Satellite and Cable Television in India

  • Satellite transmission means sending television signal using satellites
  • Satellite transmission cleared the way for Conditional Access System, a digital mode of transmitting TV channels through a set-top box (STB)
  • The transmission signals are encrypted and viewers need to buy a set-top box to receive and decrypt the signal
  • Direct To Home (DTH) service was also made possible with the help of satellite transmission technology
  • The latest in television technology is Internet Protocol Television (IPTV) in which audio and video are transmitted using internet file transmission protocols
  • The development of satellite television in the 1970s allowed for more channels and programming toward specific audiences
  • Cable TV started from Mumbai in 1984
  • The cable TV in India is regulated by the “Cable TV Networks Regulation Act, 1995”, regarding their programs and advertisements
  • In February 1991, the Gulf War started. It creates an unprecedented demand for cable television among Indian viewers to follow the CNN coverage of war. The demand for cable TV continues after the war ends

[CNN – The Cable News Network is an American basic cable and satellite television channel that is owned by the Turner Broadcasting System division of the Time Warner. The 24-hour cable news channel was founded in 1980 by American media proprietor Ted Turner.]

  • In may 1991, Hong Kong based “Star TV” launched their satellite TV programs. It transforms the face of Indian television with its multiple channel and aggressive market-driven entertainment programming
  • In February 1995, Supreme Court declares that ‘airwaves’ are a public property and it should be controlled and regulated by a Public Authority. This judgment grants autonomy for “Prasar Bharti” and opens broadcasting to private players
  • The number of private channel increased from none in 1990 to approximately 750 till date
  • Today India has 161 million TV households*
  • The television industry in India is estimated at INR 370 billion in 2012, and
    is expected to grow at 18 percent over 2012-17, to reach INR 848
    billion in 2017
  • Approximately 14 million television sets were sold in India in 2012
  • LCD and LED panels are estimated to account for 40 percent of sales in 2012 and this share is expected to rise to close to 100 percent by 2017

* Source : The Stage is set; FICCI-KPMG, India Media & Entertainment Industry Report 2014

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