Does the broadcast industry need a regulator?

Taking forward the debate regarding the proposed Broadcast Bill, speakers raised concerns ranging from questioning the need for a broadcast regulator to the conflict of the IT Act with the Broadcast Bill at a roundtable discussion organised by the Centre for Media Studies in the Capital on August 24.

e4m by exchange4media Staff
Published: Aug 25, 2006 8:00 AM  | 4 min read
Does the broadcast industry need a regulator?

Taking forward the debate regarding the proposed Broadcast Bill, speakers raised concerns ranging from questioning the need for a broadcast regulator to the conflict of the IT Act with the Broadcast Bill at a roundtable discussion organised by the Centre for Media Studies in the Capital on Thursday.

Bhaskar Rao, Chairman, CMS, began the discussion saying, “This is the third time in the past 10 years that we are having a discussion regarding the Broadcast Bill. And though I have long advocated a bill that governs the industry, I feel that we from the media industry should propose a bill to the government, rather than the other way round.”

Kiran Karnik, President, Nasscom, advocated the idea of independent parties issuing the license rather than the authority being given to the Broadcast Regulatory Authority of India (BRAI). On the must-carry provision of the local content for every channel in the Draft Bill, he said, “It is true that other countries have such a provision, but with the kind of cultural moorings we have, there is no need for such a clause. Also, if there is a channel for German expats, it would be unreasonable to ask them to beam our local content.”

“The industry definitely needs a regulator, but it should be an independent regulator,” Karnik said. He contended that the foundation of BRAI was structurally wrong as the chairperson would be appointed by the Central Government. Also, he pointed out that the must-carry requirement of the Doordarshan channels on the prime band implied that the channel was contesting with commercial channels.

Pradip Baijal, former chairman of TRAI, said, “There are four sectors in the country that have made India proud – IT, telecom, broadcast channels and cable. The last two have flourished because of the absence of the government. On the other hand, the establishment of TRAI resulted in 5 per cent growth in the telecom sector. What needs to be looked at is whether we need a broadcast regulator as there are a plethora of bodies, such as TDSAT under TRAI and various others that look at various broadcast issues already.”

Speaking on the occasion, Bhaskar Ghose, CEO, Lok Sabha TV, and the former I&B Secretary, said, “I welcome the Bill to the extent that it proposes a broadcast regulator. But this kind of a Bill won’t work in its present form and will be struck down by any court of law.”

Criticising the Bill for its provisions to censor TV channels, Ghose said, “It is a colonial hangover” and advised the government to come out of it.

Jawahar Goel, Additional Vice-Chairman of Zee, pointed out the difference in functioning of TRAI and BRAI. “TRAI is one of the most transparent organisations around. At every proposal, industry players are consulted, while in case of the Broadcast Bill, there was no consultation before the Bill was drafted. What makes TRAI a responsible organisation is that they address the complaints. But, the proposed BRAI does not even have a redressal cell,” he pointed out.

Sahara TV’s Mahesh Prasad felt that the Broadcast Bill was too detailed. He pointed out the specific clauses of the Draft Bill, contesting sections such as BRAI’s power of canceling licenses; compulsory carriage provision; sharing of sports feed with DD; restriction on accumulation of interest; cross-holding restrictions, etc. According to him, the proposed Bill aimed only at regulating content and not carriage.

Cyber law expert Pavan Duggal made a presentation on the grey areas of the Bill, which include non-addressal of the convergence quotient and conflicting nature of Sec 81 of the IT Act, 2001, and Sec 44 of Broadcast Bill as both are special power Acts.

Trying to hold the turf, I&B Secretary S K Arora, in reply to Duggal’s presentation, said, “The proposed Broadcast Bill deals with the traditional broadcast industry. About the issue of convergence, there is the IT Act to cover IT sector, Telegraph Act and Telecom law to cover the telecom sector, and the I&B Ministry will look at the broadcast.”

While Arora accepted the fact that there were two contravening sections, Sec 4 that deals with logo and trademarks, and Sec 44, he assured, “Different ministries are looking at the draft with a magnifying glass. Whatever may be the contentious issues, they will be worked on with due diligence.” In the same vein, he added, “The law will happen, but after consultation with various ministries and industry bodies.”

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E4M Our strategy is to target younger audiences through Sports: Rajiv Dubey, Dabur

The Head of Media at Dabur India spoke exclusively to exchange4media on the World Cup, associating with Indian Idol, the company’s digital spending and much more

e4m by e4m Staff
Published: Oct 27, 2023 6:15 PM  | 1 min read
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With quirky campaigns, memes and moment marketing, timed with the ongoing World Cup and particularly the India-Pakistan matches, Dabur India has got considerable consumer attention for its popular brands – Red Paste, Cool King Hair Oil, Chyawanprash, Dabur Vita and the recently launched Bae Fresh Gel toothpaste.

The 140-year-old company is going big on key sporting events, World Television Premiere (WTP) movies and reality shows. It is now gearing up to become the title sponsor of popular talent show ‘Indian Idol’ on Sony TV for the first time, shared Rajiv Dubey, who leads the media strategy at Dabur.

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Swapan Seth's new book 'COOL' is out

The book is a reflection of the author's 'eclectic taste across categories'

e4m by e4m Staff
Published: Oct 27, 2023 6:07 PM  | 1 min read
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Advertising professional and art collector Swapan Seth has announced the launch of his new book COOL. The book is described as "a ready reckoner to the hip and the happening, of the known and the very unknown."

The book is a reflection of the author's "eclectic taste across categories: from boltholes to exotic hideaways."

COOL has been published by Simon & Schuster India and is available on Amazon.

Seth is an ad veteran with a long and illustrious career in the industry. He became the youngest-ever Creative Director at Clarion at age 24. He was VP at 26 at Trikaya Grey. Two years later, he started his agency Equus.

He writes for publications such as The Economic Times, Hindustan Times and India Today. This is his second book and he has previously published THIS IS ALL I HAVE TO SAY.

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Disney Star signs 9 sponsors for Asia Cup PAK

Charged by Thums Up, Nerolac Paint+, Amazon Pay, Jindal Panther, My11Circle, MRF, Samsung Galaxy Z Flip5, Wild Stone and Thums Up come on board

e4m by exchange4media Staff
Published: Aug 26, 2023 11:48 AM  | 1 min read
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e4m Staff Disney Star has signed nine broadcast and digital streaming sponsors for the upcoming Asia Cup.

Charged by Thums Up, Nerolac Paint+, Amazon Pay, Jindal Panther, My11Circle, MRF, Samsung Galaxy Z Flip5, Wild Stone and Thums Up have come on board for the upcoming tournament.
As reported earlier by exchange4media, Disney Star has sought Rs 26 crore for the co-presenting sponsorship on TV and Rs 30 crore for Disney+ Hotstar.

According to industry sources, the associate sponsorship on Star Sports has been priced at Rs 19.66 crore, whereas for the ‘powered by’ sponsorship on Disney+ Hotstar, the broadcaster is seeking Rs 18 crore.

As per the information available with exchange4media, Disney+ Hotstar has three sponsorship tiers-- co-presenting (Rs 30 crore), powered by (Rs 18 crore) and associate sponsorship (Rs 12 crore). The broadcaster is offering an estimated reach of 120-140 million for co-presenting sponsors, 90-100 million for powered by and 60-70 million for associate sponsorship.

A spot buy for 10 seconds has been priced at Rs 25 lakh for the India vs Pakistan matches, while for the non-India matches, the ad rate for 10 second is Rs 2.3 lakh. The India matches plus the final for ODIs has been priced at Rs 17 lakh per 10 seconds.

Asia Cup is scheduled to be held from 30 August, 2023, to September 17, 2023.

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Sorted 360 wins creative & social media mandate of Reliance Mall

The agency will manage offline and online campaigns for Reliance Mall

e4m by exchange4media Staff
Published: Aug 26, 2023 10:54 AM  | 1 min read
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Sorted 360, an integrated creative and social media agency, has won the mandate to providing brand solutions for Reliance Malls across India.

“Sorted 360 is set to enhance Reliance Malls' market presence with their unparalleled creative prowess and strategic thinking,” read a press release.

“Sorted 360's commitment to pushing the boundaries of creative communication aligns perfectly with Reliance Malls' ethos. With a pan-India presence spanning across 19 cities and growing, Reliance Malls has consistently captivated customers by offering an array of Reliance brands and third-party fashion & lifestyle brands. The mall has established an unparalleled connection with its patrons through superior quality, a remarkable value proposition, and an unmatched shopping experience,” it read further.

"We are thrilled to welcome Sorted 360 as our trusted partner in advancing our brand presence across the nation," said the Head of Marketing at Relaice Malls. "Their proven expertise in retail, shopping center management, and innovative creative strategies make them the perfect fit for our vision."

"Partnering with Reliance Malls is a testament to our commitment to shaping extraordinary brand experiences," remarked Prerana Anatharam, Co-founder of Sorted 360. "We are excited to leverage our strategic and creative acumen to further elevate Reliance Malls as the epitome of convenience, choice, and excellence."

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e4m by exchange4media Staff
Published: Aug 25, 2023 4:39 PM  | 1 min read

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e4m by exchange4media Staff
Published: Aug 25, 2023 4:38 PM  | 1 min read

KlugKlug onboards Hemang Mehta as Country Manager for Indias

Mehta was most recently Head of Agency Relationships at Network 18 Media & Investments

e4m by exchange4media Staff
Published: Aug 24, 2023 3:35 PM  | 1 min read
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KlugKlug has appointed Hemang Mehta as its Country Manager for India.

Mehta will play a pivotal role in driving KlugKlug's growth and expansion within the Indian market and be responsible for Sales & GTM Strategy

Prior to that, he has also represented organisations like Exponential (now VDX.tv), India Today Digital and Rediff.com. His expertise spans various domains including digital media sales, mobile marketing, media planning, and buying, social media marketing, and more.

Hemang Mehta expressed his enthusiasm about joining KlugKlug, saying, "I am thrilled to be a part of KlugKlug, a forward-thinking platform that is reshaping the influencer marketing landscape. As much as I look forward to collaborating with the exuberant team at KlugKlug, I am super excited to interact with the brands to deliver powerful data-backed Influencer solutions that will guarantee business outcomes."

Commenting on the appointment, Kalyan Kumar, Co-Founder and CEO of KlugKlug, stated, "We are excited to welcome Hemang Mehta to our team as the Country Manager for India. His extensive experience in digital media sales and marketing will be instrumental in driving our efforts to provide influencer marketing solutions to our clients. We believe Hemang's leadership will be key in scaling our operations and expanding our reach within the Indian market."

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