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June 6, 2001
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Money > Business Headlines > Report June 6, 2001 |
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Star India to finalise DTH plan in a monthBS ICE Bureau Star India is likely to finalise its plans for Ku-band direct-to-home television service within a month. By then, the company expects the government to clarify the policy guidelines on DTH, including the one on "open architecture" (non-proprietary) set-top boxes. A senior Star executive, associated with the DTH and interactive TV project, said: "We need some clarity on the policy guidelines (relating to DTH) on issues like 'open architecture' (set-top boxes). We expect them to come through, may be within a month, and then we will take a final view on our DTH plans." The DTH policy guidelines state that a DTH licensee shall ensure subscribers' interest through single conditional access technology, single subscriber management system and an 'open architecture' set top box. The "open architecture" set top box clause has been worrying some broadcasters interested in starting DTH service in the country. According to them, no where in the world set-top boxes are manufactured which can accept any chip for any frequency on which DTH services are beamed. "All set-top boxes, specially for premium DTH services, are proprietary in nature to protect the telecast rights of premium programming aired on a DTH service," explained a senior executive, associated with a broadcasting company having ventures round the globe. Information and broadcasting minister Sushma Swaraj, who had visited the DTH operations of the Rupert Murdoch-controlled British Sky Broadcasting during her recent UK visit, had told reporters that there was no technology which allowed a set-top box to access any number of DTH services. "At most, two DTH services can be accessed," she had said. She had also hinted at changes in the clause relating to "open architecture" set-top boxes. "We are waiting for such amendments," Star India executive said. As part of its proposed DTH service, Star India may include more new channels, like Sky News and Fox News, drawing from parent company News Corp's stable. Even now both Sky News of the UK and Fox News of the USA -- beamed through Asiasat 3 satellite -- can be watched in the country if one has the decoder. Star India is also in touch with a government organisation, Broadcast Engineering Consultants India Ltd, which does consultancy work and has experience in setting up earth stations for the likes of Enaadu TV. It has also provided consultancy to the would-be private FM radio operators. Powered by YOU MAY ALSO WANT TO READ:
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