MxMIndia

Tag: Ambika Soni

  • Pradyuman Maheshwari reacts to the many claims made by the MIB in a 'Bharat Nirman' series ad

    Time to call Minster’s bluff. 6.5/10 performance by UPA-run I&B ministry

     

    By Pradyuman Maheshwari

     

    It’s perhaps unfair to damn only Information and Broadcasting Minister Manish Tewari for his performance. Successive occupants of that office – under various regimes – have made a mess of things over the years. Right from the time of BV Keskar, the first mantri who banned Hindi film songs on Vividh Bharati to occupants such as LK Advani, IK Gujral and Sushma Swaraj who didn’t do much for the sector. Ministers like Priyaranjan Dasmunshi and Anand Sharma were on war with many broadcasters and Ambika Soni was by far the best of them all though the digitization execution process was messed up when she was at the helm.

     

    Earlier this week, as part of the Bharat Nirman series of ads, the DAVP inserted an ad making several claims under the headline “Empowering People Through A Liberal Information Order”.

     

    I think it’s important that someone were to call the minister and ministry’s bluff. The text in italics is my response to the points made in the ad.

    • Several policies issued and implemented for the liberalization of Print Media Sector in last 10 years

    Is it? Like? Save appeasing the sector with DAVP ad hikes, there’s precious little done 

    • Television industry grew from Rs 18,300 crore in 2006 to Rs 50,140 crore in 2014

    This would have happened any which way. No marks for the UPA 

    • Total number of TV channels increased from 130 in 2014 to 788 in 2014

    Again no credit to UPA for this. In fact, the government has been sitting on many applications and approvals over the last few months 

    • 3 Crore Set-Top Boxes installed in the first two phases of digitization

    Yes, Digitization is an achievement of the government. But look at what happened with it? Chennai is not fully digitized. Kolkata faced several hiccups. Phase 2 is nearly 90 percent, which is heartening 

    • New policy guidelines for Television Rating Agencies issued in 2014

    One is not very sure whether the government should be getting into policing television audience measurement. That should be left for the industry. Thankfully, the government hasn’t got into IRS or advising ad duration on radio and column centimetres/ad-edit ratio in print 

    • New policy guidelines issued for Headend in the Sky (HITS) Broadcasting Services and Internet Protocol Television (IPTV)

    It is fine to issue guidelines, but an IPTV, for instance, has been a non-starter. And HITS is just about a nice acronym 

    • Radio industry grew from Rs 600 crore in 2006 to Rs 1540 crore in 2014

    Would’ve grown more had news been allowed. Isn’t it ironic that all and sundry can start news channels – on satellite and cable – and our radio folks aren’t trusted? 

    • 245 FM channels in 85 cities since 2005. In the next phase 839 channels proposed in 294 cities

    Phase III? Ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha. Phase III has become a joke. We’ve heard about it just so often. Even the Mumbai Metro would’ve started, but our government would be sitting on the papers. 

    • Community radio stations increased from 64 in 2009 to 163 in 2014

    For a country of a billion-plus people, 163 community radio stations is an apology. Not enough done to evangelise it.

    • Foreign Direct Investment for five segments of broadcasting sector revised in 2012

    And what about news? So FDI can be upped in critical segments like telecom, but not so in news. Just why?

     

    • Overhaul of the Cinematograph Act, 1952 by Justice Mudgal Committee

    Some welcome steps here? Implemented? 

    • National Media Centre with ultra modern facilities inaugurated

    No point having just one in Central Delhi. The Central Telegraph Offices in various cities which had press rooms should’ve been upgraded too. News journalists exist in other parts of the country too, Mr Minsiter! 

    • National Museum of Indian Cinema being set up in Mumbai

    Better late than never… but would’ve been nicer to coincide with 100 years of cinema.

     

    What the ad doesn’t tell us is the several things the government hasn’t been able to achieve. Make Doordarshan an independent and top quality pubcaster like the BBC, for instance. Some attempts to improve DD News were nullified by interference in newsroom operations.

     

    Ever since Manish Tewari has taken charge as the Minister, he has waxed eloquent on the paradoxes of the industry qua (his favourite word) exigencies of the business. He has even tried to police the cable trade on ownership issues since the networks in his home state of Punjab are managed by his political rivals.

     

    The government has tried its best to keep the issue of self-regulation issues alive by scaring the news media on and off. Under the pretext of protecting the interests of consumers, the 10+2 ad cap was introduced which saw much resistance from news broadcasters.

     

    The government hasn’t been able to do much on Paid News. Newspapers still carry paid content with or without disclaimers in fine print.

     

    So how would you rate the last 10 years of the UPA-run I&B Ministry? I would give it a 6 on 10. Okay, let’s make it 6.5, because it could’ve even gotten worse.

     

  • MxMIndia spoke to the heads of the broadcast, MSO and cable lobbies on the first phase of mandatory digitization in the 3 metros

    Stakeholder view of one month of digitization

     

    By Ananya Saha

     

    It has been a month of mandatory digitization in the three metros of Mumbai, Delhi and Kolkata. Even though government officials may make us believe that the metros are completely digitized, , the ground reality appears to be different. Analogue signals continue to be available, and not all stakeholders are happy with the way things are shaping up. Meanwhile, in Chennai, the digitzation hearing has been postponed by four weeks. It is likely to happen only by December 31, though given a cloud over whether the government will be allowed to run a cable service (in Arasu Cable),  will be allowed to be

     

    Man Jit singh

    Calling the Phase I a tremendous success for industry, Man Jit Singh, President of the Indian Broadcasting Federation (IBF) and CEO, Multi Screen Media said, “Digitization has been a huge success. The kinds of effort that was done to get digitized, no where in the world have we seen this kind of achievement has been done. Kolkata has not reached 100% digitization yet, but I think it will get there.” He also acknowledged that fact that there are few illegal signals in Delhi and Mumbai but assured that the IBF is working with other stakeholders to have these illegal signals completely switched off.

     

     

    Roop Sharma

    On the other hand, Roop Sharma, President, Cable Operators Federation of India (COFI) highlighted how none of the promises made on digitization by MIB have been achieved so far. She said, said, “During Parliament discussion on the Cable TV Act Amendment Bill last November, the then I&B Minister Ambika Soni said digitization will provide choice of channels to consumers-through a-la-carte selection, provide high quality service, controlled pricing of pay channels and thus lowered billing to consumers, and that consumer to pay only for what they wish to watch. Consumers were to get internet video-on-demand and value added services through set-top-boxes, and she had said that small cable operators will not be rendered unemployed, there will be transparency and correct accounting of channel viewership, govt will get tax on all connections as no under-declaration will exist, and that there will be no ambiguity in TRP ratings. Now, with one month of digitisation over, has this been achieved?” She is of the view that nothing that I&B Minister had promised the Parliament has been achieved yet and still, the Ministry has announced successful completion of phase I and started roll out of phase II.

     

    The figures

    Swapan Chowdhury

    Currently, according to various stakeholders, over 95% digitization has been achieved in Delhi and Mumbai even as Kolkata trails behind with quite a less percentage. Swapan Chowdhury, General Secretary, Cable & Broadband Operators’ Welfare Association, Kolkata, however, estimated, “Mumbai achieved 75% digitization and 70% in Delhi while digitization in Kolkata is only about 40-45%.”

     

    Mr Chowdhury also said that the actual activation of set-top boxes in November for Kolkata has been than a lakh. Arvind Prabhoo, Owner, Orbit Television Network, Mumbai said that the actual reason behind high numbers from Mumbai is because of stopping of analogue signals. “Most of the networks have reported 90-95% switchover in Mumbai. This figure has happened after the stoppage of analogue signals. We were hardly touching 60-65% before the analogue signals were not switched off. Even then, at least 35-40% people have not taken to digitisation voluntarily.” Though the piracy is still an issue in some pockets of Mumbai, over 8-9 lakh STBs were installed this month alone.

     

    Certainties and Uncertainties

    “There are certain distributors who have not made their pricing policy clear yet. There us a lot of confusion over revenue-sharing. One of the major issue is Entertainment Tax. If the govt charges Rs 45 per STB connection, does that mean every house that has two television sets, pays Rs 90 entertainment tax,” voiced Mr Prabhoo.

     

    Ms Sharma said that broadcasters are making lumpsum deals with MSOs for pay channels and not based on the number of consumers opting for those channels. “Hence, there are no accurate figures. Discrimination is rampant. Rates of pay channels are not based on market demand but whims of the large content aggregators, vertical monopoy business houses/ companies like MediaPro who enjoy monopoly in pay TV content distribution,” she remarked.

     

    Ashok Mansukhani

    Although, the DTH operators this writer reached were unavailable for comment, there have been mixed reports on its success rate. While one report says it has done well in the Capital where the availability of analogue signals has been low, MSO Alliance chief Ashok Mansukhani has another view. “DTH is surprised at its poor performance. They need to take a call on what they are upto: have they grown in the last six months,” he asked. “According to statistics, it’s 70:30 in favour of cable and that is not going to change soon. Where did cable have the capacity to retain 70% of cable base? For DTH, there is enormous churn which is as much as 33% of the total amount claimed. And how come the government doesn’t take the churn into account,” asks Mr Mansukhani.

     

    While Ms Sharma and Mr Prabhoo said that the issue of carriage fees has not been sorted out yet either, Mr Man Jit Singh sounded optimistic, “We expect there will be decrease in carriage fees as digitization rolls out for simple reason that the capacity constraint of analogue system will go away. However, carriage fees is not going away completely and it will take time. Both broadcasters and MSOs are working together to make a gradual transition to reach a stage economically in the short run so that it sorts itself out in the long run. We feel that carriage fees is moving in the right direction.”

     

    Phase II: Lessons from Phase I

    Phase I was not a smooth ride. And Phase II will be even tougher since it will be rolled out in 38 cities simultaneously. Apart from stronger communication aimed at the end consumer, the stakeholders need to tighten their belt for doing their bits too.

     

    Mr Mansukhani said that in the second phase, more attention should be given to the consumers and less to the broadcaster. “Awareness creation by all stakeholders is necessary since once people are aware, they are open to change. In the phase I, we were not communicated on the need of digitization and we still do not know why digitisation is happening,” said Mr Prabhoo.

     

    Ms Sharma said insisted that for the next phase transparency is required on each level: between broadcasters and channel aggregators; between channel aggregators and MSOs; between MSOs and LCOs and between LCOs and consumers. “Digital Cable System is new and is not tried and tested. Lots of teething problems, application hazards are poping up which needs to be addressed. Redressal of all such issues should be considered on practical ground and not on any task force or ministrial meeting. The first phase of digitization is practically incomplete. Supply of STB in the first phase is inadequate, the pressure of second phase will push the process into much more complication. Authority is not accepting the time for settling down for supply of STB and the technology,”said Mr Chowdhury.

     

    Mr Singh concluded, “The early seeding of boxes and getting the message out to consumers that they need to get their boxes early is one key message. IBF’s campaign to build public awareness was extremely effective and we should continue with that campaign for phase II. The ministry’s effort to coordinate with all stakeholders was in excellent trend that should continue. If anything, I think MIB  is going to take even more proactive stance of monitoring the actual implementation of the roll out of boxes city by city. So I think a lot of the learning from phase 1 will apply to Phase 2 and it is very positive.”

     

  • While the former I&B Minister was successful in warding off complainants of television content, there were various measures that didn’t happen in her tenure

    Mediaah Report Card on Ambika Soni: 7/10

    By Pradyuman Maheshwari

     

    Although I would hold her responsible for the mess that we have in digitization, Ambika Soni was among the better I&B Ministers we have had in the last decade.

     

    In my report card, I would give her a 7 on 10.

     

    In fact had it not been for digitization and the lack of gamechanging vision, she’s could’ve scored higher.

     

    Remember she took over from Anand Sharma and earlier Priyaranjan Dasmunshi who had made life tough for industry practitioners.  Ms Soni’s tenure came as a breath of fresh air. Reportedly, the advisory she received from her predecessors was that she shouldn’t go easy on media biggies, but she would’ve none of that.

     

    Everyone has a view on the content dished out on television and in the print media. Parliamentarians, legislators and politicians of all hues, consumer and advocacy groups, corporate, citizens, et al would engage with her to act on their demands. For instance, Balika Vadhu in Colors was found by some to be glorifying child marriage or Sach Ka Saamna and Bigg Boss were found to be unfit for family viewing. Ms Soni heard the complaints and kept the complainants at bay. The general entertainment channels must thank the former minister to ward off a variety of pressures.

     

    I think just letting various players do their job with a nudge here and there was an achievement. Ms Soni also ensured that entertainment and news broadcasters work out an effective self-regulatory mechanism. This had had its share of hiccups in the past, but in her tenure it happened.

     

    Ambika soni

    But though her progressive outlook ensured that the industry benefitted, various factors pull her down in this appraisal. In fact, according to one magazine study a few years back, she was judged to be a non-performer.

     

    Let’s look at the areas where Ms Soni failed:

     

    1. Doordarshan. The pubcaster had turned 50 in 2009 and there was an opportunity to make it a more professional BBC-like body. Didn’t happen.

    2. Radio. News on FM radio is not allowed due to some silly Home Ministry objections even as there are several cable channels in every nook and corner of the country.

    3. Paid news. If paid news is being discussed much it’s thanks to the Election Commission and a section of the fraternity. The minister had an opportunity to cleanse the system, but she didn’t want to upset the holy cows in the business

    4. Tougher on measures: Had she adopted a sterner stand and asked the industry to act faster, we wouldn’t have seen an NDTV taking TAM to court as BARC would’ve been set up and offered the necessary guidelines.

    5. Digitization. Agreed it’s a bold measure and it’s in her tenure that it gained momentum and was being executed. But the fact that it didn’t was all thanks to the way her ministry went about the task. Even as there are just two days to go, 100 per cent digitization will take another two or three months to happen in the four metros.

     

    Could this embarrassment have been avoided? Yes, of course.

     

    I am also shocked at how and why she quit less than a week before what was decidedly the biggest thing in Media and Entertainment in the last decade. Bigger than DTH and other policy initiatives. Yes, it’s a good idea that a senior political leader goes back to help the party in the run-up to the elections, but why do it when the Sunset Date is just a week after?

     

    Why did the Prime Minister allow her to do so? Why did the UPA chairperson allow it?

     

    This, I guess, is the reality check for all of us in the media. The powers that be don’t really care.

     

    As for Madame Soni’s score in my report card. 7/10. And a red line for being irresponsible and leaving the ministry a week before her biggest project was being executed.

     

    Pradyuman Maheshwari is Editor-in-Chief, MxMIndia. The views expressed here are his own. Inbox him at pradyumanm@mxmindia.com or use the messageboard below

     

  • The new I&B minister will need to take some quick decisions on digitization as predecessor Ambika Soni leaves ministry days before the Indian broadcast sector's most critical and gamechanging action since a long time.

    Manish Tewari is new I&B minister

    By A Correspondent

     

    Manish Tewari

    It’s a well-deserved reward for a loyal Congress soldier. Lok Sabha member from Punjab, 45-year-old Manish Tewari, was appointed minister to head the vital Information and Broadcasting Ministry yesterday. Although ranked Minister of State, Mr Tewari gets independent charge.

    He still needs to get the handover notes from predecessor and senior party colleague Ambika Soni, but he’s got some quick decisions to take on the digitization issue. Although his first response to the waiting media was that he would speak to all stakeholders as well as with Ms Soni, unless the High Court in Mumbai intervenes, he will need to take some quick decisions.

    On the issue of curbs, Mr Tewari said “self-regulation is the best regulation”.

    The relationship of the UPA-2 government and the media has been rocky with the government at the receiving end for its conduct. There have also been charges against the media for crossing its line and last week, Congress MP Naveen Jindal went public with allegations against editors of Zee News.

    Earlier, Ms Soni resigned as the I&B minister in order to work for the party in the run-up to the 2014 general elections. While it’s not an uncommon practice for senior ministers to quit to mobilize the party machinery ahead of a general election, the decision was untimely as it came less than a week from when the most critical and gamechanging action of the government for the broadcast sector was to happen on November 1.

    See:

    Manish Tewari Lok Sabha member profile: http://mib.nic.in/ShowContentOne.aspx?id=1&Section=7

    Manish Tewari profile: http://manishtewari.info/Work_Profile.html

     

    Photograph: I&B ministry website

  • The Chief Minister of NCT of Delhi assured the Minister of Information and Broadcasting of the Delhi government's full support for the digitization exercise

    73% digitization target achieved; Ambika Soni meets Delhi CM

    By A Correspondent

     

    Ambika Soni, Minister for Information and Broadcasting, met the Chief Minister of NCT of Delhi, Shiela Dixit, to discuss the progress made towards cable TV digitization on Sunday. In the four metro cities of Chennai, Delhi, Kolkata and Mumbai, the cable TV digitization deadline is October 31. During discussions Ms Soni emphasized the importance of meeting the deadline and sought the support of the Delhi government. The Chief Minister of NCT of Delhi assured the Minister of Information and Broadcasting of the Delhi government’s full support for the digitization exercise. She also asked the Chief Secretary to ask all SDMs to convene meetings with stakeholders to achieve digitization roadmap well within the time.

     

    The ministry has embarked on an aggressive public awareness campaign on the digitization deadline, on more than 200 television channels. Radio jingles, print advertisements and SMS campaigns have also enhanced public awareness about the digitization exercise. With all these efforts, digitization percentage in the four metro cities has gone to 73 percent.

     

  • Ms Soni said that she always had issues with the number of boxes put up by TAM, as it (such a small number) was not enough to gauge the mood of a diverse nation like India

    Government concerned about TAM data: Ambika Soni

    By Vijaya Rathore

     

    The government has been concerned about the discrepancies in TAM Media Research’s TV viewership data for a while now, and has even questioned their methodology and transparency, Union information & broadcasting minister Ambika Soni said on Wednesday.

     

    In an exclusive interview to ET, Ms Soni said that she always had issues with the number of boxes put up by TAM, as it (such a small number) was not enough to gauge the mood of a diverse nation like India.  “I have asked questions about the methodology of TAM. I knew that they were not being transparent. When it came to the number of boxes, rural areas were not covered. Very populated states such as UP and Bihar were not covered.

     

    So, I felt that 7,000 boxes could hardly be indicative. How can you put boxes as conveniently as you want to and not cover more than half of the country?” the minister asked.

     

    Following NDTV’s lawsuit against Nielsen and Kantar Media – the co-owners of TAM Media Research – the I&B ministry has decided to support Prasar Bharati, the state broadcaster and the Directorate of Advertising and Visual Publicity (DAVP), the government’s media buying arm, to take legal action against TAM. Ms Soni said that the ministry is also open to support the broadcasters “provided they lodge a formal complaint with the government against TAM.”

     

    NDTV has filed a lawsuit against the companies in a New York court alleging TAM fudged TV viewership data to favour a few broadcasters for a bribe. Both NDTV and TAM have refused to comment on the issue.

     

    Concerned by the developments, broadcasters and advertisers are now asking TAM to stop publishing its data, and have been meeting the government on the issue.

     

    “Today everybody is talking about TAM… why didn’t we talk about it all this while? The issue was raised by the ministry and me several times in the past. I am glad that this issue is now coming out in the open, as this clearly shows that there is need for competition,” Ms Soni said.

     

    According to the minister, lack of transparency in TAM’s system does not only concern broadcasters, advertisers and media agencies, but also Prasar Bharati that operates Doordarshan and All India Radio.

     

    “Prasar Bharati is collecting facts and the figures and finally even they decide to put up a lawyer. We will have to allocate resources for which permissions have to be taken. If Prasar Bharati and DAVP feel that they have to take a legal action (against TAM), they will do so in consultation with the I&B ministry and the law ministry,” she said. In 2011-12, DAVP’s advertising spend was Rs 618 crore.

     

    Ms Soni said that there is a need to have an alternative to TAM, which is why Broadcast Audience Research Council (BARC) is underway: “We have had several meetings with the Indian Broadcasting Federation on BARC. I have had four meetings (from 2010-12).”

     

    Asked if she thought a tighter regulatory mechanism needs to be evolved to check such discrepancies in future, the minister said, “There have been  suggestions for setting up regulatory bodies for content, and to censor realty shows, but the government is against any strong regulatory mechanism and we are for self-regulation.”

     

    Source: The Economic Times

    Copyright © 2012, Bennett, Coleman & Co. Ltd. All Rights Reserved

     

  • But there is a cautious optimism among industry players as far as ad spends in the medium is concerned

    Industry welcomes DAVP plans to embrace digital with cautious optimism

    By A Correspondent

     

    Directorate of Advertising and Visual Publicity (DAVP), the multi-media advertising agency of the Government of India, in its Annual Report 2011-2012 stated that out of the total value of advertisements released by DAVP, 15 per cent goes to small newspapers, 35 per cent to medium newspapers and 50 per cent goes to big category of newspapers. DAVP also has an audio visual wing which undertakes various advertising or publicity campaigns through various other multimedia vehicles like the television, radio, out of home and now even the internet and mobile.

     

    In what could be a shot in the arm for the digital industry, DAVP has been conducting pilot projects on websites and through SMSes. According to DAVP’s Annual Report 2011- 2012, 33 of India’s top websites were empanelled for releasing advertisements. In addition to this, more than 110 advertisements via SMSes were also sent.

     

    Rajan Anandan

    According to Mr Rajan Anandan, VP and Managing Director, Google India: “This is a welcome development for the entire digital advertising industry. With over 120 million Internet users in the country, digital is already the third largest advertising medium in terms of revenue in the country. It’s too early to talk about the impact, but it’s definitely a step in the right direction as the overall marketing/advertising approach is making a shift to being more accountable and measurable.”

     

    In fact on July 26, The Sectoral Innovation Council by the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting submitted a list of recommendations to the Minister of Information and Broadcasting, Ms Ambika Soni. One of these recommendations stated: ‘New Media should be utilised for media campaigns by the government’. In addition to this, it also recommended that ‘E-mode transactions should be a priority for the functions of DAVP, RNI, CBFC and licensing activities of the Government for ensuring transparency’.

     

    Arpan Chatterjee

    Mr Arpan Chatterjee, online media professional and consultant with webdunia.com noted: “This is a logical extension by DAVP to focus on digital media, which is generating a critical mass in the country. It is to be noted that DAVP started digitization of its own system of issuing release order and payments to media companies over a year back and the fact that it is now looking at digital media more seriously was only a matter of time. DAVP’s move to enter the digital media will only add to the importance of the digital medium, but how it uses the medium is something one has to wait and watch. DAVP ads can also help create certain guidelines for internet advertising in India, which currently is self-regulated.”

     

    Even before these recommendations were made by the Sectoral Council, the IAMAI (Internet & Mobile Association of India) is said to have lobbied hard to bring a shift in the government’s approach towards digital media. The IAMAI is also said to have played a key role in getting the mobile SMS aggregators empanelled.

     

    Dr Subho Ray

    Dr Subho Ray, President – Internet & Mobile Association of India (IAMAI) explained: “Today with 100 million internet users and growing every day, digital is the most cost effective way to reach out to youth and, through them, their parents. The engagement with internet and mobile of the youth is very deep and the relevance of the message too gets transmitted on this medium. Young urban voters aged between 18 and 35 are a major constituency today for all political parties. And the internet, whether through mobile or PC, has surfaced as the best medium to reach this group.”

     

    DAVP recently revamped its website with an aim to make it user-friendly, it has also adopted digitization by issuing release orders and payments to media companies online. In fact the Ministry of Tourism is said to have been one of the early adapters and a large advertiser online. While these developments also show the government’s willingness to use digital, nevertheless what remains to be seen is how effectively the medium is used by the government in the long run.

     

    Mr Gyan Gupta, CEO, Dainik Bhaskar Digital Division pointed out that although these are good recommendations and a welcome step, it all depends on how much DAVP is willing to spend on digital. Just like any other medium, digital too needs a sizable ad spend: “DAVP has started this process last year and the trial is still on. Although this is a fantastic move, the question really boils down to how much is the government willing to spend on digital? What will be the ad spend from DAVP on digital? Digital today has become the third largest medium with increasing reach – it has become a medium which cannot be ignored. But, if the government is not willing to spend a sizeable amount or if each publisher does not get a decent money or ad revenue then it is not worth it, it will be irrelevant.”

     

    Mr Gupta too had a set of recommendations for the DAVP, which is said to have had a consensus among the other local language publishers: “First, they have to look at the categorization of the website very clearly and second, DAVP must also ensure that enough volume of advertisement is pumped into digital.”

     

    Now that more and more people are gaining access to the internet and spending more time online, not just in urban but also in rural India, perhaps the government has realized that it is a medium it can no longer ignore. With the 2014 general elections fast approaching, the government is expected to increase its advertising spends in order to showcase its achievements and with the Council’s recommendations to use digital, the government could well use digital extensively to reach out to the youth.

     

    Mr Upen Rai, Director, Times Internet Ltd, observed: “By bringing digital publishers into the DAVP fold, the signals are very clear from I&B ministry that it is digital all the way. With e-filing of taxes and other e-govt frays including Passport Kendras, it was a matter of time! Next stop would ideally be its relevance to general elections, yes this time around social, and digital will play a large part… Watch out for this space…”

     

    The 2009 Lok Sabha elections or general elections saw political parties advertising online and the next general elections could well see political parties further increasing their spends online.

     

    BG Mahesh

    Mr BG Mahesh, Founder and MD, Oneindia.in said: “Considering the contribution of Government ads in Print and TV channels, if the similar importance is given to the digital medium, it will be a very good sign for the Digital industry. It will not only fuel the higher growth rate for the digital industry, but will also provide the government a better connect with youth of country who spend a lot of time on Internet. Furthermore, if DAVP also extend the digital spends to mobile internet, the reach would be much broader as today phones with internet connections, or smart phone, start from as low as Rs5,000 and their dependence on electricity is very less as compare to desktop/laptops.”

     

    So, how would the youth of today react to government advertisements? Will it have any positive impact on them? Ms Chhaya Balachandran Aiyer, CEO and MD, BCWebWise said: “Awareness will increase, and we can pave the way for a betterIndia. We will see more open forums, debates and discussions. There are perils of uncensored content, at the same time, and this is something India needs today.”

     

    Chhaya Balachandran Aiyer

    So, while the industry has welcomed the Sectoral Innovation Council’s recommendation that the Government must utilise the new age media for its media campaigns, there is a cautious optimism among industry players as far as ad spends in the medium is concerned.

     

    Mr Anurag Gupta, MD, DGM India stated: “Government spending should be seen in the same light as spending by any brand. A marketer spends his monies where the users are, and if users are online then the best way to reach them is by advertising online! Any online media consumer whether it is youth or the older people will react to online advertising by the Government in pretty much the same manner as they would seeing the same ad in print or on TV.”

     

    Anurag Gupta

    Nonetheless if the government approves of these recommendations and does increase its digital ad spends, it would be a major boost for the entire digital industry particularly for increasing the digital advertising revenue. Currently, DAVP ad spends seem majorly skewed towards print and, to an extent, even television. However as the government increasingly uses the new age medium, what kind of implications digital advertising may have on DAVP ad spends only remains to be seen.

     

  • The primary objective was to design a policy ecosystem in which new ideas would be integrated into the mainstream and get converted into policy initiatives by the government

    MIB looks ahead as Sectoral Innovation Council recommends embracing tech & new media

    By A Correspondent

     

    The Sectoral Innovation Council of the Ministry of Information & Broadcasting, under the Chairpersonship of Ms Asha Swarup, Retd Secretary, Government of India, on July 26 submitted its report to Minister for Information & Broadcasting, Ms Ambika Soni.  The primary objective was to design a policy ecosystem in which new ideas would be integrated into the mainstream and get converted into policy initiatives by the government.

     

    Ms Soni said that the issues deliberated upon by the Council would be looked into by the Ministry in the policy domain. The recommendations made by the Council in different Media and Entertainment sectors would act as a roadmap in the future. The Council, in its report, analysed the growth potential of the media & entertainment industry by recommending changes in critical areas such as broadcasting, print media, animation, gaming and VFX, Media education and films.

     

    The Council has made 64 recommendations in seven areas concerning the media and entertainment sector. Some of the key recommendations are:

    1. A comprehensive policy media policy that integrates all existing media segments and addresses the emergent issues. The council has recommended bringing out a National Media Policy that addresses the new media landscape.

    2. The government may look into the existing licensing procedures and requirements to ensure further liberalization and reforms in the broadcasting sector.

    3. Content innovation is required in the radio segment which would be possible only if the government comes up with a separate licensing model for niche channels.

    4. Ministry of I&B, as the policy head of public service broadcasting and community radio service could come out with a formal arrangement by which CRS could provide community based programme content to AIR and AIR could provide capacity building and training to CRS workers in content creation, management and operation of stations.

    5. The process of digitalization in DD and AIR was likely to release airwaves which after due utilization in house could be used for creating a public service broadcasting fund in line with USO fund of telecom sector. This fund could be utilized exclusively for public service broadcasting.

    6. In view of the potential in the films sector, the Council has recommended a National Film Policy that will address the role of the government vis-à-vis the private sector.

    7. Film Institutes in the country may be upgraded to ‘Centres of Excellence’. In the long term, these Centres of Excellence could become part of a Central University of Films, Broadcasting and Animation by an appropriate legislation.

    8. The government must have a National Policy for Animation, Gaming and VFX.

    9. The government should go for co-production treaties in the animation sector to ensure flow of international projects toIndia. Ministry could also consider giving responsibility to the Children’s Film Society and Doordarshan to produce animated content and create Indian IP.

    10. Reliable Single Source Data on all mediums of advertising should be made available by the government so that advertisers are able to take decisions on reliable data.

    11. Government should interact with key stakeholders and expedite a consensus on developing an alternative to TAM so that an appropriate mechanism is developed with industry participation to study audience viewing and listening behaviour and bring out reports on weekly basis.

    12. Government should regulate media education to ensure orderly growth of the discipline as part of higher education.

    13. Like medical education and technical education, Media Education to be regulated by a new organisation known as Media Education Council. The Media Education Council should be assigned the task of setting up curriculum for all levels, so that standardised curriculum with national accreditation becomes a possibility.

    14. There is need to make IIMC, FTII and SRFTI into real centres of excellence.

    15. The government should reformat the course curriculum, improve faculty of the institutes. These institutions could either be separate universities or become a part of one central university.

    16. National Awards for Innovation in different segments of M&E Sector be instituted by the ministry.

    17. New Media should be utilized for media campaigns by the government.

    E-mode transactions should be a priority for the functions of DAVP, RNI, CBFC and licensing activities of the Government for ensuring transparency.

     

    The Sectoral Innovation Council was set up on July 28, 2011 as part of the Government of India’s initiative of declaring 2010- 2020 as the Decade of Innovation. Accordingly, the Government set up a National Innovation Council with Mr Sam Pitroda as Chairman and 16 distinguished members. The members of the I&B Sectoral Innovation Council comprised of Chairperson, Ms Asha Swarup, retired Secretary, Government of India and 10 other distinguished members from the field of media and entertainment.

     

  • Just a little over three months to go for digitization in the four metros and it looks like we're going to see a replay of the same ol' story

    The Anchor: 5 reasons why Digitization may not happen even by Oct 31

    By Pradyuman Maheshwari

     

    It was unfortunate to see broadcasters forced to change their business projections and content strategies when digitization was less than a month away from the scheduled dates in June. And, now, the information one seems to be getting from the ground in the four metros is that the October 31 deadline also may not be met with.

     

    1. Momentum is lost: TAM CEO LV Krishnan said this in an interview to me last week. The urgency to go in for set-top boxes and the momentum that existed in April and May has been lost.

    2. The masses will wait and watch. Making it mandatory for cable operators and MSOs responsible for giving info is of no use. It’s the public – you and me – who have to be motivated enough to buy the box and go digital.  Don’t be surprised if the conversions fail  to pick up till the last week…

    3. Analogue will not vanish in the lower strata: TAM may not measure these homes in the four metros, but that’s not really a concern for lakhs of families who can’t afford a set-top box and the revised tariff.And just as it’s impossible to control petty crime, I don’t think the government will be able to nab the pirates in the metros.

    4. Old set-tops offer < 500 channels: Remember, the true pleasures of digitization will be felt only when you can watch those obscure television channels… Jewelry Television, may be. Or Create, a channel that shows D-I-Y and assorted instructional programming. Regrettably, many of those who embraced digital early own set-top boxes that may not be able to accommodate 500 without a tweak

    5. MIB must lead from the front: Any significant process for change must be led from the front and with the minister, her deputies and the secretariat on the ground. Are they doing it? No visible signs yet.

     

  • Unless Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu and Bengalsee the DAS in their own interest, Mrs Soni and her two key satraps won't make progress beyond impotent bluster, says Rohit Bansal

    The Anchor: Rohit Bansal on 5 must-dos for the sun to rise on Digitization on Nov 1

    By Rohit Bansal

     

    1. Govt and Ambika Soni must stay

    To state the obvious, for The Cable Television Networks (Regulation) Amendment Act, 2011 to kick in the mandatory switchover of the existing analogue cable TV networks to Digital Addressable System (DAS) in the four metros of Delhi, Mumbai, Kolkata and Chennai, the government must survive.

     

    Even if that’s a given, the minister Mrs Ambika Soni mustn’t be allowed to meander into party work. If she does, a new minister will take his or her own to time settle down, and pernicious lobbies for a status quo will have an upper hand.

     

    2. Ambika Soni and her babus get three states into action

    Though Shastri Bhavan bears the mantle of implementing the Act, the ministry of information and broadcasting (MIB) has no boots on the ground. So, unless Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu andBengalsee the DAS in their own interest, Mrs Soni, Uday Varma and Rajeev Takru, her two key satraps, won’t make progress beyond impotent bluster.

     

    3. There’s deeper monitoring and a few scalps on the lamp post

    Albeit coming late, TRAI regulations on Tariff & Interconnection would have had enough time since April 30 to sink in. The Quality of Service Regulations and the Consumer Complaint Redressal Regulations would have existed since May 14, requiring every Broadcaster and MSO to publish its Reference Interconnect Offer within 30 days of issue of the regulation, and the stipulated 30 days for negotiations between Broadcasters and MSOs, and thereafter, the MSOs and LCOs to arrive at agreements for us ordinary Joes would have been exhausted many times over. No one could then cite lack of time for fuzziness over the terms and conditions for installing Set Top Boxes and the prices of channels on an a-la-carte as well as on a bouquet basis. Also, every MSO or its linked Cable Operator would have no excuse for failing to put a Consumer Complaint Redressal System consisting of a complaint centre with toll free consumer care number, web based complaint monitoring system, as well as appoint or designate one or more nodal officers and publish consumer’s charter for DAS.

     

    Thus Verma and Takru have their tasks cut out. Implementation is their dharma, the concerned states their believers.

     

    4. ISRO delivers the promised launch

    For any stick that Takru and Varma may hold, the cable operator is wily enough to dodge them. What she can’t is if Indian Space Research Organisation’s much-delayed GSAT-7 multi-band satellite, carrying payloads in UHF [ultra-high frequency], S-band, C-band and Ku-band, leaves the ground and starts doing some work. It would then be left to Doordarshan’s Tripurari Sharan to show his mettle and put together a free-to-air DTH platform of 200+ channels on GSAT-7. If Sharan can swing that, the cablewalla will embrace DAS with a measure of fear if not conviction.

     

    5. The DTH Gorilla Begins to Maraud

    These folks have sat on their backsides sleeping over the opportunity that “DAS Confusion” presents to them. If only they can get cable operators to become LMOs and leverage some Rs6,000crore residing in their war chests, the pure-play cablewalla will see more in digitization than what the long-arm of the regulation can ever achieve by scaring him.

     

    Rohit Bansal is CEO & Co-Founder, Hammurabi & Solomon Consulting

     

     

  • The I&B ministry ought to have known that the June 30 sunset date for the four metros was unachievable, writes Pradyuman Maheshwari

    Mediaah! Why Ambika Soni is to blame for the delay in digitization

    By Pradyuman Maheshwari

     

    I have been a huge fan of the current information and broadcasting minister Ambika Soni. After the likes of Priyaranjan Dasmunshi and Anand Sharma, Madame Soni’s tenure came as a breath of fresh air. And a much-needed one, because she didn’t make life miserable for the broadcasters like her predecessors did (and I am told wanted her to).

     

    The I&B minister’s job is a thankless one. Several hundred Parliamentarians and politicians, consumer groups, corporates, lobbies and alert citizens writing to her with comments and requests, and most of which cannot be ignored.  If Colors didn’t face any problems with Balika Vadhu or Star Plus didn’t have to pull out Sach Ka Saamna, it’s thanks to the minister warding off various pressures.

     

    I think just keeping all these complainants at bay and letting the various players do their job is an achievement. She has also gently ensured that news and non-news broadcasters adopt a stringent (and effective) self-regulatory mechanism.

     

    So what’s the problem? Well, part of it is thanks to successive I&B secretaries having short tenures. Uday Kumar Varma, the incumbent, also has a two-year stint prior to retirement or an extension. Mr Varma has the advantage of having worked with MIB in the past at senior positions so he didn’t spend a few months understanding the nuances of the job as a few of his predecessors may have had to.

     

    Over the last few months, several industry captains and observers have told me that the ministry is inefficient which I have vociferously countered by saying Ms Soni’s achievements need to be counted by her proactive opposition to regressive forces. At least one CEO even told that me that I was too pro-MIB. Perhaps, but that’s because she’s not regressive.

     

    However, the fact is that the ministry lacks the initiative to deliver on bold measures. Nothing happened with Doordarshan even as much was promised when it celebrated its golden jubilee in 2009. The radio sector is still floundering: there is still no news on radio even as television stations even in the most sensitive of zones in the country are allowed to air news. The minister wasn’t able to stand up to her colleague in the food and consumer affairs department on ad regulation and more recently it’s made a mess of the entire digitization process.

     

    The Minister and her secretariat were aware of the requirements of the process, so even before accepting the TRAI regulations, they ought to have looked at whether the Sunset Date of June 30 was achievable. It wasn’t as most stakeholders told us.

     

    Even now, as a few of the people familiar with the situation on the ground have told me that October 31 is going to be a tough ask.

     

    It’s critical that the government monitors the execution carefully and ensures that there is no room for any further delays. Care must also be taken to ensure that the respective state governments and municipal corporations are taken into confidence… especially in Chennai and Kolkata.

     

    As to those who raise the bogey that digitization puts television out of the reach of the lowest common denominator, the answer is that they can always access terrestrial transmission. Quality software must be paid for.

     

    Meanwhile, all is not lost for the Honourable Minister. She must get aggressive on digitization and various other pending issues in her ministry. Or let history remember her as one more ineffective I&B ministers that India has had.

     

    Buzz me if you have a story to tell. Confidentiality assured. There are various ways you can reach me:

    pradyumanm[at]mxmindia.com, Gtalk pradyumanm@gmail.com, Twitter @pmahesh and of course the mobile: 98338 76278.  The views expressed here are my own.

     

  • The taskforce convened by I&B secretary Uday Kumar Varma failed to announce whether the June 30 digitization is going to be delayed as has been demanded by many stakeholders.

    I&B pussyfoots on digitization. Decision on deadline to be announced this week

    By A Correspondent

     

    Sad. MxMIndia learns that yet again no decision on the deadline on digitization was taken at the taskforce meeting that took place this afternoon in the Capital. Mr Uday Kumar Varma, Secretary, Ministry of Information and Broadcasting chaired the meeting and Ms Supriya Sahu, Joint Secy (Broadband & Policy) was also in attendance.

     

    It may be noted that June 30 is just 15 days away, and it’s unfortunate that the Government of India appears clueless on whether digitization in the four metros should be imposed or not. The charade thus continues. DTH operators have been advertising that cable is going to be history in the four metros, local cable operators are protesting and broadcasters are wondering whether they should factor in digitization in their forward planning.

     

    A routine meeting with discussions on issues and state of preparedness for digitization took place between the taskforce members and ministry officials. While no new announcements were made on the matter, news agency PTI reports that Mr Varma said that a frank discussion took place on all issues concerning digitization and the government had taken note of all stakeholders’ views on the matter. Mr Varma said that the ministry had more clarity now on the state of readiness of various stakeholders. PTI also reports that the government is likely to declare its final position on the matter by next week.

     

    In a meeting held on June 8 between Ms Ambika Soni, Minister, Information and Broadcasting and industry stakeholders, the government hinted at a comprehensive discussion on timelines in the scheduled June 15 taskforce meet. The ministry also collected duly filled forms from all stakeholders present in the June 8 meeting to study and assess the preparedness for digitization for Phase I. While the ministry has maintained so far that there will be no extension of the notified sunset date of June 30, it was suggested in the meeting held on June 8, that any discussion or decision would be deferred till the next taskforce meeting on June 15.

     

    A member of the taskforce told MxM India after the meeting today that no decision or announcement was made during the meeting by the government and that the ministry is likely to announce its decision later next week. Another member of the taskforce however hinted that discussion on new timelines led to suggestions of a possible extension upto December 31.

     

    Shortly after the taskforce meeting the Local Cable Operators (LCOs) protested outside Shastri Bhawan demanding that the ministry revisit the matter of revenue share of LCOs. Speaking to MxM India, a local cable operator based in East Delhi said, “We are protesting against Rs 45 share for LCOs. Also there is no clarity on STB price by the government so every MSO is offering it at a different price. And the quality of STBs is also very bad so we are facing a problem with the same.”

     

    Meanwhile, the hearing of the Mumbai Cable Operator V/S I and B Ministry case which was scheduled today, June 15, has been postponed till Monday, June 18.