Veena Jain appointed as Director General in DD News

A 1984 Indian Information Service officer, Veena Jain has been appointed as Director General (DG) of News in Doordarshan. In addition to DG, she has been asked to hold the charge as officer on special duty in the Ministry for New Media Wing and Social Media Cell. 

Jae H. Chang promoted to VP sales: Warner Bros International Television Distribution

Warner Bros. International Television Distribution (WBITD) Company has elevated Jae H. Chang to the post of Vice President, Sales.

Seven states propose their own broadband network model, says Telecom Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad

Telecom Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad, at a meeting with state IT ministers in New Delhi, said, seven states namely Madhya Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Odisha, Himachal Pradesh and West Bengal have proposed their own broadband network model under Rs 72,000 crore BharatNet prorgamme. 

Six TV groups bid for new DTT channels in Spain

Six TV groups namely Atresmedia, Mediaset, Prisa, 13 TV, Secuoya and Net TV have submitted their bids for six new DTT licences (three HD and three SD) to be awarded by public tender by the beginning of September.

HBO Now available on Google Play’s Android Aps

HBO Now, the premium cable programmer’s standalone streaming service is joining Google Play’s store for a range of Android devices. 

DOGTV launched in Portugal

To continue its expansion in Europe, DOGTV has been launched in Portugal. Two months ago, it was launched in France.

Jagran Prakashan receives approval from MIB for Radio City acquisition

Information and Broadcasting (I&B) ministry has given approval to Jagran Prakashan, India's leading media and communications group to acquire Radio City. 

Individual ratings data starting from next week: BARC India

After a month since its inception, BARC India has decided to roll out Individual Ratings Data starting with week 21 (Saturday, 23 May to Friday, 29 May). This data will be released on every Thursday, starting from 4th June.

ABC News & Voice of Nation surrender their TV channel licences

Two television channels namely ABC News and Voice of Nation have surrendered their TV channel licences to the Ministry of Information & Broadcasting (MIB), a source said. 

YuppTV serves Middle East with Zee channels

YuppTV, a Over-the-top (OTT) platform has launched Zee’s channels in the Middle East market for its users. 

Siti Cable posts profit of Rs 321 million for Q4

Siti Cable has posted operating profit of Rs 32.1 crore (Rs 321 million) for fourth quarter of FY 2014-15. 

Discovery Family channel launches its own Youtube portal

Discovery Family Channel (DFC), an American digital cable and satellite TV channel is launching its own YouTube portal for its ‘Kids Kuts’ classic film series. 

Himanshu Kapania elected as COAI chairman

Himanshu Kapania, CEO of Idea Cellular has been elected chairman of Cellular Operators Association of India (COAI) at the GSM trade body's annual general meeting (AGM) on 28 May. He has replaced Marten Pieters.

TataSky drops IPO plan; selected private equity investors

TataSky, a DTH operator has decided to drop its plan for an IPO and now the company will raise INR18 billion by selling 25 per cent stake to Private Equity investors.

NOFN project cost estimate escalates to Rs 72,778 crore from Rs 20,000 crore

The telecom Ministry reported that National Optical Fibre Network’s committee has estimated an increase in NOFN project to Rs 72,778 crore from Rs 20,000 crore.

CBS & Apple TV will “probably”sign a deal to slim down TV packages

American commercial broadcast television and radio network, CBS is expected to sign a deal with Apple TV for online distribution.

BARC 5th week data; Star Plus still ahead, Colors & Life OK go down

BARC India has released its ratings for fifth week, which is week 20 of the year (May 16 – May 22, 2015) for Hindi General Entertainment Channels (GECs) and this week Star Plus gained ratings while Colors lost ratings. Life OK and Zee TV saw minor declines, Sab TV increased marginally.

Interconnect agreements occupy the eighth Task Force for Phase III

The Ministry of Information and Broadcasting (MIB) has warned broadcasters and multi-system operators (MSOs) to sign their interconnect agreements for Phase III of digital addressable system (DAS) by 21 June otherwise Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) will intervene to decide terms and conditions which may not be favourable to both stakeholders. 

TV Today challenges MIB’s order; files new writ petition in Delhi HC for Oye FM sale

TV Today has decided to file a new writ petition in Delhi High Court in relation to sell Oye FM to Entertainment Network India Ltd (ENIL). This deal has been denied by Ministry of Information and Broadcasting (MIB) already.

Ariane 5 launches DirecTV-15 & Sky Mexico-1

DirecTV-15, the broadcaster’s latest satellite, and a key element in its 4K/Ultra HD broadcasting plans, has been launched by Ariance 5 on 27th May 27th from Kourou in French Guiana.

Thai TV set to close its 2 digital channels

Thai TV has decided to close two of its new digital channels. On May 25th it submitted a formal request to the country’s National Broadcast regulator to close two channels namely Thai TV and Loco.

Nilesat signals being ‘jammed’ deliberately

An Egyptian Satellite Company Nilesat has been jamming some of its channels deliberately. 

nexGTv acquires exclusive telecast rights for French Open 2015

nexGTv, a Digivive’s application that offers users with wholesome entertainment across multi-screen devices, has acquired the exclusive telecast rights for 114th edition of French Open 2015.

MIB to relook at NSTPL’s request of using HITS licence as collateral security: TDSAT

The Telecom Disputes Settlement and Appellate Tribunal (TDSAT) has asked the Ministry of Information & Broadcasting (MIB) to take a fresh look on the request of Noida Software Technology Park Ltd’s (NSTPL) to assign its headend-in-the-sky (HITS) licence as security for bank loan. 

Dish TV starts its operation in Sri Lanka with 47 channels

Dish TV has started its services in Sri Lanka with the offering of 47 channels in various genres for LKR 249 (Sri Lankan rupee) per month (plus taxes). These include 13 Sinhalese channels, six Tamil channels, four devotional channels, two English news channels and a clutch of Indian channels, among others.

HOOQ to start its service in India with subscription price of Rs 199 per month

Singapore-based HOOQ, a joint venture (JV) between Singtel, Sony Pictures Television and Warner Bros, is starting its video service in India with a monthly subscription fee of Rs 199 by June 2015. 

IBF moves TDSAT against FHRAI’s circular

The Indian Broadcasting Foundation (IBF) has filed an application in the Telecom Disputes Settlement & Appellate Tribunal (TDSAT) against the Federation of Hotels & Restaurant Association of India (FHRAI) as its members are not taking signals directly from broadcasters. 

Headlines Today renamed as India Today

Headlines Today, which was launched in 2003 has finally become India Today. A spokespersons from the channel said ‘India Today’ news channel has been treated as a fresh channel and not a re-branding of Headlines Today as it sports a completely new look as compared to any other news channel in the country.

DirecTV launches kids App

US pay TV service provider DirecTV has launched its new Kids App that offers age-appropriate content anywhere, anytime – at no extra charge.

Ericsson eyes at 15 per cent marketshare in TV and media

Ericsson, a communication technology and services firm is eyeing 15 per cent of the marketshare in TV and media in India by 2017, as per company's top executive. 

Charter to acquire Time Warner Cable for $78.7 billion

Charter Communications, American cable telecommunications company has agreed on 26 May to buy Time Warner Cable for $78.7 billion. 

Discovery Kids set to bring ‘KISNA’ to Delhi & Mumbai

To make this summer holidays more fun and memorable, Discovery kids is all set to bring its most popular animated character KISNA to Delhi and Mumbai. Kids get a chance to meet KISNA between May 23 to June 11 at various malls and amusement parks in both the cities.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi launches Kisan TV; MIB directs to add it in prime band

The Prime Minister, Shri Narendra Modi, on 26 May launched Doordarshan’s Kisan TV channel and called for increasing food-grain productivity from 2 tons per hectare to 3 tons per hectare. Addressing a gathering of farmers at New Delhi's Vigyan Bhawan on the launch of Kisan TV channel which is dedicated exclusively to farmers, the Prime Minister also called for making the "Tehsil" the unit of agricultural planning and development.

GET READY TO DOUBLE YOUR EXCITEMENT THIS SUMMER HOLIDAYS WITH KISNA

New Delhi, May25, 2015: Making the summer holidays more fun and memorable, Discovery Kids is all set to bring its most popular animated character KISNA to Delhi and Mumbai. Kids get a chance to meet KISNA between May 23 to June 11 at various malls and amusement parks in both the cities. 

Airtel Zero, Internet.org against net neutrality, says Telecom Ministry

Telecom Ministry, in its preliminary enquiry found that Airtel's Zero and the Facebook-Reliance Communications’ internet.org are against the spirit of net neutrality. 

9X Media to launch Bangla music channel; Oriya music channel next

9X Media is planning to launch its Bangla music channel this fiscal. It will have a pure-play format. 

Zee Media ropes in R K Arora as COO

Zee Media Corporation Ltd. (ZMCL) has appointed R. K Arora as COO. He will handle all the ten channels under the umbrella of the company.

Warner & DC Entertainment launch three websites for kids

Warner Bros. Consumer Products (WBCP) and DC Entertainment have launched three new webst for kids namely ScoobyDoo.com, LooneyTunes.com and DCKids.com.

20th Century Fox gears up for Ultra HD & HDR

20th Century Fox, an American film sutdio is now gearing up to master all of its future movies in Ultra HD (UHD) and high dynamic range (HDR) for home entertainment.

Vserv’s end-to-end solutions to telcos & DTH operators

Vserv, a smart data platform for mobile marketing is entering in commerce solution space. It will now provide an end-to-end solution i.e from the discovery of customers to the transaction of services for telcos and DTH operators.

Sandeep Gurumurthi elevated as Executive Editor: ET Now

ET Now has elevated Sandeep Gurumurthi as Executive Editor. He has replaced R Sridharan. 

Video Advertising Bureau (VAB) created out of CAB

The Cable television Advertising Bureau (CAB) which was founded in 1980 has transformed into Video Advertising Bureau (VAB).

Sanjay Jain takes over as CTO Den Networks

Sanjay Jain has been appointed as group Chief Technology Officer (CTO) by Den Network. He will deal with company’s technical verticals of both cable and broadband.

Wendi Trilling to depart CBS after 25 years

After serving CBS for 24 years, Wendi Trilling EVP, is leaving the organisation. She will depart at the end of her contract in June after opting not to renew it.

ALi Corporation and Mware Solutions Partner in Offering End-to-End Solutions for IPTV OTT Operators

ALi Corporation, a leading Set-Top Box (STB) chipset provider, today announced an IP Set-top-box integrating Mware middleware on ALi’s M3912 platform. The strategic collaboration between ALi and Mware delivers a turnkey end-to-end operation solution.

Digital Transformation has evolved into a Must-have Strategy for Enterprises Frost & Sullivan

Frost & Sullivan, the global of the “Digital Enterprise Transformation Summit 2015” on June 18th at Hotel Le Meridien, New Delhi 

Study: Millennials driving change in TV and online video

Findings from digital content delivery specialist Limelight Networks demonstrate a clear shift in video consumption trends led by Millennials. Among the findings, the research reveals that, under the right circumstances, 90 per cent of consumers are open to “cutting the cord” and cancelling their cable and pay-TV subscriptions in favour of over-the-top (OTT) video services such as HBO Now and Hulu.

US prefers à la carte to bundles

A vast majority of Americans would prefer to assemble their own pay TV channels rather than subscribe to packages that include dozens or hundreds of networks, according to the findings of a new Reuters/Ipsos poll which challenges traditional television distribution.

Analyst: Retail OTT STBs to overtake Telco IPTV

Global shipments of of OTT STBs sold at retail – including Apple TV, Chromecast and Roku boxes – will overtake shipments of IPTV STBs used for pay-TV services in 2015, according to a new report from information and insight source IHS. In 2015, 31 million retail OTT STBs will be shipped, compared to 30 million IPTV STBs shipped by telcos.

“OTT STBs were initially written off as a temporary measure for consumers to bring OTT video to TV screens,” said Daniel Simmons, director of connected home research at IHS Technology. “It was assumed that Smart TVs, Blu-Ray disc players and gaming consoles would eventually take the place of STB devices; however, while consumer adoption of smart devices has grown considerably, OTT STBs have still managed to flourish.”

1 in 3 would rather “lose a finger than broadband” Source

One in three say they would rather lose a finger than go without a connection to the internet, according to a survey of 2,500 UK residents by broadband, TV and mobile comparison site Cable.co.uk.

When asked if they had to live their life without either one of their fingers or their internet connection which would they choose, one in three (29 per cent) said they would rather lose a finger, while a further 25 per cent claim they couldn’t decide between the two.

4K TV market will increase with consumer awareness

A report from tech research company Technavio draws attention towards the increasing popularity of 4K TVs, which is presenting growth opportunities for broadcast and media organisations worldwide.

Liberty Global: “In transition”

John Malone’s Liberty Global saw its Q1 revenues numbers decline 1.5 per cent to $4.51 billion (€4bn) and not helped by higher churn in Germany and a net gain of a “decidedly weak” 35,000 subs according to analysts at investment bank Jefferies. In particular the analysts pointed out that Germany had suffered losses in housing association connections.

Mediaset and Atresmedia break profits record

The recovery of the TV advertising market is driving the two private largest TV groups, Mediaset and Atresmedia, to breaking profit records.

TiVo: Majority of OTA cord cutters ex-satellite

TiVo – which recently acquired certain assets of outlawed and bankrupt OTA service Aereo – has released the findings of an in-depth survey of Over The Air (OTA) TV consumers revealing that a materially higher percentage of cord cutters are coming from former satellite TV service subscribers.

Sky and Viacom extend partnership

Sky and Viacom International Media Networks (VIMN) have agreed to extend their commercial partnership in the UK and Ireland for a further five years.

Market building for Windows tablets

Windows-based tablets continued to grab more market share from competitor-branded tablets by Apple and Google in the first quarter of 2015. Total Tablet shipments reached 51.8 million units in Q1 2015, down 9 per cent from 56.7 million in Q1 2014, according to preliminary data by Strategy Analytics’ Tablet & Touchscreen Strategies (TTS) service report.

Rovi narrows losses

Rovi saw its loss narrow to $15.47 million for the quarter ended March 31st. In the previous year period, the company reported a loss of $54.26 million.