‘Dish’ing the ‘Sky’
With DTH & CAS staking their claim, TV viewing will never be the same again!

(column by Surabhi Agarwal)

After spending three years amidst controversies and debates, Conditional Access System (CAS) has finally caught wings. If all goes well, December 31st will see Set Top Boxes (STB) entering the television homes in the three metros, while the neighbourhood cablewalahs will be seen folding up their cable wires from the same localities. While CAS has almost arrived and there are lesser chances of any controversies stalling its implementation this time round, the third DTH player of India, Tata Sky has also launched its services and is aggressively wooing customers. Remember the launch ad, which has the local sweeper sweeping away tons of discarded DVD players, music systems & even spectacles? For the past few years, the territories of operation in the DTH space were well defined, DD was happy with the rural masses, while Zee’s Dish TV was busy luring the urban junta. But with the entry of Tata Sky, a 80:20 joint venture between Tata group and Star Network, the DTH space is getting crowded & hotter.

While Dish TV, which boasts of a subscriber base of 1.4 million, 160 channels, a movie-on demand service has the first mover advantage in this space, Tata Sky is trying to compensate for the lack of it through its aggressive marketing campaign and services which are completely new to the Indian Television viewer. Consider this: With Tata Sky, you can store upto 100 hours of programming and view it at leisure; apart from news, sports and movies which can be watched at any chosen time of the day. Combine that with its bouquet of 61 popular television channels and an attractive price tag of Rs.200 per month, and you realize that the new entrant has positioned itself amicably for the consumers. “By bringing satellite television directly into Indian homes, Tata Sky is set to change the way viewers watch television,” said an ecstatic, Vikram Kaushik, MD & CEO of Tata Sky. So, does Dish TV feel threatened by this enthusiastic new kid on the block? Apparently not, as Ashish Kaul, Sr. Vice President, Zee Group, points out that “the scenario will be like the telecom sector, where all players will have similar offerings, but the differentiation will lie in brand association and customer service.” In fact, he argues that there is space for two more players in India’s DTH foray, “and with the country’s regional diversity, I see even regional DTH players coming up,” says Kaul. Well, the wait for new players will not be too long, Kalanithi Maran’s Sun Direct and Anil Ambani’s Reliance will soon launch their own DTH platforms. And like the telecom sector, watch out for some keen marketing maneuvers from major players in the DTH space. After all, they’re gearing up to add their version of oomph to TV viewing. Stay tuned!

(End of Surabhi Agarwal column)

‘Betiyaan’ create a furore!

As if those endless saas bahu sagas on-screen were not enough, the venom and melodrama is now being re-enacted… only this time, behind the cameras. Zee Telefilms Ltd. has taken exception to Star’s much-publicized new-series ‘Betiyaan’ to be aired on Star One from October. “We are of the view that the program includes elements that are strikingly similar to our program ‘Ghar Ki Lakshmi… Betiyaan’ launched and proposed to be carried in our channel Zee TV,” says the legal notice that Zee has sent to Star, expressing its angst against Star’s latest venture. Zee began its promos for the said program on the 5th of August and believes that Star’s ‘Betiyaan’ may violate relevant copyright laws with regard to the concept/ format of ‘Ghar Ki Lakshmi… Betiyaan’. Now, Zee wants Star to withdraw all advertisements, hoardings, websites, marketing and promotional material with regard to their program.

Games People Play…
Now ADAG plays its (virtual) hand!

(column by Shashank Shekhar)

Gameboys and men of Mother India rejoice! The stage is set for Diwali to be a cracker as online gaming comes of age in India, trading the sobriety of reality for the delights of virtual reality… Xbox’s Diwali launch might have created a flutter before news broke about Reliance Entertainment’s intention of investing $100 million in gaming portals and gaming cafes across India, this being spread over the period of 3 years. Backed by moneybags of Anil Ambani, Reliance Entertainment is an offshoot of Reliance Infocomm and part of the Anil Dhirubhai Ambani Enterprises (ADAE). So, as Reliance swaps its velvet gloves for boxing gloves, they’re ready for some big-hitting judging by the recruitment of Rajesh Sawhney and Rohit Sharma, formerly Chief Operating Officer at Times Internet Ltd., while the latter was National Sales Head at Indiatimes. Declares Sawhney, “In Phase I, we will launch casual gaming portals; in Phase II action gaming portals will be launched; and in Phase III, we will launch MMOGs (Massive Multiplayer Online Games).” India is the last unconquered land for gaming gurus, and the likes of THQ, Vivendi and Electronic Arts are smacking their lips at the prospect of taking a bow in India. Alongside Reliance, domestic contestants Mobile2Win, Dhruva Interactive and Indiagames have also confirmed immediate expansion strategies. These guys surely aren’t playing around! Playing spoilsport is the abysmally low internet penetration levels in the country. However, more desi content will definitely propel online gaming into the stratosphere of the growing middle class. This, when teamed up with India’s predominantly young population, will surely spur the gaming industry forward. For the young ones then, play-boy has taken on an entirely new meaning... of course, only virtually!

(End of Shashank Shekhar column)

ESPN Star ‘sports’ a new avatar

ESPN and STAR Sports are in the process of repositioning themselves, with the former specifically aimed to present a dedicated sporting extravaganza, whilst the latter focuses on reality programming and sports entertainment. There is already a discernible measure of change in the visual orientation and graphics of ESPN and STAR Sports, of which Jamie Davis, MD, ESPN-Star Sports spoke on the sidelines of the declaration of the equitable joint venture company’s association with the First Special Olympics International Cricket Cup Tournament. “One can notice the significant difference in coverage during the English Premier League Football Championship, which began on August 19. In India, the differentiation will be more visible during the upcoming India-South Africa Cricket Series, where we will have different sets of commentators. While ESPN will focus purely on English commentary, ESPN will also have commentary in Hindi and will also feature two lady commentators,” he said. ESPN-STAR Sports, which introduced Mobile ESPN in the country during the FIFA Soccer World Cup this year, is geared for the advent of Mobile STAR Sports in six to nine months’ time. Davis emphasized that the mobile & internet have the potential of becoming significantly separate revenue streams. Watch ‘em play!