The Hindu Business Line : TRAI issues consultation paper — Should new channels be part of bouquets?

THE Telecom Regulatory Authority of India has circulated a discussion paper on whether all new TV channels should be made available on standalone basis or not.

The major proposal is for deletion of the words `or as part of the new separate bouquet', which would in effect mean that all channels can only be provided as separate individual channels. Under the existing norms, new pay channels cannot be offered as part of bouquets existing as on December 26, 2003.

The new pay channels could however be offered individually or as part of separate bouquet. Also, the rate of new pay channels must be similar to rates of channels of the same genre.

The TRAI said, "This short consultation paper is in response to a proposal received from MSO Alliance, an alliance representing major MSOs, for amendment to The Telecommunication (Broadcasting and Cable) Services (Second) Tariff Order 2004 dated October 1, 2004."

The TRAI has sought views on whether all new channels be provided as separate individual channels, whether the prices charged by broadcasters to MSOs for channels/bouquets launched after December 26, 2003 be frozen at the levels at which they were introduced with an annual increase in inflation and whether there is a need to provide for benchmarks in the Tariff Order for determining similarity in rates of similar channels.

It has sought inputs on what should be the criterion for determining similarity of channels, what should be the approach in case an existing pay channel changes from one distributor to another and what would be the changes that may be required in the Tariff Order and whether the prices charged by broadcasters to the MSOs should be released for public information by TRAI as and when there are changes,

Also, whether TRAI should move towards pricing of individual channels so that consumers through the cable operators exercise wider choice regarding channels in a non-CAS environment.

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