Last month the centre of activity in the Broadcast Industry was at Cannes where the world’s biggest content exhibition and conference MIPCOM was held from 9-13 October. It was technology under focus there.
At MIPCOM, one could have a feel of how the content market was becoming global. With distribution technologies going digital like the digital satellite, Cable Television, Broadband, IPTV and Mobile TV, transporting content from one part of the globe to another is a matter of seconds. Also, due to the concept of the world becoming a global village coming to reality, local markets have also become global. Formats of programmes are becoming universal, outsourcing in animation content production and distribution has become the norm. Digital technology has increased the demand for good content to such an extent that there is always a dearth of it. Events like MIPCOM play a major role in recognising and satisfying this demand.
CAS implementation is going on at full steam. TRAI took an appraisal of the situation during their open house discussion with the MSOs on 26 October 2006. All MSOs including the Independent ones providing the services in the four Metros have been registered with the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting. Their Set-top-Box distribution schemes are in place. Consumer awareness campaigns have been let loose to attract subscribers. Now it is no more the MSOs facing the heat of competition. DTH companies are also in the fray with their own schemes luring the Cable TV consumers. So the market forces have started acting.
It has become difficult for the consumers to decide because whether it is DTH or Cable, all are digital and with CAS and provide the same channels and quality. DTH has a few advantage with implementing the new technologies like Video-on-Demand and, interactive games etc in one go which can encompass the whole nation. In cable they have to be implemented at each headend and thus require more resources.
Its all quite on the ‘Broadcast Bill’ front. Rumours are that it is likely to be placed in the Parliament in the Budget Session but nothing can be sure although, there is a talk of content Regulations being implemented before that.
Festive season will continue till the New Year but the Diwali Dhamaka in the industry does not seem to be so loud. There is more of a confusion at the consumer end and the Broadcasters and Cable Operators are still wary of the regulations. MRP of Rs.5 per channel in the CAS Notified areas has been accepted only with a long face by the broadcasters but has prompted cable operators and consumers to demand CAS implementation in other cities like Bangalore, Hyderabad, Chandigarh, Nagpur etc. Hardware market also was subdued in the festive season. No new excitement is there as each MSO has tied up for set-top-boxes with a few manufactures only and marketing on their own.
Still, we hope to have interesting times ahead.
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