ZEE5 users can now stream with Amazon Fire TV Stick with Voice Remote

ZEE5, the OTT arm of ZEEL, has launched on Amazon Fire TV Stick with Voice Remote. With this development, its users can now stream on their TV screens using the Amazon Fire TV Stick with Voice Remote.

Airtel TV app hosts ALTBalaji’s content

To keep its users hooked, the leading telecom service provider Bharti Airtel has reached an agreement with Balaji Telefilms. As part of agreement, ALT Balaji’s portfolio will be available on Airtel TV app.

Netflix appoints Ashish Chandra as legal director

The global OTT giant Netflix has appointed former Snapdeal general counsel Ashish Chandra as a legal director. He had left Snapdeal in April 2017 to join Astro Malaysia as VP and head counsel.

OTT platform Viu enters Kuwait on the back of Zain network

Having a carrier billing partnering with Kuwait-based Zain’s managed service provider SLA Digital, PCCW Media-owned Vuclip’s video on demand (VoD) service provider Viu has entered the gulf nation.

Youths are the biggest watchers of TV: BARC Study

According to a BARC India study titled ‘What Young India Watches’, the youth in the 15-30 age bracket is a huge segment for broadcasters and advertisers as they contribute a whopping 33% share of eyeballs to total TV viewership.

Fastway-ZEEL content deal expires on March 31; no renewal in sight

The deal between multi system operator Fastway Transmission and the broadcaster ZEEL is expiring on March 31, but both players have not taken any step to renew the agreement. While MSO Fastway is open to a reference interconnect offer (RIO) deal, both players are in favour of entering into a negotiated fixed fee as has been the case so far.

ISRO launches communications GSAT-6A satellite

On 29 March, ISRO successfully launched the GSLV-F08 carrying the GSAT6A communication satellite from Satish Dhawan Space Centre (SDSC) in Sriharikota. Experts feel that the launch proves our mastering the technique of making home-made communication satellites.

TRAI to organize Consumer Outreach Programme in Neemuch (M P)

The Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) will organize Consumer Outreach Programme in different parts of the country. These programmes are primarily intended to outreach to the customers, industries bodies, State Government various Government bodies, CAGs and TSPs. Details of venue, date for the programme to be organized in Neemuch (Madhya Pradesh) along with contact person and telephone number is as under:

Anand Mahindra exhorts tech entrepreneurs to launch India’s version of Facebook; he will fund

The business tycoon Anand Mahindra has exhorted tech entrepreneurs in India to create India’s version of a Facebook. He also assured that his group will fund the start-up in this field.

Govt asks Facebook to provide info on data theft/leak by 7 April

Angered over Facebook data leak/theft by British firm Cambridge Analytica, the Indian Ministry of Information Technology sought information from Facebook by 7 April.

Telecom sector pre-tax losses touch Rs 38,153 crore in 2016-17

The debt-ridden telecom sector is witnessing a huge pre-tax loss. The sector’s pre-tax losses stands at Rs 38,153 crore in the 2016-17 fiscal from Rs 1,699 crore in the preceding year, according to Manoj Sinha, Telecom Minister.

Govt approves financial grant for 5G test bed project by IITs, IISc

The telecom Minister Manoj Sinha told the Parliament on 28 March that the government has approved financial grant for a project to set up indigenous 5G test bed by Indian Institutes of Technology (IITs) and Indian Institute of Science (IISc).

Shiva Rajkumar becomes brand ambassador to promote IPL’s Kannada broadcast

Kannada superstar Shiva Rajkumar has been hired to become brand ambassador by Star India for its IPL feed on Star Suvarna Plus. The broadcaster has also launched TVC featuring Rajkumar.

Vikram Sharma becomes Vice President of Cartoon Network Enterprises

Vikram Sharma has been appointed by Turner Asia Pacific as the Vice President of Cartoon Network Enterprises (CNE), which is Turner’s regional licensing and merchandising division.

BSNL awards Rs. 336 cr order to Tejas Networks for BharatNet project

The state owned telecom operator BSNL has awarded the Telecom gear manufacturer Tejas Networks an order worth Rs. 336 Cr for BharatNet project.

India TV in docks as NBSA issues orders on complaints against its show ‘Operation Halala’

Rajat Sharma’s news channel India TV is in trouble as the News Broadcasting Standards Authority (NBSA) has issued orders on complaints filed against news broadcasters for false reporting to spike its TRP.

ByDesign’s iCAS makes big strides; forces foreign manufacturers to bring down their STB’s prices

To give a boost to indigenous set-top-box (STB), the iCAS project was launched in 2016 by the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY). The Bengaluru-based ByDesign’s indigenous conditional access system (CAS) iCAS is now creating great buzz and is the main reason behind falling (SD) STB prices.

Sistema Shyam sells 80.3 million shares in RCom; now holds only 7% stake

To bring down its stake in Reliance Communications, Sistema Shyam Teleservices has sold 80.3 million shares representing 2.9 per cent equity stake in Reliance Communications. Now it holds only 7 per cent stake in RCom.

SC refuses to extend linking of Aadhaar to subsidy schemes; 31 March to remain deadline

On 27 March 2018, the Supreme Court refused to extend the last date (March 31) for linking of Aadhaar with government schemes and benefits (subsidies). The SC also made it clear that indefinite deadline will remain same till further order for mandatory linking of Aadhaar with bank accounts, mobile phones and other non-subsidy services.

BARC Ratings: Sony BBC Earth emerges as top infotainment channel

According to week 11 of BARC ratings for 6 Mega Cities (NCCS AB: 2+ Individuals), the infotainment channel Sony BBC Earth has emerged as the most watched channel in its genre. The feat has been achieved in just one year after its launch.

Turner & ZEEL part ways; IndiaCast may distribute Turner

The 16-year old distribution pact has been ended by Turner International India and ZEEL. As per media reports, Turner may partner with IndiaCast Media Distribution. If the deal materializes, IndiaCast will distribute Turner channels from 1 April.

Airtel to install 6,000 mobile sites in northeast

In Financial Year 2018-19, the leading telecom service provider Airtel will launch 6,000 new mobile sites across the North Eastern region to add network capacity and take services deeper into unconnected areas.  It will add 3,000 km of new optic fiber in the region to take its fiber footprint to 16,000 km, which will support the growth of high-speed data services.

TRAI’s independent drive test shows poor results of 3G services

The independent drive tests conducted by the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) in four cities delivered poor results. The tests were conducted in Indore, Bhubaneshwar, Mysore and Nagpur. 

Airtel goes to TDSAT against TRAI’s show cause notice

The leading telecom operator Bharti Airtel has moved to the Telecom Disputes Settlement & Appellate Tribunal (TDSAT) against TRAI’s show cause notice. The telco is challenging the telecom regulator TRAI’s recent show cause notice which asked Airtel to share details of non-transparent and discriminatory tariffs that it has allegedly offered consumers.

Discovery Kids plans to expand viewership through regional languages

Offering content and services in regional languages is key to success. Recently, Discovery Communications India’s kids channel Discovery Kids has announced to offer Tamil and Telugu language feeds to increase viewership in these states. The Tamil feed was launched on 24 March while the Telugu language feed will be started from 1 April.

Network18 appoints Avinash Kaul, Priyanka Kaul & Aditi Singh on key posts

The media and entertainment group Network18 has promoted Avinash Kaul as the Chief Operating Officer (COO).  He will manage the operations of all national and regional news channels. Earlier, he was president strategy, product & alliances.

ZEEL’s VoD platform ZEE5 to come up with 90+ original shows in 1 year

To keep its users hooked, ZEEL’s OTT platform ZEE5, for the first time, is coming up with original content. It will have over 90+ original shows by the end of March 2019.

Big FM to offer integrated ad-tech platform for its advertisers

To simplify the process and ensure cost effectiveness, the radio station by Reliance Broadcast Network Limited, Big FM will offer ad-tech platform to its advertisers which will be modelled to achieve faster time to market by ensuring operational efficiency.

Watch global ad-free content on Tata Sky for Rs 75 per month

To attract viewers who want uninterrupted good quality international content, the direct-to-home (DTH) operator Tata Sky is now offering ‘Tata Sky World Screen’ for just Rs 75 per month. Users can access to select series and movies from across the world, running 24×7, where most of the shows have never been available in India so far. The content will be sources from countries like Russia, French, Italian, and Portuguese with English sub-titles.

Indiacast to distribute Turner channels

Following its partnership termination with ZEEL, Turner International India has now appointed IndiaCast Distribution as its distribution partner.

TDSAT directs Scod 18 not to disconnect signals of IndiaCast channels

On March 25, the Telecom Disputes Settlement and Appellate Tribunal (TDSTA) hasdirected the multi system operator (MSO) Scod18 Network not to disconnect signals of IndiaCast Media Distribution distributed channels from any other operator.

Viaan Industries to launch OTT service

Actress Shilpa Shetty and her husband Raj Kundra’s Viaan Industries is planning to enter OTT segment to cash in on the big boom caused by cheaper data and phone rates. The subscription based video on demand (VoD) service will be dedicated to health and wellness.

Congress accuses NaMo App for stealing people’s vital info

The war of words between Congress and BJP is just not stopping. This time, Rahul Gandhi has accused NaMo (Narndra Modi) app of stealing confidential information of people. The NaMo app not only seks vital information of users, but also updates them about achievements of the BJP government, and provides access to the audio of Prime Minister’s Mann Ki Baat.

Sistema offers $1.5 bn for remaining assets of RCom

While Reliance Communication (RCom) is in legal trouble over its proposed sale of its asset to RJio to pay its debt, Sistema JFSC has offered $1.2 billion (Rs 7,800 crore) to buy its remaining assets; this is part from $300 million that Reliance Communications owes Sistema.

New Ookla study puts India on 67th position in fixed broadband speed

According to Ookla’s Speedtest Global Index report, India finds its place on 67th place in fixed broadband speed as of February. Last year, the country was on 76th position. So an improvement has been witnessed.

BSNL to go for network expansion; will invest Rs 4,300 crore

To expand network in 2018-19, the state-owned Bharat Sanchar Nigam Ltd (BSNL) has decided to invest about Rs 4,300 crore, according to its Chairman and Managing Director Anupam Shrivastava. Apart from it, the telco will also invest Rs 5,000-6,000 crore in government telecom projects.

I&B directs CBI to probe corruption charges against reinstated NFDC MD

The Ministry of Information & Broadcasting (MIB) has directed the CBI to probe alleged corruption by Nina Lath Gupta in the operations of National Film Development Corp (NFDC) during her tenure as its Managing Director. She was sacked on February 27, but later was reinstated.

Massive Facebook data theft shocks the world; FB Founder Zuckerberg summoned to testify

Facebook Founder Mark Zuckerberg may be in deeper troubles as he has been asked to testify in the alleged FB data theft of 50 million Facebook users for manipulating elections which made Trump as President of the US.

Vodafone starts online career guidance services

To guide the youth in their better career choices, the leading telco Vodafone has hired a team of specialist psychologists, careers advisers and training providers to develop a smartphone-based service - called the Future Jobs Finder.

2G Case: CBI moves Delhi HC, challenging acquittals

On 20 March, the investigating agency CBI reached the Delhi High Court, challenging a special court order acquitting former Telecom Minister A. Raja, DMK MP Kanimozhi and others in the 2G case.

RBTV gets disconnection notice from Times Network

The direct-to-home (DTH) operator Reliance Big TV (RBTV) has got the disconnection notice from Times Network. The notice has been issued for non-payment of subscription fee and non-signing of the subscription agreement.

Accedo to help Tata Sky offer better VoD experience across devices

To offer better video on demand (VoD) experience, the leading DTH platform Tata Sky has partnered with video experience provider Accedo. Accedo will help Tata Sky Mobile video service by creating a unified live and Video-On-Demand (VOD) experience across web, Android, and iOS devices.

Vice India hires 40 creative personnel; appoints Chanpreet Arora as CEO & Samira Kanwar as head of content

Before getting launched in April, Vice India has appointed Chanpreet Arora as CEO and Samira Kanwar as head of content, apart from hiring 40 journalists, editors, producers, and creatives.

DD, AIR staff want MIB not to route their salaries via Prasar Bharati

In the latest development on salary issue of Prasar Bharati, the Unions of various departments of All India Radio (AIR) and Doordarshan (DD) have written to the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting (I&B) not to route their salaries via Prasar Bharati. They requested MIB to work out a mechanism for paying salaries directly.

Madras HC reserves its verdict on Karti’s petition

On 19 March, the Madras High Court reserved its verdict on a writ petition filed by Karti Chidambaram, son of the former Union Minister P. Chidambaram, challenging a Look Out Circular against him by the Bureau of Immigration under the Union Home Ministry on June 16, 2017, at the request of the Central Bureau of Investigation probing the INX Media case.

Ericsson files petition in Delhi HC to recover Aircel dues; TDSAT bars DoT from encashing Aircel’s bank guaranteesx

While the Swedish telecom equipment maker Ericsson has reached the Delhi High Court against Aircel and its units for recovery of arrears worth Rs 251.40 crore, the Telecom Disputes Settlement and Appellate Tribunal (TDSAT) has extended a stay on encashment of both financial and performance-based bank guarantees of Aircel, saying it will wait till the Supreme Court hears a separate matter on one-time spectrum charges in a case involving Aircel and DoT in near future.

Indian Army warns WhatsApp users against potential Chinese hackers

The dangers posed by Chinese hackers have been echoed by the Indian Army. On 18 March, the army issued a video accusing Chinese hackers of targeting users in India via WhatsApp. In the video, the army spokesperson requested Indian users to use the social messenger application safely measures.

CII appoints Ortel’s Jagi Mangat Panda as chairperson of Eastern region

The Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) has appointed the multi system operator (MSO) Ortel Communications MD Jagi Mangat Panda as the new chairperson of Eastern region for one year. She is the first woman to hold such a post at CII’s eastern zone.

Mahesh Barve becomes AVP- content partnerships at Vidooly

Mahesh Barve, who has been leading the sales and marketing division at Bollywood Hungama, has been appointed as Associate Vice President, Content Partnerships by Vidooly Media Tech, India’s leading marketing analytics platform.

India Post to start HD STB booking in Maharashtra & Goa for Reliance Big TV

In a business-friendly move, India Post has partnered with the direct-to-home (DTH) operator Reliance Big TV; it will book HD STB in Maharashtra and Goa.

YuppTV secures IPL 2018 TV, digital rights for EU, South East Asian countries, South America

The leading OTT platform YuppTV has won the exclusive digital and television media rights for the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2018 for South East Asian countries, Europe and South America, apart from securing non-exclusive rights for Australia.

‘Mission Digitisation’ scheme extended till March 2020

To ensure full implementation of the digital addressable system (DAS), the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting (I&B) will continue the 12th Plan Scheme ‘Mission Digitisation’ up to 31 March 2020 with an outlay of Rs. 12.70 crore.

EMMC partners with BECIL to install monitoring facility for 100 TV channels, 150 DTH operators

The content monitoring arm of the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting (MIB), the Electronic Media Monitoring Centre (EMMC), will install logging and monitoring facility for 100 private satellite TV channels and 150 direct-to-home (DTH) platform services channels during FY18-19.

‘Monitoring & regulatory framework for online news may come soon’: I&B Minister

Speaking at the News18 ‘Rising India Summit’ in New Delhi, the Union minister for information and broadcasting Ms. Smriti Irani said that the government is thinking about the possibility of a framework to monitor and regulate online news. But the Minister also cautioned that at the same time, regulating digital and social media requires a balanced and a very delicate sense of judgement.

RCom reaches SC on asset sale issue

As reported earlier, the debt-ridden Reliance Communications, in December 2017, struck a deal to sell most of its spectrum, fibre, towers and switching nodes to Jio, but the sale got stuck due to legal issues. Ericsson, which is claiming Rs 1,012 crore of arrears from RCom, got an arbitration tribunal order preventing the transfer of the telco’s assets till further orders. RCom reached the Bombay High Court against the tribunal’s order, but its appeal was dismissed over a week ago.

Vodafone gets relief from Madras High Court

The leading telecom operator Vodafone has got relief from the Madras High Court in TRAI tariff case. The court has directed the telecom regulator TRAI not to take any coercive or penal action against the telco. The court stayedTRAI’s demand that Vodafone put all its tariff plans on its website, including those offered to retain individual customers.

2017 saw 1,700 card & net banking-related frauds

Despite so many pre-emptive measures and steps being taken by the banks, over 1,700 card and net banking-related frauds were reported in the last year. Credit/debit card and Internet banking frauds cost the losses to the tune of Rs 71.48 crore, the Minister of State (MoS) for Electronics and IT K J Alphons said in a written reply to Rajya Sabha on 17 March.

TV18 completes rebranding of ETV GNCs to News18 brand

ETV branded general news channels including ETV Madhya Pradesh/Chhattisgarh, ETV Urdu, ETV Uttar Pradesh/Uttarakhand, ETV Rajasthan, ETV Bihar/Jharkhand, ETV News Bangla, ETV News Odia, ETV News Kannada, and ETV News Gujarati have been rebranded by TV18 into News18 brand.

Parliamentary panel unhappy over delay in framing laws to regulate Ayush ads

A parliamentary committee, in its report on Demands for Grants 2018-19 for the Ministry of AYUSH, has chided the health and Ayush ministries for their lackadaisical approach in the framing of a new legislation to regulate misleading advertisements promoting the sale of Ayush medicines.

Eight channels quit Free Dish; MIB not authorized to issue license to online channels: Rathore

Answering a question in the Lok Sabha, the Minister of State (MoS) in the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting Rajyavardhan Singh Rathore said that Doordarshan’s free direct-to-home (DTH) platform Free Dish has seen a drop in its TV channel offering; it is now offering 72 channels. Earlier, it offered 80 channels.

You Broadband to deploy Rs 600 cr Capex for expansion in next 2 FY

You Broadband India, the Vodafone India-owned broadband service provider, is going to invest Rs 600 crore in the next two fiscal years. Earlier, it invested just Rs. 54 crore in one FY. The fund will come through a vendor financing arrangement with credit period of a year. Thus, the additional debt may have to be contracted from fiscal 2019 to fund the gap between cash accrual and maturing vendor obligation.

Disney goes for strategic re-organization

The global media group the Walt Disney Company will now have four business segments: media networks, films, direct to home (DTC) and international. The company felt the need to restructure its businesses following its $52 billion acquisition of 21st Century Fox assets.

BBC ups its ante against fake news

The global news behemoth BBC has come out with an ambition plan to fight the menace of fake news. Fake news is creating a huge decline in global audiences’ trust in news overall. To achieve the tough objective, BBC will have a major focus on global media literacy, and do a live global broadcast bringing together young people from around the world to discuss how trust in media can be restored.

Turner launches new offer ‘T1’ for its advertisers

As the world is becoming like a village due to digital growth, Turner International has come with lucrative offers for its advertisers; it is a single way to activate a full suite of global, regional and local campaigns that connect with fans across Turner’s digital properties spanning over 200 countries.

ZEEL not to buy 9X Media

In October 2017, the media group ZEEL had entered into a definitive agreement to acquire 9X Media and INX Music from New Silk Route and other shareholders for an all cash consideration of Rs 160 crore. But the deal went through some issues, and finally ZEEL has now cancelled it citing non-completion of certain material conditions precedent.

Govt claims 1.04 lakh panchayats are ready for broadband connectivity

The Telecom Minister Manoj Sinha said in a written reply in the Rajya Sabha that 1.04 lakh panchayats are ready for broadband connectivity as on March 11 under Bharat Net project.

Telecom regulator to launch a UPI-like system for public Wi-Fi hot spots

The telecom regulator TRAI is keeping pace with the technology under the leadership of its chairman RS Sharma. The regulator is now planning to launch a framework akin to the Unified Payments Interface (UPI) to aid the rollout of public Wi-Fi hot spots in the country.

Zee Unimedia floats special customised sponsorship packages

The ad-sales subsidiary of Zee Entertainment Enterprises Ltd, Zee Unimedia Limited has floated special customised sponsorship packages to cash in on brands’ summer advertising strategy especially for the Indian Premier League (IPL).

BCCI to e-auction telecast rights of national team matches to be held in India

The two mega broadcasters, Star India and Sony Pictures Networks India (SPN) are eyeing the telecast rights of national team matches to be held in the country. The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) will e-auction it on March 27. The rights include all international and domestic cricket tournaments including the Ranji Trophy and the Irani Cup, to be held in India until March 31, 2023.

SC gives people big relief; Aadhaar mandatory only for availing of subsidies

Giving a big relief to the people, the Supreme Court on March 13 indefinitely extended the March 31 deadline for linking Aadhaar to bank accounts and mobile phones and ordered that except for disbursing subsidies, the government and states cannot insist on Aadhaar for any service, including issuance of passports.

TRAI issues Show-cause notices to telcos on call drops

The telecom regulator TRAI has issuedshow-cause notices to a few telcos over call drops and inability to meet prescribed benchmarks under the new quality of service rules in some circles. TRAI has given them time till March 21to present their side of the case.

Google to launch free WiFi in Mexico

The global tech giant Google will soon launch a network of free Wi-Fi hotspots across Mexico to improve connectivity in emerging markets and enable more people to connect to Google and its products.

Parliamentary panel raps MIB for underutilisation of funds to central sector scheme during 12th Five Year Plan

The Information and Broadcasting Ministry (I&B) has been chided by a parliamentary panel on March 14, 2018 for underutilisation of funds to the central sector scheme during the 12th Five Year Plan.

Karti Chidambaram's CA gets bail in INX Media case

Bhaskararaman, the CA of Karti Chidambaram, has got the bail from the Delhi court. He was arrested by the ED on February 16 from a five-star hotel in Delhi.The court also asked him to furnish a bail bond of Rs 2 lakh and a surety of like amount.

Airtel Board approves transfer of 19% equity stake in Bharti Telemedia

The leading telecom service provider Airtel’s board has approved the transfer of 19% equity share in its direct-to-home (DTH) subsidiary Bharti Telemedia to a subsidiary company Nettle Infrastructure Investments. Bharti Telemedia provides DTH service under Airtel Digital TV brand.

Deepakjit Singh becomes CEO at Amagi

Deepakjit Singh, who was the Chief Innovation Officer at Encompass and Managing Director for APAC region, has been appointed as CEO by the leading broadcast technology company Amagi.

ALi Corp to provide next-gen HD STBs to Videocon d2h

The Taiwanese set top box (STB) chipset provider ALi Corporation has been hired by the DTH operator Videocon d2h for the development of its next-gen high-definition (HD) STBs.

Amazon Prime Music reaches agreement with IPRS

To get an access to the Indian Performing Right Society (IPRS) repertoire of more than a million of titles spread across multiple languages, eras, and genres of Indian music, Amazon India has partnered with it for its ad-free music streaming service Amazon Prime Music.

9X Media promotes Abbas Syed & Vishakha Gokhale

Abbas Syed &Vishakha Gokhale have been promoted by 9X Media to strengthen its programming team.

Amazon appoints Gaurav Gandhi as head of Amazon Prime Video India

Gaurav Gandhi, who has resigned from Viacom18 Digital Ventures where he was COO, has been appointed as India head of Amazon’s video on demand (VoD) service Amazon Prime Video India. He will replace Nitesh Kripalani.

TDSAT asks Bharti Telemedia & Star to negotiate & reach an agreement

The direct-to-home (DTH) operator Bharti Telemedia and broadcaster Star India have been directed by the Telecom Disputes Settlement and Appellate Tribunal (TDSAT) to negotiate and reach an agreement.

Ortel board approves issue of 25 lakh shares to promoters

The proposal to issue equity shares to promoter and promoter group entities not exceeding Rs 8.75 crore has been approved by the board of directors of multi system operator (MSO) Ortel Communications.

BSNL & MTNL figure in worst performing PSUs list in FY 17

According to a government survey tabled in Parliament on 13 March 2018, state owned telcos BSNL and MTNL incurred huge losses in 2016-17. Along with Air India, they are the worst performing PSUs in FY17.

INX Media case: Narco test of Karti demanded

On 7 March, the CBI requested Special Judge Sunil Rana for the narco test of INX Media case accused Karti Chidambaram, saying it would help unearth the conspiracy in the case. The court directed the CBI to move an application before 9 March, when Karti Chidambaram will be presented before the court on expiry of his three-day CBI custody.

Govt okays relief measures for telecom sector

The telecom sector which is the biggest stressed sector right now due to high spectrum cost and grim competition and changing technologies as well falling data and call rates has got some relief from the government. On 7 March, the cabinet has relaxed spectrum holding limits and allowed telcos more time to pay for airwaves won in auction as part of measures to improve the health of an industry laden with debt amid intense competition.

Now journalists can avail of Rs 20 lakh to Rs 1 crore under their welfare scheme

There is good news for news reporters as the government has increased the fund under the journalist
welfare scheme. Currently, the scheme provides financial assistance up to Rs 5 lakh to the family in case of death of a journalist.

2014-16 saw 33,531 cyber attacks in India

On 7 March, the Rajya Sabha was informed by the Union Minister of State for Home Hansraj Gangaram Ahir that 33,531 cyber attacks were carried out in India in 2014-16. The Minister added that the Ministry of Home Affairs aims to train 27,500 police personnel across the country to deal with cyber crimes.

Govt policies have to change to work for new technologies: TRAI Chairman

Often it has been seen that government policies and regulation fail to keep in sync with emerging technologies. Speaking at Convergence India 2018, the telecom regulator TRAI Chairman RS Sharma echoed the same fact and said that regulatory policies will have to change to work for new technologies like IoT, OTT,  machine-to-machine communication and 5G.

Discovery completes acquisition of Scripps; pays $14.6 bn

The internationally popular infotainment, lifestyle and kids broadcaster Discovery has finally completed its $14.6 billion acquisition of Scripps Networks Interactive. Moving forward, the combined company will be officially known as simply Discovery, Inc.

TV ad segment in Britain crash down 3.2% in 2017

While TV is still the most powerful viewing platform in India, it is dwindling in popularity in developed countries. Advertisers are shifting to new platforms like OTT to reach the people. According to full-year figures provided to Thinkbox by the UK commercial TV broadcasters, TV advertising revenue in the UK totaled £5.11 billion in 2017, down 3.2% on the record high set in 2016 of £5.28 billion,.

James Pitaro becomes ESPN president & Disney Media Networks co-chair

As ESPN readies the launch of its new direct-to-consumer subscription streaming service, ESPN+ which will offer a dynamic lineup of thousands of live sporting events, original content and an unmatched library of award-winning on-demand programming, it has appointed James Pitaro as president and Disney Media Networks co-chair.

YuppTV to enter wellness segment; partners with Brilliant Living TV

The leading over the top (OTT) platform YuppTV is planning to enter the wellness sector and has partnered with Brilliant Living TV, which country’s largest content provider in the Fitness and wellness genre.

Satellite operator SES launches a new product ‘OU Flex’

In its endeavour to boost Occasional Use services like events and news broadcasting, the satellite operator SES has launched a new product ‘OU Flex’.

TV advertising to grow 43% by 2020; digital media user base to reach 4 million by 2020: FICCI-E&Y report

According to the FICCI-E&Y report 2018, the digital media user base will reach 4 million by the 2020, generating significant digital subscription revenues of approximately Rs 20 billion.

Top telcos move TDSAT against predatory pricing order

Top telcos including Bharti Airtel, Idea Cellular have moved the Telecom Disputes Settlement and Appellate Tribunal (TDSAT) challenging the telecom regulator TRAI’s recent tariff order on predatory pricing.

Karti Chidambaram moved Rs 1.8cr to an influential political figure: ED

The pain of Karti Chidambaram may become dense as the Enforcement Directorate officials said that they have found details of him transferring Rs 1.8 crore into the bank account of a top political leader.

Prasar Bharati uses reserve fund to pay the salaries of AI & DD staff

As the stand-off continues between the Ministry of Information & Broadcasting (MIB) and Prasar Bharati, Prasar Bharati had to use the reserve fund to pay the salaries of the Air India and DD staff. Prasar Bharati CEO SS Vempati tweeted to inform the media.

FB’s 'Voice Clips' feature may help disabled users

To provide ease to persons with disabilities as well as all users, the social media giant Facebook is testing a new feature called "Add Voice Clip" that appears in its status update composer menu that allows users to record a short audio snippet to use as a status update.

Malayalam GEC Flowers TV to become pay channel from 1 April

Suryansh Broadcasting will make its Malayalam GEC Flowers TV as pay channel from 1 April. It will be available at Rs 5.15 on reference interconnect (RIO) basis. Originally, Flowers TV was launched on 12 April 2015 as free-to- air (FTA) offering. In order to reach out to the Malayali diaspora globally, the company launched Flowers International around a year later.

Tata Sky enters live TV, on-demand service segment

To cash in on the booming online segment, the direct-to-home (DTH) operator Tata Sky has started live TV and on-demand service on the web. It will be an extension of live TV on mobile service.