Star Utsav Joins Growing List on DD Free Dish in India

Star Utsav, now part of the
Disney India Group of channels

Digital Broadcast Vendor News notes yet another move by a subscription channel, Mumbai-based, Star Utsav  from June 10, 2020 has 'without pay' distribution on Door Darshan's DD Free Dish platform. Its Hindi language offerings cover the gambit of drama genres in prime time.  Anchoring the evening is Kasautii Zindagii Kay at 1900hrs, Mahabharat at 2000hrs and Nazar at 2300.

Star Utsav believes in specialising in dramas covering themes such as  mythology, romance, and fantasy. Such dramas are aimed for family friendly viewing.

Just a heads up that Star Utsav is part of the old Fox/Star stable now under the 'Walt Disney Company India' banner. 

Star Utsav Channel's history at a glance

Star Utsav was riginally launched in June 2004. The Star Utsav channel was converted into a Pay TV channel in August 2015. A foray into the UK market 2016-2018 proved unsuccessful after a dismal ratings performance. The channel currently is distributed via regional satellites and cable system deals to India domestically and abroad - in Australia, Canada, Hong Kong, Indonesia, Malaysia, Middle East nations, Pakistan, Philippines, Singapore and the United States. 

ZEE5 App Appoints Rajeev Dahl

Rajeev Dahl, new ZEE5 App
Chief Revenue Officer.
Photo

E-broadcastnewsasia’s Digital| Broadcast | Vendor News Asia has learnt that the video streaming app, ZEE5  from the Indian TV stable, Zee Entertainment has appointed Rajeev Dhal as its Chief Revenue Officer. 

The announcement was effective April 21, 2020. Rajeev Dhal will succeed Taranjeet Singh who was the chief revenue office and business head - new projects since October, 2018. In his new role, Dhal will be responsible for achieving and delivering revenue growth through advertising sales and operations for ZEE5 India. He will be reporting directly to Tarun Katial, CEO of ZEE5.

ZEE5 APP ID+Logo

According to CEO Katial the ZEE5 app on the OTT platform has become a 'super app’ by delivering content in 12 Indian languages to being available across the spectrum of devices to launching new product offerings. The languages: English, Hindi, Bengali, Malayalam, Tamil, Telugu, Kannada, Marathi, Bhojpuri, Gujarati, Odia and Punjabi.

Dhal has a hard act to follow in Taranjeet Singh who played a key role in setting up the advertising revenue stream and played an instrumental role in framing the architecture of the industry’s first Ad Stack. During his tenure, he helped build and drive the sales and sales support teams of ZEE5 India according to Katial.

Rajeev Dhal has a 20 year career under his belt  and has worked in the leadership position across a wide range of media and consumer internet companies. He came from a similar role at SHAREit having established teams and revenue across India, South East Asia, Middle East and Africa. In his tenure at ShareIt, he claims there was never a need for ShareIt to advertise as the brand fulfilled an online need to deliver Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) for brands & advertisers that are way beyond branding & engagement across a universe of an Indian 400 million user base.

Note:  MUMBAI: "Media conglomerate Zee Entertainment Enterprises Ltd’s (ZEEL) digital arm ZEE5 continues its growth in user base reaching 76.4 million monthly active users (MAU). ZEEL in its first quarter financial result of FY 20 revealed the MAU of the streaming platform as of June 2019 while it had 61.5 million MAUs in the quarter ended March 2019....   - Indian Television

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India:: 11th Plan Spends US$350m on Radio and TV Networks

Indian Government Spends More on National Radio and TV Networks in Face of Growing Commercial Broadcaster Competition - Move to Benefit Audio and Video Equipment Manufacturers Digital Broadcast Vendor News Asia (DBVNA) has been following India's development of its terrestrial digital broadcasting under the country's 11th Five Year Plan (2007-2012). On April 8, 2010 the Cabinet Committee on Infrastructure (CCI) approved proposals from the Ministry of Broadcasting for Doordarshan (TV) and Akashvani (All India Radio) to digitise its transmitter networks, and studio output. The move costing Rs 1,540 crore (nearly US$350 million) is to help maintain the state radio and TV broadcasters leading role in light of increasing challenges from the private broadcasters. This move will likely prove a true bonanza for digital broadcast equipment manufacturers. The Minister for Information and Broadcasting Minister, Ms Ambika Soni said that the expansion program was to bring people in the remotest regions of the country more program choice and highest quality of transmission, including HDTV. Some 60 per cent of the budget would go to AIR and the rest to DD. DD would see 40 new digital transmitters installed linked by satellite that would increase the choice from eight DD channels to 10 for most viewers. The liberalization of commercial radio has reached Phase III - bringing radio to towns with populations of around 100,000 population. Digital Broadcast Vendor News Asia notes that Minister Ambika sees Radio Phase III as posing a serious challenge to the current role of AIR in these areas/markets. This has prompted more urgent development of the Akashvani radio network to face head on the new market circumstances. The spending under the 11th Plan will involve replacement of Medium Wave transmitters with digital transmitters, digitalisation of studio operations and network links, establishment of regional digital archives and further newsroom automation.

Digital Vendor | Jampro Antennas in New Delhi Move

Digital Broadcast Vendor News Asia :: Aditya Jain has joined Jampro Antennas as Regional Sales Manager for South Asia, the Middle East, and Africa. Mr Jain will operate from New Delhi. In his position of Regional Sales Manager, he will serve existing clients and work with Jampro US headquarters in Sacramento, California to develop strategies to target emerging markets. Jain joins Jampro following a tenure as Sales/ Marketing Manager for QuantM Net Technologies in New Delhi, India, an IT Systems Integrator and IBM partner. He was previously Accounts Manager of Horizon Broadcast Electronics (HBE) in Gurgaon, India. Jain holds an EE (Electrical engineering degree) from the Birla Institute of Technology / Science. Jampro, the antenna specialist supplying RF systems worldwide for TV/DTV/FM/DVB-T and DVB-H has been providing antenna systems to the Asia-Pacific region since the early 1960's and says it today leads the way with new technologies. Digital Broadcast Vendor News Asia understands that a major Jampro recent regional project was a complete upgrade of the TV antenna system for the state broadcaster - Sri Lanka Rupavahini Corporation (SLRC) providing multi-frequency, full coverage of the island nation. Jampro is in a major expansion phase, having enhanced production facilities in Sacremento in January 2008. Jampro is attending Singapore's BroadcastAsia2008: Stand # 7G1-08.

Digital Vendor | NDS Opens New Delhi Office

NDS Asia Pacific, owned by NDS Group plc (NASDAQ: NNDS) has informed Digital Broadcasters Vendor News Asia, that it has opened a sales and support office in New Delhi. A leading provider of technology solutions for digital Pay TV, NDS already has a Mumbai office and a Bangalore Research and Development Center. With 900 staff already working in India, NDS says it is committed to providing continuing support to the Indian PAY TV market and to investing in further expansion. With unprecedented emphasis on technology research and development, NDS says it ensures its customers are market leaders, today and tomorrow. Commenting in Mumbai, Sue Taylor, VP and General Manager of NDS Asia Pacific said, "NDS is very optimistic about the growth of the Indian Pay TV market." Latest research shows that India's digital Pay TV market will lead the Asia-Pacific region in revenue generation by 2015. India's established Pay TV market leaders, Tata Sky, Hathaway Cable and Datacom, as well as new market entrants Bharti and Digital Entertainment Network (DEN), all rely on NDS systems to protect and enable their Pay TV services.

Digital Broadcasters | Fox Makes 2 in India for Murdoch

Rupert Murdoch's STAR India has the sub continent covered with its STAR-DEN 50:50 joint venture with the Digital Entertainment Network. Digital Broadcasters Vendor News Asia hears that following re-positioning of the Hong Kong based, Star Group last year, the other Murdoch TV broadcast group, FOX has recently applied to India's Ministry of Information and Broadcasting for an operator's licence to carry six FOX TV Channels, namely: Baby TV, Fox Crime, FX (Fox extended), National Geographic Adventure, National Geographic Music and National Geographic Wild. india

Digital Broadcasters | NDTV Using Omnibus iTX System Solution

A reminder from Digital Broadcasters News Asia that New Delhi Television Limited (NDTV) launched two new channels from its headquarters serving the Middle East region. "NDTV GOOD TIMES", went on-air Sept 7, 2007 followed by "NDTV ARABIA" on September 10. Both channels target expatriate (NRI) Indian viewers in the Gulf states. NDTV appointed OmniBus Systems of the UK to supply its comprehensive playout and production system solution, known as iTX. NDTV's Group CTO, Rahul S. Deshpande said that the Omnibus technology was chosen in order to get the two channels air as quickly as possible. And the reason NDTV chose the iTX software package was that the iTX, file-based system unifies playout, storage and automation, across multiple devices, platforms and different software versions, while solving compatibility issues. The bonus is that iTX easily integrates with NDTV's existing content management. NDTV, based in the India's capital, next year notches up its 20th anniversary as it becomes India's first and largest commercial producer of news, current affairs and entertainment programming output. The TV network has expanded to 23 offices and studio facility locations across the sub-continent. New Delhi Television Limited (NDTV) website: www.ndtv.com OmniBus Systems' digital asset management, automation and transmission technology website: www.omnibus.tv

Digital Broadcaster | Ten Sports Takes WASP3D Solution

Ten Sports, Dubai - the satellite TV sports network targeting the Indian Diaspora and the sub-continent's television broadcast markets has chosen Beehive Systems and its WASP3D Graphics software for live playout, according to a Beehive release to Digital Broadcasters Vendor News Asia (DBVNA). Beehive's United Arab Emirates agent/distributor - Wecom Global, installed the WASP3D software solution in Ten Sports transmission suites. Ten Sports is the third satellite TV broadcaster in the Middle East to install the WASP3D graphics system after Al Rai TV and Future TV. The Beehive relase quoted Steve Halis, VP – Operations, Engineering & MIS at Taj Television as saying that WASP3D was chosen after a thorough evaluation and detailed comparison of competing solutions. Taj TV owns and operates Ten Sports. WASP3D is an advanced graphics software with design tools like real-time emitter based, Particle system that comes with wind, gravity, speed options that help achieve realistic effects. Beehive says that WASP3D for sports broadcasting offers real-time sports data presentation, spectacular interactive graphics display, 3D camera views of the game from various angles and the virtual sets. TEN Sports, launched in April 2002, is a dominant sports network, focussing on cricket as a programming anchor. The channel reaches nearly 50 million cable/ satellite households worldwide and claims the title as the world’s biggest producer of cricket for television broadcast. Ten Sports also owns the exclusive rights in its designated broadcast markets for the World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE), the UEFA Champions League, the U.S. Open Tennis and hockey’s World Cup Tournament. DBVNA believes the WASP3D - Ten Sports/Taj TV deal is a major purchasing coup for broadcast software manufacturer, Beehive based in India and its UAE distributor Wecom Global. (wecom web site, www.wecom-me.com is under construction). www.wasp3d.com www.tensports.com www.wecom-me.com (under construction not up yet) www.beesys.com Does the WASP3D match competitive systems such as from Avid, also handled by Wecom Global in the UAE? Leave your comments - can be anonymous, but it is more authoratative, when sourced.

Digital Broadcasters | Doordarshan Up Up and Away in UK

Digital Broadcasters Vendors News notes that after years of indecision, India's state TV, Doordarshan is up, up and away in UK's satellite land using DVB. From London on April 16 DD launches a general channel, DD India and 24/7, DD News. Both are free - to - air, part of the Sky UK satellite TV mux in Hindi and both are transmitted on the Eurobird satellite positioned at 28.5 degrees East. This gives a satellite footprint of 95 per cent of Europe, let alone the UK. Backers of the channels are the London based, Rayat Television Enterprises Ltd. The Rayat Group has interests in retail, air travel and technology. It has invested £2 million in the 5 year project, (with a first refusal option for a further 5 years). Much of the expenditure includes advance royalty payments (10 million Rupees) to Doordarshan and set up costs. Khalid Mahmood, Rayat Group CEO said the channels will connect British Indians with their roots and set standards in ethnic broadcasting. An anonymous executive within Doordarshan said it had taken 48 years for Doordarshan to make the decision to have a UK operation. India state TV's late arrival in the European satellite TV broadcasting scene sees it coming up against established competition from UK, Indian Pakistani and Bangla channels. These include from Zee, STAR, Sony, NDTV and local Asian channels, MATV and Raj. They all TV target the same audience with some emphasising younger values and others the more older traditions. Line up of UK channels directed at Indian, Pakistani, Nepali (Galaxy TV on Hotbird 6) and Bangladesh viewers on FTA EuroBird 28.5E with main languages used: Urdu (Pakistan) Channels: PrimeTV: 11623 Urdu Punjabi PTV Global: 11224 Urdu GeoTV: 11343 Urdu ARYOneWorld: 11343 Urdu The Musik: 11343 Urdu DM Digital: 11261 urdu Bangla Channels: Bangla TV: 11344 Bengali ATN Bangla: 11488 Bengali NTV Channel S: 11488 Bengali Channel S UK: 11488 Bengali English Language/Mixed Channel S UK: 11488 English RajTV: 11428 English/Hindi MATV: 11389 English/Mixed Hindi Channels DD India: 11426 Hindi (20 per cent English, some Gujarati and Tamil) DD News: 11527 Hindi mainly (20 per cent English, some Gujarati and Tamil) Star One: 11262 Hindi mainly DD India UK and DD News UK carry their own logos on the TV screen along with that of Rayat TV. Researching this article, Digital Broadcasters Vendor News found that Doordarshan, has over 1.4 billion viewers worldwide.

Digital Broadcasters | India | Doordarshan Regional Newrooms Go VSAT

In New Delhi, Doordarshan India's state TV network is moving ahead with developing field production in high definition (HDTV). The administration says it expects trials to start later in 2007 or 2008. New Delhi has been chosen as the place to stage the testing. Meanwhile, there is small revolution taking place in the state broadcaster's newsgathering technology. All 70 of DD's regional news centers are being equipped with VSAT links. Orders have been placed for VSAT (Very Small Aperture Terminals) equipment for every center. Each will link to the main news hub in New Delhi. Along with the feeds will be much required communication circuits, and production team voice circuits enabling two way talkback between studio control rooms around the country.

Digital Broadcasters | India | DoorDarshan in Content Digital Exploitation

Doordarshan, India's state TV broadcaster says that its 70,000 hours of analog library of video tape programming is destined to be fully converted into digital format, now that a detailed business plan has been drawn up for commercial exploitation. So far some 1,400 hours of programs have been converted by "DD Archives" which has released so far some 51 titles to the video distribution market. DD also says that some 600 hours have been identified and set aside for the DD MTNL joint venture, the Broadband Video-On- Demand project. The content covers program genres from culture and travel to personalities, historical places, health, fitness, and lifestyles. The DD "analog to digital" content conversion project covers the complete process of migration for all program production and output, as well as facilitating broadband convergence. Still, the key decision is commercial exploitation - return on the investment. How best can DD market and commercially exploit the mountain of programming content it is sitting on? One key intention is to create and promote interest among India's young generation in the country's traditional culture. This is best served by making available as many digital recordings as possible for distribution at home and abroad across the Indian Diaspora and to heritage institutions around the world.

Digital Broadcasters | India Censors Irked by FTVs Catwalk Capers

In India the satellite TV channels have been pushing the boundaries of decency in programming in the past six months - that is by Indian standards. The latest is from FTV and its catwalk capers of believing less is better. In a country that bans kissing on TV, the Ministry of Information & Broadcasting was forced to act on March 29 when Fashion TV under the FTV.com India label showed models strutting the catwork clad skimpily and without brassieres and swearing seethough tops at the midnight hour. The channel is carried by the country's cable TV operators. The Ministry slapped a ban on the channel for two months under Sub-Section (2) of Section 20 of the Cable Television Networks Regulation Act, 1995. The transmission or re-transmission of this Channel on all platforms has been prohibited effect April 1 through to May 30 across the country. The ministry guardians depict the programming as "against good taste and decency, denigrating women and likely to adversely affect public morality." Is there no subtlety? The programming was called ‘Midnight Hot’. I suspect that most adult men would at least be tempted to take a peek at a program with such a title. Still, being "off-air" is an indirect way of even greater promotion for the channel that has not been short of a following as it is. Will FTV in turn be irked by the prudishness of the Censors at India's Broadcasting Ministry?

Digital Broadcasters | India | HDTV for 2010

Digital Broadcasters Vendor News sees India's regulatory authority for broadcasting and state broadcaster, - Prasar Bharati - as quickening its pace of interest in adopting new digital broadcast technologies with the key objective of covering the whole of the Commonwealth Games 2010 in New Delhi in HDTV. Prasar Bharati is the unbrella organisation for Doordarshan and All India Radio.

India's Business Standard newspaper reported on March 26, 2007 that Prasar Bharati will invest close to Rs 30 crore (300 million Rupees - US$6 million) in running pilot projects on mobile TV (including a related car TV project) and high-definition TV.

B S Lalli CEO at Prasar Bharati is quoted as saying that Mobile TV is to start in Delhi by May as the first Metro market.

B S Lalli is also quoted as saying Rs 10 crore (100 million Rupees - US$2 million)is allocated in the digital video broadcast technology for mobile TV. A further Rs 5-8 crore (500-800 million Rupees - US$10 million) will be required to enhance the Mobile TV transmission infrastructure. Some Rs 15 crore (150 million Rupees - US$3.5 million) is set aside for the pilot scheme for HDTV.

Korean mobile TV hand held device manufacturers, Samsung and LG Electronics are in discussion with Prasar Bharati for supply of handsets to consumers.

At present, however Prasar Bharati has an exclusive arrangement for the Nokia N-series handsets.

B S Lalli said the car TV project was successful but faced channel capacity problems in a fast moving car.

Digital Broadcasters Vendor News notes from the article that Prasar Bharati has the clear political objective to install HDTV by 2010 - that will be 2 years after the Beijing Summer Olympics 2008 are televised by CCTV completely in high definition TV.

Original article at: <http://www.business-standard.com/economy/ storypage.php?leftnm=3&subLeft=1&chklogin=N&autono=278896&tab=r>

Digital Broadcasters | India Terrestrial TV Reach

In India, terrestrial TV coverage by Doordarshan still only covers 79 per cent of the country reaching 91 per cent of the population. For All India Radio the figures are better at 91.78 per cent and 99.14 per cent respectively. The Andaman and Nicobar Islands are covered through Doordarshan’s free to air DTH satellite service.

Minister of Information & Broadcasting and Parliamentary Affairs, Shri P. R. Dasmunsi in written reply to a question in the Lok Sabha (Parliament) March 20 said that as part of India's Eleventh Five Year Plan, subject to funds availability more AIR FM radio stations would be set up to fill gaps in coverage while DTH for DD was the considered route. (Digital Broadcasters Vendor News interpretation.)