MxMIndia

Category: MEDIA

  • The original idea of a business conclave is for a few industry leaders to sit together in a roundtable and discuss the issues of business of advertising says Sam Balsara

    Need for industry leaders to deliberate on biz of advertising: Sam Balsara

    Always the one with the questions, Madison’s Sam Balsara was his usual self at the sessions as he questioned a few ideas and provided his solutions on the same. MxMIndia got Mr Balsara to briefly share his stance on the sessions this year and sought his recommendations for Goafest 2013.

     

    What would be the takeaways from the sessions over the three days?

    I think the sessions this year have been excellent; the quality of speakers has been high this year. I think it’s all credit to the growing brand equity of Goafest that we have been able to attract so many international speakers of repute. There have been some good broad learnings; it’s not that we didn’t know about them but these speakers of stature have reinforced the belief that advertising is moving from one to many – from conversations to stories. Clearly digital seems to be the mantra of today. The sessions were woven around the magic of advertising, I think John Philip Jones came out with a refreshing and different quantitative view on how not to get carried away on what you think and I think are the required numbers. His basic message of not having share of voice or a good share of the market means that you are getting into a dangerous area. I think it is pretty important for many brands inIndiato take note of.

     

    A word on the Media Abby awards held this year…

    Though we did emerge a big winner, I think the enthusiasm among the crowd was low compared to the earlier years. This possibly may be due to the awards being distributed far more in quantity this time – but this is a good thing for the industry and will encourage more participation.

     

    What are your recommendations for 2013 to the Goafest committee?

    A significant recommendation that I have is more related to the Business Conclave, which I feel needs to be relooked at. The original idea of a business conclave is for a few industry leaders across the spectrum of advertising, media agencies and so on to sit together in a roundtable and discuss the issues of business of advertising and how to make it profitable. Also, we need to invest more in talent and learning. Right now I think it has become an extension of the sessions and we need a sharp a dividing line between the business of the advertising seminar and the knowledge seminar. I think we need to bring that back.

     

    Click here to view all Goafest 2012 stories

     

  • They should have got some speakers from television and print too, as they need to be told what are they doing to sustain in these mediums because they are also growing, says Joy Chakraborty, CEO, TV Today

    Don’t ignore TV & print: Joy Chakraborthy

    Joy Chakraborthy, CEO, TV Today gets candid as he talks with MxM India about the quality of sessions that were held at Goafest 2012 and what the committee needs to consider for 2013.

     

    How would you rate the several sessions that were held this year at Goafest?

    It’s good to see some good speakers at the sessions this year, but I would still suggest that they should have had some sessions on media because we are talking about future technologies while we are also talking about existing technologies like television and print – that is what I found missing. It’s always good to come back to Goafest because you get to meet all your friends, interact and network with them and partake of the nostalgia. So it’s great place to network, party and go back.

     

    Is digital receiving too much of a prominence at Goafest?

    Digital is getting prominence everywhere but people should not forget that all existing mediums are going to coexist; nothing is going to replace anything. The focus should also be on television and print and they should have got some speakers from these mediums too, as they need to be told what are they doing to sustain in these mediums because they are also growing. I have already put forth these recommendations to the committee. If you see, all sponsors are from print and broadcast, so they need to make these mediums inclusive in their plans.

     

    What are your views on the awards that were held this year?

    I think the awards got a little boring towards the end. Till Media Abbys were given it was good, but once it got to digital and other verticals it became boring. A few moments at the awards were interesting like the laser presentation made by Google.

     

    What are your travel plans for Goafest 2013?

    I think it’s always good to come here but I hope they accept our recommendations. I felt a bit let down this year, as you are setting standards of Cannes, you cannot afford to have technological glitches (as it happened on the first day at the Conclave); it reflects badly on us Indians. Such issues need to be addressed better.

     

  • So while the focus till now was to get the event going, the plan going forward would be to plan three years' ahead and see what can be planned for the future, says Shashi Sinha

    Special to MxM: Shashi Sinha on Day 2

    By Shashi Sinha

     

    The good thing about the last day at Goafest was the quality and number of gold and silver metals that were given out this year. A number of members came on the jury this year and there were much more metals that were handed out this year compared to last year.

     

    As for the sessions, the big one for me was the one by John Philip Jones, which was media-based and I really found it interesting. It must have been a complex thing for the students and youngsters gathered at the venue, as it was based on investments and so on, but it was a good one for those in upper hierarchy. It was all about how one can spend clients’ money smartly; in fact I am going to do a detailed presentation for my team later on.

     

    While that was about sessions, the event had its share of fun too. Rain dance was an occasion that was enjoyed to the fullest by the young adlanders. It was good to see so many youngsters revelling together. Unfortunately for me, again I was stuck up with a press conference and had to give it a skip. But that said, I think the Creative Abbys were the highlight of the evening. Compared to Media, Creative Abbys had more Grand Prix on offer and were bagged by deserving candidates, including Ogilvy and Creativeland Asia.

     

    As the president of AAAI and we were discussing that if we had ten thousand to spend, how would we spend them. So while the focus till now was to get the event going, the plan going forward would be to plan three years’ ahead and see what can be planned for the future. But having said that, the event will continue to remain big and will continue to stay as relevant going forward.

     

    So it will not be only about 2013, but about the next 3-5 years because right now we have attained the critical mass and the focus would be to maintain the success levels going forward.

     

    Click here to view all Goafest 2012 stories

     

  • The app provides users with a location-specific snapshot of where all of their Facebook friends have previously 'checked in'

    Tourism Australia launches Facebook app

    By A Correspondent

     

    The ‘Discover Australia Through Your Friends’ app – the first of its kind – merges the best of Google Maps and Facebook technology to create a unique travel planning tool to not only help choose where to go in Australia, but also provide advice from friends who may already have been there.

     

    The app provides users with a location-specific snapshot of where all of their Facebook friends have previously ‘checked in’, photos they may have ‘tagged’ and also any comments they may have posted about their travel experiences whilst there.

     

    Currently, Tourism Australia has 3.3 million fans. Tourism Australia Managing Director Andrew McEvoy believes that the new app will be welcomed both by travellers and the Australian tourism industry.

     

    “We know from research that more and more travellers are turning to their social media networks for inspiration to help them plan and get the best out of their holidays. Tourism Australia has been a global leader in the digital space for over a decade and this innovative social media tool will make word of mouth from your trusted network of Facebook friends even more powerful,” Mr McEvoy said.

     

    The launch of the new app follows new research findings, released by Tourism Australia earlier this month, demonstrating the growing impact of social media on the way Australians travel around their own country.

     

    “Facebook remains a key plank in Tourism Australia’s social media strategy to promote the country’s tourism credentials at home and abroad through the power of advocacy,” he added.

     

    Tourism Australia Executive General Manager Consumer Marketing, Nick Baker, who has led the national tourism agency’s innovative digital and social media approach, said Tourism Australia’s Facebook page now enjoyed over three million advocates.

     

    “The new Discover Australia Through Your Friends app is also a great tool for the industry – allowing us to simultaneously showcase these postings as fantastic examples of things for visitors to do nearby, whilst spending time exploring our great country,” Mr Baker said.

     

  • The DisneyUTV Digital team will manage all mobile, video, audio, broadband, ITV, games and virtual world’s initiatives, with a combined audience reach of over 300 million in India

    Walt Disney India sets up DisneyUTV Digital

    By A Correspondent

     

    The Walt Disney Company India has decided to strengthen its digital business. On August 02, the company announced a restructuring of its digital assets with an aim to increase its growth in games, video and audio services for mobile, online and interactive TV.  The new division, DisneyUTV Digital will combine the businesses and talent from Disney, UTV and Indiagames. All content and brands from Disney, Marvel, UTV, Bindass, as well as original content and games will now be developed and managed by DisneyUTV Digital.

     

    DisneyUTV Digital will be headed by Vishal Gondal, who will be its Managing Director. Samir Bangara, also Managing Director, will be working in collaboration to drive DisneyUTV’s future growth. While Mr Gondal was the founder and CEO of Indiagames, Mr Bangara was the COO, Indiagames. Together they are said to have built Indiagames into India’s premier gaming company, earning close to 50 per cent market share in the country.

     

    The DisneyUTV Digital team will manage all mobile, video, audio, broadband, ITV, games and virtual world’s initiatives, with a combined audience reach of over 300 million in India. Some of the previous works from the Disney and UTV teams in India include products like “Audio Cinema” (a movie-on-your-phone service), “Divya Kathayein” (devotional content on mobile in 7 languages), “Digital Studio” (series of original content developed for the web and mobile), “Sponsored Tweets” ( the Twitter advertising platform ), mobile games such as “Aladdin” (India’s leading paid mobile game with over 8.2 million downloads), “DLF IPL Cricket” (the official mobile game for the DLF IPL Franchise), “Cricket Fever” with over 20 million downloads, “Ra.One Genesis” (which saw over 1 million downloads within a week of its launch) and others.

     

    DisneyUTV’s Digital team aims to innovate and deliver unique cross platform and cross media digital experiences focused on entertaining the Indian digital audiences across age groups.

     

    Disney UTV’s digital division will be structured as follows:

    Cyril Ferry – Executive Director -Mobile; Sameer Pitalwalla – Director – Video and Celebrity; Lavina Tauro – Director – Audio and Music; Deepak Ail – Director -Mobile;

    Hrishi Oberoi – Director – Games Publishing; Saishree Ashwin – Manager – Virtual Worlds; Tejraj Parab – Business Head – Games on Demand; Dushyant Saraswat – Director – Broadband & 4G initiatives; Sachin Janghel – Director – ITV; Aji Joseph – Director – Ad Sales

     

    The digital media in India is evolving rapidly with mobile leading the way. The country has the world’s third largest mobile Internet user base with over 121 million users (of whom 59 per cent are monthly active users) as of December 2011 in addition to the 85 million PCs and growing number of tablets. With the launch of 3G and onset of 4G services, digital consumption of entertainment is at an all time high and is exhibiting strong growth with new monetization models emerging around Freemium and Ad-funded content.

     

     

  • He will be responsible for all Legal and Regulatory affairs of TTN and Prime Connect, as well as support the team on Box TV

    Times TV appoints Rohit Kishore Chopra as legal head

    By A Correspondent

     

    Times Television Network (TTN) has announced the appointment of Rohit Kishore Chopra as Head Legal, Times Television Network and Prime Connect. Based out of Mumbai, he will be responsible for all Legal and Regulatory affairs of TTN and Prime Connect, as well as support the team on Box TV.

     

    Speaking on the announcement, Avinash Kaul, Chief Executive Officer, ET Now, Times Now and Zoom, said: “We are delighted to have Rohit on board. Given his significant experience in the broadcast space, Rohit will play a pivotal role in directing the legal and regulatory aspects of TTN’s business.”

     

    Mr Chopra joins TTN from Viacom 18 Media Pvt Ltd where he was heading Corporate Legal Affairs. He has previously worked at Balaji Telefilms Limited, Reliance Big Broadcasting and ESPN Star Sports. The existing legal teams at TTN and Prime Connect will report into Mr Chopra, who in turn will report into Avinash Kaul.

     

    Commenting on his new role, Mr Chopra said: “I am really excited and honoured to be a part of such a diversified media conglomerate. I look forward to working with this dynamic team and adding value to the system.”

     

  • Leading news anchors and producers will conduct the Studio Talk anchoring workshop for Studio Talk from tomorrow

    Top news anchors & producers to conduct anchoring workshop from tomorrow

    From the MxM Infodesk

     

    Studio Talk has announced the second batch of its TV Anchoring Workshop starting August 4 in Mumbai. “Of the anchors you see on TV, very few are naturals. For the rest, it is an acquired skill set that comes with practice and practice,” said course director Mahrukh Inayet Rizvi, who was formerly Senior Editor with Times Now and is an award-winning journalist.

     

    The workshop trains and prepares one on how to be a television anchor/presenter during an intensive six weekend programme which is designed by top names in the industry, informed Vikram Sawant, director, Studio Talk and senior journalist.

     

    As course director, Ms Inayet Rizvi will personally oversee the six weekend training programmes. She will be joined by Mr Sawant, Mandira Lalwani (Former Times Now, ESPN, TenSports & Star News), Naomi Datta (Author 6 pm slot and Former Anchor & Producer CNBC & Times Now), Tejas Mehta (Mumbai Bureau Chief, NDTV 24 x7), Tanvir Gill (Senior Markets Anchor, ET Now), Juhi Pande (Former VJ, Channel [V]), Ragini Kumar (Former Sports Anchor, Times Now), Shruti Rajkumar (Former Anchor & Producer, Tech Toyz, CNBC), Mikhail Vaswani (Presenter, Neo Cricket), Ameet Sawant (Producer & Director, 96Karatz Productions), Renelle Snelleksz (Former Anchor, Times Now) among others.

     

    Along with teleprompter training, studio simulated exercises, voice modulation and basic make-up sessions, students will receive a certificate at the end of the program and a demo CD which will help showcase their talent and proficiency before the cameras.

     

    The weekend batches happen on Saturdays and Sundays from 10am to 3pm atSt Paul’s Institute of Communication Education, Bandra (W), Mumbai.

    Telephone: +91-9820125420, +91-9004402661, Email: thestudiotalk@gmail.com, Website: www.thestudiotalk.com

     

    *MxMIndia was a media partner of Studio Talk’s first workshop

     

  • In Week 3 of our Friday announcements: an all-new channel on television content. A new weekly column by Shailesh Kapoor, founder and CEO of Ormax Media. Also, the second of our MxM Mondays will be on what ails media education (and not on TAM).

    Week 3 Announcement: Starting Aug 8: New channel on Content & Column by Shailesh Kapoor

    It’s Week 3 of our announcement on Fridays.

     

    And the first of these is on an all-new channel on our site – on Television Content. Since we launched last year, we’ve felt the need for one and have also received several requests to carry programming-related information and stories . However, since we concentrate more on the business of media, we have not been able to do justice to several stories on television content. It’s unfortunate because while distribution and marketing dynamics are critical, it’s content that finally drives viewership and the moolah. Also, we already have channels exclusively for journalism and radio on MxMIndia…

     

    So, starting next Thursday (Wednesday, August 8), look forward to our channel on TV Content.

     

    We are also proud to announce that Shailesh Kapoor, co-founder and CEO, Ormax Media will write a column on television starting on Aug 8.  Watch out for it!

     

    Meanwhile, given the controversy that is raging on television measurement, we’ve decided to put off our MxM Mondays discussion on why everyone loves to damn TAM. Instead, we will focus on an issue that concerns us all: What ails Media Education.  We will speak to a cross-section of people in the industry. If you would like to share your views, please email us at editor@mxmindia.com with the ‘MxM Mondays #2’ in the subject line.

     

  • The Internet Economy Watch data is said to be based on absolute numbers captured from various relevant sites, encapsulating online usage for e-tailing, online travel and vertical classifieds

    IAMAI Internet Economy Watch: E-com continues to surge

    By A Correspondent

     

    The Internet & Mobile Association of India (IAMAI) on August 01 released ‘Internet Economy Watch’ for the month of June 2012. According to the findings, the e-ticketing category with irctc.com (Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation) and airlines continues to grow robustly. It recorded a year-on-year growth of 36 per cent as compared to the corresponding months last year.

     

    As per the findings from the Internet Economy Watch data released by IAMAI (Internet and Mobile Association of India), there has been an increase in online railway ticketing and air ticketing. But figures for matrimonial profile uploads, activities on e-commerce sites and resume uploads on recruitment sites continue to show decline. Interestingly in the April-June quarter, the month of May has seen the highest traffic of online users across categories.

     

    The Internet Economy Watch data is said to be based on absolute numbers captured from various relevant sites, encapsulating online usage for e-tailing, online travel and vertical classifieds.

     

    In an email interaction with MxMIndia, Dr Subho Ray, President, IAMAI talked about the factors behind the surge of e-ticketing: “Technological advancement and more and more people getting internet savvy coupled with convenience is the key factor leading to the rise in online booking of train and air tickets. Online tickets can now be booked on the move, through mobile, tablets and of course PCs. A deeper PC penetration in rural areas is also one of the reasons for the rise in online booking.”

     

    On the takeaways for brands and marketers from these findings, Dr Ray said: “The Internet Watch Report is a recent initiative by IAMAI and is out with its third report. Going forward, the monthly data will help marketers and brands to map the consumer behaviour online and devise their digital strategy accordingly – to be in sync with the online behaviour of the consumers.”

     

    Besides e-tailing, online travel and vertical classifieds, in the near future IAMAI is expected to introduce newer categories: “Yes, going forward we would be incorporating more segments” added Dr Ray.

     

    Some of the finding of the report are:

    Online Travel Portals:

    The report states that 5.83 million bookings were registered on irctc.com in June 2012 as compared to 4.30 million in June 2011, whereas airlines witnessed 1.45 million online bookings for the month of June 2012 as compared to 1.07 million in the corresponding period last year. During the quarter April-June 2012, irctc.com registered an all time high of 6.22 million e-bookings in May 2012, while e-ticketing with airlines touched 1.92 million bookings in April 2012.

     

    Source: IAMAI/ Online Travel Portals

     

    E-tailing Sites:

    Data captured from 29 e-tailing sites reports an annual increase in online user visit to spa & restaurant category from 0.61 million in June 2011 to 0.75 million in June 2012, showing a year on year growth of 24 per cent. The branded apparel category witnessed 5.39 million visits in June 2012 as compared to 4.40 million visits in the corresponding period last year. On the other hand, designer labels segment saw a y-o-y growth of 21 per cent with 1.73 million online visits registered in June 2012 as compared to 1.43 million visits in June 2011.

     

     

    Source: IAMAI/e-Commerce sites

     

    Vertical Classifieds:

    While the number of resume uploads on recruitment sites has gone down from 3.43 million in June 2011 to 2.44 million in June 2012, the profile uploads on matrimonial sites is marginally up from 2.34 million in June 2011 to 2.36 million in June 2012.

     

     

    Source: IAMAI/ Vertical Classifieds

     

    Online Traffic:

    During the quarter April-June 2012, the month of May has seen the highest traffic of online users with e-ticket bookings at irctc.com, resume uploads on recruitment sites and visits in e-tailing of branded apparels, footwear and designer labels.

     

     

     

    Source: IAMAI

     

  • Cover star of August issue Kajol is awarded 'Timeless Beauty'

    Vogue India awards best in beauty

    By A Correspondent

     

    Vogue India celebrated the best in beauty at the third edition of the Vogue Beauty Awards. The glittering awards ceremony honoured the best beauty products, services and professionals across categories ranging from skin care, anti-ageing, make-up, fragrances, hair care and hair styling.

     

    Attendees included celebrities, socialites and heads of eminent beauty brands in the country. Hosted by Vogue India editor Priya Tanna and Vogue India Beauty Editor Parizaad Khan, the event began with personalities from the beauty and glamour industry walking the red carpet followed by cocktails and the awards ceremony.  There are a total of 55 awards this year, including 42 awards related to products and services and 13 honouring the best beauty related talent.

     

    Speaking on the occasion, Priya Tanna, Editor Vogue India said: “Vogue Beauty Awards demonstrates our growing commitment towards beauty, which is integral to the magazine’s DNA as is fashion. Vogue Beauty Awards has grown from strength to strength in the past few years and has achieved distinction of becoming one of the most prestigious Beauty Awards in the industry. The overwhelming response we received last year from our readers, industry professionals and experts has encouraged us to widen the scope and reach of the awards, making it bigger and better than before.”

     

    Cover star of the Vogue August issue, Kajol received the ‘Timeless Beauty’ award, whilst ‘Most Beautiful Man’ was awarded to Farhan Akhtar and ‘Beauty of the Year’ was bagged by Deepika Padukone. Other winners included Ileana D’Cruz for ‘Fresh face’ and Diana Penty for ‘Debutant’.

     

    On being presented Timeless Beauty Kajol said: “Beauty is truly in the eye of the beholder and is eternal. You are beautiful because you believe you are. I would like to thank Vogue for giving me the Timeless Beauty Award. I also want to thank all those people who made me feel beautiful from inside, my family, friends and all those amazing fans.”

     

    Deepika Padukone on being presented ‘Beauty of the Year’ said, “My idea of beauty is embracing my strengths as well as my flaws, being confident and hardworking. It’s a great feeling to receive such a prestigious award from Vogue India.”

     

    Anil Chinnappa won Best Make-up Artist, Suresh Natarajan won Best Photographer and Angela Jonsson won Best Model. Whilst Best Hair Stylist was awarded to Savio Jon Pereira, Best Hair Colourist went to Rod Anker. The Best Skin Expert award was won by Harshna Bijlani, Best Fitness Expert by Zareen Watson and Best Nutritionist by Pooja Makhija.

     

    Over 1100 products were rigorously scrutinized and personally tested by an expert panel of judges comprising industry experts such as Mickey Contractor, Dr. Malavika Kohli, Kanta Motwani, beauty mavens Nargis Fakhri, Sonali Bendre, Simar Duggal, Namrata Barua Shroff, Nisha Jhaveri and Vogue editors Priya Tanna and Parizaad Khan.

     

    Entries were invited from all beauty brands retailing in India which were judged by the panelists through a thorough and detailed process held between March-April at the TajLand’s End.

     

  • MTunes Trending20 brings to its viewers a comprehensive analysis of audience preferences across 5 platforms

    MTunes HD launches ‘MTunes Trending20’

    By A Correspondent

     

    MTunes HD – the HD Bollywood music channel has announced the launch of a countdown show called ‘MTunes Trending20’, presented by Bharti Airtel. This is in keeping with the channel’s premise of delivering “music like never seen before”.

     

    Historically, countdown charts have been based on record sales. However, given the fact that music consumption is spread across multiple platforms these days, MTunes Trending20 brings to its viewers a comprehensive analysis of audience preferences across 5 platforms. The final chart will be compiled by leading media research firm Ormax Media.

     

    The five platforms will be Radio popularity compiled by Radio City, Digital downloads provided by Hungama, YouTube views & Heartbeats (weekly music research) by Ormax Media and audience preferences as recorded by MTunes HD. A normalized measurement formula based on TV Ratings Data, Radio Aircheck, SMS requests, downloads/usage tracking across mobile service providers and views count on popular internet video sites will be collated to generate the weekly chart.

     

    Presented by Bharti Airtel, the weekly show – scheduled to launch from August 04 every Saturday – will play the top 20 songs of the week. Through the week the top songs on MTunes Trending20 will also be highlighted on the daily play list.

     

    Speaking on the occasion, Saravanan P, CEO of MTunes HD said: “MTunes Trending20 is a reaffirmation of our promise to deliver ‘Music Like Never Seen Before’ and strengthens a long line-up of path-breaking formats like Kal Ka Superhits, Handmade and MBox already on the channel. We have pioneered the industry by launching the World’s first HD Bollywood Music Channel and are committed to consistently drive growth for our stakeholders. This show will deliver the gold standard of Bollywood music rankings to the industry and is among several initiatives in the pipeline that will make the MTunes HD viewers feel the music!” The channel is reportedly pricing the property at a premium and is confident of changing the game for the genre with its unique concept and distinct proposition.

     

    Shailesh Kapoor, CEO-Ormax Media added: “Today, music is consumed across media – television, radio, internet, mobile phones and other digital devices. MTunes Trending20 is a unique property that captures the combined effect of all these media.”

     

  • Mumbai has an estimated requirement of 34.85 lakh STBs, and so far 17.07 lakh STBs have been installed

    Mumbai completes 50% digitization target

    By A Correspondent

     

    A review by the Ministry of Information & Broadcasting has revealed that in Mumbai, 50 per cent of cable TV homes have already been installed with STBs. Mumbai has an estimated requirement of 34.85 lakh STBs, and so far 17.07 lakh STBs have been installed. The MSO-wise installation of STBs in Mumbai is:

     

    National level MSOs: Hathway – 6.16 lakh, Den – 1.40 lakh, Digicable – 2.57 lakh, IMCL – 4.77 lakh, WWIL – 50,000 Independent MSOs - 1.69 lakh.

     

    Mr Ashok Mansukhani, President, MSO Alliance and director with Hinduja-owned IndusInd Media & Communications (IMCL) said: “We are committed to complete the installation by the deadline. However, since there is no agreement with the broadcasters, it is acting as a hindrance.”

     

    In the absence of the agreement, the price of channels cannot be decided, and the same cannot be passed on to the local cable operators (LCOs). The LCOs then have a problem giving a clear price list to the customers.

     

    The Cable Television Networks (Regulation) Amendment Act, 2011 has made it mandatory for switchover from the existing analogue Cable TV networks to Digital Addressable System (DAS) by December 2014, in the entire country in four phases. In the first phase, four metro cities of Delhi, Mumbai, Kolkata and Chennai are to be covered by October 31.

     

    The Ministry has been coordinating with the stakeholders regarding the preparedness of the industry for digital switch-over. Installation of Set Top Boxes in cable TV homes is the most crucial precondition for digital switch over of cable television.

     

    The Ministry is holding fortnightly Task Force meetings with all the stakeholders to take constant stock of the progress and to chalk out the measures to address emerging concerns. So far 14 meetings have taken place. The meetings are held with National level and independent Multi-Systems Operators every 15 days to assess their preparedness in terms of head-end capacities to carry minimum 500 channels from January 1, 2012 and the progress of installation of Set Top Boxes in cable TV homes. They have also been advised to prepare micro plans for completion of the requisite task within the deadline and complete all the infrastructural preparations within time.

     

    Meanwhile, in order to enable the MSOs to up-load the data on the website of the Ministry, the Ministry has put in place a software and the website has been enabled for the purpose of real-time collection of data. The software will automatically generate analytical information based on the data uploaded, resulting in a clear view of the progress made. This will not only be useful for MSOs and other stakeholders but also for the Ministry, as it will infuse transparency in the system, and enable timely corrective action.