Thank
You , Shri R S Sharmaji
( Chairman –
TRAI )
For what ?
Thank you for unravelling “ a RIDDLE
wrapped in a MYSTERY, inside an ENIGMA “
{ with credits to Winston
Churchill }
Thank you for simplifying the lives of :
·
167
million Cable TV viewers
·
84
million DTH TV viewers
By launching a TV Channel
Selector Application Software on
your web site :
What RIDDLE ?
From your web site , I found that this riddle consists of :
·
Definitions
……………………. 2 options (
SD / HD )
·
Price / Channel ……………….4 options ( Below Rs 5 – 10 – 20 or all )
·
Genre ……………………………. 10 options
·
Languages ………………………17 options
·
Broadcasters…………………. 25
options
·
Bouquets ………………………. 322 options
·
Types of Channels
# Free to Air ( FAT )…….. 374 Channels
# Pay ………………………….. 165 Channels
As per one estimate , there are over 800 TV Channels in
India
It is , therefore safe to assume that not all of these
have submitted to TRAI , their pricing details
How UNRAVELLED
?
TRAI web site must be complimented for providing a very
“ User Friendly “ interface which enables a
subscriber to , step by step , select following:
·
Genre
·
Price
·
Broadcaster
·
Language
·
HD / SD
·
Pay Channels ……………. ( with individual
prices )
·
Free to Air Channels…. ( with individual
prices )
·
Bouquets…………………… ( with bouquet prices )
I also appreciate the
following features :
·
Optimizing your selection
( App pointed out that I can add one more
channel for same total price . It even “
recommended “ which one
! )
·
Previewing selection made and re-working any number of
times
·
Downloading ( as PDF ) selected channels list – with
prices
What is the
limitation of TRAI present site ?
As it stands now , this “ Channel
Selector Application “enables one to try out various combinations of
channels , to figure out how much each combination will cost you per month . It
stops there
For actual selection / payment , a subscriber still
needs to login to the web site of his broadcaster ( some of whom have designed their user
interface with the sole objective of confusing the subscribers ! )
For a proof of above statement , click :
I am not alone
in asking :
Why should a subscriber get tied
to just ( any ) one broadcaster ?
Why am I held a captive hostage
of one subscriber ? – with its dish and set-top box ?
Why can’t I choose a combo
of individual channels offered by several DTH broadcasters ?
Why can I not have a “ Selection
Portability “ across all DTH broadcasters ?
How to “
democratize “ TV viewing ?
·
Let TRAI
launch………www.ChannelAggregation.gov.in
·
All TV owners to register here with Name /
Address / Aadhar / PAN etc
·
For renewals , subscriber will need to
enter Password / Subscriber No
·
Subscribers to be able to select any
combination of those 800 Channels and make online payments on this web site,
which amount TRAI will pass on to broadcasters
·
TRAI to pass-on this data to ALL concerned
broadcasters with details of channels selected by each subscriber
·
There will be one universal common Set-top
box / Dish antenna / Remote
·
At some later date , software may be
modified to deliver “ ADVT LESS “ channels , for a higher monthly rates
·
All renewals to take place on this web site
What are the
benefits of this proposal ?
·
Substitution of current complex TWO STEP approach with a simple ONE STEP
·
Elimination of disputes between
broadcasters / subscribers / MSO / TRAI
·
Better regulation by TRAI of the TV
business through real-time data
·
Transparency in respect of TRP ratings / Broadcaster – MSO subscriptions
·
Real time TV usage statistics on TRAI web
site, in following categories :
# City – Region – Genre – Language – Broadcaster
– Pay – FTA – HD/SD
Knowledge of such sharply
defined / accurate and real time “ Customer Preferences “ would greatly help
online advertisers , who currently spend Rs 24,428 Crore on TV advts - ( 39 % of total all-India ad spend on all
media put together )
Feedback sent to TRAI through :
Dear Shri R S
Sharmaji,
You have done a tremendous job
Congratulations on simplifying the selection process
and for bringing in unprecedented transparency in, what was so far, an EVIL
SECRET on part of the TV Broadcasting Industry
With this initiative, you have set an example to all
other REGULATORS of businesses
One suggestion :
Push through an INTEGRATION of your platform with the E
Com web sites of all those TV Broadcasters , whereby
both become a MIRROR IMAGE
of the selections ( database ), and payments made / account status
, made by each and every TV Subscriber .
Today , these remain a mystery to TRAI
Thanking you once again for this shining example of E-Governance !
=========================================================
This
Email sent to :
=========================================================
25 Jan 2019
Rsvp :
hcp@RecruitGuru.com