ITV

Tag: Trai

  • Trai’s Open House to discuss commercial tariff for broadcasting and cable TV

    Trai’s Open House to discuss commercial tariff for broadcasting and cable TV

    Subject: Open House Discussion and posting of Gist of Comments on issues relating to Commercial Tariff for Broadcasting and Cable Television Services.

    The TRAI will be holding Open House Discussion (OHD) on issues relating to Commercial Tariff for Broadcasting and Cable Television Services. The OHD will be held on 25.5.2006 at the Banquet Hall, 3rd Floor, Ashok Hotel, Chanakyapuri from 11.00 Hrs to 13.30 Hrs.

    2. The consultation paper issued on 21.4.2006 on the issue and gist of comments received from stakeholders on the consultation paper are available on TRAI’s website www.trai.gov.in. The consultation paper can be seen by using the link
    http://www.trai.gov.in/trai/upload/
    ConsultationPapers/71/consult21apr06.pdf.
    The gist of Comments can be seen using the link
    http://www.trai.gov.in/whatnew.asp and
    http://www.trai.gov.in/pressreleases_list_year.asp .

    3. The Issues posed for consultation will also be available at the venue of the Open House Discussion. All interested agencies /individuals are invited to participate. For any clarification, please contact Shri Rakesh Kacker, Advisor (B&CS), Ph 011-26713291, Fax no 011-26713442, E-mail:
    rkacker@trai.gov.in

  • Dish moves court against Star

    Dish moves court against Star

    NEW DELHI: Court cases are buzzing all over the place in the media sector as deadlines for various guidelines, including adhering to downlink norms, near.

    In its first direct salvo against the Hong Kong-based Star Group, the Subhash Chandra-promoted ASC Enterprises, owners of the Dish TV DTH service in India, has moved the disputes tribunal against the former’s reluctance to make available Star channels to its platform.

    “It is respectfully submitted that the present petition has been filed due to the refusal on the part of the respondent (Star Group through Star India) to supply its bouquet one channels to the petitioner on reasonable and non-discriminatory terms,” the petition states.

    Filed today at the Telecom Disputes Redressal and Settlement Tribunal (TDSAT), the ASC petition adds, “The unreasonableness on the part of the respondent is evident from the fact that the respondent has laid down impracticable and unreasonable terms and conditions for supply of its bouquet one channels.”

    Contacted by indiantelevision.com, a Star India spokesperson said, “Negotiations are on with Dish TV. Beyond that we cannot comment as we have not heard from TDSAT yet.”

    The petition has been filed as Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) in an order has mandated that all content should be made available to all delivery platforms on a non-discriminatory basis.

    Justifying its action of approaching the TDSAT, the petition seeks “appropriate directions against the acts of omission and commission” of Star, including its failure to provide on request the signals of the channels of its first bouquet “on reasonable and non-discriminatory terms.”

    Bouquet one of Star consists of channels like Star Plus, Star Movies, Star News, Star World, Star Gold, Channel [V], National Geographic Channel, The History Channel and Vijay TV.

    The second bouquet — the formation of which was necessitated owing to certain directions from the sector regulator in an effort to control cable TV prices — comprises Star One, Hungama, The Disney Channel and Toon Disney.

    What is interesting is that the Chandra company has decided to take on one time ally-turned-competitor with a vengeance.

    The petition not only states that discussions with Star were initiated by Dish TV in December 2005, but also insinuates that the delay in concluding a commercial agreement is deliberate as the respondent is a joint venture partner in another DTH service, Tata Sky, proposing to start operations later this year.

    Interestingly, Dish TV has won a favourable direction from TDSAT in a similar case involving MTV.

    Discovery-Sony distribution joint venture One Alliance, which comprises MTV and sibling channel Nick, is said to be close to striking a deal with Dish TV for its channels that include the likes of SET, MAX, Discovery and AXN.

  • Dish moves TDSAT against Star

    Dish moves TDSAT against Star

    NEW DELHI: Court cases are buzzing all over the place in the media sector as deadlines for various guidelines, including adhering to downlink norms, near.

    In its first direct salvo against the Hong Kong-based Star Group, the Subhash Chandra-promoted ASC Enterprises, owners of the Dish TV DTH service in India, has moved the disputes tribunal against the former’s reluctance to make available Star channels to its platform.

    “It is respectfully submitted that the present petition has been filed due to the refusal on the part of the respondent (Star Group through Star India) to supply its bouquet one channels to the petitioner on reasonable and non-discriminatory terms,” the petition states.

    Filed today at the Telecom Disputes Redressal and Settlement Tribunal (TDSAT), the ASC petition adds, “The unreasonableness on the part of the respondent is evident from the fact that the respondent has laid down impracticable and unreasonable terms and conditions for supply of its bouquet one channels.”

    Contacted by indiantelevision.com, a Star India spokesperson said, “Negotiations are on with Dish TV. Beyond that we cannot comment as we have not heard from TDSAT yet.”

    The petition has been filed as Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) in an order has mandated that all content should be made available to all delivery platforms on a non-discriminatory basis.

    Justifying its action of approaching the TDSAT, the petition seeks “appropriate directions against the acts of omission and commission” of Star, including its failure to provide on request the signals of the channels of its first bouquet “on reasonable and non-discriminatory terms.”

    Bouquet one of Star consists of channels like Star Plus, Star Movies, Star News, Star World, Star Gold, Channel [V], National Geographic Channel, The History Channel and Vijay TV.

    The second bouquet — the formation of which was necessitated owing to certain directions from the sector regulator in an effort to control cable TV prices — comprises Star One, Hungama, The Disney Channel and Toon Disney.

    What is interesting is that the Chandra company has decided to take on one time ally-turned-competitor with a vengeance.

    The petition not only states that discussions with Star were initiated by Dish TV in December 2005, but also insinuates that the delay in concluding a commercial agreement is deliberate as the respondent is a joint venture partner in another DTH service, Tata Sky, proposing to start operations later this year.

    Interestingly, Dish TV has won a favourable direction from TDSAT in a similar case involving MTV.

    Discovery-Sony distribution joint venture One Alliance, which comprises MTV and sibling channel Nick, is said to be close to striking a deal with Dish TV for its channels that include the likes of SET, MAX, Discovery and AXN.

  • ESPN moves TDSAT against Pune cable op ICC for recovery of dues

    ESPN moves TDSAT against Pune cable op ICC for recovery of dues

    MUMBAI: ESPN Software India has approached the Telecom Dispute Settlement Appellate Tribunal (TDSAT) for recovery of dues from Pune’s biggest cable operator Intermedia Cable Communication.

    ESPN, in its petition to TDSAT, claims that the amount pending from the ICC for the signal provided between December 2004 and June 2005 is approximately Rs 7.7 million plus 12 per cent interest.

    However, ICC in its response filed today before TDSAT, claims to have orally communicated to the broadcaster that ESPN was free to discontinue its signals, and has argued that it is therefore not liable to pay any amount.

    ESPN has filed the case at TDSAT ahead of Fifa World Cup 2006, which will kick off from 9 June.ESPN had entered into an agreement with ICC to distribute signals for the period December 2003 up to December 2004. Following the expiry of the agreement, the two did not sign any fresh deal and ICC continued to distribute the ESPN signals till June 2005.

    ICC, in its reply today, states that it had orally communicated to ESPN not to distribute the signals anymore. And thus ICC is not liable to pay any amount for the period December 2004 to June 2005.

    Speaking to Indiantelevision.com, an ICC spokesperson said, “The case will be heard at Tdsat soon and thus it will be known if there is any amount due.”

    But, according to ESPN officials, “We have filed for recovery of money for services render.”

    It is worth noting here that in December 2004, broadcast regulator Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (Trai) had allowed for a 7 per cent increase (basic tariff excluding taxes) in cable rates. The change in tariff was effective from 1 January, 2005.

    According to sources close to the developments, ESPN has to prove before TDSAT that the signals distributed to ICC have been passed to consumers and that the latter has collected money for the same. The ICC has declared a subscriber base of approximately 39,750 in Pune.

    TDSAT will be hearing the matter on 9 May — Petition No. 91(C) of 2006 ESPN Software India Pvt Ltd vs Intermedia Cable Communication Pvt Ltd.

  • Trai issues paper on cable tariffs for commercial purposes

    Trai issues paper on cable tariffs for commercial purposes

    NEW DELHI: In a bid to bring about a semblance of difference between cable TV pricing for commercial purpose (like in Hotels) and home subscribers, Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (Trai) today issued a consultation paper to discuss the issue before finalizing some recommendations.

    The Trai paper on commercial tariff seeks to discuss issues like whether there is a need to fix tariffs for commercial purposes and its methodology, definitions of commercial consumers and how they can be differentiated from non-commercial consumers.

    A tariff order of 1 October 2004 did not distinguish between commercial and other services.
    However, while dealing with a batch of petitions filed by the hotel and restaurant industry, the TDSAT (disputes tribunal) in its judgment of 17 January, 2006 had pointed out that the regulator’s earlier order did not cover commercial services.

    Accordingly, after careful examination Trai decided as an interim measure to amend the tariff order and provide for a ceiling for commercial tariff also.

    The present consultation paper is part of an exercise to discuss the issue in detail with broadcast industry stakeholders and those representing the hotels and restaurants.

  • Content remains major issue for IPTV providers: seminar

    NEW DELHI: The industry is hyping IPTV in India as the next revolution, but has actually done little on the content side, said former member of Telecom Regulatory of India (Trai), DPS Seth.

    Speaking here today at IPTV India 2006 conference, organised by Bharat Exhibitions, Seth disagreed with some of the speakers before him saying that people who have been talking about IPTV have “failed to address the issue of content,” which could be delivered through IPTV.

    A certain section of the industry, especially the telecom companies have touted IPTV as a technology ready to ready to change the way Indians have been watching television.

    With its advantages over the current cable and satellite TV technologies, IPTV can be typically bundled with other services like video-on-demand (VOD), voice over IP (VoIP), or digital phone, and Web access, which are collectively called triple play.

    But, asked Seth, not many have given a thought to the type of content that should be generated to be delivered over this triple play platform.

    Seth¡’s argument was that unless the content issue is addressed — especially as in this segment content has to be customized — IPTV may languish.

    A report by Multimedia Research predicts that IPTV adoption worldwide will grow from 1.9 million users in 2004 to 25.3 million in 2008 and that the service provider revenue from IPTV is likely to jump from $ 635 million to 7.2 million by 2008.

    Various speakers at today’s IPTV seminar harped on strategies to tap this opportunity in India as the consumer is getting increasingly demanding.

    Some of the pertinent questions that were raised during the day-long conference were the following:

    What should be the policy framework that will govern IPTV in India?
    How will the interdependence between various service, technology and hardware providers work?
    Will it require further expansion of broadband spectrum?
    What are the operational challenges that would be faced by service providers in transforming their existing businesses models to the one suiting IPTV?

    Key panelists included Airtel CTO (mobility) Jagbir Singh, Sun Microsystems director (telecom) Kapil Sood, URStarcom director sales K K Peringhat, Alcatel South Asia Ltd vice president and head of sales, India, Fixed Communications Group Anuj Kapur, BSNL director (planning and new services) RL Dube and Siemens Public Communication Networks (Pvt.) Ltd MD Michael Kuehner.

  • IPTV India 2006 to be held in New Delhi on 7 April

    IPTV India 2006 to be held in New Delhi on 7 April

    MUMBAI: New Delhi will host a conference IPTV India 2006 on 7 April. It will witness key global industry players with a sharp focus on Indian market to examine the range of technology issues, alternatives and challenges facing the industry today as well as successful business strategies & solutions for the future.

    The inaugural session will discuss IPTV in India: Opportunities & Challenges. Session I will focus on Why IPTV: Market & Business Drivers and session II will talk of IPTV: Examining & Implementing Best Practices in India. And, Session III will discuss Operational Challenges Facing The Service Providers In Transforming To An IPTV Business.

    Some key speakers at the conference include Trai fromer member Dr Devendra PS Seth, Airtel CTO Mobility Jagbir Singh, Sun Microsystems Telecom director Kapil Sood, BSNL planning & new services director RL Dube, DoT, ministry of communications & IT Sr. deputy director general, Telecommunication Engineering Centre R N Padukone.

    UTStarcom Inc. MD South Asia Vijay Yadav, Siemens Public Communication Networks (Pvt.) Ltd. MD Michael Kuehner, Alcatel South Asia Ltd. Vice President & Head Sales – India, Fixed Communicatins Group, Anuj Kapur are few other speakers participating in the conference.

    In an ever changing scenario service providers are fast realising the importance of shifting from a voice-centric model to an IP centric model in which video and other content rich interactive services play a key role.

    Service providers and leading global players are aggressively eyeing the booming Indian market for delivering the triple play of voice, video and data services in an integrated wireless context.

    At the seminar, various issues will be analysed including DRM, security, billing and the acceptable business model for all the parties involved in Indian context, from access networks to services control and delivery to QoS and customer experience to content and multimedia applications.

    Insights to Indian content owners and aggregators to understand their requirements for putting premium video on the Indian service provider’s broadband network and examining the developed India specific success factors for the IPTV value chain will be given.

    The seminar will also analyse different India specific IPTV service delivery models, concerns and requirements of the Indian content industry for working with the Indian service providers.

  • CAS: IBF to push for level playing field

    CAS: IBF to push for level playing field

    NEW DELHI: The Indian Broadcasting Foundation (IBF) has decided to exhort the government to mandate all other addressable systems in the country like DTH and IPTV, for example, as was being done with CAS or conditional access system.

    This suggestion was one of the many that were discussed today by the board of IBF, an apex body of broadcasting companies operating in India, during a debate to help formulate a stand on the issue of CAS, which can be taken to the government by 7 April.
    Another issue that the IBF would note down in a communication to the information and broadcasting ministry, which is holding meetings with industry stakeholders to finalise a rollout plan for CAS, is the pricing of such addressable services.

    Though the exact words are still to be formalized, IBF sources told Indiantelevision.com it was suggested that the government should be petitioned to follow a recommendation of the sector regulator on the pricing mechanism of addressable systems like CAS, DTH and IPTV with an aim to provide a level playing field to broadcasters vis-à-vis the cable fraternity.
    In a set of recommendations on addressable systems made in 2004, Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (Trai) had suggested that since addressable services depend on offering a choice to consumers, unlike non-addressable system like present-day cable TV services, pricing should be allowed to be formulated by market forces and not mandated.

    Another issue that is likely to find its way in the letter for the government involves the free-to-air bouquet of channels and its pricing.

    The IBF board feels that since the scenario has undergone a change from the time CAS was mooted in 2003 when the free-to-air (FTA )bouquet was to comprise 30 channels and priced at Rs. 72 (exclusive of taxes), more channels should now be added to the FTA package for consumers in a CAS-enabled regime.

    The argument in favour of increasing the number of channels to at least 50 is backed by the fact that the subscription-free DTH service of Doordarshan will also carry more than 50 FTA channels from May. This was announced by DD today at a press conference.

    The IBF board is also likely to express its reservation against providing a la carte pricing of channels as it might be against consumer interest.

    Though such a line of thought had been forwarded by the broadcasting industry in the US to the American regulator, the Federal Communications Commission recently put out a statement saying that the earlier report on a la carte pricing was lopsided and individual pricing of TV channels actually works to the benefit of consumers. This too is being contested by broadcasters in the US.

  • Govt proposing to set up separate disputes tribunal for broadcast content

    Govt proposing to set up separate disputes tribunal for broadcast content

    NEW DELHI: The government is proposing to set up a separate disputes tribunal for broadcast content on the lines of Telecom Disputes Settlement And Appellate Tribunal (TDSAT) as part of a comprehensive content regulation framework.

    The proposed organisation, likely to be called Content Disputes Settlement Appellate Tribunal, would have the powers as vested under the Code of Civil Procedures, 1908, but not totally bound by it.

    The content disputes tribunal would take up issues brought to it by aggrieved parties, including those who feel unfair treatment has been meted out by the proposed Content Regulatory Authority of India.

    The structure of these two organizations are based on the functioning of Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (Trai) and TDSAT, which oversee telecom services, including broadcast and cable services at the moment.

    The idea of creating a separate content disputes tribunal is based on feedback that the government has had from industry stakeholders and industry bodies like the Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry.

    As in the case of TDSAT, any appeal against content disputes tribunal’s orders can be made only in the Supreme Court. The government is also proposing to put a penalty on flouting the appellate tribunal’s order’s, which can go up to Rs 50 million.

    Programming scheduling TV channel’s responsibility

    Meanwhile, as per a draft of content code being considered in the I&B ministry, the onus of proper scheduling of programming would rest with a licensee.

    “(The) licensee should take care that the time when minors are expected to be viewing the programmes, i.e. between 4 pm to 7 pm, the Broadcasting Code should be strictly followed,” a draft of the code states, stressing clearly on greater degree of self-regulation on the part of TV channels.

    However, as pr another suggestion to the ministry, the restrictions on the provision of material unsuitable on television programmes for children should be relaxed on a gradual and progressive basis after 7 pm.

    The assumption is that after 7 pm parents may reasonably be expected to share responsibility for what their children are permitted to watch on television.

    The proposed content regulator is also unlikely to preview or pre-censor any TV programme, including films on television. It should be a licensee’s responsibility to ensure that the viewers are aware of the classification of the films broadcast on the television.

  • Trai’s Baijal ends tenure; Misra likely successor

    Trai’s Baijal ends tenure; Misra likely successor

    NEW DELHI: Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (Trai) chairman Pradip Baijal retired today from service after an eventful three-year tenure as the chief regulator and a civil services career spanning 40 years.

    During his tenure as the Trai chief, Baijal has been instrumental in bringing various telecom services within the reach of ordinary people as prices fell and tele-density increased.
    Under him, Trai also stood its ground in guarding the price line of cable TV services and did away with premiums to be paid on exclusive content much to the chagrin of pay broadcasters.

    On his last day today, Baijal is said to have told a close associate that he’s going away with a sense of pride for having stood up for consumers’ rights about which much still needs to be done.

    Baijal is likely to be succeeded by former telecommunications secretary Nripendra Misra, who presently heads a Centre for Department of Telematics-Alacatel joint venture as its chairman.

    Misra, according to telecom ministry sources, is the front-runner for the top post at Trai, though last-minute calisthenics could see a surprise candidate being sprung on the telecom and broadcast industries, which are going through changing times and grappling with introduction of new norms and technologies.

    Baijal, a 1966 Indian Administrative Service (IAS) officer of the Madhya Pradesh cadre, was a hand-on person taking personal interest in important issues like changes to the access deficit charge (ADC) that punctured mobile phone bills and proposing a comprehensive rollout plan for the vexed issue of CAS, which, however, is gathering dust at the I&B ministry.

    “Mr. Baijal was a result driven person, taking personal interest in key issues regarding the industry,” an associates of Baijal at Trai told Indiantelevision.com.

    In fact, it was Baijal who is credited with suggesting a reduction in ADC, a fee that private telecom operators pay to the state-owned Bharat Sanchar Nigam Ltd and its eventual withdrawal by 2009.

    Even towards the end of his inning at Trai, Baijal continued to aggressively support and push for unified licensing under which a licencee can offer telecom, infotech and broadcasting services on a single licence.

    The new chairman’s name is yet to be notified by the government and could take some days. In the interim, the senior-most member-secretary could function as the head of Trai.

    Former secretary of the department of telecom (DoT) Misra is said to be front runner for the top Trai post. The name of GD Gaiha, chairman of Telecommunications Consultant of India LTD (TCIL) is doing the rounds of the media to replace Dr DPS. Seth as a member.

    In recent times, Baijal’s stature had risen so much that its parent, the telecom ministry, had started feeling uncomfortable. The government is likely to get a low profile person as Trai chairman to avoid run-ins with the telecom minister.

    Misra, a 1967 IAS officer, had worked closely with the present communications and IT minister Dayanidhi Maran whose elder brother and family control the South Indian media power house Sun TV group.