Indian cable digitization
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Indian Cable Digitization
CASBAA Urges Rate Decontrol, Strong IP Measures — In a filing to India’s TRAI, CASBAA maintained that there is substantial retail pay-TV competition in India that will restrain tariffs, and urged TRAI to forbear from regulating retail tariffs now and in the future. TRAI had set the right course with its July 2010 tariff order refraining from regulating retail rates of addressable systems (cable as well as DTH), CASBAA said, and it should stay the course. CASBAA also said that revised “interconnection” regulations governing relations between content providers and pay-TV platforms should make it clear that all players should cooperate in active anti-piracy programs.
See the complete submission here.
See submissions by CASBAA member companies here.
Concerns over Space Assets Protocol
CASBAA has joined the European Satellite Operators Association (ESOA), the Satellite Industry Association of (SIA) of the United States and the Space Industry Association of Australia (SIAA) to express urgent global concern over proposed new international legislation, the Space Assets Protocol, sponsored by the International Institute for the Unification of Private Law (UNIDROIT) based in Italy.
Meanwhile, some 90 satellite operators, manufacturers and financiers drawn from around the world have also written to UNIDROIT and its member governments to register their own deep-seated reservations.
To read the letter, click here
For further background, see here
Under-declaration a Worldwide Problem
Underdeclaration of cable TV subscriptions is a major problem in some Asian markets, and also in other regions. One Latin American government, concerned about losing tax revenues from the cable-TV industry, has proposed revoking the operating licenses of cable-TV operators who underdeclare. See the story here
Australian Pay-TV Association Joins in Urging Government to Ditch Satellite Park Plan
Subscription Television and Radio Association) has joined CASBAA and individual TV companies in urging regulator ACMA not to implement a proposed move of C-band TVRO dishes to remove satellite parks. Noting “the vital role of C-band services in the delivery of international program feeds for Australian consumers,” ASTRA expressed “opposition to any proposed uses of the C-Band for mobile wireless services that would interfere with the operation of existing and future fixed satellite services in these frequencies.” Astra’s submission can be downloaded from their website, here.
CASBAA to Australia: Satellite Parks are a Lousy Idea
CASBAA to Australia: Satellite Parks are a Lousy Idea
Tuesday, 18 October 2011
The Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA) is considering requiring C-band satellite dishes to move out of cities into a few isolated “satellite parks.” In an October 2011 submission, CABAA and its member companies told ACMA that C-band remains the “workhorse” of the satellite industry, vital for distribution of television programming to many countries, including Australia. In addition to leading pay-TV operators, Australian citizens and companies also depend on C-band transmission for direct reception of niche television programming meeting various cultural and linguistic needs. “This group should be assured of continued access to cable TV programming,” CASBAA said.”
US Court Punishes Piracy Consumer
A US Court has entered an injunction against a consumer of pirated programming, and fined him US$10,000 in statutory damages. Michael Blair was hit with the judgment by a Federal court in Austin, Texas after the court found he “received copyrighted, subscription-based DISH Network satellite television programming without authorization and without payment to DISH Network.” Blair bought a subscription from a pirate “internet key sharing” service, with servers in Canada, that sent him decryption control words for Dish Network’s programming. A summary of the case can be downloaded here.
Interested members can track this, and other piracy actions in North America, on the website www.satscams.com, which is operated by Nagrastar, a joint venture of CASBAA member companies Nagravision and Echostar.
CASBAA, “Deeply Concerned,” Urges India Not to Touch C-band
India’s Telecommunications Regulatory Authority (TRAI) is considering how best to favor development of IMT-Advanced wireless broadband services. In an August 19 Consultation Paper, TRAI proposed a number of frequency bands for public comment. CASBAA urged the Indian government not to further consider using C-band for this purpose. Widely used by Indian broadcasters and cable companies, the C-band is “not suitable for use by…broadband wireless systems…since such use may jeopardize essential C-band communication services across India, and in neighbouring countries as well.” Read the CASBAA submission here.
Digital Piracy: Hong Kong is “Behind the Curve”
CASBAA told Hong Kong’s government that the SAR’s “broadcasting hub” economy has a very large stake in stemming the growth of online piracy. Steps proposed in a government-proposed Code of Practice for Online Service Providers will not substantially improve the situation, the Association said. By proposing to treat P2P streaming of pirate broadcasts only as a minor item to be handled in a “notice-and-notice” system without any real disincentives, the Hong Kong authorities are shooting the SAR’s creative industries in the foot. Meanwhile, “other governments…have begun implementing systems designed to offer effective deterrence to distribution and consumption of such pirate streams,” said CASBAA.
Read the full letter to Hong Kong’s Commerce and Economic Development Bureau here.
Facts about Regulation of Pay-TV Rates
One frequently-discussed issue in pay-TV regulation is government control of retail rates. CASBAA produced an up-to-date “Fact Sheet” describing rate regulation practices in Asia and Australasia. Much more info on pay-TV regulatory policies will be published in CASBAA’s “Regulating for Growth 2011″ study, to be released in late September. See the Fact Sheet on Rate Regulation here.