TRAI, in its path breaking and stupendous move has passed orders to handlers of Television signals.
These orders has potential to completely change the contours of broadcasting and its allied industries.
These orders directly has effect on consumers,cable TV operators, DTH operators, IPTV operators, MSOs(Multi sytem operators), HITS operators and entities whose business is someway related to TV signal-flow
The underlying umbilical cord of these orders is "consumer's choice and interest" and "Inducement to covert all non-addressable systems to addressable systems"
Note:: Addressable system means set-top box driven and hence each consumer has control over the channels he receives
These orders come to force from 1st September 2010
Highlights
1) All channels must be provided in A-la-carte basis in addition to bouquets if any (Only DTH operators has waiver till 1st Jan 2011 if they can prove it to Authority that they cannot abide by this order only because of technical reason)
2) All pay channels in the addressable system to be cheaper by minimum of 65% than their corresponding rate in non addressable system
3) Minimum subscription period for A-la-carte channel not to exceed 3 months
4) Minimum subscription fee per month not to exceed Rs. 150 + tax
5) Set-top box must be provided to consumer in all 3 options (i) outright purchase (ii) Hire purchase (iii) rental
6) For rental or Hire purchase(within hire period),modalities of returning set-top box should be clearly specified. Depreciation deduction must not exceed 25% per 6 months
7) Replacement of faulty set-top box for rental or hire purchase (within hire period) consumer should happen without any payment
8) Increase of rental of subscription package is prohibited for 6 months from the date of enrolment
9) Decrease of rental and migration of consumer to other subscription package is allowed at any time
10) Every broadcaster must publish the A-la-carte and bouquet rates of the channels in its website and submit the same to Authority
11) Broadcaster must initmate the Authority one month in advance about addition/deletion of channel or change in rates
12) Broadcaster intending to convert a channel from FTA to Pay mode should intimate Authority, publish in atleast 2 newspapers( one National and one Regional) , run scroll in the channel atleast one month in advance
13) Broadcaster must publish its rates(A-la-carte and Bouquet(if any)) in 2 national newspapers once in every 90 days
14) All retailing entities(Cable TV operators, DTH operators, IPTV operators, HITS operators, MSOs etc.,) must report all its rates (A-la-Carte rates, Bouquet rates, Set-top box rates(price, rent, hire rate)) to Authority one month prior to the date of change
source :: http://www.trai.gov.in/WriteReadData/trai/upload/TariffOrders/70/FinalTariffOrder21july.pdf
Kudos to TRAI
:clap:
We hope TRAI will be equally vigilant during the initial enforcement period