TRAI RULES: Republic TV biggest gainer; Hindi entertainment channels biggest losers

Free-to-air English news channels like Republic TV and Al Jazeera have got a massive boost in their reach, while paid Hindi entertainment and movie channels have seen the biggest drop in reach after the implementation of the new TRAI tariff scheme, according to data from Chrome Data Analytics & Media, one of the world’s largest […]

Tata Sky Case: Delhi High Court pulls up TRAI for modifying roll-out plan midway

Delhi High Court, hearing a challenge by DTH and cable companies against TRAI’s new tariff scheme, today expressed its displeasure over regulator modifying tariff roll-out process of the new tariff system without even informing the court. Chief Justice Rajendra Menon asked the regulator to file an affidavit within a week explaining the latest changes to […]

Bad news for cable, DTH players: TRAI says long-duration packs must continue

The Telecom Regulatory Authority of India today set the cat among the pigeons among cable and DTH operators by saying that customers should be given the option of continuing with their long duration packs if they so desire. This has potential negative implications for all operators, including Tata Sky, D2h and Airtel Digital, as all […]

TRAI gives extra time for selecting new packs; creates confusion among cable, DTH operators

The Telecom Regulatory Authority has given time till Mar 30 for those subscribers who have not exercised their choice under new TV channel plans. The cable and DTH providers have been told to move customers who fail to exercise their choice to a ‘best fit plan’ according to their channel choices and plan. It should […]

TV BLACKOUT: TRAI issues show-cause notice to DTH operator

Media regulator TRAI said it has issued a show cause notice to a ‘large’ platform operator for showing black screens to its customers during the migration to the new TV channel tariff scheme. It did not give the name of the platform operator, merely noting that it was a large one. TRAI, keen to avoid […]

TRAI disputes CRISIL report, says cable, DTH not more expensive

Media regulator TRAI today issued a clarification on a report by the research wing of credit rating agency CRISIL in which the agency had claimed that the introduction of the regulator’s new TV pricing norms will increase cable and DTH prices. CRISIL had taken the example of the most popular channels to arrive its conclusion […]

BASE PACK CHARGE: TRAI sets up call center for complaints, gives phone no.

The Telecom Regulatory Authority of India has issued new directions to cable and DTH operators prohibiting them from forcing any channel other than Doordarshan’s on their consumers in the name of ‘base packs’ or ‘basic service tier’, and also set up a call center to deal with such complaints. The move comes in the wake […]

TDSAT refuses to intervene in TRAI’s channel pricing rules

Telecom Disputes Settlement and Appellate Tribunal, the appellate body for resolving industry disputes in the telecom and broadcasting sector, today refused to expeditiously direct the TRAI to implement the 85:100 rule to bring down the prices of individual television channels. TDSAT refused an early hearing in a case filed by cable operator Fastway Transmissions, which […]

TRAI TARIFF ORDER: Calcutta High Court lifts stay, gives breather to LCOs

The Calcutta High Court has vacated the stay it imposed on the implementation of the new tariff scheme by TRAI, even as it gave extra time for cable operators to negotiate a deal with their feed suppliers. The stay was imposed two days ago after cable operators said that the new rules would hurt them […]

Cable operators accuse TRAI of trying to hijack customers, HC orders stay

The Calcutta High Court said it will decide whether to lift its stay on the implementation of TRAI’s new TV channel regulations on Thursday after ascertaining if cable operators genuinely have a right and wherewithal to negotiate with their feed providers. The court came to this conclusion after the TRAI disputed the complaint given by […]

Calcutta High Court may lift stay on new TRAI tariff rules

Calcutta High Court will hear at 2 PM today an application by broadcast and telecom regulator TRAI seeking a vacation of the stay imposed on the roll-out of the new tariff system from Feb 1. The High Court had yesterday imposed a stay on the implementation of the tariff order after cable operators in Kolkata […]

Jio GigaFiber moves closer to reality as Reliance’s Den acquisition gets approval

Jio GigaFiber, the wired service from Reliance Jio, moved closer to its mega roll-out plan after it received a crucial approval from the Competition Commission for the company’s purchase of Den Networks and Hathway Cable & Datacom. The approval by the Competition Commission was seen as the main, if not the only, crucial regulatory approval […]

TRAI denies media report on offering 100 pay channels for Rs 153 under new tariff rule

Telecom Regulatory Authority of India has denied a news report published by a major daily in India, claiming that the Authority has issued an order giving 100 free or pay channels for Rs 153. An official pointed out that the Authority has issued no such new rule, and that it is not possible to provide […]

2019: The Turning Point for Indian M&E?

Growth trends of last decade show that Indian M&E can act as an important contributor to India’s economic growth, but the sector continues to be a dwarf compared to its global peers. Can 2019 prove to be a point of inflection and kick-start next decade of explosive growth? The year was 2009 when Indian media […]

DTH, cable subscribers complain of being moved to ‘junk’ plans ahead of TRAI deadline

With the telecom and media regulator asking for daily reports from DTH and cable players on migration of consumers to TRAI-compliant plans ahead of the Jan 31 deadline, many consumers have complained of being moved to unwanted packs by their providers. Under TRAI Tariff Order 2017, all cable and DTH subscribers have to be moved […]

TRAI says no more postponement, urges consumers to move to new channel packs without delay

Telecom Regulatory Authority of India, the agency that oversees the telecom and media sector in India, today refuted rumors that the implementation of the tariff order has been postponed beyond February 1 and asked consumers to move to the new plans without leaving it for the last moment. The clarification came in the wake of […]

Tata Sky, Sun Direct miss TRAI deadline for new channel packs

India’s largest DTH operator Tata Sky and smaller rival Sun Direct have missed TRAI’s deadline to introduce new, more transparent channel prices to their subscribers from midnight. Even as other cable and DTH players, like Airtel Digital, Dish TV, D2h, Hathway, Den Networks, Siti Cable and GTPL started displaying the new prices for TV channels, […]

TRAI Tariff Rules: Operators publish list of Free FTA channels in India

With the deadline for cable and DTH players to publish their channel packs and prices only a few hours away, operators have published lists of free channels as well as pay channels available on their platforms. Free channels, also called FTA or Free-to-Air, are the ones that any DTH or cable subscriber can activate without […]

After Siti & Den, Hathway reveals prices of new TRAI plans & channel packs

With just six hours remaining for the expiry of TRAI’s deadline for the announcement of new channel packs and prices, three of India’s biggest cable networks — Den Networks, Hathway Cable and Siti Cable — have announced their new plans and details. The latest to do so was Hathway Cable, which has given two separate […]