News - India's Leading New Publisher for Satellite Broadcasting and Broadband Industries: August 2014

Thursday, 28 August 2014

CQ-112 MSOs get permanent registration for Digital Networks

According to I&B Ministry‘s website 112 MSOs have been given permanent registration till date. This includes six new MSOs; out of these six, Paramount Digital Media Services has got a pan India permanent registration, Sri Sai Digital Communications has got permanent registration for Srikakulam district in the state of Andhra Pradesh while Sree Digital Home Entertainment has got registration for East Godavari District in the state. Pune-based cable network Next Generation Cable Communication has got permanent registration for Pune district. Mangalore-based ISP Canara Star Communications has got permanent registration for the state of Karnataka except Mysore city. Citi Cable Network has got permanent registration for the state of Goa. All permanent registrations are for a period of 10 years.

CQ-Kal Cables MSO Registration Revoked on Security Grounds

The biggest surprise and shock in the DAS era is revoking of the MSO licence of none other than Kalanithi Maran’s Kal Cables that runs Sumangali Cable Vision (SCV), Chennai’s largest MSO.

AsiaSat 6 launch postponed

The launch of AsiaSat 6 has been postponed until further notice to allow more time for launch service provider SpaceX to examine and verify data. The satellite and launch vehicle remain in a safe configuration. The launch had already been delayed by one day until August 27th because of an explosion of a test flight of a prototype SpaceX rocket on August 22nd.

4K trial for Chunghwa Telecom

Chunghwa Telecom, the leading telecommunications operator in Taiwan, is undertaking a trial project for a new 4K HEVC streaming service using solutions from content delivery network technology specialist Broadpeak.

Utilising Broadpeak’s server and CDN manager solutions that support the HEVC compression standard and set-top boxes, Chunghwa Telecom delivers 4K VoD and NVoD content to a wide range of devices, while ensuring a superior quality of service to customers.

Smart card shipments to rise by 2.1bn units by 2019

Global unit shipments of smart cards are expected to rise by 2.1 billion from 2014 through 2019 – about equal to the combined populations of China, the US, Indonesia and Brazil, according to IHS Technology.

Smart card shipments in 2019 will rise to 10.9 billion units, up from 8.8 billion in 2014. To put this in perspective, the number of smart cards shipped in 2019 alone will allow each of the world’s 7.6 billion projected inhabitants to obtain 1.4 smart cards during the year.

shomi SVoD from Rogers, Shaw

Canadian media companies Shaw Communications and Rogers Communications are teaming up to launch shomi, a new subscription video-on-demand service, which they say ups the ante in entertainment with the latest, most exclusive shows and selections personalised for users.

Available initially on tablet, mobile, online, Xbox 360 and set-top boxes, shomi will launch in beta first to Rogers and Shaw Internet or TV customers. shomi will be available starting the first week of November at a suggested retail price of $8.99 per month.

Ram Singh, a Fastway Operator suffers a heart attack after being threatened by the MSO

According to sources Cable Operator's Sangharsh Samiti lead by Ram Singh has been fighting for the rights of hundreds of Cable Operators hooked on to Fastway Network operated by Sarabjit Singh Raju.

TDSAT adjourns Hathway, Taj Television matter to Tuesday

The Telecom Disputes Settlement and Appellate Tribunal (TDSAT) has adjourned the matter of Hathway Cable & Datacom versus Star India, Star Sports and Taj Television to Tuesday, 26 August.

ACT Broadband expands presence

Atria Convergence Technologies (ACT Broadband), provider of fibre-to-home technology, is expanding its presence in the wired broadband category.

Agriculture-focused channel Green TV to launch by September end

Even as the government continues to work out the details of its proposed television channel for agriculture, Mumbai-based ad film production company Nomad Films has gone ahead to start a channel targeted at rural audiences.

Mahuaa TV raised Rs 1,724 crore in loans through deception

Bhojpuri channel Mahuaa TV — one of the biggest bank loan defaulters raised hundreds of crores from PSU banks reveal that almost everyone seemed to have dipped into the cash pot of India's banks, or at the least, feigned willful ignorance as every norm was broken. Along with it, there was forgery and fraud.

Star CJ appoints Ramakrishnan N as new CFO

Home shopping network Star CJ Network India has brought on board Ramakrishnan N as the new Chief Financial Officer. Taking charge of his role at Star CJ, Ramakrishnan will play an important part in strengthening the organisation and be part of the team to grow the business.

Richard Attenborough, actor and director, dies aged 90

Lord Richard Attenborough, the actor and film director, has died just days before his 91st birthday.

Richard Attenborough, actor and director, dies aged 90

Lord Richard Attenborough, the actor and film director, has died just days before his 91st birthday.

Cable War in Durg-Bhilai,Chhatisgarh

Twin cities of Durg- Bhilai in Chhatisgarh are also experiencing cable wars between MSOs to gain an upper hand in Digitalisation. Recent case involves a fight between two workers of Cable Operators, of spreading the cable. Both the sides have filed FIRs in Sapola Police Station. Police has filed criminal case on both the parties.

There were no such incident of Cable in the past, although there was a competition of survival between the Cable Operators for long time. For quite a while it was peaceful but then again as the deadline of Phase III & IV is coming closer. Cable Operator started fighting for their dominance.

CQ-Ranga Reddy District gets its own Cable TV Association

A new association of Cable Operators of south zone of Ranga Reddy District in the newly formed state of Telangana has been formed. There are seven mandals in this zone including-Hayathnagar, Sarroornagar, Ibrahimpatnam, Maheshwaram, Kandukur, Yacharam and Manchal. The association is headed by President Gowri Shankar and committee members from different mandals.

CQ-Savvy Dilip joins ITV Network as Group Chief Marketing Officer

Savvy Dilip has been roped in as the Group Chief Marketing Officer of ITV Network, a network news channel in India. As a part of her new mandate, Savvy Dilip will be responsible for marketing activities, including marketing strategy, creating flagship events, brand building and digital marketing for the ITV Network. She will be reporting to R K Arora- Group CEO, ITV Network.

CQ-DAS Phase III and IV may get Extension

DAS deadline for Phase III and IV may get extended to December 2015 and December 2016 respectively. Decision of the Ministry may be announced shortly if some internal Ministry sources are to be believed.

CQ-MIB Advisory to all TV channels for objectionable advertisements

Ministry of Information and Broadcasting has issued an advisory to all TV channels on 21 August, warning them not to carry any advertisement that is found to violate the advertising code of Advertising Standards Council of India (ASCI). Non-compliance of ASCI’s code of self regulation in Advertising is a violation under Rule 7(9) of Advertising code under Cable Television Networks (Regulation) Act, 1995 and Rules 1994.

CQ-Ten Sports acquires rights to 2018 Commonwealth Games

Ten Sports has acquired the Indian subcontinent broadcast rights to the 2018 Commonwealth Games set to be held on Australia’s Gold Coast from 4 to 15 April 2018. The rights include free-to-air and pay TV rights for the 2018 Commonwealth Games across India, Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, the Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan and Sri Lanka. It also has radio, Internet and mobile rights. This follows their recent telecast of Commonwealth Games 2014 in Scotland (Glasgow).

CQ-Channels use doctored videos may face action

The Union Home Ministry has taken note of an old footage of clashes aired by a local television channel in Assam a couple of days ago. Following an inquiry, the Ministry may step in to recommend action against the broadcaster.

In the wake of the recent spate of violence along the Assam-Nagaland boundary, the Ministry of Home Affairs has been constantly reviewing the ground situation.

CQ-Broadband subscribers increase by 5.35 percent between May and June

Releasing the latest data on telecom subscriptions in the country as on 30 June 2014, TRAI has announced a marginal increase in broadband subscribers between May and June this year.

Govt accepts TRAI’s recommendations for FM Phase III migration

The government has written a letter to the Association of Radio Operators of India (AROI) stating that they have accepted the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India’s (TRAI) recommendations for the Phase III migration of radio operators.

Defence Ministry disagrees with bandwidth does not agree to swapping for 3G spectrum

The Defence Ministry hasn't agreed to swap bandwidth, derailing the government plants of generating on estimated Rs 5000 crore of revenue this fiscal. Telecom companies that used the spectrum badly for their expansion are hit badly by this decision.

Telecom secretary rejects demand for GPON review for net connectivity in rural areas

Telecom secretary Rakesh Garg has rejected a demand for review of the decision to use gigabit passive optical network (GPON) to provide broadband connectivity in rural areas, saying the technology "is power efficient and reduces fibre costs".

ARRIS gains, Cisco loses in STB market

Findings from ABI Research’s Set-Top Box and Home Networks Market Research indicate that the second quarter of 2014 showed about a 5 per cent growth in set-top box revenues from a key set of major OEMs. Most manufacturers saw similar sales, with ARRIS a clear winner, growing about 60 per cent year-over-year to $711 million (pro-forma based on the combined ARRIS-Motorola from the start of 2013). Cisco, however, was a clear loser, falling 30 per cent to $332 million, while Humax saw substantial revenue growth of 30 per cent.

This increase is driven by rising ASPs because of a greater focus on operators’ deployment of gateway boxes, which command higher values per box. From a platform perspective, IPTV saw gains while other platforms saw fewer shipments among the major international OEMs.

TV advertising bounces back

Global TV advertising expenditure will reach $236 billion (€178bn) in 2020, up by 38 per cent – or $64 billion – from 2013 and up by 54 per cent – or $82 billion – on 2010, according to a report from Digital TV Research. TV ad spend is expected to grow by 4 per cent in 2014 for the 55 countries covered; better than the 2.2 per cent recorded in 2013.

Europe holds back global TV ad recovery

Analysis of advertising expenditure in 55 countries by Digital TV Research suggests the global total will reach $219 billion in 2018, up by 32 per cent – or $53 billion – from 2012.

The research firm’s TV Advertising Forecasts report suggests that TV advertising spend grew by 4.4 per cent in 2012 to $167 billion, but only 2.8 per cent growth is forecast for 2013 as the recession bites again in several European territories. The much-touted quadrennial effect took place in 2012 (and will also occur in 2016) whereby the advertising industry was boosted by the US Presidential elections, the summer Olympics in London and the Euro football championships in Poland and the Ukraine.

NetRange adds Playcast cloud gaming to white-label OTT offer

Playcast Media is making its cloud-based AAA video game streaming service available via NetRange's white-label smart TV and OTT app market.

The app is pre-installed on smart TVs for dozens of global brands including Sharp, TCL, Chang Hong, JVC, Pioneer and Loewe.

Roku-powered smart TVs poised for the market

TV-makers TCL and Hisense are launching smart TVs that incorporate the Roku OS. While TV models from Sanyo and JVC bundled a version of the Roku streaming stick, these smart TVs integrate Roku directly into the platform.

The TVs features a personalised home screen that provides front-and-centre access to antenna, broadcast TV, favourite streaming channels and devices such as game consoles. Consumers will also have access to the Roku Channel Store, which includes more than 1,500 streaming channels that feature 200,000+ movies and TV episodes plus live sports, news, music, kids and family, food, science and tech, fitness, foreign language and so on.

I&B Ministry Issues Advisory to News Channels

The Ministry of Information and Broadcasting has advised all news television channels interested in carrying the live telecast of the Independence Day Flag Hoisting ceremony and commentary to carry the signals of DD News with sign language interpretation. This enabled people with hearing impairment to witness the telecast of Independence Day celebrations.

The DD news channel carried the sign language interpretation of the Independence Day Flag Hoisting ceremony. Private satellite TV channels availed the feed of the Independence Day Flag Hoisting ceremony and commentary free of cost.

CQ-DD FreeDish e-auctions fetch 22.8 crore

Six slots on DD Free Dish, the free-to-air (FTA) direct-to-home (DTH) service from public broadcaster Prasar Bharati were e-auction on 11 and 12 August 2014 fetching over Rs 22.8 crore.

CQ-Tata Sky migrates 50% customers to MPEG-4

In its endevour to over comes the transponder shortage to increase channels on the platform. Tata Sky has decided to switch to more efficient compression system of MPEG-4 that others in the industry are already begun using.

CQ-Ajit Anjum appointed Managing Editor at India TV

Ajit Anjum is taking charge as Managing Editor at India TV

CQ-Broadcasters challenge TRAI’s tariff order for commercial subscribers

TRAI’s Tariff order Commercial Subscribers has worried all the broadcasters. The Indian Broadcasting Foundation (IBF) and Star India have challenged the order in different Courts.

While Star India has challenged the regulation and tariff order for commercial subscribers in the Delhi High Court, the IBF has moved the TDSAT.

CQ-Film Producers don’t want stars to host TV shows

Kannada film producers feel that film stars hosting TV shows reduces footfalls in cinemas as viewers are happy to see their favourite stars on the small screen in the comfort of their home. On 19 August a few producers upset by the impact this has had, have approached the Karnataka Film Chamber of Commerce (KFCC) asking it to “restrain” stars from participating in television shows.

The producers are targeting Sudeep (Big Boss), Ramesh Arvind (Weekend with Ramesh) and Ganesh (Super Minute) who host popular shows. According to the producers, people are preferring to watch their favourite actors on the small screen.

CQ-Prime Focus Technologies appoints Ankur Jain as VP Sales for South Asia

Prime Focus Technologies (PFT), the technology arm of Prime Focus, the world’s largest media services powerhouse, has announced the appointment of Ankur Jain as Vice President Sales for the South Asia region. Jain will lead business development and sales across segments like broadcast networks, government and service providers including strengthening of key account relationships.

Sumit Awasthi joins IBN7 as Managing Editor leaving Zee Media Corps

As per industry sources, Sumit Awasthi will be taking charge as Managing Editor of IBN7, replacing Vinay Tewari who has put in his papers. This is his second stint with IBN7.

Vinay Tewari leaves Network 18, joins Headlines Today as Managing Editor

Vinay Tewari resigned from Network18 as Managing Director & is likely to Join Headlines Today as Managing Editor. Tewari had taken on the additional responsibility of Managing Editor, IBN7 in January 2014 after Ashutosh decided to move on. Tewari has been Managing Editor of CNN-IBN.

CBI arrests Censor board CEO Rakesh Kumar in alleged bribery case

The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) on Monday arrested Rakesh Kumar, the chief executive officer of the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) in “an alleged bribery case as said by a CBI official. The Censor board CEO was arrested late on Monday evening The CBI official said that he will be produced in court tomorrow. On 14 August, Central Bureau of investigation (CBI) had searched Kumar’s residence in Mumbai, in connection with the case. This came after CBFC advisory panel member Sarvesh Jaiswal and Shripati Mishra, an authorized agent for censor certification, were arrested by the agency for allegedly demanding a bribe of Rs70,000 for issuing a certificate to Mor Dauki Ke Bihav a regional film from Chhatisgarh.

TV 9 CEO surrenders for defaming Telangana MLAs

Ravi Prakash, the CEO of TV 9, Telugu news channel was arrested in Hyderabad on 16 August 2014 in connection with a case of making derogatory statements about Telangana MLAs in a TV programme. He was released on bail on the same day on personal bond and two sureties.

According to media reports, Mr Ravi Prakash surrendered at the LB Nagar police station in the evening, deposited his passport and has furnished a personal bond and two sureties to be released on bail. Mr Prakash will have to appear before police every Sunday till the chargesheet is filed.

Jail Term for non compliance with BIS Standards

New Delhi: A draft amendment Bill has been proposed to ensure strict compliance with BIS Standards any organisation which contravenes any provision of the Act shall be punishable with imprisonment for a term which may extend up to one year, or a fine which may extend up to Rs 5 lakh, or with both, according to the proposed bill.

According to a BIS Official, the objective of the Amendment Bill for BIS Act of 1986 is to ensure that Indian products are acceptable in the international market, as the proposed National Standards Body will seek membership of similar international agencies. Furth-ermore, a large number of products, 19,000 to begin with, including handmade and imported, will have to have a BIS label to safeguard the interests of consumers told the official to PTI.

Cable War flares up in Holy City of Haridwar in Uttrakhand

Dharan Nagari in Haridwar (Uttrakhand) is the latest battleground of Cable Wars originating from the unfair and impractical regulations of mandatory implementing digitalisation in Cable TV.

Since Phase III and IV of digitalisation is nearing its deadline of 31 December 2014, all large MSOs are trying their best to spread their networks from large cities to smaller ones and Rural Areas. Existing Cable Operators who are working in these areas for the last twenty or more years are resisting any hostile takeovers and forced entry since they own the last mile consumer connections.

CQ-ITV Network appoints Dilip Venkatraman as group CEO

Former CEO of CNN-IBN and IBN7, Dilip Venkatraman has been appointed by ITV Network as group COO of strategy and business development at Network.

CQ-Vikram Mehra quits Tata Sky

India’s leading direct to home (DTH) service provider Tata Sky’s chief commercial officer (COO) gave his resignation from the post to move to Saregama.

CQ-TAM week 32 TV ratings see a drop in Zee TV

In the week 32 of TAM TV ratings, Zee TV is the only channel that witnessed a drop in the viewership by recording 414,540 GVTs, down from 438,207 GVTs. However, there was no change in the ranking order of the other channels this week.

CQ-Govt plans action against RJs airing jokes on MPs

The union government is mulling to take action against Radio Jockeys on FM channels airing jokes on MPs and mimicking them.

CQ-Media a contributory factor for Congress poll debacle: Gulamnabi Azad

Three months gone part, Congress leaders are still trying to figure caused the debacle of the Party in the concluded 16th Lok Sabha elections. Some leaders blamed miscalculated decisions of the party top leadership where as some think it was UPA Governments anti-mass policies which led to Party debacle.

CQ-DoT demands deemed export status for Telecom equipment

According to media reports Department of Telecom (DoT) has urged Finance Minister to give deemed export status for telecom equipment including mobile phones and components, to boost local production and also provide a cushion to domestic makers who, it feels, are stung by a higher cost of production compared to global suppliers.

CQ-Russia's NTV Installs Calrec Artemis Light Console in NTV Mobile

As part of its transition to digital broadcasting, Russian national broadcaster NTV has installed a Calrec Audio Artemis Light console in NTV Mobile, a new Moscow-based flexible production studio. The NTV Mobile operation complements NTV's traditional studios and outside broadcast (OB) trucks using modular equipment in flight cases that can be reconfigured to suit the needs of different types of live productions. NTV Mobile has been using the new console primarily on the show "Taken and Shown," which plays out live on air every evening, but the Artemis Light can be moved quickly to accommodate live programming in different locations.

NTV installed a 48-fader Artemis Light console with two stage boxes, each with 32 analog/AES interfaces connected by fiber to the main frame via Calrec's Hydra2 plug-and-play audio routing system, which supports AES, analog, and MADI interfaces in the main rack.

OTT devices take 24 % of ad views

FreeWheel has released its Video Monetization Report for the second quarter 2014. Q2 has marked another quarter of strong growth and evolution in the digital television market, with video views and ad views both up over 28 per cent year-over-year.

Samsung buys SmartThings smart home start-up

Samsung is buying SmartThings, a startup backed by PayPal co-founder Max Levchin that helpsconnect household devices. Samsung joins Apple and Google in exploring ways to integrate connected household gadgets to begin to exploit the “Internet of Things.”

The TechCrunch blog reported Samsung was set to pay more than $200 million for the two-year-old startup of 55 employees, which has raised $15.5 million in venture capital from Greylock and Russian investor Yuri Milner, among others.

Major 4K cross-promotion from Sony

Sony Electronics, Sony Pictures Home Entertainment and Best Buy, in collaboration with National CineMedia (NCM), have launched the industry’s first cross-promotion created to highlight the 4K entertainment experience.

Vadio closes $2m funding

Vadio, the full-scale distribution platform for music video content and ads online, has closed a $2 million seed funding round with backing from music, entertainment and technology investors including Ed Wilson, former President of NBC Enterprises; Robin Richards, former CEO of Vivendi Universal Net USA; Marc Geiger, Co-Founder of Lollapalooza and Partner at William Morris Endeavor; Irwin Federman, Partner at US Venture Partners and former board member of the National Venture Capital Association; Mucker Capital; and Amplify.LA. The company has also announced the launch of its partnership with Vevo, the music video and entertainment platform.

“Streaming music platforms and terrestrial radio stations have created great services, but have struggled to generate profits. We’re going to help them become successful businesses by providing stronger engagement opportunities and better monetisation,” commented Vevo.

US: 385,000 add broadband in Q2

Leichtman Research Group has found that the seventeen largest cable and telephone providers in the US — representing about 93 per cent of the market — acquired nearly 385,000 net additional high-speed Internet subscribers in the second quarter of 2014. These top broadband providers now account for over 85.9 million subscribers — with top cable companies having nearly 50.7 million broadband subscribers, and top telephone companies having over 35.2 million subscribers.

YOU On Demand partners with Dr Peng

YOU On Demand, a VoD service provider in China delivering Hollywood movies to mobile and TV screens, has signed a distribution and service agreement with Beijing Hiveview Technolgy, a wholly owned subsidiary of Dr. Peng Telecom and Media Group. Dr. Peng Group is the largest independent broadband service provider in China with 8 million broadband homes across the country.

Under the partnership, YOU On Demand will launch its subscription VoD service on Dr. Peng’s Domy OTT box. The service will include 100 Hollywood movies available at a time and a 30 per cent monthly refresh rate, targeting almost 1 million Domy Box users by the end of 2014.

CQ-TDSAT directs BECIL to conduct audit of DEN’s system

The Telecom Disputes Settlement and Appellate Tribunal (TDSAT) on 13th August has directed the Broadcasting Engineering Consultants India Ltd (BECIL) to conduct an audit of system of DEN Networks’ following a dispute with Sun Distribution Services.

CQ-Digicablecomm gets stay order against MIB registration cancellation

Relief came to Kolkata based multi system operator Digicablecomm as the state High Court has granted stay to the MSO against the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting order to cancel his registration. The stay order will be remain in force till 29th August or until further orders.

CQ-Ratnakar Rao resigns from Maa TV Network

Ratnakar Rao Group head of Maa TV Network has resigned from his post.

Speaking about his decision he said that he has brought channel to the top position and now planning to do something else Rao has not revealed what exactly he will do next.

CQ-India TV ropes in Ajit Anjum as managing editor

Rajat Sharma owned India TV has appointed former E24 Managing Editor Ajit Anjum as managing editor for his channel. With this new position he will report to Rajat Sharma, Cahirman and Editor-in-chief.

CQ-MIB set up Project Management Unit to monitor the DAS

Ministry of Information and Broadcasting has set up a project management unit to monitor digitalisation of cable TV network in the country.

CQ-Horse & Country TV and Amagi Broadcast Rolex Grand Prix Live using remote playout management

Horse & Country TV, the specialist international equestrian sports and lifestyle network, and Amagi, the leader in cloud-based broadcasting platform announced successful broadcast of The Rolex Grand Prix Live to homes in the UK using Amagi Cloudport, a cloud-enabled remote playout management platform.

“At Horse & Country TV, we strive to be in the vanguard of adopting new and efficient technologies such as the Cloudport infrastructure for broadcasting. Along with our playout partner Amagi, we have now demonstrated to the broadcast industry that live events can be managed by remote playout systems.” said Heather Killen, CEO and Chairman of Horse & Country TV.

CQ-MEASAT-3b Launch Date Confirmed For 12 September

MEASAT Global Berhad (“MEASAT”) has announced that also MEASAT-3b satellite has been scheduled for launch on 12 September from the European Spaceport in Kourou, French Guiana.

“MEASAT is pleased to be able to confirm the revised MEASAT-3b launch date,” said Paul Brown-Kenyon, Chief Executive Officer, MEASAT Satellite Systems Sdn. Bhd. “Once operational, MEASAT-3b will be a key contributor to the Asian pay TV landscape, supporting Direct-To-Home television platforms serving more than 18 million households.”

Sony and Microsoft make rival game console TV plays at Gamescom

Sony has announced that it will launch its new PlayStation TV streaming media device in Europe in November, following its US launch in October, while rival game console provider Microsoft has introduced a raft of new TV features for the Xbox One, in addition to a range of new social features for the platform.

WWE Network gets global OTT launch

Over-the-top wrestling channel WWE Network has launched outside the US for the first time.

The network, which sports entertainment giant WWE launched earlier this year in the States, is rolling out in 170 territories including Australia, New Zealand, Hong Kong, Singapore, Mexico, Spain, and the Nordics.

OSN adds new linear channels to fast-growing OTT service

Middle East pay TV provider OSN has added three new live channels to its OTT TV service OSN Play and has claimed a 60% increase in subscriber registrations and a fourfold increase in viewership for the platform.

OSN has added BSkyB’s news channel Sky News, AMC Networks-owned kids channel JimJam and Scripps Networks’ Food Network to the service. The three channels join existing live services OSN Sports 1, OSN Sports 2, OSN Sports Cricket and Disney Jr.

LCOs, MSO, and DTH Operators Challenge 27.5 % hike in pay Channels

Post June 11 meeting of all India Cable Operators Associations in New Delhi and as a result of presentation given by COFI President, Mrs Roop Sharma on DAS regulation, their impact on the business of an LCO, in particular regarding infringement of their fundamental rights, awareness of legal and regulatory issues in the cable operators has gone up considerably.

This was evident when more than 15 cable operator associations across the nation intervened in the appeal challenging the legality of Telecom Regulatory Authority of India’s (TRAI) 27.5 per cent inflation-linked tariff hike for non-addressable system.

GGCTOA urges Assam CM to protect and safeguard interest of Cable operators

Greater Guwahati Cable TV Operators Association (GGCTOA) has recently submitted a memorandum to Assam Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi seeking his intervention for implementation of Cable TV & TRAI Act in State.

In the memorandum association has submitted that in the initial stages of this industry, most of the operators owned their personal control rooms, from which they served their consumers, but with advent of time, technology, manipulation & highhandedness of Broadcasters of Pay Channels, the small operators are being compelled to shut down their control rooms & take signals or service from MSOs.

Cable Operators switch off Hathway Signals

The Karnataka State Cable Operators Association (KSCOA) switched off signals of multi-system operator (MSO) Hathway Cable & Datacom across Bengaluru on 3 July for failing to keep its promises. Television screens in nearly 40 per cent of the households went blank as signals were switched off from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. by cable operators. The move affected television viewing in 10 lakh households, the customer base of Hathway.

CQ-Telstra acquires Ooyala

Australian telco Telstra is to acquire video streaming and analytics specialist Ooyala.

The US$270 million investment increases Telstra’s ownership in Ooyala from 23 per cent (fully diluted) to 98 per cent and is in addition to the $61 million previously invested in Ooyala over the past two years. This transaction is subject to customary closing conditions including the receipt of US regulatory approvals and is expected to be completed in the next 60 days.

CQ-Hathway reports 14.5 % standalone net loss

India’s biggest multi system operators Hathway Cable and Datacom Limited has reported a 14.5 per cent drop in standalone operating income to Rs 250.22 crore in Q1-2015 as compared to the Rs 292.72 crore in Q4-2014, but 7.6 per cent more than the Rs 232.65 crore in Q1-2014.

CQ-ZEEL ropes in Akash Chawla as business head for EVPL

Zee Entertainment Enterprises Ltd (ZEEL) has roped in Akash Chwala who has successfully been heading the Marketing function for National channels at ZEEL, as business head of its film and television production company Essel Vision Production Ltd (EVPL).

CQ-Sony Six acquires telecasting rights of Champions Tennis League

Multi Screen Media’s own sports channel Sony Six will air the first-ever Champion Tennis League event, featuring six city-based teams from 17-26 November, as the channel has acquired the broadcasting right of the event.

CQ-Twitter launches video ads

Social media giant Twitter has unveiled a new advertising programme that delivers promoted videos to the tweet stream of users of the popular messaging platform.

CQ-TRAI recommendations on Media Ownership released

The Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) on 12th August has released the recommendations paper on the Issue relating to Media Ownership. The recommendations cover-a comprehensive definition for control; cross-media ownership; vertical integration; and internal plurality.

CQ-Arasu Cable TV to offer Broadband service in the State

Tamil Nadu Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa on 11th August has informed State Assembly that state-owned Tamil Nadu Arasu Cable TV Corporation Ltd (TACTV) will provide broadband and internet services at cheaper rates.

CQ-Telangana MSOs sent counter notice to I & B regarding ban of TV channels

Telangana MSOs refused to yield to the I & B Ministry warning on transmission of TV9 and ABN Andhra Jyothy news channels in Telangana area. Even they have sent a counter notice to Ministry asking why the said channel had not been prohibited from hurting the sentiment of people of Telangana under section 19 of the Cable Television Act.

CQ-Ex-Lok Sabha CEO Rajiv Mishra joins Samsung Media

Former Chief Executive Officer of Lok Sabha Rajiv Mishra has been appointed vice president (media) of Samsung’s south west Asia business.

CQ-Sun TV registers profit in first quarter of FY

Tamil Nadu based Sun TV has registered a marginal increase in its net profit for the first quarter ended June 30, 2014.

CQ-COAI inducts Reliance Jio as core member

India’s largest mobile communication association-Cellular Operators Association of India has inducted Reliance Jio as core member. With this induction, its core members have risen to seven.

CQ-Twitter along with others launch Amplify app

Twitter India in association with Starsports.com and Vodafone India has launched a new application called Twitter Amplify for sharing premium TV content to engage with sports fans on Twitter’s real time information network.

CQ-Portuguese want more DTT channels

Most respondents to the public consultation on the future of DTT in Portugal advocate more channels “immediately” in order “to maximise existing supply”, according to a partial report published by the Regulatory Authority for the Media (ERC) in conjunction with the National Communications Authority (Anacom).

In the findings the ERC states that with regard to the occupation of Multiplex A, most respondents prefer the immediate allocation of more SD channels in order to maximize existing supply. On the number of channels, type and format, the options are very diverse, with a trend of responses towards the remaining capacity being allocated to existing operators and those who have publicly expressed interest.

TalkTalk offers half price Sky Sports

From August 14th, TalkTalk’s Sky Sports Boost package, which offers six Sky Sports channels, will be half price at £15 (€19) a month for three months.

Court overturns damages in ViaSat v SSL suit

Loral Space & Communications has announced that in the breach of contract and patent infringement lawsuit brought by ViaSat, against Loral and Loral’s former subsidiary, Space Systems/Loral (SSL) the judge has ruled the damages awarded were a miscarriage of justice, vacated in full the $283 million jury verdict against SSL.

The court ordered that a new jury trial be held on the amount of damages and has tentatively scheduled the trial to proceed in November 2014. The court deferred, until August 26, 2014, argument on ViaSat’s motion seeking an injunction to prevent the manufacture and sale by SSL of additional satellites that infringe ViaSat’s patents.

PeerTV HEVC for OTT

PeerTV, the TV OTT technology solutions provider, has successfully trialled its next generation set top box using H265 HEVC or High Efficiency Video Coding to deliver TV over the internet. The new technology will mean content can be streamed via its set top box using 50 per cent of the bandwidth previously required for H264 technology. Significant enhancements to transmission quality have also been reported.

MYSQUAR’s MyChat for Myanmar

MySQUAR announced the beta launch of MyChat, a free mobile messaging app built solely for Myanmar. Available on Android devices, MyChat is completely tailored for the Myanmar market with localised language, authentic look and feel as well as emoticons and sticker sets. The customised experience connects users to existing friends while also introducing them to new ones through the innovative “Look Around” feature.

“MySQUAR’s chief mission is to connect Myanmar youth with experiences built just for them. With MyChat, our goal is to provide a completely tailored messaging app optimised for the Myanmar market so youth can connect with their friends and find new ones easily,” said Linda Lim, CEO of MySQUAR.

Facebook introduces Internet.org App

Facebook has finally introduced the Internet.org app. This app is aimed to offer internet accessibility to the large percentage of world’s population that still doesn’t have access to internet. However, this app would first be available to the Airtel subscribers in Zambia.

CQ-Govt replaces Principal DG of PIB

The Union Government on 8th August has transferred Principal director-general of the Press Information Bureau (PIB) Neelam Kapur, a familiar face at press briefings addressed by senior Cabinet ministers, to handle the government's field publicity and has appointed in her place veteran information service official Frank Noronha as the head of the nodal agency in her place.