Some of you have been enjoying radio via the direct-to-home (DTH) services that you've subscribed to; however the future of the radio services being provided to you with the DTH package could be doubtful.
Some DTH providers have been offering radio services, mainly state-owned All India Radio and satellite radio WorldSpace.
So, what's the problem?
Considering that offering radio services through the DTH platform is a common practice in European countries, US, middle-east, among others; the feasibility of such a practice in India is yet to be determined.
With their respective reasoning, DTH providers have brought up this issue, with some being in favor of the radio service to be offered to consumers via DTH platform and the others against it.
Which operators are for radio on DTH, or against it?
As reported by Medianama, the following approve of radio via the DTH platform under various conditions are: Tata Sky, Sun Direct, Reliance Big TV, Bharti Airtel, and Worldspace Inc, which already provides a registration process for radio channels to be distributed via satellite onto DTH, IPTV, Internet and cellular networks.
In order to be able to reach beyond limited spaces, FM radio player Entertainment Network India Ltd (ENIL) too wants radio on the DTH platform.
On the condition of limiting a radio service in conjunction with the proximity factor, Radio Mid-Day West, which operates Radio One FM 94.3, also supports radio via DTH Among other conditions, it has added that "DTH must be a medium to provide the radio station on an as-is basis and not modify or insert any content to avoid copyright issues."
The Villans--- :evil:
Dish TV, Zee Turner have been staunch non-supporters of radio services to be offered through the DTH platform.
The key reason for the Dish and Zee to oppose the 'radio via DTH' platform is their concern for offering FM stations on DTH being a violation of government norms.
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Comments from Meeting
Sun Direct has approved of including radio via DTH and has asked that before licenses and regulations be amended, a discussion with Radio Providers needs to happen to understand their point of view.
Radio Mid-Day West, which operates RADIO ONE FM 94.3, a private FM channel in 7 cities has asked TRAI to consider different approaches to audio radio and video-audio receivers such as Worldspace which are connected to TVs. In case of audio receivers, DTH operators must conform to regional boundaries and not, say, offer a Mumbai specific channel to their customers elsewhere. It also noted that DTH must be a medium to provide the radio station on an as-is basis and not modify or insert any content to avoid copyright issues.
Worldspace Inc has said that the satellite radio policy under formulation already provides a detailed registration process for radio channels to be distributed via satellite onto DTH, IPTV, Internet and cellular networks.
Reliance Big TV has said that though radio applications are not very popular due to their inherent limitation of being fixed to the DTH appliance unlike radio, their addition to the DTH offering to consumers must be enabled.
Zee Turner opines however that DTH platform owners should not be permitted to carry radio channels as radio licensee could bypass revenue sharing criteria. It would also result in infringement of territorial limits allowed under the existing Radio License.
Bharti Airtel has noted that most of the DTH operators including Government’s owned DTH service is providing radio channels on its platform and since IPTV and DTH were able to provide radio as VAS to consumers, it should not be restricted.
Smart Digivision has asked that regulatory provisions (to prevent conflict of business interests conditions with existing radio system operators, uplink/downlink guidelines etc ) that are applicable to radio channels should be applicable to operators offering radio channels. It also said that a “must provide provision” for non-discriminatory offering of radio channels should be extended as done for TV Channels.
Some DTH providers have been offering radio services, mainly state-owned All India Radio and satellite radio WorldSpace.
So, what's the problem?
Considering that offering radio services through the DTH platform is a common practice in European countries, US, middle-east, among others; the feasibility of such a practice in India is yet to be determined.
With their respective reasoning, DTH providers have brought up this issue, with some being in favor of the radio service to be offered to consumers via DTH platform and the others against it.
Which operators are for radio on DTH, or against it?
As reported by Medianama, the following approve of radio via the DTH platform under various conditions are: Tata Sky, Sun Direct, Reliance Big TV, Bharti Airtel, and Worldspace Inc, which already provides a registration process for radio channels to be distributed via satellite onto DTH, IPTV, Internet and cellular networks.
In order to be able to reach beyond limited spaces, FM radio player Entertainment Network India Ltd (ENIL) too wants radio on the DTH platform.
On the condition of limiting a radio service in conjunction with the proximity factor, Radio Mid-Day West, which operates Radio One FM 94.3, also supports radio via DTH Among other conditions, it has added that "DTH must be a medium to provide the radio station on an as-is basis and not modify or insert any content to avoid copyright issues."
The Villans--- :evil:
Dish TV, Zee Turner have been staunch non-supporters of radio services to be offered through the DTH platform.
The key reason for the Dish and Zee to oppose the 'radio via DTH' platform is their concern for offering FM stations on DTH being a violation of government norms.
----------
Comments from Meeting
Sun Direct has approved of including radio via DTH and has asked that before licenses and regulations be amended, a discussion with Radio Providers needs to happen to understand their point of view.
Radio Mid-Day West, which operates RADIO ONE FM 94.3, a private FM channel in 7 cities has asked TRAI to consider different approaches to audio radio and video-audio receivers such as Worldspace which are connected to TVs. In case of audio receivers, DTH operators must conform to regional boundaries and not, say, offer a Mumbai specific channel to their customers elsewhere. It also noted that DTH must be a medium to provide the radio station on an as-is basis and not modify or insert any content to avoid copyright issues.
Worldspace Inc has said that the satellite radio policy under formulation already provides a detailed registration process for radio channels to be distributed via satellite onto DTH, IPTV, Internet and cellular networks.
Reliance Big TV has said that though radio applications are not very popular due to their inherent limitation of being fixed to the DTH appliance unlike radio, their addition to the DTH offering to consumers must be enabled.
Zee Turner opines however that DTH platform owners should not be permitted to carry radio channels as radio licensee could bypass revenue sharing criteria. It would also result in infringement of territorial limits allowed under the existing Radio License.
Bharti Airtel has noted that most of the DTH operators including Government’s owned DTH service is providing radio channels on its platform and since IPTV and DTH were able to provide radio as VAS to consumers, it should not be restricted.
Smart Digivision has asked that regulatory provisions (to prevent conflict of business interests conditions with existing radio system operators, uplink/downlink guidelines etc ) that are applicable to radio channels should be applicable to operators offering radio channels. It also said that a “must provide provision” for non-discriminatory offering of radio channels should be extended as done for TV Channels.