***Soon you can watch your own TV channel
Germany-based Siemens Telecommunications is in talks with all major Indian telecom service providers, including Reliance, Bharti, Bharat Sanchar Nigam Ltd and Mahanagar Telephone Nigam Ltd, to launch its Surpass Home Entertainment Solution (HES) technology, which will enable users to watch digital TV, surf the Internet and at the same time make telephone calls.
-Exchange4media.com 22/12
***Recovery brings Smile back to Asia Pacific TV
Brand-hungry shoppers with increasingly fat wallets are fuelling double-digit, year-on-year growth in advertising spend around the Asian region, with emerging markets leading the charge. Total ad spend across 12 Asia-Pacific markets (excluding Japan) was US$61 billion last year, up 21 per cent on the previous year, according to figures compiled by Nielsen Media Research for the year 2004-2005.
-Televisionpoint.com 22/12
***Tara TV plans separate channel for North-east
THE Rathikant Basu-promoted Tara TV is planning to tap the North-eastern markets by extending its channel brand to cater to this region. Mr Rathikant Basu, Chairman, Broadcast Worldwide, told Business Line, "There is a business plan and we are looking at the North-eastern States with intentions of starting a channel. We have been approaching TV producers and software providers to start a channel for the region, which comprises six States."
-Business Line 22/12
***High Court bans adult films on TV
The Bombay high court restrained cable operators and service providers from showing any film with an ‘A’ (adults only) certificate on television. A division bench comprising Justice RM Lodha and Justice DG Karnik passed the interim order on a public interest petition by social activist Pratibha Naithani.
-Dnaindia.com 22/12
***INSAT 4A to herald new era in satellite television broadcast Marking a major milestone in the Indian space programme, the fourth generation communication satellite, INSAT 4A successfully launched from Kourou in French Guyana will herald a new revelotion in Television broadcasting in India, Indian Space Research Organisation Chairman G Madhavan Nair said.
-Newkerala.com 22/12
***ATN Launching NDTV News Channel in English on Rogers Asian Television Network International Limited (ATN), the largest broadcaster of South Asian programming in Canada (TSX-SAT) is delighted to announce the launch of India's finest television news channel NDTV 24/7 (New Delhi Television), on Rogers Digital Cable, Canada's largest digital cable service provider.
-Newswire.com 22/12
***Doordarshan Automates Graphics With VertigoXmedia Doordarshan, India's national television service, has purchased the Xmedia Suite for graphics automation and a VertigoXG system to play out graphics for its programming, broadcast throughout India and reaching nearly 90 percent of the country's residents. With Vertigo's Xmedia Suite, Doordarshan will have access to a robust suite of tools for automatically creating, managing, and playing out real-time, dynamic broadcast graphics.
-Broadcastbuyer.tv 21/12
***Govt to examine TRAI's suggestions
The government is examining the recommendations of broadcast regulator TRAI on digitalisation of cable television that envisages to put in place a national plan from 2006-2010. Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) had in September given its recommendations on digitalisation of cable television for framing a national plan from April 1, 2006, to March 31, 2010, Information and Broadcasting Minister Priya Ranjan Dasmunshi said in a written reply.
-Economic Times 22/12
***Private channels owe DD Rs 4.54 crore
Private channels owe Prasar Bharati a sum of Rs 4.54 crore for taking DD signal in respect of the India-Pak cricket series, the House was informed. “Some private channels have contested the bills by Prasar Bharati and the matter is sub judice,” information and broadcasting minister PR Dasmunshi said in a written reply. He said so far the amount received by Prasar Bharati for the purpose stood at Rs 12,000 from CNBC.While NDTV 24X7 owed Rs 82.44 lakh, NDTV India had outstanding dues of Rs 68.04 lakh, the minister said.
-Screenindia.com 24/12
***Doordarshan News to go in mobile mode from New Year
Come New Year and television viewers in Delhi and Chennai will have the luxury of watching DD News channel while traveling in their vehicles. This follows Prasar Bharati’s decision to convert Doordarshan’s Digital Terrestrial Transmitter (DTT) service in Delhi and Chennai into mobile reception mode. Currently, Doordarshan is operating DTT from four metros – Delhi, Chennai, Mumbai and Kolkata – benefiting its five channels, including DD News, DD-1, DD Sports, DD India and regional service.
-Exchange4media.com 24/12
***Cyprus co buys 7.9 % stake in NDTV
A European Investments has picked up 7.9 per cent stake in New Delhi Television Ltd. GA European, a company incorporated in Cyprus, acquired 48,36,000 shares aggregating to 7.954 per cent of the total paid-up equity capital of NDTV, the New Delhi-based electronic media company informed the National Stock Exchange on Wednesday. The Cyprus company acquired the shares from Shyam Cellular Infrastructure Projects, it said.
-The Economic Times 21/12
***A book on media's role in India
The Oxford University Press has published a book titled ‘Making News: A Handbook of Media in Contemporary India’ edited by Uday Sahay with a foreword by Robin Jeffrey. This book contains 36 articles written by the top names among the Indian media persons, media academics, PR and media marketing professionals in India. It has representations from the Print Media, the Electronic media, the Internet and the Radio.
-Agencyfaqs.com 26/12
***Industry welcomes the possibility of more research agencies in the fray to measure TRPs
The Rs 4,800-crore television industry in India avails the services of TAM for gauging their TRP ratings. However, though TAM is the widely accepted tool to measure TRP ratings, the market today has another player, aMap (Audience Measurement and Analytics (P) Ltd), which gives out yesterday’s ratings today. Now, the television ratings market is set to witness some more action in the future. The I&B Ministry recently expressed the possibility of allowing more agencies to get into the act of measuring viewership and viewing patterns in Indian TV homes. I&B Minister, Priya Ranjan Dasmunshi, on December 8, in reply to a question raised in the Lok Sabha had said that his Ministry was open to the idea of ensuring more coverage and allowing more sample surveys to make TRPs a complete exercise.
-Exchange4media 26/12
***Government announces 1st list of FM Radio probables
One hundred companies had expressed their intent to start FM radio operations in India, but 30 seem to have either fallen by the way side or are yet to fully satisfy the authorities. The government today announced the first list of 70 applicant companies that have qualified for financial bids for the second phase of FM Radio, which was outlined earlier this year.
-Indiantelevision.com 27/12
***FM Rainbow radio channel launch
The "FM Rainbow" radio channel for the twin-cities would be launched by Prasar Bharati. It could be tuned at 101.9 MHz. Prasar Bharati Chief Executive Officer K.S. Sarma who is here for the launch, told reporters on that the channel aimed to meet the changing needs of urban youth in an exclusively entertaining and interpersonal style. Hyderabad would be the thirteenth centre in the country to have FM Rainbow radio channel run by All India Radio.
-The Hindu 25/12
***Indian TV channels go off air in Pak
Pakistan has recently banned 35 entertainment channels, a majority of which are Indian, including Sony and Star. Indian news channels had been blanked out ever since Kargil war. The latest provocation was that local channels were found broadcasting cricket matches through South African channels instead of Ten Sports that has the exclusive rights to broadcast international cricket matches in Pakistan.
-Times of India 26/12
***Bidding for frequency
Business houses everywhere are going radio ga-ga, and who can blame them? With the government having invited bids for 338 FM stations across 91 cities for a period of 10 years, corporates are in hectic parleys for tie-ups and business plan evaluations. Once the ministry of information and broadcasting readies the final list of bidders for the radio stations, the financial bid is likely to begin on January 15. It will go on till February 3 in a phased-out manner.
-Business Standard 28/12
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T.Jaisakthivel, Editor,
Dxers Guide. [Annual Subscription 5 IRC or Rs. 45/-]
www.dxersguide.blogspot.com
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T.Jaisakthivel,
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