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Tag: Tapas Roy

  • Times Global Broadcasting sets up distribution team

    Times Global Broadcasting sets up distribution team

    MUMBAI: With the launch date drawing nearer, Times Global Broadcasting Co Ltd, the joint venture news broadcasting company of The Times of India Group and Reuters, has inducted key executives to manage the distribution of its English news channel.

    Times Global Broadcasting V-P and business head Partho Dasgupta confirmed the following appointments to indiantelevision.com:

    Deepak Agarwal has joined Times Global Broadcasting as DGM affiliate network, west zone. He will be based in Mumbai. Agarwal had a long association with MTV Networks and Times of India Group. Agarwal was instrumental in launching channels such as religious channel Sanskar and the southern-music channel SS Music.

    Managing the north and east is Tapas Roy who has joined as DGM affiliate network, North. Roy is an import from Sahara India Media & Entertainment’s (SIME). He was previously associated with SitiCable and has also had stints with BBC World and Star India.

    Ramesh N, yet another distribution professional from MTV Networks, would be based out of Bangalore, to take charge of the distribution business of the south market as group manager affiliate network. Ramesh has worked with the Zee Turner Group and MEN-ESPN.

    The company is likely to inducted few more in due course of time.

    Earlier this quarter, Reuters acquired 26 per cent equity stake in The Times Global Broadcasting Co Ltd. The industry media observers signify that the promoters wish to have a global presence with the proposed news channel.

    To begin with, industry sources indicated, the yet-to-be named news channel would first spread its wings to South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) countries before embarking on further international expansion. Dasgupta would, however, offer no comment in this regard.

    Meanwhile, in a bid to capitalize on the equity of the Times brand, one of the names being toyed with for the channel is Times Global, informed sources aver. According to sources, Times has received the green-signal for its uplinking licence and is eyeing a mid-September launch for the channel.

  • Siti Cable’s Tapas Roy joins Sahara as distribution head (North & East)

    MUMBAI: Siti Cable vice president operations Tapas Roy has put in his papers and is all set to join Sahara as vice president operations (North and East) from 21 January.

    Roy, who will be based in Delhi, will be looking after the distribution of all Sahara channels in the North and East. Roy’s induction indicates the seriousness of Sahara to beef up the distribution of its entertainment and news channels. Distribution has been weak link in Sahara’s overall television broadcasting plans, which has resulted in inadequate penetration of its channels in cable homes despite some strong programming properties.

    Confirming the same to indiantelevision.com, Roy says “Everyone wants to grow and I wanted to gain experience in the actual distribution operations and this opportunity from Sahara was a very good one.”

    Of the 14 years in this industry, Roy has been with Siti Cable for the last two and half years. He has had a wide range of experience with the likes of Business India TV (for TVI channel), Catvision, Star India (for their DTH project), Channel [V], BBC and PPC (operations manager – India and SAARC) in the area of distribution.

  • Siti Cable convention to start in Delhi

    Siti Cable convention to start in Delhi

    NEW DELHI: Zee Telefilms has always loved to set the cat amongst the pigeons. Over two years back, when conditional access was a relatively unknown word, Zee Telefilms CMD Subhash Chandra had supported it, much to the chagrin of the likes of Star and Sony.

    At a time when the annual hike in subscription rates of TV channels (under the watchful eyes of the sector regulator) draws near, Siti Cable is attempting to educate its franchisee cable ops that new channels would mean a substantial hike for MSOs, which would have to be passed down to the operators.

    Citing the examples of Zoom, Star One, Hungama, MTV, Nick, etc., Siti Cable in an invitation to its franchisees or joint venture partners has said that the total financial impact of these new pay channels, launched in the last few months, is about Rs 70 (approximately $ 1.6) per month.

    “Availing these channels entails the realisation of extra amount from subscribers to the extent of their prices,” Siti cable has conveyed to its franchisees, urging them to come together to discuss various such issues. The first of this proposed series is being flagged off in Delhi today.

    The invitation, signed by a senior Siti executive, Tapas Roy, also points to the fact that in the “absence of realisation of these additional amounts from the ground,” the industry, already reeling under severe operating losses, would further bleed.

    What is slightly worrisome is that Siti and other MSOs have stated in private that though new TV channels were being priced individually, broadcasters have been allegedly insisting the cable industry enter into subscription agreements as a part of their existing bouquet itself, based on prevailing connectivity irrespective of the fact whether these new channels were being subscribed by customers or not.

    Other issues that are slated to be discussed in today’s cable ops meet, organised by Siti Cable, include that relating to the service tax @ 10.02 per cent and the draft interconnection regulation issued by the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (Trai).

    According to Siti Cable, cable ops need to pay service tax to the MSO (in this case Siti Cable) on the bills raised on them by Siti. However, the cable ops can claim credit of the service tax so paid to the MSO and, in turn, pay the government the balance tax after setting off the amount paid to the MSO.

    In other words, cable ops need to pay only the net service tax to the government and as such it is not double taxation as is being misunderstood in various circles, Siti has said.

    But it seems this education campaign’s success would depend on the fact how the Delhi meet shapes up.