TRAI For Expert Body to Monitor TRPs

TRAI released their draft recommendations on the much debated ‘Television Rating Points’ measurement system on 24 July 2008. In the open house discussions earlier, the industry was divided over the control and management of the system. The Indian Broadcasting Foundation (IBF), Indian Society of Advertisers (ISA) and Advertising Agencies Association of India (AAAI) prefer to have a joint industry body to look after the matter without any government intervention where as Consumer bodies, Cable Operators Associations and MSOs feel the government control to some extent is necessary. Television Rating Points (TRPs) have been subject of much debate over issues on lack of transparency, inadequate sample size in terms of numbers as well as coverage in respect of platforms, some of the states and rural areas not getting any representation at all; leakage of panel homes which could lead to manipulated ratings, inadequate competition in rating services, and channels replicating content in their chase for higher TRPs to garner higher ad revenues. The viewer therefore, also becomes an important stakeholder in this business of ratings. There is thus a strong case for review of the present ratings system in India, both from the perspective of consumer welfare as well as to bring in greater transparency and its impact on competition in the market.

TRAI Sets A Time Frame of Five Years for Digital Transmission Through Cable TV

Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) has send its final recommendations on “Restructuring of Cable TV Services” to Ministry of Information and Broadcasting. If acted upon by the Government it will not only revamp the Cable TV industry but would also put India on the map of developed countries with predominant share of digital transmission of entertainment content. 

The spectacular growth of Indian Cable TV industry during the past two decades has been largely due to entrepreneurial skills of Cable TV operators.

Digital Revolutions Is Here

Wire and Wireless (WWIL) brings first time in the country ‘HITS’ – World’s Most Advanced Satellite Digital Television Delivery Platform.

In a major initiative, first of its kind that will change the complete landscape of media distribution, Wire and Wireless (India) Ltd., a Zee Network Enterprise and India’s No.1 Cable TV Network, has launched Headend- in- the- Sky (HITS), a satellite based delivery platform for million of customers and Local Cable Operators(LCOs) across India.

Building New Gen Network

The recently released data by TRAI declared a massive 286.86 million subscribers in the wireless domain. Total number of telephone connections has reached 325.78 million making the overall tele-density to 28.33 percent. In spite of such an encouraging report the downside is that in the wire-line segment, the subscriber base has decreased to 38.92 million in Jan’08 from 39.05 million in May’08.

This is a point to ponder. It depicts how our wired market is behaving. Unfortunately, come what may, it is the wired segment that will lead us to the new generation networks of tomorrow rather than the wireless segment which may be easy to establish but difficult to sustain in the future because of its bandwidth limitations. Wireless is good to fillup the communications divide but not the broadband divide. 

August 2008

Friday, August 01, 2008 -- Videocon group obtained license to start its Direct-to-Home (DTH) services.