MAM
Support our efforts to compete, or get out of the way: NAB to FCC
NEW DELHI: National Association of Broadcasters (NAB) president and CEO Gordon Smith has expressed bewilderment at the manner in which the United States Federation Communications Commission (FCC) chooses to interfere with broadcasters, including its recent ruling that cracks down on joint sales agreements, while giving preference to cable and wireless.
Addressing the opening session of NAB Show in Las Vegas, Smith said no other medium, including broadband, better serves the public in time of crisis, than broadcast.
“We are here to be the public’s eyes and ears, to lead them out of darkness during times of crisis, to share profound moments, and to connect to our family, friends and neighbours. We are here to be the voices against oppression and we are here to be megaphones for freedom and democracy,” Smith said.
Local broadcast, he continued, contributes nearly $1.3 trillion to the gross domestic product.
Smith proposed a “National Broadcast Plan” — a response to the government’s National Broadband Plan — that would include, among other things, a review of regulations that he said hold back innovation and competition.
“Why is there no focus to foster innovation and investment in broadcasting to ensure our business continues to be a world leader alongside our broadband industries?” he asked.
Smith also remarked about the broadband players that are clamouring for swathes of the broadcast spectrum. “The wireless industry covets our spectrum, because they chew through their massive allocation of spectrum, attempting to deliver the video we deliver far more efficiently,” said Smith. “And they continue to milk, bilk and bill by the bit.”
Smith, a former US Senator, quoted a Wall Street Journal article that said broadcasting kept more than eight million people safe during Hurricane Sandy. “Broadband cannot do that,” he said.
Smith’s oratory struck a chord with veteran broadcasters assembled at the LVH. “It was a great rallying cry for the television industry,” said Raycom Media president and CEO Paul McTear, “It was good to see him challenge the FCC to allow broadcasters the right to compete in the future, in light of recent rulings that were more exclusionary. I thought he did a good job.”
Citadel Communications CEO and a former NAB joint board chairman Phil Lombardo said, “He showed that he knows our business and knows our business intimately.”
Univision anchor Jorge Ramos was presented with the Distinguished Service award by the NAB.
He challenged reporters to “speak truth to power” at all costs, especially on issues vital to Univision viewers such as immigration. He toasted the enormous growth of the Hispanic population in the United States. “It’s a great time to be a Latino journalist,” he said. “We have found our voice — in English and in Spanish.”
Univision chairman and Saban Capital Group CEO Haim Saban spoke of his days in a Beatles cover band “I was a really lousy player so they kicked me out and made me the manager”, his success in turning “Mighty Morphin Power Rangers” into a smash, and the unique relationship between Univision and its viewers. “Univision really is the home away from home for our community,” said Saban.
He also criticised the FCC when he said the letters FCC stand for “Friendly Cable Commission.”
He stressed the importance of a new transmission standard to help broadcasting thrive on all platforms. Saban’s mandate to the technology people working on the initiative: “Make it freakin’ happen.”
Digital
Content India 2026 opens with a copro pitch, a spice evangelist and a £10,000 prize for Indian storytelling
Dish TV and C21Media’s three-day summit puts seven ambitious projects before an international jury, and two walk away with serious development money
MUMBAI: India’s content industry gathered in Mumbai this March for Content India 2026, a three-day summit organised by Dish TV in partnership with C21Media, and it wasted no time making a statement. The event opened with a Copro Pitch that put seven scripted and unscripted television concepts before an international panel of judges, and by the end of it, two projects had walked away with £10,000 each in marketing prize money from C21Media to support development and international promotion.
The jury, comprising Frank Spotnitz, Fiona Campbell, Rashmi Bajpai, Bal Samra and Rachel Glaister, evaluated a shortlist that ranged from a dark Mumbai comedy-drama about mental health (Dirty Minds, created by Sundar Aaron) to a Delhi coming-of-age mystery (Djinn Patrol, by Neha Sharma and Kilian Irwin), a techno-thriller about a teenage gaming prodigy (Kanpur X Satori, by Suchita Bhatia), an investigative crime drama blending mythology and modern thriller (The Age of Kali, by Shivani Bhatija), a documentary on India’s spice heritage (The Masala Quest, hosted by Sarina Kamini), a documentary on competitive gaming (Respawn: India’s Esports Revolution, by George Mangala Thomas and Sangram Mawari), and a reality-horror competition merging gaming and immersive fear (Scary Goose, by Samar Iqbal).
The session was hosted by Mayank Shekhar.
The two winners were Djinn Patrol, backed by Miura Kite, formerly of Participant Media and known for Chinatown and Keep Sweet: Pray & Obey, with Jaya Entertainment, producers of Real Kashmir Football Club, also attached; and The Masala Quest, created and hosted by Sarina Kamini, an Indian-Australian cook, author and self-described “spice evangelist.”
The summit also unveiled the Content India Trends Report, whose findings made for bracing reading. Daoud Jackson, senior analyst at OMDIA, set the tone: “By 2030, online video in India will nearly double the revenue of traditional TV, becoming the main driver of growth.” He noted that in 2025, India produced a quarter of all YouTube videos globally, overtaking the United States, while Indians collectively spend 117 years daily on YouTube and 72 years on Instagram. Traditional subscription TV is declining as free TV and connected TV gain ground, forcing broadcasters to innovate. “AI-generated content is just 2 per cent of engagement,” Jackson added, “highlighting the dominance of high-quality human content. The key for Indian media companies is scaling while monetising effectively from day one.”
Hannah Walsh, principal analyst at Ampere Analysis, added hard numbers to the picture. India produced over 24,000 titles in January 2026 alone, with 19,000 available internationally. The country now accounts for 12 per cent of Asia-Pacific content spend, up from 8 per cent in 2021, outpacing both Japan and China. Key exporters include JioStar, Zee Entertainment, Sony India, Amazon and Netflix, delivering over 7,500 Indian-produced titles abroad each year. The top importing markets are Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Egypt, the United States and the Philippines. Scripted content dominates globally at 88 per cent, with crime dramas and children’s and family titles performing particularly strongly.
Manoj Dobhal, chief executive and executive director of Dish TV India, framed the summit’s ambition squarely. “Stories don’t need translation. They need a platform, discovery, and reach, local or global,” he said. “India produces more movies than any country, our streaming platforms compete globally, and our tech and creators win international awards. Yet fragmentation slows growth. Producers, platforms, and tech move in different lanes. We need shared spaces, collaboration, and an ecosystem where ideas, technology, and people meet. That is why we built Content India.”
The data, the pitches and the prize money all pointed to the same conclusion: India is not waiting for the world to discover its stories. It is building the infrastructure to sell them.
