iWorld
Astro steps into mobile TV broadcasting space
MUMBAI: Malaysia’s leading cross-media operator Astro All Asia Networls PLC plans to explore the commercial side of mobile TV broadcasting. The company will make a formal announcement once a decision is made based on trial results and in consultation with the regulator.
The company joined hands with mobile operator Maxis Communications Berhad and global mobile device maker Nokia to showcase a live demonstration of Mobile TV broadcasting in Kuala Lumpur on 1 September. The showcase used the new Digital Video Broadcasting – Handheld (DVB-H) technology standard now undergoing extensive field trials in Europe, the USA and in other parts of Asia.
In this initial trial service, Astro provided the broadcast transmission for the event coverage with 4 live channels: TV1, TV3, Astro Ria and AEC, while Maxis supplied telecommunication and network services. Nokia is the technology provider for this showcase and has provided the network equipment and mobile devices used in the demonstration while Rohde & Schwarz provided the transmitters.
With this showcase, Malaysia becomes one of the leading countries globally to demonstrate DVB-H. Elsewhere in the Asia Pacific, the Mobile TV Broadcasting trial based on DVB-H technology has started in Australia. DVB-H has now been adopted by the European Telecommunications Standards Institute (ETSI) as the Mobile Broadcasting Technology standard and many other regions of the world are expected to follow suit once their own trials are concluded, states an official release.
“Astro is proud to spearhead this technology demonstration. Mobile TV Broadcasting is a distinctive extension of our broadcast offer and with it we are able to further extend the reach of television to viewers beyond their sets in the living room”, said Astro director of Business Affairs En. Azran Osman-Rani. “With the live mobile feeds, we plan to demonstrate that viewers can watch the latest in news and entertainment programming anytime, anywhere.”
“The strong support of the government and industry players such as Astro and Maxis has helped make this showcase possible. This LIVE showcase, jointly with Astro and Maxis demonstrates the future of convergence between broadcast and mobile services & will help pave the way forward to show the myriad opportunities that exist for advertisers and players in the Mobile TV ecosystem in Malaysia, and what consumers can look forward to in the future’,” Nokia Multimedia, Asia Pacific director, Rich Media & Music Programmes Jawahar Kanjilal said.
The Mobile TV Broadcasting demonstration used the DVB-H (Digital Video Broadcasting-Handheld) standard, which combines traditional television broadcast technology with elements such as mobility, smaller screens, indoor coverage, optimized use of battery and in-built antennae that are specific to handheld devices such as mobile phones. To receive the live television broadcast, the Nokia 7710 smartphone is paired with a Nokia streamer, the first mobile DVB-H receiver, designed specifically for pilots and trials, the release adds.
iWorld
Ankuur Rajesh Kapila named national sales head – India at ZEE5 & digital
Former sports-gamification executive to drive revenue strategy and digital monetisation across India
MUMBAI: A seasoned dealmaker across television, sport and digital, Kapila steps in as national sales head – India, charged with sharpening revenue strategy, widening market reach and deepening digital monetisation. The mandate is clear: convert scale into sales and attention into advertising.
The move bolsters the streaming ambitions of Zee Entertainment Enterprises Limited as competition intensifies in India’s crowded OTT market. The focus will be on stronger advertiser tie-ups, smarter packaging and monetisation that keeps pace with shifting viewer habits.
Kapila arrives from JioStar India Pvt. Ltd., where as vice president – sports gamification he helped scale Jeeto Dhan Dhana Dhan into one of the country’s largest live play-along ecosystems. During the Indian Premier League and major international tournaments, the platform engaged over 300 million fans, blending branded integrations with sponsorship-led revenues.
The appointment also marks a homecoming. Across a 14-year earlier stint at the company, Kapila handled brand solutions across regions and genres, led key account management for the GEC cluster and oversaw programming and content acquisition at Zee Studio. Few executives have worked as many sides of the revenue engine.
For ZEE5, the signal is unmistakable: monetisation is back in the spotlight. With advertisers chasing measurable impact and platforms chasing profitability, Kapila’s brief is to make growth pay. In the streaming wars, scale is vanity, revenue is sanity, and momentum is everything.
