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  • Interconnect agreements will have to be registered with Trai

    Submitted by ITV Production on Jan 01
    News Headline

    MUMBAI: Transparency, a dirty word in the cable TV industry, is what the Telecom and Regulatory Authority of India (Trai) is pressing for. Broadcasters and multi-service operators (MSOs) will have to register with the Authority their interconnect agreements, declaring information that they were so protectively guarded about.

     

    The new Register of Interconnect Regulations for the Broadcasting and Cable Services, issued by Trai today (31 December), says broadcasters will have to file all their interconnect agreements with all the distributors - cable operators, MSOs, direct-to-home (DTH) and Headend-in-the-Sky (HITS) operators. This regulation shall come into effect from the date of its publication in the official Gazette.

    "All broadcasters are required to register with the Authority interconnect agreements entered into by them as against the provisions in the existing regulations which require the filing of interconnect agreements to which not only the Broadcasters but also multi service operator are parties."

    The changed provision is in line with TRAI‘s recommendation stating that the agreements entered into by MSO and local cable operator (LCO) shall be registered with the authorised officer and agreements entered into between broadcasters, MSOs, DTH operators and HITS operator shall be filed with the Authority.

    Amendments and modifications to the agreements as well as new agreements pertaining to a particular quarter need to be filed within one month of the end of the respective quarter, according to the Trai.

    Interconnect agreements are to be filed in two parts - one containing the standard affiliation agreement /service contract and the other detailing in tabular form individual agreements. This will cover among other things contracting parties, service area and date of entering into contract.

    The "Register of Interconnect Agreement Regulation 1999 (2 of 1999), dated 1 September 1999, was amended on 11 February 2004 to include the Broadcasting and Cable services. According to this, the broadcasters including their authorised distribution agencies and MSOs are required to register with the Authority any interconnect agreement to which they were parties.

    But while processing cases of registration, the regulator found that broadcasters and MSOs were using a standard form of agreements for a particular type of arrangement entered into with a group of subscribers. Besides, there would be too many agreements if the MSOs and broadcasters were to submit agreements individually. Also, most of the MSOs and broadcasters wanted the information furnished (particularly on the number of subscribers, subscription rate, number and details of channels, and discounts schemes) to be kept confidential as they had commercial terms. This is why the Trai felt that the information furnished would not cater to the specific needs of Broadcasting & Cable Services.

    "It is necessary to formulate a separate Register of Interconnect Agreements Regulations for Broadcasting and Cable Services instead of amending the existing principal regulations of 1999," the Trai says.
     

     
  • roller coaster ride

    Media stocks 2000: A roller coaster ride

    Dec 30

     

  • News provider NDTV wants entertainment channel

    Submitted by ITV Production on Dec 30
    News Headline

    Another player is eyeing the entertainment segment. This time it is the Prannoy Roy-promoted New Delhi Television (NDTV) which is quietly working on a plan to launch a channel of that ilk by mid- to end 2002. The name has not been decided as yet, (though daily Business Standard says it has been called NDTV World but the idea is to start the content aggregation for the channel by mid-2001. Currently, NDTV is in talks with financial institutions to fund the foray. NDTV is a partner of Rupert Murdoch‘s Star TV in Star News and provides it with the daily news that has become synonymyous with Prannoy Roy.
    NDTV has little experience in entertainment programming though it is producing two shows for Star TV along with BBC based on the Yes Minister! and Yes Prime Minister series. This apart it also showcases developments in the glamour and tinsel world on its news channels.

    The move is being seen by observers as a preparatory move by NDTV to have its own media vehicle for carriage of its content should its relationship with Star TV for Star News not last out its full course till 2003. Star TV chief Peter Mukerjea has reportedly not been too happy about the manner in which the agreement betwen the two tilts in favour of NDTV.

     

  • India Today's Aaj Tak TV to launch on New Year's Eve

    Submitted by ITV Production on Dec 30
    News Headline

    TV Today is all set to launch its 24-hour Hindi channel Aaj Tak on December 31. The Aaj Tak news bulletin on DD Metro airs its last show on 30 December after a five-year stint. Law, Justice and Company Affairs Minister Arun Jaitley will launch the new channel which will be operational at 4.30 PM on New Year‘s Eve. Although TV Today had a contract with DD till March 2001, the TV Today group decided to withdraw from the DD platform much earlier.

  • Zee TV recasts sports rights acquisition arm, drops ideas for sports channel

    Submitted by ITV Production on Dec 30
    News Headline

    It‘s a strategic retreat. Pummelled by the investment community for its wild expansion (its Re 1 face value share has plummetted from Rs 1600 to below Rs 300 in just nine to 10 months), Zee Telefilms Ltd yesterday announced that it was spinning off its sports content provider subsidiary, Buddha Films, into a separate company.
    At the same time it closed the doors for the near term on plans to launch its long-talked about sports channel, Zee Sport. The decisions form part of the company‘s plans to restructure operations in line with AT Kearney‘s recommendations.

    Satish Menon, head of Buddha Films, said sports content will be acquired by Buddha Films and the carriage will be provided by a Zee channel till the separate sports channel is ready for launch.

    Asked whether there was any target time frame for the launch he replied in the negative. "When we feel we have all the ingredients in place to make it a success we will go ahead," he said.

    Menon said his focus would be on promoting soccer in a big way. "There is a massive scope for developing soccer-centric programming but it has to be tapped," he said. Agreements have already been reached with football federations in Goa and West Bengal and talks were on with the Kerala authorities too, he added.

    Discussions were also in progress with All India Football Federation chief Priya Ranjan Dasmunshi for an agreement at the national level. Buddha Films will follow a multi-pronged approach which will go beyond just telecast rights. It will help soccer federations and associations create brands out of their properties besides acquiring club grounds, reports the Business Standard.

    Menon said Buddha Films was looking at a three year development schedule. This was an effort which was long-term in its perspective, he stressed.

    On the cricket front, Menon said talks WSG Nimbus Pvt Ltd of Singapore for three-year exclusive broadcast rights for international cricket played in Sri Lanka had fallen through. Nimbus‘ asking price of $25 million for a three-year deal was much too high, Menon said.

    Whether Indian couch potatoes, for whom cricket seems to be perfectly suited, will be able to digest soccer only time will tell. Menon certainly is confident he‘s on the ball in the matter.

  • Cable TV

    Cable TV Seeking its place under the Indian sun

    Dec 29

     

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