proposed Bill would enable both the Institutes to award its own degrees and diplomas and start new activities on the lines of IITs and IIMs.

     

    The office of the Registrar of Newspapers for India (RNI) has streamlined its Single Window Public dealing mechanism at its office. RNI has achieved 100 per cent success in online e-filing of annual statements by publishers for 2013-14.

     

    Under the Rs 100 crore set aside for “Supporting Community Radio Movement in India,” 600 community radio stations will be set up across the country in the 12th Five Year Plan. This major initiative of the new government will strengthen the link with the population living in rural and marginalized areas.

     

    The Home Ministry has agreed to the proposal of the Ministry for not seeking security clearance for such channels whose security clearance have already been sought earlier along with the Board of Directors. This decision has paved the way for speedy clearance of additional television channel permissions, which will benefit the broadcast industry in a big way.  After the decision was taken, 23 TV channels have already been permitted by the Ministry.

     

    The proposal has been cleared for Rs.600 crore National Film Heritage Mission (NFHM) to preserve India’s film legacy by the Expenditure Finance Committee in the Finance Ministry. The draft Cabinet Note has been circulated to the concerned Ministries and the Note will shortly be submitted for approval of the Cabinet.

     

    To ensure people’s participation in Government Advertising through Crowd-Sourcing of Advertisements, the advertisement for important events are to be designed by the people. The Independence Day advertisement designed on these lines and DAVP has invited suggestions for the proposed advertisement to be brought out on 5 September to observe “Teachers Day”.

     

    For Independence Day, the advertisements were crowd sourced for the first time and Independence Day coverage was extended to all media platforms. Similarly, a series of press conferences being organised to highlight the initiatives of the Government and the same approach is being adopted to ensure information dissemination across all platforms.

  • Prakash Javadekar asks MSOs to deploy indigenous STBs

    Prakash Javadekar asks MSOs to deploy indigenous STBs

    NEW DELHI: Information and Broadcasting (I&B) Minister Prakash Javadekar has said the government has initiated efforts to promote greater production of indigenous set top boxes (STBs) so that Indian consumers stop using low-grade imported STBs as digitisation grows in the country.

     

    The Minister said that he had called a meeting of manufacturers in mid-August and was surprised to learn that good quality Indian STBs were not only being made but were being exported.

     

    He therefore wondered why multi-system operators and local cable operators only installed imported STBs for which there was no arrangement for servicing.

      

    Javadekar said that he expected another 120 million homes to be covered by digital addressable system (DAS) by the end of 2016 and he would prefer that they all install Indian STBs.

     

    He said that DAS will not only bring better quality television but also value added services.

     

    He regretted that the process of digitisation appeared to have slowed down in the last 15 months but said the new government will take quick action to overcome the delays.

     

    The Government has already announced that Phase III of digitisation will be completed by December 2015 and the final phase by December 2016

  • I&B Ministry issues new deadlines for DAS phase III and IV

    I&B Ministry issues new deadlines for DAS phase III and IV

    NEW DELHI: It is official now. The new dates for digitisation of cable television in the entire country have been announced. While indiantelevision.com was the first to write about the extension in the date given for digitisation of phase III and IV, Information and Broadcasting Ministry officials have said that while phase III has been postponed to December 2015, phase IV can be completed by December 2016. The move has been taken to allow great indigenisation of production of Set Top Boxes (STB) to meet the demands of digital addressable system (DAS).

     

    Earlier, the government had set 31 December 2014 as the date by which the cable sector across the country would be completely digitised.

     

    In the first two phases of digitisation, which included cable TV households in the four metros and other major cities, most of the STBs that were installed had been imported from other countries.

     

    After he took over as Information and Broadcasting Minister, one of the major areas of focus of Prakash Javadekar has been indigenisation of the digitisation drive and Ministry sources said the new dates are in keeping with inputs supplied to the Minister in this connection.

     

    The Ministry has made efforts to get STBs declared as Telecommunication Network Equipment which will enable domestic manufacturers to get exempted from certain taxes, an official said.

     

    Nearly 110 million STBs are required to be installed in cable TV households in the remaining two phases of digitisation and the extended deadline will ensure that the domestic manufacturers prepare themselves and meet this demand, officials said. 

  • Rare peep into the fragrant culture and traditions of the north east

    Rare peep into the fragrant culture and traditions of the north east

    NEW DELHI: Inaugurating the three day North East Film Festival, Information and Broadcasting Minister Prakash Javadekar said that the Government is fully committed to mainstream new initiatives in the North Eastern region in all sectors including the film industry.

     

    He also added that there was need to harness the rich potential of the region with regards to its geographical and cultural diversity. The initiatives outlined in the budget reiterated the commitment of the Government in mainstreaming the North East region.

     

    The theme of the three day North East Film Festival was ‘Fragrances from the north east.’

     

    Speaking at the event, the I&B Minister said, “The film festival would be a memorable cultural experience in showcasing the potential of the region in the Media and Entertainment sector of the region. A testimony to this fact was the increasing number of awards won by the films from the north east at the National Film Awards every year. The Ministry would always be supportive in providing all possible support for promoting films in the region. The Satyajit Ray Film and Television Institute at Kolkata provided a platform to the students of the north eastern region to harness their talent in the domain of film making.”

    On the occasion, Meghalaya Chief Minister Mukul Sangma also highlighted the different initiatives undertaken by the State Government to build a strong base for film making in the region. He specifically referred to the policies being developed to provide infrastructure to host any international film festival, and also to help filmmakers who wanted to come to the region to shoot their films. 
     

    The inaugural function was attended by actors and directors from the region, including Manju Borah, Geetanjali Thapa, Oinam Gautam Singh, Mapuia Chawngthu, Alex Lalchhuankima, Abdul Muzid, Tashi Lhamu, Leishangthem Tonthoingambi Devi and Meena Debbarma.

     

    The function was followed by a cultural evening by Papon, singer and composer along with his band ‘The East India Company’.

     

    While Khawnglung Run (Mizoram), directed by Mapuia Chawngthu was the opening film of the festival, the closing film of the three-day Festival concluding on 24 August will be RI: Homeland of Uncertainty, directed by Pradip Kurbah.

     

    Directorate of Film Festival director Shankar Mohan stated, “This festival was in continuation of a focus on films from the north east during the last International Film Festival of India in November last year, and the Festival of Indian Panorama films held in Shillong in March this year.”
     

    The festival will also include an exhibition of paintings, exhibition-cum-sale of handicrafts and artifacts from the north east organised by the Culture Ministry and special north east food stalls representing cuisines from all eight states of north-east. It will be curated by veteran journalist and filmmaker Utpal Borpujari. 

     

    Other films being screened at the event includes Yarwng in Kokborok by Joseph Pulinthanath; Phijigee Mani in Manipuri by O Gautam Singh; Sonam in Monpa by Ahsan Muzid, Ajeyo in Assamese by the renowned Jahnu Barua etc.

     

  • DAS deadline extended to December 2015

    DAS deadline extended to December 2015

    NEW DELHI: The deadline for the digitisation of cable television systems in the entire country has been put off to December 2015.

     

    While Phase I of digital addressable system (DAS) came into effect in March last year and Phase II later in the year, the entire process was supposed to be completed by December this year.

     

    Information & Broadcasting Ministry secretary Bimal Julka speaking exclusively to  indiantelevision.com said that the government had decided to delay the digitisation deadline by a full year in order to give all those involved enough opportunity to overcome all the unseen hurdles that had come up after the UPA government mandated  DAS and the various analogue sunset dates.

     

    He said that the previous UPA  government had failed to complete all the required work with regard to regulations, licences, permissions etc and so the current NDA government’s  I&B Minister Prakash Javadekar – after consulting all the stakeholders – has decided to put off the final date by one year.

     

    Julka was confident that digitisation would be completed  well before the end of 2015, but said the new last date had been set keeping in mind the various issues that need resolution.

     

    Earlier, the Ministry had said Phase III covering all urban areas (Municipal Corporations/Municipalities) would be digitised by 30 September 2014 and Phase IV covering the rest of India would be digitised by 31 December 2014.

     

    The DAS process had led to several problems including court cases in various parts of the country. In the first phase for the four metros, Chennai could not be covered because of a stay by the Madras High Court. The second phase covered 38 cities with populations of more than one million. However, reports say that analogue systems are still working not only in the metros but also in these cities.

     

    Furthermore, cable operators feel that the set top boxes being imported are of inferior quality with very few facilities for servicing. The MSOs went to the Telecom Disputes Settlement & Appellate Tribunal (TDSAT) challenging the ratio of profit sharing between the various stakeholders. And TDSAT has been flooded with litigation involving broadcasters, MSOs, LCOs and DTH operators over the past year and a half – coinciding with the government’s thrusting digitisation down the throats of those involved in India’s relatively unorganised cable TV ecosystem. 

     

    Julka said that all these issues had been taken into consideration before taking the decision to put off DAS by a year.

  • TV9 ends standoff with MSOs in Telangana

    TV9 ends standoff with MSOs in Telangana

    MUMBAI: It has been two months since multi system operators (MSOs) in Telangana decided to cut of signals from two news channels- TV9 and ABN Andhra Jyoti. Now, one of them has decided to take the initiative and end the ongoing war between MSOs and the channel.

     

    As per a report by the Hindu Business Line, the Associate Broadcasting Company (ABC) that is the majority promoter of TV9 is seeking to have a dialogue with MSOs to get the channel back on air. ABC has reached out to the MSOs to enter into an agreement. It has written to the Telangana State Federation of MSOs.

     

    The company has been on the lookout for a buyer for the channel as it wants to exit the business. However, this standoff between the MSOs and the channel apparently seems to have affected its valuation in the market. As per the report, ABC plans to exit within a month or two. Edelweiss is running the sale process. 

     

    In June, TV9 had allegedly telecast a programme that showed the Telangana government in a bad light due to which MSOs of the newly formed state decided to cut off signals to it. Meanwhile, the MSOs said that they would show the channels only if people asked for them.

     

    Information and Broadcasting Minister Prakash Javadekar had also asked the state government of Telangana to clarify queries regarding the blocking. He said that MSOs cannot censor channels on their own and if they did, the Ministry was empowered to take action against them.

     
  • Application of Grant Investrade for HITS licence ‘under process’: Javadekar

    Application of Grant Investrade for HITS licence ‘under process’: Javadekar

    NEW DELHI: The application by Grant Investrade for permission to provide headend-in-the-sky services is ‘under process’, Lok Sabha was told today.

    Information and Broadcasting Minister Prakash Javadekar said in reply to a question that so far only the Noida Software Technology Park Ltd (NSTPL) has the licence to operate HITS services.

    Based on the recommendations of the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI), the Government had in 2009 permitted HITS services, under which only companies registered in the country are eligible to launch the services.

    Grant Investrade, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Hinduja Ventures, had applied for a licence for HITS in November 2012.

     

    Under the guidelines, it has to pay a licence fee of Rs 10 crore before it gets the HITS licence. As reported earlier by indiantelevision.com, the company has made the payment.

    Grant Investrade will also have to seek two more clearances – one from the Network Operation Coordination Centre for the satellite to be used for the HITS services and second from the Wireless Planning and Coordination wing of the Ministry of Communications.

     

    Click here to read the previous story

  • Project Management Unit set up in MIB to monitor DAS

    Project Management Unit set up in MIB to monitor DAS

    NEW DELHI: A project management unit has been set up in the Information and Broadcasting Ministry to monitor digitisation of cable television networks in the country.

    Information and Broadcasting Minister Prakash Javadekar told Lok Sabha that this is in addition to the task force constituted earlier to steer phase III and phase IV of digital addressable systems, which has to be completed by December, this year.

    He said intensive monitoring of digitisation was undertaken by the Ministry earlier with the support of Prasar Bharati officials and the Broadcasting Engineering Consultants India (BECIL).

    The first phase was set at March 2012 covering the four metros (though DAS was later stayed in Chennai) under the Cable TV Networks (Regulation) Amendment Ordinance 2011, which is an amendment of the Cable TV Networks (Regulation) Act 1995.

    The target date for completely digitising cable sector in cities with population of more than one million was 30 March 2013, all urban areas by 30 September 2014, and the whole country by 31 December 2014.

  • Telangana MSOs continue to boycott two news channels

    Telangana MSOs continue to boycott two news channels

    MUMBAI: The Telangana Multiple System Operators (MSOs) on 11 August 2014 decided to continue blockade of TV9 and ABN Andhra Jyothi news channels, a mediahouse reported.

     

    Federation of Telangana MSOs’ president M Subhash Reddy, charged the channels of telecasting objectionable content that hurt the sentiments of Telangana people and said, “Even the Telangana state assembly took cognisance of the objectionable content.”

     

    The Federation maintained that they had presented their case to the High Court and responded to a notice served by the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI). “The TRAI sought explanation on why we had stopped the two channels without the mandatory 15-day notice and we explained the reasons. There was pressure on us from the Telangana people and we had to act,” the president of the federation said.

     

    At a meeting attended by district representatives, the Federation of Telangana MSOs said they are planning to send a delegation to the I&B minister to explain to him the events that led to the cable operators blocking these two news channels.

     

    Reddy also added that since the channels are not doing anything to find a resolution to the problem, the MSOs will stick to their decision of blocking the channels.

  • Government won’t interfere in media: Prakash Javadekar

    Government won’t interfere in media: Prakash Javadekar

    MUMBAI: The new government has always been questioned about the freedom of media in the country. Responding to a question in the Rajya Sabha, Information and Broadcasting Minister Prakash Javadekar said that the government is committed to protecting the independence of the press, reports PTI.

     

    However, he also reiterated that freedom comes with responsibility and so media needs to look at itself by its own mechanisms. But what is needed is ‘improvement’ in these mechanisms with penal consequences for irresponsible reporting.

     

    As far as social media is concerned, Javadekar said that though there is a need to evolve a mechanism for regulating it, it comes under the information and technology law.

     

    Recently, two Telangana channels were blocked by MSOs- ABN Andhra Jyoti and TV9. On Javadekar’s query the state government said that it had nothing to do with the blocking. Asserting that media is independent, he said that MSOs can’t resort to such censorship. If the Ministry comes to know of any such case, it is empowered to take action.