Page 2 - Broadcasters

Draft bill proposed to replace the Cable TV Networks (Regulation) Act

The regulation will require broadcasting and content platforms to form a self-regulating content evaluation committee to oversee content on their platforms

Mobile phone players oppose TEC proposal on direct TV broadcast on handsets

Mobile phone industry body ICEA has opposed incorporation of a new standard for providing direct television service on handsets in absence of its acceptance in global standards. State-run Telecommunications Engineering Centre (TEC) had floated a consultation paper for television broadcasting directly on mobile handheld devices or Direct to Mobile Broadcasting technology. In the process, TEC has sought industry views on incorporating a video standard, ATSC 3.0 in the national standard. According to India Cellular and Electronics Association, whose members include Apple, Nokia, Lava, Foxconn, Dixon etc, India is aggressively pushing for mobile manufacturing in the country and all the major brands are producing and exporting phones from India. "The design and manufacture of mobile phones to incorporate ATSC 3.0 will adversely impact mobile manufacturing efforts. The inclusion of any technology which is not proven and globally acceptable goes against the market forces and will derail t

Sharpline Broadcast case: Sebi modifies order against 15 individuals

Capital market regulator Sebi on Wednesday modified its order passed against 15 individuals in a case of manipulation of share prices of Sharpline Broadcast Ltd through uploading misleading videos on YouTube channels. In March this year, the regulator barred 24 entities from the securities market for manipulating the share prices of two companies through misleading videos on YouTube channels. Passing a 77-page confirmatory order with some modifications, Sebi restrained 15 individuals from dealing in the scrip of Sharpline during the pendency of the investigation. "I, hereby confirm the directions issued vide the Interim Order dated March 02, 2023 read with Confirmatory Order dated July 11, 2023, subject to the following modifications, the noticees are restrained from dealing in the scrip of Sharpline during the pendency of the investigation," Sebi's whole time member Ananth Narayan G said in the order on Wednesday. The watchdog noted that the liability for the illegal gain made by

Exercise caution on portrayal of SCs, STs: BCCC to entertainment channels

The Broadcasting Content Complaint Council (BCCC) on Tuesday asked entertainment channels to exercise "extreme caution" while portraying the scheduled castes and scheduled tribes in television programmes to avoid hurting the sentiments of the members of the two communities. The channels, while depicting the stories of the members of the scheduled caste (SC) and scheduled tribe (ST) communities, must ensure that the "nuance and humanness" of the stories are communicated "sensitively" and that the violence displayed does not lead to "re-traumatization" of the communities or victims, the council said in its advisory. While portraying stories which are based solely on social evils such as untouchability and casteism, the entertainment channels should not engage in "victimization" of the people belonging to SC and ST communities, the self regulatory body of non-news entertainment channels said. It said it understands that many stories possess a moral or ethical dimension requiring ...

I&B ministry introduces crucial amendments to cable TV network rules

According to the press release by the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, MSOs are now required to apply for registration or the renewal of registration online

Cable cos seek autonomy in pricing; IB ministry forwards request to Trai

According to Trai's new tariff order (NTO) regime, distributors can not break broadcaster bouquets and must offer them to customers without making any changes

Direct-to-mobile: Everything about broadcasting technology in the works

D2M is a broadcasting technology capable of transmitting multimedia content to consumers' smartphones without requiring an active internet connection

EC to issue air time vouchers online for campaign through broadcasters

The allotment of air time to political parties for campaigning on All India Radio and Doordarshan will now be done online, the Election Commission said on Tuesday. The poll body has amended the existing scheme for the use of government-owned electronic media by political parties. This has been done by introducing a provision to issue digital air time vouchers through an Information Technology platform, the poll panel said. Now, political parties will not be required to send their representatives to the EC or offices of state chief electoral officers to physically collect air time vouchers during elections.

Fresh legal battle brews between Dish TV and lenders on board recast

Lenders, who own a majority stake in the company, have called for removal of the existing two-member board of S Aggarwal and Rashmi Aggarwal

Centre considers building broadcast stack for direct-to-mobile services

Public service channels that are shown on Doordarshan will be available on mobile phones once the stack has been set up

Unexpected rise of DD Freedish reflects linear TV is alive and growing

To get around the problem the agency checks the channel list every quarter to figure out the free channels' clients, such as ITC or J&J, that need small-town reach, could be advertising on

Airtel flags concerns over broadcast content on unregistered digital sites

Bharti Airtel has told regulator Trai that broadcasters are violating the downlinking policy by providing broadcast content to unregistered digital distribution platforms. The telecom player's submission to the watchdog is seen as an apparent reference to Jio TV showing IPL 2023 matches. Bharti Airtel has said the delivery of the same broadcast on broadband through an app on large screen has created an anti-competitive environment and a non-level playing field for the regulated Distribution Platforms (DPOs). "As per MIB's downlinking policy, the broadcaster is under an obligation to provide services only through registered DPOs (such as DTH providers). By providing broadcast content to unregistered digital distribution platforms, the broadcasters are violating the downlinking policy which needs to be addressed by MIB (Ministry of Information and Broadcasting) and Trai," Airtel said. An e-mail query sent to Reliance Jio did not elicit any immediate response. According to Bharti Air

Broadcasting as a public good

The latest auction, which fetched more a thousand crore rupees in potential revenues, saw a further refinement of the methodology to insulate agai­nst likely cartelisation

Disney-Star takes guard as Indian Premier League broadcast war heats up

Network is targeting 550-700 advertisers this year and 500 million viewers; it will broadcast T20 league in over 10 language feeds across 22 channels

Cable operators to sign new agreements, broadcasters resume connection

The standoff between broadcasters and local cable/multi-system operators over the New Tariff Order (NTO) has ended and connection of channels to nearly 4.5 million homes was restored on Friday after the latter decided to sign fresh agreements, said industry sources. Members of All India Digital Cable Federation (AIDCF) has decided to sign the fresh Reference Interconnection Offer (RIO) "without any prejudice" to their challenge to Trai regulation and new tariff order, he added. Local cable/multi-system operators have already challenged the Trai regulation before the Kerala High Court. Earlier, three leading broadcasters, Disney Star, Zee Entertainment Enterprises and Sony Pictures Networks India Ltd, had already stopped providing feed to cable operators which have not signed fresh agreements with increased prices under the New Tariff Order (NTO) 3.0. The NTO had come into force in February 2023. Earlier, the broadcasters had issued notices on February 15 to cable operators/ multi

Disney-Star, Sony, Zee agree to switch on cable signals after standoff

This had triggered the spat between cable operators and broadcasters, with the former saying that the channel price hike would be exorbitant, while the latter saying it was not more than 5-15%

Broadcasters-cable operators face-off: Kerala HC to continue hearing on Tue

Justice Shaji P Chaly in whose court the matter is being heard has posted the issue for Tuesday

Blackout: Why has the broadcaster-cable operator fracas come to a head?

The issue has been fermenting since TRAI raised the price cap for a TV channel from Rs 12 to Rs 19

DTH companies say they will raise prices gradually, not in one go: Report

Broadcasters have been complaining that the price of TV content has not seen any increase since 2019

Pvt broadcasters to undertake public service broadcasting for 30 mins daily

The Ministry of Information and Broadcasting on Monday drew attention towards the obligation of public service broadcasting and guidelines for uplinking and downlinking of television channels in India