February 2010

1/2/10 -- DQE announces a deal for exclusive free-to-air TV rights with MediaCorp Pte Ltd for three of its Animation TV properties.

The Way Forward

Broadband penetration in India is the biggest worry of the Government now. But the way, we are going ahead with all wireless technologies neglecting the wireline connectivity is not the right way, comments Col. K. K. Sharma. Cable TV networks could play important role if given the right impetus, he feels. 

On December 04, 2009, while addressing a telecom conference organized by FICCI our Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh said that 25 lakh village panchayats would be connected with broadband by the end of 2012. At present India has a total teledensity of 20%. While towns and cities have over 100% tele density rural areas have less than 10%. Dr Singh said “We expect that access to broadband in rural areas will have multiple long term positive effects.” 

A New Era of Competition Begins

BEGINNING OF 2010 ALSO MARKS THE END OF RECESSION AND START OF HEY-DAYS OF INDIAN ECONOMY. THE NEW YEAR BRINGS A LOT OF HOPES FOR THE INDUSTRY. Commonwealth Games will act as a catalyst to speed up the developments. Technologies to watch in the new year are High Definition TV, HITS, WiMax and 3G .This will usher in a new era of competition between the telecom operators and the cable operators. We may even see some acquisitions and mergers to facilitate convergence. There are signs of digital cable spreading all over, at least in big cities to meet the competition in providing HDTV, Video on Demand , High Speed Internet and Content Storage applications like the PVR/DVR. 

Digitalisation of Cable was the high point in the annual SIMCON conference of the state Information Ministers. This was the first time that the I&B Ministry invited the stake holders Broadcasters, MSO and Last Mile Cable Operators to give their presentations before the delegates from states. Content code, Digitalisation of Cable, Piracy of content and Tax rationalization were the main subjects discussed at the conference. 

Meanwhile, TRAI is still grappling with the information received from Ernst and Young, the agency deputed for the purpose of surveying the industry stake holders’ account books to decide on new tariff regime for the non-CAS areas. We are told that the information is not authentic and needs to be handled carefully by TRAI as it effects future development of the market. The outcome will be known soon since TRAI has to answer the Supreme Court on the subject in this month. 

Haryana State government has started an alarming trend of auctioning the municipal areas for running Cable TV networks. Although the process has been halted as many major cable operators and MSOs have gone to the court, it may prompt other state governments to follow the trend endangering the livelihood of thousands of small cable operators who are already in a grind competing with DTH and IPTV. The move which is violating the existing regulations prompted the I&B Ministry to approach the Law Ministry. 

Following the footsteps of Maharashtra and UP Government, Delhi has also proposed levying entertainment tax on DTH subscribers. Cable TV subscribers are already in the Tax net. It may affect DTH growth which enjoyed addition of half a million subscribers every month in the last year. 

Focus, the entertainment summit by ASSOCHAM was held in the capital successfully with Katrina Kaif adding the glamour. 

After a resounding success of our annual issue, last year we are glad to present “Cable-Quest annual 2010”, This time in a bigger way by adding information relavant to everyone including technology, regulations, content trends, major events of 2009 and directory of the industry. Our website turns into a new Avtar with daily updates and plethora of information that. So don’t forget to make it your home page. Your comments and suggestions will help us improve further. 

We thank you for the continuing support and wish a very happy and prosperous New Year.

—— Lt. Col. (Retd.) K K Sharma

Editor

Source: http://cablequest.org/articles/editorials/item/1797-a-new-era-of-competition-begins.html

Source: http://cablequest.org/articles/editorials/item/1797-a-new-era-of-competition-begins.html

January 2010

Friday, January 01, 2010 -- Worldspace goes off-air in India and Airtel Digital TV replaces 10 WorldSpace radio stations with AIR channels on its network.

Happy Days are here again

The year end has heralded the return of better days in the industry and 2010 should prove to be an excellent year for all of us. DEN's first attempt at listing in the stock exchanges went off well with oversubscription. Now Dish TV is adding funds in its kitty with a $ 100 million GDR for a massive expansion. 

HITS has finally been approved and Wire and Wireless, The Essel Group Broadband cable company has intensified its campaign enrolling cable operators for its service all over the country. It is the first major step for cable networks to migrate to digital but since DTH and IPTV are already spreading their digital tentacles all over, it would have been better for the industry as well as the government if a level playing field was created for the Cable Operators too by declaring CAS implementation all over the nation. Apart from digitizing the cable industry, it would have speeded up the broadband penetration too. We talked to Sudhir Agarwal, CEO WWIL to know the salient features of this technology and its advantages in helping cable operators digitize their networks. 

This month, we are focusing on imparting education through electronic media including Television, Radio, Broadband, IPTV, Mobile communications etc. All these technologies have helped empower the common man with knowledge and information to become a part of the global economy. It is this very aspect, which has helped us wither-out the financial crisis engulfing the entire world. We must thank thousands of small cable operators who ushered in the information revolution in India much before even mobile communications and Internet had set their feet. 

We interviewed Sunil Khanna who initiated India's first education TV channel from a private player 'Topper' for our lead story. He is one senior executive who completely belongs to this industry having started his career with Siti Cable in its formative years, managed a DTH company and then launched his own channel and now extending it's reach using the new media technologies. 

Haryana Government has shaken up the Cable TV industry in the state by proposing to auction the municipal areas for Cable TV operation. Existing MSOs and Cable Operators are protesting this move which will endanger their livelihood and have approached I&B Ministry for a remedial action since the ministry controls the business of Cable TV and broadcasting. We cover the story in detail in this issue. 

There is a lot of noise in the I&B Ministry on content regulations but nothing concrete seems to be happening. Inspite of numerous notices and advisories to the TV channels, there is no change in their attitude. The Government warned them against depiction of blood and gore and other graphic details of the 26/11 operation on its first anniversary but ignoring these guidelines, channels showed much more than even the broadcasts of the actual incident a year ago.

—— Lt. Col. (Retd.) K K Sharma

Editor

Source: http://cablequest.org/articles/editorials/item/1798-happy-days-are-here-again.html

New Media Changing the Infotainment Scene

This Diwali has been nice for the markets as economic progress continues. Industrial production has gone up by 10.4% giving hopes of better GDP (above 6%) by the year end. Stock markets have performed very well, beyond expectations, jumping from 7,000 mark to 17,000 in one year... all speaks well of the coming times.

The IDNS summit held in New Delhi brought out excellent results for the broadcasting industry. Particularly, the DTH sector which has added more than a million subscribers in the last month, making its subscriber base cross a figure of 16 million. But as per the projections, the cable TV sector is also expected to do well with a lot of public as well as foreign money being pumped into the major MSOs through IPOs and FDIs and plans to cover more cities with digital cable before the Commonwealth games kick off. 

November 2009

Sunday, November 1, 2009 -- Toonz Animation celebrates its 10th anniversary in Thiruvanatapuram.