MAM
FCC chairman Wheeler ready to discuss national broadcast plan
NEW DELHI: Federal Communications Commission Chairman (FCC) Tom Wheeler has asked broadcasters to share channels, migrate to the Internet and use next year’s incentive auction to adopt a new transmission standard.
“We’ve just been through one TV transition,” Wheeler said in his remarks at the National Association of Broadcasters (NAB) show in Las Vegas. “We both know the magnitude of that challenge … Government and broadcasting will need to work together on this, because it will be a long and heavy lift.”
Wheeler’s NAB show debut as chairman came just days after the Commission passed an order cracking down on joint-service agreements (JSAs) and collective retransmission negotiations among certain TV stations. He acknowledged the contention. He admitted: “It’s no secret that broadcast has been critical of some of my actions at the FCC.”
He said he took NAB president and CEO Gordon Smith’s suggestion for a national broadcast plan “very seriously.” He added: “If Congress were to approve, I guarantee you we’ll support this.”
Smith suggested such a plan could include an ownership review and transition to a transmission standard based on orthogonal frequency-division multiplexing — a radical change from the current 8-VSB technology mandated by law.
“When it comes to OFDM, particularly ATSC 3, the FCC will be ready and responsive when the standard is completed,” he said. “If it is possible to get a multiple of throughput on spectrum with OFDM, we as stewards of the spectrum need to be supportive.”
Wheeler said the Commission would use discretion in reviewing JSAs and shared service agreements.
“When JSAs and SSAs serve the public interest … they will have no problem passing the FCC,” he said, “so long as they do not impair competition, diversity and localism. Some have impaired that. Those actions have encouraged … us to enforce the rules of the statutory mandate.”
Smith asked why the FCC focused on broadcast JSAs without taking the same approach to cable interconnects — multiple pay-TV operations that team up on ad sales. Wheeler said the JSA order specifically asked for evidence that interconnects were anticompetitive so the issue could be addressed.
The chairman pitched the incentive auction as an opportunity for broadcasters, as he has since being confirmed. While his JSA and retrans rulings cast him as a broadcast foe, he said there was “no conspiracy.”
“The FCC is carrying out the mandate of Congress,” he said. “Those who want to participate, can. Those who do not, do not have to.”
He said the auctions could provide the cash for TV stations to become over-the-top providers. “OTT represents an open field for stations because of their local news operations,” he said.
“You have the opportunity to deliver local news down to the neighborhood,” he added. “The Internet has failed to serve localities the same way.”
With OTT migration in mind, he encouraged broadcasters to support network neutrality, quoting a Pew study saying one-third of Americans consume news online.
“Many stations, most stations, many people in this room, have websites that deliver news video,” he said. “That means stations are positioned to leverage that trend … Assuring an open Internet is directly relevant to the opportunity the digital future presents to you.”
He encouraged more exploration of channel-sharing, and said the recent test of the methodology in Los Angeles proved its efficacy.
“It will allow you to maintain your existing business, while taking home an auction check,” he said. “It’s an once-in-a-lifetime business opportunity to expand your business model on somebody else’s dime” — one that wouldn’t happen again anytime soon. “Neither government nor broadcasters will want to deal with another repacking.”
Repacking TV channels into less spectrum is expected to be complicated for everyone involved, including over-the-air viewers, whose numbers are growing, Smith noted. Wheeler concurred, offering a personal anecdote.
MAM
PropertyPistol appoints Hemant Bajaj as chief marketing officer
Proptech firm taps global marketing leader to sharpen brand and growth strategy.
MUMBAI: In the fast moving world of proptech, building homes may be the business, but building the brand is just as crucial. Propertypistol, the proptech driven real estate advisory platform, has appointed Hemant Bajaj as its chief marketing officer (CMO) as the company looks to strengthen its brand narrative and accelerate growth across markets. Bajaj will lead the company’s marketing operations across multiple geographies, overseeing brand strategy, integrated marketing initiatives and revenue aligned growth programmes as Propertypistol prepares for its next phase of expansion.
The appointment comes at a time when the proptech sector is seeing rapid digital adoption, with companies increasingly focusing on leadership talent capable of combining technology, data driven marketing and customer experience.
Bajaj brings experience spanning India, South East Asia and the Middle East, where he has worked on scaling brands and leading digital transformation initiatives across multiple industries. His work in the marketing and media ecosystem recently earned him recognition as a ‘Powerhouse Leader’ at the Mastermind Awards in Dubai, highlighting his track record in managing high impact marketing mandates.
Propertypistol founder and managing director Ashish Narain Agarwal said the appointment comes at a pivotal stage in the company’s journey as it looks to strengthen its market presence.
“Hemant’s appointment comes at a defining moment for us. As we scale our market position, it is vital to have leadership that blends strategic vision with executional depth. Hemant’s deep understanding of brand and business alignment will be instrumental as we redefine the proptech landscape,” Agarwal said.
Bajaj said Propertypistol’s technology first approach to real estate advisory was one of the key reasons behind his decision to join the company.
“Propertypistol has established itself as a technology first platform that is redefining how investors navigate the property market. Having led marketing transformations across international borders and fast paced industries, I recognise the exceptional strength of the foundation built here,” he said.
He added that his focus would be on accelerating the company’s digital marketing capabilities while building strategies that deliver sustained value for customers and partners worldwide.
The leadership move reflects Propertypistol’s broader effort to strengthen its executive team as the proptech industry evolves rapidly. With property search, advisory and transactions increasingly shifting online, companies in the sector are investing heavily in marketing intelligence and digital platforms to stay competitive.
By bringing Bajaj on board, Propertypistol is betting that sharper brand positioning and technology led marketing will help it stand out in an increasingly crowded digital real estate marketplace.
