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Tag: Sanjay Murthy

  • 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.

  • Artistic creativity shouldn’t get curtailed while certifying films: Jaitley

    Artistic creativity shouldn’t get curtailed while certifying films: Jaitley

    NEW DELHI: Information and Broadcasting Minister Arun Jaitley today said artistic creativity and freedom should not get curtailed while certifying feature films or documentaries.

     

    At the same time, he noted that there is a mechanism in most countries of the world for certifying films and documentaries. 

     

    Addressing members of the Shyam Benegal Committee set up on New Year’s Day to examine the present guidelines, he said the film certification guidelines need contemporary interpretation and they should be made as non discretionary as possible.

     

    Minister of State Rajyavardhan Rathore was confident that the Committee of Experts under the chairmanship of Benegal would provide a holistic framework for interpretation of the provisions of Cinematograph Act 1952 and Rules that could help the Chairperson and other members of the Central Board of Film Certification Screening Committee.

     

    Benegal said there is a need to move towards a new system of grading films in terms of age, maturity, sensibility and sensitivity instead of censorship. 

     

    The two Ministers and I&B Secretary Sunil Arora held wide ranging interaction with the Committee in Mumbai today. 

     

    The Ministry had asked the Committee to recommend broad guidelines for certification of films by the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC).

     

    Other members of the Committee including filmmaker Rakyesh Omprakash Mehra, advertising and communication expert Piyush Pandey, veteran film journalist Bhawana Somayaa, NFDC managing director Nina Lath Gupta and Joint Secretary (Films) Sanjay Murthy were present.

     

    The Committee will study the existing procedure being followed by the CBFC for certification of original films, their dubbed versions as well as recertification of films for screening on other media platforms. 

     

    The Committee will also study various directives of courts as well as notifications issued by other Government agencies like the Health & Family Welfare Ministry, Environment & Forests Ministry, and Animal Welfare Board of India etc, which have a bearing on the process of film certification. 

     

    The staffing pattern of CBFC would also be looked into in an effort to recommend a framework, which would provide transparent and user friendly services.

  • Shyam Benegal to head committee examining film censorship

    Shyam Benegal to head committee examining film censorship

    NEW DELHI: A Committee headed by veteran filmmaker Shyam Benegal has been constituted by the Government to suggest a paradigm that ensures that artistic creativity and freedom do not get stifled or curtailed even as films are certified.
     
    Noting that “in most countries of the world there is a mechanism / process of certifying feature films and documentaries,” an official release also said that the attempt should also be that “the people tasked with the work of certification understand these nuances.”
     
    The recommendations of this Committee are expected to provide a holistic framework and enable those tasked with the work of certification of films to discharge their responsibilities keeping in view this framework. 
     
    The note said Indian films have a glorious history and a whole lot of Indian films have enriched the cultural milieu of the country besides making astonishing advances in technical aspects of film making. 
     
    During their deliberations, the Committee would be expected to take note of the best practices in various parts of the world, especially where the film industry is given sufficient and adequate space for creative and aesthetic expression. 
     
    The Committee would recommend broad guidelines / procedures under the provisions of the Cinematograph Act 1952 / Rules for the benefit of the chairperson and other members of the Screening Committee. The staffing pattern of Central Board of Film Certification would also be looked into in an effort to recommend a framework, which would provide efficient and transparent user friendly services. 
     
    The other Members of the Committee include filmmaker Rakeysh Omprakash Mehra, creative director Piyush Pandey, media veteran Bhawana Somayya, National Film Development Corporation managing director Nina Lath Gupta, and Joint Secretary (Films) Sanjay Murthy as Member Convenor. The Committee has been requested to submit its recommendations within two months.  
     

    Welcoming the appointment of the Committee, Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) chairman Pahlaj Nihalani told Indiantelevision.com that he hoped the report will clear the air as far as certifying films was concerned.
     
    In a telephonic interview from Mumbai, Nihalani said that it was necessary to protect the freedom of speech and the right of a filmmaker, but this could not be done at the cost of permitting all kinds of language or innuendos.
     
    He, therefore, suggested that there was need for extending the certification scope by introducing two categories beyond those at present. The categories at present are Universal (U), Universal with Adult Guidance (U/A), and Adult (A). 
     
    He felt that while not permitting pornography, there should be two categories beyond the A category: A+ and A++. 
     
    Meanwhile, Benegal said in an interview to a newspaper in Mumbai that his committee does not have anything to do with Nihalani. He added that many of the guidelines need to be looked at from time to time since society was an entity where things keep changing, sensibilities change and viewers change. 
     
    This is not the first time that such a committee has been set up. After earlier attempts, the last Committee that examined similar issues was headed by Mukul Mudgal. However, no action has been taken on that report submitted in 2013.

  • FTII students expected to meet MIB MoS Rajyavardhan Rathore

    FTII students expected to meet MIB MoS Rajyavardhan Rathore

    NEW DELHI: A meeting of the student leaders of Film and Television Institute of India (FTII) with Minister of State for Information & Broadcasting (I&B) Rajyavardhan Rathore will be convened in the near future, according to information given to students today.

     

    The meeting is likely to be in Delhi, though no date has been fixed. Further discussions would depend on the outcome of this meeting, I&B sources told Indiantelevision.com.

     

    I&B secretary Sunil Arora, in a brief second round of discussions with the students in Mumbai took their opinion on proposals to make FTII an institution of excellence.

     

    The Ministry was represented by Joint Secretary (Films) Sanjay Murthy, Films Division director general Mukesh Sharma, FTII director Prashant Pathrabe and FTII eegistrar U C Bodke. The Students’ Association was represented by seven members and Aruna Raje Patil of GRAFTII.

     

    In the earlier round of negotiations with the FTII student leaders on 7 October, the Mukesh Sharma Committee had been set up to look into the issues of operational flexibility and procurement of equipment for FTII.  

  • 400 cable operators demonstrate outside I&B Ministry

    400 cable operators demonstrate outside I&B Ministry

    NEW DELHI: Senior officials of the Information and Broadcasting Ministry met members of the Indian Broadcast Foundation (IBF) and the News Broadcasters Association (NBA) along with other stakeholders to discuss hurdles in the way of digitisation of cable television.

    The discussion primarily centered on carriage fee and the format of agreements between the various stakeholders including subscribers.

    The broadcasters were emphatic that carriage fee should be done away with it. Senior officials including joint secretary (broadcasting) Sanjay Murthy agreed to consider the various issues that were raised at the meeting.

    A ministry source told indiantelvision.com that the meeting was part of a series that was being organised to ensure smooth switch over to digital addressable systems.

    Around 400 local cable operators, who are members of Cable Operators Welfare Federation (COWF) demonstrated outside Shastri Bhavan, which houses the ministry, to gain entry and express their point of view at the meeting. Around 150 of them were later detained by the police and taken to Parliament Street police station where they were later let off.

    The ministry source, however, said that local cable operators (LCOs) who are the members of the taskforce had been invited to the meeting but only one of them had attended.

     

  • K. Sanjay Murthy appointed joint secretary in I&B

    K. Sanjay Murthy appointed joint secretary in I&B

    NEW DELHI: Senior Indian Administrative Service officer K Sanjay Murthy has been appointed as the joint secretary in the Information and Broadcasting Ministry (I&B).

     

    A 1989 officer from the Himachal Pradesh cadre, he was until now principal secretary (Food & civil supplies, Transport, & Technical Education) in the state of Himachal Pradesh.

     

    His appointment took effect from 21 November and will continue until 20 November 2019 or until further orders, whichever is earlier.

     

    Ministry sources said that Murthy was expected to be given charge of films, as Raghuvendra Singh is due for transfer as his term is over.