No coercive action against broadcasters for non-publication of RIO, Trai tells Kerala HC

The telecom regulator has given a verbal undertaking to the Kerala High Court that it will not take any coercive action against broadcasters for non-publication of reference interconnect offer (RIO) based on the July 8 amendments to the broadcast tariff regulation till the next date of hearing.

Indian Broadcasting and Digital Foundation (IBDF), Star India and Viacom18 have challenged the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India’s regulation that mandates broadcasters to provide channels on DD Free Dish for free to private distribution platform operators (DPOs) also.

The matter will next be heard on September 4.

Broadcasters have argued that DD Free Dish can’t be equated with other DPOs as it doesn’t charge subscription from its consumers, whereas private DPOs collect subscription charges from their subscribers.

Trai had amended the broadcast tariff regulation and introduced a condition that pay channels that are available on DD Free Dish must be made available to private DPOs on a free-to-air (FTA) basis.

DPOs had petitioned Trai that broadcasters were discriminating against them by charging them for the same channels that were available on FTA basis on DD Free Dish.

ET had first reported that TV broadcasters plan to challenge the Trai directive to make pay channels on DD Free Dish free for other distributors.

In its petition, IBDF contended that Trai’s onerous conditions will lead to a drop in the reach of channels as broadcasters will either have to pull out their channels from DD Free Dish or make them FTA to other DPOs and be outside the pay channel bouquets.

Currently, over 15 pay channels across news and entertainment genres are present on DD Free Dish. However, entertainment channels have a nominal price as they air old content.