Digitisation key expectation of TV broadcasters in 2015
Broadcasters also expect market segmentation, higher ad revenues and heavy digital penetration this year

Television broadcasters are optimistic that the sector will witness some major developments in the new year. One such thing is digitisation, which they feel will improve issues of addressability, bring down carriage fee and increase subscription revenue.
Digitisation: Need of the hour
According to broadcasters, delay in the implementation of digitisation was the biggest impediment that the industry faced last year. Phase 3 and 4 of digitisation was postponed by a year to the end of 2015 and 2016, respectively. Besides, the implementation of Phase 1 and 2 witnessed a lot of roadblocks. However, broadcasters hope that there would be no further delay in the completion of Phase 3 and 4 of the project.
“A number of things needs to be done. One such thing is that digitisation gets established in the market in its true form, so that its benefits can be realised by the entire value chain. Phase 1 and 2 have been implemented on paper, but things on ground have not changed much. Phase 3 and 4 have been postponed. We have to ensure that digitisation gets implemented, so that the entire value chain becomes transparent,” NP Singh, Chief Executive Officer of Multi Screen Media (MSM) had said earlier.
Others in the industry echoed similar views. "Digitisation is something that we started and it needs to be completed at the earliest. The project should not miss any more deadlines,” said Keertan Adyanthaya, Managing Director, NGC Network India and Fox International Channels.
Saurabh Yagnik, EVP and Business Head at Sony PIX and AXN, said, “I hope for a stronger policy and directives on digitisation. The project should help improve the viewing experience and ensure that business benefits are realised in 2015."
Pradeep Hejmadi, Business Head of Zee TV, lauded the government for being communicative in terms of regulation and policies. “The government has done a good thing by saying that the industry is mature enough and understands what it should do. As long as that conversation continues, it will be perfect for us moving forward,” he said.
Addressability to improve
Despite the completion of Phase 1 and 2, broadcasters faced several problems until last year. However, with digitisation, they expect higher subscription revenue, reduction in carriage fee and better addressability.
“The television sector will witness a robust growth in 2015 as well. The full impact of digitisation in terms of higher subscription revenue, reduction in carriage fee and better addressability is expected soon,” said Ravish Kumar, EVP, Viacom18 and Project Head Regional Channels – ETV Kannada/ Bangla and Odiya.
“We need transparency. Besides, declaration of revenue by Local Cable Operators (LCOs) and Multi System Operators (MSOs) is needed. Transparency will ensure a better dispersion of funds across the value chain, which will help everybody. If the value chain gets broken, it doesn’t grow after that,” said Neeraj Vyas, Senior Vice-President and Business Head, Sony Max, Max 2 and Mix.
Similarly, “The most important thing for the industry will be to get addressability work smoothly with digitisation. It will be the biggest thing for the industry from both the business and consumer points of view, like it is in most developed markets. It will also help increase cable and satellite Average revenue per user (ARPUs), which are very low compared with other areas in the Asia-Pacific region. It will also help broadcasters meet viewers' expectations. With funds getting better, the quality of content too will improve. Digitisation can help that money go into content itself,” said Krishna Desai, Network Head, Kids Entertainment, Turner International.
On the carriage fee front, Nina Jaipuria, EVP and business head of Viacom 18 - kids channels, says, “From a PNL perspective, I would like to see the carriage fee reduced. If the subscription is growing and carriage fee reducing, the margins will certainly look up. At present, the carriage fee is reducing by 10-11 per cent.”
Micro-segmentation here to stay
Broadcasters expect more market segmentation in 2015. More channels are likely to be launched. In 2014, several broadcasters had launched two-three channels in a particular genre. The trend is likely to continue in 2015.
“Micro-segmentation is here to stay. Segmentation is good as it caters to the needs of the audience. Once digitisation comes to play, segmentation is going to be the way forward in terms of trying to meet the needs of the target audience, however big or small,” said Jaipuria.
Desai shared similar views. “The trend is likely to continue worldwide. Broadcasters try to segment the market and viewers so as to meet the increasing demand and business goals,” he said.
Digital penetration
With the advent of digital platforms and video-on-demand service, service providers are eating into the share of revenues in the US. With the increasing number of smartphones and launch of 4G, broadcasters expect that the digital consumption to grow exponentially.
“You have to evolve on the digital front at some point of time because a large audience will switch from TV to iPads, tablets, smartphones, etc. If you want to stay ahead, you got to be future ready. Future ready is about having a platform based on internet. Besides, with 4G coming next year, the entire plan is likely to change. You got to be future ready in terms of taking that engagement and entertainment beyond television to every screen possible,” said Jaipuria.
Sangeetha Aiyer of History TV18 says, “Every study shows that the consumption of content is shifting beyond television. Broadcasters should look at the growth of the online video industry to reach out to a broader audience. It is a threat, if channels refuse to adapt to this trend and create content that viewers would like to watch on demand. However, I don’t think that the online video industry should be viewed as a threat. Ultimately, one has to create a system that unites online and on-air elements.”
Ad revenue to shoot up
TV broadcasters also expect advertising revenues to shoot up in 2015. Factors such as a stable government and revival of investor sentiment have benefitted broadcasters. Advertising revenue growth for TV in 2014 was around 12 per cent. It is expected to increase further in 2015.
“As far as television is concerned, 2015 looks good as a lot of new categories are coming up. No other medium offers the kind of reach like that of television. Also, we are adding 8 to 10 million homes every year on cable and satellite. So, 40-50 million new viewers are coming in every year. These factors will keep fuelling the growth of television. There are categories such as e-commerce, auto, telecom, handsets, FMCG, etc. that have been strong. We had a good run in 2014 and all these categories seem to perform well in the new year as well and contribute to TV's growth. Even consumer durables are back, which over the last two-three years had dropped spends,” said Rohit Gupta, President, MSM.
“I expect the advertising expenditure (adex) to grow. Most projections are above 12-15 per cent, which is healthy. New categories will continue getting added,” said Yagnik.
Earlier, Exchange4media News Service had taken a look at some of the issues that affected the industry last year (Flashback 2014: A roller-coaster ride for the TV industry). The industry had witnessed some significant developments last year. But the implementation of digitisation faced a major roadblock. In 2015, broadcasters are keeping their fingers crossed and hope that the project is completed without any further delay or hindrance.
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e4m-Samsung Ads CTV roundtable to be held in Gurugram today
At the exclusive roundtable, experts will share insights on the theme ‘How to Leverage the Power of Screen’
By e4m Staff | Sep 27, 2023 7:52 AM | 2 min read
The exchange4media Group is excited to host the exclusive e4m-Samsung Ads CTV Roundtable in Gurugram today, September 27. In today's competitive marketplace, it is important for advertisers and marketers to understand how to maximize TV budgets and prepare for a larger addressable CTV universe. Marketers now have to consider how incremental reach can help capture viewers across OTT and CTV campaigns and level up their game to stand out from the rest.
At the roundtable, industry heads, digital marketing experts and top leaders from the advertising and marketing world will come together to share insights on the theme ‘How to Leverage the Power of Screen’. The experts will explore the evolving TV landscape, discuss the rise of ad-supported services, and explore how brands are leaning into the power of the screen to create deeper engagement with audiences.
The seasoned professionals will discuss the challenges that agencies and media owners are facing in their business, industry, and market at large. The roundtable will also include discussions on several key topics like what advertisers and marketers expect from CTV in the coming years, how to leverage the power of the screen to curate and tailor their strategies to resonate with the changing trends, measuring business impact in CTV, the challenges in investing more in CTV and more.
Our speakers include Anupam Tripathi, Media Head, Lenskart; Anusha Srinivasan, Digital Media Activations Manager, Reckitt Health, Reckitt India; Archana Aggarwal, VP – Media, Airtel; Bhawna Sikka, Category Head; Oral Health Care, Haleon; Kunal Dhrangadharia, Global Brand Lead, Royal Enfield; Monika Mishra, Director – Marketing, Mobikwik; Sahil Rawal, Vice President - Brand Product Platforms Marketing, Max Life Insurance; Samir Sethi, VP and Head of Brand Marketing, Policybazaar.com; Siya Wadhawan, Senior Brand Manager, boAt Lifestyle and Syed Sibtain Imam, Media Head, Honasa Consumer Ltd (Mamaearth). The discussion will be moderated by Prabhvir Sahmey, Senior Director, Samsung Ads while Abbhishek Chadha, Executive Vice President, North & East, Interactive Avenues will be the co-moderator.
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NDTV gets permission from MIB to launch 3 HD channels
The three high definition channels that received the nod are NDTV 24x7 HD, NDTV India HD and NDTV Profit HD
By e4m Staff | Sep 27, 2023 7:40 AM | 1 min read
New Delhi Television Ltd. (NDTV) has been granted permission from the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting to launch three high-definition (HD) channels.
According to the company's disclosure under Regulation 30 of the SEBI (Listing Obligations and Disclosure Requirements) Regulations, 2015, it said, "This is to inform you that in reference to the application filed by the Company before the Ministry of Information & Broadcasting (MIB), the Company has received a letter dated September 25, 2023 from MIB conveying its intention to grant permission to the Company to uplink and downlink three (3) news and current affairs channels in High Definition namely ‘NDTV 24x7 HD’, ‘NDTV India HD’ and ‘NDTV Profit HD.'
NDTV added that it will inform the stock exchanges of the launch of the said HD channels.
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ICC World Cup 2023: Disney Star onboards IndusInd & Emirates as sponsors on TV
According to sources, around 50-60 advertisers have signed up for the upcoming cricket tournament on TV
By Sonam Saini | Sep 26, 2023 1:22 PM | 1 min read
Disney Star, the official broadcaster of ICC Cricket World Cup for both TV and digital, has bagged two more sponsorships from IndusInd and Emirates for television.
Highly placed sources have confirmed the news to e4m. According to the sources, over 50 advertisers have signed up for the upcoming marquee tournament and the broadcaster is still in talks with other advertisers.
PhonePe, Mahindra Auto, Coke, MasterCard and Hindustan Unilever are the other big brands that have come on board as sponsors for the tournament.
As earlier reported by exchange4media, the broadcaster is seeking Rs 118-120 crore for co-presenting sponsorships and Rs 80-90 crore for the associate sponsorship. For co-presenting opportunities on Disney+ Hotstar, the broadcaster has set a price tag of Rs 150 crore. Brands eager to get high visibility as "Powered by" sponsors will need to invest Rs 75 crore, while those opting for associate sponsorship will have to allocate Rs 40 crore.
The ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup kicks off on October 5 with a repeat of the 2019 final as England faces New Zealand in Ahmedabad. Across 10 world-class venues, 48 matches will be played in 46 days culminating in the Men’s Cricket World Cup Final on November 19.
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Zee Media to re-register for BARC data
In September 2022, the news broadcaster pulled out of the TV audience measurement system, citing landing page issues
By e4m Staff | Sep 26, 2023 8:39 AM | 1 min read
News broadcaster Zee Media Corporation Limited (ZMCL) has decided to register back for BARC data, starting in the week of October 12, according to sources.
Emphasizing the significance of this collaboration, Abhay Ojha, CEO of Zee Media Corporation Limited, said, "We, at ZMCL, have always valued the integrity and transparency of data. Our decision to rejoin forces with BARC reflects our firm belief in BARC's commitment towards robust data mechanisms and our anticipation of a productive partnership ahead. We remain committed to delivering trustworthy news and content to our viewers and advertisers."
e4m has reached out for an official confirmation but BARC CEO Nakul Chopra wasn’t available to comment on the development at the time of filing this story.
Earlier in September 2022, the news broadcaster pulled out of the TV audience measurement system, citing the landing page issue as a reason for taking such a drastic step.
ZMCL had then said that it had been consistently requesting BARC India to take corrective measures with regard to the landing page issue. The news broadcaster had said that the landing page data should not be included in the final viewership and the duration for counting viewership be increased to 2 minutes.
ZMCL was the second TV news network after NDTV to pull out channels from BARC.
The media company owns and operates 14 TV news channels apart from 5 digital channels and 17 digital brands.
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Star Plus onboards 14 advertisers for Star Parivaar Awards 2023
Brands such as Dabur, ITC, Emami, Apple, Amazon, Berger Paints and Xiaomi have aligned themselves with the upcoming event
By e4m Staff | Sep 25, 2023 5:12 PM | 1 min read
Star Parivaar Awards 2023 has onboarded advertisers like Dabur, ITC, Emami, Apple, Amazon, Berger Paints and Xiaomi.
The awards have attracted 14 advertisers spanning a wide array of categories, including FMCG, Banking, E-commerce, Technology, Mobile Handsets, Insurance, Paints, and Pharma.
“This presents an unparalleled opportunity for brands to connect with their target audience on linear TV and beyond. The event offers a diverse range of in-content integration opportunities, emphasizing its massive associative value," said an industry observer.
The award show is set to be telecast on 1st October, starting 7 PM, on Star Plus and Disney+ Hotstar.
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MIB makes registration mandatory for MSOs to provide own programming service
Applicants have been advised to refer to guidelines issued by MIB on November 30, 2022
By e4m Staff | Sep 25, 2023 2:53 PM | 1 min read
Applicants have been advised to refer to guidelines for platform services offered by Multi System Operators issued by MIB on November 30, 2022. They are required to apply for registration of their PS channel(s)
Following documents are required to be uploaded at the time of submission of online application:
a. Certificate of Channel Carrying Capacity (Statewise) (Sell'-Certification).
b. Details of PS Channels operated at State Level
c. Details of PS Channels operated at District Level.
d. Filled in MHA Security Clearance Pro-forma.
e. Challan copy of payment made on Bharat Kosh Portal for registration of PS Channels.
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BCCI media rights: Viacom18 gets dynamic injunction from Delhi HC
Viacom18 Media had approached the court seeking ad-interim dynamic injunction to protect its media rights against rogue and pirate websites as well as John Does
By e4m Staff | Sep 23, 2023 4:50 PM | 2 min read
Viacom18 has secured a broad dynamic injunction from the Delhi High Court for the Indian cricket team’s bilateral matches.
Recently, Viacom18 bagged the BCCI linear and digital rights. As a result, for the next five years i.e., from September 2023 till March 2028, all bilateral games involving the Indian cricket team that will be played in India along with domestic cricket, shall now be broadcasted/streamed by Viacom18 on its television and OTT properties.
Viacom18 Media Private Limited had approached the Delhi High Court seeking an ad-interim dynamic injunction to protect its Media Rights in relation to the BCCI Events against various rogue and pirate websites as well as John Does/Ashok Kumars/Unknown Defendants.
The court while expressing its concerns regarding the unending menace of piracy noted that the courts have become inundated with suits pertaining to such issues and suggested the importance of a robust anti-piracy policy to curb the issues. The court observed that a prima facie case for interim injunction was made out and further held that the grant of an injunction would be necessary to avoid irreparable loss/injury from being caused to Viacom18.
The court further ordered that Viacom18 shall not be bound to initiate any fresh proceedings in relation to any new alphanumeric/redirect/mirror websites that are expected to mushroom during the course of the BCCI events. Access to such websites shall be blocked by the Internet Service Providers (IPSs) upon being informed about the same by Viacom18 on an affidavit. This, dynamic injunction provides Viacom18 to swiftly act against pirates and rogue websites infringing and making available the BCCI matches without due permissions.
Anil Lale (General Counsel, Viacom18 Media Pvt. Ltd.) said: “We at Viacom18 are proud to be the exclusive digital and television broadcaster for Indian cricket. Viacom18 has always been at the forefront in the fight against piracy. I am sure this is a welcome step for all the cricket fans as also for bona fide broadcasters like us who spend huge sums to get these rights. While we are proud to say that we have won several battles against these pirate websites, we understand that the war against piracy is a continuing one and we are committed towards winning it.”
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