GECs
Echostar, Viacom play the blame game over signal cut off
MUMBAI: For those who thought cable operators fighting with broadcasters over fees is an “Indian malaise”, think again. Much the same issues are behind the head-on collision in the US between cable and satellite operator biggie Echostar and media major Viacom.
All the Viacom channels (the likes of MTV and Nickelodeon) as well as all CBS stations have been off Echostar’s Dish Network since yesterday.
Expectedly each party has been blaming the other. “Viacom is demanding rate increases of nearly four times the rate of inflation for various cable channels. This amounts to hundreds of millions of dollars in fees that would increase the cost of our services,” Echostar’s statement read.
If all this sounds familiar to harried cable subscribers in India, there is one difference. Echostar has stated that customers who are suffering the loss of a CBS station or an MTV channel would receive a monthly $1 credit per channel until the concerned stations are returned.
That’s not the case in India whenever a channel goes on the blink as customers get no refund whatsoever. The latest channel that looks like getting affected is Ten Sports with talks between the broadcaster and cable ops having broken down just days ahead of the historic India-Pakistan cricket series begins (13 March).
MTV COO and president Mark Rosenthal had some cutting remarks to make on the situation.” Echostar has been trying to paint itself as the victim in this situation. To hear them tell it, they were forced to pull the plug on our networks to protect their subscribers from the ‘exorbitant’ rate increases and unfair carriage requirements we were trying to foist on them. In a word, that’s ludicrous.”
“The facts are these. EchoStar is hardly some small mom-and-pop operation that is being pushed around. It has more than 9 million subscribers — 10 per cent of all multichannel homes and 43 per cent of all satellite households. It is the fourth largest distributor in the US and as a result it has enormous negotiating power. Faced with the clout that comes with having that massive distribution, we’ve been doing everything humanly possible we can — for months now — to finalise a deal with them.
“In our negotiations with Echostar, we were extremely flexible and offered substantial compromises. Every cable and satellite operator negotiates these sorts of agreements, and we have been able to establish and maintain solid business partnerships with virtually all of them. The sole exception is the Echostar/Dish Network,” Rosenthal claimed.
As far as the increases that were being asked for were concerned Rosenthal made the following justification. “The increases we’ve been asking for are both modest and reasonable. These amount to less than six cents per month per subscriber for all of our services combined including CBS and BET. Echostar recently raised its rates to subscribers by as much as three dollars per month.”
“What we were seeking for all of our multiple channels together which include Nickelodeon was substantially less than the $2 a month per subscriber that distributors pay for ESPN alone. In all, Americans spend more than 20 per cent of their TV viewing time watching our networks, yet our fees amount to less than five per cent of what EchoStar generates from their average customer.”
Echostar had filed an antitrust suit against Viacom in January, claiming that the media giant was attempting to use the leverage it has with CBS to drive rate hikes and force it to carry channels it did not want to distribute. A temporary restraining order then forced Viacom to continue supplying its programming to Echostar. When this order expired the singals were cut off.
Rosenthal added, “It is also worth noting that Echostar has a history of bringing frivolous lawsuits and has been sanctioned or admonished by federal judges several times, including in a litigation with CBS when they were found by a Federal judge to have engaged in “clearly willful” copyright violations. Just this week, a federal judge sanctioned Echostar in yet another antitrust case they brought.”
GECs
Sony PAL to air Sankat Mochan Hanuman from May 4 at 9 PM
Mythological series brings Lord Hanuman’s tale of devotion and courage back to TV
MUMBAI: Sony PAL is set to bring back the timeless mythological series Sankat Mochan Hanuman, with its premiere scheduled for May 4 at 9 PM. The show revisits the legendary journey of Lord Hanuman, offering viewers a chance to reconnect with one of Indian mythology’s most revered figures.
Centred on themes of devotion, courage and righteousness, the series traces Hanuman’s unwavering loyalty to Lord Ram and his fearless stand against evil. With its mix of dramatic storytelling and visually rich sequences, the show aims to deliver both entertainment and spiritual resonance, appealing to audiences across age groups.
The narrative unfolds as a larger-than-life saga, positioning Hanuman as the ultimate protector and a symbol of strength and selfless service. His journey, rooted in faith and duty, continues to strike a chord with viewers, making the series as relevant today as ever.
The cast features Gagan Malik as Lord Ram, Debalina Chatterjee as Sita, Nirbhay Wadhwa in the titular role, and Saurav Gurjar as Raavan. Their performances bring depth and authenticity to characters deeply embedded in Indian cultural memory.
With its return to television, the show is positioned as more than just a rerun. It taps into a renewed appetite for mythological storytelling, blending nostalgia with timeless values.
As audiences increasingly seek content that resonates beyond entertainment, ‘Sankat Mochan Hanuman’ offers a familiar yet powerful narrative, reminding viewers that stories of faith and courage never really go out of style.
