Cable TV Operators Seeking New Amendments From TRAI: Report

Ever since TRAI introduced new amendments for the broadcasters and cable TV operators it is facing backlash from the industry. And now it has been reported that cable TV operators are also planning to go against the telecom regulator new orders.

According to the Economic Times report, both broadcasters and cable TV operators are planning to protest against the new network capacity fee, which is introduced by the regulator. The cable TV operators are also planning to challenge the regulations, especially the NCF rules, where users will get 200 channels only at Rs.130 and Rs. 160 for all the channels.

"We have decided that we will first appeal to Trai that certain clauses of the amendments are against cable operators and they will make it difficult for us to survive. Also, since NTO is just about stabilizing, why do they want to disrupt it again," Arvind Prabhoo, president of the Maharashtra Cable Operators Foundation (MCOF), was quoted by Economic Times.

In fact, Maharashtra Cable Operators Foundation had held a meeting with cable TV operators from Maharashtra, Delhi, Haryana, Madhya Pradesh, and Bengaluru. The report states that after that meeting, all cable TV operators want TRAI to change the amendments.

It is worth mentioning that these new rules by the regulator will allow users to pay for only those channels they choose, which aims to bring down the bills. However, broadcasters united after this decision and raised their voices against the new amendments.

"The collective cost to the broadcasters was well over 1,000 crores in just communicating the changes to the consumers. Even with that, there was an overall loss of 12-15 million subscribers in the process. All stakeholders, most of all our consumers, went through considerable inconvenience during the transition period," Indian Broadcasting Foundation (IBF) president NP Singh said in a statement.