Children prefer catch-up, YouTube to linear TV

Children aged five to 16 spend an average of six and a half hours a day in front of a screen compared with around three hours in 1995, according to market research firm Childwise.

Screen time is made up of time spent watching TV, playing games consoles, using a mobile, computer or tablet.

The Connected Kids report has collated data from 1995 to the present day to create a comprehensive picture of children’s media habits. It finds that teenaged girls now spend an average of seven-and-a-half- hours watching screens, compared with 3.5 hours of TV viewing in 1995.

Broadcom mass-market 4K device for China

System-on-a-Chip manufacturer Broadcom is making a dedicated 4K chipset available for the Chinese market, approved by the country’s SARFT regulator.

Broadcom’s Beijing office, in a statement, said it had introduced a complete high-speed coaxial cable solution with new access technology for Chinese subscribers in multi-dwelling units (MDUs). The new BCM63500 and BCM63333 devices integrate the China HomePlug AV 1.0 (C-HPAV 1.0) standard endorsed by the State Administration of Radio, Film and Television (SARFT), the Chinese government agency overseeing broadcasting in the region, to provide operators with an economical solutions for broadband services over cable.

Netflix expands board with Disney, Microsoft vets

Industry veterans and big-hitters Anne Sweeney and Brad Smith have been added to the Netflix board.

Sweeney was formerly the co-chair of Disney Media Networks and president of Disney-ABC Television at the Walt Disney Co, and Smith was EVP and general counsel of legal and corporate affairs at Microsoft Corp.

Cricket World Cup beats previous viewer number records

People have been tuning in to this year's Cricket World Cup in greater numbers than ever before, according to the sport's global governing body the ICC.

As the tournament drew to a close on Sunday, and Australia were crowned world champions, the ICC said 44 licensees had broadcast the event in seven languages across 220 territories. The India versus Pakistan group match drew a television audience of more than 288 million in India alone, while the match between Australia and England was watched in Australia by 2.1 million viewers.

thePlatform seals management, VOD wins with shomi, Stan

White-label video publishing company thePlatform is celebrating contract wins for its flagship mpx platform with Canada's shomi and Stan in Australia.

Redbox inks new content deal with Warner Bros

Kiosk-based content provider Redbox has extended its 28-day window rights for Warner Bros Blu-ray Disc and DVD titles through to March 2017.

At the end of 2014, Redbox's Digital Marketing Network spanned 90 million touch points, including 39 million email subscribers, 27 million app downloads, 16 million unique monthly visitors to redbox.com, six million SMS subscribers and nearly two million Redbox Play Pass members. Redbox's national footprint of nearly 35,000 locations generates more than 350 million impressions at retail each week.

Australia won ICC Cricket World Cup 2015

Australia on 29 March 2015 won the ICC Cricket World Cup 2015. In the final match of ICC world cup Australia defeated New Zealand by seven wickets at Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG), Australia. Australia celebrated the glorious victory over New Zealand. Australia dismissed New Zealand for 183 in 45 overs before Australian crowd of 93,013 spectators at Melbourne Cricket Ground and cruised to their fifth World Cup. Clarke scored 74 runs and the team scored total 186 runs for three wickets from 33.1 overs.

ISRO launched PSLV-C27 Satellite successfully

ISRO's Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle, PSLV-C27, successfully launched the 1425 kg IRNSS-1D, the fourth satellite in the Indian Regional Navigation Satellite System (IRNSS) on 28 March 2015 from Satish Dhawan Space Centre, Sriharikota. This is the twenty eighth consecutively successful mission of the PSLV. The 'XL' configuration of PSLV was used for this mission. Previously, the same configuration of the vehicle was successfully used seven times.

TDSAT demanded Arasu’s reply in parity issue case by 13 April

Arasu Cable TV Corporation, based on Tamil Nadu, has been directed by Telecom Disputes Settlement and Appellate Tribunal (TDSAT) to file its reply by 13 April in the parity issue case filed by Thamizhaga Cable TV Communication Ltd (TCCL), a Chennai-based independent Multi-System Operator (MSO). The matter has been put up on 15 April.

KCOA to boycott Reliance Channels on 31 March

The Kerala Cable TV Operators Association will boycott channels controlled by Reliance on March 31 in protest against Kerala State Electricity Board’s (KSEB) decision to rent out its electric posts exclusively to the private firm.

Main Jassi Bole Raha hoon! The voice shut for ever but will echo in every cable operators mind

On 30 March, Jassi, a small cable operator of Punjab gave up his fight against the system implementing mandatory digitisation in the country, forcing all LCOs to work as slaves of large companies.

Gandhi Peace prize for 2014 awarded to ISRO

Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) has been awarded the Gandhi Peace Prize for the year 2014. The Gandhi Peace Prize for social, economic and political transformation through non-violence was instituted in the year 1995. The Award comprises an amount of Rupees one crore, a plaque and a citation. 

FM radio stations in small towns & cities: I&B Ministry

Minister of State (MoS), I&B, Rajyavardhan Singh Rathore, said that the government is planning to take FM radio's reach to small towns and cities across the country and launching hundreds of radio stations in these areas over the next two years.

Videocon d2h, a principal sponsor of Mumbai Indians for IPL-8

In coming IPL season-8, Videocon d2h will continue with Mumbai Indian as its principal sponsor for the third continuous season for 2015. Mumbai Indian players will bear Videocon’s logo on the front their jersey. Mumbai Indians is led by Rohit Sharma. 

Prasar Bharti signs MoU with Qatar Media

Public Broadcaster Prasar Bharati and Qatar Media Corporation have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to strengthen their cooperative relationship in the field of Radio and Television. 

Prime Focus sells UK Broadcast unit Blue 2.0

Prime Focus, the world’s largest integrated media services company, has announced the sale of its UK Broadcast Post Production business to new company blue 2.0. Under the terms of the agreement, which both parties are expecting to be finalized in the two weeks, blue 2.0 will take over the Prime Focus UK Broadcast facility at 58 Old Compton Street and the provision of its long-form, drama, short-form, entertainment and DI services. The new company will employ the majority of the current Prime Focus staff at Old Compton Street, and the phased transition of the business to the new owners will begin immediately. The specific terms of the transaction have not been disclosed and they do not exceed prudent financial materiality thresholds.

TRAI asks MSOs, broadcasters to sign interconnect deals by 30 April

The Telecom Regulatory Authority of India has asked multi system operators and broadcasters to sign interconnect agreements by 30 April. The regulator wants MSOs and broadcasters to resolve their issues and quicken the digitisation drive in India.

Deadline for implementation of Phase III of digital addressable system (DAS) is 31 December, 2015. “We have asked the MSOs and broadcasters to sign agreements for DAS Phase III by 30 April. They need to start discussions at least so that they can come to some kind of an understanding by April end,” said a TRAI official. 

Ovum: Pricing, network quality and marketing are key to 4G success

Operators need to align 4G network rollouts and upgrades with clear marketing that highlights the advantages of 4G technology over 3G, according to the latest research from Ovum. Furthermore, 4G pricing must add more value to end users to put operators in the best position to maintain ARPU levels through higher levels of mobile broadband usage.

Rohde & Schwarz DVS will present a further enhancement to its R&S VENICE 4K at NAB 2015

Rohde & Schwarz DVS will be demonstrating how TV studios can efficiently realize production workflows in 4K – from ingest to studio playout – with the help of the ingest and production server R&S VENICE 4K. NAB visitors will be able to experience a 4K studio production workflow with R&S VENICE at booth SL1105.

Consumer Outreach Programme by the TRAI at Delhi

Telecom Regulatory Authority of India held consumer outreach programme at Auditorium, National Institute of Health & Family Welfare, Baba Gangnath Marg, Munirka, New Delhi on 27 March 2015. TRAI has been undertaking various activities to outreach the telecom consumers to educate them and take feedback from them. The aim of the Authority is to create awareness among telecom consumers and other stakeholders about the various initiates taken by TRAI in recent times to protect the interest of telecom consumers.

Govt to Invest 10 Billion US $ in the Chip Manufacturing Facilities Coming up in Gujarat and Uttar Pradesh

Addressing the first Indian Electronics Expo organized by Electronics and Computer Software Export Promotion Council (ESC) in New Delhion 26 March, Secretary, Department of Electronics and Information Technology, Government of India Shri RS Sharma, revealed that the government would be investing US$ 10 billion in the chip manufacturing facilities coming up in Gujarat and UP, where a consortium of manufacturing firms have come up to set up the production bases. India would also be investing US$ 400 million in developing an Indian version of micro-processor. These are part of the initiatives that are under way to create an eco-system that lays focus on high ended innovation. A dedicated fund, known as Electronics Development Fund had been created to leverage the use of venture capital funds to promote more start-ups in the country, he added.

National Supercomputing Mission (NSM) to launch with Rs 4500 crore

The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs, chaired by the Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi, has approved the launch of the National Supercomputing Mission (NSM). This is a visionary program to enable India to leapfrog to the league of world class computing power nations. The Mission would be implemented and steered jointly by the Department of Science and Technology (DST) and Department of Electronics and Information Technology (DeitY) at an estimated cost of Rs.4500 crore over a period of seven years.

TRAI releases ‘Consultation Paper on Regulatory Framework for Over-the-top (OTT) services’

The Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) on 27 March issued the “Consultation Paper on Regulatory Framework for Over-the–top (OTT) services” seeking comments of all stakeholders.

Conax establishes Beijing test center; new regional offering for Asia Pacific set-top-box manufacturers

Conax, part of the Kudelski Group and a leading provider of complete video content and service protection for pay-TV operators and OTT service providers, announced it is in the final stages of establishing a Conax test center in Beijing. The facility will provide authorized Pre-Testing and Conformity Testing services certifying client device conformance for Conax content protection functionality requirements. Conax works closely with a wide range of STB partners and other device manufacturers to ensure Conax enabled client devices are developed according to its strict requirements for functionality and security. The new test hub extends the security provider’s current offering for 3rd party test facilities in Europe and India and aims to offer cost efficient access for set-top-box manufacturers and partners in Asia Pacific.

MotoGP season begins Live & Exclusive on the TEN Sports Network

The new season of the FIM MotoGP™ World Championship will begin this weekend, with the Commercial Bank Grand Prix of Qatar in Doha. MotoGP fans won’t miss a minute of the action, with all race weekends being covered in full, starting with the qualifying session on Saturday and concluding with the main race on Sunday. The broadcast will include full coverage of Moto2 and Moto3 as well as the elite category - MotoGP.

Discovery Science brings ‘TORNADO ALLEY’ series

Discovery Science presents TORNADO ALLEY, a series that will reveal the most deadly tornadoes in the United States.   

Govt to auction 1,000 new FM radio channels by 2016

The Government hopes to auction a total of 1,000 new FM radio channels by 2016, with it already giving its nod to partial auctions of 135 channels in 69 cities in Phase III of the process, said JS Mathur, Additional Secretary of the Union Information and Broadcasting Ministry at the annual convention of FICCI-Frames, a media and entertainment conclave organised by the industry body.

I&B Ministry bags Platinum icon in Web Ratna Awards 2014

The Ministry of Information & Broadcasting has been awarded the Platinum icon award for the Comprehensive Web presence in the Web Ratna Awards 2014. The award was conferred by the Minister for Communications & Information Technology in the presence of Secretary, M/o C&IT, Shri R.S. Sharma. The award was received by Ms. R. Jaya, Joint Secretary on behalf of Secretary (I&B), Shri Bimal Julka along with the New Media Wing team of the Ministry on 25 March.

TRAI notifies amendments to the DAS Regulations incorporating provision of financial disincentives on MSOs

Telecom Regulatory Authority of India on 25 March notified the Standards of Quality of Service (Digital Addressable Cable TV Systems) (Amendment) Regulations, 2015 dated 25th March, 2015 applicable for Cable TV Services being provided through Digital Addressable Systems (DAS) incorporating provisions for levy of financial disincentives on Multi System Operators (MSOs).

The Auction of Spectrum ends on day 19 after 115 rounds amount touches Rs 1.09 Crore

The Auction of Spectrum in 2100 MHz, 1800 MHz, 900 MHz and 800 MHz Bands re- commenced of bidding were completed. The Auction came to an end after 115 rounds of bidding.

The bidding took place in all bands. At the end of 115th round, about 89% of the spectrum has been provisionally allocated to bidders. The provisional amount committed by bidders at the end of 115th round is Rs.1,09,874 Crore. Auction day end report and band-wise summary after the final round are attached.

India and Russia to strengthen ties in I&B sector

On 25 March, India and Russia agreed to strengthen ties in Information and Broadcasting sector with the exchange of media personnel and cooperation in the social media space. Russia also proposed to include Information and Broadcasting in the BRICS summit scheduled on 8-9 July 2015, Russia. BRICS consists of - Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa.

TheOneAlliance to suspend signals for Reliance Big TV

TheOneAlliance, a distribution platform has decided to suspend the signals for Reliance Big TV, a  DTH service provider for non-payment of outstanding dues despite constant follow ups and reminders.

Delhi HC adjourned Ad cap case till 24 July

The Delhi High Court has adjourned the petition filed by the News Broadcasters Association (NBA) and other broadcasters against TRAI order of Advertising limit of 12 minutes per hour Ad cap till 24 July. The Court adjourned the case to give some more time to broadcasters and government to decide an amicable solution amongs them. In an earlier hearing, the Court had, at the regulator's instance, directed that all the channels have to keep a record of the advertisements run by them.

Freedom of speech wins; Sec 66A of IT Act scrapped: SC

Supreme Court of India has scrapped Section 66A of the Information Technology Act that allows arrests of a person who upload objectionable content online.

TRAI issues recommendations on “Reserve Prices for auction of FM Radio channels in new cities”

The Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) issued on 24 March its recommendations on “Reserve Prices for auction of FM Radio channels in new cities”.

62nd National Film Awards, 2014 announced

The 62nd National Film Awards 2014 announced on 24 March by the Chairpersons of the three juries on Feature Films, Non Feature Films and Best Writing on Cinema. The Feature Film Central panel was headed by Shri P. Bharathiraja a legend in Tamil cinema and National Film Award winner. The Central panel comprised of 11 members including Chairman, the Non Feature jury was headed by Shri Kamal Swarup and comprised of 7 members including the Chairman. The jury on Best Writing on Cinema was headed by Shri Govind Kumar (Madhan) and comprised of 3 members including Chairperson.

New World Heritage Channel in Asia: Turner

A new documentary channel called World Heritage Channel has been launched by Turner Broadcasting System Asia Pacific. The program in this channel will include nature, travel, history and culture. The channel’s signature content will take viewers on UNESCO’s World Heritage Sites.

Anjan TV signed carriage deal with Videocon D2H

Anjan TV, a Bhojpuri entertainment channel is now available on channel No 861 on the DTH platform as it has signed a carriage deal with Videocon D2H. Now Anjan TV will reach to 12.8 million households across India. It is a free-to-air channel. It is also available on Airtel Digital TV and all MSOs of Bihar and Jharkhand. It offers a mixture of movies, music, daily soaps, reality, crime, cookery, comedy, travel and lifestyle shows. 

Vivek Law appointed as Editor, TV Today Group

TV Today Group has appointed Vivek Law as Editor in the company. Prior to joining TV Today Group, Vivek Law was an Editor in Bloomberg TV India, where he was responsible for building the channel in line with global practices. In Business Televison, as per industry sources, Vivek will lead the consumer and personal finance vertical across the Group and give it a multi-media dimension. He will be based at ITG Mediaplex, Noida. 

Shashi Kapoor to receive Dadasaheb Phalke award

Shashi Kapoor, a 77 years old film actor and producer has been chosen by the jury to receive 46th Dadasaheb Phalke Award for the year 2014. The award comprises a Swarna Kamal (Golden Lotus) medallion, a shawl, and a cash prize of Rs 1,000,000 (US$16,000) will be conferred by the Central Government for outstanding contribution to the growth and development of Indian cinema.

Court orders attachment of property of defunct BITV

A Delhi court has passed an order to attach the property of Business India Television International Limited (BITV) as the company failed to comply with court’s direction to pay wages to its 52 ex-employees. Additional District Judge GK Gaur directed the attachment of property of BITV situated near Uday Park in south Delhi as the company did not comply with the orders to release the wage amount in 2004.

"I have not been able to get any assistance from the side of the Judgment Debtors (company and its directors) on this score. I presume, therefore, that what has been stated on behalf of the Decree Holders (employees) is correct. Let warrants of attachment of the said immovable property bearing no. 286, Masjid Moth, Uday Park, New Delhi 110051 be issued against the Judgment Debtors...," the judge said. 

Zee Entertainment launches Zee Hiburan in Indonesia

Zee Entertainment Enterprises Limited (ZEEL), India’s leading media conglomerate and a part of the diversified Essel Group announced the launch of Zee Hiburan in Indonesia. ‘Zee Hiburan’, which means ‘Zee Entertainment’ in English, is a General Entertainment channel that features popular Indian serials localized for the mainstream Indonesian audience.

Sushruta Samanta, Business Head – Asia Pacific, Zee Entertainment Enterprises Ltd. (ZEEL) said, “Zee Hiburan in Indonesia is our 3rd launch in the APAC region in the last 14 months, following Zee Bioskop and Zee Nung. Zee Hiburan will consolidate our position and market share in Indonesia, which is one of the fastest growing Pay-TV markets in the region. Our initial interaction with the distributors was very encouraging, which propelled us to launch a GEC Channel within a year of launching our Bollywood channel, Zee Bioskop in the market. Indian content has created a huge wave in the local FTA space and with Zee Hiburan, we believe that we will be able to take it to the next level.”

SME Chapter of MAIT and Busan IT Industry Promotion Agency Signed MOU in Bengaluru

SME Chapter of MAIT has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Busan IT Industry Promotion Agency (BIIPA) last week in Bengaluru. MOU aims to bring together Indian and Korean SMEs to promote local manufacturing by regular exchange of information on technology know-how, software development, talent exchange with a strong focus on Industrial development in both the countries. The MoU was signed by Mr. Rahul Gupta, Chairman, SME Chapter of MAIT and by Mr Seo Tae Geon, CEO of Busan IT Industry Promotion Agency in the presence of SMEs from MAIT and Korea.

Harmonic Introduces Integrated Receiver-Decoder with HEVC Support

Harmonic the worldwide leader in video delivery infrastructure, today announced that the company's ProView™ 7100 is the industry's first single-rack, multiformat, integrated receiver-decoder (IRD), transcoder and MPEG stream processor to support the HEVC standard. As part of an end-to-end HEVC-based video transmission solution offered by Harmonic, the ProView 7100 enables video content and service providers to decode HEVC compressed streams up to 1080p60 resolution, maximizing bandwidth efficiency for broadcast service delivery while maintaining pristine video quality.

StarTimes deployed Conax certified STB chipset solution from ALi Corporation

ALi Corporation, a leading Set-Top Box (STB) chipset solution provider announced StarTimes, a pioneering international digital TV service provider, has adopted full range Conax certified set-top boxes based on ALi chipset solutions to further expand their African markets.

Photography workshops to be organized for skill development in North East and J&K- Secretary, I&B

Shri Bimal Julka, Secretary, I&B, conferred the 4th National Photography Awards to eminent photographers at a function organized by the Photo Division, under the aegis of the Ministry of Information & Broadcasting at the National Media Centre, New Delhi. The award function was attended by noted cinematographer, Shri Santosh Sivan and Chairman of the Jury Committee, Shri Anil Risal Singh.

I&B issues advisory to all TV Channels regarding live telecast of anti-terrorist operations

The Ministry of Information & Broadcasting (MIB) has issued an advisory to all TV channels against telecasting live coverage of counter-terrorism operations by security forces. 

Fox International Channels appoints Swati Mohan as new business head

Fox International Channels (FIC) India appointed Swati Mohan as the business head of the company with effect from March 30, 2015.

The Auction of Spectrum in completed at the End of Day 15

The Auction of Spectrum in 2100 MHz, 1800 MHz, 900 MHz and 800 MHz Bands re- commenced on 20 March, 2015 at 09.00 A.M. and today 6 rounds of bidding were completed. Till now, 92 rounds of bidding has taken place.

Fire broke out at 3rd floor Shastri Bhawan, Delhi

Shastri Bhavan came in highlight again when a minor fire broke out at its third floor, which houses coal and fertilizer ministries. Earlier it came in highlight during corporate espionage case. The fire was reported at around 6.20pm, probably due to overheating of electic wires on the third floor.

Sexual harassment in Doordarshan

Doordarshan, a public broadcastor, came into light when a Production Assistant accused an Assistant Director-General of sexual harassment. In her complaint, the lady said that she had been sexually harassed by him. The accused used to pass obscene comments on her, and used to call her in his chamber after office hours.

Shanghai Media Group Selects LiveU’s Portable Video Transmission Technology

LiveU, the pioneer in IP-based live video services and broadcast solutions for acquisition, management and distribution, announced that Shanghai Media Group (SMG), one of the largest media and entertainment companies in China, has selected LiveU’s bonding transmission technology for live broadcasts across its diverse media outlets. After conducting an in-depth evaluation of competitive solutions, SMG has standardized on LiveU’s professional, lightweight LU500 backpack for its newsgathering operations, deploying multiple units across the Group.

Film Fraternity, Rathore meeting over censorship issue

The film fraternity met Rajyavardhan Singh Rathore, Minister of State for Information & Broadcasting Rajyavardhan Singh Rathore and senior officers of Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) on 16 March, to discuss censorship concerns. The meeting of broad members of CBFC is going to be held on 17 March, Tuesday morning.

No Additional security clearance for second channel of an entity

Giving a major sop to media Industry, the Home Ministry has told the Information and Broadcasting (I&B) Ministry on March 10 that no additional security clearance is needed to launch another TV channel by the same entity.

Hearing in 2G case deferred to August 3

The hearing of 2G spectrum allocation case related to DMK MP Kanimozhi, former Telecom Minister A. Raja and DMK president M. Karunanidhi’s wife Dayalu Ammal has been deferred to August 3.

Cable TV office ransacked in Guntur

On 15 March, the office of Narsaraopet Grameena Cable Vision, Navodaya Nagar, Guntur, was broke into by unidentified persons. The Police suspected that the incident took place due to rivalry between Grameena cable Vision and A. K. Cable in the town. Cable Vision accused that A.K. Cable was trying to poach into its region and hence cut the cable connections of A. K Cable. A case had been registered by SHO.

Newtec Appoints Industry Veteran Kevin McCarthy as VP of Market Development

Newtec, a specialist in designing, developing and manufacturing equipment and technologies for satellite communications, today announced it has appointed Kevin McCarthy, a veteran of the maritime satellite communications industry, to the position of VP of Market Development.

Three day Community Radio Sammelan on Good Governance commences

Minister for Finance, Corporate Affairs and I&B Minister, Shri Arun Jaitley has said that Community Radio as a medium of communication constituted an integral component of the right to free speech and expression. This medium of information dissemination formed a part of the “Airwaves”, the monopoly of which did not lie with state but with the people or the community. Airwaves constituted public property, the myth of state monopoly on the issue had been removed. As a platform of communication, community radio formed a part of the tripartite stakeholder partnership i.e. the broadcaster, the person disseminating the information and the listener who was keen for information, knowledge and dissemination of facts. Shri Jaitley stated this in his address at the 5th National Community Radio Sammelan on the theme “Community Radio for Good Governance” here today.

Wi-Fi Facility at Seven Railway Stations

At present, the Wi-Fi facility has been provided at 7 Railway Stations namely Bengaluru, New Delhi, Chennai, Ahmedabad, Agra Cantt., Varanasi and Secunderabad. The internet access is provided free to the users for first 30 minutes. For usage beyond that, it is priced at Rs.25 for 30 minutes and Rs.35 for 1 Hour and is valid through 24 hours.

FIR against Bhima Riddhi for copyright violation by Novex

Novex Communications, a content distributor, has lodged a FIR (First Information Report) against Bhima Riddhi, cable TV Company of Nagesh Chhabria in Kolhapur for copyright violation. The FIR was lodged by Mohammed Wasim Sayyed under section 63 and 64 of the Copyright Act. 

Tata Sky woes to continue for two more days

The subscribers of Tata Sky, a DTH operator have been facing inconvenience since 11 March when its services went blank without any notice. The Customer service helplines are also dead which is increasing the customer’s uneasiness.

TRAI extends time to receive comments on Tariff orders for DTH CPEs

TRAI has extended the deadline for receiving comments from stakeholders on the draft Tariff Order for issues related to commercial interoperability of CPEs in DTH service issued on 27 February 2015. The comments or views were invited by 13 March 2015 but on the request of stakeholders, last date has been extended to 19 March, 2015. Comments received after 19 March, will not be entertained by the Authority.

MEDIA BROADCAST Reorganizes It’s Management Team

MEDIA BROADCAST, Europe's leading full-service provider for the broadcast and media industry, has reorganized its management and made several new appointments to senior management positions, as part of the company’s strategic realignment. Wolfgang Kniese (47) will enhance the MEDIA BROADCAST Management Board from 1 April 2015. As Chief Financial Officer (CFO), he will be responsible for the company's finances. He succeeds Bruno Maineult, who leaves the company on 1 April. 

Irdeto Names Doug Lowther Chief Executive Officer

Irdeto announced that Doug Lowther will be assuming the role of Chief Executive Officer following Graham Kill’s resignation in September 2014 to pursue new opportunities based out of his native UK. Mr. Lowther joins Irdeto from International Datacasting Corporation (IDC), where he currently serves as CEO. Prior to IDC, Mr. Lowther was EVP of Irdeto’s Digital TV business and had been with the company for over nine years. Appointment effective from April 1.

New appointments to the Inmarsat Enterprise leadership team

Inmarsat the leading provider of global mobile satellite communications services, announced the appointment of Tim Johnson as head of the Enterprise Market Strategy group and David Wigglesworth as leader of the M2M division.

Delhi HC refuses to lift ban on telecast of ‘India’s Daughter’ documentary

On 12 March, Delhi High Court refused to lift the ban imposed on the telecast of a documentary ‘India’s Daughter’ made by Oscar winner British filmmaker Leslee Udwin based on Delhi gang-rape case on December 2012 and features an interview of Mukesh Singh, the accused. The order was passed by a bench of Justices BD Ahmed and Sanjeev Sachdeva.

Bids for e-auction of DTH slots invited by Doordarshan

On 12 March 2015, Doordarshan invited bids (Technical and Financial) from interested agencies to conduct e-auction of Direct-to- Home (DTH) vacant slots of DD Free Dish. To bring transparency in auction process, Prasar Bharati has hired an agency for secured e-auctioning platform. Prasar bharati is going to allot DTH vacant slots of Free Dish to private channels on annual or monthly basis. Auction will go through internet using digital certificates (DSC) and no physical presence of bidders would be required at DD premises at the time of bidding.

Indian DTH operators using total of 77.89 KU-Band Transponders

Indian DTH operators are using a total of 77.89 KU-Band transponders (19 in INSAT/GSAT satellites & 58.89 leased from foreign satellites) for DTH services in India. Foreign satellites are being used as the capacity of KU-Band is insufficient.

Tamil News channel Puthiya Thalaimurai’s office attacked

On 12 March 2015, Tamil news channel Pudhiya Thalaimurai at Ekkaduthangal attacked by two crude bombs. No one got injured in the incident. Around 3 a.m. four men on two motorcycles reached outside the office and hurled the bombs in the compound, packed in tiffin boxes. The first bomb hit the compound wall while the other fell in front of the office building. Both blew with a loud noise, shocking security guards and media persons on night duty. Being low intensity, the blast did not injure anyone. 

Indian Panorama Film Festival 2015 hosted in Shillong

The Indian Panorama Film Festival for 2015 is being hosted in Shillong, Meghalaya for the third consecutive time. The festival was inaugurated by the Chief Minister of Meghalaya, Dr. Mukul Sangma in the presence of Secretary, Ministry of Information & Broadcasting, Shri Bimal Julka on 12th March, 2015 at 4.30 pm at U Soso Tham Auditorium, Shillong.It is being organised by the Directorate of Film Festivals, Ministry of Information & Broadcasting in collaboration with the Government of Meghalaya.

CABSAT Launch of Appear TV Resource Allocator Simplifies Multiscreen

Appear TV, a leading global provider of next-generation video processing platforms for broadcast and IP television announced that it is to launch its Multiscreen Resource Allocator at CABSAT (Hall 4, stand E4 - 41), Dubai World Trade Centre, 10 – 12 March, 2015.

Inmarsat takes off with BGAN-powered Bebop drone from Parrot at CABSAT

As part of its open technology strategy announced in January, Inmarsat the leading provider of global mobile satellite communications services, is pleased to announce that the Parrot Bebop Drone has been certified for use over the Inmarsat network, joining the CAP (Certified Application Partners) programme. The certification is announced following six-months of collaboration with Parrot, a leading provider of advanced technology wireless products for consumers and professionals. 

Pacnet First to Extend SDN & NFV Capabilities into the Optical Layer

Pacnet, a leading provider of integrated technology solutions in the Asia-Pacific region, today announces the extension of its award-winning Pacnet Enabled Network (PEN) into the optical layer.  This allows Pacnet to provide on-demand provisioning of network services up to 100G including Network Function Virtualization (NFV) tools on the company's privately owned trans-Pacific and intra-Asia submarine network systems.

YuppTV makes another Sensational Digital Release Worldwide

YuppTV, the world’s leading over-the-top (OTT) content player for South Asian Content, live TV, Catch-up TV, and on-demand Movie Solutions, announces  the first day digital release of Tamil movie ‘JK Enum Nanbanin Vaazhkai’ for YuppTV customers worldwide.

Turkish Airlines is looking for the epic sports fan

“Europe’s Best Airline”* is calling for the epic sports fan to travel from 28th March to 20th April to 7 different countries for 10 sports events and meet Messi and Drogba in person.

Government begins process to select new TRAI Chairman

As the term of TRAI Chairman Rahul Khullar, is going to end in mid-May, the government is inviting applications for selecting a new chairman. The tenure of post is upto three years or till the age of 65 years. The government employees who are wishing to apply will take retirement from their current positions. The last date for applying is April 9. 

Cable operators, keen to provide broadband connectivity to consumers

On 9 March 2015, Telecom Minister, Ravi Shankar Prasad said, “A lot of Cable operators have shown interest in providing broadband connectivity to consumers by tweaking technology (a move that will increase Internet penetration) in the country.”

NDTV shows black screen to protest ban on ‘Daughter of India’

NDTV ran a blank screen with only a flickering lamp in the background for an hour from 9pm to 10pm on 8 March, when the documentary, “India’s Daughter” based on Nirbhaya gang-rape Delhi, was due to be telecast to mark International Women's Day.

Hyderabad gets its 1st local trains traveler app

RailYatri launched the 1st pan-India app for local train commuters, covering local trains at the top 11 locations, including Hyderabad, all across India. The app shows at any time the next local train to the traveler’s home/office.

GTPL-KCBPL increases its HD channels from 22 to 32

Kolkata-based multi-system operator (MSO) GTPL-KCBPL, which was offering around 22 High Definition (HD) channels, has increased the offering 32 channels now. The company, which is airing these HD channels for free now, is looking at charging its 15,000 customers either towards the end of March or in the beginning of the next fiscal 2015-16.

Harmonic Names Xiaojun Dou to Role of Managing Director of China Sales

Harmonic the worldwide leader in video delivery infrastructure announced the appointment of Xiaojun Dou as managing director of China sales. In his new role, Xiaojun will provide strategic direction for Harmonic's business in China and lead the company's China sales team in executing strategies key to meeting regional business goals and objectives.

TSTT signs partnership with YuppTV to offer Bollywood Content over Internet in Trinidad & Tobago

YuppTV - the world’s leading over-the-top (OTT) content player for South Asian Content and Telecommunications Services of Trinidad and Tobago (TSTT) - a full telecommunications service provider, have signed an agreement to deliver OTT Bollywood Content to subscribers in Trinidad & Tobago. Through the partnership, YuppTV will provide a full technology solution to TSTT to bring premier Bollywood content to the people of Trinidad & Tobago.

Ericsson enables Tata sky for its 4K video service in India

Swedish telecom Gear maker Ericsson is enabling Tata Sky, an Indian direct-to-home (DTH) operator, to launch the first commercial 4K video service in the subcontinent. Under the contract, Ericsson will provide compression technology for 4K distribution, using high resolution 1080P50 format, which will enhance TV viewing experience in India for those who will subscribe to 4K Tata Sky Video Service. 

Chris Houghton, Head of Ericsson’s Region India, said,” Superior technology, excellent service and proven industry leadership of Ericsson will enable Tata Sky to offer a differentiated and future proofed digital experience to its subscribers.

E-auction bids for 1st batch of FM Phase III, invited by I&B Ministry

Information and Broadcasting ministry on 2 March 2015, invited bids for e-auctioning of the first batch of Phase III FM channels to expand the reach of FM Radio in the country. The Government has begun FM Phase III so that private FM radio channels may be set up in all the cities with a population of more than 1 lakh.

This Phase will also include eleven cities in border area of J&K and North-East, where population is less than 1 lakh.

Prasar Bharati to Soft launch Kisan TV on 23 March; North-East TV channel also in the offing

A dedicated television channel for farmers, Kisan TV, is scheduled to be formally launched on the occasion of Baisakhi, 14 April. Its soft launch is proposed on 23 March. In January, Jaitley had set aside Rs 100 crore in the Budget in his capacity as Finance Minister. For FY 2014-15 Rs 90 crore was allotted but budget for FY 2015-16 shows that only Rs 45 crore has been allotted.

CASBAA India Forum 2015: New Era, New Opportunities

CASBAA’s annual stop in the South Asian sub-continent will bring together a host of local and international speakers at the India Forum 2015 on March 23 at Shangri-La’s Eros Hotel in New Delhi.

Videocon d2h launched 4K Ultra HD Channel

Videocon d2h, the first in India to have successfully previewed 4K Ultra HD DTH Service in July 2014, has now launched 24 hrs 4K Ultra HD multi genre channel on 26th Jan 2015 which will take the viewing experience to the next level. The 4K Ultra HD Channel is a content pipe that may carry the multi genre feed like movies, video on demand, travel, infotainment, sports etc provided by respective international broadcasters or independent content providers. Along with this feed Videocon d2h 4k UHD consumers will also get to watch the forthcoming cricket World Cup in 4K provided by the respective broadcaster.