TRAI gives additional time for comments on Regulatory Framework for Platform Services

The Telecom Regulatory Authority has given additional time till 29 Sept for further comments on its consultation paper on Platform Services in broadcasting industry including local video channels. 

TRAI had organised an Open House Discussion(OHD) with stakeholders at New Delhi on 24 September 2014, to discuss issues relating to the regulatory framework for platform services operated by TV distribution platform operators. Platform services include the local channels shown on Cable TV.

TRAI Open House on Platform services hijacked by LCOs

TRAI Chairman Rahul Khullar and his officers abandoned the Open House Discussion on regulating the Platform Services in distribution networks, being held at BSNL Office in New Delhi today.  

TRAI had organised an open house discussion as a concluding part of its consultation on regulating the platform services which include local video channels run by cable operators and MSOs at BSNL corporate office in New Delhi today. The conference hall was full of cable operators who had come from many North Indian states and did not let TRAI start the proceedings till it heard their grievances. Operators expressed their annoyance at TRAI’s attitude towards them and refusal to listen to their complaints in every such open house discussion in the past. Generally open house discussions are dominated by the lawyers and executives of broadcasters, MSOs and DTH companies who keep talking in English which operators do not understand. The LCOs have alleged that by the time it is their turn to speak, officer in the chair closes the discussion due to shortage of time. 

Mark Lay Appointed Vice-President, CASBAA Singapore

CASBAA has announced the appointment of Mark Lay to the newly created position of Vice-President, CASBAA Singapore.

ASCI goes all out to cleanse Advertising in Media

 A list of doctors resorting to advertisements in newspapers and on television, and also making misleading, false and unsubstantiated claims  has been sent to MCI who has now  directed ASCI to get the details of the offending doctors from the Indian Medical Registry and has also instructed state medical councils (SMC) to further investigate and take action against doctors within six months. 

ASCI has processed a large number of complaints of health care products, services and clinic advertisements having has mention of or promotions of doctors. As per the rules of the Medical Council of India (MCI) doctors cannot promote themselves in advertisements nor promote any commercial products. The ethics committee of MCI has strongly backed ASCI for its efforts and self-regulatory mechanism of ensuring ethical advertising practices. 

Half the world online by 2017

Over 50 per cent of the global population will have Internet access within three years’ time, with mobile broadband over smartphones and tablets now the fastest growing technology in human history, according to the 2014 edition of the State of Broadband report.

The report reveals that more than 40 per cent of the world’s people are already online, with the number of Internet users rising from 2.3 billion in 2013 to 2.9 billion by the end of this year.

Netflix eyes next targets

Reed Hastings, Netflix CEO, told the CTAM cable marketing summit it will decide in 2015 which European territories will be next in its five year plan to expand globally.

Hastings, in Europe to promote Netflix’s latest six European launches, said moving to more territories will help it to monetise and do “more original content.” “Our pattern for the next few months… we’ll spend a lot of time in France and Germany trying to learn, improve and adjust. Then we’ll decide next year to either expand more in Southern Europe, [or] central and eastern Europe,” said Hastings.

Spain picks up €286 DTT retuning bill

The Spanish Government will pay the bill for readjusting DTT aerials on around one million buildings. The retuning must take place before the end of the year as a result of the allocation of the digital dividend to 4G operators.

The Government estimates that the total cost to readjust the aerials will be €286 million (in comparison with the €800 million estimated in the previous plan) with an average cost per household of €22.60, affecting 55 per cent of the population. The state subsidies will range from €150 and €500 depending on the average cost and the number of affected multiplexes.

1m YouTube views a day on UPC Hungary

Watching YouTube videos on TV screens with UPC TV Apps service has quickly become popular among the customers of UPC Hungary, exceeding all expectations. UPC Hungary has revealed that YouTube viewing minutes have already exceeded a total of 1 million per day in the first three months since the introduction of UPC TV Apps. Following the first phase of the roll-out, the company will continue the developments to enable all UPC digital cable TV households to enjoy online content on TV by the end of the year.

Introduced at the end of May 2014, UPC TV Apps provides free and convenient access to various online content through the TV screen via applications, even without Internet subscription. The new implementation of the cloud-based technology allows customers simply to use their existing HD set-top boxes and UPC remotes to enter the infinite world of online content.

Asian Games to be broadcast region-wide on AsiaSat

Globesat and ktsat are to lease satellite transponder capacity from regional operator AsiaSat to support live coverage of the 2014 Asian Games.

AsiaSat will provide C-band capacity on Asiasat 4, AsiaSat 5 and AsiaSat 7 for satellite television feeds – for either live TV or in real time for mobile devices.

Uday Shankar again takes the reins of IBF

Star India CEO Uday Shankar has been elected as President of IBF, a body of Indian broadcasters on 10 September.

NBA expresses shock at Telangana CM's remarks against TV channels

The News Broadcaster’s Association (NBA) in a press statement on 11 September said that it was shocked at the remarks made by the Telangana Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao against TV channels.

Rajdeep Sardesai will join TV Today

Former IBN 18 Editor-in-Chief Rajdeep Sardesai will join the India Today group as Consulting Editor on 15 September. Writing in his blog he said, “Now, I embark on another exciting chapter as Consulting Editor with India’s largest TV news network, the TV Today group, from the 15th of September. I grew up in the age of India Today, so to now be part of this journalistic-driven institution is a privilege.” 

ASCI gets Narendra Ambwani is the new

Agro Tech Foods director Narendra Ambwani was unanimously elected chairman of the board of Advertising Standards Council of India (ASCI).

ISA elects Marico’s Saugata Gupta as chairman

The newly elected executive council of the Indian Society of Advertisers (ISA) met on 11 September and elected Marico’s managing director Saugata Gupta as its new chairman.

Broadcom Powers TiVo's New Ultra HD Set-top Box Solution

Broadcom Corporation a global innovation leader in semiconductor solutions for wired and wireless communications, today announced it will power TiVo's Ultra HD set-top box technology. Broadcom and TiVo (NASDAQ:TIVO), a global leader in the advanced television entertainment market, will demonstrate TiVo's new Ultra HD set-top box technology that can deliver 4X the resolution of traditional 1080p60 HD displays at IBC, September 12-16, RAI Amsterdam, in Broadcom's booth 2.C25. For more news, visit Broadcom's Newsroom.

Broadcom Powers TiVo's New Ultra HD Set-top Box Solution

Broadcom Corporation a global innovation leader in semiconductor solutions for wired and wireless communications, today announced it will power TiVo's Ultra HD set-top box technology. Broadcom and TiVo (NASDAQ:TIVO), a global leader in the advanced television entertainment market, will demonstrate TiVo's new Ultra HD set-top box technology that can deliver 4X the resolution of traditional 1080p60 HD displays at IBC, September 12-16, RAI Amsterdam, in Broadcom's booth 2.C25. For more news, visit Broadcom's Newsroom.

Broadcom Announces Industry's First Global Navigation and Sensor Hub Combo Chip

Broadcom Corporation a global innovation leader in semiconductor solutions for wired and wireless communications, today announced the industry's first low-power Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) and sensor hub combo chip to deliver new always-on location applications for a full range of mobile devices. For more news, visit Broadcom's Newsroom.

Cloud video transformation accelerated through Ericsson acquisition of Fabrix Systems

Ericsson announced it has entered into an agreement to acquire Fabrix Systems, a leading provider of cloud storage, computing and network delivery for video applications that today power some of the most advanced cable and telecom cloud DVR deployments.

Fabrix Systems further extends Ericsson's leading TV and media portfolio with a cloud based scale out storage and computing platform focused on providing a simple, tightly integrated solution optimized for media storage, processing and delivery applications such as cloud DVR and video-on-demand (VOD) expansion. The approach takes advantage of the latest advances in clustered storage; grid computing; virtualization and video processing technologies enabling a wide range of applications.

Eltrona Taps Irdeto to Provide Integrated Broadcast and OTT Security for New Interactive TV Services

Irdeto, a world leader in Multiscreen, Media Protection and Revenue Assurance solutions, today announced that Eltrona Interdiffusion, a Luxembourg-based cable TV operator, has selected the company to provide media protection for Eltrona, a new set of interactive services launching in 2014. Via a hybrid platform, Irdeto’s Integrated Management System solution will seamlessly manage Eltrona’s content delivery across both broadcast and broadband networks, ensuring robust content protection on any device regardless of delivery method. Irdeto will also enable Eltrona to generate revenue efficiently over hybrid set-top boxes (STBs) and mobile devices.

Digicable DAS registration cancelled by MIB

Ministry of Information and Broadcasting (MIB) has cancelled the permanent and provisional registration for digital addressable system of Digicable Network. Registration has been cancelled for denial of security clearance by ministry of Home Affairs.

Kerala Cable TV Federation launch its own Digital Headend

Kerala Cable TV Federation has launched its own Digital Cable TV headend on 9 September in Cochin that will consolidate 14 digital networks in the state.

Increase subscription to Rs 137, cable operators tell Arasu

These are more than 2000 cable operators connected to state run MSO Arasu cable in Tamilnadu. In a memorandum to the MSO, representatives of Federation of Cable TV Operators of Tamilnadu have demanded to increase monthly subscription from Rs 70 to Rs 137, which is the TRAI-prescribed minimum tariff for a bouquet of channels, including the free-to-air channels.

12 more channels given the license by I&B Ministry

The latest list of list of Permitted Private Satellite TV Channels in India on the MIB website show 12 new channels getting the permission to downlink, making the total to 810 TV channels.

Hathway raise Rs 300 crore through preferential allotment

Hathway Cable & Datacom raise Rs 300.80 crore through preferential allotment of shares. The announcement was made after the shareholders approved the proposal on 05 Sep 2014 in the Extra Ordinary General Meeting held today.

The MSO through a statement on the BSE, said, ‘subject to necessary approvals and compliance with the applicable laws and regulations, the issuance of up to 94,00,000 fully paid up equity shares of face value Rs 10 each (the Equity Shares) of the company to the following funds managed by Capital Research  & Management, at a price of Rs 320 per equity share, aggregating to Rs 300,80,00,000 by way of preferential allotment pursuant to Section 42  and 62 (1) ( c) and all other applicable provisions, if any of the Companies Act, 2013  and rules made thereunder (including any statutory modification) thereof for the time being in force) and other legal provision, including but not limited to chapter 7 of the Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) (issue of capital and disclosure requirements) regulations, 2009, as amended.’

TRAI extends deadline for Response to consultation paper on Financial Disincentives

The Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) has issued a Consultation Paper on amendments to the Standards of Quality of Service (digital addressable cable TV systems) Regulation 2012 (12 of 2012) proposing to fine the MSOs and LCOs who violate these regulations that ensure better billing practices by MSOs and LCOs. This step has been taken after the Regulator received many complaints from the consumers. 

The date for stakeholders to respond to the consultation paper has been extended from 8 September to  12 September as the Authority has received requests from some stakeholders. However it states that no further extensions will be entertained.

TRAI Extends date for submission of comments/ counter comments on Consultation on AGR

The Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) issued a Consultation Paper on 'Definition of Revenue Base (AGR)for the Reckoning of Licence Fee and Spectrum Usage Charges' on 31st July 2014 inviting comments by 1st September, 2014 and counter-comments by 8th September, 2014.

Some stakeholders have requested for additional time of two weeks to complete the discussions among themselves to develop a unified approach by resolving various contentious issues. The Authority has considered their request and decided to extend the last date for submission of written comments to 15th September 2014 and for counter comments, if any, to 22th September 2014. 

Hathway raise Rs 300.80 crore through preferential allotment

Hathway Cable & Datacom raise Rs 300.80 crore through preferential allotment of shares. The announcement was made after the shareholders approved the proposal on 05 Sep 2014 in the Extra Ordinary General Meeting held today.

The MSO through a statement on the BSE, said, ‘subject to necessary approvals and compliance with the applicable laws and regulations, the issuance of up to 94,00,000 fully paid up equity shares of face value Rs 10 each (the Equity Shares) of the company to the following funds managed by Capital Research  & Management, at a price of Rs 320 per equity share, aggregating to Rs 300,80,00,000 by way of preferential allotment pursuant to Section 42  and 62 (1) ( c) and all other applicable provisions, if any of the Companies Act, 2013  and rules made thereunder (including any statutory modification) thereof for the time being in force) and other legal provision, including but not limited to chapter 7 of the Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) (issue of capital and disclosure requirements) regulations, 2009, as amended.’

Kal Cables gets stay on license cancellation

Kal Cables, a company owned by Sun Group and operating the Sumangali Cable Vision MSO network in Tamilnadu heaved a sigh of relief when Madras High Court quashed the MIB order canceling provisional registration of the company for DAS services.

PMO wants cable TV, broadband projects speeded up

Keeping up with his agenda of a Digital India, the Prime Minister’s Office has directed the Telecom Department and the regulator to speed up the implementation of cable TV digitisation programme and the national optical fibre network project. Both these projects are essential to achieve a faster penetration of internet and broadband.

The national optical fibre network is expected to reach broadband to 2.5 lakh gram panchayats. The PMO wants the fibre network completed by 2016 instead of current schedule of 2017. DoT wishes to get Cabinet nod to involve agencies other than BSNL, RailTel and Powergrid to speed up roll out of optical network.

DEN Networks enters with Jasper Infotech tele shopping

Multi system operator (MSO) DEN Networks has announced its joint venture with Jasper Infotech to launch a television channel, the entity that owns and operates the digital commerce platform, Snapdeal.com.

Anjan TV now available on DTH

Anjan TV, a Bhojpuri General Entertainment Channel takes a step forward towards expanding its reach by being available on Airtel Digital TV on channel number 629. Anjan is a free to air channel, a venture of AAP Media Pvt Limited.

Dish TV launches Zing for Telugu market

After launching in West Bengal, Tripura, Odisha and Maharashtra, Dish TV has launched its second brand Zing Digital for the Telugu market. 

Anjan TV to launch a crime show ‘Gunahgaar’

Anjan TV is launching a new crime show series titled, ‘Gunahgaar'. The program is a one hour dramatic reconstruction of the atrocious crimes which have occurred in the cities of Bihar, UP, and Jharkhand.

Harmonic to Showcase Advanced Cable Edge Architectures and Virtualized Video Infrastructure at 2014 SCTE Cable-Tec Expo®

Harmonic the worldwide leader in video delivery infrastructure will demonstrate its vision for the future of cable television at the 2014 SCTE Cable-Tec Expo®, booth 363. Harmonic's advanced cable edge, encoding, and stream processing solutions and technologies enable operators to easily migrate to a delivery architecture that is more flexible, scalable, and dense, with lower TCO. As the market leader in pay-TV encoders, IPTV headends, multiscreen transcoding, and cable edgeQAMs, Harmonic sets the benchmark for affordable video delivery, enabling operators to provide viewers with amazing video experiences on every screen. 

Front Porch Digital Joins Digital Production Partnership Compliance Programme

Front Porch Digital, the global leader in cloud-based content storage management (CSM) solutions, today announced that it has joined the U.K.'s Digital Production Partnership (DPP) Compliance Programme. The DPP is the industry body that is driving the U.K.'s transition to file-based production and distribution of all television programs. As a DPP Compliance Programme member, Front Porch Digital has committed to making its products adhere to the AS-11 DPP standard, which specifies delivery requirements that all U.K. broadcasters must meet. Membership also demonstrates Front Porch Digital's commitment to working with the DPP and other manufacturers to aid the interoperability process.

DASH Industry Forum New interoperability Guidelines and Members Released at IBC

DASH Industry Forum the major advocacy body catalyzing the adoption of DASH as the new standard for over-the-top (OTT) adaptive bit rate (ABR) delivery of media to any device, announced that their membership has grown to 74 member companies, now including Google, from the original six founding charter members in 2012.

“The adoption of DASH has accelerated even higher this year with both significant increase in membership, and deployment of the standard globally,” said Iraj Sodagar, Chairman of DASH-IF. “For instance, the use of DASH by YouTube, the world’s largest Internet streaming media source, underscores some of the advantages the DASH standard holds compared to legacy proprietary solutions.”

Agriculture focused channel Green TV to launch by September end

India’s first satellite Television channel, focusing on rural will officially start their test signals on the Independence Day. Nomad films ltd. a Mumbai based company will announce the GREEN TV channel‘s entry into Satellite space with these test signals.

Maha Movie, a new kid on the movie genre block

Maha Movie, a 24X7 Free to Air (FTA) Hindi movie channel with the punch line of Movie ka Keeda is the latest entry in the Hindi movie genre. Promoters claim it will fulfill entertainment needs of not only the urban audience but the largely untouched rural audience as well. 

Devinder Verma joins Green TV as Marketing & Distribution Head

Devinder Verma has joined National Head-Distribution in India’s First dedicated Agriculture Satellite TV channel. He is having a hard core distribution experience with total 24 years of spans in cable and satellite industry. 

MSO cannot disconnect an LCO without a Notice

While issuing an advisory to all MSOs in DAS areas on 1st September 2014, the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting warned all MSOs against disconnection of an LCO network without giving a 21 day notice and a reason for disconnection in at least two leading newspapers of the state.

Prakash Javadekar encourages deployment of indigenous STBs

Right from the time he took over, Minister of Information and Broadcasting, Prakash Javadekar has been concerned with the question why Digitisation at such a large scale was undertaken without the support of indigenous manufacturing of STBs. He has been putting all his mind to increase the production of indigenous set top boxes (STBs) so that Indian consumers stop using low-grade imported STBs as digitisation grows in the country.

Verimatrix Integration of DRM technology on IPTV/OTT Platform Extends Security for Hybrid Solutions on Latest ALi Chipsets and Dongles

ALi Corporation, a leading Set-Top Box (STB) and HDMI dongle solution provider, today announced Verimatrix VCAS leading-edge revenue security solution has been integrated on ALi’s over-the-top (OTT) and IPTV platform to provide robust DRM for video distribution via broadband networks. This latest integration extends the availability of Verimatrix security solutions on ALi chipsets from broadcast to broadband and hybrid usage as well. The ALi M3912 IPTV/OTT platform – in a compact HDMI dongle format – will be showcased at IBC 2014.

AMC Networks Extends Use of Venera's Pulsar Automated File-Based QC System to Increase Content Analysis Efficiency

Venera Technologies today announced that AMC Networks, which owns and operates some of the most popular and award-winning brands in entertainment, has expanded its use of Venera's Pulsar automated file-based QC system to bring even greater efficiency to its content QC operations. The Pulsar system gives AMC Networks flexibility in workflow design, allowing the company to perform quick scanning-sorting or in-depth QC at the workflow stages of its choice.

Sensara and GreenPeak join forces in the development of a new, ground-breaking Family Lifestyle System

Sensara, a Dutch company specialized in intelligent sensor network technology, today announced it has entered into a strategic partnership with GreenPeak Technologies to provide integrated solutions of contactless, self-learning monitoring technology for the Senior Lifestyle System, Sensara’s first Family Lifestyle Solution.

Digicable Comm gets relief from Calcutta HC on Cancellation of its Registration

Calcutta High Court has extended the stay order on 30th August  on Digicable Comm’s licence cancellation of MSO Registration/Licence due to MHA not giving it security clearance. The MSO had earlier got a stay order on the cancellation of the registration/licence by the MIB till 29 August.

On 29 August  Justice Nadira Patheria while hearing the petitioner, extended the stay till 31 October. 

Pay-TV operators add 20m subs

Leading pay-TV services have added over 20 million subscribers worldwide in a year, which is around the same number as DirecTV has in the US, according to the latest informitv Multiscreen Index.

The number of digital video subscribers to the 100 leading pay-television services covered by the Index rose by 5.24 million in the second quarter of 2014, an increase of 1.6 per cent. The increase was higher than in the first quarter, when the Multiscreen Index added 4.71 million subscribers, up by 1.4 per cent.