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  • SC adjourns Star India’s petition on TRAI tariff order to 12 September

    SC adjourns Star India’s petition on TRAI tariff order to 12 September

    MUMBAI: The Supreme Court has deferred the hearing of Star India’s petition against TRAI tariff and inter-connect order to 12 September 2018 due to unavailability of time.  Last week also, the hearing was deferred to 11 September for the same reason.

    Zee Entertainment Enterprises Ltd (ZEEL) was first out of the blocks in publishing the RIO, declaring the MRP and nature of channels in connection with its tariff order, which had a 31 August deadline. The Punit Goenka-led company was followed by TV18 Broadcast Limited ( TV18), Sony Pictures Networks India Private Limited (SPNI), who adhered to the regulator’s directive on September 4. Later, Disney India, Turner International India, Sun TV Networks have also published their RIOs in compliance with the order. 

    All the broadcaster have stuck to a maximum 15 per cent MRP discount to distributors. Earlier, Madras High Court chief justice did not uphold TRAI’s proposal of allowing highest 15 per cent cap on discounts despite giving the go-ahead to all other proposals. As any clarification did not come from TRAI, all the broadcasters are adhering to the order to avoid any further confusion. 

    The TRAI tariff orders, first contested in Madras High Court by the petitioners, were cleared by the Chennai court with certain riders after hearings that continued almost over 16 months in front of two benches of the court.

    Though the petitioners were unable for comments, a legal eagle explained that the very fact the Supreme Court has allotted a day for hearing the petition of Star India and Vijay TV, which basically revolves around copyright and why the regulator doesn’t have jurisdiction over such issues, highlights the fact that the judge doesn’t want to take a decision in a hurry.

    After the Madras HC had given a thumb up to TRAI tariff order, and both the petitioners and the defendant (TRAI) had filed caveats in the Supreme Court, the regulator had bowled a googly saying that its tariff order would come into effect from 3 July 2018 as all judicial compliances had been completed.

    “Having complied with  the  judicial  mandates  in  the  matter,  the Telecommunication (Broadcasting and Cable) Services (Eighth) (Addressable Systems)  Tariff   Order, 2017 and  the Telecommunication (Broadcasting and Cable) Interconnection (Addressable Systems) Regulations, 2017 as upheld by the Hon’ble Madras High  Court and the Telecommunication (Broadcasting and Cable) Services Standards  of   Quality  of  Service and  Consumer  Protection (Addressable Systems) Regulations, 2017 come into effect from 3rd July 2018,” the regulator had said in a statement pointing out that all timelines mentioned in the original order should be adhered to immediately.

    According to TRAI, implementation of the new regulatory framework will “bring in transparency”, enable provisioning of affordable broadcasting and cable TV services for the  consumer and, at the  same time, “would lead to an orderly growth of the sector”.

  • SC adjourns Star India’s petition on TRAI tariff order to 11 September

    SC adjourns Star India’s petition on TRAI tariff order to 11 September

    MUMBAI: The Supreme Court has deferred the hearing of Star India’s petition against TRAI tariff and inter-connect order to 11 September 2018.

    Zee Entertainment Enterprises Ltd (ZEEL) was first out of the blocks in publishing the RIO, declaring the MRP and nature of channels in connection with its tariff order, which had a 31 August deadline. The Punit Goenka-led company was followed by TV18 Broadcast Limited ( TV18), Sony Pictures Networks India Private Limited (SPNI), who adhered to the regulator’s directive on September 4.

    The TRAI tariff orders, first contested in Madras High Court by the petitioners, were cleared by the Chennai court with certain riders after hearings that continued almost over 16 months in front of two benches of the court.

    After the Madras HC had given a thumb up to TRAI tariff order, and both the petitioners and the defendant (TRAI) had filed caveats in the Supreme Court, the regulator had bowled a googly saying that its tariff order would come into effect from 3 July 2018 as all judicial compliances had been completed.

    “Having complied with  the  judicial  mandates  in  the  matter,  the Telecommunication (Broadcasting and Cable) Services (Eighth) (Addressable Systems)  Tariff   Order, 2017 and  the Telecommunication (Broadcasting and Cable) Interconnection (Addressable Systems) Regulations, 2017 as upheld by the Hon’ble Madras High  Court and the Telecommunication (Broadcasting and Cable) Services Standards  of   Quality  of  Service and  Consumer  Protection (Addressable Systems) Regulations, 2017 come into effect from 3rd July 2018,” the regulator had said in a statement pointing out that all timelines mentioned in the original order should be adhered to immediately.

    According to TRAI, implementation of the new regulatory framework will “bring in transparency”, enable provisioning of affordable broadcasting and cable TV services for the   consumer and, at the  same time, “would lead to an orderly growth of the sector”.

  • SC defers hearing of Star India petition on TRAI tariff order to 5 September

    SC defers hearing of Star India petition on TRAI tariff order to 5 September

    NEW DELHI: The Supreme Court has deferred the hearing of Star India’s petition filed against TRAI tariff and inter-connect order to 5 September, 2018.  The order had been given a go-ahead by the Madras High Court.

    The TRAI tariff orders, first contested in Madras High Court by the petitioners, were cleared by the Chennai court with certain riders after hearings that continued almost over 16 months in front of two benches of the court.

    Though the petitioners were unable for comments, a legal eagle explained that the very fact the Supreme Court has allotted a day for hearing the petition of Star India and Vijay TV, which basically revolves around copyright and why the regulator doesn’t have jurisdiction over such issues, highlights the fact that the judge doesn’t want to take a decision in a hurry.

    However, ahead of 31 August 2018 deadline for publishing TV channel prices in a new format Zee Entertainment Enterprises Ltd  (ZEEL) has made public its channel prices in line with the tariff order, setting an example for owners of other TV channels.

    All ZEEL channels will be available on a-la-carte basis, as required by regulations, and the consumers will also have the option to choose from specifically created bouquets for Hindi speaking markets (HSM) and different regional language markets like Marathi, Bangla, Odia, Bhojpuri, Tamil, Telugu, Kannada and Malayalam.

    After the Madras HC had given a thumb up to TRAI tariff order, and both the petitioners and the defendant (TRAI) had filed caveats in the Supreme Court, the regulator had bowled a googly saying that its tariff order would come into effect from 3 July 2018 as all judicial compliances had been completed.

    “Having complied with  the  judicial  mandates  in  the  matter,  the Telecommunication (Broadcasting and Cable) Services (Eighth) (Addressable Systems)  Tariff   Order, 2017 and  the Telecommunication (Broadcasting and Cable) Interconnection (Addressable Systems) Regulations, 2017 as upheld by the Hon’ble Madras High  Court and the Telecommunication (Broadcasting and Cable) Services Standards  of   Quality  of  Service and  Consumer  Protection (Addressable Systems) Regulations, 2017 come into effect from 3rd July 2018,” the regulator had said in a statement pointing out that all timelines mentioned in the original order should be adhered to immediately.

    According to TRAI, implementation of the new regulatory framework will “bring in transparency”, enable provisioning of affordable broadcasting and cable TV services for the   consumer and, at the   same time, “would lead to an orderly growth of the sector”.

  • Tata Sky rolls out broadband service to take on Reliance Jio

    Tata Sky rolls out broadband service to take on Reliance Jio

    MUMBAI:  Now, even DTH players are growing wary of the threat from Reliance Jio. Even as the registrations for Jio’s GigaFiber have commenced, one of the oldest DTH networks, Tata Sky, has ventured into the fixed line broadband sector in 12 cities.

    Last month, Mukesh Ambani-owned Reliance Jio formally announced the rollout of Jio GigaFiber. The new disruption in the market created an ambience of cautiousness predicting that it could affect India’s multi-billion-dollar cable TV and DTH businesses. In a bid to secure market share, Tata Sky has now joined the race.  

    Mumbai, Thane, Delhi, Ghaziabad, Gurgaon, Noida, Pune, Bhopal, Chennai, Bengaluru, Ahmedabad, and Mira Bhayandar will be the first to get the service. The new plans are available on five packages including one, three, five, nine and twelve months. The data speed and limit will vary depending upon the type of the package. Starting from 5Mbps, the speeds will go up to 100Mbps. For monthly and three month plans, a one-time amount of Rs 1200 will be charged at the time of installation with which a wifi-router will be given free of cost. Rest of the packages will not require any installation charge. There are five add-on plans called ‘Quota on Demand’ which will only be valid through the validity period of the base pack. The pricing seems costlier than that of local cable players while there’s already a perception that Tata Sky is a premium service.

    Jio lured customers with several additional amenities including Jio Giga TV set top box. The way it wrecked the telecom market with cheap data pricing, it was feared that it could disrupt the broadband sectors as well and can emerge as a replacement to DTH and cable players. In this regard, it could be tough for Tata Sky with its limited amenities to attract more users.

    Comparatively, India has low penetration in fixed broadband sector. A report from Media Partners Asia said India’s FLBB penetration was expected to increase to 10.3 per cent from the present single digit share by the year 2022. Moreover, as content and applications keep getting heavier and denser in size, FLBB high speed broadband solutions could be ideal for offices and homes.  Hence, unexplored opportunities of FLBB can fuel the growth of new players also.

  • Hungama to live stream Khazana ghazal concert

    Hungama to live stream Khazana ghazal concert

    MUMBAI: Digital entertainment company Hungama will make the most of its live streaming ability by broadcasting ‘Khazana – A Festival of Ghazals’. The company has been the digital partner of the concert for seven long years.

    Users across the globe can tune in to Hungama Music, Hungama Play, Artist Aloud app and the platforms’ respective social media pages to catch the show. Moreover, post-show, it will also provide catch-up content from Khazana on Tata Sky Music, Tata Sky Music+, Airtel DTH, Airtel Linear Channel – Nazrana, Hungama Play, Mi TV and Mi Music.

    The festival which will be held on 27 and 28 July will feature live performances from some of the greatest ghazal voices, including Pankaj Udhas, Talat Aziz, Anup Jalota, Rekha Bhardwaj and Sudeep Banerjee.

    “Our association with Khazana is a unique blend of creativity and technology. It allows us to leverage the power of digital and take the craft of ghazals to an international audience. We are elated to take the festival live on our platforms and also extremely honoured to lend our support to the two charities,” Hungama Digital Media managing director and CEO Neeraj Roy said.

    This year’s concert will also see performances from the most promising talent seen at the contest Khazana Artist Aloud Talent Hunt. The contest which has been executed digitally on Artist Aloud received participation from 75 cities across the country.

    “Through Khazana we aim to help people discover the beauty of ghazals and fall in love with the art all over again. We are excited for this year’s festival as we’ll be introducing four fresh voices that we found through the Khazana Artist Aloud Talent Hunt. I am certain that through our association with Hungama, we’ll be able to take ghazal singing to greater heights,” the renowned Ghazal singer Pankaj Udhas commented on the association.

  • SC to hear Star India petition on TRAI tariff order late August

    SC to hear Star India petition on TRAI tariff order late August

    NEW DELHI: The Supreme Court today listed for 28 August the special leave petition filed by Star India and Vijay TV against a tariff and inter-connect orders of regulator TRAI that had been given a go-ahead by the Madras High Court.

    The TRAI tariff orders, first contested in Madras High Court by the petitioners, were cleared by the Chennai court with certain riders after hearings that continued almost over 16 months in front of two benches of the court.

    Though the petitioners were  unavailable for comments, a legal eagle explained that the very fact the Supreme Court has allotted a day for hearing the petition of Star India and Vijay TV, which basically revolves around copyright and why the regulator doesn’t have jurisdiction over such issues, highlights the fact that the judge doesn’t want to take a decision in a hurry.

    The next date of hearing of the case in the apex court on 28 August 2018 is few days before the deadline kicks in for filing of new inter-connect agreements by stakeholders of the Indian broadcast industry.

    After the Madras HC had given a thumb up to TRAI tariff order, and both the petitioners and the defendant (TRAI) had filed caveats in the Supreme Court, the regulator had bowled a googly saying that its tariff order would come into effect from 3 July 2018 as all judicial compliances had been completed. 

    “Having complied with the judicial mandates in the matter,  the Telecommunication (Broadcasting and Cable) Services (Eighth) (Addressable Systems) Tariff Order, 2017 and the Telecommunication (Broadcasting and Cable) Interconnection (Addressable Systems) Regulations, 2017 as upheld by the Hon'ble Madras High  Court and the Telecommunication (Broadcasting and Cable) Services Standards  of   Quality  of  Service and  Consumer  Protection (Addressable Systems) Regulations, 2017 come into effect from 3rd July 2018,” the regulator had said in a statement pointing out that all timelines mentioned in the original order should be adhered to immediately.

    According to TRAI, implementation of the new regulatory framework will “bring in transparency”, enable provisioning of affordable broadcasting and cable TV services for the consumer and, at the same time, “would lead to an orderly growth of the sector”.

    Keep tuned in for another episode of this legal saga, which started to air sometime in 2016.

  • Tata Sky mulls fresh petition against TRAI tariff rollout

    Tata Sky mulls fresh petition against TRAI tariff rollout

    MUMBAI: Indian DTH operator Tata Sky is exploring options of filing a fresh petition in Delhi High Court against a Telecom Regulatory Authority of India directive to implement a new tariff regime from 3 July.

    Industry sources indicated that though Tata Sky withdrew its petition filed in the morning, it could again move the court protesting on various grounds the rollout of the TRAI tariff regime.

    The Delhi court, which is still to pronounce a verdict in a case relating to tariff and inter-connect orders of the regulator after being moved by Tata Sky and Airtel Digital TV over a year back, however, today refused to entertain the DTH operator’s fresh contempt plea against TRAI and said if the petitioner wished it could file a fresh petition.

    Tata Sky had pleaded that TRAI media statement, issued 3 July 2018 directing broadcast and cable industry stakeholders to start rolling out the new tariff and inter-connect regimes with immediate effect, amounted to contempt of the Delhi High Court.

    TRAI yesterday had said in a statement that its long-pending tariff and inter-connect orders, first issued in 2016, was to be implemented from 3 July 2018 with stakeholders to follow deadlines mentioned in the directive. The regulator had justified its stand by saying all necessary judicial compliances too were followed.

    “Having complied with  the  judicial  mandates  in  the  matter,  the Telecommunication (Broadcasting and Cable) Services (Eighth) (Addressable Systems)  Tariff   Order, 2017 and  the Telecommunication (Broadcasting and Cable) Interconnection (Addressable Systems) Regulations, 2017 as upheld by the Hon’ble Madras High  Court and the Telecommunication (Broadcasting and Cable) Services Standards  of   Quality  of  Service and  Consumer  Protection (Addressable Systems) Regulations, 2017 come into effect from 3rd July 2018,” the TRAI statement had said.

    The statement had further stated that “in compliance to the direction” of the Delhi High Court, the regulator had “duly filed an affidavit” on 3 July 2018 in the court on implementation of   its tariff and other related orders as they were cleared by another high court.

    Meanwhile Star India, also expected to open up another legal front at the Supreme Court on the tariff issue, hasn’t yet made a move.

    Still, industry people do admit that though TRAI may have directed implementation of its new tariff regime, but there is lack of clarity on the issue of 15 per cent cap on discounts offered by broadcasters on the prices of TV channels.

    While upholding TRAI’s right to give directives on tariff-related matters, Madras High Court had given a thumb down to the capping of discounts offered. While stating that its tariff order was to come into effect from 3 July 2018, the regulator had not clarified whether the discount cap stayed or was done away with.

    Keep tuned in for more developments on the tariff issue as it refuses to go away or get settled once and for all.

    Also Read:

    TRAI says b’cast & cable tariff, inter-connect orders come into effect 3 July

    Star files caveat in Supreme Court on TRAI tariff order

    Third Madras high court judge gives TRAI tariff order thumbs up

  • TRAI says b’cast & cable tariff, inter-connect orders come into effect 3 July

    TRAI says b’cast & cable tariff, inter-connect orders come into effect 3 July

    NEW DELHI: The Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) today issued a statement stating that its tariff order for the broadcasting and cable sector will come into effect from 3 July 2018 as judicial compliances have been complied with.

    “Having complied with  the  judicial  mandates  in  the  matter,  the Telecommunication (Broadcasting and Cable) Services (Eighth) (Addressable Systems)  Tariff   Order, 2017 and  the Telecommunication (Broadcasting and Cable) Interconnection (Addressable Systems) Regulations, 2017 as upheld by the Hon’ble Madras High  Court and the Telecommunication (Broadcasting and Cable) Services Standards  of   Quality  of  Service and  Consumer  Protection (Addressable Systems) Regulations, 2017 come into effect from 3rd July 2018,” the regulator said in a statement pointing out that all timelines mentioned in the original order should be adhered to immediately.

    Star Tv and Vijay Tv had moved Madras High Court against the TRAI tariff order late 2016 and after protracted hearing the court finally gave its final judgement earlier this year. Subsequently Star and the regulator had both filed caveats at Supreme Court. Meanwhile, Tata Sky, Airtel Digital Tv had filed petitions in Delhi High Court on matters relating to the tariff order and the case is still pending a judgement or direction.

    According to TRAI, implementation of the new regulatory framework will “bring in transparency”, enable provisioningof affordable broadcasting and cable TV services for the   consumer and, at the   same time, “would lead to an orderly growthof the sector”.

    Some of the important activities and timelines are as under:

    #The  Telecommunication (Broadcasting and Cable)  Services (Eighth) (Addressable Systems) Tariff Order, 2017: Declaration ofMRP and nature of channels by broadcasters within 60  days; declaration of network capacity fee and  distribution  retail price  by distributors (DPO)  within  180   days; reporting by broadcasters within 120  days.

    # The Telecommunication (Broadcasting and Cable) Interconnection (Addressable    Systems) Regulations, 2017:    Publication     of     Reference Interconnect Offer (RIO) by   broadcasters   within 60   days; publication of referenceinterconnect offers by distributors within 60 days; Signing of the interconnection agreements within 150 days;

    # The Telecommunication (Broadcasting and Cable) Services Standards of   Quality of   Service ·and Consumer  Protection (Addressable Systems) Regulations, 2017:  Migration of the subscribers to the new framework within 180  days; Establishment of customer care center, website, consumer care channel and publication of manual of practice within 120 days.

    It would be interesting to see how the original petitioners react to the latest TRAI salvo. The regulator and petitioners were not available for immediate comments.

    ALSO READ:

    Third Madras high court judge gives TRAI tariff order thumbs up

    Star files caveat in Supreme Court on TRAI tariff order

    TRAI tariff order’s impact on the industry

    Decks cleared for TRAI tariff order implementation as HC declines stay

  • Tata Sky inks deal with ThinkAnalytics for personalised content recommendations

    Tata Sky inks deal with ThinkAnalytics for personalised content recommendations

    MUMBAI: Leading DTH brand Tata Sky has selected content recommendation Engine ThinkAnalytics to power its personalised content recommendations across connected devices. The yet-to-be-launched service will be available on Tata Sky’s applications across mobile and PC platforms to begin with.

    Tata Sky has partnered with ThinkAnalytics because of its proven skill to scale to millions of users along with its track record in helping Pay-TV and OTT operators to boost engagement and loyalty.

    The company believes that a personalised contextual recommendation will give users a new realm of experience.

    “ThinkAnalytics has a strong reputation as the market leader in personalized recommendations and we are confident that together we can get a better understanding of our customers’ behavior and build a superior, customized experience for them across our connected platforms,” Tata Sky chief commercial officer Pallavi Puri said.

    While content discovery is an issue for users across platforms, Tata Sky subscribers will find it easier to find content on the back of advanced AI and machine learning techniques. The content discovery platform is combined with ThinkMovies and ThinkTV semantic microgenre metadata to enhance the level of personalisation of the content recommendations.

     “Tata Sky is India’s leading content distribution platform and a brand that strongly believes in pushing the innovation boundaries to simplify and enhance the user journey. By offering personalised recommendations across connected devices, Tata Sky’s customers will find it really easy to discover relevant live and on-demand content to watch, boosting viewer engagement and increasing loyalty,” Think Analytics APAC senior VP Alan Dishington said.

    Also Read :

    Tata Sky offers Reliance DTH consumers migration deal, Dish TV too in play

    How Harit Nagpal plans to keep Tata Sky ahead

  • Fevi kwik & Swiggy win big at Star Re.Imagine awards for best IPL campaigns

    Fevi kwik & Swiggy win big at Star Re.Imagine awards for best IPL campaigns

    MUMBAI: Fevi kwik’s Khushiyon ke chand pal and Swiggy’s No order to small won the top honours at the Star Re.imagine Awards, yesterday, for the excellence in creativity (Best Creative Campaign) along with the use of integrated media (Best Integrated Creative Campaign) respectively in campaigns during the recently concluded Vivo IPL 2018 on Star India. Fevi kwik’s Khushiyon ke chand pal was conceptualized by Ogilvy & Mather and Swiggy’s No order too small, conceptualised by Lowe Lintas, Bengaluru.

    “We instituted the Star Re.Imagine Awards 2018 as a platform to enthuse the incredible marketing and advertising talent of India to create magic and disruption this IPL. We heartily congratulate all the winners for having created extremely engaging and inspiring narratives. These campaigns seized the imagination of the biggest ever audiences in an IPL across TV and Digital screens combined and contributed immensely to making the Vivo IPL 2018 a truly delightful experience for all. A very special thank you to all the members of the elite jury who helped immensely in creating a brand for the future – the Star Re.imagine awards” says Star India Managing Director Sanjay Gupta.

    Additionally, eleven campaigns across nine brands have received special mentions. Star India Managing Director Sanjay Gupta, and Guest of Honour, M S Dhoni, under whose leadership CSK lifted the trophy felicitated the two winners with spectacular bespoke glass trophies designed by the grandmaster of British Glass studio, Peter Layton.

    The winners and other meritorious campaigns were selected by jury members comprising Sir John Hegarty, Piyush Pandey, Raju Hirani, Vibha Rishi, Rahul Welde and V Sunil. They assessed over 300 campaigns from 125 brands that had played during the Vivo IPL 2018 till May 25 on Star TV Network and Hotstar. The judges selected campaigns that excelled in both in creativity and in leveraging the power of multi-platform TV and Hotstar.  

    There were brands across television and digital from various sectors like Telecom, Consumer Durables (Handset), Retail and Lifestyle, Food Delivery and Restaurant (Hospitality), E-commerce, Online services, Automotive, Gaming, Online Payment Wallets, Paints and Adhesives FMCG.

    Partnering with Star India in this initiative are Sideways and Kyoorius.  The brands that received special mention from the juries were Amazon, Coca Cola, Flipkart, Future Group- Brand Factory, Pidilite, Peter England, VIVO, Vodafone and Tata Sky

    Also Read :

    Swiggy, AIB target India’s love for food and movies

    Pidilite celebrates ‘Khushiyon ke chand pal’ in new TVCs 

    Winning awards doesn’t get you clients: Piyush Pandey