Sources told PTI there will be three grievance appellate panels which will be assigned different types of appeals based on the categories of harmful content mentioned in the recently-amended IT rules. Broadly, these appeals could be around complaints regarding sexually explicit content, misinformation, or religious incitement.
Theatres were able to operate fully for the first time since the covid-19 pandemic in 2022. However, the impact of the previous two years on consumer behaviour was visible throughout the year. The cinema-goer has become ruthless in deciding which film to watch in a theatre, and which to give a miss, irrespective of cast, budget and language.
After an initial rush of bullish spending as they looked to consolidate their presence in India, video streaming platforms are slowing investments in the country. In 2022, spending dipped by 50% as parent companies of foreign platforms reeled from the global downturn with subscriber addition in India remaining tepid.
2022 was the year that saw a volatile relationship between the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (Trai) and broadcasters that lasted for two years improved immensely. That is because, towards the end of the year, the regulatory body issued amendments to the new tariff order (NTO) and interconnection regulations.
Amid the pending bills are revised IT Rules, 2021 to tackle internet and social media intermediaries in order to create a safer experience for Indian users while protecting their privacy in mind, and rules on the regulation of online gaming as IT Ministry has now been made the nodal agency for matters related to online gaming.
Following Russia's invasion of Ukraine, the latest Hollywood blockbusters are no longer available in local cinemas. Not with permission from rightsholders, at least. The Russian cinema business was hit hard by these restrictions but with some tricks and help from "friendly" neighbors, pirated copies of "Avatar: The Way of Water" have found their way onto the big screen.
Tata Play and Dish TV are among the first movers in the TV distribution industry to launch OTT bundles, while the latest player to join the bandwagon is cable TV major GTPL Hathway. GTPL Hathway has launched the ‘Genie+’ service in partnership with 15 OTT apps.
2022 has been a year in which cinema from the Southern states stuck a chord with national audiences. The resounding success of spectacle and action films like RRR, KGF and Pushpa, and even smaller budget films like Kantara and Karthikeya 2 on a national level and the muted response to even the biggest Bollywood films led to terrifying statements that Bollywood is dead.
In a bold move, Spain’s Congress has raised the cap on tax rebates enjoyed by international TV productions to €10 million ($10.6 million) per episode. Parallel to that, the total tax relief for international productions, whether movies or series, has been hiked from €10 million to €20 million ($21.2 million). A ceiling for deductions enjoyed by a title’s top creatives, previously set at €100,000 ($106,000), has also been eliminated.
Towards the end of the year, leaked screener copies of Hollywood films traditionally leak online. This year, no notable screeners have surfaced. This absence may be in part due to security and enforcement measures, but streaming services and shorter release windows are dominant factors too.