The Government of India has shown some progress with its much-awaited plans for cable TV digitization. The recently passed ordinance that amends the Cable Television Networks (Regulation) Act, approving the timeline the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting (MIB) and suggesting for mandatory digitization has been converted into a law recently. According to the ordinance, analogue signals will be completely switched off by December 31, 2014.  It seeks to introduce addressability in the cable TV network, wherein all TV channels will be provided to houses through set-top boxes (STBs).

Digitization is a once-in-a lifetime opportunity for MSOs to realize their vision of directly engaging with end customers. Though the ordinance has put forward a humungous task ahead for the MSOs, the process of transformation will have to be viewed strategically to position an MSO for long-term sustainability. MSOs will need to alter their perception from a largely business-to business (B2B) focus dealing with a few thousand local cable operators (LCOs), to largely a business-to-customer (B2C) focus, dealing directly with millions of customers.

An MSO will have to redefine the potential role of LCOs in a digitized world. However, a key question will be of how willing LCOs would be to relinquish their stronghold over end customers and what measures are agreed upon between MSO and LCO to protect LCOs existing income. MSOs will need to partner with LCOs for roll out of STBs, education of consumers and servicing customers. LCOs will also play a role in collections and increasingly ARPUs. MSOs can use digitization as an opportunity to enter new markets, but first, they must protect existing markets from competition. Digitization can also be used as an opportunity to move to a complete prepaid model (like DTH) and reduce collection hassles. A number of critical decisions on business strategy and operations lie in store for MSOs and LCOs to capitalize on the digitization growth curve.

Ramesh Jalan
Publisher
E-mail: rameshkumarjalan@rediffmail.com
rkjalan@broadbandindiamagazine.com

DID Season 3

Sat – Sun 8.30 P.M.

Main Lakshmi Tere Aangan Ki is a new TV serial on Life Ok. You can watch an inspirational journey of Lakshmi towards realizing her dream through serial. It is a very unique and different kind of story. It is directed Jai Singh. The story is about a middle class girl named Lakshmi. Though, she lives a middle class life, she feels that money is important. She is thinking to marry Arjun who is a rich boy. In order to know Lakshmi’s feelings, he swaps identities with his friend and meets Lakshmi.

Falling Skies

Daily 10.00 P.M.

Science fiction show ‘Falling Skies’ executive produced by Academy Award winner Steven Spielberg (Saving Private Ryan, Schindler’s List) and co-created with Oscar nominated screenwriter Robert Rodat (Saving Private Ryan) has aired everyday at 10 pm on AXN. ‘Falling Skies’ is set in the aftermath of an all-out invasion of Earth by aliens. Set in the chaotic world left completely devastated by the extraterrestrial attack, Falling Skies picks up six months into the alien occupation where the few survivors have come together outside what is left of key cities in an attempt to fight back. Each day is a test of survival as citizen soldiers scavenge for supplies, protect the people in their care, and embark on a guerrilla campaign against the enigmatic and deadly alien force. Humans live in the hope of taking back their home one day and rebuilding their lives.

A Poem is…

Daily Many times

The learning focused block on Disney Channel, Disney Junior, has aired new shows. The shows ‘A Poem is…’ with Chef ZeFronk’ will be played out multiple times daily on the channel. The show A Poem is… is a shortform animated series which has poems for children set to scenes and imagery from Disney classics like Bambi, The Lady and the Trtamp and Dumbo. The poems will be narrated by veteran Bollywood actor Shabana Azmi in hindi and by actor director Suhasini Ratnam in Tamil and Telegu. The show will feature poems from Robert Louis Stevenson, John Howard Payne, AA Milne and Henry Wadsworth Longfellow. Walt Disney Television International India executive director content and creative Arnab Chaudhuri said, “The launch of these new series further demonstrates Disney Junior’s dedication to programming that highlights the importance of great, heartfelt storytelling with learning components, including poetry and life skills.” Apart from the new shows, Disney Junior will also release a magazine and DVDs of its content and activities in the future.

Ruk Jana Nahi

Mon – Fri 6.30 P.M.

Ruk Jana Nahi is a new TV serial on Star Plus in which you will experience a tale of a simple girl and her new path to service in the society. This is a new series to emphasize the power of Indian female. Concept, story and screenplay have been scored by Kamal Pandey. The series has been directed by Santram Verma and produced by Kamal Pandey (Kamadgiri Productions). Story of Ruk Jaana Nahin is located in Banaras. It covers the finest aspect of college life also. It is a youth (basically inspiration for female youth) oriented series. Ruk Jaana Nahin covers the basic aspects of ragging, elections and students activities in the college. It is the journey of Saanchi who fights all odds of her personal life, student life and professional life towards becoming a lawyer.

Big Switch Season 3

Sunday 7.00 P.M.

UTV Bindass brings third series of Big Switch: Life without Daddy Ka Paisa.UTV Bindass business head Keith Alphonso said, “The Bindass Big Switch format is a path breaking concept with a very purposive goal. We bring to life an experience of change – a change in perception, in experience of transition and a chance at reformation. With its one-of-akind twist Big Switch 3 will bring alive the spirit of youth and unearth the ‘can-do-will-do’ in all of us.” The channel has once again roped in Woodland as the title sponsor for the show. The show will see participation of eight youngsters who get a chance to reform themselves and make themselves worthy of the luxuries without their parents’ money. The contestants would have to survive 20 days in a penthouse and would be responsible for running errands, doing household work and even earn a living by doing various tasks. The weakest contestant at the end of every task would be eliminated.

Zindagi Kahey; Smile Please

Everyday 8.40 P.M.

Zindagi Kahe Smile Please is a new series based on the comical theme surrounded by family drama. The Show is introduced by Vipul D. Sah. Produced by Optimystix Productions, the show ‘Zindagi Kahey; Smile Please’ has the concept of ‘money is not everything’. The story focuses around two families and highlights that love, care and trust are the important factors of happy life. Balika Vadhu fame Fahad Ali and Dheeraj Dhoopar aka Ansh of ‘Maat Pitah ke Charno Main Swarg’ fame will play the lead roles in the show, whereas Additi Gupta who shot to fame with ‘Kish Desh Mein Hain Mera Dil’ will play the female lead in the show. Buzz is that the story will make love triangle between Additi Gupta, Dheeraj Dhoopar and Fahad Ali. Apart from the lead cast, Kiran Karmarkar who had essayed the iconic role of Om in ‘Kahani Ghar Ghar Ki’ is set to make a comeback after a long hiatus with this show.

Wrecked

Coming Soon

Discovery Turbo, the channel dedicated to speed, brings a new reality series, ‘Wrecked’, featuring the employees of cautionary tale of a young woman through “Dil Se Di Dua… Saubhagyavati Bhava?” The story is based on the struggle of Jahnvi. She faces the worst fears of her life after getting married. She gets an overpossessive and abusive husband named Viraj. Viraj is suave and charming from the outside but he is very different from the inside. Viraj is the perfect husband by everyone. But Jahnvi faces the irrational side of Viraj. Will Jahnvi be able to survive with him? Will she be able to change him? Watch ‘Saubhagyavati Bhava?’ on Life Ok every night. The story covers the domestic violence also. Story of Saubhagyavati Bhava makes viewers aware about the basic aspects of human life.

MTV Chat House

Sun & Thurs 7.00 P.M.

MTV Chat House is a new reality TV Show and it has been designed to tell people about their virtual life and real life. In the age of social networking and internet, people are living their lives virtually. The Show redefines one of the biggest towing services as they deal with accidents, flipped big rigs, and cars out of control during ice storms, rain and other nasty weather. The series highlights the strong men and women of the industry and the dangers they face daily. Bill runs O’Hare Towing with his wife Marci and his brother Joey, a fleet of high tech trucks and a team of dedicated drivers who risk their lives every day, ready to respond at amoment’s notice to the next big wreck.

Saubhagyavati Bhava

Daily 10.00 P.M.

Saubhagyavati Bhava is a new TV serial on Life Ok and scheduled to air everynight at 10. You can watch a the meaning of friendship. Chat House is to make virtual life very real. It has been designed on a very new format where Chat Masters will live for 60 days in a chat room. They will be kept completely detached from the real world. There will be only 12 contestants to communicate with them. But Chat Masters will not be able to see them in their real avatar. They will meet the avatars of contestants. Chat Masters have to make maximum numbers of friends to win the show.

“SOAPS & SERIALS KA TADKA– Must watch of the month” will be a regular in our every issue. In this, we attempt to list down shows that are worth your watch for the benefit of our readers. To facilitate this, all channels are requested to send in the details programmes so that we can showcase them through our feature.

Lok Sabha passed the second Bill to amend the Cable TV Networks (Regulation) Act 1995 that aims to replace the Ordinance promulgated. Also Rajya  Sabha has passed the Cable TV Networks (Regulation) Second Amendment Bill which has already been approved by the Lok Sabha. Information and Broadcasting Minister Ambika Soni, while talking on the discussion on the Bill, assured the cable operators that they would not be “put out of business” contrary to fears expressed by some quarters with digitisation of cable services, and capacity building programmes would be held to apprise them with new technologies. Soni said that an enabling provision had put in place to the effect that only Rs 200,000 to Rs 300,000 would be needed by cable operators to move to digitisation. She said digitisation would give a true assessment of the subscriber base of the broadcasters and reduce dependence on advertisements. In turn, this may also lead to reduction in the vulgar content on television channels as there would be lesser dependence on TRPs.

Apart from improving the quality of reception, digitization would also empower the viewers and the cable operators. It will enable cable operators to give larger number of channels to the consumers. There will be no prime band after digitisation, she said. She said the Bill would plug revenue leakage and enable regulatory agencies to check illegal content. Soni said that with the passing of this Bill, the Headend-in-the-sky (HITS), which had so far failed, would take off with greater investments. While most members supported the Bill, they cautioned the government against exploitation of the common viewer in the form of unjustifiable hikes in  the cable rates and vulgar and misleading advertisements.

The Bill aims to digitise the cable sector in the country by 31 December, 2014. The Government had earlier announced a timetable for complete digitisation of  cable television in the four metros by 31 March, 2012, but this was put off to June 2012 in a notification issued subsequently. The target date for completely digitising cable sector in cities with population of more than one million was 30 March 2013, all urban areas by 30 September 2014, and the whole country by 31 December 2014. This will also mean an end to the analogue era and customers of cable networks must have a digital addressable set-top-box irrespective of whether they wish to receive free-to-air or encrypted (pay) channels.

The delay for two months is because the Government had laid down in the Ordinance that promulgated earlier this month that six months notice will be given to the cable TV operators to enable them to install the necessary equipment for transmitting encrypted channels through a digital addressable system, in keeping with the deadlines set for this purpose for various states and cities. A clause has been inserted in the Act to make a digital addressable system mandatory in the cable sector. The amending Bill also has provisions for right of way and systemisation for registration of cable operators, inspection of cable services, compulsory transmission of certain channels, prescription of interference standards by the government and an enabling provision for the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India to lay down the basic service tier and its tariff. After digitisation, all cable operators carry encrypted signals only through digital set top boxes in accordance with the deadlines that have been notified.

Financial support

The ministry of Information and Broadcasting (I&B) plans to push for financial incentives to ease the import of equipment, including set-top boxes, to help speed up the process of converting India’s cable TV distribution system from analogue to digital. The steps being considered include raising the foreign direct investment (FDI) limit for cable companies to 74% from 49% and launching awareness campaigns on the merits of digital cable. The ministry will help the industry make a smooth transition to digital cable, Uday Kumar Varma, secretary at the I&B ministry, said at the second CEOs Roundtable on Broadcast, organized by the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII). Varma’s remarks followed the Lok Sabha passing the Cable Television Networks (Regulation) Amendment Bill, 2011.“The likely passage of the Bill in Parliament will show the commitment of government to the change,” Varma said. “Digitizing will be beneficial for all stakeholders… (and) play an important role in the economy, particularly the broadcasting industry.” An investment of $8 billion will be required for digitizing Indian cable TV networks in the next three years, Varma said, citing a report by Media Partners Asia Ltd, a leading independent provider of information focusing on the media, communications and entertainment industries.

The ministry has already written to the Department of Industrial Policy and Promotion (DIPP) seeking an increase in FDI in the cable industry. The ministry is also in discussions with the finance ministry to provide financial incentives, give tax holidays and customs concessions, given that most of the equipment— including set-top boxes—is usually imported. In the first phase, by June 2012, roughly 8-10 million set-top boxes will be required for all four metros. The ministry has already moved a cabinet proposal to set up a committee of secretaries in a bid to communicate the views of all stakeholders. Through this committee, the ministry will help organize discussions by stakeholders to convey their concerns directly. “This is essential so all viewpoints can emerge and discussed properly,” said Varma.

Besides, the ministry is already working on a public awareness campaign. Though he declined to share how much will be required for the campaign, Varma said “certain allocation for the same will be provided in the 12th National Plan”.Nearly 230,000 people will have to be trained in various departments in several Indian cities to ensure that the migration from analogue to digital takes place, the ministry has said. A capacity building programme has already been launched by state-run Broadcast Engineering Consultants India Ltd. The first phase of the training programme will be launched by next week in some of the metros, said Varma.

Boost small screen content

A bill aimed at digitalization of cable TV with the government assuring that the move would be beneficial for viewers and lead to better and more meaningful content. Information and broadcasting minister Ambika Soni, who had earlier introduced the Cable Television Networks (Regulation) Second Amendment Bill, said it was a major step towards reform that would enable digitalization of the analog TV network and bring India on a par with other countries like the US, the UK, Korea and Taiwan.

On the issue of regulating content on TV, Soni told the House that she was open to the idea of holding an all-party meeting to discuss the ministry’s broadcast regulation bill. A draft Broadcasting Services Regulation Bill has been posted on the website and a final bill could be brought for consideration of Parliament after the stipulated time to get feedback from various stakeholders is over, Soni said during Question Hour in the Lok Sabha.

The minister said a Group of Ministers on media has been set up and some of her Cabinet colleagues have started an open debate on it. “We are getting views. After collating the views, we want to bring a law which is beyond the self-regulatory body that has been set up…I have no objections if a law is made after an all-party meeting is convened by the Prime Minister in which views of everyone are taken in writing,” she said. Speaking on the amendment bill later, Soni said that concerns that cable operators would become jobless were misplaced and insisted that the main concern of the government was the viewers’ interest. “The prices of settop boxes will fall. These will be available on both installments and on rent. Also, viewers do not have to take a whole bouquet of channels. TRAI will impose a tariff capping for subscribing to channels,” she said.

The most important aspect of this legislation is that it would end the fight for more TRPs among channels. The bill also gives the government the right to cancel licences of cable operators who flout rules. “But this bill is not anti-poor and not against small operators. This is not for big players. It is for India,” Soni said. The minister justified the government decision to bring an ordinance earlier, saying this was done to meet the deadline set for full digitalization by December 31, 2014. The government will complete the process in four phases, starting with the metros. She said it would benefit the customer by providing a la carte selection of channels and video-on-demand, and for broadcasters and cable operators by ensuring transparency, reducing their dependency on TRP and ad revenues and raising subscription revenues. The government would also stand to benefit as it would ensure proper tax collection, she added.

Wrapping up

It was a joyful matter for the digitization drive when Parliament gave its clearance for the initiating the digitization step in the country. But the Bill is not just about shifting from analogue to digital. From the industry perspective, aren’t you worried about the controls digitisation will bring about? Why would digitisation be about control? The entire broadcasting chain in India has been broken for some time. Broadcasters have always got either no subscription money or very little—only 18% of the total income. Broadcasters were always paying very high carriage fees. Consequently, subscription or distribution, which anywhere in the world would have been a major distribution source for a broadcaster, has become a major cost centre for them. That’s the way this thing has been there for a long time.

I&B Minister Ambika Soni says that the Bill will end Television Raring Points (TRP). Broadcasters have been entirely banking upon advertising and, therefore, entirely depended on rating—that’s why there is the mad race for TRP, which everyone keeps complaining about. Now, for the first time, the distribution environment has changed. Hopefully, carriage fees will come down and subscription revenues will go up so that there are alternative viable business models for broadcasters.

This is not directly affecting TRPs but certainly indirectly. People will now start looking for a slightly different business model. The economic pressure on broadcasters, who are dependent on TRPs, will hopefully go down a little bit. But we do feel that, in general, we have to look at the rating measuring system. We do think this is to some extent flawed. The sample is not large enough; it doesn’t always reflect what people are watching. There are also questions whether it is completely tamperproof. There are lots of complaints. The rating system itself needs a lot of work. After the Cable Bill, TRP should be next. Broadcasters and Television Audience Measurement, not the government, should figure out how to improve the rating system and make it slightly more robust to find out what people are watching.

The Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) has to decide on the fine print regarding the cap. Lot of things have to be sorted out like how it is actually going to work and what will be the requirements for cable operators in terms of payment. Obviously, there is a long way to go, but, at least, the Bill has set into place enabling conditions for a modern, mature, organized and systematic broadcasting sector, which is a very positive development.

So, are you happy with the Bill? TRAI has lot of work to do on this. It will obviously take some time. The Bill still doesn’t cover the rating system and that has to be separately addressed. This is an important step towards professionalisation of the entire broadcasting value chain from the broadcaster to the distributor and to the customer.

Star One has been given a quiet burial, making way for ‘Life OK’, Hindi GEC’s newest brand from the Star India stable. It went on air on 18th December in the 8 PM time slot. The new channel is available in the same band as that of Star One. The channel’s encapsulating message: ‘Life is ok’. Life OK packs in three shows in just one hour of programming. It has the shortest ad breaks across television in India. It begins with a strong digital presence and is being supported by one of the most elaborate marketing campaigns for a channel launch in recent times. The channel also has a ‘sutradhar’ in the form of actor Madhuri Dixit.

STAR has created a launch brand film that captures the channel’s positioning with the message ‘Kal ki soch kar dhat teri ki karte reh gaye – toh aaj ka kya hoga pyaare?’ In a first, Life OK is being launched in a three-day roadblock across the STAR India network. The outdoor plan will reach 101 towns in an attempt to “go where no entertainment brand has gone before”. Recognising the importance of youth, the brand is launched through a week long digital engagement plan and an eight-hour long online concert with Life OK Rockathon exclusively for the web. Life OK has to still evolve its sales strategy, but as STAR India’s CEO Uday  Shankar puts it, the focus right now is to establish the brand and drive viewer engagement. The channel’s core team comprises Channel General Manager Ajit Thakur, the programming team of Gaurav Banerjee, Sanjog Gupta and Dimpi Dey, Dhruv, Sushma and Dhiren in the Marketing and OAP department and Anand Shiv in Consumer Insight. The most important of all aspects is the thought process on which the programming of the channel is based.

Distinct Identity

The first thing one notice about Life OK is that STAR India has stayedawayfrom the STAR branding for this channel. Life OK is not just a second GEC from STAR India; it is a brand new channel from the Network with a distinct identity of its own.

According to Uday Shankar, the brand name captures the channel’s encapsulating message ‘Life is OK’. Uday Shankar explained, “Life OK believes that the chase to prosperity can be a mirage, an endless chase. You pay a huge price if ‘norms of success’ come at the cost of sacrificing values. In our chase for what we don’t have, we often forget to cherish what we have. In our quest for happiness tomorrow, we often forget that life is OK today.” The premise of Life OK’s thought process is that India is at a critical phase of growth. On the one hand, there is ‘India shining’ and on the other hand, there are deep rooted concerns within society reflecting a new anxiety and restlessness. Shankar informed, “Studies show that for majority of India, material prosperity is redefining norms of success and people are afraid that they or their families will be left behind in that race. There is growing concern on whether our life is really ‘ok’? The channel will try to address this concern and turn up the volume on all that really matters in life.”

Content & Distribution

Like any Hindi GEC, Life OK targets the C&S 4+ in the Hindi speaking markets. In its initial phase, the channel has experimented with its content presentation significantly. Life OK is beginning with three hours of original programming, beginning at 8 pm. There would be seven shows including six shows of 20 minutes each and one non-fiction show of 40 minutes every day. The marquee shows cover a wide spectrum, focusing on an underlying value. ‘Meri Maa’ pays tribute to the mother and child bond. ‘Mahadev’, a period epic story of Shiva’s journey from ascetic to householder, draws on religion as the ultimate moral compass. ‘Saubhagyavati Bhava’ is a cautionary tale of a woman, whose parents lay focus on external appearances rather than inner values, when choosing her spouse. ‘Smile Please’ shares that the glue that binds a family is the value you inherit, not the wealth you earn. ‘Tum Dena Saath Mera’ will show how the simple joys of life are casualties in a materialistic world. ‘Sach Ka Saamna’, with a new theme ‘Bhrashtachar ke Khilaaf’ in its second season, will put the spotlight on the all-pervasive moral and economic corruption. Rajeev Khandelwal will anchor the show.

Speaking on the guiding philosophy behind programming, Shankar explained that each show has been created to show the conflicts that arise, when we leave our value systems behind or neglect our most precious relationships. The central protagonist of each show evolves over time to go through a life changing moment. He said, “We have also picked upon issues and concerns that are thought provoking. The core philosophy of the channel not only keeps the viewer engrossed in the plotline and fate of the characters but also raises disruptive questions. You will not see any show that does not conform to the philosophy of the channel and does not underline a value or raise a question.”

Elaborating further on the marketing strategy, Shankar informed that the objective was to differentiate the brand and to execute a disruptive channel launch. He said, “The brand identity is iconic, whether it is the brand name which is a statement of philosophy or the OK icon with a glow that embodies the optimism of the brand or the channel sutradhar, Madhuri Dixit, who guides viewers and links our stories to our philosophy.” Life OK intends to take the conversation off the screen and bring it to the people. The marketing initiatives bring in consumer engagement at the grass-root level. “We intend to make ‘Sach Ka Saamna 2 – Brashtachar Ke Khilaaf’ part of the larger movement against corruption and have initiated a pan India activation, where the common man can come forward to participate in the Sach Ki Shapath against corruption,” added Shankar.The STAR network with a weekly reach of over 400 million viewers is the foundation of the media plan for the launch. In addition, it will be aggressively promoted on digital and a 101-town outdoor plan. Life OK has begun with a digital presence through its website www.lifeok.com. The channel has seen build up of over 2 lac fans on Facebook within the first four days itself and also has strategic presence on Youtube, Yahoo and Twitter.

Different from STAR India’s flagship channel Star Plus?

Uday Shankar replied, “Star Plus urges viewers to strive for the better. Life OK reminds viewers to cherish what they have.” Star Plus is ‘Rishta Wahi. Soch Nayi’. Uday Shankar explained that the channel provides a fresh perspective on relationships. All the content on Star Plus is true to the channel philosophy and demonstrates ‘nayi soch’, Star Plus is founded on the belief that the woman is the strength of the family and she has the confidence to change her world. This is best demonstrated by the protagonists like ‘Pratigya’ who will take on even her own family in the pursuit of justice and ‘Suhaana’ who proves that you can retain your individuality post marriage. Life OK is about reminding viewers to cherish what they have. Shankar added, “The content dials up what’s really important in life. When Life OK does ‘Sach ka Saamna’, it dials up an important, eternal value – Honesty. ‘Saubhagyavati Bhava’ raises the question on what makes an ideal partner and urges you to look beyond appearances. ‘Tum Dena Saath Mera’ shows how relationships are often the casualty in a materialistic world.”

After Colors, MTV, Nick and VH-1, Viacom18 has launched its fifth channel in India, in mid- December, in a bid to further strengthen its position in the Indian entertainment domain. Christened Sonic, the channel is targeted at India’s young adults falling in the 10-17 year old age bracket. Sonic aims to be the science fiction platform for this generation, and therefore, will serve them with programming in the category of action, adventure and animation. This will be through television shows and movies. The 24×7 channel shall showcase approximately 6-7 hours of original content in its initial days. Scarecrow Communications is the creative agency that will work on this account. Vizeum, which is presently the media agency for Nick, will also handle media duties for Sonic.

The launch is driven by Viacom18’s vision to create specific brands for every segment. “From kids (Nick), youth (MTV) to general entertainment (Colors), we want to keep every target group within our network,” says Nina Elavia Jaipuria, vice-president and general manager, Sonic and Nickelodeon India. Nickelodeon follows a similar strategy in most markets across the globe where it has specialized channels for teenagers (Teen Nick) and Nick at Nite (adults), but Jaipuria believes none of the existing subbrands from the global portfolio currently fits in with the needs of the Indian market. Hence, a new subbrand Sonic, a concept which can be exported to international markets at a later stage.

Content & Distribution

Described as the “Sci-Fi platform for the Wi-Fi Generation,” Sonic wil l primarily target the 10-17 age group. Sonic will feature a mix of action, adventure and animation content including live action shows and blockbuster films. Indian content will include local superhero live action show Shaktimaan (animated) along with international fare such as Kung Fu Panda – The Legend of Awesomeness, Jackie Chan Fantasia, King Kong, Power Rangers and Supastrikas, among others.

Kids today snack on a variety of genres across channels — from Fear Factor (AXN) to Man versus Wild (Discovery Channel). They also seek action and adventure from gaming on the web and gaming consoles. “With Sonic, we want to provide a one-stop shop for action, adventure and animation-related content. While 80% of the shows will be internationally acquired, 20% will be produced locally by companies like BIG Animation,” says Jaipuria.

Among the shows that will be featured on the channel are Shaktimaan,licensed from Indian television and film actor Mukesh Khanna. “We want to build this to be the Spiderman of India,” says Jaipuria. Another show, Legend of Awesomeness, is an adaptation from the movie Kung Fu Panda. “In the series, the lead character Po is a dragon warrior,” says Jaipuria. A Jackie Chan animation series and a soccer-based show are also part of the line-up. There will be special blocks called Sonic Extreme (evenings) featuring action and adventure, and Sonic Flicks (weekends) showcasing action movies like Dabangg and Jurassic Park. Like Nickelodeon, Sonic will also work to build a strong equity for its characters, which will not only build stickiness but can also be extended to merchandising opportunities in the future.

The channel aims to reach 40 million households in a couple of months of launch. Sonic will be beamed also in Tamil and Telugu. To engage audiences beyond  television, Sonic will have a dedicated portal sonicgang.com, where viewers will be drawn through the mobile and social media. Will Sonic be able to create ripples in the Indian market? Media analysts say there is ample scope.

“First, this age group watches a lot of television. Second, this age group is a major influencer in household purchase decisions. As the target audience is sizable,  there is tremendous scope for advertising. The success of the channel will depend on how well it is able to monetise the property,” says Ashesh Jani, partner and media leader, Deloitte Haskins & Sells. Jani also points out that to benefit from subscription revenue, the channel needs to be part of a bouquet.

Interactive cable television describes Switched video, also called switched digital video or SDV techniques that allow viewers to interact with television content as they view it. SDV (sometimes abbreviated as SWB for switched broadcast), is a telecommunications industry term for a network scheme for distributing digital  video via a cable. Switched video sends the digital video in a more efficient manner so that additional uses may be made of the freed up bandwidth. The scheme applies to digital video distribution both on typical cable TV systems using QAM channels, or on IPTV systems. Users of analog video transmitted on the cable are unaffected. See diagram to the right for an illustration of how Switched Video saves bandwidth on a cable company’s cables in the last mile where channels are transmitted via coaxial cable.

In current hybrid fibre-coaxial systems, a fiber optic network extending from the operator’s head end carries all video channels out to a fiber optic node which services any number of homes ranging from 1 to 2000. From this point, all channels are sent via coaxial cable to each of the homes. Note that only a percentage of these homes are actively watching channels at a given time. Rarely are all channels being accessed by the homes in the service group. In a switched video system, the unwatched channels do not need to be sent.

In cable TV systems in the United States, equipment in the home sends achannel request signal back to the distribution hub. If a channel is not currently being transmitted on the coaxial line, the distribution hub allocates a new QAM channel and transmits the new channel to the coaxial cable via the fiber optic node. For this to work, the equipment in the home must have two-way communication ability. Switched video uses the same mechanisms as video on demand and may be viewed as a non-ending video on demand show that any number of users may share.

Two-way communication is handled differently between cable and IPTV schemes. IPTV uses Internet communication protocols but requires an entirely new video distribution infrastructure. Cable companies in the United States elected the less costly approach of upgrading existing infrastructure, and European operators may well take the same approach. In the upgrade approach, various proprietary schemes use specific frequencies for passing messages back to the distribution hub. In the United States, there is a recent standard for two-way communications from consumer electronics devices using CableCARDs, such as digital video recorders, high-definition televisions and home theater computers known as OpenCable (or tru2way) which require three things to work:

1. Hardware that implements one of three standards which allow thecable receiver to communicate with the cable head end,
   

• SCTE 55-1 which is the ALOHA protocol-based standard used by General Instrument and Motorola equipment, SCTE 55-2 a.k.a. DAVIC which is a slotted ALOHA-based standard used by Cisco cable boxes, and

• DOCSIS Set-top Gateway, an extension to the DOCSIS cable modem standard to make it degrade gracefully under adverse conditions and still provide as much functionality as possible;

2. A CableCARD that decrypts the channel for the cable receiver; and

3. A Java-based OpenCable Application Platform (abbreviated as OCAP) stack that allows the cable company to download an application written in OCAP to run on any cable receiver which contains an OCAP stack.

The OCAP application programs the cable receiver on how to communicate with the switched video server, and does other tasks like running an interactive program guide and programming the receiver on how to perform video on demand. The cable company could choose whichever twoway communication standard it wants out of the three. It could choose the standard that its pre-OCAP hardware used in order to preserve its investment in legacy hardware, or could deploy DOCSIS Set-top Gateway in order to provide much more capacity and efficiency than either of the other two protocols.

Cable without SDV

In this example, the cable provider is broadcasting every channel in the lineup at the same time, consuming all the bandwidth, even though the customers in the area are only tuning to a small subset of the channels.

Cable with SDV

In this example the cable company is sending only the channels the customers are currently tuning to. Notice that bandwidth is now available for additional channels.

Two-way communication is required

Before you can view or record a program on an SDV channel, your box must be able to send channel requests back to the cable headend. Series3 or Premiere  boxes are one-way devices, so they cannot send the required channel requests. Starting soon, cable providers who have deployed SDV technology in their headends will begin issuing Tuning Adapters to customers who have HD cable receiver. A Tuning Adapter is a set top box that provides two-way capabilities, so your box can request SDV channels. (Series2 and Series2 DT boxes are unaffected, because they can use a cable box to provide two-way communications.)

Where to get a Tuning Adapter

Like your CableCARDs, the Tuning Adapter must be issued by your cable provider. The Tuning Adapter will not have to be customized for the box, however; like a cable receiver, the installer can simply connect the Tuning Adapter and it is ready to go. Tuning Adapters are in the process of being field tested by major cable providers, and this testing must be completed before these devices are rolled out to the general public. Some cable providers plan to send installers to connect the Tuning Adapters. Some will allow their customers to pick up the Tuning Adapters from a local office and install them themselves.If switched digital video is already in your area, or is about to roll out to your area, you will receive a letter from your cable provider telling you what options are available.

Does the cable receiver still need CableCARD(s)?

Yes. CableCARDs are still required to decrypt encrypted programming and to decode copy-protected channels.Your CableCARD(s) will need to be authorized for the additional channels. Some cable providers will allow their customers to pick up a Tuning Adapter at a local office and will “hit” the CableCARDs remotely to authorize them to display all the channels in the SDV lineup. Some will send an installer to connect the Tuning Adapter and either swap out the CableCARD(s) or call in to get the existing ones re authorized. Still others may offer multiple installation options. Your cable provider will give you complete information when they rol l out Tuning Adapters in your area.If the Tuning Adapter is not operational because it is disconnected, powered off, in standby mode, or is getting a firmware update, the box uses the channel map on the CableCARD to tune to your channels. During these times, you will not be able to view or record programming on SDV channels.

Programming and data flow

The RF cable from the wall to the Tuning Adapter to the box carries in-band programming (the shows you watch) and out-of-band communications, including channel maps for the Tuning Adapter and CableCARD(s). If the Tuning Adapter is disconnected, in standby mode, or powered off, the box still receives the RF signals. While the Tuning Adapter is powered on, it boosts the signal strength slightly, so that there is no drop in signal strength due to the Tuning Adapter’s operation. Channel requests go from the box to the Tuning Adapter over the USB connection. The box can only detect the Tuning Adapter if the two are connected by a USB cable.

What if a cable is disconnected?

If the RF cable between the Tuning Adapter and the box is unplugged (or the RF cable between the wall and the Tuning Adapter, for that matter), you see the message “Searching for Signal” because the box is missing its program stream. If the USB cable is disconnected, you will see this message. When you press SELECT to continue, the box will begin to use the CableCARD channel map(s) for all new tuning operations. You will not be able to view SDV channels. When you reconnect the Tuning Adapter, you will see the following message. Press SELECT to continue. You will now be able to access all your channels, including SDV channels.

Requesting an SDV channel

You request an SDV channel in the same way you tune to a channel when no Tuning Adapter is attached: use the CHAN UP/DOWN button, select the channel from the Guide, or enter the number using the buttons on the remote. If the channel is not currently broadcasting to your neighborhood, an SDV server at the headend sets the channel up on one of the unused frequencies and sends the programming to you. The time to set up the channel and send the tuning information to the box is so short that you may not be able to tell the difference between this operation and a conventional channel tune. Each time you tune to a channel, a timer on the SDV server resets for that channel. After a time period chosen by your cable provider elapses (usually a few hours), you will see the following message:

The SDV server uses this communication to determine if someone is actively watching the channel or if the TV was simply tuned to that channel when it was turned off. If you press SELECT, the timer for the channel resets. If you do not press SELECT, the server may temporarily remove the channel to make room for another, requested channel. If this happens you will see the following message:

To get the channel back, simply tune to it. If bandwidth is available, the server will set the channel up again. If you still see this message, it means that there is no bandwidth available to send you the channel.

How recordings work ?

When the box begins a recording, it sends a signal to the Tuning Adapter that includes a channel request and the information that it is recording. While the recording is in progress, the Tuning Adapter sends periodic signals to the headend to indicate that the channel is in use, so your recordings do not get cut off.

When does a channel “switch away”?

A channel may switch away when a channel reaches its timeout and no one in the area confirms that they are still viewing the channel and no recordings are detected. Some SDV servers remove the channel immediately. If the box is tuned to this channel, you will see the message “This channel is temporarily unavailable.” Some SDV servers keep broadcasting the current channel until the bandwidth is required to meet another channel request. In this case, the original request to press SELECT to stay on a channel has timed out, and the channel switches off without any additional warning.

Program guide data and your channel lists

There is only one set of program guide data for each headend. Your cable provider can tell you which channels are available without a Tuning Adapter and which channels you receive with a Tuning Adapter. If you live in an area that already has SDV, and you have not yet received a Tuning Adapter, you can go into your channel list and deselect the channels you do not yet receive. When you receive your Tuning Adapter, you can go back into the list and add the new channels. To display the channel list screen from cable receiver – select Messages & Settings > Settings > Channels > Channel List.

Issues relating to composition and Tariff of Basic Service Tier (BST); retail tariff; pre-paid billing; interconnection issues; and revenue share between MSOs and LCOs are the focus of a new Consultation Paper issued by the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (Trai) on “Issues related to Implementation of Digital Addressable Cable TV Systems”.

The paper, issued in the wake of Parliament passing the Cable TV Networks (Regulation) Amendment Bill, also addresses issues like Quality of Service Standards and redressal of Consumer Complaints.

The broadcasting Industry with about 150 million TV households is set for a major transformation. The analog nature of the cable TV service, which caters to around 94 million households, has been the roadblock in exploiting the full potential of the sector in the era of convergence. Keeping this in view, Trai in consultation with all the stakeholders had in August 2010 recommended to the Government complete digitisation with addressability of the Cable TV services, in a phased manner. Subsequently, the Government issued a notification on 11 November 2011 in this connection with addressability in a phased manner to be completed by December 2014.

The smooth transition to Digital Addressable system would involve various measures. In order to facilitate this transformation, Trai in consultation with the stakeholders has identified certain key issues that need to be determined.

All these issues have been discussed in the consultation paper specifically bringing out the issues for consultation.

Written comments on the issues raised in this consultation paper are invited from the stakeholders by 16 January 2012,and counter-comments on the comments by 23 January 2012. It has been made clear that there will be no extension of time.

Issues for Consultation

The following issues have been posed for consultation.

Basic Service Tier for the Digital Addressable Cable TV Systems

1. What should be the minimum number of free-to-air (FTA) channels that a cable operator should offer in the basic-service-tier (BST)? Should this number be

different for different states, cities, towns or areas of the country? If so, what should be the number and criteria for determination of the same?

2. In the composition of BST, what should be the genrewise (entertainment, information, education etc.) mix of channels? Should the mix of channels and/or the composition of BST be different for different states, cities, towns? If so, how should it be?

3. What should be the price of BST? Should this price be different for different states, cities, towns or areas of the country? If so, what should be the price and criteria for determination of the same?

4. What should be a-la-carte rate of channels that form part of BST? Should there be a linkage between a-lacarte rate of channels in the BST to the BST price or

average price of a channel in the BST? If so, what should be the linkage and why?

Retail Tariff for the Digital Addressable Cable TV Systems

5. Should the retail tariff be determined by TRAI or left to the market forces? If it is to be determined by TRAI, how should it be determined?

(a) Should the a-la-carte channel price at the retail be linked to its wholesale price? If yes, what should be the relation between the two prices and the rationale for the same?

(b) Should there be a common ceiling across all genres for the pay channels or different ceilings for different genres? What should be the ceilings in each case and the reasons thereof?

(c) Should there be a common ceiling across all genres for the FTA channels or different ceilings for different genres? What should be the ceilings in each case and the reasons thereof?

(d) Any other method you may like to suggest?

Interconnection in the Digital Addressable Cable TV Systems

6. Does any of the existing clauses of the Interconnection Regulations require modifications? If so, please mention the same with appropriate reasoning?

7. Should the subscription revenue share between the MSO and LCO be determined by TRAI or should it be left to the negotiations between the two?

8. If it is to be prescribed by TRAI what should be the revenue share? Should it be same for BST and rest of the offerings?

9. Should the ‘must carry’ provision be mandated for the MSOs, operating in the DAS areas?

10. In case the ‘must carry’ is mandated, what qualifying conditions should be attached when a broadcaster seeks access to the MSO network under the provision of ‘must carry’?

11. In case the ‘must carry’ is mandated, what should be the manner in which an MSO should offer access of its network, for the carriage of TV channel, on nondiscriminatory terms to the broadcasters?

12. Should the carriage fee be regulated for the digital addressable cable TV systems in India? If yes, how should it be regulated?

13. Should the quantum of carriage fee be linked to some parameters? If so what are these parameters and how can they be linked to the carriage fee?

14. Can a cap be placed on the quantum of carriage fee? If so, how should the cap be fixed?

15. Should TRAI prescribe a standard interconnection agreement between service providers on similar lines as that for notified CAS areas with conditions as applicable for DAS areas? If yes, why?

Quality of Service Standards for the Digital Addressable Cable TV System.

16. Do you agree with the norms proposed for the Quality of Service and redressal of consumer grievances for the digital addressable cable TV systems? In case of disagreement, please give your proposed norms alongwith detailed justifications.

17. Please specify any other norms/parameters you may like to add with the requisite justifications and proposed benchmarks.

18. Who should (MSO/LCO) be responsible for ensuring the standards of quality of service provided to the consumers with respect to connection, disconnection, transfer, shifting, handling of complaints relating to no signal, set top box, billing etc. and redressal of consumer grievances?

19. Whether Billing to the subscribers should be done by LCO or should it be done by MSO? In either case, please elaborate how system would work. 20. Should pre-paid billing option be introduced in Digital Addressable Cable TV systems?

Miscellaneous Issues

Broadcasting of Advertisement free (ad-free) Channels

21. Whether an ad-free channel is viable in the context of Indian television market?

22. Should there be a separate prescription in respect of tariff for ad-free channels at both the wholesale and retail level?

23. What should be the provisions in the interconnection regulations in respect of adfree channels?

24. What should be the revenue sharing arrangement between the broadcasters and distributors in respect of adfree channels?

Non addressable digital Set top boxes

25. In case you have any view or comment on the non-addressable STBs, you may please provide the same with details. Reference point for wholesale price post DAS Implementation

26. Would there be an impact on the wholesale channel rates after the sunset date i.e. 31st Dec 2014, when the non-addressable systems would cease to exist? If so, what would be the impact?

27. Any other relevant issue that you may like to raise or comment upon.

Mazhavil Manorama is a Malayalam general entertainment television channel from the Malayala Manorama group which owns a Malayalam news channel, Manorama News. Through the launch of Mazhavil Manorama, the group widens its portfolio of media business. Manorama group is the publishers of the widely circulated Malayala Manorama daily, Malayalam women’s magazine Vanitha among other publications.

Malayala Manorama being one the trusted brand name in kerala has truly brought a new culture. After dominating the print media, manorama managed to make a leap forward by entering the visual media with the news channel, ‘Manorama News’. The new entertainment channel (Mazhavil Manorama) being the dream project of the family, would really bring a tough time to the leading channels like Asianet and Surya TV.

Content & Distribution

Mazhavil Manorama has various entertainment programs in the Malayalam language. The channel has in its portfolio television dramas, music reality shows, Malayalam movies among other programs. The channel will telecast its programs completely shot on High Definition Cameras, which will give the viewers a better  feeling. Mazhavil Manorama is headquartered at Aroor near Kochi, Kerala. The channel has a bunch of unique programs which is expected to compete with those programs running on different channels presently. Let us have a look at some of the unique programs from Mazhavill Manorama.

• 5 Serials

• Latest Movies

• Reality Shows

Serials have now become a part of malayali families. So to go according to the popular interest, the channel will bring five serials which are being created by the prominent serial makers in Kerala. The channel is likely to get copy right for telecasting fresh movies. Let us wait for the inauguration day, a big bang will happen.

At present the channel is on the final touch of two reality shows, one music reality show and a reality show for family. The much popular presenter ‘Sreekandan Nair’, who had not been in lime light for a long while, will be appearing as an anchor of one of the reality show with ‘double power’. Adding more colours, the channel has a handful of specialized technicians which would really boost the performance of the channel.

Anew religious channel, ‘Jinvani’, which caters to the Digambar sect of Jain community, has been launched. Sea TV Network Ltd launched the channel recently under the umbrella of Jain Telemedia Services Ltd.

India boasts of religious diversity and Jainism is one of those ancient religions that have followers not only in India but worldwide. Its world-known philosophy of Ahimsa has moved the entire world. Jinvani, the world’s first devotional channel dedicated to the core values of Jainism, tries to portray the same face of Jain religion. As the term ‘Jinvani’ implies, it is the holy words sermonized by the liberated souls of Jain religion, who went on to be branded as ‘Jina’ later on. We, with ‘Jinvani’, have made a bid to take across the universe their preaching of non-violence, truth, compassion to all living beings and other equally significant traits of Jain religion. It is a delicious dish served on the spiritual platter meant not only for the Jain populace spread across the globe, but to the entire humankind. It aims at creating a world marked by peace and harmony, which has due space for everyone.

In today’s era, teachings of Lord Mahavira carry utmost significance and need to be followed strictly if we have to get over all ill-practices in the human society. It is also a sincere attempt to induct true values of life into the generations to come. Jinvani is the first full-fledged Jain channel having its powerful presence in several countries and catering to millions of viewers worldwide. It offers variety of programme to its audience related to health, astrology, spirituality, sermons, pilgrimage and so on. It provides live coverage of all major Jain events taking place all over the country.

Content & Distribution

The channel has shows on religion, spirituality, health, art of living and moral values, all based on the principles of Jainism. All type of religious programmes like Pravachan, Satsang, Short stories on the various Jain Tirth, Songs etc are telecast through this channel. It has been conceived to be an international channel based on Jainism, while at the same time giving due weight age to all other religious cultural events and religious practices of the people. The aim of the channel is to spread the word of Jain religion to the masses in a simpler language. In order to lure the younger audience, Jinvani will telecast movies and serials on Jain epics, events in the history of the religion in 2D and 3D.

“This is world’s first satellite ‘Jain channel’ solely dedicated to the Digambar sect. The channel is directed at bringing the philosophy of `ahimsa’ (non-violence)  propagated by Bhagwan Mahaveer,” Neeraj Jain, Chairman and Managing Director of Sea TV Network, said in a statement. “With this channel we not only look at targeting audiences from India but also those who have settled abroad.” The channel will have several shows that would focus on issues like religion, spirituality, moral values, health, art of living and principles of Jainism in simplest form, and ensure that people, especially the youth, easily understand the preachings and their importance, the statement said. For the youth, the channel would telecast 2D and 3D movies and serials based on Jain epics and historical and religious events to portray the teachings and beliefs of Jainism, it added.

Sea TV Network Ltd.

Sea TV Network Ltd. is a well known name in the field of Electronic Media in the Heritage city of Agra. An ISO 9001:2000 Public Ltd. Company engaged in providing services of a Multi System Operator (MSO) to various Local Cable Operators (LCO) of Agra and adjoining areas. Within six years of its incorporation the company has experienced a high rate of growth and currently has the highest coverage of City Area. The Promoters of Sea TV have started the business of Cable TV distribution way back in year 1992 as a proprietary firm with only two channels however due to their positive business approach they gained a customer base of  800 from these two channels only. Since the Cable TV industry was in its expansion phase the demand for the new channels was increasing day by day, hence Jain Brothers have set up another Headend with the capacity of 35 channels and was successful in gaining a customer base of 1200-1500 customers. Cable TV Industry has witnessed a paradigm shift when many Big Players have entered into the Cable TV business and many Free to Air channels have been converted into Pay Channels. In this era the sharp business acumen of Mr. Neeraj Jain came into play. He has already assessed that the time to come is of MSO, who shall dictate the terms of business in future. Seizing the opportunity Jain brothers have changed their status from LCO to MSO.

On 21 May 2004 Sea TV Network Limited was incorporated to carry on the business in a more organized and streamlined manner as a corporate entity .Apart from providing the services of MSO. The company also has its own local channels, Sea News & Sea TV programmes of which are produced by its own production team. These local channels mainly focus on Agra city/U.P State news/ events and information, which is more relevant to the city viewers. These channels are broadcasted free of charge to the TV subscribers of Sea TV.

The Indian Media and Entertainment (M&E) industry is expected to be in excess of $25 billion in the next 4 years, predicts Ernst & Young’s (E&Y) report –  ‘Spotlight on India’s Entertainment Economy’. As per the report, the industry registered revenues of $16.3 billion in 2010. India’s growing digital media consumption and favourable demographics are key drivers for the media and entertainment industry’s future growth, it said.

Enticed by economic liberalisation, near double-digit annual growth, a fast-growing middle class and a huge volume of demand for leisure and entertainment, there has been a surge in investment by global media companies in India.

The Indian M&E now finds itself at a new turning point – digital media. A surge in mass broadband adoption is expected, led by the launch of 3G and 4G services. By 2015, 90% of India’s projected 187 million broadband subscribers will access the net through wireless devices. This presents global M&E companies with exciting opportunities to develop “anytime, anywhere” content that caters to a new generation of Indian digital consumers.

“The M&E industry in India has been, and will continue to be, one of the biggest beneficiaries of India’s favourable demographics,” E&Y media and entertainment leader for Europe, Middle East, India and Africa Farokh Balsara said. “Having one of the world’s youngest populations, high volumes of content consumption, a favourable regulatory framework and growing digital adoption, makes India an attractive investment destination for global media and entertainment companies.” The study shows that India’s increasing per capita income, growing middle class and working population are generating huge domestic demand for leisure and entertainment. The country has more than 600 television channels, 100 million pay-television households, 70,000 newspapers and produces more than 1,000 films annually.

India has diverse regional markets with distinct cultures, languages and content preferences. These markets provide global media and entertainment companies with a variety of opportunities to deliver localized content. India’s favourable regulations and reforms are creating investment opportunities for global media and entertainment companies. The newspaper industry, which is facing declining readership in many international markets, continues to thrive in India, driven by increasing literacy rates, consumer spending and the growth of regional markets and specialty newspapers. Newspapers account for 42% of all advertising spend in India, the most of any medium.

The mandatory digitisation of India’s television distribution infrastructure is driving growth of digital cable and DTH and creating a need for these companies to fund expansion. The third phase of radio license auctions, expected soon, will see radio networks expanding their reach to add around 700 radio stations across the country. “The growth strategies in most companies in the US and Western Europe are linked to India and other emerging markets,” E&Y global media and entertainment leader John Nendick said. “However, to succeed in India, global media and entertainment companies need to navigate unique challenges in the areas of content localisation, distribution and pricing, regulations and piracy.”