The action and buzz is gathering pace in the television ecosystem even as the deadline for broadcasters to file the new pricing for their channels under NTO 2.0 is set to expire on 12 August 2021. A section of the distribution sector – consisting of DTH operators and cable TV operators – maintains that broadcasters will have to file their new reference interconnect orders (RIO) declaring their bouquet pricing and the MRPs of their channels under NTO 2.0 by Thursday.
The latter had approached the Bombay high court in July asking it to stay the NTO 2.0 but it had turned down their plea. The court had given them six weeks to get their acts together even as it had informed the sectoral regulator – the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (Trai) not to take any coercive action against the broadcasters in the interim. The deadline given by the court to them ends on Thursday and the watchdog can, if it chooses, penalise the TV networks.
Earlier, the Trai had brought down the MRP for a TV channel from Rs 19 to Rs 12, something which the broadcasters have been protesting against.
Senior executives from TV networks – under the umbrella of the Indian Broadcasting Foundation – were in meetings all of Wednesday. A senior broadcasting executive told indiantelevision.com that the Trai cannot and should not take a tough stand against broadcasters as the Supreme Court’s next hearing is scheduled for 18 August.
The IBF and its member broadcasters had challenged the Bombay HC order which had upheld the constitutionality of the NTO 2.0. On 6 August, the apex court asked them to get back to it with slimmer petitions, and posted the matter for hearing on 18 August. “The case is sub-judice, and the Supreme Court will hear it only on 18 August so the matter of “stay orders” does not arise,” said the executive.
