khanmadari
Member
The information and broadcasting (I&B) ministry cleared 75 new channels of television networks owned by Rupert Murdoch-controlled Star India Pvt. Ltd, Zee Entertainment Enterprises Ltd and Discovery Communications Inc., among others.
Forty-seven broadcasters had sought approval from the ministry last year to start these channels in a nation where more than 600 television channels already air programmes.
The approval came two days ago, soon after the state legislative election results were announced, according to an official in the ministry who declined to be identified. Mint has a copy of the list of channels that have received approval.
Other TV?networks that sought permission to broadcast include UTV Entertainment TV Ltd, a part of UTV Software Communications Ltd.
Star India had sought approval to start Star Bengali, a general entertainment channel (GEC). The broadcaster has another Bengali GEC, Star Jalsha. Star Bengali is a separate channel, said a spokeswoman for Star India. She refused to provide more details.
Discovery Networks Asia-Pacific, owned by Discovery Communications, which has been given clearances for six channels, including Discovery Kids, Home and Health, 3D Net, Military and ID (Investigation Discovery), also confirmed the development. Mint couldnt independently verify media reports that the company will invest around Rs.1,000 crore in the new channels.
GECs have to invest about Rs.400 crore to start with, said Jehil Thakkar, executive director and head of media and entertainment at consulting firm KPMG India Pvt. Ltd.
The growth will continue because channels will target specific pockets, Thakkar said. With the Indian television landscape moving towards digitization, the bandwidth is bound to improve.
Broadcasters will adopt a portfolio strategy in that they will offer a bouquet of channels targeting different audiences, he said.
UTV Entertainment, which has channels like World Movies, Action and Bindass, has got clearance for a bouquet of four channels, including a music channel, 24x7 comedy channel, regional channel (UTV Anna) and UTV Raaz.
Similarly, Zee Entertainment Enterprises will look at a host of 24x7 movie channels for different markets, including Zee Kannada, Zee Bangla and Zee Cinema in high definition. The channel will introduce a 24x7 home shopping channel, too.
ESPN Software India Pvt. Ltd will start Star Cricket in high-definition. Fox Channels (India) Pvt. Ltd will have two channels, Nat Geo Adventure and Nat Geo Wild, in the high definition format.
In 2009, the ministry had approached the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (Trai) on the issue of approving new channels when it put a freeze on new applications for permission to uplink and downlink in India. The ministry had asked Trai to submit its report on spectrum availability and give its views on other issues, including assessing the net-worth of the channels. However, by mid-2009, it started processing the applications and in October gave licences to roughly 50 television channels.
There has been no freeze whatsoever and we regularly give clearances to television channels, said the ministry official cited in the beginning of the story.
Forty-seven broadcasters had sought approval from the ministry last year to start these channels in a nation where more than 600 television channels already air programmes.
The approval came two days ago, soon after the state legislative election results were announced, according to an official in the ministry who declined to be identified. Mint has a copy of the list of channels that have received approval.
Other TV?networks that sought permission to broadcast include UTV Entertainment TV Ltd, a part of UTV Software Communications Ltd.
Star India had sought approval to start Star Bengali, a general entertainment channel (GEC). The broadcaster has another Bengali GEC, Star Jalsha. Star Bengali is a separate channel, said a spokeswoman for Star India. She refused to provide more details.
Discovery Networks Asia-Pacific, owned by Discovery Communications, which has been given clearances for six channels, including Discovery Kids, Home and Health, 3D Net, Military and ID (Investigation Discovery), also confirmed the development. Mint couldnt independently verify media reports that the company will invest around Rs.1,000 crore in the new channels.
GECs have to invest about Rs.400 crore to start with, said Jehil Thakkar, executive director and head of media and entertainment at consulting firm KPMG India Pvt. Ltd.
The growth will continue because channels will target specific pockets, Thakkar said. With the Indian television landscape moving towards digitization, the bandwidth is bound to improve.
Broadcasters will adopt a portfolio strategy in that they will offer a bouquet of channels targeting different audiences, he said.
UTV Entertainment, which has channels like World Movies, Action and Bindass, has got clearance for a bouquet of four channels, including a music channel, 24x7 comedy channel, regional channel (UTV Anna) and UTV Raaz.
Similarly, Zee Entertainment Enterprises will look at a host of 24x7 movie channels for different markets, including Zee Kannada, Zee Bangla and Zee Cinema in high definition. The channel will introduce a 24x7 home shopping channel, too.
ESPN Software India Pvt. Ltd will start Star Cricket in high-definition. Fox Channels (India) Pvt. Ltd will have two channels, Nat Geo Adventure and Nat Geo Wild, in the high definition format.
In 2009, the ministry had approached the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (Trai) on the issue of approving new channels when it put a freeze on new applications for permission to uplink and downlink in India. The ministry had asked Trai to submit its report on spectrum availability and give its views on other issues, including assessing the net-worth of the channels. However, by mid-2009, it started processing the applications and in October gave licences to roughly 50 television channels.
There has been no freeze whatsoever and we regularly give clearances to television channels, said the ministry official cited in the beginning of the story.
