Consumers have to pay extra to watch FIFA World Cup

Nepali television viewers have to pay extra to watch the world cup football unlike previous years, according to an apex court decision.

The Supreme Court today issued a ruling in support of imposing extra charges on customers to give them access to the live broadcast of the FIFA World Cup 2022.

An advertising agency, Media Hub had earlier claiming that it has obtained exclusive broadcast rights to the FIFA World Cup, has decided to collect Rs 565 extra (including VAT) per set-top box stating that domestic advertisements do not cover their costs. 

But advocates Kishor Poudel and Anupam Bhattarai filed a writ petition stating that Nepalis didn’t have to pay extra to watch previous World Cups. They also claimed that the additional fees this time was unlawful. On November 8, a single bench of Justice Prakashman Singh Raut has issued the interim order asking the concerned not to charge the customers until the final verdict is made.

But justice duo Prakash Kumar Dhungana and Manoj Kumar Sharma today said that there is no need to continue the short-term interim order issued on November 8. “Watching the World Cup football by paying extra is not a regular but an optional issue for the viewers,” reads the Supreme Court verdict. The matches will be shown live on Himalaya TV.

There also appears to be an option in the agreement between Himalaya TV and Media Hub that some important matches would be broadcast free of cost, which means that customers, who do not pay extra too can watch at least four important matches. 

“We welcome the court’s verdict,” said marketing director at Media Hub Siddhartha Dhital. “All the work for broadcasting the world cup matches had been halted after the court’s interim order,” he said, adding that they will now work 24/7 to ensure the broadcast. 

The 2022 FIFA World Cup – to be hosted by Qatar – kicks off from November 21, and will continue until December 18. A total of 64 matches will be played during a month-long championship. The first match will be played between the host Qatar against Ecuador. Worldwide, billions of soccer fans watch the live coverage of the four-yearly football extravaganza on TV.

According to Dhital, Worldlink and Vianet Communication, two of the leading internet and television services providers, have already signed agreements with Media Hub to broadcast the matches.

Claiming that Media Hub has bid for the broadcast rights for around Rs 250 million for the month-long event, Dhita,l said that an additional Rs 150 million will be spent for promotion and technical support. 

For the first time in history, a Middle Eastern country is hosting the World Cup football. 

According to the international media reports, the Qatar World Cup will be the most expensive event as it will cost around $220 billion to Qatar, some 20 times more than the cost of last World Cup in Russia. Criticising the high prices of the tickets to the World Cup matches football fans around the world accused FIFA.

The most expensive tickets on general sale for the December 18 final at Lusail Stadium cost 5,850 Qatari riyals (£1,179), which is 46 per cent higher than the £807 ticket price for the 2018 final match that France won.

Reuters reports that While fans in Russia paid an average of 214 pounds for a seat, tickets to matches in Qatar cost an average 286 pounds, according to a study by Keller Sports.

TV screens to go blank next week

Nepali TV screens will go blank next week due to cable operators’ protest against the government decision to implement the clean feed.
On June 24, cable operators will not broadcast any foreign pay channels that run advertisements for a whole day starting June 24, 12:00 am opposing the government’s proposed Advertisement (Regulation) Bill.
According to the proposed Bill, the foreign channels must relay television contents in Nepal without advertisements from the date of implementation of the rule, which, according to the cable operators, will throw them out of business.
However, the Advertising Association of Nepal (AAN) that has been lobbying for clean feed for last one decade, has welcomed the Bill, and urged the government to implement it immediately, unlike earlier attempts. This is not the first time, governments trying to implement clean feed rule asserting that the empty slots in foreign television content can be given to domestic advertisers, which will expand the domestic advertising market and the government will also get more revenue.
After a long debate, the Bill was tabled by Information and Communication Minister Gokul Prasad Baskota in January and is likely to be endorsed by the Lower House.
According to president of the federation of cable TV Association of Nepal Sudhir Parajuli, the authorities have not done proper research on how the rule can backfire. “The viewers will start subscribing to foreign channels through set-up boxes and viewing cards of Indian DTH operators, which are easily available in Kathmandu,” he said, claiming that the fate of Nepali channels, advertisers and even cable operators – once clean feed is implemented – will hang in uncertainty caused by the loss of customers and, ultimately, revenue.
Indian broadcasters – who feed most of the foreign channels to Nepal – must streamline the contents to make sure they run without adverts, which requires them to set up a separate company dedicated to serving Nepal. It will increase their cost as Nepal generates ‘very low average revenue per user’, which will make the Nepali service providers pay higher downlink – including subscription or broadcasting – costs, which will not be economically feasible.
He also said that the government will lose revenue from annual license fees it takes from all the channels – which are watched widely by the Nepali population – if the foreign channels stop.
Earlier in 2017 too, government tried to implement the clean feed rule under National Broadcasting Policy but the domestic service providers and Indian stakeholders, who used the diplomatic route to relay their objections.
After the pressure from different quarters, the government – that had announced in the budget for the fiscal year 2017-18 to implement clean feed – had to backtrack on its decision citing a lack of preparations.

NTB, Chengdu Radio and TV sign MoU for tourism promotion

Nepal Tourism Board (NTB) and Chengdu Radio and Television (CDRTV) signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) aimed at promoting Nepali tourism in China.
Chairman of the executive committee of Nepal Tourism Board (NTB) and tourism secretary Shankar Prasad Adhikari and vice president of Chengdu Radio and TV He Tao signed the MoU on behalf of respective institutions today in Chengdu of China.
"The main objective of the MoU is to promote mutual understanding and friendship among the people of Nepal and China by making public exposure of splendid Nepali culture and tourism resources to Chinese audience," a statement issued by NTB reads.
According to the MoU, Chengdu Radio and TV will send its media persons to Nepal for making programmes on Nepal’s tourism, and Nepal Tourism Board will provide logistic support in Nepal.
Addressing the signing ceremony, Adhikari said the MoU would explore new avenues in promoting Nepali tourism in China. He also sought the cooperation from Chengdu Radio and TV for the same.
Highlighting the historical tie between Nepal and China and Chinese commitment for reconstruction of Kathmandu’s heritage sites, he said there has always a good relation between the two governments. "Now it is the time to strengthen the relation between the people of the two countries by visiting each other," he added.
Likewise, Tao, on the occasion, spoke about the CDRTV saying that this MoU would further allow CDRTV to work closely with Nepal Tourism Board in wider range of promotional activities. He said that CDRTV has nine television and three radio channels with a reach to more than 30 million people.
He also expressed willingness to allow other subsidiary companies of CDRTV like digital media, travel agencies, and multimedia promotional platform for promotion of Nepali tourism.