MUMBAI: When prices plummet to the lowest level, and competition intensifies, value added services (VAS) may be the only course left open.
Direct-to-home (DTH) service providers are increasingly realising the importance of VAS offerings to customers — interactive services, digital video recorders, customised packages, movie on demand, and now radio.
DTH pioneer Dish TV provides 21 radio channels in Hindi, English and various regional languages
Salil Kapoor, chief operating officer, Dish TV, said, “The DTH radio channels are targeted towards regional language listeners living away from their native place and outside their language area. One will be able to listen to the programmes in his mother tongue and stay updated with the happenings in the native city or state through Dish TV DTH service on TV sets.”
Similarly, Big TV offers 10 channels and sources say this number is set to grow manifold. For Big TV, part of the Anil Dhirubhai Ambani Group, this helps offer holistic entertainment to consumers and complements the television channels and movie channels being aired.
Radio channels have to pay a fixed fee to an operator for being aired on its DTH platform. Apart from the bouquet of All India Radio channels, several FM radio stations have also started exploring this platform
Meanwhile, Sun Direct on Monday launched its pan-India operations, becoming the third DTH service to launch in six months, after Big TV and Airtel. All three are stressing on the number of radio channels being offered, with Sun Direct offering as many as 23.
Tony D’Silva, chief operating officer, Sun Direct TV Pvt Ltd, said, “It may not be a very important value added service, but it definitely acts as filler. For when people are not watching television or don’t find any interesting programme, they can switch on radio and enjoy the music.”
Perchance, regulatory issues are a limiting factor.
Apurva Purohit, chief executive officer, Radio City 91.1FM and president, Association of Radio Operators for India, told DNA Money, “Within the existing regulatory framework, I do not see radio or any other private FM station being available on the DTH platform. Private FM channels hold licences for operation within the geographic limits of a city or a town. This defined geographic periphery prohibits the broadcast of private FM on the DTH or cable platform.”
The DTH service which probably has differentiated itself in this space is Airtel, which provides satellite radio.
Atul Bindal, president, Airtel Telemedia Services, said, “As a unique total entertainment package, in addition to television entertainment, Airtel digital TV also brings WorldSpace Radio channels without any extra cost to all its subscribers.”
For all that, however, DTH services together have just about 11 million subscribers, which does not really compare to the reach of radio otherwise. Yet, DTH forms an important differentiation point for DTH operators and as subscriptions increase, it might even emerge a significant revenue stream for radio channels.
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