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New Telecom Policy delayed for June 2012 |
So we heard a couple of months ago that a new telecom policy is underway and should bring in a roaming-free environment with one-nation, one-tariff and nation-wide mobile number portability. News back then was that it will be implemented by early 2012, however according to sources the implementation of the new policy has been delayed and that it should be here by June 2012.
Telecom Minister Kapil Sibal had announced the Draft New Telecom Policy 2011 in October and had said that the new policy would be ready after incorporating comments from all stakeholders by the end of this year.
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Indian Telecom operators all set to announce 4G Launch |
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If 2011 meant to be making 3G a common term than 2012 may bring something even more interesting, a faster and reliable hi-speed technology that connects people on the move free from wires. Airtel, Reliance, Aircel, Qualcomm and Tikona are working really aggressively to introduce a more blazingly fast technology what is being termed as 4G.
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India Crosses 900 Million Telephone Lines
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The number of telephone subscribers in India rose to 906.93 million at the end of September 2011 from 899.78 million at the end of the previous month, with service providers adding a total of 7.153 million connections during the month for a growth rate of 0.79 per cent.
According to the latest data from the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) the share of urban subscribers had marginally increased to 66.31% from 66.27% whereas the share of rural subscribers had marginally declined to 33.69% from 33.73% in September.
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The new telecom operators have joined hands and asked the government to consider allotting up to 6.2 MHz spectrum to them without any additional charge as is being done for old GSM players.
Terming the proposal to charge new telcos for additional spectrum beyond 4.4 MHz as "discriminatory", new operators such as Tatas, RCom (for foray into GSM services), Sistema- Shyam, Uninor and others have approached the Telecom Ministry saying it will impact their sustainability and scalability.
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Nokia money launches prepaid mobile wallet |
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Nokia has launched its Nokia Money service across India. The service allows customers to use their mobile phones as a wallet that can be used to make payments, without actually requiring a bank account. The company already has tie-ups with banks like Yes Bank and Union Bank of India for a mobile payments service and according to the company, the new service is complimentary to the existing Nokia Money services.
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BSNL brings ‘Choose Your Mobile Number Scheme’ |
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BSNL’s choose your mobile number scheme, which allows prospective customers to choose the mobile number online or through SMS will very soon be available across all the circles. So far, the service is available only in Andhra Pradesh circle where it was launched last month. With choose your mobile number scheme, customers can choose the numbers through BSNL website or SMS or from any retailer from the pool of numbers. At BSNL AP circle website there is the list of close to 2 lakh numbers on display for customers to choose from. This scheme adds value to customers by enabling them to choose from a huge list of numbers which can be done at their own leisure time without any human involvement. Now seeing the response of the scheme,BSNL has decided to launch it on PAN India basis. |
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Google Nexus coming soon to India |
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Sales of the much awaited Google Nexus superfine featuring the latest Android Ice Cream Sandwich operating system will start in few countries including the US, the UK, Japan, Germany, Korea and Italy. India has been included in the next batch of countries where this superphone will be made available. There has been no specific timeline shared for the roll out of the device in the second batch of countries, but it highly anticipated that the device will make its way in these markets by the end of this month nearing Christmas. |
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DoT to issue show-cause notice to 5 Telecom operators |
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The government will soon issue show-cause notices to five leading telecom firms, including Bharti, Idea, RCom and Tatas, with regard to special audit that found discrepancies in payment of licence fees. In a written reply to the Lok Sabha, Milind Deora, Minister of State for Communications and IT said that the Department of Telecommunications (DoT) is in the process of issuing show cause notices to various operators. This, Deora said, was to enquire why 35 licences should not be terminated for failing to meet rollout obligations. Deora added that the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) had recommended cancelling 53 telecom licenses and also recommended seeking legal opinion once again on the issue of cancellation of another 30 licenses |
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DoT rejects Trai's proposals for liberal M&A norms |
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DoT has rejected TRAI's proposal for liberal merger and acquisition (M&A) rules that would have paved way for consolidation in India's highly competitive market, reports The Economic Times. At present, India has around 15 telecom operators and experts believe that the easier M&A norms would lead to consolidation in this segment. (See NTP 2011: More transparency, Better accountability and IndiaWatch: TRAI Proposes New M&A Rules.) |
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| International News |
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| France to get online 3D web channel
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French broadband firm Orange and online on-demand platform Dailymotion – of which Orange owns 51% – are launching an online 3D channel. The as-yet unnamed channel will be available via all stereoscopic 3D-compatible PCs as well as in anaglyph 3D with glasses for other PCs. The channel is also due to launch on mobile phones in February 2012. Orange will supply the 3D programming, which it already carries on its Orange 3D IPTV channel |
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Cox to launched 62 brand new HD channels |
Cox Communications is pleased to announce of its launching of 62 new HD channels for Hampton Roads customers on December 20, 2011. With these HD channel launches, Hampton Roads customers now have access to 103 HD channels. Cox Virginia's Vice President of Marketing Jonathan Freeland said, "We are delighted to offer these new HD channels and to continue expanding our offering of high definition programming free of charge to our customers. These new HD channels provide the same terrific programs with the added quality of high definition television and will launch on December 20th."Freeland adds, "With these additions, Cox continues to expand its services to provide both the quality as well as the quantity of HD content for our valued customers.
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| BBC & Virgin Media to enhance service on TiVo |
Virgin Media and the BBC have announced a new deal that will bring next-generation BBC TV services to the Virgin Media TiVo Service in 2012. In a statement the BBC and Virgin Media said they will now begin to develop new applications and user experiences for TiVo homes—paving the way for Virgin Media customers to gain access to the BBC's interactive coverage of next year's major sporting events via a brand new Red Button experience, including Formula 1, Wimbledon, Euro 2012 and the London 2012 Olympics.
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Animal Planet to renew “Whale Wars” |
Pan-Europan TV news channel euronews will soon also be available as a radio service. "We want to introduce euronews radio to the market by early 2012 at the latest," general director Michael Peters told German industry magazine Digitalmagazin. The Lyon-based broadcaster initially plans web-radios, transmitting on the internet in five to six languages. "We have formed a joint venture with a large radio group, which will adjust our content for radio broadcasting," said Peters.
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Foreign TV series banned by Azerbaijan |
Azerbaijan will ban the broadcasting of foreign TV series to protect the rights of domestic filmmakers and promote the country's film industry. "Foreign TV series often contradict Azerbaijan's mentality and impede the development of the domestic film industry," said Nushirevan Maharramli, chairman of the country's National Broadcasting Council. The ban is expected to enter into force at the beginning of next May, he said, adding that the government has allocated grants to the makers of local TV series.
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MediaCorp to introduce new interactive service |
Singapore's leading media company MediaCorp will launch a trial involving a new interactive service delivered over broadband, in the first quarter of 2012. Known as "Toggle", the service will offer unique features and premium content, that'll revolutionise the way you watch television. Some 200 households will be roped in take part in the free trial. The interactive service will integrate online and traditional TV entertainment experience by delivering content to the subscribers' preferred devices such as a "Connected TV", computer, tablet device or mobile phone. MediaCorp said this service will enable the subscriber to stay connected anytime, anywhere with any Internet access.
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Sky Sports F1 coming in March |
Sky has confirmed it will launch a dedicated channel for its new in-depth Formula 1 coverage in March 2012. Starting in March 2012, Sky Sports F1 HD will “get Sky customers closer than ever, with more action, analysis and information – on their TV, online and mobile devices – throughout the season.” The dedicated channel will be provided at no extra charge to all Sky TV customers who take both Sky Sports 1 and Sky Sports 2 or the HD pack of channels. It will be found at 408 in Sky’s on-screen guide, after a scheduled move of the Sky Sports channels.
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| MySpace discloses latest music player
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MySpace has unveiled an online music streaming service ‘MySpace Music Player, that provides free unlimited listening, radio mode, search functionality and instant sync capabilities allowing people to share its library. The social entertainment site has signed a licensing deal with Sony, Universal, EMI, Warner and other independent labels, acquring the global rights of more than 42 million songs. The player also includes features like ‘MySpace's DNA’ - for promoting and enabling music sharing and discovery, and ‘facebook integration,’ which allows people to listen and share their selections on facebook.
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Saudi prince invests $300m on Twitter |
Twitter has received a $300m (£194m) investment from Saudi billionaire investor, Prince Alwawleed bin Talal and his investment vehicle Kingdom Holding Company. The agreement to acquire a "strategic stake" in the five-year-old micro-blogging company, followed "several months of negotiations," Kingdom Holding said. The princely investment comes as Twitter, which has approximately 100 million users worldwide, is looking to produce fresh revenue streams, having recently relaunched the service to include brand pages.
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| Facebook to expand sponsored stories ad |
Facebook is expanding its Sponsored Story ad format, which will gradually introduce social ads in users' news feeds from next year, to boost ad revenues ahead of the company's flotation. Sponsored Stories were introduced at the start of the year. They show how users interact with brands, including likes or check-ins, and are placed on friends' profiles as display ads. Sponsored Stories has been much-trumpeted as a highly successful ad format on the social network site. Recent reports also suggested that Facebook was likely to use the Sponsored Story ad format to start monetising its mobile app, paving the way for advertising on Facebook mobile.
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| Sify brings new online storage solution
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Network and IT Services provider Sify Technologies has launched Sify mystorage, a cloud-based online storage and backup solution targeted at consumers and small businesses. Mystorage service is the company's second cloud-based consumer cloud service after the Sify mylife, a service that can be used by cyber cafes to provide its consumers services like booking travel tickets, making commercial payments or taking online examinations apart from providing internet browsing facilities.
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Yahoo planning to unload Asian asset for $17bn |
Yahoo Inc is considering a plan to unload most of its prized Asian assets in a complex deal valued at roughly $17 billion, sources familiar with the matter said, winning nods of approval from Wall Street and driving its shares higher. At a $17 billion valuation, which includes the value of the Alibaba stake that Yahoo! would retain under the latest proposal, a deal would mean the Asian assets are worth $14 per Yahoo! Share.
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| Google’s new target is human virus
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The viruses that Google researchers usually focus on are those that strike computers, but in recent years, they have studied those that infect people, too. In 2009, researchers from Google and the CDC wrote an article summarising their findings in the journal Nature, and stated that the new predictive model — now called Google Flu Trends and accessible in an interactive format online — could be a boon to public health. |
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| Television News |
| TV news channels may get regulator soon
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A committee of the Planning Commission has suggested that the government set up a regulatory body to govern media education and research. In its recommendations for the 12th Five Year Plan, the panel said a Media Council of India be established on the lines of the All India Council of Technical Education (AICTE) for electronic channels to regulate media education and research.
The recommendation, which has been made only for the electronic channels, is likely to raise eyebrows. The Press Council of India had also recommended recently that a media council be set up to regulate TV channels.
In another recommendation, the plan panel suggested the government to set up a centre for the promotion of excellence in the electronic media.
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BCCC cautions Colors on Sunny promoting 'business' |
In the wake of complaints over appearance of porn star Sunny Leone in TV reality show 'Big Boss', the Broadcasting Content Complaints Council (BCCC) has asked TV channel Colors to ensure that she does not use the programme to promote her 'pornography business'.
Sources said that the issue was discussed at a meeting of the BCCC where several complaints regarding Leone's appearance on the TV show came up. The Ministry of Information and Broadcasting had also forwarded some of the complaints to the BCCC. "The issue was discussed and there were around nineteen complaints related to Leone's appearance on the show. But there did not seem any content related violation from Leone's presence on the show," said an official who is aware of the developments.
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Star One turns into Life OK TV channel |
There is noise and there is noise, but the noise that the Star-wallahs made while they were launching their new channel has got to have beaten all other noise hollow. Actually, it was not a launch, but a re-launch of Star One, which is now Life OK and believes in the catchphrase Kal ki soch kar dhat teri ki karte reh gaye – toh aaj ka kya hoga pyaare? It happened with a week-long digital engagement plan, as the honchos for the channel said, and an eight-hour-long rockathon for the web, starring Shankar-Ehsaan-Loy, Euphoria, Agni, Shaa’ir and Funk, and Indus Creed, along with Salim-Sulaiman, Kailash Kher and Shilpa Rao. Programming has begun, each new show introduced by a rather matronly and buxom Madhuri Dixit Nene playing sutradhar (narrator). Which made us wonder – is this the new TV channel she is said to have been starting? And what role will she play in it long-term, if she does? Any which way, things in telly-land could be changing for the better, if the tiny glimpse of the new shows that we got delivers on its promises.
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| KBC now in Tamil after Hindi, Bengali & Bhojpuri |
Come February 2012, Vijay TV is all set to launch the hit game show Kaun Banega Crorepati (KBC) in Tamil as Neengalum Vellalam Oru Kodi, with Tamil film star Surya donning the mantle of host.
Without giving out any numbers, Mr K. Sriram, Business Head, Vijay Television Pvt Ltd, said the show calls for a huge investment, laying stress on the word ‘huge'. “This will be the biggest property any South Indian channel would have ever invested.” As the show is being produced by Big Synergy, the producer of KBC in Hindi, it will be of the same high quality in every aspect, he said.
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Fox Traveller to launch 24X7 Bengali feed from Jan 12 |
FOX Traveller, the leading travel & lifestyle channel, expands its reach to a wider audience in India by launching a 24 hour Bangla feed from 15th January 2012. Presently the Bangla feed is available for four hours during primetime (8-12pm); the channel plans to enable a larger spectrum of viewers in India to enjoy the fun in the journey through its 24 hours programming in Bengali. The channel has received an overwhelming response from audiences and this has encouraged the decision to launch a Bangla feed.
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| Sea TV launches spiritual channel "JINVANI"
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A new spiritual channel, Jinvani, has been launched by Sea TV Network Ltd, to cater to the Digambar sect of Jain religion.
The channel, launched under the umbrella of Jain Telemedia Services Ltd, will have an array of programmes touching upon facets of human life like religion, spirituality, moral values, health, art of living and success. It will attempt to take principles of Jainism in its simplest form to the viewers for the youth's benefit.
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History helps grow factual entertainment genre in India
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HISTORY, the world’s leading factual entertainment channel, which debuted its India edition two months back, has created history by gaining the No.1 position in 6 metros market cluster. The channel garnered 33% market share vis-à-vis Discovery’s 31% and National Geographic’s 13%. HISTORY’s launch has also helped grow the genre by an unprecedented 57%.
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| Sky launches Bollywood channel UMP
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Hindi language film channel UMP Movies launches on Sky bringing a touch of Bollywood glamour to the satellite broadcaster's electronic programme guide (EPG).
The digital TV station can be found at position 797 on the EPG and boasts a library of more than 400 titles, with highlights including recent blockbusters such as No One Killed Jessica, Tees Maar Khan and Tere Bin Laden.
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DD India reaches to 38 countries |
The reach of the international channel of Doordarshan - DD India - has fallen to less than half following the shifting of the transmission from Intelsat to Insat 4B satellite.
While the channel was reaching 86 countries through Intelsat, it is currently reaching just 38 countries.
The contract with the Intelsat Corporation of the United States expired on 5 March this year. DD had been paying around Rs 80 million per year to Intelsat for the transmission.
A provision of Rs 1 billion has been set aside in the 12th Five Year Plan to improve the content on DD India with a change in its fixed point chart.
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| Sun TV to launch 4 HD channels
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Sun TV Network will launch four new High Definition channels in Tamil and Telugu languages on 11 December 2011.
The company has always been in the forefront of pioneering new technologies and in bringing value added services to its customers. The launch of these HD channels is in line with that tradition and reinforces the company's competitive positioning in the South Indian broadcast media space.
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| Radio News |
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Vivek Malhotra joins Big FM as marketing head
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Advertisement diversity on radio is increasing
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A big salute to women entertainer from Big FM |
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Red FM is back with “Heritage Hunt” |
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Radio City unveils audio of Agneepath |
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| Vivek Malhotra joins Big FM as marketing head |
Reliance Broadcast Network Ltd (RBNL) has appointed Vivek Malhotra as Head of Marketing for its radio brand 92.7 BIG FM. In his new role, Malhotra will be responsible for developing the overall brand and communication strategy for the business and implementation rollout across the stations. He will be closely associated with the product, operations and revenue teams as the radio business charts its aggressive growth for the next phase. On joining BIG GM, Malhotra said, “I am really excited about my new role at RBNL, an organisation poised to take giant leaps towards success. The team breaks away from traditional media strategies and processes, which would fascinate anyone who’s striving to think of fresh ideas.” |
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| Advertisement diversity on radio is increasing |
FMCG and television are the two major brand categories that advertise on radio. Apart from these, telecom is a growing industry that advertises on radio. At the local level, it’s the retail sector that advertises on radio in a big way. However, the real estate sector, which has been witnessing a negative trend, has not picked up well on radio. Apart from this, a lot of brand categories have increased their spends on the medium and have opted for radio in their media plans.
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| A big salute to women entertainer from Big FM |
BIG Live, the intellectual property vertical from Reliance Broadcast Network Ltd, has announced the launch of its new offering, the ‘BIG Salute to Bangla Women Entertainers Awards’. The Awards will be an exclusive platform to honour women entertainers across eight different genres – Movies, Television, Music, Media, Dance, Sports and Theatre. The Awards will have three categories – young, adult and senior – across the segments, covering all age groups and engaging a vast profile of viewers.
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| Radio City unveils audio of Agneepath |
The music of Hrithik Roshan starrer ‘Agneepath’ was released on Radio City by director Karan Malhotra, composer Ajay-Atul and lyricist Amitabh Bhattacharya. RJ Salil and Archana (of Kasa Kai Mumbai) played host to the Agneepath crew as they conversed about the music and lyrics of the movie. Agneepath, directed by Karan Malhotra, is homage to the cult 1990 classic directed by the late Mukul S Anand. The action drama stars Hrithik Roshan, Priyanka Chopra, Sanjay Dutt and Rishi Kapoor. The movie is scheduled to release on 27 January 2012. Speaking about the music composer Ajay-Atul said, “So far, we have been getting rave reviews for the music of ‘Agneepath’. Everyone has a different favorite in the album. We hope the audience enjoys the music as much as we did composing it.” |
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| Red FM makes Christmas and New Year special |
On the occasion of Christmas and New Year, Red FM has lined up innovative contest and shows for its listeners in Mumbai. With ‘Jingle Humari Bell Aapki’, the radio station will deliver messages from listeners to the person concerned in the form of quirky jingles. The station has also initiated ‘Moza hi Moza’ contest in the West while on-ground activity in the East. Listeners can also invite Santa to their locality by contacting their most loved station. |
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