Cable operators in Gujarat approach HC after broadcasters disconnect signals

“We have already lost 40 per cent of our business to DTH and OTT platforms. Any increase in prices of channels shown through cable tv platforms will further dent our business as our subscribers will migrate to DTH and OTT platforms. This is an indirect way of eliminating cable operators from the business,” Pramod Pandya, president of the association, said.

Pandya said the basic package of channels which currently costs Rs 400, will become Rs 600 or more, after the hike in prices. “More subscribers will leave us if we increase the prices,” he said.

Cable operators in Gujarat currently have a subscriber base of 50 lakh households, while DTH and OTT platforms account for an additional 20 lakh households. Pandya said broadcasters like ZEE, Sony, and Star have already cut their feeds to cable operators. “This is nothing but high-handedness. They are trying to force us to accept the fresh agreements with increased prices,” Pandya added.

Earlier, broadcasters had issued notices to cable operators to sign the Reference Interconnect Offer (RIO) for New Tariff Order 3.0 issued by TRAI. The cable operators did not pay heed to the order, leading to the disconnection of signals by a few broadcasters. “The issue is solely about paid channels and not about 200 odd channels which are currently free to air,” Pandya added.

The petition is expected to come up on March 1 for a hearing, members of the association said.

Meanwhile, the Indian Broadcasting & Digital Foundation, a body of television broadcasters in India, Monday issued a statement saying the cable operators were trying to merely “invoke public sympathy” and that 90 per cent of the Distribution Platform Operators have signed the new agreement.

“Under the new pricing regime, the subscriber has the flexibility of choice on whether to pick one channel or a bouquet of channels. The maximum monthly subscription fee for a channel to be included in bouquet is INR 19/- which is significantly lesser than the price of essentials in the country. The attempt of the AIDCF (All India Digital Cable Federation) to invoke consumer sentiment on the price increase is belied by their attempt to increase that portion of the consumer bill that goes only to the AIDCF members, i.e. Network Capacity Fees (NCF),” the statement added.