BBC offers New Pay structure to end gender based pay gap

Sometime back, a BBC editor in China had resigned over gender based pay gap. The news attracted lots of criticism against BBC. Now to end such kind of pay gaps, the BBC has come up with new pay structure, though it said it has not found “any evidence of gender bias” in determining employee salaries but says that disparities in the pay of men and women at the organization should be addressed.

Govt’s ‘Swachhta Project’ brings down cases of malware attacks

As per government’s claims, there has been a 51% decrease in malware infections in all networks in the country after the launch of the Cyber Swachhta Kendra or the Botnet Cleaning and Malware Analysis Centre last year.

Aircel-Maxis deal case: SC wants ED's reply on Karti's plea against property attachment

On 31 January, the Supreme Court has asked the Enforcement Directorate to reply on a plea of Karti Chidambaram, son of former Union Minister P Chidambaram, against provisional attachment of his properties in the Aircel-Maxis deal case.

Former TRAI officer becomes GSMA’s public policy head for India

The former TRAI officer Manoj Misra has been appointed by GSMA as senior public policy director for India. GSMA is the global telecom industry body.

Bhansali takes measures to check piracy of 'Padmaavat'

The most controversial film ever, Sanjay Leela Bhansali's 'Padmaavat' is attracting large number of moviegoers. The protesters led by Kerni Sena have now become silent. But to check the film falling in the hands of pirates, its makers are taking some pre-emptive measures.

NDTV gets Rs 436.80 crore penalty notice from IT Dept

On 31 January, the news channel which is already in trouble, NDTV has got another slap from the IT Department, as the agency has sent a penalty notice of Rs 436.80 crore for assessment year 2009-10.

Google & L&T partner for providing 150 Station hotspots in Pune

To strengthen the Digital India mission and to connect more and more people through broadband, Search giant Google and Larsen & Toubro have partnered. The deal will enable them to bring 150 Google Station hotspots to Pune, which will be part of Pune Smart City Development Corporation Limited’s Smart City project.

‘Beware of Jio Coin apps’: RJio warns users

Recently, a leading financial daily reported that fake websites peddling Jio Coin, a crypto currency, are luring gullible users in their traps. The rackets, running the Jio Coin Apps, claim to be from Reliance Jio. There are 22 apps which had Jio Coin in their name available for download on the Google PlayStore.

Mobile number porting charges cut by 79% to Rs 4

On 31 January, the telecom regulator TRAI brought down mobile number portability rates by almost 79 per cent to a maximum of Rs 4. It cited lower cost and higher volumes for such transactions. The new charges will come into force from the date of notification in the official gazette.

TV is still the most powerful media platform but digital is racing fast: Zenith Report

According to the latest report by media agency Zenith, TV is still a powerful media tool which will attract advertisers globally, but digital is not far behind. Zenith’s Global Intelligence talks about eight key areas of focus for marketers over the coming year.

Pay TV revenue to grow at 19% due to DTH: Frost & Sullivan

The direct-to-home (DTH) is going to drive the Pay TV revenue in the country at an expected rate of 19%, as per Frost & Sullivan’s Pay TV Services in India 2017 report.

TV18 buys 1% additional stake in Viacom18 for $20 mn

TV18 Broadcast has bought an additional 1 per cent stake in its joint venture (JV) Viacom18 for USD 20 Million. Mukesh Ambani owned TV18 and Viacom have equal stakes in the joint venture.

Telcos earmark Rs 74,000 crore to address call drop issue

Call drop is a major issue affecting Indian mobile phone users. The issue has been raised time and again, and now leading telecom operators have committed to investing over Rs 74,000 crore to address the issue in a comprehensive manner.

TDSAT to hear landing page matter on 12 Feb

In the landing page matter, the petitioners have challenged the telecom regulator TRAI on two grounds – it has no jurisdiction to issue a direction while the second ground was that the authority didn’t follow the principle of transparency while issuing the direction.

UN Foundation & Sony Pictures launch short-film competition on sustainable development

To motivate emerging short filmmakers who love to make films on human issues and sustainability, the United Nations Foundation and Sony Pictures Television Networks (SPTN) have together launched Picture This Festival for the Planet,

Publicis to launch a disruptive AI platform ‘Marcel’; partners with Microsoft

This is an age of disruptions. New technologies like AI, cobots, the big data and IoT are ruling the roost. Recently, Publicis Groupe has announced to launch Marcel, its disruptive AI platform in partnership with tech giant Microsoft.

Viu partners with Korean cable TV network JTBC

Due to rise in OTT segment, viewers in India are able to watch content from across the world. Korean drama series and shows are now being made available by PCCW Media Group pan-regional OTT video service Viu. To bring more content, Viu has now partnered with the Korean cable TV network JTBC.

Sun TV to enter Bengali, Marathi markets

Broadcaster Sun TV Networks, having a strong presence in South, is planning to enter Marathi and Bengali markets. It is also aiming its subscription revenue to double to Rs 2000 crore over the next three years, as its subscriber base has grown big post digitisation in Tamil Nadu.

News most watched genre on digital platform: Times Internet study

Users of digital platforms in the country are hooked to news. According to a Times Internet study titled ‘The Changing Lingual Face of Digital India’, news is the most watched genre on digital, followed by sports, and entertainment. News occupies 67% on digital across all regional languages followed by Sports at 17% and Entertainment at 16%.

Digital marketing becomes video-heavy advertising

Gone are the days when advertisers used text based ads for digital advertising. A decade ago or so, Google Search ads and display banners across sites like Yahoo and Redif were in fashion, as there were not enough options on digital platforms. The journey of digital marketing from 2005 to 2017 has been revolutionary.

Telcos request TRAI to consider call muting when monitoring call drops on VoLTE

The leading telecom operators have requested the telecom regulator TRAI to factor in ‘call muting’ while monitoring call drops on a Voice over LTE (VoLTE) network in order to have a fair comparison with the quality of services on different networks.

Govt to establish ‘Indian Cyber Crime Coordination Centre (I4C)’ in Delhi

Cybercrimes like phishing are one of the top concerns worldwide. To check the menace, the Central Government has taken a concrete step by announcing to set up an apex centre, “Indian Cyber Crime Coordination Centre (I4C)” in New Delhi.

RJio to disrupt once again with IoT; appoints Ayush Sharma for the big job

Reliance Jio, which had brought VoLTE technology to India, may disrupt once again with IoT, the latest technology with wider impact on many sectors. Ayush Sharma from Silicon Valley has been appointed by RJio as senior vice president of engineering and technology. This indicates RJio is thinking big on IoT.

Sky buys IPL TV & digital rights for UK

The leading UK broadcaster Sky Sports has reached a deal with Star India to buy the Indian Premier League (IPL) TV & digital rights for the UK market. In 2014, Sky had also signed a three year deal to broadcast the IPL for the first time in UK and Ireland.

DEN to come up with 4K Android-based Hybrid STB

In February, the multi system operator (MSO) DEN Networks is expected to launch its 4K Android-based Hybrid set top boxes (STBs), which will support both cable TV and Internet-based TV.

Economic Survey 2018 blames disruptive Jio for telecom stress

Technologies will not wait anyone. It will continue to disrupt the markets and send many companies to ruins if they don’t change with time. This has been proved by RJio which had brought VoLTE to India in September 2016.

Tencent invests in Skydance Media

A strategic investment was made by Tencent in Skydance which is part of a broader strategic partnership, which provides a global platform for project-level collaboration and will also allow Skydance to access Tencent’s expertise in Asia and gaming to further build out its presence in these markets.

BCCI issues RFP for A-V production services for IPL & Domestic Cricket

The Request for Proposal (RFP) has been issued by the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) for audio-visual production services for the Indian Premier League (IPL) and BCCI Domestic Cricket.

APC Kids partners with global broadcasters for ‘Kid-E-Cats’

To give a boost to its animated kids’ series ‘Kid-E-Cats’, APC Kids, the children’s entertainment distribution company of boutique financier and distributor About Premium Content (APC), has reached deals with several international broadcasters.

AIR partners with Amazon Echo

To keep pace with the time and to offer the latest in services, the All India Radio (AIR) has reached a deal with Amazon to launch its services (all 44 services - local and global) on Amazon Echo device.

BECIL issues RFP for selecting agency to handle I&B’s ‘Social Media Communication Hub’

The government has recently announced to launch a social media communication hub to monitor its various schemes with the help o f local media personnel who will be hired for the job. This will give the real picture of the ground realities.

I&B Ministry to establish ‘social media hub’ to track govt schemes

The Information and Broadcasting Ministry (I&B) will establish a 'Social Media Communication Hub' to track the media exposure and real impact of various government plans and schemes. The Ministry will employ media persons on contractual basis in each district to be the "eyes and ears" of the government and provide real-time updates from the ground.

Hopes of Rupert Murdoch & future of Fox rest on Lachlan

Post the deal (Disney buying Fox), the face, which will attract the biggest attention, will be Rupert’s son Lachlan Murdoch. Lachlan will have to bear the larger responsibilities. Though he has been groomed by his father, Lachlan has never independently run anything as big and complicated as what is being billed as the "new Fox."

Govt to trim Prasar Bharati

The national broadcaster Prasar Bharati would go through revamping as the government has decided to trim and expose it to audits in order to make it leaner and better equipped to tackle growing competition from private players in the television and radio markets.

Govt may allow mandatory telecast of cricket matches on DD

 The government may soon come up with a regulation to make it mandatory for rights holders to allow telecast of cricket matches on DD channels if they are available on dish or DTH subscribers. Currently, Doordarshan channels that telecast matches are blacked out by DTH operators, forcing viewers to subscribe sports pay channels.

Google launches 'Bulletin' app

The tech giant Google has launched ‘Bulletin’ app where users will be able to update their posts in real-time, adding text and media as the story unfolds. This is the first activity of Google in hyperlocal news segment. The app has been launched as a limited pilot project and is available in Nashville, Tennessee and Oakland, California.

CBS Corp & Viacom may go Fox-Disney way

This year has witnessed mega mergers in telecom and broadcasting sector. While Fox is set to be merged with Disney, CBS Corporation and Viacom are also planning to merge to better compete with broadcasting behemoths like Disney, as per latest media sources.

Times Internet buys Korea’s MX Player; will re-enter OTT segment

As the OTT segment is witnessing big boom due to cheap data and smartphones, Times Internet has bought South Korean app MX Player for $200 million to re-enter the segment.

Idea wants govt approval for increasing FDI limit to 100%

While currently, the government allows 100 per cent FDI in telecom companies, of which up to 49 per cent can be done through the automatic route, Idea has requested the government to increase it to 100%. At present, foreign investors hold around 27 per cent stake in Idea.

USD 1 billion bid for optical fibre asset of Tata Teleservices

According to media sources, TPG Global led consortium has made a bid of $1 billion for Tata Tele fibre assets. Some time back, Tata group has entered in to an agreement with Bharti Airtel to sell mobile business of Tata Teleservices, which has debt of around Rs 40,000 crore.

Attention DEN customers: How to complain if Zee & Turner channels are not available on

For many days, DEN customers have not been able to watch Zee and Turner channels. As these broadcasters have many most watched channels, customers are highly frustrated to miss their favourite programmes. When they contact their local cable TV operators (LCOs), they get answers that a case is going on between DEN and Zee, and channels would be available only when the case is sorted out.

Digital prepaid cards to be in vogue at ZEE JLF 2018

Spreading the message of cashless transactions, the 11th edition of ZEE Jaipur Literature Festival (JLF) will see prepaid cards being used for the purpose. The fair is running until 29 January.

Netflix to dominate 2018 with 30 originals

The leading international OTT platform Netflix has planned to dominate the global markets including India with massive investments in 30 original series. The OTT platform told its investors that it is finding continued success with international originals.

Pixalate to help Xapads check fraudulent programmatic ads

Pixalate, a leading global data intelligence platform and real-time fraud protection provider, will help digital advertising network Xapads Media to check ad fraud in the programmatic marketplace.

TRAI’s suggestions to have a converged regulator fail to attract broadcasters

The telecom regulator TRAI’s Consultation Paper on “Inputs for Formulation of National Telecom Policy – 2018”, had suggestion of an “integrated regulation of ICT and broadcasting sector led by economic and social policy goals of the country”. The TV broadcasters have not liked the idea and red flagged it.

ALTBalaji to boost its presence on Jio TV & Jio Cinema with original series

Original series are must for the success of an OTT platform. Leading international players, such as Netflix and Amazon Prime Video, are spending big money to create original content in different languages to keep a lead.

Celltick to power BSNL customer’s Android devices

The Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited (BSNL) has partnered with Celltick, a global leader in mobile discovery and engagement, which will power BSNL customer’s Android devices by providing a branded, localized and customized version of Celltick’s Start.

Idea Cellular to launch VoLTE by March

After expanding their ICR with higher coverage under 2G ICR arrangements and introducing 4G ICR arrangements with Vodafone, Idea will launch VoLTE in March. The expansion of ICR resulted in expanded coverage across over 12500 new towns and neighboring villages where one of the operators (Idea/Vodafone) was not previously present.

WEF Davos: Alibaba founder calls AI a big threat

While debates are going on whether the Artificial Intelligence (AI) will kill or create jobs, and its potentials in various businesses and human lives, Alibaba founder and Executive Chairman Jack Ma said that AI is a big threat to human beings as machines are going to replace several of us in the future.

AT&T requests U.S. Congress to change its rules on net neutrality

In late 2017, the Trump administration voted to rescind net neutrality rules. Now AT&T Inc has requested the U.S. Congress to change the present rules on the subject. The repeal lifted restrictions that kept telecom companies like AT&T, Comcast Corp and Verizon Communications Inc from slowing or blocking access to certain content.

Alphabet launches new technology ‘Chronicle’ to battle cyber attacks

Another business opportunity has been created by tech giant Google, as its Alphabet has launched a new technology "Chronicle" which will make business by preventing cyber-attacks. According to Google, Chronicle will be an independent business within Alphabet that's dedicated to helping companies find and stop cyber-attacks before they cause harm.

RTL II & Rohde & Schwarz partner for AV content monitoring & multi-viewer facilities

RTL II, the major German broadcaster has partnered with Rohde & Schwarz to provide state-of-the-art AV content monitoring and multi-viewer facilities for its revolutionary new totally IP-based OTT playout.

Harmonic Playout Solution partners with La Télé

La Télé, a broadcast news channel based in Switzerland, has deployed a comprehensive live and scheduled playout solution offered by Harmonic, the worldwide leader in video delivery technology and services.

Interra Systems partners with AWS to streamline high quality video delivery via Cloud

Amazon Web Services (AWS) Elemental has partnered with Interra Systems, a leading global provider of software products and solutions to the digital media industry. Interra will provide pay-TV operators, broadcasters, and OTT providers with a scalable and cost-effective solution for delivering high-quality video.

Amazon Internet appoints Shweta Jain as head of M&E services for South Asia

In recent times, several NDTV employees were laid off due to unaffordable operation costs and technological interventions such as mobile journalism. While NDTV is facing several crises, Amazon Internet Services has hired former NDTV senior vice president software solutions Shweta Jain as head of media and entertainment services for South Asia.

Neo Sports & DSport to share Hong Kong T20’s India broadcast rights

Neo Sports & DSport will share the India broadcast rights for the Hong Kong T20 Blitz. The third edition of the competition will take place during 6-11 February 2018 at the Kowloon Cricket Club. China Cricket International is the organisers of the Hong Kong T20 Blitz.

Bomanbridge Media & Muse Entertainment partner to capture Asian markets

To distribute popular Canadian content to viewers across Asian markets, the Singapore-based content distribution and production agency Bomanbridge Media has reached a deal with the Canadian film and television production company Muse Entertainment.

ZEEL to have fixed fee deals with DPOs; Essel Holdings sells 1.44% stake in ZEEL

The media conglomerate ZEEL has announced that it will have fixed fee deals with distribution platform operators (DPOs). The arrangement will work till the new tariff order of the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India’s (TRAI), which is currently sub-judice, is implemented.

Much-awaited bill on data protection to be out in March

As the war between the Government and the privacy activists on Aadhaar issue is being fought, the government assured the apex court that bill on data protection will be released in March 2018.

Lava’s new initiative ‘Design in India’ gets appreciation from Govt.

The leading Indian mobile phone manufacturer Lava has gone a step ahead of ‘Make in India’ and has launched ‘Design in India’, which has got appreciation from all quarters. Electronics and IT Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad said that 22.5 crore mobiles are being manufactured in India annually and the aim is to make India a big hub of mobile, electronics manufacturing right from concept, design to execution. “Hence, this initiative is quite praiseworthy.”

AI not to kill jobs; it will boost employment by 10% as well as revenue: Report

It is generally presumed that new technologies and machines kill jobs and render people helpless. The world is witnessing latest technologies like AI (Artificial Intelligence), IoT, and OTT. While many fear that AI will kill jobs, a report by Accenture has revealed that AI, instead, will help in creation of 10% more employment.

Irdeto acquires Denuvo, an anti-piracy & anti-cheat solutions major

To help prevent revenue loss for game publishers and disrupt cheating in the gaming environment, tech giant Irdeto has bought the gaming security major Denuvo.

Sky going to Fox ‘not in the public interest’ - CMA

The struggle to get hold of Sky, the UK satellite TV operator, is getting tougher for Rupert Murdoch owned 21st Century Fox, as the UK’s Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) has said the deal will ‘not be in the public interest.’

Shubhranshu Singh resigns from Star Sports

Shubhranshu Singh, Star Sports EVP and head marketing, has resigned; he has been with the broadcaster for 4 years.

Turmeric Vision to launch new channels

Famous chef and food talk show host Sanjeev Kapoor’s Turmeric Vision is planning to start two new channels in 2019. Turmeric Vision owns and operates food and lifestyle channel Food Food.

Broadcasters say RPD will help BARC to reach improved results

The broadcasters stakeholders feel that the Broadcasters Audience Research Council’s (BARC India)’s willingness to work with distribution platform operators (DPOs) on return path data (RPD) will be good for expanding the panel size, and making the viewership data more robust, as well as giving better representation to niche genres.

Airlines may charge extra for Wi-Fi during air travel

Though the telecom regulator TRAI’s recommendations permitting in-flight net connection would be an advantage for travellers as well service providers, airlines may charge 20-30% extra for the service.

Hip-hop culture & tattoos go out of media in China; Govt. calls it “low taste content”

Censorship is the other name of the authoritarian government of China. It shuts hundreds of websites and doesn’t allow Google or twitter. Now going a step ahead, the authorities have banned any reference or sue of hip-hop culture and tattoos in the media calling it ‘low taste content’.

Tata Sky partners with LitmusWorld to enhance stakeholders’ experience

To build an enhanced ecosystem and to enhance stakeholders’ experience, the direct to home (DTH) operator Tata Sky has partnered with LitmusWorld, an enterprise SaaS business.

Dailyhunt launches Newzly, a news-in-brief app

Regional language content is becoming the king on OTT platforms. Dailyhunt, the content aggregator, has launched Newzly, a news-in-brief app for Android users which will offer content in nine languages English, Hindi, Telugu, Tamil, Malayalam, Kannada, Marathi, Bengali, and Gujarati.

Chanpreet Arora becomes CEO at Vice India

Chanpreet Arora has been appointed as the chief executive officer (CEO) by Vice India, which is the joint venture (JV) between Times Group and Vice Media. This is the third major appointment in recent times at Vice India; it has recently appointed Pragya Tiwari as the editor-in-chief and Samira Kanwar as the head of video.

Reliance Animation & Discovery India partner for ‘Little Singham’

Cashing in on the immense success of film ‘Singham’, the Discovery Communications India has partnered with Reliance Animation which will create an original animation series, ‘Little Singham’. This will be the costliest animation show by Discovery Communications India.

Facebook hires Eurosport CEO Peter Hutton for global sports rights

To secure global sports rights, the social media behemoth Facebook has hired Eurosport CEO Peter Hutton; he will report to Facebook’s head of global sports partnerships Dan Read.

‘Facebook should pay publishers for news content’- Rupert Murdoch

As the social media giant Facebook announces major plans to change its news feed to focus more on “personal connections” in a move that will de-prioritise posts from businesses, brands and media, it has got an awakening slap from media baron Rupert Murdoch. Murdoch, News Corp Executive chairman, has said Facebook should pay publishers for news content (carriage fees for news) in the same way that TV operators pay broadcasters to air their channels.

Delhi HC puts on hold Centre's decision to evict an association of accredited journalists

On Jan 22, the Delhi High Court stayed the government's decision to evict an association of accredited journalists from a room given to it in the National Media Centre (NMC) in New Delhi. The court also issued notice to the Press Information  Bureau (PIB) and the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting seeking their responses by May 9 to the Press Association's plea challenging the government's decision.

Deadline extended for comments on CP related to empanelment of independent auditors for DAS

On 22 January, the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) has extended the last date for the submission of comments on consultation paper related to the empanelment of auditors for digital addressable systems for broadcasting and cable sector.

Vivek Oberoi to feature in ALTBalaji’s new original series ‘A Family’

Popular actor Vivek Oberoi will be the main lead inBalaji Telefilms-owned over the top (OTT) platform ALTBalaji’s new crime show ‘A Family’. The announcement was made by the actor himself on his Twitter account.

BIF believes in-flight connectivity may boost revenue

The telecom regulator TRAI’s recent recommendations allowing in-flight connectivity have been received positively by the industry as well as flyers. Commenting on the recommendations, the Broadband India Forum (BIF) said that connectivity during air travel will benefit air travellers and will boost revenue of service providers.

INX Case: SC permits Mohanan Rajesh to travel abroad

On 22 January, hearing the plea of the accused in INX case, the Supreme Court allowed Mohanan Rajesh and Karti Chidambaram to travel abroad from January 27 to February 5. Both are under scanner in INX Media case.

Pantel to pay dues of RBTV to 3 broadcasters

Pantel Technologies has agreed to pay dues of its new acquisition (DTH operator Reliance Big TV) to three broadcasters: Sony Pictures Networks Distribution India, India Cast Media Distribution, and Cinema 24×7.

Five people in Bengaluru arrested for tampering BARC panel homes

Raju (a TV show producer), Suresh, Jemsy, Subhash and Madhu have been arrested by the Bengaluru Cyber Crime police for tampering panel homes. The TV viewership measurement agency, the Broadcasters Audience Research Council (BARC) Indiahad filed a complaint with the Cyber Crime police station after getting a tip about the panel tampering.

State governments make 100 websites accessible

The government’s thrust on Accessible India Campaign (AIC) is bringing good results as various state governments have made 100 websites accessible for persons with disabilities. The announcement was made by the Union Minister for Social Justice and Empowerment Thaawar Chand Gehlot on the occasion of 'National Conference on Improving Accessibility' in New Delhi, on 19January.

“Govt should provide better mobile telecom service”- Parliamentary panel

Call drops, low network, and poor coverage areas are still bothering mobile phone users. To motivate  the government to take strong steps in ensuring all these issues are addressed, the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Finance in its draft report on transformation towards digital economy said that urgent and earnest efforts were required to improve the quality of telecom services in the country.

SCR Project: 54 Railway stations to get Wi-Fi

In its ambition to make all railway stations internet-enabled, the government will provide Wi-Fi to 54 railway stations under SCR.  The government aims to make 600 railway stations Wi-Fi enabled before March 2018.

COAI not happy with separate licensee for in-flight communication services

Cellular Operators Association of India (COAI) has said that it opposes the telecom regulator’s (TRAI) recommendations for creation of a separate licensee category for offering in-flight communication services. Recently, the regulator has recommended internet access through Wi-Fi to be allowed during flight, adding that making calls can be allowed once an aircraft reaches an altitude of 3,000 meters.

DoT has no objection on Airtel-Telenor deal

The acquisition of Telenor India by Bharti Airtel may realise soon as the deal has got no objection from the telecom department (DoT); now the proposal is before the National Company Law Tribunal (NCLT). Post NCLT’s clearance, the two companies will require also a formal approval from the telecom department to close the deal.

Hotstar to take Star to the world

As OTT is booming and people across the world are watching content on their smart devices, Star India is cashing in on its OTT arm Hotstar, which has 100 million viewers and is one of the fastest growing OTT players.

Prices cannot rise as telcos battling for market share: Airtel CEO

Entry of Reliance Jio in September 2016 had changed the entire scenario of telecom sector in the country forcing call and net prices crashing down. This has put telcos like RCom out of business, and leading players like Airtel reeling under massive revenue loss.

RCom seeks shareholders' approval to sell assets

As Reliance Communications (RCom) has initiated a monetisation exercise that entailed wireless spectrum, towers, fibre, media convergence nodes, and real estate assets including Dhirubhai Ambani Knowledge City campus, Navi Mumbai, it is now seeking shareholders' approval to sell the same.

Microsoft’s 'mind control' brain interface device gets patented

Though in 2017 social media giant Facebook had claimed to have developed a brain computer interface, Microsoft has been granted a patent for a brain control device. This device enables users to use their thoughts to operate apps, without any movement. Experts believe that it may help persons with disabilities in a big way.

RJio continues its partnership with Eros Now

To offer its customers high quality OTT content from Eros Now, Reliance Jio has renewed its partnership with the OTT player.

COAI releases data: total mobile subscribers base reaches 982 million

As per the data, released on 17 January by the Cellular Operators Association of India (COAI), country's private telecom service providers have a total of 981.65 million subscribers. COAI is the top industry association representing the country's major telecom, internet, technology and digital services companies.

Baba Ramdev to start spiritual channels in regional languages

After witnessing unprecedented success in consumer products categories, the yoga expert Baba Ramdev will soon launch spiritual channels in local languages. Vedic Broadcasting will launch devotional channels in Tamil, Telugu, and Malayalam.

FM radio & CRS content now fall under monitoring committee: MIB

The ambit of district monitoring committees has been widened by the ministry of information and broadcasting (MIB) so as to cover the monitoring of content of private FM Channels and the Community Radio Stations (CRS) apart from TV channels.

Star India to tap IPL’s full potentials; will make it a six-month ‘fiesta’

Star India, which bought the broadcasting and digital rights of IPL for an astronomical sum, will tap the full potentials of the tournament by extending the drama as a six month ‘fiesta’. The two-month property will now become a six-month ‘fiesta’ that started off with the retention event held on January 4.

Teens crave for junk food due to TV ads: Research

According to a report by Cancer Research UK, watching junk food ads motivates teens to go for it. The researchers asked 3,348 young people between the ages of 11-19 on their TV viewing habits and diet to reach the results.

Hike enables users to access essential services without data through ‘Total’

The popular messenger Hike has launched a new proprietary technology to make services available to its users without data. Hike claims that the technology is based on the USSD protocol which does the heavy lifting of encrypting, compressing and transmitting data.

Over 60% broadband users to use VoLTE after 5 years: Deloitte India report

The newer technologies like OTT, VoLTE and Machine Learning are creating great buzz in not only the industry but also amongst the users. IoT, LTE, LTE-A, LTE-A Pro and 5G are are the future of the world. According to Deloitte India’s TMT report, over 60% of all broadband subscribers will use Voice over LTE (VoLTE) technology by 2023.

TRAI to organize seminar on “Smart Phone Usage in Internet Age”

The Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) has been undertaking various activities to reach out to the telecom consumers to educate them and to understand their problems. As a part of this process TRAI is holding a seminar on the Topic “Smart Phone Usage in Internet Age” to be organized in Lucknow (Uttar Pradesh) along with contact person and telephone number is as under:

DSport buys broadcast rights of tri-nation cricket series

The newly launched sports channel DSport is looking aggressive in content acquisition. Discovery Communications India’s channel has now bought the broadcast rights of the 2018 Nidahas Trophy featuring Bangladesh, India and Sri Lanka. Earlier, the sportscaster had acquired the broadcast rights of Pakistan Super League (PSL) 2018.

Digital advertising to reach Rs. 19,000-CR by 2020: Dentsu Aegis report

As people are watching content on their mobile phones and digital platforms, advertisers are shifting to the digital segment. According to the Dentsu Aegis Network report, the Indian digital ad industry is estimated to grow with a CAGR of 32% to Rs 18,986 crore by 2020.

ACT Fibernet partners with OTT players; launches ‘ACT Entertainment’ in Hyderabad

Hyderabad’s leading internet service provider (ISP) ACT Fibernet has reached deals with over the top (OTT) content providers like Hooq TV, YuppTV, and Fastflimz to launch ‘ACT Entertainment’ broadband plan in Hyderabad.

Merrill Lynch sells its stake in Airtel

Merrill Lynch Markets Singapore Pte Ltd has sold its stake in Bharati Airtel for Rs. 1931 crore. The shares were sold at an average price of Rs. 499.1 apiece. The sale was done through an open market transaction. It owned 3.87 crore shares.

Nick to air DHX Media’s ‘Massive Monster Mayhem’ in 140 territories

DHX Media (Children’s content Company) has partnered with Nickelodeon for the telecast of its popular show ‘Massive Monster Mayhem’. The show premiered on Nicktoons in the US, and now Nickelodeon International will air it in m more than 140 territories.

TRAI to issue norms for fair tariffs in telecom sector: RS Sharma

As major telcos are violating rules governing promotional schemes, the telecom regulator TRAI will soon come up with norms for fair tariff, according to TRAI Chairman RS Sharma. A few months back, the incumbents moved the telecom tribunal arguing that Jio’s tariffs were predatory. TRAI replied that Jio’s offers are non-predatory, while TDSAT is yet to give its verdict.

Hotstar to mesmerise its users with VR telecast of IPL feeds

Virtual Reality (VR) is getting popular with the audience. While such contents are mostly fiction, the major OTT player Hotstar will stream the Indian Premier League (IPL) in Virtual Reality. Star India’s video on demand (VoD) service aims to offer the immersive VR experience, which it says will make it possible for fans to come closer to the high-octane matches.

‘Wireless planning and coordination wing will go online from February’: DoT

To keep pace with the time and to speed up network deployment, addressing a longstanding grievance of carriers, the telecom department will soon shift its wireless planning and coordination (WPC) wing completely online from February.

UIDAI to decide fresh deadline of Aadhaar linking; will talk to RBI, TRAI

The Aadhaar issuing authority, UIDAI will consult various government ministries, the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) and the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) to decide if there is need to extend the current deadline of March 31.

Telecom Connectivity in North East to be upgraded at a cost of Rs 10,743 cr

The telecom minister Manoj Sinha said that Rs 10,743 crore will be spent in different projects in the north-eastern states to spread mobile network connectivity to different uncovered villages in the region.

Sports Flashes launches 24×7 internet sports radio channel ‘Radio Sports Flashes’

Sports content lovers will now be able to listen to match commentaries, as Sports Flashes has launched a 24×7 internet radio channel ‘Radio Sports Flashes’ which is dedicated to sports content. Sports Flashes is the Delhi-based Super Sports and Projects-owned multi-sports app.

TRAI extends time limit to submit comments on CP related to uplinking/downlinking guidelines

Through a press release issued on 16 January, the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) has extended the deadline for submission of comments and counter comments on the consultation paper ‘Issues relating to Uplinking and Downlinking of Television Channels’.

Reliance Entertainment, AP International Films & Y Not Studios partner to produce South Indian movies

South Indian films are getting great popularity in even North India due to smartphones and cheap internet with attractive offerings from leading OTT players. To cash in on the boom, Y Not Studios, a leading South Indian film production house, AP International Films (Distributor), and Anil Ambani’s Reliance Entertainment have signed a MoU. They will produce high quality films.

DEN deploys 1.5 lakh STBs; earns profit of Rs 2 crore in Q3

The multi system operator (MSO) DEN Networks has deployed 1.5 lakh set top boxes (STBs) during Q3, making its total digital base reach11.2 million. The company’s active subscriber was at 7.4 million. The MSO’s consolidated net profit has doubled to Rs 2 crore in this quarter ending on 31 December.

DSport buys rights for Bellator MMA

Boasting the rights to broadcast more than 250 hours of fresh Combat sports programming over the next year, DSport has also bought the rights from Electus International to air mixed martial arts franchise Bellator MMA, in India.

Hoichoi comes up with its brand anthem

The leading Bengali content digital platform, Hoichoi has launched its brand anthem, which is an ode to the celebration and speaks up about taking a break from busy schedules, getting together and having fun.

PK Online Ventures launches online marketplace ‘Vuroll’

To connect advertisers with influencers and content creators, the digital media company PK Online Ventures has launched online marketplace Vuroll. It caters to influencers and content creators across various social media platforms including Blogs, Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and YouTube. The platform’s innovative algorithm offers brands the ability to target the digital influencers relevant to their specific needs and create data points to develop scalable influencer marketing campaigns.

Culture Ministry gets CIC notice for release of Rs 2.5-Cr for an unmade Film on Tilak

A fraud has been detected at the Culture Ministry which allotted a fund of Rs. 2.5 crore for making a film on Tilak, which was never made. Now the Central Information Commission (CIC) has sent a notice to the Ministry. The central information commission M. Sridhar Acharyulu issued a show cause notice to Suman Bara, the chief public information officer of the culture ministry, questioning why maximum penalty should not be imposed on him for not providing the information on the case with the excuse that the file pertaining to it was “missing”.

Huawei unveils OS ‘EMUI 8.0’ having AI features

Equipped with the Artificial Intelligence (AI), Chinese handset maker Huawei’s newly launched operating system (OS) EMUI 8.0 is based on Android Oreo platform. According to company, it will boost productivity due to Artificial Intelligence (AI) capabilities.

Dish TV studying insolvency proceedings against Videocon promoters

The State Bank of India, according to media reports, will start insolvency proceedings against 12 firms including Videocon Industries and Video Telecom, which has become defunct after its closed operations and sold spectrum to Bharti Airtel.

Activists want Aadhaar data deletion from service providers’ data centres

The war of Aadhaar is just not stopping. Every day, something new comes up. Now the activists fighting for the privacy cause want all Aadhaar data to be deleted from service providers’ data centres. They are supported by lawyers and cybersecurity experts.

‘There is no proof to support Aadhaar tampering allegations’: Govt

Answering the allegations that Aadhaar data has been breached, the Union law and information technology minister Ravi Shankar Prasad attacked the critics of Aadhaar, arguing that it had benefited the poor while vouching for the strength of its security mechanisms following a report that demographic details of those enrolled in the system were available for Rs 500.

Telcos should facilitate Digital India & not just focus on revenue generation for Govt: Telecom Minister

Talking about the financially stressed telecom sector, the telecom minister Manoj Sinha said that the sector should facilitate Digital India and not just focus on revenue generation for the government. The views give boost to the sectorial viewpoint which says that spectrum charges, taxes and levies are too high.

Comcast in trouble as Rovi files a case of patent infringement

The patent lawsuits filed recently by Rovi Corporation against Comcast allege that latter’s X1 platform infringes technology invented and patented by Rovi, including pausing and resuming shows on different devices, restarting live programming in progress, advanced DVR recording features, and advanced search and voice functionality.

Sun Direct’s select subscribers get free Sun NXT subscription

The select customers of the leading South India DTH operator Sun Direct are getting free Sun NEXT subscription. The Sun Group-owned direct to home platform Sun Direct owns Sun NEXT, a video on demand (VoD) platform. The popular OTT platform offers  live TV as well as catch up TV, and has 50,000 hours of live TV content, movies, originals, kid’s, and music content across four South Indian languages Tamil, Telugu, Kannada, and Malayalam.

MSO Hathway puts off Times Network channels for non-payment of dues

The channels under the Times Network will not be available on the multi system operator (MSO) Hathway Cable and Datacom for non-payment of outstanding dues.

TRAI slashes international incoming call termination rate

Starting from 1 February, termination charges payable by an International Long Distance Operator (ILDO) to the access provider in whose network the call terminates will come down from Rs 0.53 per minute to Rs 0.30 per minute.

Airtel awards multi-radio technology deal to Huawei

Airtel, the leading telco, is already using Huawei’s CloudAIR solution to deliver a better 4G experience to its customers. Now it has awarded the multi-radio technology deal to Huawei to better the LTE coverage. Airtel has deployed three radio technologies (GSM, UMTS, LTE) on the 900MHz band within an 8.8MHz spectral bandwidth.

UIDAI to issue temporary 16-digit virtual ID to keep Aadhaar number confidential

Sensitized with increasing misuse of Aadhaar number by local e-verifying units, and a report of the Tribune that Aadhaar data of anyone can be bought for just Rs 500, the Aadhaar issuing authority Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI) is planning to launch Virtual ID for people which will allow Aadhaar holders to generate a 16-digit temporary number. So they would not need to share their actual Aadhaar number to anyone.

India TV Today exposes hypocrisy of so called moral policing group ‘Kannada Pride’

India is a country where extremes happen. While moral policing is high everywhere, the same moral policing groups also take bribes to allow the same thing which it threatens of dire consequences if allowed by the law.

Pakistani news anchor tries to hit people’s conscience by reading news of minor’s rape & murder with her little daughter in her lap

To hit the conscience of the watchers, TV journalist of Samaa TV, Kiran Naz read the news of the brutal rape and murder of a little girl by holding her own little daughter in her lap.

Red FM launches its mobile app

To provide ease to its users, the leading FM player 93.5 Red FM has launched its mobile app which has been designed keeping in mind the connected device ecosystem that today’s listeners are living in.

Mihir Kanta Samal becomes CTO at Ortel

Mihir Kanta Samal has been appointed as chief technical officer (CTO) by Ortel Communications, following the retirement of Manmohan Pattnaik. Samal has been with the company for 22 years. His responsibilities will include installation, implementation, and upgradation of technology for the company.

Discovery to transfer its global HQ from Silver Spring, Maryland to New York City in 2019

The global broadcaster Discovery will shift its international HQ from Silver Spring, Maryland to New York City next year.

TRAI to organize interactive Session on e-KYC for Telecom Consumers & Digital Payment Systems for Capacity Building of Consumer Advocacy Groups (CAGs)

The telecom regulator has invited representatives of Telecom Service Providers of Tamil Nadu, Karnataka and Kerala, Representatives of Industry Associations (COAI, ISPAI), Representatives of all TRAI registered Consumer Advocacy Groups (CAGs) of Tamil Nadu, Karnataka and Kerala, Students & Academicians from Educational Institutions, Representatives of State Consumer Grievance Redressal Commission, Representatives of NGOs, other organisations, Representatives from State Government/District administration to participate in an interactive session; the details are mentioned below.

IPO of Hyderbad-based digital entertainment firm ‘Silly Monks’ over-subscribed 17.23 times

The digital entertainment company Silly Monks, which is based in Hyderabad, offered 12.60 lakh equity shares of face value of Rs 10 each. The IPO was a fixed price offer and was offered at the price of Rs. 120 per share. It was over-subscribed by 17.23 times. The target was to raise Rs 15.12 crore and the IPO saw bids worth Rs. 260.56 crore.

Hinduja Ventures ready for amalgamation with Grant Investrade; NCLT approval awaited

Hinduja Ventures Ltd (HVL)’s board of directors has given their approval for the amalgamation of Grant Investrade Ltd (GIL) into the company, which is a wholly owned subsidiary of the company. HVL has business interests in media, real estate, and treasury while GIL is in the business of running channels on cable TV and treasury.

Star India gives added responsibility to GS Kapoor; makes him India distribution head

Gurjeev Singh Kapoor has been appointed as India distribution head by Star India. He is also the head of international business of the broadcaster. Earlier, he was the COO of Star-Zee distribution JV Media Pro.

Emerald Media buys stake in animation firm Cosmos-Maya

Emerald Media, which is backed by KKR, has bought controlling stake in Cosmos-Maya, which is a leading player in IP-led Indian kid’s animation content, and is better known for the popular Motu Patlu series. Cosmos-Maya will use the capital to start strategic growth initiatives and to create global IPs to further increase its footprint across the world.

Airtel allowed to do Aadhaar-based e-KYC verification till March 31

Although Airtel Payment Bank failed to get any relief, Airtel has been permitted to carry Aadhaar-based e-KYC verification till March 31 by the Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI).UIDAI did not withdraw the current eKYC licence suspension order on its Airtel Payment Bank.

WhatsApp upgrade: users can now switch from voice to video without disconnecting call

The leading messaging app WhatsApp has launched a new feature in its latest update. It has introduced a dedicated button to switch from video to voice call or vise versa without needing to disconnect the ongoing call. Earlier, they had to disconnect the call to make a switch.

Parliamentary Panel asks MeitY to give push to indigenous STBs to reduce import

At present, most of the MSOs and DTH operators depend on imported STBs (Set-Top-Box). To reduce their dependence on imported STBs, and to push the growth of India made STBs, the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Information Technology has recommended the Ministry of Electronics & Information Technology (MeitY) to give a push to indigenous set top boxes.

VoD platform hoichoi to launch web sitcom in Bengali

Gariahat-erGanglords, Bengal’s first web sitcom, will start streaming on video on demand (VoD) platform hoichoi on 13 January. It is a comic story on Kolkata underworld, and is directed by Atreyee Sen and produced by SVF Entertainment.

Irdeto to continue its partnership with Tata Sky

The digital security platform provider Irdeto and direct-to-home (DTH) operator Tata Sky have extended their security partnership. Irdeto helps the DTH player secure the delivery of content onto any device across its satellite and OTT platforms.

Indian television channel WION’s journalist escapes abduction attempt in Pakistan

Pakistan is known for attacks and murders of journalists. Recently, a famous Pakistani journalist Taha Siddiqui, who happens to raise voice against the army and government, escaped an attack and abduction. He said that he was beaten and threatened with death by nearly a dozen unidentified armed men who also tried to abduct him.

US Democrats decide to vote on net neutrality

This can be a severe jolt to the present US move on net neutrality, as Democrats have decided to vote in favour of it. In December, FCC voted along party lines to reverse rules introduced in 2015 that barred internet service providers from blocking or throttling traffic, or offering paid fast lanes. A group of state attorneys general immediately vowed to sue.

AI devices can read user’s emotions: Research

According to market research firm Gartner, Artificial Intelligence devices will have power to read user’s emotions. Roberta Cozza, Research Director at Gartner elaborated, "Emotion AI systems and affective computing are allowing everyday objects to detect, analyse, process and respond to people's emotional states and moods to provide better context and a more personalised experience."

PhonePe & FreeCharge partner for growth

To offer diversity and more choices, PhonePe, Flipkart's payments arm, has partnered with mobile wallet company FreeCharge.  This will enable FreeCharge’scustomers pay for transactions at PhonePe's partner merchants.

Telecom Commission decides to relax spectrum holding limits

While also extending the payments tenure for auctioned airwaves from 12 years to 16 years, and lowering the interest rate on penalties on outstanding dues of telcos from 14% to 12%, the Telecom Commission has now decided to relax spectrum holding caps, giving a boost to M&As and spectrum sale, as carriers try to sell assets, including airwaves, to repay debt.

Four of top 10 pay-TV services are from India: Report

According to Informitv Multiscreen Index of 100 leading multichannel pay television services around the world, India now accounts for four of the top 10 services in the index by subscriber numbers and seven out of the top 10 in the Asia Pacific region.

DSA releases new model rules for TV White Space technology

Replacing the original version published in 2014, the Dynamic Spectrum Alliance (DSA) has released new model rules for TV White Space (TVWS) technology. According to DSA,the new model rules offer higher availability for dynamic spectrum devices and stronger protection for incumbent users. They are based upon the regulatory environments already put in place by Ofcom in the UK and the Federal Communications Commission in the US, incorporating learnings from the operation of TVWS networks, including DSA member Nominet’s experiences running its TVWS services.

Kinsane raises $2.5 mn to launch 8 new kids shows & 100 games

Kinsane, which is a ‘digital first’ company that creates content for kids aged 2-11 years in numerous languages, and distributes that content globally through a variety of advertising, subscription and transaction-based revenue models, has raised $2.5 million from angel investors to launch 8 new shows, 100 games this year. This also includes creation of 30 new characters.

SPNI to telecast 3rd edition of Pro Wrestling League on its FTA channel SonyWah

To reach bigger audience and sports loving fans, Sony Pictures Networks India (SPNI) is planning to telecast the third edition of Pro Wrestling League on its free-to-air (FTA) Hindi movie channel Sony Wah. Sony Wah has strong presence in rural India.

Discovery & Netflix partner for Discovery JEET’s worldwide online streaming

As Discovery’s first GEC Discovery JEET is going to be launched on 12 February, the broadcaster has partnered with the leading global VOD player Netflix for its online streaming. Discovery JEET will launch with highest ever distribution, of more than 100 million households. The channel will be available on all leading DTH and Cable platforms across the country.

Chinese firm iVOOMi to launch its first 5G device next year

Ashwin Bhandari, CEO, iVOOMi India, said that his company will launch its first 5G device by mid-2019. So far, the Chinese firm has exported a million devices in the 7 months of its operations in India and has plans of investing $22-25 million in 2018 for boosting manufacturing, R&D.

CBI & ED wants prosecutors’ written opinions to file appeal in 2G Case

The investigating agencies CBI and ED have sought written opinions from the public prosecutors who dealt with the 2G case so that the judgment of the special CBI court acquitting all the accused in the spectrum allocation case can be challenged without any delay.

Wireline broadband to see growth as consumers want faster speed: Research

According to Counterpoint Technology Market Research, India’s wireline broadband will have a great future as it offers faster net speed. People are ready to pay more for faster speed. The reports also tells that subscriber base may increase to 26.2 million by 2021 from 18.2 million in 2018, at an annual growth of about 7.6%, with most of the additions likely to be back-ended as infrastructure expands. “Segment may see 44% growth in subscribers in 4 years.”

Recommendations on ease of doing business in broadcast sector by Jan end: TRAI Chairman

Currently, broadcasters need multiple clearances at different levels within the information and broadcasting (I&B) ministry as well as between several ministries within the government while seeking uplinking and downlinking licences. They feel that a single-window clearance process will reduce the costs and time required to procure licences.