BROADCASTERS
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Reliance Industries and Walt Disney merger approved by Competition Commission of India
The Competition Commission of India (CCI) has approved the merger between Reliance Industries-promoted Viacom18 and Walt Disney-owned Star India. This merger is set to create India's largest media and entertainment firm. Integration will start soon, with Reliance holding a 56% stake, while Disney and Bodhi Tree Systems will own 37% and 7%, respectively.
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What were CCI's concerns over Disney-Reliance deal
Walt Disney Co and Reliance Industries have received approval from the Competition Commission of India for their $8.5 billion merger of Indian media assets. The approval came after concessions related to their control of cricket broadcasting rights, amid concerns of reduced competition in the sports TV and advertising markets.
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Cabinet approves rolling out private FM radio for 234 uncovered new cities
The Union Cabinet has approved holding the third batch of ascending e-auctions for 730 FM radio channels in 234 new cities under the Private FM Radio Phase III Policy. The annual license fee will be four percent of gross revenue, excluding GST. This expansion aims to fulfill unmet demand, support local content, and create new jobs.
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PM Modi promises to look into issues faced by news broadcasters
Prime Minister Narendra Modi has pledged to address the challenges faced by the TV news industry in a recent meeting with News Broadcasters and Digital Association members. The TV news sector, dealing with declining revenues and rising costs, seeks a favorable regulatory environment amid digital disruption affecting the industry's growth and sustainability.
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News broadcast body to meet Prime Minister Narendra Modi
The News Broadcasters and Digital Association (NBDA) will hold a meeting with Prime Minister Narendra Modi to discuss issues related to the broadcasting sector, including the draft Broadcast Bill and IT Rules 2021. The NBDA has raised concerns about government overreach and potential disruptions from the Department of Telecom's plans for 5G/6G spectrum allocation.
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Disney-Reliance offer concessions for $8.5 billion India merger, but no cricket rights sale
Disney and Reliance have proposed concessions to India's antitrust authority to gain approval for their $8.5 billion media merger but refuse to sell any cricket broadcast rights, the deal's most valuable asset. In response to the Competition Commission of India's (CCI) concerns about market dominance, the companies agreed not to unreasonably increase ad rates for cricket matches. The CCI is now reviewing the concessions, with a broader investigation possible if concerns persist.
No coercive action against broadcasters for non-publication of RIO, Trai tells Kerala HC
The Kerala High Court was assured by the telecom regulator to not enforce actions on broadcasters non-compliant with the new tariff regulation. Broadcasters claimed the mandate to offer free channels to DPOs unfairly equates DD Free Dish with private operators. TRai's amendment led to legal challenges from broadcasters, with the next hearing set for September 4.
Industry wants open discussion on fresh Broadcast Bill draft
The media industry anticipates the ministry of information and broadcasting (MIB) to conduct an open and transparent consultation process before releasing a new draft of the Broadcast Services Regulation Bill. This expectation follows criticism towards the MIB for its opaque handling of the second draft circulated to certain stakeholders at the end of July.
Reliance, Disney said to have offered concessions to win antitrust nod for India media merger
Reliance and Walt Disney have offered to sell some TV channels to win faster antitrust approval for their $8.5 billion India media assets merger. The merger, announced in February, could face intense scrutiny as it will create India's biggest entertainment player, competing with Sony, Zee Entertainment, Netflix, and Amazon.
MIB received 269 complaints against TV channels in five years
The ministry of information and broadcasting reported receiving 269 complaints against TV channels from 2019 to 2023. In the same period, they granted 117 TV channel licenses out of 156 applications. Cable TV subscriptions fell from 103 million in 2020 to 64 million in 2023, partly due to the rise of OTT platforms.
TRAI begins consultation process on TV broadcast audits
The Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) conducted a consultation to decide if the annual DPO-caused subscriber management system audits should be retained or modified. Despite regulatory measures, many DPOs delayed audits, leading broadcasters to advocate for broadcaster-caused audits. TRAI also considered extending audit deadlines and defining small DPOs to address manpower and financial constraints.
Prasar Bharati seeks to onboard private satellite TV channels on its OTT platform
Prasar Bharati is inviting applications from TV broadcasters to stream their linear TV channels on its upcoming over-the-top (OTT) platform for one year. Interested parties must submit their applications by August 12.
Sony, Tata Play spar over removal of TV channels from DTH packs
Sony Pictures Networks India (SPNI) and Tata Play were in conflict over the removal of SPNI channels from consumer packs. Tata Play cited declining popularity and cost savings for customers as reasons. SPNI claimed retaliation after requesting an audit of Tata Play's subscriber management system. SPNI is considering legal action due to an existing contract. Tata Play's CEO assured the move complied with regulations and allowed individual subscriptions. This dispute highlights industry challenges with competition from streaming services. The controversy mirrors a similar issue involving SonyLIV's removal from Tata Play's OTT service over payout disagreements.
JioCinema partners ShareChat to provide short-form content for Olympics 2024
ShareChat and JioCinema have joined forces to provide exclusive short-form multilingual content centered around the Paris Olympics 2024 from July 26 to August 11. Celebrating the Olympic spirit, the partnership aims to deliver the best moments in regional languages and offer insights from sports legends and commentators. Viacom18, the official media rights owner of the Paris Olympics 2024, praised the collaboration, emphasizing the importance of making digital content accessible to all Indians and enhancing engagement through innovative offerings.
Broadcasters may move court against Trai ruling on pay channels
TV broadcasters are preparing to challenge the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India's (Trai) directive legally. The directive mandates that pay channels available on DD Free Dish must be free to other distributors. Sources familiar with the situation revealed this information.
India TV's Rajat Sharma elected as NBDA president
India TV chairman Rajat Sharma has been elected as the new president of the News Broadcasters & Digital Association, succeeding Avinash Pandey. Sharma emphasizes the need for unity in facing industry challenges and ensuring a free and fair news environment for media operations in India.
Star Sports partners with GT20 Canada to broadcast live action in India
GT20 Canada: Fans in India can catch all the action of the upcoming GT20 Canada, starting July 25 exclusively on Star Sports. The league features top T20 players like Babar Azam and Shaheen Shah Afridi. With 21 league games in 13 days, the tournament aims to boost cricket's popularity in North America. Star Sports' collaboration with GT20 Canada ensures world-class cricket entertainment for Indian viewers.
Viacom18 gets the right to broadcast Ultimate Table Tennis
Ultimate Table Tennis (UTT) partners with Viacom18 to broadcast UTT 2024 in Chennai from August 22 to September 7. Matches can be streamed on JioCinema and shown on Sports18 Network. The fifth season features eight teams including new additions Ahmedabad SG Pipers and Jaipur Patriots, with top Indian and global players competing.
TRAI offers relief to TV distribution platforms in amended tariff order
The Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) has issued tariff orders and interconnection regulations to reduce the regulatory burden on distribution platform operators (DPOs) amidst the migration of pay-TV customers to other platforms. The regulator has lifted the cap on network capacity fee (NCF) and brought it under forbearance to allow DPOs the ability to charge customers based on their paying capacity. Earlier, the cap on NCF was Rs 130 for 200 channels and Rs 160 for over 200 channels.
NBDA brings digital news under its self-regulatory body's purview
The regulation defines digital news media as digitised news content that can be transmitted over the internet or computer networks and includes content received, stored, transmitted, edited, or processed by a digital publisher. Digital news platforms have been defined as platforms that facilitate the transmission of digitised news content over the internet or computer networks, including social networking sites or social media.
Unusual T20 cricket world cup timings impact TV viewership
The ICC T20 Men's World Cup has seen an 8% drop in TV ratings for the first 30 matches compared to 2022, despite a 4% rise in cumulative audience reach to 205 million. The average ratings have dropped 8% to 0.97 TVR for all-India male and female 2+ audiences and 13% to 1.2 TVR for all-India male 15+ audiences.
Varun Kohli joins as COO of Times Network's News Broadcasting Business
As the COO of Times Network, I spearhead innovative strategies in collaboration with industry leaders, driving growth and success in news broadcasting. Leveraging my extensive experience, I aim to position Times Network as a frontrunner in Revenue Management and Operations, setting new benchmarks in the industry.
Broadcasters cannot transfer operations of TV channels to third party, warns MIB
In an advisory on Tuesday, the ministry directed all permitted broadcasters to follow the policy guidelines in letter and spirit by ensuring that the operations and core functions of the channel are managed by the permission holder only. "Therefore, it is hereby clarified that the letting of the channels to any third party, including the group entities, without the prior permission of the ministry is not allowed as per the existing policy guidelines," the MIB advisory reads.
Trai suggests infrastructure status, single-window clearance for broadcasting sector
In July 2023, the ministry of information and broadcasting had urged Trai to provide its inputs for the formulation of the NBP. The Trai had issued a consultation paper on NBP seeking stakeholder comments in April. While suggesting steps to grow the TV and radio footprint in the country, the regulator has also asked the MIB to establish a credible audience measurement system for TV, radio, and OTT.
TRAI calls upon MIB to establish credible measurement system for TV, radio, OTT
The Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) has recommended establishing a transparent audience measurement system for television, radio, and OTT services to the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting. It suggests revamping the existing system, expanding sample sizes, encouraging multiple rating agencies, and utilising advanced technologies. TRAI also proposes granting infrastructure status to the broadcasting sector to boost investment, streamlining processes, measuring broadcasting's impact on GDP, implementing a policy for the AVGC sector, and expanding TV reach through broadband infrastructure and subsidised schemes for underserved populations.
Delhi HC restrains unauthorised broadcast of T20 cricket world cup
Star India said it held the media rights in respect of various sporting events, including domestic and international cricket matches organised by the International Cricket Council (ICC) and the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI).
World Athletics signs five-year broadcasting services deal with Tata Communications
World Athletics announced a five-year global broadcasting deal with Tata Communications, making the Indian telecom major a key partner for marquee events starting with the Tokyo World Championships. The agreement aims to enhance innovation and audience engagement. Tata Communications will be the host broadcaster for World Athletics Series events, delivering immersive coverage and custom live content across continents. Strategic initiatives include expanding the sport's reach and supporting sustainability efforts.
FanCode signs five-year media rights deal with Asian Football Confederation
FanCode partners with AFC for exclusive coverage of AFC Asian Qualifiers and AFC Asian Cup Saudi Arabia 2027, featuring football stars like Cristiano Ronaldo, Neymar, Karim Benzema, Ngolo Kante, and Sadio Mane. Yannick Colaco and Windsor John express excitement for the partnership to promote Asian football in India, providing live streaming, highlights, and exclusive content.
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