nambbus
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NEW DELHI: Broadcast regulator TRAI is
considering initiating a dialogue on issues related
to the present mechanism of pricing TV channels
after broadcasters raised their concerns about
"flaws" in the system.
"Broadcasters spoke to me last week. We are trying
to start a dialogue. Devise a solution," TRAI
Chairman Rahul Khullar said, adding that he could
not give any assurance to them on this issue for
now.
He said the issue of pricing mechanism is still
subjudice.
On the recent recommendation on guidelines for
TV rating agencies, the Telecom Regulatory
Authority of India chairman said that the present
system was "broken" and it is getting fixed now.
"There were things which were broken like the TRP
system, which is getting fixed and also the under-
reporting of consumers which too is getting fixed
with digitization," he said.
However, TRAI has supported self regulation and
has stuck to its guns on its latest recommendations
on rating agencies for television channels.
Khullar said there are some other issues like
monopolies in cable sectors in some states,
aggregators etc and they were being looked into.
On the issue of cross holding in the media, he said,
"I think it's a very difficult area but its something
which needs to be tackled because we simply
cannot carry on in the manner in which we have
in the past."
Meanwhile, Star India CEO Uday Shankar said that
current pricing of channels was uneconomical and
not viable for channels beaming quality contents.
"The pricing of channels was fixed several years
ago and it is a fundamentally flawed concept that
you say that the pricing of all channels in the same
category should be similar," Shankar told PTI.
Shankar, who was speaking on the sidelines of the
CII Big Picture Summit, said the cost incurred by a
movie channel that shows new movies is more than
a channel that shows old movies. He also
questioned why the prices of channels were fixed
when competition itself could keep prices low.
Earlier, Khullar said that new technologies are
affecting the way content is being delivered and
received adding that he felt that in India there is a
long road ahead before the sort of convergence that
has happened in US, Japan or Korea is witnessed.
He said that non-availability of spectrum in the
broadcast sector could hamper many ambitious
plans.
"There are technological constraints which hamper
those related to availability of spectrum," he said.
Khullar also said that terrestrial spectrum is for all
practical purpose denied to the private sector and
space spectrum KU band is also in severe shortage.
"From time to time here, we hear ambitious plans
of getting every body linked and connected in three
years and two years. I think we need to take that
more with a pinch of salt and the reason I
mentioned is that those of you who are looking at
new forms of delivery of content and the wireless
system of the delivery for applications and as well
as content, it is a long distance today," Khullar
said.
"You are not going to get 40 Mbps of 20 mbps or 10
mbps in next two years or so. Notwithstanding
what will happen in auctions that are coming up
now and provided more spectrum comes at a
certain point of time," he added.
Speaking about the role of regulators, he said that
they are not too oriented about what will happen
after five years.
"We are too obsessed with what will happen now.
In a sense, we are driven by what is the problem
now and how to fix it," he said.
Source>> TRAI to take up TV channels pricing issue - TOI Mobile | The Times of India Mobile Site
considering initiating a dialogue on issues related
to the present mechanism of pricing TV channels
after broadcasters raised their concerns about
"flaws" in the system.
"Broadcasters spoke to me last week. We are trying
to start a dialogue. Devise a solution," TRAI
Chairman Rahul Khullar said, adding that he could
not give any assurance to them on this issue for
now.
He said the issue of pricing mechanism is still
subjudice.
On the recent recommendation on guidelines for
TV rating agencies, the Telecom Regulatory
Authority of India chairman said that the present
system was "broken" and it is getting fixed now.
"There were things which were broken like the TRP
system, which is getting fixed and also the under-
reporting of consumers which too is getting fixed
with digitization," he said.
However, TRAI has supported self regulation and
has stuck to its guns on its latest recommendations
on rating agencies for television channels.
Khullar said there are some other issues like
monopolies in cable sectors in some states,
aggregators etc and they were being looked into.
On the issue of cross holding in the media, he said,
"I think it's a very difficult area but its something
which needs to be tackled because we simply
cannot carry on in the manner in which we have
in the past."
Meanwhile, Star India CEO Uday Shankar said that
current pricing of channels was uneconomical and
not viable for channels beaming quality contents.
"The pricing of channels was fixed several years
ago and it is a fundamentally flawed concept that
you say that the pricing of all channels in the same
category should be similar," Shankar told PTI.
Shankar, who was speaking on the sidelines of the
CII Big Picture Summit, said the cost incurred by a
movie channel that shows new movies is more than
a channel that shows old movies. He also
questioned why the prices of channels were fixed
when competition itself could keep prices low.
Earlier, Khullar said that new technologies are
affecting the way content is being delivered and
received adding that he felt that in India there is a
long road ahead before the sort of convergence that
has happened in US, Japan or Korea is witnessed.
He said that non-availability of spectrum in the
broadcast sector could hamper many ambitious
plans.
"There are technological constraints which hamper
those related to availability of spectrum," he said.
Khullar also said that terrestrial spectrum is for all
practical purpose denied to the private sector and
space spectrum KU band is also in severe shortage.
"From time to time here, we hear ambitious plans
of getting every body linked and connected in three
years and two years. I think we need to take that
more with a pinch of salt and the reason I
mentioned is that those of you who are looking at
new forms of delivery of content and the wireless
system of the delivery for applications and as well
as content, it is a long distance today," Khullar
said.
"You are not going to get 40 Mbps of 20 mbps or 10
mbps in next two years or so. Notwithstanding
what will happen in auctions that are coming up
now and provided more spectrum comes at a
certain point of time," he added.
Speaking about the role of regulators, he said that
they are not too oriented about what will happen
after five years.
"We are too obsessed with what will happen now.
In a sense, we are driven by what is the problem
now and how to fix it," he said.
Source>> TRAI to take up TV channels pricing issue - TOI Mobile | The Times of India Mobile Site
