The year 2019 saw the broadcast industry rise to the occasion a number of times on account of landmark decisions like the implementation of TRAI’s New Tariff Order to issues surrounding Landing Page. Among the big-ticket events for the TV business were the Indian Premier League, ICC World Cup 2019 and the General Elections.

 While these mega events brought some cheer for the industry, it also had to grapple with the economic slowdown. 

Now as we are set to welcome 2020, industry experts say the year ahead will surely bring good times for the industry with some key developments like consolidation driving growth for the sector. 

MUMBAI: Rajat Sharma-promoted Independent News Service Pvt. Ltd. (INSPL), which owns and operates Hindi news channel India TV, has posted a net profit of Rs 55.7 crore for the fiscal ended 31st March 2019. In the previous fiscal, the company’s net profit stood at Rs 54.86 crore.

The company’s PBILDT for the fiscal was Rs 92.87 crore as against Rs 92.24 crore in FY18. There was a slight decline in the PBILDT margin on account of an increase in professional charges (part of production expenses) from Rs. 10.21 crore in FY18 to Rs. 16.80 crore in FY19.

Total operating income of the company achieved a CAGR of 12.61% for the period of FY16-FY19 and annual growth of 4.40% in FY19, which stood at Rs. 316.22 crore for FY19. More than 90% of the company’s revenue comes from ad sales since India TV is a free to air (FTA) channel.

MUMBAI: English GEC genre has become the top gainer in week 50 of Chrome Data Analytics and Media data. The genre grew by 16.20 per cent. In this genre, Comedy Central channel gained the highest OTS with 42.5 per cent in 6 metros market.

OTS is the actual census-based percentage connectivity of a channel spread across 81 million homes, as reported by Chrome DM, across analogue cable, digital cable, and DTH.

On May 29, 2019 as the judgment of the Telecom Disputes Settlement and Appellate Tribunal (TDSAT) set aside the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI)’s landing page directive dated December 3, 2018. The judgment was only the beginning of months of debates and discussions on landing page; who owns it, who pays for it, who gains from it and so on. The judgment had opened a 'Pandora's box' of confusion among both broadcasters and authority.

What was the judgment after all? Explaining the judgment to exchange4media, legal expert Harsh Walia had said, “The primary basis for setting aside the direction is lack of jurisdiction of TRAI to issue it in the first place. In its judgment, TDSAT has unequivocally held that TRAI does not have powers to issue directions for 'controlling contents of the landing page for TRP purposes' under the provision of the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India Act, 1997 that was relied upon by TRAI to issue the direction.”

MUMBAI: Telecom Disputes Settlement and Appellate Tribunal (TDSAT) has disposed of petitions as direct to home (DTH) operator Dish TV has cleared Star India’s dues. The petitions were disposed of with a direction to Dish TV to submit subscriber report from July onwards without any further delay.

Dish TV counsel submitted that the arrears for which the disconnection notice had been issued have been liquidated by payment of last installment by the end of November 2019.

However, the invoice for October 2019, could not be paid in full by 10.12.2019, as indicated in the last order since there was an added exercise to calculate the amount of incentives as per observations in the last order.

Therefore, the counsel stated that for the balance amount which was payable by 10.12.2019, a Post Dated Cheque bearing the date 20.12.2019 for an amount of Rs. 18.50 crore has been brought for giving it to the other side.

Star India has accepted the cheque on the assurance that it shall be honoured when presented in due time.

MUMBAI: Tipping Point, the digital content arm of Viacom18 Studios, has licenced three web shows to video streaming giant Netflix.

The three series join the diverse and growing slate of Netflix’s original productions made in India and watched by the world.

These boundary-breaking stories, ranging from thriller to romance to drama, are produced by Tipping Point.

The series are helmed by some of India’s finest storytellers. Jamtara – Sabka Number Aayega explores the conflicts that emerge when a small town is identified as India’s phishing capital. She is a gritty story of an undercover cop’s journey discovering her sexuality and breaking stereotypes while taking down a drug cartel. Taj Mahal 1989 is a nostalgic exploration of love and longing set against the monument of enduring love.

MUMBAI: Viacom18-owned Hindi GEC is all geared up for 2020 with a new line-up of shows. In the new year, the channel will continue its focus on varied content.

The channel will welcome the new year with an unconventional love story ‘Naati Pinky’ that will transcend the barriers of age, life stages, and background giving viewers a refreshing story that is sure to touch their hearts.

With ‘Barrister Babu’, Colors will bring another heartwarming story that is set in the pre-independence era that will defy set stereotypes and showcase societal battles that we continue fighting.

In the non-fiction space, it will bring back its flagship property ‘Khatron Ke Khiladi‘ featuring action-packed stunts along with intensifying acts.

MUMBAI: The ministry of information and broadcasting (MIB) has revealed that there are 11.7 crore cable TV subscribers based on the seeding data available from multi system operators (MSOs) and local cable operators (LCOs).

Responding to a question in the Lok Sabha, Information & Broadcasting (I&B) minister Prakash Javadekar accurate number of subscribers would be known on completion of cable TV digitisation across the country.

MUMBAI: Zee TV has grabbed second position on the pay platform in the week 49 of BARC India ratings. The channel was seen in the third position last week. Even in the urban market the channel has jumped from fifth postion to fourth. Star Plus continued to lead in the urban market and pay platform. Sony SAB slipped to third postion from second on pay platform but the channel continued to hold its second position in urban market. Star Plus, Zee TV, Sony SAB, Colors, Sony Entertainment Television, Star Bharat, Dangal, Star Utsav, Colors Rishtey and &TV were the top ten Hindi GEC channels on pay platform.

BENGALURU: There were five channels each from Hindi GEC and three South Indian languages in Broadcast Audience Research Council of India (BARC) weekly list of Top 10 Channels on All Platforms Across genre for week 49 of 2019 (Saturday, 30 November 2019 to Friday, 6 December 2019, week or period under review). There were three channels from the Tamil genre and one channel each from the Kannada and Telugu genres in the top 10 across genres on all platforms weekly list for week 49 of 2019. There were three channels each from Star India and Zee Entertainment Enterprises Limited (Zeel) and one channel each from Enterr 10 Television, Sony Pictures Network India (SPN), Sun Tv Network and Viacom 18 in BARC’s weekly list of Top 10 Channels on All Platforms Across genre for week 49.