Hindi Entertainment Channels To Promote Awareness For DAS-II

Since pay broadcasters are the biggest beneficiaries of digitization, four leading Hindi general entertainment ‘Pay’ channels (GECs) – Zee TV, Star Plus, Colors and Sony are gearing up to promote, educate and inform audiences in India about the second phase of digitisation. They have come together to create PSAs (public service announcements) featuring their most popular protagonists.

Well-known actors Mahima Makhwala and Roopal Tyagi (Rachana & Gunjan from Zee TV’s Sapne Suhane Ladakpan Ke), Deepika Singh and Anas Rashid (Sandhya and Sooraj from Star Plus’ Diya Aur Baati Hum), Deepika Samson (Simar from Colors’ Sasural Simar Ka) and Shivaji Satam (ACP Pradyuman from Sony’s CID) have been roped in to announce Phase II of DAS in India. In the PSAs, the actors will announce that April 1, 2013 is the cut-off date where digitisation will be completed in 38 cities.

The four metros – Mumbai, Delhi, Kolkata and Chennai – were part of the first phase of digitisation. The MIB is confident of meeting the April 1, 2013 deadline for cable TV digitisation in 38 more cities in the second phase that covers the one-million-plus cities including Pune, Nagpur, Nashik, Aurangabad and Thane, among others.

However ground information from these cities indicate a seeding of only 25-30% STBs. Ministry is including the already existing DTH STBs in these cities as part of cable digitization so that the seeding achievement appears better. These networks are now trying to make a last bit effort to increase the STB seeding so that they see an increase in their subscriptions.

MIB’s Public Awareness Campaign for DAS Phase II is same as for Phase-I which includes two television advertisements – ‘Nukkad Natak’ (30 seconds) and ‘Jadugar’ (40 seconds). Indian Broadcasting Foundation (IBF) members have been requested to carry these commercials at least eight times a day (including primetime) with immediate effect. The MIB has also requested IBF to inform the schedule of genre-wise switch-off in consultation with MSOs specifying the genre and the date so that consumers can be forced to buy the STBs and switch to digital cable.

Source: http://cablequest.org/news/digitization-news/item/1920-hindi-entertainment-channels-to-promote-awareness-for-das-ii.htmlSource: http://cablequest.org/news/digitization-news/item/1920-hindi-entertainment-channels-to-promote-awareness-for-das-ii.html