Archive for August, 2008
Bharti Airtel plans simultaneous rollout of IPTV, DTH services
Source: The Economic Times MUMBAI: Bharti Airtel is looking at simultaneous rollout of Internet Protocol Television (IPTV) and direct-to-home (DTH) services following the Cabinet approval on downlinking norms for IPTV last week. Expected to be launched before this year-end, the two services will have differential pricing, with DTH targeted at the mass market and IPTV for broadband (high-speed internet) users. IPTV refers to TV delivered through broadband. While Bharti was ready with the launch plan for IPTV long back, it was awaiting policy clarity on downlinking norms. The government has now given »»»
TataSky comes under MRTPC lens again over channel pricing
Source: The Hindu New Delhi (PTI): Direct-to-Home operator TataSky has come under scrutiny of fair trade regulator MRTPC again over its pricing of channels. The Monopolies and Restrictive Trade Practices Commission has directed its investigative wing Director General of Investigation and Registration (DGIR) to look into a complaint against TataSky over its pricing policy, sources said. It has been alleged that the firm, an 80:20 joint venture between Tata and broadcasting major Star India, had ‘promised’ that it would add new channels in its package without any further cost, which it »»»
Smart Broadband Services partners with MTNL
Source: Business Standard Smart Broadband Services Pvt Ltd in today partnered with state-owned telecom operator Mahanagar Telecom Nigam Ltd (MTNL) and has launched a new interactive personalised TV service for MTNL customers. Subsequently, all MTNL residential customers in Delhi can avail of TV entertainment services, using a high speed internet connection from MTNL and a Smart Broadband Set-Top-Box. Therefore, customers can connect to a set of personalised interactive features via their home television seamlessly. Commenting on the launch RSP Sinha, CMD, MTNL said, “With its unique two-way »»»
DTH license fee to be charged on adjusted gross revenue: TDSAT
Source: domain-b.com Mumbai: Broadcast tribunal TDSAT has ruled that licence fees for direct-to-home (DTH) services should be charged on the basis of adjusted gross revenue and not on gross revenue, similar to what is being followed in the telecom industry. Passing an order in a case filed by TataSky, the tribunal directed that licence fee should be based on revenues arising out of licensed activities only, and not on the basis of entire revenue earned by DTH operators. TataSky had challenged direction of the ministry of information and broadcasting to pay 10 per cent of its whole earning as license »»»
PM’s nod sought for early CAS rollout
Source: The Economic Times THE Multi-System Operators (MSO) Alliance and some independent cableoperators are learnt to have written to the prime minister requesting early approval of the digitalisation plan recommended by Trai to extend Conditional Access System (CAS) to 55 cities. The policy is pending with government for some time now. The communication has also stressed on the need to notify the policy on head-end-in-the-sky (HITS) fast among other issues. As per industry sources, MSOs and cable operators have been asking the government to extend CAS for a level playing field with the other »»»
Big TV plans to charge carriage fees from broadcasters
Source: Televisionpoint.com Big TV, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Reliance Communications and an new entrant in the direct-to-home (DTH) segment, is looking at charging carriage fees from small broadcasters. Currently, Big TV is not charging the broadcasters any carriage fee, which would become a major source of revenue for the company in the near term. “We will look at charging carriage fees from small broadcasters. We can’t afford to miss the popular broadcasters such as Star and Zee. We can’t carry every channel on our platform, so we are considering charging carriage fees from »»»
MindShare Chennai wins media duties for Sun Direct TV
Source: Televisionpoint.com MindShare Chennai has won the media buying and planning duties for the Sun Direct TV Pvt Ltd, the direct-to-home (DTH) service from Sun TV Network. MindShare Chennai already handles Sun Group’s Tamil daily Dinakaran and the FM radio brand SFM. The size of the Sun Direct TV business is estimated to be worth Rs 120 crore, of which, 60 per cent goes to mainline advertising, while the remaining 40 per cent would be lined up for the below-the-line (BTL) activities. McCann Erickson Chennai has recently won the creative duties of Sun Direct TV, which is an 80:20 DTH »»»
