MUMBAI: While user acquisition comes in the priority list of over-the-top players in India, maintaining consumer engagement also seems to remain a challenge. Although a number of new users are flocking to OTT platforms, many of them don’t stay on the platform for long. To stay relevant in the highly competitive market, OTT players should focus on consumer needs to keep them engaged.

At the stage of Vidnet 2019, experts from the industry will discuss on the topic - Competing for Consumer Engagement. The session will provide insights on different approaches adopted by platforms to keep their subscribers hooked.

After the implementation of the New Tariff Order the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India sought suggestions from the stakeholders on a review of the new regime. It issued a consultation paper on tariff-related issues for broadcasting and cable services.

Now the stakeholders have reacted to it and the broadcasters especially have a problem with TRAI looking to re-introduce the 15 per cent discount cap on channel bouquets.

The 15 per cent discount clause was set aside by the Madras High Court on May 2018 while hearing a plea filed by Star India and Vijay TV against TRAI’s tariff order. The court had, however, approved all other proposals put forth by TRAI. The authority had moved the Supreme Court to reverse the Madras High Court order but later withdrew its appeal.      

MUMBAI: Ministry of information and broadcasting (MIB) has directed 69 TV channels to provide their technical parameters to Electronic Media Monitoring Centre (EMMC) within 15 days.

In a notice to these channels, the ministry noted that 69 channels have not shared their technical parameters with EMMC. It also pointed out that clause 5.5 of the extant uplinking guidelines mandate broadcasters to provide for the necessary monitoring facility at its own cost.

“It has been brought to the notice of this Ministry that 69 private satellite TV channels permitted by this Ministry (list attached) have not shared their technical parameters with Electronic Media Monitoring Centre (EMMC) of this Ministry,” the MIB said in the notice.

It further stated, “In this regard, attention is invited to clause 5.5 of the extant uplinking Guidelines which provides that the company/channel shall provide for the necessary monitoring facility, at its own cost, for monitoring of programmes or content by the representatives of the Ministry of Information & Broadcasting or any other Government agency as and when so required.”

MUMBAI: B4U Bhojpuri gained the leading position in week 38 of BARC India ratings. Last week, B4U Bhojpuri was at the leading position in the top five Bhojpuri channel's list, this week the channel has slipped to second position. No changes were observed in the Gujarati, Kannada, Marathi, Tamil and Telugu spaces.

In Bhojpuri space, B4U Bhojpuri, Bhojpuri Cinema, Big Ganga, Danbangg and Bhojpuri Dhamaka DISHUM were the top five channels.

BENGALURU: Hindi News ratings continued their decline in week 38 of 2019 (Week 38: Saturday, 14 September 2019 to Friday, 20 September 2019, period or week under review). After the big jump in ratings in week 21 0f 2019 when the opinion polls followed by results of the national elections, Hindi News ratings had witnessed a steep decline. The abrogation of Article 370 and the formation of the new union territories of Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh on 5 August 2019 during week 32 of 2019 saw ratings peak a bit once again, only to gradually climb down. Weekly data of Top 5 Hindi News channels sourced from Broadcast Audience Research Council of India (BARC) reveals that the combined total of ratings of the top 5 Hindi News channels in the combined urban (U) and rural (R) Hindi speaking market (HSM) dipped 13 percent in week 38 of 2019 as compared to the previous week. Ratings of the Top 5 Hindi News channels in the urban market – HSM (U) declined 14 percent as compared to a 11 percent fall in the case of HSM (R) during the period under review. BARC data has more weightage for the urban markets as compared to the rural markets.

MUMBAI: Sony Entertainment Television (SET) became the number 1 channel in the urban market. In week 38 of BARC India ratings the channel garnered 520598 weekly impressions (000s). Star Plus which was leading in the urban market slipped down to second position. SET's two shows Kaun Banega Crorepati and Superstar Singer Singing Kaa Kal has propelled the growth of viewership on the channel. Both the shows have also made their places in the top five Hindi GEC programme on pay platform at fourth and fifth positions.

MUMBAI: Moving one step closer to the long-fought battle on licence fees between direct-to-home (DTH) operators and the government of India, the Supreme Court has allowed the transfer of a related case to the apex court from the Kerala High Court.

“Having heard the learned counsel for the parties and gone through these transfer petitions filed under Article 139A of the Constitution of India and considering the facts and circumstances of the case, we deem it fit and proper to transfer the matters mentioned in Prayer (a) of the Transfer Petitions from the High Court of Kerala at Ernakulam to this Court,” Supreme Court said in an order dated on 23 September.

A look at TV viewership pattern post the implementation of TRAI’s New Tariff Order has revealed that there has been a massive spike in takers for HD channel in 2019.

The new MRP regime gives viewers the power to select channels of their choice and pay for only those.

Data Deal

As per data provided to us by BARC India, in 2019 the number of HD channels has gone up by 18 per cent when compared to 2017. Till the end of 2017, the HD channel count was 75. In 2018, it shot up to 84 for the same period and in 2019 there are 89 HD channels live.

Viewership of HD channels has more than doubled for the all-India market with a growth of 146 per cent in 2019 as compared to 2017. This growth has been largely driven by the South market where HD viewership has gone up by 272 per cent. In the HSM market, HD viewership has grown by 99 per cent.

A week after an unwritten ban was imposed on two Telugu channels namely, TV5 and ABN Andhra Jyothi by the YSR Congress-led government in Andhra Pradesh, TV5 has called the move politically motivated. At the same time on Wednesday, the Editors Guild of India issued a statement denouncing the ban.

In an official statement, The Editors Guild of India said, "The Editors Guild of India is distressed to note that an unwritten ban has been imposed by the YSR Congress-led government in Andhra Pradesh on two Telugu news channels – TV5 and ABN. Such restrictions strike at the root of press freedom. The Guild urges the Andhra Pradesh government to clarify if it indeed has in any way been responsible for the stoppage in telecasting of these two television channels. If so, it should immediately rescind any such order.”

MUMBAI: The Supreme Court has allowed Union of India’s (UOI) petition to transfer all direct to home (DTH) licence fee case from the Kerala High Court to itself.

The UOI had filed a petition in the SC for transfer of the Sun Direct case to the apex court.

“Having heard the learned counsel for the parties and gone through these transfer petitions filed under Article 139A of the Constitution of India and considering the facts and circumstances of the case, we deem it fit and proper to transfer the matters mentioned in Prayer (a) of the Transfer Petitions from the High Court of Kerala at Ernakulam to this Court,” Justice Arun Mishra and Justice Ravindra Bhat stated.

The bench also directed the registry to immediately transmit a copy of this order to the High Court of Kerala.