Broadbandindia Magazine

Reality shows The new loss leaders for TV channels

Reality shows, which have become the main staple for general entertainment channels these days, may be winning them eyeballs, but not enough advertising dough, their main source of sustenance. A surfeit of these shows on TV has ensured that ad rates have come down over time even as production costs, including steep fee charged by [...]

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3-tier System for regulating broadcasting

The Government is in favour of a three-tier system for regulating broadcasting in the country – self-regula tion by the channels, adjudication by broadcasting bodies like the Indian Broadcasting Foundation or the News Broadcasters Association, and final intervention if necessary by an independent regulator. Stating this, Information and Broadcasting Ministry Joint Secretary (Broadcasting) Zohra Chatterjee [...]

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Trai mulls revising FDI norms

Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI), the broad casting regulator for the Indian sub-continent has be gun to work on the recommendations by the Ministry of Information & Broadcasting (MIB). The Authority has invited views form different stakeholders to opine over raising limits on foreign direct investment and on whether there is need for modifications [...]

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Tougher ougher w way for new channels

Faced with a deluge of applications from those wishing to start a new TV channel, the information and broad casting ministry has written to the telecom watchdog TRAI seeking its advice on introducing additional criteria to weed out non-serious players.Over 100 applications are pending with the information and broadcasting ministry for licence to start new [...]

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Colors on the wrong side of I & B Ministry

The top-rated Hindi general entertainment channel Colors received 2 showcause notices from the Information and Broadcasting Ministry. While the first one was for Bigg Boss 3, the second is for the TV series Na Aana Iss Des Laado. Shorts pulling fiasco in `Bigg Boss 3’ Bigg Boss, the reality show hosted by Amitabh Bachchan, has landed in [...]

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New timeline set for 3G auction

The department of telecommunications will start the 3G spectrum auction process from January 14, 2010. Auctions for CDMA spectrum band in 800 Mhz and broadband wireless access (WiMAX) will be held two days from the close of the 3G auctions. The 3G spectrum auction process has been split up in four stages – invitation stage [...]

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Industry views sought on 700 MHz, 2G spectrum allocation

TRAI called for industry players to submit their recommendations on numerous issues such as spectrum allocation mode to be followed for 2G services, pricing of 2G spectrum, mergers & acquisitions (M&A) and licensing related issues. The regulator has floated a consultation paper on the same and asked industry players to submit their view points by [...]

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Google searches 3G prospects in India

Google, the world’s largest search engine and one of the biggest internet brands, is understood to be eyeing opportunities in the third generation of mobile telephony, or 3G, in India. Google may participate with any Indian counter part Sources in the telecom industry say Google is looking at broadband wireless access, or BWA, in the country and [...]

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TRAI’s Per Second Call option faces criticism

The telecom regulator said that operators will have to provide an optional tariff of per second call along with other packages or plans. “Per second billing will be one of the options that (telecom) service providers have to provide,” Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) Chairman, Mr J S Sarma said when asked about the reactions [...]

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DoT’s tryst with CBI

In an unprecedented move, the CBI raided the offices of the Department of Telecom (DoT), alleging criminal conspiracy between DoT officials and private firms in the allotment of 2G spectrum. In a press release, CBI said it had registered a case on October 21 against “unknown” DoT officials and “unknown private persons and companies and [...]

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