kedarisv: Does anybody have information how FTA channel is added. Are signals simply captured and put on service or permission is taken from that FTA channel?
Eventhough the channel is initially FTA. DTH operators charge a hefty amount as a carriage fee
DTH GETS 25 CRORES CARRIAGE FEE
Tata Sky and Dish TV both charge carriage fees from new channels.
According to sources, the two players have already made an estimated Rs 20-25 Crore from the new channels that bank on them for quick access to a huge subscriber base.
Dish TV MD Jawahar Goel said: "I agree carriage fee is being charged by the DTH players. I believe Dish TV would be able to earn up to Rs 50 Crore this year by charging carriage fee." He added that Dish TV expects to earn about Rs 100 Crore by next year.
Analysts believe that the expanding DTH subscriber base is will help broadcasters have access to a larger subscriber base. "Like the cable industry, DTH players will have to bank on both carriage fee and subscription fees to become profitable in the long run," said a media analyst.
Tata Sky MD Vikram Kaushik also confirmed "We have started charging a carriage fee to accommodate channels that are not already on our platform. Also, if a new channel wants instant access to our 2 million subscriber base, we charge a carriage fee from that broadcaster."
Satellite & Cable TV