Broadcast & CableSat

𝐒𝐡𝐨𝐛𝐢𝐭 𝐀𝐫𝐨𝐫𝐚 𝐣𝐨𝐢𝐧𝐬 𝐍𝐞𝐭𝐰𝐨𝐫𝐤18 Shobit Arora has joined Network18 Media & Investments Limited Group as National Head of Connected TV for its flagship channels, CNN News18, CNBC TV18, and CNBC Awaaz. Prior to this, he was DGM - Connected TV, India Today. He has also worked with Oracle as Senior Enterprise Account Manager, the Times Group, and Bloomberg TV's Business Television India. #tv #shobitarora #network18 #channels #cnn #media #oracle #business

𝐂𝐡𝐚𝐧𝐠𝐞𝐬 𝐚𝐭 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐡𝐞𝐥𝐦 Neerja Sekhar, Special Secretary in the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, will now serve as the Director General of the National Productivity Council. Sanjay Jaju of the 1992 IAS batch is the current secretary of MIB. He took over this role on 5 February 2024. #sanjayjaju #director #ministry #broadcasting #mib #neerajasekhar #secretary

𝐀𝐮𝐝𝐢𝐨 𝐢𝐧𝐝𝐮𝐬𝐭𝐫𝐲 𝐬𝐞𝐞𝐤𝐬 470-694 𝐌𝐇𝐳 𝐬𝐩𝐞𝐜𝐭𝐫𝐮𝐦 𝐚𝐥𝐥𝐨𝐜𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧, 𝐭𝐞𝐥𝐜𝐨𝐬 𝐫𝐚𝐢𝐬𝐞 𝐜𝐨𝐧𝐜𝐞𝐫𝐧 The Audio Programme Making & Special Events (PMSE) industry has requested the government to allocate the unauctioned 470-694 MHz spectrum band to them. This would allow devices to transmit high-quality sound wirelessly over short distances, avoiding interference and ensuring clear audio for performers, presenters, and audiences. The telcos have expressed concern that the range should be kept below 612 MHz, as it would otherwise lead to interference in the adjacent bands to telecom services. This band is expected to be auctioned again in the next spectrum auction. Prasar Bharati has proposed that broadcasting spectrum in the sub-600 MHz band should not be allocated to telecom services as it is used for terrestrial television and broadcasting, and TV transmitters use the frequency. #audio #tv #spectrum #telecom #broadcasting #services #transmit

𝐑𝐚𝐤𝐞𝐬𝐡 𝐂𝐊 𝐣𝐨𝐢𝐧𝐬 𝐒𝐮𝐧 𝐍𝐗𝐓 Sun TV Network has appointed Rakesh CK as the Head of Sun NXT, the company’s OTT platform in South India. Rakesh, who brings over 15 years of experience in sales, business strategy, data-driven innovation, and P&L management, previously served as EVP & Head – SVOD & Marketing at aha, a streaming service. Rakesh started his career in 2008 as an Area Sales Manager at Reliance Communications. He has also worked with Mirchi, Airtel Business, Standard Chartered Bank, and GE Capital. #suntv #rakesh #ott #airtel #mirchi #streaming #svod #sales

𝐌𝐏𝐀, 𝐁𝐈𝐅 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐬𝐭𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐦𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐩𝐚𝐧𝐢𝐞𝐬 𝐨𝐩𝐩𝐨𝐬𝐞 𝐂𝐃𝐍 𝐥𝐢𝐜𝐞𝐧𝐬𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐚𝐭 𝐓𝐑𝐀𝐈 𝐎𝐇𝐃 TRAI held its OHD on the 'Terms and Conditions of Network Authorisations to be Granted Under the Telecommunications Act, 2023, on December 17. A coalition of global industry bodies, including the Motion Picture Association, Asia Video Industry Association, and Broadband India Forum, presented a unified stance and opposed the mandatory registration or licensing of content delivery networks (CDNs). Their primary argument centered on the technical distinction between content delivery networks and telecommunications infrastructure. Bharti Airtel proposed specific compliance expectations, including maintaining minimum quality standards, adhering to content-blocking protocols, and expanding infrastructure to secondary and tertiary urban markets. And TRAI should mandate that CDNs set up infrastructure in tier 2 and 3 cities. Tata Telecommunications mentioned that CDN services operate on the application rather than the network layer. In this sense, they are similar to OTT services, and TRAI should treat them similarly. India's CDN market demonstrates significant growth potential, expanding from Rs 3200 crore in 2018 to an anticipated Rs 23000 crore in 2027. These networks are critical in optimizing internet traffic delivery, reducing latency, and mitigating network congestion. #airtel #trai #tata #cdn #licensing #bif #telecommunications #network

𝐀𝐬𝐬𝐜𝐧𝐬 𝐜𝐨𝐧𝐜𝐞𝐫𝐧𝐞𝐝 𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐫 𝐓𝐑𝐀𝐈’𝐬 𝐚𝐭𝐭𝐞𝐦𝐩𝐭 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐛𝐫𝐨𝐚𝐝𝐜𝐚𝐬𝐭 𝐬𝐞𝐫𝐯𝐢𝐜𝐞𝐬 𝐮𝐧𝐝𝐞𝐫 𝐓𝐞𝐥𝐞𝐜𝐨𝐦 𝐀𝐜𝐭   News Broadcasting & Digital Association (NBDA), Indian Broadcasting & Digital Foundation (IBDF), and FICCI have raised concerns about TRAI’s consultation paper on the Framework for Service Authorisations, which proposes to bring broadcasting services under the authorization regime of the Telecom Act 2023. Broadcasting services fundamentally differ from utility-based telecommunication services, considered a scarce public resource. The Supreme Court has consistently held that any media regulation must be narrowly tailored and not create a chilling effect on free speech. The proposed framework risks such an outcome by subjecting broadcasters to a telecommunications-focused licensing regime. #telecommunications #digital #trai #broadcasting #nbda #speech #broadcasters

𝐑𝐞𝐦𝐨𝐯𝐞 𝐃𝐓𝐇 𝐥𝐢𝐜𝐞𝐧𝐬𝐞 𝐟𝐞𝐞, 𝐓𝐚𝐭𝐚 𝐏𝐥𝐚𝐲 𝐣𝐨𝐢𝐧𝐬 𝐀𝐢𝐫𝐭𝐞𝐥 & 𝐉𝐢𝐨 At the Open House Discussion held by TRAI yesterday, RJio and Airtel reiterated their objection to the license fee being levied on the telcos for DTH services. Tata Play also backed this request. Airtel has proposed that the license fee, currently levied on content revenue from DTH operators, be shifted to broadcasters, who ultimately benefit from the revenue. Additionally, the definitions of GR, ApGR, and AGR, as set for the telecom sector, should also apply to DTH operators. Jio, on the other hand, emphasized that DTH operators, which avoid significant investments in terrestrial fiber or cable networks by relying on the free spectrum, should refrain from receiving fee waivers. Meanwhile, fixed-line and mobile service providers—who invest heavily in infrastructure—continue to pay license fees. Tata Play urged TRAI to implement this change promptly and called for removing cross-media restrictions that limit broadcasters to owning no more than 20% of a distribution company. Airtel has Bharti Telemedia, which operates under the Airtel Digital TV brand; and Jio DEN Networks, and Hathway Cable & Datacom, and holds a significant stake in GTPL Hathway. In August 2023, TRAI recommended that the MIB reduce the DTH license fee to 3% of AGR from the current 8%, planning to phase it out entirely by FY27. This recommendation aims to bring DTH into parity with other TV distribution platforms such as cable TV, HITS, and IPTV. Also read, https://lnkd.in/gvtMWUu3 #cable #digital #tv #dth #airtel #jio #tataplay #mib #trai #iptv #spectrum

𝐀𝐢𝐫𝐭𝐞𝐥 𝐬𝐞𝐞𝐤𝐬 𝐚 𝐥𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐥 𝐩𝐥𝐚𝐲𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐟𝐢𝐞𝐥𝐝, 𝐨𝐧 𝐃𝐓𝐇 𝐥𝐢𝐜𝐞𝐧𝐬𝐞 𝐟𝐞𝐞𝐬 While responding to TRAI’s consultation paper on service authorization for broadcasting services under the Telecom Act of 2023, Bharti Airtel sought a same-service-same-rules approach. “Today, DTH operators are the only ones subjected to license fees in the broadcasting sector's entire value chain. This creates a non-level playing field and is discriminatory against the basic premise of the government’s endeavor to have a balanced regulatory framework. No License Fee is being paid by other competitors of DTH operators, such as cable and HITS operators, despite providing the same set of services to the same market. In 2023, TRAI acknowledged this and suggested a reduction in the DTH license fee from 8 percent to 3 percent immediately and then to zero by FY27. However, the recommendation was not incorporated into the recent Draft DTH license,” said the telco. RJio is not in agreement. “Fixed line services, which do not enjoy the same benefits as available to DTH, are required to pay it. Furthermore, the operators providing IPTV/content services in the wireless domain must procure spectrum through auctions and pay spectrum usage charges and license fees. Any move to waive or reduce the license fee for DTH would only exacerbate this disparity, further skewing the competitive balance in favor of DTH.” #rjio #airtel #dth #iptv #spectrum #license #competitive #broadcasting #operators #cable #regulatory #framework

𝐈𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐥 𝐂𝐄𝐎 𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐩𝐬 𝐝𝐨𝐰𝐧, 𝐙𝐢𝐧𝐬𝐧𝐞𝐫 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐉𝐨𝐡𝐧𝐬𝐭𝐨𝐧 𝐇𝐨𝐥𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐮𝐬 𝐧𝐚𝐦𝐞𝐝 𝐢𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐢𝐦 𝐜𝐨-𝐂𝐄𝐎𝐬 CEO Pat Gelsinger has retired from Intel after a distinguished 40-plus-year career and has stepped down from the board of directors, effective Dec. 1, 2024. Gelsinger’s total compensation in 2023 was USD 16.9 million, which included a base salary of USD 1.1 million. The company has David Zinsner and Michelle Johnston Holthaus, as interim co-chief executive officers, while the board of directors conducts a search for a new CEO. Gelsinger’s retirement comes a month after Intel reported a nearly USD 17 billion net loss in Q3. The company is implementing a restructuring plan to cut 16,500 employees worldwide, including in California, Arizona, Oregon , and Texas. #zinsner #johnstonholthaus #gelsinger #intel #ceo #directors #search #worldwide #loss

𝐁𝐞𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐩𝐚𝐫𝐭 𝐨𝐟 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐬𝐞𝐦𝐢𝐜𝐨𝐧 𝐬𝐮𝐩𝐩𝐥𝐲 𝐜𝐡𝐚𝐢𝐧 𝐛𝐚𝐧𝐝𝐰𝐚𝐠𝐨𝐧 𝐢𝐬 𝐧𝐨𝐭 𝐚𝐧 𝐞𝐚𝐬𝐲 𝐭𝐚𝐬𝐤. India aspires to ride the semiconductor revolution, but despite the PLI and DLI schemes, gaps in technology, talent pool, and raw material sourcing will be an uphill task. “The biggest challenge for India is to stabilize the manufacturing economy. We expect the next phase of funding from the central government, under the India Semiconductor Mission, offering incentives for semiconductor manufacturing, to get approved in the next couple of months,” said Ashok Chandak, president of the India Electronic Semiconductors Association. “There is a global shortage of professionals in this industry. Since India does not have a manufacturing ecosystem, we must train more professionals for the upcoming semiconductor manufacturing plants. We still do not have many Indian companies designing complex chips. While the quality is good, we are still behind in complexity because it requires a huge investment.”,” said Dr. Satya Gupta, president of the Very Large Scale Integration (VLSI) Society of India. #satyagupta #ashokchandak #chip #lsi #semiconductor #incentives #revolution #manufacturing