FTA channels to be exemptedfrom ad cap rule: I&B Minister

[Thakur]

FTA channels to be exempted
from ad cap rule: I&B Minister

MUMBAI: The government will exempt free-to-air (FTA) channels from the ad cap rule and will
soon take steps in that direction to make that a reality, Information and Broadcasting (I&B) Minister Prakash Javadekar said.

This news will be music to the ears of several news, music and regional broadcasters who have been fighting a legal battle with the
government and the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) for imposing ad cap
on them.

“We will soon take a decision to exempt FTA channels from the 12-minute ad cap rule.

Pay channels will, however, have to adhere to the ad cap rule. With this decision, I am encouraging them [pay channels] to go free,”
Javadekar said during the Task Force meeting on Phases III and IV of cable TV digitisation.

In the same breath, the minister said that he was in favour of ad cap for pay channels. He said that pay channels should not bombard
customers with excessive ads.

“The 12-minute ad cap imposed by TRAI is right. How can pay channels air so many ads?

It’s ridiculous that consumers should pay for the channel and at the same time watch ads also.

However, should the FTA channels be subjected to ad cap rule? I don’t think so,” Javadekar added.

http://www.televisionpost.com/television/fta-channels-to-be-exempted-from-ad-cap-rule-ib-minister/

 

[JitendraKumar]

Relief for Free to Air channels as the Govt is looking to exempt them from 12 min ad

New Delhi: Free to Air channels may soon get relief as the Government is mulling a rule change which would allow them to show more advertisements than the present ad-cap of 12 minutes per hour.

"We are taking a decision....that Free to Air (FTA) channels should be exempt from the restriction of the 12 minutes ad-cap," Information and Broadcasting Minister Prakash Javadekar said here today.

The Minister, however, indicated that for Pay Channels the existing limit of 12 minutes per hour of advertisements would continue and suggested that the proposed rule change could become a sort of incentive for them to turn FTA.

He said that the consumer's burden has to be reduced and, if a channel is showing "too many" advertisements then it should also be Free to Air.
Javadekar was speaking at a meeting of a task force on digitisation held here.

He told reporters that the 12 minute restriction is appropriate for pay channels.

"But for FTA channels, which are providing programmes for free, is this restriction necessary for them? I don't think this is needed. And we will soon take a decision in this regard," he said.

The Telecom Regulatory Authority of India has stipulated that there should be a 12 minute cap on advertisements that channels can show in an hour. However, several broadcasters have been opposing this rule.

The Govt's move is seen as a major relief for Free to Air channels as their only revenue source is through sale of air time to the advertisers. The imposition of 12 minutes ad-cap had created an uncertainty on the future of many satellite channels. Particularly the FTA in regional markets with lesser revenue possibilities are the most affected.

The change in govt's stance is also expected to create a major impact in the strategies of many broadcasters as they might migrate to FTA format in-order to escape the ad-cap rule.

Relief for Free to Air channels as the Govt is looking to exempt them from 12 min ad-cap - Tvnews4u

 

[SarfaRaZ]

RE: Relief for Free to Air channels as the Govt is looking to exempt them from 12 min ad

Jitendra bhai this news is already posted here Link Removed