As TRAI is asking the broadcaster to implement its New Tariff Order dated 1st January 2020 and publish the tariff by 10th August 2020 there has been heavy criticism on TRAI. The broadcasters are very unhappy since TRAI tried to regulate the greediness of Pay Broadcasters. It is the need of the hour for the broadcaster to introspect before blaming TRAI.
* Earlier, most of the pay broadcasters used to collect Rs.5 per channel per month and TRAI permitted them to price them up to a maximum of Rs.19 in case they want to offer those channels as part of their bouquets. Without considering the purchasing power of the consumers, the pay broadcasters have gone to price their main channels at Rs.19. They used to blame the MSOs and LCOs for under-declaration and justified their channel pricing. When there is transparency and each connection is counted, what is the idea behind charging heavily for the pay channels?
* Do you have the heart to say that you are sincere in charging full prices during the Lockdown period when you were forced to telecast all the repeat content? It is an undisputed fact that you were unable to produce fresh content during the lockdown period, but, who prevented you from reducing the subscriptions during the period?
* You have been adding channels with repeat content from the old channels using same movies, songs, comedy bits and enjoying “Less Cost and More Money” policy which you thought has not crossed the minds of the poor people. Remember, everybody is watching these games. When sports events have stopped due to COVID-19, you continued to show old matches and collected full subscriptions. Don’t forget, people could understand your greediness.
* Even though there are many channels which most of the people don’t watch are forcibly made a part of your bouquets. You are free to price your main channels in a la carte as long as you don’t include them in your bouquets. But you want both the benefits. It’s just your over-smartness. Right?
* When TRAI asked you to see that the discount of a bouquet should not be more than 33%, why are not yielding? Are you not aware of the fact that the Supreme Court has already permitted TRAI to regulate the prices? Earlier it was 15% and TRAI is a bit liberal and allowed you a 33% discount on bouquets. Still, you are not satisfied and trying to approach courts.
* If you are confident that your channel is offering quality content, why don’t you sell it as an ala carte channel and price it heavily? Why do you want the people to be kept in dark on the point that only bouquets are controlled? Are you trying to suppress the growth of small networks?
* Why do you say that about 100-150 channels will be closed down with the NTO 2.0 announced by TRAI? Whom do you want to blackmail? Star Chief mentioned that Star World will be closed down. You may price is high and those who want it at that cost will subscribe.
*When there are multiple connections in a household, the Network Capacity Fee (Rs.130 plus taxes) will be restricted to 40% of it for every additional connection. To sell your channels, you have pressurized TRAI to bring this regulation. However, you have not come forward to subsidize the subscriptions, though the people watching the extra screen are a part of the same family. Instead, the rich are being subsidized at the cost of the poor LCO.
* When TRAI has capped the Carriage Fee, which is against the MSOs and DTH/HITS operators, you don’t dare to appreciate TRAI. With the same NCF (Rs.130 plus taxes), LCOs are asked to give 200 channels and with Rs.160, unlimited channels. You have failed to appreciate the decision of TRAI.
* You have unsuccessfully fought in the Courts on your stand that TRAI doesn’t have the right to control the prices of pay channels. Still, you chose to speak out that TRAI is a hurdle to the development of the TV Industry. Is it fair on your part?
